Vespa Pizza

Unfortunately I don't get to write about many pizza places in Brisbane, because pizza is one of those things that was cruelly taken away from me when I found out I had coeliac disease (cue sad music).

Over the last couple of years though I've been perfecting a thin, crispy, gluten-free pizza base at home, but I've had a lot of trouble finding a good one out in the restaurant world. I suspect the main problem is that while a few restaurants around the place are now serving gluten-free pizza bases, the people preparing them don't eat the finished product on a regular basis, so the usual quality controls may slip by the wayside. The main disappointment, after trying plenty of gluten free bases, is that they tend to go really soggy. From my experience at home, the trick to a good gluten free base is pre-cooking it first, so it's on the way to getting crispy, then top with only a few ingredients and cook at a high heat. One day I'll remember to post up a recipe for my gluten free capricciosa pizza.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, one of my readers recommended Vespa Pizza at New Farm. We popped in a couple of weekends ago to give their pizzas a try. Vespa Pizza is right next door to Tandoori King (my current favourite Indian restaurant) on Merthyr Road.

We arrived at 7pm, which is a bit early for dinner in my book, but now we have a 3 month old daughter we don't get a lot of say in dinner time. Even though it was early, the place was packed. The tables out the front were full, the tables inside were almost full, and all the tables along the side courtyard area were also full. That's usually a good sign.

We were shown to a table in the side courtyard. It was pretty dark, except for the fairy light on the table - it would be the perfect table for a big date. I was immediately attracted to the Moroccan-style lamp on the side wall. On our trip to Morocco I was desperate to buy a Moroccan light shade, but had no idea how to get it back to Australia. Luckily our daughter was equally as transfixed by the light shade, which kept her entertained for most of our meal.

After having a look at their menu online, Vespa sounded like my kind of pizza place. Call me traditional, but I'm really not a fan of lamb shanks, Moroccan chicken and/or satay sauce on pizza - when it comes to pizza, I like them simple.

We didn't have a lot of time, so we weren't really interested in starters. But if you get to your table early, waiting for late arrivals, there are some tasty sounding entrees, including basil, diced vine tomatoes, buffalo feta and olive oil bruschetta ($8.50), crispy polenta pieces with rosemary and garlic aioli ($7) and marinated artichokes with fennel, mint and basil ($11).

We went straight for the pizzas. There are 20 to choose from, most of which only contain a few toppings. I fairly quickly narrowed it down to capricciosa (my favourite all-time pizza - pancetta, salami, olives, mushrooms, anchovies, red peppers - $19), suppresed (sopressa with tomato, olives and chilli - $18.50), pancetta and buffalo feta with rosemary and cracked pepper ($18.50) and salami and mushroom with basil, mozzarella and truffle oil ($18.50). I was in one of my "try something different" moods, so I went for the pizza bianco instead (pancetta, olives, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, capers, sea salt and fior di latte cheese - $19.50).

There's also a good range of pizzas to choose from if you're vegetarian (as you'd expect from a traditional pizzeria) including margherita (semi dried roma tomatoes with fior di latte cheese and fresh basil leaves - $18.50), mushroom ragout with spinach and feta ($19.50) and carciofi (artichoke hearts, buffalo feta, oven dried cherry tomatoes and rosemary - $19.50).

We thought we'd order a salad as well, just for a bit of variety, and the Caprese style salad took our fancy (vine tomatoes, fior di latte cheese, torn basil and olive oil - $12.50).

Although we had to ask a couple of times for our bottle of water to show up, the pizzas didn't take long to arrive. My pizza arrived first. Even though it had a gluten free base, it was thin and really crispy around the edges. They hadn't managed to get the crispiness through the whole base (if I was to be very picky) but it was probably the best gluten free base I've eaten at a restaurant. As for the toppings, they were excellent. Forget the Pizza Hut "load it up with 5 centimetres of toppings" - this pizza featured a few well chosen toppings, sparingly spread over the base. The white pizza (pizza bianco) meant there was no tomato sauce on the base, which again helped the flavour of the toppings to shine. I thought the capers might overwhelm the rest of the toppings, but they turned out to be tiny little ones, and everything worked together remarkably well. I managed to eat all but the last piece - it would have been rude to let such a good pizza go to waste.

My wife had ordered the carciofi pizza, which also turned out to be very tasty. There was a good, thin base which was perfectly crispy. The buffalo feta was apparently the star of the pizza, but worked well with the artichoke, cherry tomatoes and rosemary.

Our salad turned out to be very good, matching the quality of the pizzas. Forget thin slices of tomato & cheese that you usually come across with a Caprese salad - this one had huge big chunks of fior di latte cheese and equally large chunks of ripe tomatoes. There were plenty of basil leaves, either torn or cut into tiny bits. It was another reminder as to how good a simple salad can taste when it only contains top ingredients.

There is a very compact wine list, which features Italian wines and varietals. It was a fairly warm night, so I went with a glass of the Tuesner Salsa rose ($8.50/glass). Luckily it had a good level of acidity, which really helped with the strong Italian flavours on the pizza. Keeping with the Italian feel of the night, my wife ordered a San Pellegrino pompelmo soft drink ($3.50).

Other than having to ask for water a couple of times, our waitress was very friendly and unobtrusive. Our orders were taken quickly, and the pizzas were out within half an hour - good service all round.

I will definitely be back to Vespa Pizza to explore the rest of the menu. In these days where fast food places pile more and more tasteless toppings onto pizza, it's good to see that there are still restaurants like Vespa that concentrate on quality. If (like me) you're on a gluten free diet, put Vespa on your must visit list.

Sorry there are no photos, but our table was too dark for me to get any decent ones.

What does all this mean? Delicious, thin, crispy pizzas which each focus on a few high quality ingredients. A must visit if you're looking for good gluten-free pizza.

food bling ratings
Food - Great
Service - Good
Ambience - Casual, with seats out the front, inside and along the side
Vegetarian - Good
Wine - Compact selection, but pizza friendly
Value for Money - Good
Gluten Free - Great

Vespa Pizza
148 Merthyr Road
New Farm 4005
P - 07 3358 4100
W - http://www.vespapizza.com.au/

Verve Cafe

A couple of weeks ago I had lunch at Verve Cafe with a few work buddies. Over the years I must have walked past Verve Cafe hundreds and hundreds of times. I even worked as a volunteer in the Metro Arts building for a few years. But I'd never eaten at Verve Cafe.

The first trick was actually getting a booking, which turned out to be harder than expected. We had to postpone our lunch a couple of weeks because the restaurant was booked out the first time (it was Friday lunch after all). Eventually we got a booking and wandered down the steps looking for a good lunch and a few bottles of wine.

The first thing that hits you when you get to the bottom of the stairs and into the restaurant is just how dark it is. The next thing you'll probably notice is the noise. Then you look around and realise that the whole place looks pretty cool, and soon enough you'll adjust and completely forget that its either dark or noisy. The restaurant really has the feel of an Italian trattoria. And it was packed. No wonder it was hard to get a booking.

We were quickly shown to our table by a friendly waiter, and the menus were handed out. There aren't a lot of choices for entrees - most people were getting stuck into one of the breads. If it's bread your after, you can choose from herb bread ($4.90), pan bread (kalamata olive, sea salt, basil & bocconcini - $4.90), olive tapenade (smashed kalamata olives, virgin oil, garlic with toasted pan bread - $4.90) or the dips plate (chef’s selection of dips with fresh baked pita bread - $9.90).

If bread just isn't your bag, then kick off the meal with the soup of the day ($8.90), mushrooms filled with rosemary and roast capsicum risotto ($10.90) or the calamari salad (pan fried with olive oil, garlic and lemon on a thyme, roast capsicum & green salad - $14.90).

We decided against ordering any starters and opted for a bottle of wine instead, in true Friday lunch fashion. But within a few minutes a plate of bread arrived on the table. After checking with the waitress, we were told it was complementary. Things were going well at this stage.

There are plenty of mains to choose from. The food at Verve Cafe is mainly Italian, but with modern flavours, so its no surprise to see the main courses covering pasta, risotto, pizza and a few other "plates".

The first thing I noticed on the menu was that there was an option to order any of the pizzas or pastas gluten free. Our bubbly waitress told me that she was also on a gluten free diet and that the pizza bases were great. By that point I was sold and I ordered the excitingly named "ham" pizza, topped with salami, ham, olives, mushroom and mozzarella ($17.90 with a gluten free base). They are pretty much my favourite pizza toppings, so I was happy. Other pizza options include roast pumpkin with pine nuts, sun-dried tomato, English spinach, pesto, caramelised onion and mozzarella ($15.90), chicken with marinated feta, roast capsicum, caramelised onion, thyme and mozzarella ($15.90) and of course a margarita with tomato, basil and mozzarella ($15.90).

The rest of our table all ordered the pescatore linguini, served with scallops, prawns, roasted bell peppers, kalamata olives, fresh basil and an olive oil base ($20.90). I was thinking about ordering the same dish, but had to try something different.

Other mains that caught my eye were the goat's cheese gnocchi (roast pumpkin, chicken, fresh rosemary, goat's cheese and cream - $19.90), the sand crab & prawn risotto (diced Roma tomato, zest of lemon, fresh thyme and cream - $20.90) and the blue cheese risotto (pancetta, chicken, cream, white wine, fresh rosemary and olives - $18.90). They will have to wait until next time.

My pizza was good. Thankfully it had a nice crispy base. So many gluten free pizzas are served on soggy, floury bases that resemble a pikelet more than a pizza. It wasn't overloaded with toppings, which meant that you could actually taste everything that was on the pizza. The pizza wasn't enormous, but I just managed to finish off all four pieces.

The verdict on the pescatore linguini was that it was tasty, but had a tad too much garlic. There was plenty of seafood with the pasta, so there were no complaints on that front. I didn't get to try any, but the pasta smelt delicious.

The wine list at Verve Cafe is pretty compact, but extremely well priced. We had a few bottles of the Hazard Hill semillon sauvignon blanc with lunch, which was about $30 a bottle. There is plenty to choose from at around that price point, so a few bottles of wine here won't break the bank.

Throughout the meal our service was excellent and particularly friendly. The waiters knew the menu well and always seemed to pop up at the right time.

Verve Cafe is an excellent place for a weekday lunch. The food was good, tasty and fresh. Although the place was very busy, we hardly waited for our meals and were never left feeling neglected by the staff. It's always great to come across a place like Verve Cafe. If only there were more places in the CBD like it to enjoy a relaxing lunch with friends.

What does all this mean? Tasty modern Italian food in cool, dark surroundings at very reasonable prices.

food bling ratings
Food - Good
Service - Great
Ambience - A dark, downstairs room with plenty of atmosphere
Value for Money - Great
Wine - Compact selection at good prices
Vegetarian - Good
Gluten Free - Great

Verve Cafe
Basement, 109 Edward Street
Brisbane 4000
P - 07 3221 5691
W - http://www.vervecafe.com.au/

Euro 2008 - Italy

Italy might be the current World champions, but they've started off Euro 2008 pretty badly. So badly that if Romania beats the Netherlands in the final group game (which is possible) then Italy will be out, even if they do beat France. That will be a pretty big shock not only in Italy, but all around the football world.

Luckily we have loads of Italian cafes and restaurants in Brisbane. If I tried to list them all I'd be here for a couple of weeks, so I won't bother. Here is a short list of great Italian places in Brisbane, to celebrate or commiserate, depending on how things pan out for the Azzuri.

Il Centro is usually a safe bet for a great lunch or dinner. I know its popular with both the business crowd and tourists, but the food is very good. You can read my post about Il Centro here. Il Centro's food is modern Italian, with Queensland influences, rather than your trattoria classics. If you've never tried their lasagne alla granseola (sandcrab lasagna), you're missing out on something pretty special.

I still haven't eaten there, but Dell' Ugo is considered by many to be Brisbane's best Italian restaurant. Meals at Dell' Ugo include calamari fritti (pan fried calamari served with herb & chilli oil - $26), tortiglioni al pesto con salsiccie di maiale (homemade pesto tortiglioni with fresh Italian pork and fennel sausages - $28) and the delicious sounding cosciotto d’anatra con miele e stella d’anice (slow braised duck maryland with a filling of muscatel & fresh shallots, finished in a honey & star anise broth served on roasted parsnip mash & roasted carrots - $33.50). The wine list is compact, but contains a selection of Italian wines to add to an authentic Italian night out. You can visit Dell' Ugo at New Farm or Southbank.

If there is one thing I really, really miss with my gluten free diet, its the pizzas from Arriva. Arriva used to be my favourite pizza place in Brisbane, especially after the Schonell pizza cafe closed. I know it doesn't look like much, but the pizzas are sensational. They also do some excellent salads. If you're craving a real Italian pizza, with a thin base, and only a few delicious toppings, then Arriva is the place for you. Sure it can get busy at times, but the food is worth the wait.

I've already done a post about Vil'laggio at New Farm, which you can read here. Although some of our food was a bit hit and miss, when it was good, it was great. My main of porchetta arrosto su verza brasata con pancetta uvetta e pinoli in salsa di fondo (wood roasted pork belly, rolled with Italian spices and fresh herbs on sautéed cabbage, pancetta, sultanas and pine nuts with roast potato and vegetable gravy - $31.95) was fantastic, and I'm definitely going to give the place another go.

I can't do a post about Italian food during Euro 2008 without mentioning Arriverderci at Park Road. I used to work on Park Road, and the guys at Arriverderci are so passionate about football, they were usually dressed in some kind of football jersey. No doubt they are probably doing a roaring trade at the moment. During the happy hours on Thursday and Friday afternoons the place is usually packed.

If you've had enough pizza and pasta, and all you're after is gelati, there is no better place in Brisbane than Gelateria Cremona. I'm convinced its the best gelati you can find in Brisbane. I'm slowly working my way through their amazing flavours, and you can read my earlier post here.

Il Centro

Eagle Street Pier

Eagle Street

Brisbane 4000

P - 07 3221 6090

E - admin@il-centro.com.au

W - http://www.il-centro.com.au/

Dell' Ugo New Farm

693 Brunswick Street

New Farm 4005

P - 07 3254 2188

W - http://www.dellugo.com.au/

Dell' Ugo Southbank

Shop 6A/B Little Stanley Street

Southbank 4101

P - 07 3844-0500

E - soula@dellugosouthbank.com.au

W - http://www.dellugosouthbank.com.au/

Arriva Italian Restaurant

Shop 6, 84 Merthyr Road

New Farm 4005

P - 07 3254 1599

Arriverderci Pizzeria

1/1 Park Road

Milton 4064

P - 07 3369 8500

E - info@arrivedercipizza.com

W - http://www.arrivedercipizza.com/

Gelateria Cremona

Shop 5/151 Baroona Road

Rosalie Village

Paddington 4064

P - 07 3367 0212

E - gelateriacremona@yahoo.com.au

Cafe Fuscia

I should start this post by letting you know that when it comes to pizza, as far as I'm concerned, less is more. Give me a thin, crisp base, with a couple of quality toppings and some good mozzarella, and I'm in pizza heaven (especially if there's a bottle of good Italian red on the table).

The zenith of my pizza world was found a couple of years ago in Naples. After wandering around some very dodgy parts of the city, we eventually found Da Michele, one of the most traditional Neapolitan pizzerias. Da Michele has been there for over a 100 years, and only serves two types of pizza - marinara and margherita (click here for a photo). Sure it sounds simple, but I could have stayed there all night, eating their amazing pizza and nattering on to the various strangers from all over the world who share your table, also in search of the ultimate pizza experience.

Luckily I found Da Michele before I my coeliac days, so the taste of its amazing pizza will be forever burnt into my tastebuds. Now I'm limited to a smattering of places that serve gluten free pizza, which brings me to Cafe Fuscia. I've already done a post about Cafe Fuscia, but it also happens to be the closest place that sells gluten free pizza. Not just any gluten free pizza, but good gluten free pizza, which can be very hard to find.

However, Cafe Fuscia's pizza menu isn't really one for traditionalists. The chefs at Da Michele probably wouldn't know where to start when faced with a menu that included Turkish (hommus, feta & roast pumpkin topped with lamb meatballs & a Moroccan sauce on a Turkish pizza base - $17), tandoori (chicken breast, mango chutney, cashews, snow peas & onion, drizzled with a mild tandoori sauce and minted yoghurt - $19) or Bali hai pizza (chicken breast with capsicum, onion, pineapple, spinach, snow peas and roasted cashews topped with satay sauce - $19).

After wading my way through these more modern takes on pizza, I eventually took the plunge with the five star beef (grain fed wagyu beef rump, mushrooms, roasted caramelised eschallots & baby spinach with a cracked pepper béarnaise - $22.90 with a gluten free base). This pizza was apparently crowned Queensland's best meat pizza in 2005, and after a couple of bites I could certainly see its merit.

As much as I'm not usually a fan of this take on pizza, it was pretty good. The beef was tender and tasty, the eschallots lovely and sweet, with the bearnaise as the perfect accompaniment. It was also a good, crunchy gluten free base. It was hard work to finish it off though - this is more like a meal on a pizza.

We also ordered one of the Mediterranean vegetarian pizzas without the olives or capsicum (eggplant, mushrooms, onion, feta & baby spinach - $18). Again this was a great, tasty pizza, with delicious mushrooms and grilled eggplant.

So if you're looking for a modern twist on a pizza, then Cafe Fuscia has twists a plenty. You can either take your pizza home, or bring along your favourite bottle of Chianti and eat in, as the restaurant is BYO. But if you're looking for a great, traditional margherita, whisk yourself off to Da Michele instead.

Cafe Fuscia
Corner of Audrey & Wardell Street
Enoggera 4051
P - 07 3355 9800
W - http://www.fuscia.com.au/

Vil'laggio

Vil'laggio is an Italian eatery right next door to Anise on Brunswick Street in New Farm.

When entering Vil'laggio on a Friday night, the first thing that hit me was how busy the place was. The room was buzzing with plenty of people, and the flavours wafting around were terrific.
We were shown straight to our table and given menus and glasses of water straight away, which is always a good start in my book.

I hadn't eaten here before, at least not since it's been Vil'laggio. Vil'laggio now occupies the spot where Indigo's once was. Indigo's was set up by Gillian Hirst, and was one of my favourite spots for a dependably good dinner in New Farm.

Back to Vil'laggio though. Vil'laggio is Italian through and through, aiming to serve up home style, traditional Italian food, including wood fired pizzas. The starters on the menu cover breads (tomato, basil, boccocini & mozzarella bruschetta - $10.95, homemade bread with artichoke, cumin, black olives and rocket, served with a spicy tomato sauce - $11.95 or wood roasted eggplant, tomato, parmesan, fresh basil and boccocini on crusty bread with rocket - $14.95), prosciutto with deep fried ricotta & rocket ($14.95), antipasto ($17.95) and fritto misto di pesce if you are looking for some seafood ($18.95).

It was raining and miserable outside, so we decided to skip the starters and save room for dessert. In hindsight, that didn't turn out to be a good decision, but more on that later.

So it was straight on to main course. There were plenty of things that caught my attention on the menu here. There is a good selection of pasta and risotto ($21.95 to $26.95), traditional Italian mains ($30.95 to $32.95) and wood fired pizzas ($10.95 to $26.95 depending on size).

A couple of the traditional mains jumped off the menu at me. One was the porchetta arrosto su verza brasata con pancetta uvetta e pinoli in salsa di fondo, or wood roasted pork belly, rolled with Italian spices and fresh herbs on sautéed cabbage, pancetta, sultanas and pine nuts with roast potato and vegetable gravy ($31.95). The other was the agnello grigliato su polenta al gorgonzola, or char grilled lamb shoulder medallions on baked polenta with gorgonzola, marinated wood roasted capsicum, garlic and lime, finished with a veal jus ($31.95).

After much debating, I opted for the roast pork, which was fantastic. First of all, it was an enormous serving - slices of the pork, edged with good crackling, sitting on top of gravy covered cabbage, pancetta and roast potato. Although I'm usually not a fan of sultanas in savoury cooking, they fitted in perfectly with the other ingredients. The whole dish worked together beautifully, and it was the perfect hearty dinner for a cold, rainy and windy night. As hungry as I was though, and as good as this dish tasted, I still couldn't finish it.

Our other main was the ravioli di zucca al burro e salvia con pancetta e noci, or pumpkin and feta ravioli in butter, sage, walnuts and crispy pancetta ($24.95). We had the vegetarian version, without the pancetta. Again, this was a generous serving of ravioli. The pasta filling was deliciously tasty, as was the sauce with which it was served. However, 3 or 4 of the fairly large sized ravioli had not been fully cooked, to the extent that the unfilled edges of the pasta were difficult to cut with a knife, let alone chew. That was easily fixed by just cutting off the chewy parts, but its always a bit disappointing to be served obviously undercooked pasta.

We had also ordered a salad of shaved fennel, rocket and parmesan in a balsamic dressing ($7.95) which turned out to be completely unnecessary, given the size of the mains. However it made a nice contrast to both our main meals, and we made a good dent in this simple but sharp and crunchy salad.

At this stage, the service, which had been friendly and spot on, went downhill. Once our mains had been cleared, we sat at our table, with no drinks for 25 minutes, without being even approached by a waiter. We eventually grabbed a waiter and ordered dessert. Although the room had been very busy, by this stage of the evening the room had thinned out, so it was strange that the good level of service fell away.

Unfortunately, the desserts were not worth the long wait. The cannoli ($12.95), apparently the house specialty, was particularly disappointing. Each cannoli was soggy and chewy, lacking the good crunch we had been expecting. They were also served with some pretty average quality vanilla ice cream. Not the way we had hoped to end the meal. I had the white chocolate pannacotta ($10.95), which was ok, but didn't have the good wobbly, custardy consistency that I enjoy in a good pannacotta.

The wine list is fairly compact, but does have a range of both Italian and Australian options. It is also very reasonably priced. We were just drinking wines by the glass, which were brought to the table in glasses, already pre-poured. As someone who particularly enjoys wine, I always prefer for wines to be poured at the table, so that you can always be sure that you are in fact being served what you ordered. Personally I don't think it's that difficult to do and it does make an impression on the customers. However I've noticed more and more restaurants in Brisbane now bringing out pre-poured wine glasses to the table, which is a shame. Vil'laggio's wine list also gets a special mention for including a number of Queensland wines. It's very good to see a busy restaurant such as Vil'laggio supporting the Queensland wine industry.

I haven't yet mentioned the pizzas. We didn't order one, but saw plenty of them being brought out to other diners. They all looked pretty tasty, and include margherita, Siciliana, capricciosa and quattro formaggi. We'll have to try them another time.

Vil'laggio was almost full the night we were there, so it obviously has a fairly solid following. The tastiness of our main meals backs that up. Unfortunately the service and the desserts meant that our night didn't end on the same high note. We eventually left Vil'laggio after 2 and a half hours, having only eaten a main course and dessert each, and only 3 glasses of wine between the two of us. If they can pick up their service and quality of desserts, Vil'laggio would become a very solid traditional Italian establishment.

What does all this mean? Tasty, traditional Italian food, but with variable service.

food bling ratings
Food - OK
Service - OK
Ambience - Busy, modern surroundings. Can be a bit noisy inside.
Value for Money - Good
Wine - OK
Vegetarian - Good

Vil'laggio
695 Brunswick Street
New Farm 4005
P - 07 3254 0275
W - http://www.villaggioristorante.com.au/

Cafe Fuscia

Cafe Fuscia is the local eatery that every suburb needs. It serves up a wide range of good, tasty food, is BYO and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We have eaten here a few times over the last 3 years or so. The main attraction for me is that Cafe Fuscia serves good gluten free pizzas, is BYO and within walking distance of our place. So when you've hard a long day, couldn't be bothered of thinking of where to go to dinner, don't want to drive anywhere, but still want to have great food, then Cafe Fuscia hits the spot.

Sure you won't remember what you ate here for the rest of your life, but neither will you be disappointed. Cafe Fuscia has a wide ranging dinner menu, from antipasto and oysters through to pasta, pizza and modern Australian options. Its pretty hard not to find something you like.

The menu had changed a little since our last visit. One of my favourite starters, the haloumi salad, was gone, so we opted for the Italian tasting plate. On asking the waitress what exactly was in the tasting plate (because my dining guest was vegetarian) we were met with the response that it was "a traditional Italian antipasto selection". We decided to order it anyway, which was a good thing. The plate had plenty of ham, prosciutto, salmon, marinated feta, grilled eggplant, olives, tortellini (which seemed a bit strange), zucchini, thinly sliced olive bread, a miniature apple and pear, and snow pea tendrills. This was pretty much the perfect starter when you can't really decide what you want to eat. We grazed on this great plate of tasty treats until it was pretty much demolished. It was also good value at $22 for the plate. The ham and prosciutto, in particular, were very good.

Then it was onto main course. For me, that was pizza. I only go here for pizza. Cafe Fuscia is one of the few places in Brisbane where you can get a good gluten free pizza. Cafe Fuscia has won a "best pizza" award, so you would expect them to be generally good. They have some interesting pizza options (like the wagyu rump which I've enjoyed before) but I went for the prosciutto one this time. It came out with thickly sliced prosciutto, tomato, mozzarella and a bit of parmesan. It was so tasty I almost ate the whole thing.

We also had a cauliflower risotto ($22) for main. It was described on the menu as having crispy sage leaves, Gorgonzola and cauliflower puree. Although the crispy sage leaves were mysteriously missing from the actual plate, replaced with not so crispy spinach, this was a seriously good risotto. The cauliflower still had a slight crunch to it, and there was just enough, but not too much, Gorgonzola to give the risotto a great flavour. Even without the crispy sage, this was a terrific dish.

By this time, we were completely full. The portion of risotto was enormous, and even between the two of us we couldn't finish it. Although some of the desserts looked very tempting, we just couldn't eat anymore.

Service at Cafe Fuscia is a bit hit and miss. But even when its not the best, it's still friendly. The quality of the food speaks for itself.

For coeliacs and others looking for gluten free options, Cafe Fuscia is a winner. They have gluten free pizza bases, and can make the pasta options gluten free as well.

Finally, Cafe Fuscia is BYO, with corkage charged at $2.20 per person. It's very popular on weekends, so it's a good idea to book. There is seating both inside and out.

Cafe Fuscia is not the kind of place you are likely to travel across Brisbane to dine at. But if you live within walking distance, then you really should give it a try. The food here is above average, well presented and very reasonably priced. It's the type of reliable cafe/restaurant that is deservedly popular. What sets it apart from the myriad of mediocre Brisbane restaurants is that its menu offerings are different, without being too adventurous, but very well executed. Its the kind of place that knows its limits, but what it does, it does well.

What does all this mean? A tasty, reliable, BYO suburban eatery that every Brisbane suburb needs.

food bling ratings
Food - Good
Service - OK
Ambience - Casual suburban dining
Value for Money - Good
Wine - BYO
Vegetarian - Good
Gluten Free - Great

Cafe Fuscia
Corner of Audrey & Wardell Streets
Enoggera 4051
P - 3355 9800
E - info@fuscia.com.au
W - http://www.fuscia.com.au/

Wild Pepper

Wild Pepper is a pizzeria in the busy strip of restaurants on Hardgrave Road at West End.

There are tables inside and out. If there are large tables of hungry pizza eaters, like on the night we were there, inside can get a bit noisy. So if you are there for a quiet night for 2, sitting outside might be the better bet. The surroundings are modern, clean and casual.

To kick off your meal, try one of the pizza breads - herb, chilli, jalapeno, pesto or garlic - which are all $10.

We gave the starters a miss, and went straight to the pizzas. There are a good selection of vegetarian, meat and seafood pizzas. If you are looking for a more traditional Italian pizza, then go for the "Margarita" (no its not a cocktail, its a Margherita) with tomatoes, basil and parmesan, at $9 for a small, $12 for a medium or $15 for a large, or a Pepperoni with pepperoni, green capsicum and chilli at $10/$13/$16.

If you're not one for traditional Italian toppings and are looking for something a bit different, you won't be disappointed. Try the "David's own" with red kidney beans, salsa jalapeno chili, guacamole, sour cream and cherry tomatoes at $14/$17/$20 or the Roast Chicken with chicken, roasted pumpkin, feta, pine nuts, spinach and harissa at $15/$18/$21.

Aside from the standard menu, there were also two special pizzas available on the night we were there. Unfortunately, we didn't see the blackboard until we were walking out (and weren't told about them when ordering) so we missed out on those.

Best of all, they offer all their pizzas with gluten free bases for all those Coeliacs out there. Although the gluten free bases aren't as crisp and thin as a real pizza, its great to be able to order any pizza off the menu. Gluten free pizzas only come in one size, and are charged at the large pizza price.

I went for half an "Oscar Wild" (Italian sausage, caramelized onion and parmesan) and half a Chilli Prawn (prawns, basil and chilli). Both halves were really tasty, topped with fresh ingredients. The Oscar Wild was particularly good - the salty sausage, sweet caramelised onion and tangy parmesan combining well. We also had a small Margherita, which was excellent. Simple, but crisp and tasty. Sometimes its hard to go past a good Margherita.

There are also salads on the menu. We ordered the pumpkin salad ($8) with our pizzas. The salad was enormous and was listed on the menu as baby spinach/rocket, roast pumpkin, pine nuts & parmesan. Unfortunately it was absolutely caked in a seeded mustard dressing. There was so much mustard in it, that after a few attempts at scraping off the mustard from the spinach and pumpkin, we just gave up. If you are ordering a salad with your pizza, it's probably best to order something other than the pumpkin one, unless you haven't had your mustard fix for the year.

Finally, if you haven't had your fill of pizza for the night, there are also dessert pizzas. We had eaten more than enough, so didn't even consider one. But if a banana or strawberry dessert pizza is your thing, then dig in.

Wild Pepper is BYO, and there is a bottle shop right next door, which is extremely handy. Serve was adequate and relaxed.

If you are looking for tasty pizza at good prices, then Wild Pizza is definitely worth a visit. And if you are a Coeliac, then you'll find it's one of the few pizza places in Brisbane where you can have just about anything off the menu. You can also order the pizzas take away if you are lucky enough to live close by.

What does all this mean? Tasty, fresh pizza at very reasonable prices.

food bling ratings
Food - Good
Service - OK
Ambience - Modern casual
Value for Money - Great
Wine - BYO

Vegetarian - Great
Gluten Free - Top Shelf

Wild Pepper
75 Hardgrave Road
West End
P - 07 3844 1262
W - http://www.wildpepper.com.au/