Intro: Rococo, answering my gnocchi coos
Details: 87 Acland St, St Kilda – (03) 9525 3232 and Rococo 797A Glenferrie Road Hawthorn 9818 8212
Surroundings: Ambient, dimply lit feature walls, candle lit tables, polish floorboards, wide open paces.
Liquid consumption: Hot Chocolate – just the right amount of high grade cocoa, not too rich so not too spoil the appetite. Yum. A Flat White equally as good with thick creamy froth- best part about it was the blend- Vittoria Coffee which goes head to head with St Ali’s.
Entree: Garlic and Herb Bread. A generous serving of think slices ciabatta with plenty of mouth watering butter and a hint of garlic that’s not overpowering. If you’re planning to order any tomato sugo based dishes, save a couple of pieces.
Brodo– a classic clear chicken broth with chicken tortellini and fresh oregano. This soup is freakin amazing with each spoonfool warming you up whilst you appreciate the homestyle taste. By the end you’ll be asking “what flu?”
Mains:
Pizza- Meatballs in Tomato Sugo sitting on top of mozzarella and fresh basil. This is the main reason I go to Rococo’s. The thin crust base is light but though supports the toppings really well. The tastebuds are take for a spin, hit with the saltiness of the cheese and sweetness of the ripened tomato sugo finished off with the juicy light meatballs which don’t fall apart or grabbed whole when bitten. Equally as good is the Smoked Ham, anchovy, olive, tomato and parmasen (below)
Ricotta Gnocchi in Tomato Sugo– wowser! This dish which was thought to be plain Jane judging from from the menu, turned out to be the highlight. Served in a fired up clay bowl, the light ricotta filled gnocchi is slow cooked in a tomato sugo forming a stew like consistency, then forged into the oven where an abundance amount of cheese fills the top forming a crispy exterior and then topped up with shavings of fresh parmesan (below). TIP: Save a piece of the garlic bread to scoop up the sugo.
Chargrilled Chicken Bacon Leek Risotto with Fresh Tomato and Basil. A perfect chicken broth was used here as base and cooked to with the right timing to allow the rice to soften and the juices of the tomato to flow through. The dish came towering with a generous amount of fresh parmesan shavings, crunchy lean bacon, strips of chargrilled juicy chicken.
Risotto with meatball sugo. As with the meatball pizza, this is one of those kill me now dishes. Creamy and cooked perfectly.
Dessert: No room
Bring a date here? Why not?!
Night out with friends here? Of Course
Service: Hospitable staff who asks how the meal is going, genuinely friendly
$$$:Mains had 17 – 30.
Food Rehab Verdict: Sent me to food rehab (book this place now! Wowzer) – Greenlight
Times revisited: 13. Last visit Oct. 09
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This place rocks- I had the meatball pizza last night and shared some tapas with friends. Thanks for the recommendation!
JH
Hey John,
Yes, the meatball pizza is awesome…the meat, blended with the tomato sugo just melts in your mouth. I haven’t personally tried the tapas, but will do on my next trip!!
Adrian