Gusto Restorante

Tuedsay 13th July 2010

It was voted by the majority, the Parade was our destination for dinner on a cold winters night.

Approaching the Italian restaurant your met by the floor to ceiling glass front, giving you an entire view of the interior before you entre.

On entry, I'm greeted by on open yet not overwhelming space with high ceilings. The counter/bar extends along the left wall, connecting to the kitchen stretching from left to right along the back, with seating covering the rest of the floor on the right. Together, the design and feel of the restaurant could have had more of cosier atmosphere (especially in winter).

Straight to the mains....

The Zuppa (chicken broth with chicken pieces and spinach) was well served as a large enough portion to satisfy. The tender shredded chicken pieces with spinach added delicious texture to the full flavoured broth. Maybe a bit too salty overall, but definitely enjoyable for a soup.

Ordered alongside this was the Verdura Arrosto (seasoned vegetables) and consisted of potato, zucchini pieces, carrot strips, and beans. All the vegetables were cooked and seasoned adequately. The beans crunchy, potato and zucchini soft, with enough oil to coat. A nice side dish cosy against a main.

Now to dessert! The Panna Cotta with poached pears and pear syrup was perfectly textured. Firm, creamy, and like silk when hitting the mouth. The smooth flavours of vanilla bean and cinnamon exposed when melting in the mouth. The Semi Freddo was an adventure for the mouth. Rough crunchy textures of hazelnut praline, filled in with firm and soft sections of honey and nougat cream left the taste buds crying for more. The Caramelised Bananas and Warm Caramel Sauce accompanying it made it even more special...Yum!

Though the waiters service, while attentive, could have been more personal, overall, this was a dining experience well worth the visit for the food. Especially the dessert ;)

Welcome.....

First and foremost, to my friends 'the dinner crew':

Food is shared with friends and family. Sight, smell, taste, and sound. The infinite variation of these four elements, when combined, are transformed to create unique food experiences and conversations shared by those that are there to witness it.....

Ok, that's enough poetry! Hope you guys are still with me because this is the start of a new beginning!

Ems, Kylie, Lara, Nath and Channy, this is for us. Our new blog to review, critique, gossip, and reminisce about our dinning adventures! A diary of the good, gooder, and goodest times we share together and with the food we eat.

So what do we do with this blogg? We write about our time together! The places we go, the food we eat (or even the food we wish we had eaten...Channy, lol), and the conversations we have. For every destination we dine at I'll create a new post for it so all you need to do is add to it and share your experiences!

Enjoy!