Mezzalira Ristorante, Civic ACT

Mezzalira Ristorante

http://www.mezzalira.com.au/

Food: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Cost: $$$

Positives

• Romantic, not too loud and chaotic
• Excellent service and well coordinated floor staff
• Authentic Italian food, family-owned
• All meat dishes were cooked perfectly!
• Next door to Muddle Bar (pre-drinks)

Negatives

• None!

Recommendations

• Degustazione - five course tasting menu with local wines, $110 per person

Rosemary and garlic foccacia bread, to start.

Capesante In Agro Dolce - seared sea scallops on fennel puree and 'agro dolce' vinaigrette.

Tortillini Di Zucca - buffalo milk ricotta, pumpkin and leek tortillini with burnt sage butter.

The tortillini filling, just delicious!

Risotto All' Osso Buco Di Vitello - truffled risotto with 'Spezzatino' of Northern Rivers veal osso buco.

Tagliata Di Manzo - salt crusted fillet of beef with 'tagliata' with local King Brown mushroom 'trifolati', globe artichoke and horseradish.

Cannoli Alla Siciliana - ricotta, rum and chocolate canneloni with pistachio and cantiano amarena cherries.

The Green Herring Restaurant, Gold Creek ACT

The Green Herring Restaurant

http://www.thegreenherring.com.au/

Food: 2.5/5
Atmosphere: 2.5/5
Service: 3/5
Cost: $$$

Positives

• Large warm fire place during winter
• Crab ravioli!

Negatives

• Clothes and hair smelling of campfire after we left
• Overpriced meals
• Restaurant appearance is a run-down old shack
• Garlic and herb bread tasted more like damper
• Too quiet and small for even a group booking of five people
• Abrupt wait staff

Recommendations


• Arancini - filled with mushroom, semi dried tomato, spinach and persian fetta served with a roasted capsicum sauce
• Atlantic Salmon - oven baked fillet served over house made crab ravioli sauced with a shallot beurre blanc and bok choy.

Garlic and herb bread

$5.00

Arancini - filled with mushroom, semi dried tomato, spinach and persian fetta served with a roasted capsicum sauce.

$14

Arancini ball, halved.

Oven baked Atlantic salmon fillet served over house made crab ravioli sauced with a shallot beurre blanc and bok choy.  

$36

Oven roasted lamb shank served over cannellini bean mash, finished with a rosemary and balsamic jus; garnished with baby carrots.

$35

Duck confit served with Asian flavoured pork belly; napped with an orange, honey and cardamom reduction.

$39

Venison medallions served on a goats cheese gateau and rocket puree; dressed with a red wine jus.

$38

Mashed potato finished with truffle oil.

Chocolate chilli tart served with white chocolate semifreddo; finished with a raspberry compote and chocolate crumbs.

$16

Caramelised honey cream cheesecake served with an apple and cinnamon puree, poached apple slices and lemon ice cream.

$16

The Green Herring Special (Serves 2)

Chocolate and hazelnut spring rolls accompanied with rum syrup and raspberry ice cream; Caramelised honey cream cheesecake served with an apple and cinnamon puree, poached apple slices and lemon ice cream ; Lavender pannacotta served with almond snaps and almond praline topped with vanilla bean mascarpone; Sticky toffee pudding served with butterscotch sauce, pecan toffee biscuit and double cream.

$32.00

Complimentary chocolates.

 



Shepherd's Run Wine and Restaurant, Wamboin NSW

Shepherd's Run Winery and Restaurant

Food: 4/5
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Cost: $$$

Positives

• Quiet country location
• Combined winery and restaurant
• Open for lunch and dinner
• Same menu available for both lunch and dinner
• The cream sauce served with the spatchcock was to die for!!

Negatives

• Waiteress forgot to bring out a glass of wine
• Off the beaten track
• Claims to be 20 minutes from the CBD

Recommendations


• Spatchcock - stuffed with chicken terrine served with a cream sauce
• Tender chargrilled pork loin fillet - on smashed chats with caramelised pear and spicy plum sauce, sprinkled with crushed pistachios and served with steamed seasonal vegetables

Italian bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil

$5.00

Kabak Mucver - crispy zucchini and feta puffs served with fresh minted yoghurt and ribbons of cucumber

$12.90 (entree)

Crispy tempura mussels and vegetables served on a bed of lettuce with a soy dipping sauce

$14.90 (entree)

Spatchcock stuffed with chicken terrine served with a cream sauce

Tender chargrilled pork loin fillet on smashed chats with caramelised pear and spicy plum sauce, sprinkled with crushed pistachios and served with steamed seasonal vegetables

$30.90

Warm individual vanilla bean pudding filled with white chocolate ganache, topped with maple berries and served with vanilla icecream

$15.00

Wild Porcini, Nicholls ACT

Wild Porcini

http://www.outincanberra.com.au/wild-porcini/

Food: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Cost: $$$

Positives

• Quiet location 
• Excellent and varied menu options
• Authentic Italian
• Quality produce and meals

Negatives

• Waiteress was inexperienced and young
• Closed on Sundays and Mondays
• Only open for dinner

Recommendations



• Funghi Ricotta Di Spinichi
• Pollo il Fegato
• Profiteroles

Fresh Italian bread with olive oil and dukkah

$5.50

Olive oil and dukkah

Pollo il Fegato - Pan fried chicken livers with garlic smoked speck, mushroom, mustard cream sauce, bed of house fettucine

$14.90

Funghi Ricotta Di Spinichi - Grilled Swiss brown topped with ricotta, spinach, parmesan, grilled gruyere, caramelised pumpkin and balsamic glaze

$13.90 (entree size)

Involtini Vitello - Veal roll stuffed with smoked ham, provdone cheese, grilled eggplant wrapped in proscuito. Oven baked on mashed potato, green beans and red wine jus

$28.90

Pollo Funghi Gamberi - pan seared breast of chicken, king prawns, roasted mushrooms, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, brandy sauce, served on creamy potato mash

$25.90

Profiteroles

Creme Brulee

Central Cafe, Gungahlin ACT

Central Cafe

http://www.centralcafecanberra.com.au/index.html

Food: 3/5
Atmosphere: 3/5
Service: 2.5/5
Cost: $$

Positives

• Centre of Gungahlin Town Centre
• Value for money, monster servings!!
• Lots of menu options
• Open everyday from 9am until 9.30pm

Negatives

• Service was mundane and unenthusiastic
• Can get very hot during the day if sitting next to the front windows
• Breakfast was served with chips (weird)

Recommendations

• Eggs Benedict - monster serving size! Delicious hollandaise.



Iced Mocha

$5.50

Skinny Flat White in a mug

$4.00

Omelette with four fillings with a side of mushrooms. This was huge!

$23.80

Eggs Benedict - toasted Turkish bread, smoked salmon, poached eggs topped with hollandaise sauce, served with a side of mushrooms extra

$23.30