A Taste of Mallorcan Sunshine report from far afield this A month. don't usually go out of the catchment area , but a recent trip to Mallorca had me drooling over dinner so much that I need to share. We were staying in the pretty mountain town of Soller and happened across somewhere very lovely. The market place cafes and restaurants weren't that special and from a food perspective things weren 't looking promising . Away from the square we found a traditional Mallorcan restaurant set in an old cartwheel workshop. It certainly looked the part, but after a sad meal of fish in orange sauce and a memorable - for all the wrong reasons - veal jaw dinner, we headed back to the square a little despondent. On the way home, we stumbled across a tiny bar, hidden down a narrow back road and settled down to enjoy a glass of Spanish red or two. As we supped, we were looked after terribly well by the head waiter. This was a nice experience. Then the chef popped out of the kitchen to say hello and made us feel very welcome. A nicer experience still. Of course, its all for a reason. He cleverly made sure we didn't leave his restaurant without seeing the menu and perhaps more importantly tasting his food. A small sample of patatas bravas was delivered to the table. Just bite-sized but, with such a fresh and zingy tomato sauce, what the chef had really done was ensure we returned tomorrow. Which we did. And the day after that. The first night we enjoyed a superb range of tapas. A plate of mixed roasted vegetables served with a blue cheese dressing. A simple but delicious bowl of garlic prawns, shell-on and perfectly cooked . Sharply vinegary anchovies p. foodie @phoneboxfoodie facebook .com/phoneboxfoodie phoneboxfoodie.wordpress .com served with fresh bread. A pile of roasted green peppers . And an oxtail croquette - easily the star of the show. A golden ball of loveliness, filled with soft, moist, flavoursome , pulled ox cheek , resting on a little mound of potato. Absolutely gorgeous. Every single mouthful superbly cooked and full of flavour. The second day we sampled the paella and it was equally delicious and packed with mussels, prawns and seafood. It is a tiny little place, and if this was local, I'd keep it a secret for fear of not getting a table. But hey, it'll be a while before we are back in Soller. So remember the name Cate Alvaro. And if you find yourself in Soller, bypass the veal jaw, grab yourself a table here, and remember, you heard it here first at the Phonebox! HB For another taste of Mai/area, see the recipe of the month on page 59.