One More for the Road (Plane) – so long NZ

As my trip to Australia and New Zealand came to an end, I decided to go for one more pizza. But unlike the other places that involved a leisurely meal and red wine, I went for a quick bite because I was running out of time. So I chose La Porchetta in Auckland. (In case you are wondering about the chronology of my last few posts, my trip started in Australia and then over the New Zealand, even though I started posting my NZ experiences first.) I’ve never heard of La Porchetta, but I have passed it several times now on the way to SkyCity and so I must go in. La Porchetta, as I have discovered, is actually a franchise of Italian restaurants in this part of the world, so my expectations are low. They have many options to choose from, which is always good, but I go straight for the Mexicana. I’ve been having a hankering for some good Mexican food since seeing a few places during my walks through the city, but my schedule does not permit me to try any of them. Besides, I know I will be going out for Mexican when I get back to Seattle, so I can afford to wait a little more.

The Mexicana. Advertised as a traditional pizza featuring home made tomato sauce, mozzarella, capsicum (I just love when they call hot peppers that – it just sounds so proper and sophisticated), hot salami and chilli. I wouldn’t normally call that a Mexican because there isn’t any onion, jalapeno or ground beef, but they are making do with what they have. Did I mention that my expectations are low? The menu was actually pretty impressive. 19 different pizzas plus some other selections that were pizza derivatives, plus other Italian fare. I was going to steal the menu for future reference, but I got there right at 11 when they opened and I was the only person there, so it would have been pretty obvious.
I ordered a diet cola because I didn’t see a wine list and I was skeptical of their choices. It wasn’t until after the Japanese waiter in this fine Italian dining establishment in New Zealand that I saw the drink menu hidden behind the desert menu featuring some pretty decent Australian red wine – Wolf Blass, Rosemount and Penfolds. All highly drinkable when having a quick bite to eat. But probably a good idea that I didn’t. I was in a rush and needed to be out of there in under 40 minutes. There was time later in the day while waiting for the plane to have some nice Aussie red.

The décor of the restaurant was quite nice to my surprise. Diner style with booths and a bar to eat at, but very modern. Not greasy-spoon-like in any way. Nothing about this chain reminded me like anything I had seen in North America. I could visualize locals coming in here after an evening of drinking before they went home, or adolescents coming in here with their friends or on their first date after a movie. I could also see this being inspired by Italy. Not in the red-and-white-checkered-table-cloth kind of way, but in the modern design way – dark hard wood floors (probably laminate), black leather (well, leather like) booth benches, stainless steel trim, frosted and rippled glass dividers, smartly placed halogen lightning, marble (well, marble like) countertops. Complete with Eurotrash ™ music piped in on the speaker system. Yep, I could easily see this place being in Florence or Rome. Except for the Japanese waiter.

There was one thing that was missing when I first got there – the smell of pizza. You know the smell I’m talking about. But that was short-lived. Within minutes of placing my order, that old familiar smell start to leak out of the oven, and it was uplifting. I didn’t have anything to eat yet, so my stomach was quite ready for the Mexicana. And when it finally showed up, I had a smile on my face. The

picture of the Mexicana on their web site was pretty accurate to what was delivered. That doesn’t always happen.

It was as expected – not a thin crust pizza. Crust was between 6 and 10 mm, depending on where you cut it. But surprising not greasy, which I was very pleased with. Everything was properly cooked. They did a pretty good job of executing the production of the pie. But one should think that is what they do best, and since they follow the formula of a franchise, it should be perfect every time. But I’ve been disappointed by chains several times before. I had ordered a medium, which was approximately the same size of a large that is provided by finer restaurants. I originally was going to get a small (I like having the different sizing options), but the medium was only $1 more. There was no way I was going to do a large. And needless to say, I ate it all. My justification was that it was going to be my only meal until late evening, so it had to do me all day long. All in all, because my expectations were low, I was pleasantly surprised. Not as good as a thin-crust gourmet pizza, but pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

Verdict: Very good value. At $8 NZD, the pizza was less than half price than anything else I’ve had on the trip and relatively the same size. Tasty for a chain produced pizza. The Mexicana tasted more like a spicy Italian pizza than a Mexican one, but was spicy enough to satisfy my cravings for hot food. Given the number of options, I don’t think you could wrong here. I would go back again and bring people as there is something here for everybody. Not a hand-crafted pizza but does the job, and does it well for the price. 7.5 out of 10.

So that’s it for me for being on this side of the world. Now back to Seattle. A good trip with good samplings of good pizza, along with a standout memorable one. And that’s it for me for a while having pizza. I need to get back to a regular eating schedule with regular exercise. But that’s okay, I’ll be traveling again next month so it won’t be long before I go sampling again

More Pizza by the Sea - Gold Coast, Australia

Up until a few weeks ago, I didn’t even know there was a place called Gold Coast. I had heard the term before, but always assumed it was a nickname for the beaches of Australia. But now I know it is an actual city. And what a lovely city it is. The beaches go on forever, the sand is super clean, as is the water. No wonder it is also the location of Surfer’s Paradise. With the number and type of tourists that go there, it comes to no surprise to me that there is an abundance of places to get pizza. All kinds of pizza. I wish the selection were this big back in Seattle. In any case, I spent a few days in Gold Coast and visited two fine dining establishments, side by side, each offering a wide array of gourmet pizzas. It turns out that the two restaurants are owned by the same people.

The first night I went to Mario’s Italian Restaurant in Broadbeach, which is was where I was staying and is about a 30 minute walk to all that is Surfer’s Paradise. Seeking a more quiet and less touristy location, I wanted to eat close by the hotel. I got there at 6 and the place was pretty much empty. By the time I left at 8, the place was packed and people were waiting to get in. And no wonder – the food is really good in this joint.

I had seen a sign the previous day that they had a brick-oven pizza, so I knew this place would have something to sink my teeth into and be happy with. And with a selection of sizes and over 20 varieties, it was a good indication that they knew what they were doing. However, with such a large selection, it does become difficult to choose the right pizza. So many options, so little time. What happens if I choose the wrong one and I’m not happy with it? Sadly, it was happened before. But perusing the menu, there was one option that caught my eye and I had to have it on name alone: the Firestarter!

Now normally I would not pick these options for a pizza, but given the combination of the ingredients together and the name, I had to have it. So I ordered the medium Firestarter and the menu stated that it contained spicy marinated beef, Spanish onions, roasted capsicum (hot pepper), hot pepperoni, and jalapeno chutney. How fantastic does that sound? I normally would have ditched the onions, but I was travelling alone, so I went for it. I also ordered one of the more expensive red wine they sold by the glass, a local cab sav, but I can’t remember the name.

The pizza was brought out on a silver serving tray and placed in front of me. Since I had no side plate, I ate it right off the tray. And it was incredible. Not just in the “I haven’t had a good brick oven gourmet pizza” kind of way, but in the “holy crap, these flavors are amazing and I have never tasted this in a pizza before” kind of way. I took my time eating little pieces of it, soaking in all the flavors, washing it down with wine. It was probably the longest time it took me ever to finish a pizza, but by the time I left the restaurant, I was feeling most excellent about my life. No doubt the few glasses of wine helped with that feeling.

Too bad I did not have my camera with me. It was a pizza not to forget. The marinated beef was superb and the jalapeno chutney was divine. This is the kind of pizza I want to learn to make so I can serve to my special guests when they come a visit and drink 100 dollar bottles of wine with.

Summary: Marios - At $22 Australian for a medium Firestarter, it seems pricey when you order it, but a truly a deal after you taste it. This one is for the peeps who like it hot and spicy. Hands down 10 out of 10. They just don’t make them better than this.

So the next night, feeling bullish on my chances of recreating a similar feeling, I tried the restaurant next door to Mario’s called the Alto Cucina & Bar. With over a dozen pizzas on their menu, I felt my chances were pretty good. Since they are owned by the same people, or at least it seems that way to me, I assumed they would have the same attention to detail. But something should have me that things might be different when I let the waiter select a glass of wine for me and it wasn’t that good. It wasn’t good at all. He said it was a cab sav, but I begged to differ. It tasted like they opened some bottles yesterday, never sold them and needed to get rid of them today. The service was pretty slow there, so it was easier for me to finish the glass so they would see that I needed another one, rather than wait for them to come by and see if everything was alright. Of course I ordered something else, a pinot this time. The second sign I should have picked up on was the lack of names for the pizzas. They had numbers rather than names. I know lots of places do that, but I prefer names.

I ordered the #8, which was peppered chicken, bacon, onions, mozzarella, and “Kick Arse” BBQ Sauce. It was the closest thing they had one the menu that resembled the Firestarter from the night before. My expectations were too high. The pizza was the same size, but a completely different crust. Not as thin as the one from Mario’s. It was tasty, and the BBQ sauce added a nice touch to it that reminded me of some of the pizza places back on the east coast, but it lacked the spicy depth and sophistication that I was looking for. Nothing about this pizza was going to make me sweat. It was still a good pizza, but not a great pizza. If I didn’t have the Firestarter the night before, I probably would have ranked this one higher. But I was spoiled. So much so that I didn’t finish the whole thing, and I had no desire to take the remaining slices with me back to the hotel.

Like the night before, this place gets packed. By the time I left, slightly after 8, the place was hopping with people. Alto has a bar and I guess is a place to go before you go out clubbing, so it has more atmosphere for partying than it does for eating.

Summary: Alto – A pretty good pizza for $21 Australian, but at this place, you are paying more for the atmosphere than you are for the food. I don’t think you can go wrong here, but if you had to choose, go to Mario’s next door and get a pizza created with true craftsmanship. 8 out of 10.

Pizza by the sea in Auckland

On a crisp cool day, I strolled along the Viaduct part of town in Auckland looking for a place to eat lunch. The trendy area has several restaurants and bistros near the water, so finding a half decent place was not be hard. Prime lunch dining was over and only a few business people lingered on, finishing up their glasses of wine, thinking about dragging their sorry asses back to the office. So I could go any place I want, not have to wait, and have my pick of prime seating on the patio, overlooking the boardwalk and watching other tourists walk by. Perfect.

I settled on Portofino, aptly named after on the Italian port town on the Mediterranean. I was going to eat there anyway because I was in the mood for some Italian food, but of course the deal was sealed when I saw at least a dozen pizzas on the menu. Perfect again.

It didn't take me long - I settled for the Proschiutto. The menu listed it as being: cured ham (hence the name Proschiutto), bocconcini, rocket and shaved parmesan. In my mind I was picturing a paper thin crusted pizza with paper thin shaved ham on it. I wasn't quite sure about the rocket (lettuce for those not familiar with it), but I'm sure it would taste fine. As is the case while traveling abroad, even in English speaking countries, the resulting dish was a little bit different than expected. Yes, it was a thin crust pizza. Yes, it had all the ingredients listed on the menu, as well as some bonus tomatoes. But the rocket and shaved parmesan were prepared like a salad and plopped down on the center. Also drizzled across the pizza was a balsamic dressing. So really, it was a pizza covered by a light salad. Not something you can easily eat with your hands. Utensils are not only recommended, but required.

The pizza was tasty. The balsamic ended up putting a nice touch on what otherwise be a pretty classic pizza. The bocconcini made the pizza a little more chewy than I thought it was going to be. And if it was up to me, I made have made the crust a smidge thinner. The edges were nicely browned and crispy, so it was baked for the right amount of time, but with the chewy cheese and crust, I could have used maybe another minute of bake time. The size was generous as well, covering an entire dinner plate, so this can easily be shared by two people. But I was hungary and still recovering from the wine from the night before, so I devoured it all. I had originally thought I would bring half of it back to the hotel room, but once I got my teeth into the prosciutto, there was no way that was going to happen. I also had a glass of the house red wine because I couldn't make up my mind between the other choices, and it was a good choice. A nice sipping wine that I could have drank all afternoon long, sitting in the sun and watching life go by.

Summary: A good thin-crust prosciutto pizza with a surprizing small salad on top. A little bit chewy, but tasty nonetheless. A little bit pricey at $23 New Zealand dollars, but the outside decor and location are well worth. An easy 8 out of 10.