Another weekend, another date night. Undoubtedly, one of the biggest joys in dating another foodie is our ability to have hours and hours of conversation comparing notes and consolidating our list of places to try. A place that kept coming up in conversation was the long established Giardinetto, a traditional Italian restaurant situated down Brunswick street in Fortitude Valley. Having seen an online promo earlier in the afternoon, we thought it would be a good time to try it out.
Without a doubt, Saturday night is a peak time for the restaurant. The front of the shop was packed and the two staff rostered that night were frantic. Had it not been for the newly opened California Lane situated out back, we would definitely not have been able to find seating. I liked the vibe, it was very Lady and the Tramp. The fragrant scent of Bolognese sauce and garlic bread waffling from the kitchen definitely added to the feeling and the laneway seating also filled up quickly after our arrival. 
I liked the traditional Italian menu. There were a selection of entrees, mains, pizza, pasta and desserts. It took a while for us to get the attention of one of the waitstaff who were no doubt busy with all the other patrons, but we managed to put our order through.
We started by sharing a glass of Prosecco, because of course, everything is happier with bubbles.
Smelling the garlic bread since walking into Giardinetto’s there was no chance that we would miss it. For $6, we had a serve of four slices. It was amazing. The bread was crispy outside without being overly crunchy or hard whilst the inside tasted like garlic and butter infused clouds. We were in heaven and absolutely loved this dish.
Our second entrée for the evening was the Funghi Ripieni, mushroom caps filled with ricotta, pine nuts, spinach, dried tomato and shallots before being crumbed, fried and served with a creamy mustard sauce. As a concept, this was a fascinating dish which ticked quite a elements of flavour. Whilst I did quite enjoy the cheese and fillings, the mushrooms tasted a little undercooked and the crumbed batter was very thick and hard. If these two were fixed, there is no doubt that the dish would have been far more enjoyable. 
After a considerable wait, our mains came. Unfortunately for us, we had also ordered a side salad to come with the carb laden mains. This never eventuated and was forgotten. We had tried numerous times to get the attention of staff throughout the meal to query it but they were unavailable.
He ordered his favourite type of pasta, Ravioli ala Zingara, meat filled pasta cooked with bacon, mushroom, cream and garlic. The only positive about this dish was unfortunately only the portion size which was evidently generous. The pasta was thick and some parts were undercooked. Opening it up, the meat was so granulated it was not far from being powdered. Despite the bacon and mushroom, the garlic cream sauce was bland and unappetising. The dish had so much potential for greatness but in the end it let us down. 
My choice for the evening was the meat lasagne, as I wanted to draw a contrast with his cream sauce pasta. I was surprised that it came without a layer of cheese on top, this was rectified with the availability of Parmesan on our table. My pasta was cooked better than his, being cooked through and soft at least. The sauce had evidently large amounts of meat in it, but any freshness of taste was overpowered by tomato paste in the dish. Like the ravioli, this dish had quite a bit of potential which was eventually left unfulfilled.
I found our dining experience at Giardinetto to be such a disappointment. Starting on a high note and ending so low, the fact that they failed to honour the online deal we had also left a very sour aftertaste in our mouths. At least we managed to satisfy our curiosity about it though.
Price Range: $30 - $50pp
Taste: 4/10
Value: 4/10
Service: 2/10
Environment: 7/10
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