I'll have what she's having

After checking into the Hotel Marina Corsica outside Porto Vecchio we decide to head up to the old town for dinner. 

Like many other "old towns" old Porto Vecchio is located behind ramparts on top of a hill overlooking the actual port itself. The pretty and narrow cobblestone streets are filled with souvenir shops and restaurants offering three course meals with views "from our terrasse". 

Our plan is to walk around and see what's available but Dana has zeroed in on one of the first restaurants that we walked by, A Cantina di L'Orriu. It's a small wine bar but its kitchen is highly recommended. Dana has spotted a particular dish that she really wants and while I successfully convince her that we should explore other options, no other menu interests her more and we return to the Cantina just before their 7PM opening and get seats in their streetside terrasse. 

I order the Escalope de Veau Corse Panee a Ma Facon avec Pommes Grenailles Poellees a la Panzetta. This is a pan fried veal scallop done in the chef's secret way with potatoes fried with some pancetta. 

When it first arrives I note that the quality and texture of the veal is excellent but I'm having a little trouble identifying any flavor. It seems a little bland. The potatoes have an immediate spicy kick so I'm surprised the veal doesn't also stand out. I decide to wait patiently to see if a flavor reveals itself. Fortunately it does. A couple of bites later and I'm tasting an amazing sweetness in the coating of the veal. The surface of the veal has been caramelized with sugar or honey and it's actually working perfectly. Now I can't get enough of it and, as befits a really good meal, I start taking smaller bites in order to prolong the experience. 

Now as good as my dish was, you might be wondering about Dana's, the one that brought us here in the first place. She'd ordered the appetizer Tartine de Chèvre Frais Grille aux figues fraiches et miel de maquis (fresh goat cheese toasted on bread with fresh figs and Maquis honey). 

As good as my dish was, hers was even better. Even though it was only an appetizer it was big enough to serve as a main course and came accompanied by a salad. 

How good was it really? It was so good I decided (at Dana's prompting) to order it for dessert. Hey, it's a sweet dish with cheese and figs. That passes for dessert in most of France. It was a good decision and this was unarguably our best meal yet. It may be hard to top this one.