Superb!
Last night we went to Cafe Valdarno in Dalkeith for dinner. It was a place we had seen frequently when passing by on Waratah Avenue.
It was quite a local find! We'd been getting tired of some of the pasta menus from the various places we'd already been to so this was a good night to try out some new things. One very nice thing was that there was a bottle shop just next door which opened until 8.30pm. But we had already decided to drink that night, so public transport was a breeze too (for once! As anyone who knows about Perth's public transport system, they are more of a headache than a help.)
In the end, we ended up with a bottle of Xanadu Seccession White Cabernet, Deep Woods Semillon Sauvignon Blanc and Browns Brothers Chenin Blanc, and I certainly got nice and tiddly with all that - except that the Deep Woods was pretty acrid, especially after the sweetness of the Xanadu. I have to say that the Xanadu is probably one of my favourite wines of all time.
We're also getting smarter with food. In an effort to watch the cholesterol and all that, we now try to share entrees and desserts. Really though, I find I can't eat as much in one sitting any more, so it's always a waste to order too much. We had the very lovely Crostine al promodoro (toasted Italian bread topped with tomato, mozzarella and anchovies). The flavours were particularly fragrant. It somehow reminds me of all those midnight feasts from Enid Blyton's boarding school stories. Anyone remember those?
For mains, I had the tortellini alla cremonese - melt-in-your-mouth veal/chicken/pistachio packages. I believe the restaurant must also make it's own pasta. It's probably the best I've tasted of pasta dough because it didn't harden upon standing. It came in a rose sauce which was probably a bit rich for me, but felt a little bit decadent. A had the penne all'arrabbiata - his usual. Instead of a smooth tomato paste sauce, this was made up of lots of garlic and chunky tomatoes. And surprisingly, no meat at all! Most places serve up some sort of spicey sausage, but this was done so as to emphasize the burst of flavours on the palate, especially the zing of the chillies at the back of one's throat. For dessert, there was tiramisu. No way someone should resist that if they think they've come to an authentic Italian restaurant. It all seemed very traditional - two slabs of sponge doused in syrup (amaretto flavoured?) and fresh cream. Even then, I was already (both of us really!) quite stuffed.
I know we'll definitely be coming back to sample the other delights if they were all as good as our first experience!
Once dinner was concluded, we decided to walk home, but eventually propped ourselves up against a bus-stop and waited for a bus. And enjoy the night breeze, particularly after the long hot and humid summer we've had. Once home, I slumbered most contentedly.
Only.... I woke up this morning, to turn on my computer (it is only the second thing I do in the morning) to find that my sweetie has bought for me the Popcap Game collection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*muak!*
Ok, I know I'm hardly a hard-core gamer, but the Popcap games make me all warm and fuzzy inside because they are addictive, but yet brain-numbing. Don't need to plan, to strategise. I was pretty sure I woke up some time last night to hear A sampling a few of the games because he had the speakers on. So, I guess I know what I'm going to be enjoying today!
It was quite a local find! We'd been getting tired of some of the pasta menus from the various places we'd already been to so this was a good night to try out some new things. One very nice thing was that there was a bottle shop just next door which opened until 8.30pm. But we had already decided to drink that night, so public transport was a breeze too (for once! As anyone who knows about Perth's public transport system, they are more of a headache than a help.)
In the end, we ended up with a bottle of Xanadu Seccession White Cabernet, Deep Woods Semillon Sauvignon Blanc and Browns Brothers Chenin Blanc, and I certainly got nice and tiddly with all that - except that the Deep Woods was pretty acrid, especially after the sweetness of the Xanadu. I have to say that the Xanadu is probably one of my favourite wines of all time.
We're also getting smarter with food. In an effort to watch the cholesterol and all that, we now try to share entrees and desserts. Really though, I find I can't eat as much in one sitting any more, so it's always a waste to order too much. We had the very lovely Crostine al promodoro (toasted Italian bread topped with tomato, mozzarella and anchovies). The flavours were particularly fragrant. It somehow reminds me of all those midnight feasts from Enid Blyton's boarding school stories. Anyone remember those?
For mains, I had the tortellini alla cremonese - melt-in-your-mouth veal/chicken/pistachio packages. I believe the restaurant must also make it's own pasta. It's probably the best I've tasted of pasta dough because it didn't harden upon standing. It came in a rose sauce which was probably a bit rich for me, but felt a little bit decadent. A had the penne all'arrabbiata - his usual. Instead of a smooth tomato paste sauce, this was made up of lots of garlic and chunky tomatoes. And surprisingly, no meat at all! Most places serve up some sort of spicey sausage, but this was done so as to emphasize the burst of flavours on the palate, especially the zing of the chillies at the back of one's throat. For dessert, there was tiramisu. No way someone should resist that if they think they've come to an authentic Italian restaurant. It all seemed very traditional - two slabs of sponge doused in syrup (amaretto flavoured?) and fresh cream. Even then, I was already (both of us really!) quite stuffed.
I know we'll definitely be coming back to sample the other delights if they were all as good as our first experience!
Once dinner was concluded, we decided to walk home, but eventually propped ourselves up against a bus-stop and waited for a bus. And enjoy the night breeze, particularly after the long hot and humid summer we've had. Once home, I slumbered most contentedly.
Only.... I woke up this morning, to turn on my computer (it is only the second thing I do in the morning) to find that my sweetie has bought for me the Popcap Game collection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*muak!*
Ok, I know I'm hardly a hard-core gamer, but the Popcap games make me all warm and fuzzy inside because they are addictive, but yet brain-numbing. Don't need to plan, to strategise. I was pretty sure I woke up some time last night to hear A sampling a few of the games because he had the speakers on. So, I guess I know what I'm going to be enjoying today!