@PizzaTonis

#ZomatoXTonisPizzaSinoville

(Yes, that is one long #Hashtag to get right every time!)

To start off the evening, some Strawberry Lemonade was a nice way to cleanse the palate with something fresh and refreshing.

Our starters shortly arrived and soon we had dished up a variety of salads (House, Con Pollo & Pancetta e Noci) paired with a trio of Focaccias - Herb, Garlic & Mozzarella. My favourite was the Con Pollo as the chicken was well flavoured and not dry. (A basic that very few restaurants seem to get right. So well done Toni's Pizza!)

Each person then got to order their own pasta from a choice of Alfredo, Bolognese or Chicken Penne. I opted for the Bolognese. What a wonderful decision this was. A great combination of tomato & herbs with beef.

Now it was Pizza Time:

My favourite was the pizza with the lamb. It has some fresh coriander leaves on, which I think work very well with the lamb. All the pizza's have a great variety of fresh toppings and lots of cheese. That is something that I noticed not many pizzeria's do any more.  

Dessert... Oh how I love this time of the evening. Here I will only tell you about my favourite. The homemade nougat with honey. It is incredible. Lots of nuts and light & fluffy. It's one of those desserts that you can eat a lot of.

Pomodoro Ristorante

Pomodoro Ristorante is situated at the Morningside Shopping Centre just off of Rivonia in Johannesburg. A quaint little Italian restaurant that oozes a modern & chic environment whilst holding an upmarket feel.

The owner & chef, Stefano, was there to welcome a few of us to his establishment and explained a bit about himself. An extremely knowledgable & passionate individual when it comes to food, as one can imagine living in many parts of the world and how different cultures would influence his cooking style & techniques.

One thing that I always love when I sit down at a restaurant is when the server will ask if we would like a bottle of water whilst we wait and decide on what we would like to drink. (This doesn’t happen often, but it did happen at Pomodoro.)

Starting off with a ‘pre-starter’ – Margherita pizza. Extremely light base and generous with the cheese.

Moving on to our starters

– Crumbed Grilled Falkland Calamari, gives off the illusion that it has been fried in a crispy batter, yet it has been grilled, without overcooking it and making it feel like you are chewing on a piece of rubber.

– Beef Carpaccio, delicately sliced pieces of beef with fresh mushrooms and parmesan shavings make a delightful and flavoursome dish.

The 1^st set of main meals – 3 Pasta Dishes

I can’t decide which one of these are my favourite.

The 1^st – Porcini Mushroom Tagliatelle. Dried porcini mushrooms are infused with a Chivas Regal Whisky served with a fresh and light creamy sauce.

The 2^nd – Lamb & Tomato based Rigatoni. I believe this would make a wonderful dish in the colder winter months where the soft lamb and tomato just come together so well.

The 3^rd – Spinach Ricotta with Goat Cheese & Truffle Oil. I am a spinach lover, so this dish was superb for me being paired with that goat cheese. The truffle oil just adds a bit of a different element of surprise to the dish which one would not expect.

The 2^nd set of main meals –

The 1^st – Pan fried Veal Liver & Caramelised onions served with a potato puree. What I loved with this dish is that the potato puree was not super fine, but still full of texture.

The 2^nd – A medium rare T-bone prepared with only coarse salt and rosemary oil. You would think that it is very plain. And yes. It may be so. But, those flavours are just incredible. So if you are a meat lover. This one is for you.

Finally on to the desserts –

Panna Cota with Vanilla & Wild Berry Coulis. A fresh and tasty combination after any meal.

Chocolate Fondant that will make you salivate just looking at it.

Naturally, wine was flowing the whole night. And there is a wide variety of wines to choose from and Stefano will always recommend the best wine to accompany your meal.

All in all, this was a wonderful experience. Amazing service. A chef who knows exactly what he is talking about and will actually make the right suggestions for you. I’m definitely going back.