Have you eaten with Italians before? We swear they’re not content until you just flop onto your plate. Well that’s exactly how we felt dining at Carmine and Co. when they invited us along to try their traditional Italian menu. Considering their motto is “let’s all get fat together”, we knew that Nonna and co. were set to offer up a real treat. And we weren’t wrong…
Now, you might think that a traditional home cooked Italian meal in a restaurant means that the restaurant is going to have no style or swag about it… Well that is most certainly not the case at Carmine & Co. It has a sleek interior but keeps that homely feel with exposed brick walls, the smell of all of the deliciousness coming from the kitchen, and an ode to its heritage with a giant cut out of Italy on the wall. It was safe to say that we felt right at home.
Kicking off with some (we use the word ‘some’ very loosely) appetisers that were every bit as homely as we were expecting… Think Arancini, Antipasto and Eggplant Parmigiana. Collective “mmmmm’s” were heard around the table.
With each course, Nonna came out to explain what went into each dish. Apart from love, she gave away no trade secrets about her cooking. She just knows how to do it but there’s no way to explain how to replicate it. Each course was also expertly paired with fine wines. So obviously, we were in heaven.
It all got a little bit tough when it came to entree. Because deciding between your favourite pasta is like being asked to pick your favourite child. It depends on the day and you never want to say it out loud. But luckily for us we didn’t have to decide because we were getting them all!
Linguine with Moreton Bay Bugs, the traditional favourite Spaghetti Meatballs and Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni… It was like the heavens had opened and they were raining pasta down on us. We may have regretted it but we did go back for seconds.
After a small break and a wander to work of some of the carbs, we sat down ready to tuck back into mains. And just like the entree, we didn’t have to choose. We got to try Carmine’s Steak topped with red onion, sautéed mushrooms and a chilli, garlic and red wine glaze, the Pollo Pistachio wrapped in pancetta AND Stuffed Calamari filled with Nonna’s special stuffing. Incredible. We may just move to Italy, or at least visit Nonna every other weekend!
As the food coma began to set it, we considered forgoing dessert. Until we saw what was on offer… A delicious Zeppole (Italian doughnut) with a Strega syrup and Tiramisu. Pretty much the best way to finish an Italian meal.
The menu that we experience comprised of signature dishes that you can get whenever you visit Carmine & Co. Authentic real and delicious, we couldn’t recommend it highly enough! And considering they are famous for their pizzas, you had better believe that we will be back there to plant our face squarely into one (ok three) of those!
Carmine & Co
(08) 8447 2918
49 Commercial Rd, Port Adelaide
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