On a rainy Thursday night after a horrendous day at work, the Simple Man and I need two things. One, food. Two, booze. Not neccesarily in that order.
And to my delight, we found both in a relatively new pizzeria in Dickson which I have to declare to be our new favourite spot. Hurrah! The Simple Man and I have found a local eatery we both like, which given our divergent tastes is no mean feat.
We stumbled across Firestone Pizzeria in January when we found our favourite Dickson Asian eatery closed for holidays. Earlier this week we returned to sample a little more off the menu, by default rather than decision. Simple Man agreed to go to Curtain but after three years of living in Canberra, still has no idea where anything is other than our house and his workplace. And so, once he checked the map and realised travelling to Curtain meant waiting an extra 20 minutes for the two predetermined requirements for the evening (booze and food) we returned to Dickson. I acquiesed because a) a Hungry Simple Man is often an Angry Simple Man; and b) we'd had a great meal at Fireside a few weeks earlier.
On the earlier occasion, we'd both opted for pastas. Mine was with lemon, smoked chicken, crisped sage and goats cheese. The Simple Man's penne, from memory, was some kind of unusual combination of chicken and balsamic (if you're surprised he tried it, so am I!). Both were delicious - the creamy goats cheese with a sharp citrusy tang was fantastic, my only minor criticism that I probably wouldn't have bothered with smoked chicken given the combination of other flavours. Simple Man was pleased with his choice too.
This week, we almost missed out on a table and were seated towards the back near the kitchen at a table set for six by a smiling waiter. It was a bit of a strange spot, but we hadn't booked and our waiter was so friendly, that we didn't mind at all. The general atmosphere matched our waiter's attitude - it's fresh and appealing. The decor is modern without trying too hard.
The menu at Firestone has a good combination of slightly more unusual, modern combinations and classics. We didn't see too many children, but between some traditional pasta combinations and the pizzas, there's plenty to please them.
We began with one of the Sharing Plates, a great range of very reasonably priced nibbly bits (I'm definitely trying the blue swimmer crab risotto balls next time). We ordered the persian fetta with ciabatta which was an excellent start. I'm not sure that the bread served was traditional ciabatta but it was delicious nonetheless and served with crisped thyme, a small but welcome touch.
The Simple Man, truer to form than on the last occasion, selected the lasagne while I opted for pizza number 15. Simple Man advised that the lasagne, served with a rocket parmesan salad, was just how he likes it ("not too liquidy" was his comment, meant to be positive - I think that means meaty?) while my pizza was the best I've eaten in Canberra (way better than Pizza Arte in Kingston which I think is overrated). It was a perfect combination of pepperoni, fresh tomato, basil and mozzerella. The base was crisp, the tomato sauce lovely and light, the serving size perfect.
We couldn't come at dessert - I have to admit the sweet pizza's on offer don't really appeal, but we were full to the brim on great food anyway. As Simple Man put it, mouth full of lasagne: "I really like this place".
Service: Friendly and efficient
Crowd: Mostly young, some big groups
Price: $-$$
Firestone Pizzeria
Shop 1 14 Wooley St
Dickson
Ph: 6247 4447
http://www.firestonepizzeria.com.au/
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Kingsleys (not the chicken shop)
Although the Simple Man and I tend to be of the view that Valentine's Day really is a bit of a sham-American-overcorporatised holiday , we are prepared to forgo our moral stance on, well, pretty much anything if it means that we are able to abandon the kitchen for a night in favour of going out.
However. Now that you are getting to know the Simple Man, it may not come as a surprise to you that he is not only a man who loves his Big Food with chips, he is also a man that loves his footy. When I say footy, I do refer generically to the sport and he does watch most varieties of football. Special place is reserved, however, for real football - ie soccer. Not only does it occupy large amounts of his time on the television, he also plays several varieties - indoor, outdoor and summer six a side. Valentines Day happened to fall on the evening of his team's six a side semi final.
So, we went out on Wednesday evening instead which allowed us a little more choice in venue, as I expect a lot of Canberra's better restaurants were booked out on Thursday night. Being a considerate kind of partner, I chose Kingsleys Steak and Crabhouse as the venue on the premise that The Simple Man would be pleased by the variety and quality of meats on offer.
Kingsleys is located at the bottom of the Canberra Centre, which is a bit of a weird location, but it kind of works basically because you dont see the shopping centre from inside the restaurant. We sat outside in a little red booth which was quite pleasant.
Simple Man and I shared a crab spring roll starter which was served with plum sauce and was quite delicious. Simple Man had earlier caused some controversy by announcing that he might have the homemade pie for dinner. Given I'd chosen the restaurant on the basis that it is he, rather than me, that has a penchant for steak, I coerced him into having the rib eye instead. When ordering, it took some time for Simple Man to get the concept that when he ordered his steak (which cost $30 - not wagyu either, that came in around $50), he would receive no sides. Not a little green salad, not even a sprig of parsley, just the steak. Once this was understood, he ordered some green beans with caramelised onion, with a bit of a grimace.
I intended to have seafood, however freely admit that I baulked when I discovered that it was pretty much only crab which came in at a price way higher than I was prepared to pay (about $60). I ordered the steak sandwhich which conveniently came with chips which Simple Man offered to share.
The steak arrived, as described, on the middle of the plate, garnshish-less (it does come with a red wine jus). I keenly awaited the testing expecting a reaction along the lines of "ooohhh", or a "it melts in the mouth" comment. Neither came. Although Simple Man declared that it was a good steak, better than the average pub steak, it was not quite up to the high standards that he had expected, particuarly given the price he was paying.
My steak sandwhich was good - the steak was well cooked and nice and tender as you would expect from a steakhouse. It was, at the end of the day however, just a steak sandwhich - it's kind of hard to be out of this world. I thought that it was good value ($20), compared to The Simple Man's steak and beans, which came in at somewhere closer to $40.
The service was mixed - we had one excellent waiter followed by a much younger average one as well as a couple of other waitresses in between, which is fine, but at a better quality of restaurant sometimes its nice to have just one face and it also effects the way I tend to tip - the first guy was great, but the last not so good, so the tip was probably average too.
I've spoken to a friend since this dinner who agreed with my experience but commented he'd had a much better experience at Kingsley's in Sydney. Maybe that's part of it. But I guess at the end of the day, perhaps you can expect too much from a steak.
We skipped dessert. We'd foolishly intended to go to Kokoblack afterwards, not realising that it had shut at 1730. After a couple of rants about how poor Canberra's nightlife is (you'd think we'd be used to it!) we ended up at the Front Cafe in Lyneham for comedy night. We had a peppermint tea (me), a hot chocolate (Simple Man) and a bit of a laugh (both of us) before agreeing there are other places we will try before returning to Kingsleys.
Kingsleys Steak and Crabhouse
Ground Floor
North Quarter
Canberra Centre Civic
Ph: 1300546475
Service: Mixed
Crowd: Mostly business
Money: $$$
($ = mains 15 and under; $$ = mains 25 and under, $$$ = mains over 25)
However. Now that you are getting to know the Simple Man, it may not come as a surprise to you that he is not only a man who loves his Big Food with chips, he is also a man that loves his footy. When I say footy, I do refer generically to the sport and he does watch most varieties of football. Special place is reserved, however, for real football - ie soccer. Not only does it occupy large amounts of his time on the television, he also plays several varieties - indoor, outdoor and summer six a side. Valentines Day happened to fall on the evening of his team's six a side semi final.
So, we went out on Wednesday evening instead which allowed us a little more choice in venue, as I expect a lot of Canberra's better restaurants were booked out on Thursday night. Being a considerate kind of partner, I chose Kingsleys Steak and Crabhouse as the venue on the premise that The Simple Man would be pleased by the variety and quality of meats on offer.
Kingsleys is located at the bottom of the Canberra Centre, which is a bit of a weird location, but it kind of works basically because you dont see the shopping centre from inside the restaurant. We sat outside in a little red booth which was quite pleasant.
Simple Man and I shared a crab spring roll starter which was served with plum sauce and was quite delicious. Simple Man had earlier caused some controversy by announcing that he might have the homemade pie for dinner. Given I'd chosen the restaurant on the basis that it is he, rather than me, that has a penchant for steak, I coerced him into having the rib eye instead. When ordering, it took some time for Simple Man to get the concept that when he ordered his steak (which cost $30 - not wagyu either, that came in around $50), he would receive no sides. Not a little green salad, not even a sprig of parsley, just the steak. Once this was understood, he ordered some green beans with caramelised onion, with a bit of a grimace.
I intended to have seafood, however freely admit that I baulked when I discovered that it was pretty much only crab which came in at a price way higher than I was prepared to pay (about $60). I ordered the steak sandwhich which conveniently came with chips which Simple Man offered to share.
The steak arrived, as described, on the middle of the plate, garnshish-less (it does come with a red wine jus). I keenly awaited the testing expecting a reaction along the lines of "ooohhh", or a "it melts in the mouth" comment. Neither came. Although Simple Man declared that it was a good steak, better than the average pub steak, it was not quite up to the high standards that he had expected, particuarly given the price he was paying.
My steak sandwhich was good - the steak was well cooked and nice and tender as you would expect from a steakhouse. It was, at the end of the day however, just a steak sandwhich - it's kind of hard to be out of this world. I thought that it was good value ($20), compared to The Simple Man's steak and beans, which came in at somewhere closer to $40.
The service was mixed - we had one excellent waiter followed by a much younger average one as well as a couple of other waitresses in between, which is fine, but at a better quality of restaurant sometimes its nice to have just one face and it also effects the way I tend to tip - the first guy was great, but the last not so good, so the tip was probably average too.
I've spoken to a friend since this dinner who agreed with my experience but commented he'd had a much better experience at Kingsley's in Sydney. Maybe that's part of it. But I guess at the end of the day, perhaps you can expect too much from a steak.
We skipped dessert. We'd foolishly intended to go to Kokoblack afterwards, not realising that it had shut at 1730. After a couple of rants about how poor Canberra's nightlife is (you'd think we'd be used to it!) we ended up at the Front Cafe in Lyneham for comedy night. We had a peppermint tea (me), a hot chocolate (Simple Man) and a bit of a laugh (both of us) before agreeing there are other places we will try before returning to Kingsleys.
Kingsleys Steak and Crabhouse
Ground Floor
North Quarter
Canberra Centre Civic
Ph: 1300546475
Service: Mixed
Crowd: Mostly business
Money: $$$
($ = mains 15 and under; $$ = mains 25 and under, $$$ = mains over 25)
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Tudo Restaurant, O'Connor
I have to admit I have always been a fan of Tudo Vietnamese restaurant in O'Connor. Simple Man and I went there when we were courting. I memorably, ordered the special chicken soup. When it arrived, I discovered special chicken meant a chicken leg, mostly bone with a skerrick of meat on the outside and crispy skin. What made it memorable was the fact that as I was about to chow down, I kid you not, a small three legged dog stopped by the window and looked up at me mournfully. It was too awful even to laugh.
Simple Man, who had at this point kept hidden his general aversion to chilli or spice, ordered the blandest thing on the menu much to my horror (back then he also let me put olives in everything without telling me he hated olives. Oh the things we do in the courting phase that we would never do for each other now!)
Simple Man and I did not intend to go out tonight - in fact it was dedicated eat all the bits of fresh veg left over in the fridge night. But I had an uncharacteristic washing disaster this evening that sent me to the after hours chemist for a product to remove the blue that has infiltrated every white possession I once owned. The chemist being conveniently located right next to Tudo, we couldn't help but be side tracked.
After an initial argument over what type of spring rolls to order (I wanted fresh, he wanted deep fried - he won), we selected the satay chicken with vegies and the red beef with steamed rice on the side. The satay at Tudo is somewhat legendary, rich but with enough spice to lift the flavours and add a bit of life. Tonight didn't disappoint.
I hadn't had the red beef before. It is a very fragrant dish, almost a cross between a curry and a casserole. The flavours of cinnamon and star anise reminded me pleasantly of pho and the slow cooked beef was amazingly soft. This was a big hit with the chilli averse Simple Man, although I probably wouldn't order it with the satay again - two rich dishes at once left (not to mention the deep fried spring rolls!) left me feeling a bit too full for a hot summer night. Dare I admit that we picked up a couple of Freddo Frogs for later in the night?
To my mind, Canberra is short on good restaurants like this - fresh tasty food that doesn't cost a fortune. Hurrah for a place that does casual dining well - we'll definitely be back again.
Tudo Vietnamese Restaurant
7 Sargood St
O’Connor
Ph: 02 6248 6030
Service: Efficient
Crowd: Included some Vietnamese (surely a good sign??)
Money: $
($ = mains 15 and under; $$ = mains 25 and under, $$$ = mains over 25)
Simple Man, who had at this point kept hidden his general aversion to chilli or spice, ordered the blandest thing on the menu much to my horror (back then he also let me put olives in everything without telling me he hated olives. Oh the things we do in the courting phase that we would never do for each other now!)
Simple Man and I did not intend to go out tonight - in fact it was dedicated eat all the bits of fresh veg left over in the fridge night. But I had an uncharacteristic washing disaster this evening that sent me to the after hours chemist for a product to remove the blue that has infiltrated every white possession I once owned. The chemist being conveniently located right next to Tudo, we couldn't help but be side tracked.
After an initial argument over what type of spring rolls to order (I wanted fresh, he wanted deep fried - he won), we selected the satay chicken with vegies and the red beef with steamed rice on the side. The satay at Tudo is somewhat legendary, rich but with enough spice to lift the flavours and add a bit of life. Tonight didn't disappoint.
I hadn't had the red beef before. It is a very fragrant dish, almost a cross between a curry and a casserole. The flavours of cinnamon and star anise reminded me pleasantly of pho and the slow cooked beef was amazingly soft. This was a big hit with the chilli averse Simple Man, although I probably wouldn't order it with the satay again - two rich dishes at once left (not to mention the deep fried spring rolls!) left me feeling a bit too full for a hot summer night. Dare I admit that we picked up a couple of Freddo Frogs for later in the night?
To my mind, Canberra is short on good restaurants like this - fresh tasty food that doesn't cost a fortune. Hurrah for a place that does casual dining well - we'll definitely be back again.
Tudo Vietnamese Restaurant
7 Sargood St
O’Connor
Ph: 02 6248 6030
Service: Efficient
Crowd: Included some Vietnamese (surely a good sign??)
Money: $
($ = mains 15 and under; $$ = mains 25 and under, $$$ = mains over 25)
Friday, January 11, 2008
Sunday Lunch at Lynwood Cafe, Collector
I love the idea of eating fruit from our backyard trees. Simple Man and I have both an apple and a plum tree and have stolen quite a bit of fruit off the neighbour's apricot tree (I'm eyeing off their figs too which have not quite ripened). There's something very earthy about eating locally grown fruits and veg and so the Lynwood Cafe, famous for its homemade style preserves, demanded a visit (note, we're not the only ones who think so - you need to book ahead by phone).
The Lynwood Cafe is set in an old country house in Collector, NSW, about 45 minutes from Canberra. The owners are renowned for their jams and chutneys, made from fruit grown on the property (for some reason on our visit Simple Man didn't seem content with waiting for lunch to sample some of the local fruits and chose to rip an obviously unripe apple from the tree, bite into it savagely and spit it out in disgust by the entrance to the cafe - quite a way to arrive).
The Cafe itself is decked out in classic country style. It looks quite rustic from the outside and inside the walls are decked with pictures of women riding horses in drizabones. There is a shady grassed area out the back and had been cooler it would have been lovely to sit outside under the trees.
The menu includes a good variety of entrees, salads and mains, as well as a winelist made up entirely of local wines. Simple Man and I shared the antipasti, designed to showcase some of the aforementioned preserves, for starters. We sampled the house cumquat marmalade (delicious!) and onion jam as well as a variety of treats including pate, what I think was a pork terrine, semi dried tomatoes and olives, all served with toasted bread. I would have liked to have been told a little bit about what was what on the plate, particularly the home made produce, but I had no complaints about the food.
I struggled to choose between the salmon cakes and the tuscan bread salad (neither the Kingfish nor the zucchini flowers were available when we were there) before choosing the later. It was probably a bad choice given I'd just eaten my fair share of bread and tomatoes with the antipasti, but the salad itself included a generous amount of baby capers and anchovies with a nice sharp tang from the vinegar.
Simple Man followed up with the beef and stout pie which was served with mash potatoes and one of the homemade chutneys. In his humble opinion, the pie lacked in flavour a little but he did describe the mashed potato as one of the best things he'd ever eaten in his life (although bear in mind potato is pretty much his favourite food).
I splurged (calorifically) on dessert, choosing a sensational lemon and polenta tea cake. It was really perfectly moist and scrumtious. Even the Simple Man, who generally abhorrs the concept of fruit or grains in his desserts, was impressed.
As we rolled our full bellies out the door we stocked up on a big tub of raspberry and rhubarb jam, which I'm sure will also be delicious (as an aside, most of the stash in their store would make excellent presents). I also couldn't help but eye off the Ploughman's Lunch on someone elses table which looked spot on, not only for the country ambience but also for the fresh local flavours. Definitely one for our next visit.
Lynwood Cafe
1 Murray St
Collector NSW 2581
http://www.lynwoodcafe.com.au/
Ph: (02) 4848 0200
Service: down to earth
Crowd: a mix of country and Canberra folk, kid friendly
Money: $$
($ = mains 15 and under; $$ = mains 25 and under, $$$ = mains over 25)
The Lynwood Cafe is set in an old country house in Collector, NSW, about 45 minutes from Canberra. The owners are renowned for their jams and chutneys, made from fruit grown on the property (for some reason on our visit Simple Man didn't seem content with waiting for lunch to sample some of the local fruits and chose to rip an obviously unripe apple from the tree, bite into it savagely and spit it out in disgust by the entrance to the cafe - quite a way to arrive).
The Cafe itself is decked out in classic country style. It looks quite rustic from the outside and inside the walls are decked with pictures of women riding horses in drizabones. There is a shady grassed area out the back and had been cooler it would have been lovely to sit outside under the trees.
The menu includes a good variety of entrees, salads and mains, as well as a winelist made up entirely of local wines. Simple Man and I shared the antipasti, designed to showcase some of the aforementioned preserves, for starters. We sampled the house cumquat marmalade (delicious!) and onion jam as well as a variety of treats including pate, what I think was a pork terrine, semi dried tomatoes and olives, all served with toasted bread. I would have liked to have been told a little bit about what was what on the plate, particularly the home made produce, but I had no complaints about the food.
I struggled to choose between the salmon cakes and the tuscan bread salad (neither the Kingfish nor the zucchini flowers were available when we were there) before choosing the later. It was probably a bad choice given I'd just eaten my fair share of bread and tomatoes with the antipasti, but the salad itself included a generous amount of baby capers and anchovies with a nice sharp tang from the vinegar.
Simple Man followed up with the beef and stout pie which was served with mash potatoes and one of the homemade chutneys. In his humble opinion, the pie lacked in flavour a little but he did describe the mashed potato as one of the best things he'd ever eaten in his life (although bear in mind potato is pretty much his favourite food).
I splurged (calorifically) on dessert, choosing a sensational lemon and polenta tea cake. It was really perfectly moist and scrumtious. Even the Simple Man, who generally abhorrs the concept of fruit or grains in his desserts, was impressed.
As we rolled our full bellies out the door we stocked up on a big tub of raspberry and rhubarb jam, which I'm sure will also be delicious (as an aside, most of the stash in their store would make excellent presents). I also couldn't help but eye off the Ploughman's Lunch on someone elses table which looked spot on, not only for the country ambience but also for the fresh local flavours. Definitely one for our next visit.
Lynwood Cafe
1 Murray St
Collector NSW 2581
http://www.lynwoodcafe.com.au/
Ph: (02) 4848 0200
Service: down to earth
Crowd: a mix of country and Canberra folk, kid friendly
Money: $$
($ = mains 15 and under; $$ = mains 25 and under, $$$ = mains over 25)
Pants and Zeffirellis, Dickson
Simple Man and I had the first real fight of our relationship over food. It started simply enough. It was Summer and Simple Man had been dwelling all day over an issue very dear to his heart - pants and more specifically why he has to wear them. Evening having approached, he made his proclamation. "I am never wearing pants again," he announced. And so we went for some time, pantless.
The snare came one night when I wanted to go out for dinner, pantless. There is something about shorts that prevents all but the most brave from dining in particular venues. There are certain restaurants for pants and there are certain restaurants for the pantless. We went to one that did not require pants and had a terrible time. Simple Man would not repent, I was traumatised I'd wasted an evening on bad pasta and bam - our first real fight. We didnt really get over it until the first whiff of Canberra winter when the sensibility of pants became suddenly apparent to Simple Man.
The weather having been extremely hot in Canberra lately, the Simple Man, now unsurprisingly, refused, again, to wear pants. Simple Man chose the restaurant.
Zeffirellis is not only the kind of place you can go pantless, it also fits another of Simple Man's favourite categories - it serves "Big Food" (Big Food generally referring to some piece of large meat accompanied - almost invariably - by chips).
The evening did not start well. The two of us were hungry (truth be known we'd already tried two other restaurants that were closed or full) and neither of us are particularly nice when we're hungry. The waitresses, all as the Simple Man pointed out looking almost identical, seemed to be doing their best to ignore us.
Simple Man's food came out first (thankfully, he can get nasty when his blood sugar levels drop). It fit the criteria of Big Food - steak and mushroom sauce with chips (no vegies - he was told it was one or the other). According to Simple Man it went down a treat. I ordered the Quatro Gusti pizza, which included quarters each of Capriciossa, Magherita, Mushroom and Tropical (for Simple Man). It seemed the ideal choice for the indecisive me. Generally, the pizza seemed to taste of salt and not a lot else.
Unltimately, I left feeling full but unsatisfied. The tables around us had not been cleaned. The wait was disappointing. These things could have been overlooked had it been busier, but they were far from capacity. Even Simple Man, who quite enjoyed his Big Food and who is not a fussy man, agreed that the service and cleanliness were disappointing.
Zeffirellis
5 Wooley Street
Dickson
Ph: (02) 6262 5500
http://www.zeffs.com/
Service: average
Crowd: lots of thongs - I also saw boardshorts
Money: $
($ = mains 15 and under; $$ = mains 25 and under, $$$ = mains over 25)
The snare came one night when I wanted to go out for dinner, pantless. There is something about shorts that prevents all but the most brave from dining in particular venues. There are certain restaurants for pants and there are certain restaurants for the pantless. We went to one that did not require pants and had a terrible time. Simple Man would not repent, I was traumatised I'd wasted an evening on bad pasta and bam - our first real fight. We didnt really get over it until the first whiff of Canberra winter when the sensibility of pants became suddenly apparent to Simple Man.
The weather having been extremely hot in Canberra lately, the Simple Man, now unsurprisingly, refused, again, to wear pants. Simple Man chose the restaurant.
Zeffirellis is not only the kind of place you can go pantless, it also fits another of Simple Man's favourite categories - it serves "Big Food" (Big Food generally referring to some piece of large meat accompanied - almost invariably - by chips).
The evening did not start well. The two of us were hungry (truth be known we'd already tried two other restaurants that were closed or full) and neither of us are particularly nice when we're hungry. The waitresses, all as the Simple Man pointed out looking almost identical, seemed to be doing their best to ignore us.
Simple Man's food came out first (thankfully, he can get nasty when his blood sugar levels drop). It fit the criteria of Big Food - steak and mushroom sauce with chips (no vegies - he was told it was one or the other). According to Simple Man it went down a treat. I ordered the Quatro Gusti pizza, which included quarters each of Capriciossa, Magherita, Mushroom and Tropical (for Simple Man). It seemed the ideal choice for the indecisive me. Generally, the pizza seemed to taste of salt and not a lot else.
Unltimately, I left feeling full but unsatisfied. The tables around us had not been cleaned. The wait was disappointing. These things could have been overlooked had it been busier, but they were far from capacity. Even Simple Man, who quite enjoyed his Big Food and who is not a fussy man, agreed that the service and cleanliness were disappointing.
Zeffirellis
5 Wooley Street
Dickson
Ph: (02) 6262 5500
http://www.zeffs.com/
Service: average
Crowd: lots of thongs - I also saw boardshorts
Money: $
($ = mains 15 and under; $$ = mains 25 and under, $$$ = mains over 25)
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