One of my favourite ways to find inspiration for my Eating out columns is wandering around a particular neighbourhood until I spot something that I might like. The other day I was going to a networking event in Santa Catalina when I spotted a guy at Bendito Gusto decorating the place for Christmas. He was hanging a cute little Santa carrying a bag of pasta on their window and this made me smile. On my return from the other event I decided to pop in and try their food. It was still very early, I was their first customer for the night, so I took the opportunity to chat to the guys a little bit. Argentinian Lucio is the front of the house, while Chef Antonio, from Bari in Italy, looks after the kitchen.
They told me that all the food they make is 100% home-made and this made me even more excited to taste it. Remembering how particular my Italian friends were about their pasta, and how pasta and sauce pairing is nothing short of science to them, I jokingly said that I would love to try their “spaghetti Bolognese”. Antonio was quick to realise that I was just being mean to him, so he laughed and said: “Tagliatelle Bolognese it is then”!
Before my bowl of pasta was ready, the guys invited me to try a Sicilian arancini. If you haven’t come across this dish before, arancini also known as arancine ( sg.: arancina), are Italian rice balls that are stuffed, coated with breadcrumbs and deep-fried. They are often served in pairs, but I was happy to try just one, not to ruin my pasta. Here, at Bendito Gusto, arancina was smaller than the ones I enjoyed many times during my visits to friends in Sicily, but what it “lacked” in size, it certainly made up for in excellent taste. This one was filled with ham and cheese that melted while being deep fired and it was scrumptious!
Just as I finished the last bits of that, my tagliatelle Bolognese arrived. It was evident from the first bite that both the pasta and the sauce really were home-made. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and the sauce was absolutely perfect. A few spoonfuls of parmesan scattered on top completed this simple but delicious meal. I could almost imagine being in my Sicilian friend’s mother’s kitchen, instead of this nice little restaurant in Santa Catalina.
Bendito Gusto opened a couple of months ago and the guys tell me that they have been busy since the first day. Aside from eating in, you can also order their pasta through Glovo or Just Eat, but I would tell you to go in if you can. I really liked the interior, willed with wooden tables paired with cool worn out leather chairs. Pay attention to the art on the walls too, featuring some of the world’s most famous monuments, made out of… pasta, of course!
For dessert, Lucio suggested that I should try Antonio’s specialty: tiramisu. He did not have to tell me twice! Served in a glass and generously dusted with cocoa, Antionio’s tiramisu was light and creamy, without any ingredient overpowering the others… I really was as good as Lucio claimed.
I really enjoyed my quick stop in this new place on the busy C/ Anibal and I will definitely come back on purpose, not like that evening when I was simply passing by.
THE VERDICT
Good homemade pasta paired with a selection of sauces. Friendly service. Great value-for- money option for either lunch or dinner. I will definitely be back to try a few more combinations!
THE PLACE
Bendito Gusto
Carrer d'Anníbal, 26, Ponent, 07013 Palma, Illes Balears
Tel: 605 74 69 41
Instagram: @benditogusto.es
OPENING TIMES
Mon-Sat midday to 10.30pm
Sun midday to 4pm
PRICES
Various menus i.e. pasta + drink + dessert 14 euros
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