Weekend in VIC

While in Melbourne for the weekend catching up with family TK and i do what we normally do eat... and try to take over the world (if you do not get it watch Pinky and the Brain cartoons from late 90's).

While many comment on Melbourne and the cosmopolitan nature of the place i personally find Melbourne to have shit weather and no beach. If that is cosmopolitan then everyone is spot on but give me Sydney any day. They do however have some quality eating options and that gets them a gold star.

Lygon st, a street just on the outskirts of the cbd which is basically little italy, had some great looking cafe's and restaurants. Spent an afternoon there with TK's side of the family and had some great pizza - very nice base and sauce, the veges were plentiful without being too much. After the 2 pizzas (not all mine we shared) and a bottle of Lambrusco, we went to a cake shop around the corner. The place is Brunetti, and to call it a mere cake shop is doing it a disservice. it has a counter for coffee, one for gelato, one for cakes, one for hot food and a huge one for biscuits/chocolates - this place is MASSIVE. While many things were on offer i can never go past a canoli washed down with a machiato, both very good but haberfield still takes the crown.

We also went to dinner at docklands. Originally wanted to go to Mecca Bah, serves up middle eastern dishes, as it was recommended by my sister but due to the no booking policy we could not get in - this is an issue with me and something that will be addresses on http://sternjoel.blogspot.com/ in the near future. We ended up at Renzos Bar which was just opposite.

MENU:
The menu was fairly large with the usual Italian fare. It however sounded better than most places i go to, some menus just do not entice you but i found this one giving me plenty of temptations. Entrees and pizzas were around $15, mains around $25 so nothing too expensive but not cheap either. The one thing of note was the wine list, most Italian places have an average wine list but this place had some very nice bottles on it with the new TK favourite Lambrusco.

FOOD:
After tossing up between bruschettas, i do what i normally do and ask the waiter/ress, and based on her recommendations we had the garlic focaccia - she is a wise woman. The focaccia was awesome and i should know since i ate most of it - sorry TK.
For mains i stuck on the pizza theme and ordered the Genovese with pesto, sun dried tomatoes, roasted capsicum and goats cheese. The pizza was very good with the base having just the right amount of chewyness, but the over use of goats cheese did not come off well - it was good for the first slice but by the third you were overwhelmed.
TK ordered pasta and her selection seemed good homemade pappardelle with a beef and meatball ragu - i was very keen for leftovers. We both had images of Portofino's veal ragu but were brought back to earth with what can be summed up as cold and bland. The pasta itself was nice but the sauce was cold and after my first bite i quoted homer jay "hello...taste buds". This was the kind of pasta you would expect at a steak house or fish restaurant who do a token pasta dish for those not keen on the proper dishes - not something to come out of an Italian establishment. To put the proverbial icing on the cake it came out after half my pizza was gone! My poor better half ate most if it but left feeling hungry - she happily filled that hole with cake.
Had a side rocket and Parmesan salad which was good but how can you screw that up. A bottle of the finest Lambrusco was the liquid of choice. TK, not being a huge wine drinker, loved it and i admit that it was not without its charm and would happily have another glass.

COST:
Do not remember but was not shocked so nothing terrible.

OVERALL:
The place was noisy but nothing terrible but given the experience we had with the pasta i can not recommend it. On a side note the couple sitting on a table next to ours ordered before we did and we had our mains served, including the delayed and terrible pasta, before they were even checked on. When their meals finally came, some pasta and an Osso buco, the dude took one mouthful and commented that it was the "blandest osso buco i have ever tasted!" - did not even finish half of it.