27/08/08: A mid-week celebration at Sa Capella

A little bit of pomp and ceremony never hurt anyone in Miss W’s eyes, so if you’re going to have a celebration, why not throw it somewhere that’s really dramatic, spectacular and ultra special, with an extra big dash of pomp?

Exactly what, who, where and when is Miss W waffling about now, you may ask yourself? Well, it’s the birthday celebrations of one of the island’s most loved DJs, Jo Mills (and before you ask, no, a lady never tells her age!) at the fabulous Sa Capella restaurant in San Antonio - Ibiza tonight, a very glamorous and chic affair that required more than one table booking courtesy of White Ibiza – with over 45 invited guests (a guest list that rivalled the International Music Summit with industry types and island socialites), Ms Mills needed to extend her booking to take over half of the ex-monastery’s interior space!

Starting with bowls of steamingly delicious cream of tomato soup with basil and mozzarella (which Miss W thought was a little like caprese salad in liquid form – yum!) or chilled gazpacho plus the thinnest, tastiest slices of the house specialty Serrano ham, washed down with the finest Spanish white and red wines, Miss W had to wonder how the seemingly tiny kitchen could keep up with the demands of the table when it came to serving up the varied individual mains but she should never have doubted their skill or expertise for a second really – there’s a reason Sa Capella have come to be known as one of the island’s finest dining establishments.

From whole fish baked inside a bed of rock salt, quickly and expertly filleted at the table to soft and tender roast suckling pig or tender slices of ox steak grilled to your own liking, each and every meal appeared right on time, cooked to perfection and tasting every bit as good as they looked – and inspiring food envy from many of the diners. All the more reason for a return visit I say!

Of course, after partaking in the feast, the consensus among guests was there was no room for dessert, though the Sa Capella crew presented the birthday girl with a tray of almond crisp bread topped with sparklers as the entire restaurant joined in and sang happy birthday to Jo beneath the ancient archways of the chapel.

Last but not least, the obligatory bottles of homemade hierbas were placed on each table, as the guests slowly but surely let their meals digest and contemplated leaving the venue as the clock struck 12 to get amongst the island’s nightlife, however this was one occasion where Miss W opted for her soft and comfy bed rather than an all-night long dance floor session.

That’s what I call leaving on a high note!

THE LOWDOWN
THE GOOD: Getting the chance to sit down for a long leisurely dinner with a bunch of friends in August – usually a luxury we don’t have time for in the busiest month of the season.
THE BAD: Why do people always seem to leave birthday dinners early, without leaving enough cash to cover their own meal? Miss W thinks this is not only bad manners, but also bad taste to leave your hosts to foot a large portion of the bill.
THE GOSSIP: There were some very noticeable absences amongst the guests – not mentioning any big-name DJ or promoter names of course – which had tongues wagging about what possible business dinner could be more important than celebrating a long-time friend’s birthday?