Bistro blends Mediterranean and Texan fare

Cafe Malta is not a straightforward Mediterranean bistro, nor does it serve exclusively Texan fare.

Owners Nick and Jessica Goulding dubbed their cuisine "Tex-Med" to explain how they interpret Old World dishes using local ingredients. The meals are "interesting, but not daunting," Nick Goulding said; they are part homage, part inspired riff on familiar recipes.

"We wanted to draw on the influence of the Mediterranean region without feeling beholden to one particular cuisine," Goulding said. "We didn't want to [serve specifically] Italian food because someone would come along and say, 'Well, that's not Italian food. You are doing it wrong.' We wanted to be able to mix and match and draw from different styles."

The dishes themselves are the best explanation of the Gouldings' concept.

The bistro recently offered the pasta dish maltagliati—Italian for "badly cut," based on the pasta shape—with a sauce featuring pork shoulder and brisket.

"These were Texan cuts in an Italian concept," Goulding said. "Once we got the rag just right, it was great."

Three continents are represented in the bouillabaisse au Maroc. The bouillabaisse itself is French seafood soup, the spices and currants are Moroccan, and the Texas twist comes from using pecans instead of pistachios or almonds, Goulding said.

Mediterranean cuisine has long enjoyed a kind of cross-pollination of its ingredients and approaches to cooking, Goulding said.

The Gouldings experienced that during their travels along the Mediterranean coast. The couple spent their 2001 honeymoon in the region. They returned in 2003 and spent four months in a small Italian fishing village where their landlady taught Jessica her recipe for homemade pizza.

The Gouldings brought those experiences and recipes with them when they moved to Southwest Austin in 2004. Cafe Malta's cuisine grew out of their travels and home cooking, Goulding said.

In December, they opened a decidedly neighborhood-focused bistro, "a place casual enough where you were comfortable enough to go in no matter what you were wearing but that still had great food," he said.

They also wanted to take advantage of the seasonal fruits and vegetables Texas has to offer.

The bistro recently offered a simple grilled peach dessert.

"We asked ourselves, 'What can we do to keep this within our concept?' But sometimes we are just like, 'Leave it alone and do as little with it as possible,'" he said.

Ultimately, the Gouldings want to feed their diners high-quality meals at better prices than competitors nearby.

"Having been here seven years, we know what's available," he said. "There are a few independent operations that are not chains.

"Southwest Austin is kind of an underserved community. The number of people in this community warrants more than [chain restaurants]."

Drinks

Cafe Malta offers a variety of cocktails in addition to its wines, beers and spirits.

• Blue Ruin—Bluecoat American gin, Cinzano dry vermouth and olive juice
• The Corsican—Laird's Applejack, Lazzaroni Amaretto and lemon juice
• Only Too Happy—Matusalem Clsico rum, bitters and cold Moscato
• Fa Niente—Cynar artichoke bitters, Paula's Texas Orange with a splash of vodka
• Tarantella—Sauza Hornitos Reposado tequila, Pernod Absinthe and orange juice
• Ugly Tom's Ice Wagon—Hendrick's Gin, Stirring's Pomegranate Liqueur, lime juice

Sample menu items

Cafe Malta serves foods inspired by cuisine throughout the Mediterranean region.

• Shrimp Escabeche—Jumbo shrimp, arugula, roasted tomato-avocado salsa
• Lamb Tagine—Lamb, arugula, Fredricksburg peaches
• Fettuccine with crimini mushrooms and Smokey Denmark's Jalapeo Sausage
• Chicken Kebab—White meat chicken, zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper and mushrooms over couscous with cucumber yogurt sauce

Cafe Malta, 3421 W. William Cannon Drive, 853-9584, www.cafemaltaaustin.com, Twitter: @CafeMalta1

Open 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily