It’s always a joy to discover new restaurants close to home. Sometimes, a trek to the city for a feed seems absurd, considering I would spend more time in the car traveling to and from than having my bum on a chair at a restaurant. It’s definitely one of the down sides to living so far away from the CBD, but then again, I wouldn’t get the opportunity to explore what is outside of the city.
It’s a Friday so the boy and I decide to make it a date night. We used to eat Italian all the time as teenagers and have rarely been since discovering new cuisines to try but we thought to do things just like the good old times. Without wanting to head out somehwere too far we opt to go to Candelori’s – a local, homey Italian restaurant which was recommended by a dear friend of ours.
It’s not a Friday for me if there isn’t a Lemon, Lime & Bitters – my favourite beverage of choice to accompany my dinners.
Brushetta $8.00
When eating Italian food, knowing that it’s full of carbs, we tend to steer away from any entrees because we want to finish our mains (by we, I’m really refering to myself). Not this time because we are hungry beasts this evening! The brushetta is everything you want and expect it to be. A generous size of ciabatta toast with fresh tomatoes, basil and a very tasty balsamic dressing.
Petto di Pollo Tropicale $29.00
Although I wanted to order pasta, a girlfriend of mine highly recommended the pan braised chicken fillets, mango cheeks and king prawns. It was a concoction I’ve never heard before and I was excited to try. It was definitely a plate full of flavours. The chicken breast was plump and juicy, and the mango cheeks brought a sweet element but not too overpowering. It all suprisingly worked very well.
Fettuccini Boscaiola $24.00
The boy chooses his all time favourite pasta dish – fettuccini boscaiola. You’d think that being a boy he’d be happy to be fed a plate full of anything tasty, but this mister in particular is very critical when it comes to his favourite italian dish. Although the pasta was cooked al dente, it was the sauce that let him down, big time. The parmesan cheese was the prodominant flavour and completely took over the dish. It really was a struggle to finish, even despite the relatively small portion. A bit of a disappointment on his end.
That concluded our carb loaded dinner. It was a decent feed but came at a price. The menu is so extensive that we’d like to try some other dishes. A couple of friends love coming here, so perhaps next time I’d take down some notes and try what they really enjoy eating.
I thought I would also share my very first meal at Candelori’s which was a delight to eat.
Pappardelle with Osso Buco $26.00
Slow braised veal shanks were tossed and stuck among thick ribbons of al dente pasta. Couldn’t have asked for a better meal to accompany a girl’s catch up/gossip session.
Candelori’s
685 The Horsley Drive
Smithfield NSW 2164
Tel: +61 2 9729 1155
chicken, prawns and mango!? can’t go wrong there! yum!
Definitely not something I would have considered but it worked :)
mmmmm osso bucco with pasta! Love it!
That dish was super awesome! Filling too!
Mango cheeks and prawns sound strangely wonderful! And fresh bruschetta is always a treat! – Trisha
Indeed it was strange yet wonderful. A delight really :)
i’ve had prawns and mango as a combination before but never with chicken too, sounds pretty good but not quite the season to have mangoes :P
I know. That’s what I was thinking too. Probably not fresh is my guess
Sounds like a great choice for cold weather too! Sometimes you just need carbs :D
Absolutely. It’s a great companion during winter ;)
comfort food! I love pasta and especially the look of that veal at the end.
That veal had to have been my favorite!!
It is always great when you find a good restaurant close to home… we recently had a great greek restaurant 30 seconds walk from our front house. Needless to say, we eat there a bit.
Think you need to share what restaurant this is so I can see why you go all the time :p
The Pollo Tropicale looks so good but maybe its just the photo but it looks a bit small for its price, Sounds exotic tho!
Your message came up as spam! Hahah!
Parppardelle pasta is so good! 2nd to gnocchi of course :)
The only gnocchi I’ve had is at La Tratt! I’m too scared to have it else where :p
Sometimes it’s just the right time to enjoy a carb loaded dinner. This Italian looks so lovely and the parparadelle delicious. xx
Absolutely. Winter and carbs do go hand in hand ;)
Wow… I love the sound of chicken, prawns and mango. Weird but wonderful!
It’s definitely an interesting combination. But if cooked correctly it could be amazing ;)
Shame about the boscaiola but the osso bucco looks the business!
It really was the business! I’d be happy to back for more. Although that plate could have fed 2 people. Haha.
I loved the look of the mango cheeks and prawns! Yum, Its a shame about the Boscaiola, the photo of it looked mouthwatering!
It really was a shame. I think it could have been executed well.. Its not too hard of a dish to make.
my favourite :)
That past looks amazing!