Good Life

Adelaide has some amazing pizza places, and Good Life is one of the first that I really fell in love with. I’ve been going there for years and always end up ordering the same pizza – it never disappoints! Mum and I stopped in for a weekday lunch and were seated out on the balcony. We got my favourite, the chicken, potato, rosemary and parmesan pizza, to share in the large size ($29.85). The pizza came out fairly quickly and was visually stunning – large chunks of chicken were covered in fresh, not-melted parmesan and golden potatoes. Mmm. The flavour matched the presentation – the chicken pieces were tender and plump, if a little fatty, and packed with flavour, well matched with the subtle sliced of roasted garlic and the infrequent and not-overpowering dottings of rosemary. The pizza base was thin and crisp, especially along the crust, and was nicely seasoned for maximum tastiness. The potato was perfectly cooked, but the highlight for me was that parmesan – I adored the bitey flavour and the generous portion per slice. We couldn’t quite finish the last piece, but gave it a good try. A reliable favourite to keep coming back to!

Good Life Modern Organic Pizza, 44 Jetty Road Glenelg, SA http://www.goodlifepizza.com/

Da Rosario

Lunch at Da Rosario has been on my ‘to do’ list for a while – the day we managed to go was blustry and cold, and the staff kindly offered us a seat inside at parent-restaurant Mezzalira to shelter from the weather. The menu is full of temptations, but on a work day we kept it simple – I ordered the spaghetti carbonara and my friend picked the pizza special – tomato and truffled mushroom. Both meals came out quickly and at the same time and looked like good Italian food should – simple. The food here is all about stepping back and letting the flavour combinations shine. The carbonara was delightfully creamy, but not sickeningly rich, and had cured pork cheek instead of bacon. It was fattier, but lighter too, and added just the right amount of saltiness. The dish used pecorino rather than parmesan, which meant that it complemented, rather than overpowered, the overall flavours. The portion size was generous and filling. My friend’s pizza had a thin, crispy base and minimal quantity/maximum flavour toppings. You could smell the truffled mushroom as it came out. Mmm. Perfect for satisfying an Italian food craving!

Da Rosario, 59 London Circuit, Canberra, ACT, no website

Salotto

I’ve been keen to try Salotto in Kingston since it opened last month, so when my friend came back from a long overseas trip, we headed there to catch up. We started with drinks – unfortunately my mojito, whilst a generous size, was like having a lot of rum punch you in the face – there was no subtlety and I couldn’t come close to finishing it, it was so alcoholic. We picked the gameroni all’aglio as our entree, prawns in garlic chilli oil ($18), with a side of Italian bread ($6.50). We were both quite disappointed that for the price, we only received three prawns. We did enjoy soaking the tasty oil up with the bread, but I would probably skip to the main next time. I ordered the saltimbocca for my main and this redeemed the food experience. The meal was very generously portioned and the veal was lovely and tender, perfectly matched with steamed asparagus, baby broccoli and lovely roast potatoes. Salotto does have a great atmosphere, and the staff were happy to let us sit and chat with plenty of time passing between courses, which was just perfect for the occasion.

Salotto, 25 Kennedy Street, Kingston ACT, http://salottobar.com/

Locale

A friend and I managed to get an outdoors table at Locale for a weeknight dinner – the waitress inside wasn’t particularly attentive and seemed a bit befuddled, but the waiter who looked after our table was friendly and professional. We started out with the hot prawns – a bowl full of prawns in a sauce with chilli (deseeded, so not particularly spicy) and tomatos, served with a delicious flatbread. There weren’t many prawns (about 7 in total), but they were perfectly cooked to tenderness, and anyone ordering this dish should lap up every drop of that sauce. Yum. We then shared a Prosciutto e Rucola pizza – buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto, rocket and parmesan. We both commented on how the simple toppings was the hallmark of authentic pizza, and with such thinly shaved prosciutto and scattered rocket and parmesan, it looked to tick all the boxes. Flavour-wise, this pizza was superb – the prosciutto added plenty of salty flavour, which was enhanced by the bite of both the rocket and the parmesan. The base was lovely and thin, and the mozzarella went beautifully stringy! One between two was just right for us and we left with happy tummies.

Locale, Shop 5, Deakin Shops, Hopetoun Circuit, Deakin ACT, http://www.localepizzeria.com.au/

Joe’s Bar

On arrival at Joe’s Bar for a late dinner, the vibe was welcoming and chic, with beautiful glassware on display and an impressive array of spirits behind the bar. I started out with the Giant G&T – trust me, when they say giant, they mean giant! Served in a fishbowl glass, this classic is given a refreshing twist with housemade rhubarb syrup and pickled rhubarb, plus strawberries and fresh mint. It went nicely with the spiced popcorn brought out to the table – be warned, it’s extremely moreish! We decided to share two entrees and a main – starting with the arancini and the chicken liver parfait. The arancini were beautifully crisp on the outside and lovely and gooey inside, although we both thought they could have done with a bit more flavour – perhaps more of the dipping sauce, or some chilli? The pate was served with fresh bread and we lapped up every single mouthful – absolutely gorgeous. But the piece de resistance was the tagliata di manzo – black angus steak with crispy rocket, parmesan and balsamic. Oh my. We devoured the perfectly done steak and delighted in the balance achieved with the crisp of the rocket and sweetness of the balsamic. Next time I’ll get one of those to myself, thank you. We stayed until closing and weren’t hurried out – thanks team at Joe’s, you made a stunning first impression!

Joe’s Bar, East Hotel, 69 Canberra Avenue, Kingston ACT, http://www.joesateast.com/

Pizza Arte

Ladies and gentlemen of Canberra, how is it that none of you have told me about this place before?! Oh my! I was feeling very lazy on a Friday night and driving through Kingston, I decided to treat myself to pizza for dinner – I saw the sign for Pizza Arte and went in, keen to try something different. Pizza Arte dishes up woodfired pizzas that are cooked while you wait (if you didn’t order ahead, like me) – and cooked fast. I ordered a small ($13) Marinara, and sat there for less than 10 minutes before my pizza was ready. Wow. I took it home to devour, and devour it I did! The base was lovely and thin, and had a beautiful smoky charring around the edges, making it nice and crisp. The toppings were perfection – kalamata olives, capers and anchovies – all incredibly tasty (and salty), and in authentic Italian proportions (i.e. just enough). What really surprised me was the huge flavour packed into the tomato base sauce – wow. I noticed that they sell jars of it, so on my next Friday night pizza run, I’ll definitely snap one up to try. Serious pizza love.

Pizza Arte, 13 Leichhardt Street, Kingston ACT, http://www.pizzaarte.com.au/

Oscars

We went to Oscars to celebrate my brother’s birthday, and absolutely everything about our experience was lovely. We started with a plate of the housemade port, thyme and Cointreau pate, which was served with cornichons, flatbread and a divine apple and pear chutney. Best. Pate. Ever. The flavour was utterly perfect and I would love to be able to buy this in bulk!!! For the main, I went for a pizza (I always think of Oscars as a pizza place) and had zero regrets. The Idaho comes with potato, rocket, sour cream, caramelised onion, bacon and sweet chilli sauce, which makes for one damn fine pizza. The base was lovely and the potato was cooked perfectly. There was plenty of sour cream and sweet chilli sauce, and every mouthful was delicious. If I could have eaten more, I would have. Somehow we were persuaded into dessert and three of us shared the Belgian chocolate mousse – it was far heavier than I would usually expect from a mousse, but despite that wasn’t sickly rich, although my stomach was really struggling for space. A special mention must go to the staff, who were so friendly and welcoming and set the right tone for a truly lovely celebration.

Oscars, 201 Main Road, McLaren Vale SA  http://oscars.com.au/