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/
Showing posts with label Recommended. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recommended. Show all posts
Saturday, February 23, 2008
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)
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