Tartufo: Tony's Italian Table

On Wednesday I had the pleasure of being invited by Karen Reyment (TheWordOnFood) to join her and a few other bloggers at Tony's Italian Table. Tony's Italian Table isn't the name of an event but a gorgeous new offering at Tartufo which allows groups of six or more to enjoy a multi course Italian feast. This offering is changed daily based on seasonal produce and naturally the whim of Tartufo Head Chef, Tony Percuoco. As a native of Naples, Tony is absolutely passionate about his food and this is evident from the care he takes to ensure special dietary requirements are met and the passion in his voice when he describes the source of his produce. All of the bread and pasta used in the restaurant are made on site and while the majority of the Tartufo produce is sourced from growers within a 200km radius of Brisbane, Tony can't ignore perfection so you will see the occassional distant treat such as Gippsland Veal or buttery Italian Proscutto. 

 

Our Italian feast opened with beautiful crusty housemade bread served with organic extra virgin olive oil, marinated mixed Italian olives and platters of traditional antipasto. If you have a favourite item then I recommend you get in fast as in the tradition of a family feast it is first in best dressed. However Tony is aware that occassionally we have our favourites so each guest was served their own individual arancini ball. The recipe for the arancini are just as Tony's Mother used to make and filled with peas, parmesan, mozzarella and tomato. Absolutely delicious, fresh, balanced like all the dishes in this feast but for me the stand out dishes were:

• Insalata Caprese
  Fresh sliced tomatoes topped with mozzarella, basil and extra virgin olive oil.
• Vitello Tonnato
  Braised Gippsland veal served cold, thinly sliced, topped with a tuna mayonnaise of capers, anchovies and served with cornichons. 
• Gnochetti Sardi Ai Piselli
  House made small shell pasta with onion, pancetta, fresh peas and pea puree, pepper and pecorino cheese.  
• Semifreddo Al Torrone
  Hazelnut, nougat semifreddo (house made ice-cream terrine) served with crostoli and espresso sauce.  

Parking and public transport is highly accessible at the Emporium, the space is welcoming, the food was divine and service impecable. But apart from a huge thanks to Tony and his wife, Gordana, I wanted to also thank Karen for being such a warm host and the other bloggers on the table for their company: 

• Eat, Drink and Be Kerry
• Itty Bitty Bites
• Miss Lolly Loves Food
• Rhubarb Whine
• Tiffin

So might I recommend that you grab a bunch of six or so of your closest friends and take on the impressive feast that is Tony's Italian Table. You won't be disapppointed.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Address: 100 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006.
Open: Lunch and Dinner 7 Days.
Phone: (07) 3852 1500.
Price: $50 per person.

La Camera

It was pouring rain when Sarah and I were heading off to the Malthouse Theatre to view Ganesh versus the Third Reich so we stopped in at La Camera, Southbank to escape. I must admit I was more than little sceptical about the quality of food especially when I spotted a poster in the establishment advertising yum cha but we decided to place an order. Sarah ordered the Gnocchi alla Posillipo, comprising of cream, napoli saurce, parmesan and topped with grilled mozzarella (pictured above).

After our big phat panini lunch I was seeking something more soothing and selected the Tortellini con Funghi Porcini. These are large tortellini filled with porcini mushrooms and ricotta, immersed in a creamy field mushroom ragu and finished with shredded grana padano. Admitted I felt the tortellini was under cooked but if you are a mushroom lover this was the dish was you. The ragu was just filled with generous chunks of mushrooms.

Though the offering was satisfactory, the wait staff were attentive and the interior clean, it was underwhelming compared to everything else we had experienced during our Melbourne sojourn. Though it's passable, La Camera was a little plain vanilla for my taste.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
Address: 2 Southgate, Southbank, VIC 3006.
Open: 7.30am - 11am (weekdays). 8.30am - 12pm (weekends).
Phone: (03) 9699 3600.
Price: Breakfast: $5.50 - $14.50. Entree: $5.90 - $24.90. Mains: $21.50 - $47.50.

Otello on Oxford

As the older, slightly mad grandchild I was tasked with taking a gaggle of younger cousins rifle shooting. The pay off was a lunch allowance so after a morning on the range, I took the boys to Otello on Oxford. Otello on Oxford is a small Italian restaurant in Bulimba. The restaurant is mainly alfresco dining and offers a range of savoury and home made desserts. In my youth I used to dine there quite regularly and admired the consistency and balance of their creamy pasta sauces. The sauces always had enough taste and body, but were light enough to leave you feeling full, without feeling bloated. The photo above is their Gnocchi with two cheeses and mushroom.

Maybe I was inspired by the gorgeous Italian waiter but I decided to select something different and ordered the Fettuccine Tricolori. This dish was tomato fettuccine enveloped in a cream sauce, served on a bed of pureed asparagus with flaked salmon and pecorino. Though I really adore asparagus I felt it was a touch over powering but the salmon was amazing. So moist and flavoursome.

My brother on the hand decided to be a little more homely in his tastes and ordered an Irish Coffee and the Roast Chicken Risotto and each grain had the perfect bit of spring that can only come from experience. I've been dining on and off at Ortellos for more than five years and am yet to have a bad experience so if you're after pasta and a slice of Tiramisu, it's well worth the visit.

Rating: 3 out of 5.
Address: 1/180 Oxford Street, Bulimba, QLD, 4171.
Open: 7 days a week, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Phone: (07) 3217 9809
Price: Mains $15 - $30.

Pancho's Pizza

My not so little brother recently turned 24 and when he asked to go to Pancho's Pizza for dinner to celebrate, I was delighted. I spent a lot of time in Bulimba during my university years, but thanks to work and living a million miles from anywhere means I rarely travel to Bulimba to enjoy its culinary delights. Which is a shame as I honestly believe one of the best ways to spend a Friday night is to collect some take away from Pancho's, a bottle of wine and spend it with good company.

I will admit upfront the dining area inside Pancho's is not pretty, it's dark and the decor is dated but the food makes up for it. We ordered two pizzas (including the Supreme Pizza, pictured above), the Ribs and Cheese filled Garlic Bread. The Cheese filled Garlic Bread is a Pancho's Pizza must have, it's full of gooey cheese and if you're going to have a heart attack, you must as well do it properly.

I was a little dubious when one of the family suggested ordering the ribs but my goodness, they were a pleasant surprise! The meat melted in your mouth and the thick sweet sauce was moreish. I really need to get over to Bulimba more often ...

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Address: 102 Oxford Street, Bulimba, QLD 4171.

Open: Monday - Tuesday 5pm - 9pm; Wednesday - Saturday 5pm - 10pm; Sunday 4pm - 9pm
Phone: (07) 3399 9149
Price: Pizza - $11.50 - $19.50

Gusto Da Gianni

The lovely Mellie and Aaron have flown up for a whirlwind Brisbane trip so we selected the close proximity of Gusto Da Gianni's location to catch up. Gusto Da Gianni's is located in the waterfront entertainment precinct of Portside. Portside is a gorgeous location, easily accessible with a number of parking spots, Dendy Cinemas, a selection of restaurants and even offers the occasional spectacle of a cruise ship. It's a lovely location in Summer but be prepared to rug up in Winter as the water and concrete combine to create freezing winds. I've previously been to Gusto Da Gianni to soak up their contemporary atmosphere and enjoyed their mouth watering Italian cuisine, but on this occasion we were only there for some dessert.


We decided to order the Churros Con Chocolate, a traditional cinnamon fritter with melted dipping chocolate and a selection of Gelato. The Gelato was flavoursome and silky smooth and the Churros were gorgeously feather light. The Churro is a naughty addition on the menu as it is actually a Spanish dessert but I suspect it harks back to the ten years that Gianni Greghini was partnered with Javier Codina (now of Moda). But I'm just nit picking, Gusto Da Gianni's a lovely location for a casual lunch or an evening sweet treat.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Address: Portside Wharf, Remora Road, Hamilton, QLD 4007
Open: Daily, Lunch and Dinner.
Phone: (07) 3339 0999.
Price: Entree: $7-$25. Mains: $20-$38. Desserts: $9-$15.

Scuzi Caffe

Scuzi Caffe is the Westfield Chermside cafe formerly known as Bada Bing, serving breakfast, Italian cuisine and Merlo coffee. The name change hasn't affected the cafe greatly with the same menu, wide open spaces and some light cosmetic changes to the entrance. The lovely Isadora and Kanani decided to order the Zucchini Fritters and were extremely pleased with the concept of haloumi, mushrooms and zucchini fritters being served in the one dish. I should also mention the photographs are courtesy of Isadora's iPhone 4 as I was neglected to take my camera and the new iPhone's camera is clearly superior to my own, grubby iPhone 3.

I decided to order Fettuccine Boscaiola which was the perfect portion size for the rich sauce. It was a satisfying dish but probably a little too heavy for my personal palette as I am inclined to select a lighter style cream sauce such as the pastas served at Otellos on Oxford Street. Scuzi is an unoffensive main stream offering but misses the mark of offering the Northside the standard you would find in Rosalie or Bulimba. However it is a start.

Rating: 3/5
Address: Parkland Pavilion, Westfield Chermside, 395 Hamilton Road.
Open: Monday-Friday 8am until late. Saturday and Sunday 7:30am until late.

Phone: (07) 3359 6693
Price: Entree: $4.50 - $12. Main: $14.90 - $27.90. Dessert: $7.90 - $14.90.