Address: 3-5 Mt Eden Rd
Phone: (09) 309 3740
Website: osarracino.co.nz
Nothing, it seems, is too much trouble at O'Sarracino. A table for two, with no reservation? No problem, come on in. Would we like to sit in the middle of the room or by the window or... ?
The middle of the room would be just fine. Could we have a jug of water, please, instead of the San Pellegrino on the table? Of course.
"May I have a beer?" asked Bill. "Yes," said the man, and went away and got one.
A Manabrea, as it turned out, is lighter than the usual treacly stuff that Bill goes for, but he managed to get it down. And another one. I wanted a dry white wine, and received a glass of verdicchio. Very palatable it was, so a bit later I, too, had another.
Sometimes you just have to trust people. An antipasto platter ($18) seemed like a good way to start, with the house bread. The platter arrived, laden with baby squid, clams, mushrooms, prawns, spinach, the promised bread with quark, and more.
Gaetano, the proprietor, knows his antipasti. We picked our way slowly through this while considering mains. I was quite happy with the fish special - terakihi and prawns with tagliatelle, olives and pinenuts in a cherry tomato reduction ($39) - but Bill had a problem.
"Would you like something with a little more meat, sir?" Sir would, and let the staff decide what that would be.
Trust, you see. He was given panzotti ragu ($29), large ravioli stuffed with herbed minced beef, served with shin beef in a rich tomato sauce. Bloke stuff, and more than adequately meaty. A glass of negroamara, aka rough red, matched it exactly. My fish was beautifully cooked, just flaking off the fork, and not overpowered by the sauce. The prawns, however, were overdone, to the point where it was difficult to get them out of their shells.
Next door to O'Sarracino is the excellent Pasta La Vista, an Argentinian fresh pasta and sauce shop. If the panzotti and tagliatelle were examples of their handiwork - and we think they were - a visit is well in order.
The desserts on offer were chocolate mousse, tiramisu and panacotta, so the latter ($12) it was. As a rule, I don't eat dessert, but when an extra spoon arrived, it seemed churlish not to at least have a taste.
Although Bill had the lion's share, I can report that the panacotta was wobbly in all the right places and the caramel sauce was excellent. And, as a nice touch, we were served a shot glass of zibibbo, an aromatic wine more usually served as an aperitif but a great match for the panacotta.
Gaetano and his partner Leanne have decorated the walls of the restaurant with family photos and complimentary messages written on linen napkins. It was once a church beside a funeral parlour, and Gaetano reckons the souls of the departed are looking after him.
And, apart from the fact that the souls haven't quite got the hang of chilling drinks, they're doing a pretty good job.
Out of 10
Food: 8
Service: 9
Value: 9
Ambience: 8
Our meal: $148.50 for a shared platter, two mains and one dessert, three glasses of wine and two beers.
Wine list: Almost entirely Italian, which is fair enough.
Verdict: Sit back, let the staff be your guides, and you'll have a wonderful evening.
