Mid week date night with Dr L and we opted for a cozy dinner at Italian Street Kitchen. I've previously been to their original store at Newstead and was impressed with their quality and value, so was quite pleased to see they had opened one closer to home and work.
Despite it being mid week, it was really important to book because the place was very full, which seems to be a recurring theme everywhere these days. Anyway, we were seated inside and very close to the kitchen, which is always very exciting for me.
Menus were provided and service was fast. Despite how high inflation is, the prices at ISK were still very reasonable and their set lunches were an especially good deal that I'll have to come back for later. The menu wasn't surprising for an Italian restaurant, comprising of antipasti, pasta, pizza and desserts, which was exactly what we were craving.
Drinks came quickly, I had a glass of pinot grigio whilst he had a coke zero. Mine was crisp and chilled, making for a wonderful start to our meal.
Our shared entree was the Panzerotto. I've never seen or heard of this before but it had me at deep fried pizza dough. It was filled with mortadella, buffalo mozzarella and Sardinian pecorino cheese. Despite the fanfare, the fillings were fairly ordinary and the flavours didn't stand out to me as something especially exciting and the pecorino wasn't as sharp as expected. Having said that the dough was freshly fried and very fluffy which is always a wonderful way to start the meal.
Truffle pizza wasn't on the menu, despite it being truffle season, so we went with the mushroom & cheese pizza. The flavours were harmonious but like the panzerotto, they didn't really jump out to me. Nevertheless, there was an abundance of earthy mushrooms and the base was done quite well. I wouldn't mind coming back to try their other pizzas.
Keen to try some gnocchi before I attempt some at home, this was the gnocchi alla bolognese. The portions were generous but there was also not too much by way of meat. The flavours were rich and tart though, while the gnocchi struck a good balance between mushy and chewy. If there was a bit more meat to go with it then it would have been a fairly faultless dish.
Overall, good food for decent prices in a good location. We will be back to try the other dishes when we are in the area.
Price Range: $25 - $35pp
Taste: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 8/10
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