Dining Out with Friends
Written By Larry J. Mickartz
R
Complimentary Appetizer
Baby Beet Salad
ecently Edward (Eddie) and
Gloria Pollock joined us at
Prova, California Table in
Morgan Hill. The word Prova means to
try or to taste in Italian. Chef Sal Calisi,
who also owns Odeum, has done an
excellent job of offering a variety of
tastes, textures and food experiences at
Prova. The lunch and dinner feature an
expanded tapas menu. On weekends,
Prova also serves a great brunch and
has a happy hour menu from 3-6 pm
and a late night version from 10-12 pm.
We arrived at 6 pm, the prime
dinner hour. Once seated, our waitress
brought us a delightful complimentary
appetizer of roasted garlic, kalameta
olives, crostini and butter and took
our drink order.
The ladies started with classic
cocktails, Gloria a Cosmo and J.Chris,
a Lemon Drop. Eddie opted for beer
and I had my regular, a tall Gin and
Tonic. Eddie’s order of a Coors Lite
was originally denied because they did
not carry Coors Lite, but our waitress
returned with some good news. Prova
had recently hosted a party and there
was some left over…a nice touch.
As we enjoyed our cocktails, we
perused the menu. Without the
usual structure of appetizers, soup or
salad, entrée and dessert, we decided
to break our experience into three
courses (mainly to accommodate table
space)and just share everything.
The evening began with Tomato
Basil Bisque (Feta Cheese, Bacon Side
of Garlic Bread) for Gloria and Eddie.
Gloria went for the whole experience
while Eddie asked for the bisque with-
out the cheese and bacon. J.Chris opted
to share the Baby Beets (black pepper,
creme, red onions, feta cheese—instead
of goat cheeese—and pecans). I put in
an order for two specials— Shredded
Pork Curry Ragu (shredded pork,
penne pasta curry, coconut milk) and
Chicken Wings (orange miso glaze,
roasted garlic sesame, yogurt.) When
everything was delivered, the table was
full of delightful aromas and beautifully
presented plates.
Both Eddie and Gloria really liked
their individual versions of the soup.
They both noted that it was a little
garlicky, creamy, smooth and very
flavorful—even without the cheese and
bacon for Eddie. The Garlic Bread was
outstanding and there was enough for
all four of us. The beet salad was fresh
and offered many different textures.
The feta matched up well with
the beets.
The Chicken Wings were spicy and
“finger lickin’ good.” There were little
bits in the sauce that made eating the
wings a bit of a culinary adventure.
Tomato Basil Bisque
Shredded Pork Curried Ragu
Chili Verde Carnitas Dip
104
Spicy Chicken Wings
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
february/march 2019
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