Valletta is buzzing with lanky lawyers in grey suits, poker-faced shop assistants, and other colourful characters jostling around in mid-day frenzy.
A mother with an oversized bum is shouting at her son, and he yells back at her, while stuffing himself with a burger and dropping fries on the floor.
In the middle of all this - Marica Mizzi - stands waiting for me to arrive. Greetings are exchanged in the middle of Republic Street and we hurry to our destination in anticipation of a nice afternoon.
Panic hits 10 minutes later when we discover that the chosen place to wine and dine has closed down for a revamp... so I activate my brain cells and try to dig out another place to save me the embarrassment.Et voilà! Flashes of a little hangout in Archbishop Street are coming back to me like a Celine Dion song. So off we go - D-Office, it is!
Right now the place is almost deserted except for an older man who looks like he has a permanent bourbon hangover, and a middle-aged woman in need of a good hairdresser who sits enjoying a glass of wine and reading a book.Marica turns up looking immaculate from head to toe. There is nothing fake about her and no futile feminine frippery.
She is looking incredibly smart, swathed in an orchestration of beige colours that suit her skin tone, and allow the perfect... and may I say it again... perfect hair-do... to shine.
When it comes to ambience, D-Office does not exactly shine that much. The colour combinations that have been chosen, especially the rosette ceiling, is not exactly to my taste. Yet they have maintained the beauty of the Maltese tiles, and loaded the shelves surrounding the terracotta walls with special features like old sewing machines, and various ceramic pots. As we seat ourselves, the manager comes over like a torpedo and his beaming face is a very welcoming kick-off.
Warm hellos, and menus are delivered to us, and both Marica and I get good vibes about the place. The only things I know about Marica are that she is an actress and produces the hit-drama Santa Monika and that she has recently been privleged to be appointed the communications coordinator to the President of Malta.
I like her on first sight and find that she has a sublime polish and a maturity beyond her years. If she were a racing car she would make a statement on or off the track. Before we even order the food, I learn that she is undergoing a course in practical philosophy, enjoys nature and camping, and is single and available after going through a separation. Well guys, some of the most remarkable ladies are still acquirable!
"Who would you have a one-night-stand with?" I ask out of the blue. "Let's have a scenario where you have to choose between Norman Hamilton, Paul Borg Olivier and Alfred Zammit."
Her brown-coated lips spread into a smile. "Paul Borg Olivier perhaps! Hmmm..."
"And you like your men smooth or hairy?" I ask back with a smirk. "Smooth."
We suddenly realise the Torpedo man is standing next to us waiting to take our order. There is a smile on his face, but I can tell he must have overheard pieces of our conversation and he looks a little bit embarrassed. Probably, he is hairy. We ask for some time, and scan the menus. The wine list is okay with a mix of the usual wines, not surprisingly quite a few of them are local. There are only six pages to choose from, but you are bound to find something you like.
Get past the plastic menu, and inside the food list you will find a variety of ftiras, salads, omelettes, pasta and platters. Everything is decently priced and looks quite genuine. We place our order. I go for a salmon ftira priced at €6.95, and Marica opts for a cheese platter (€8.75).
She tells me she is a vegetarian so she won't be nibbling any of my salmon ftira. That triggers another flashback. I now remember Marica is also very much an animal activist and I recall seeing her on a local TV show talking about cruelty to animals and protesting against a circus act that hit our island in the last years."I have a difficult question for you," I say.
"If you had been forced to - would you shoot a dog or a cat?" I close my eyes. I do not like the sound of that question myself, but I want to push her to her limits. Now she is seriously confused. She refuses to answer. I persist. Her mouth is set in a stubborn line.
"Neither one nor the other, I'll probably shoot the person who will force me."I'm happy with the reply. Well said girl!The food arrives. My salmon ftira, topped with feta cheese, olives and onions is not big... it's humongous. The cheese platter is served in a big plate and comes with a side basket of bread and galletti. I have to say it is one of the best cheese platters I have seen.
We order a Grand Vin de Hauteville - Chardonnay from the Delicata winery. It's lush, full-bodied and endowed with ripe, exotic fruit and promises to blend well with our food.Torpedo man flashes a satisfied smile, and rushes off to the man with the permanent bourbon hangover who wants to pay and leave.
Both Marica and I are enjoying each other's company and a few glasses of wine later we both discover things about each other that we did not know before. You somehow feel comfortable chatting to this lady, and I love her inquisitive mind. We delve into some deep topics and issues, until I decide it is high time for some more gossip.
"Which local actress is so, so yesterday?" I ask, sipping on the Chardonnay and feeling the rush in the head.She is in difficulty - too many to choose from. I tell her that I would settle for just the initials..... "I.F." she says."She sucks in any role.
"I pour more wine into her glass, before I set off to the toilet not far from where we are seated. The bathroom at D-Office is as big as one of these modern day living rooms! It's enormous for what it is. White tiles on the floor and walls, with a jade green border. It is very clean, and surprisingly, also equipped with facilities for disabled people. This is by far the biggest I have set foot in, and the orange high-chair in the corner of the room gives it some kind of twisted thrill.
More wine, more cheese, more salmon, more talk. More Marica... More!Now I want to know which singer she thinks is so, so yesterday (As you can see I am loving these "so, so, yesterday" questions).
"Rosman," she says quickly. And so on it goes for the rest of the afternoon. I don't care about the rosette ceilings anymore and the other mismatches there could be. This is a nice, friendly place and Marica turns out to be a very interesting lady and an outspoken figure. I compare her to a fine film; full of atmosphere, strangely shunted rhythms and much off-the-wall humour.
She is an uncut take.I decide it is time to stop the wine and order a coffee for Marica, while I choose to remain caffeine free.
Torpedo man brings the bill with the coffee and a smile. Damages amount to €32.45. I conclude that despite D-Office not being a flashy snack/wine bar it is a delightful place, especially if you are in the right company.
RATING 1-7 Wine: **** Ambience: *** Food: ***** Service: ****