Pizza

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Canteen Pizza – Cottesloe – Sunday 24 December 2017 – Dinner

Idyllic sums up the scene at Canteen Pizza. Across the road from my favourite beach in the world, this addition to the Cottesloe strip is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Salame

Tonight is Christmas Eve and the Freo Doctor is only lightly wafting through the expansive open windows of this corner block. Transformed into a vibrant restaurant in an enviable position, the lessons learned from Il Lido down the road are everywhere.

There is the excellent translation of beachside casual comfort, a natural link between the feel across the road into the restaurant. You can be quite comfortable in boardies and thongs, but won’t feel out of place in jeans and a shirt too. There is the focus on the product offered, and plenty of well trained staff enjoying being part of something new and a little bit different.

Bufala

Before sunset it can be very bright in the restaurant, meaning there are lots of people in sunglasses looking like they might just as well be poolside in Italy. Not many meals offer sunset as a complimentary side and we are pleased to accept, along with a couple of pizzas, a baby cos salad, and a few choice summer beverages.

Both the Bufala and Salame pizzas are excellent. That traditional Italian thin crust that wasn’t heard of during my childhood, provides a crisp base that has been pulled from the oven just at the right time, before crispiness turns into charcoal. The San Marzano tomato base is fresh and properly seasoned, and all the various ingredients on both pizzas are classically combined. The only improvement would be a bit more topping near the crust.

Baby cos salad

The baby cos salad is simply served in collections of full leaves, dressed with vino cotto (sweet and balsamic like) with parmesan scattered in between. To wash it all down I try both the WA brewed Gage Roads Single Fin, and the Victorian craft Stomping Ground Pale Ale from Collingwood, with the latter my preference. Really I should have done the Italian thing with an Aperol Spritz like Catherine did!

As we walk out of Canteen Pizza packing a couple of delicious Sicilian cannoli for later, the night sky is taking over. This is a fabulous addition to the dining scene in Cottesloe, with reasonable prices making it a regular proposition for locals, and large gatherings.

Canteen Pizza Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Burnley Brewing – Richmond – Sunday 3 December 2017 – Dinner

Pale Ale

There can never be enough breweries. This is one statement that all my beer loving friends would wholeheartedly agree with.

Craft brewing has been exploding for years and like an extended fireworks display I don’t think we’ve seen the best of it yet. In recent weeks I’ve been to Mountain Goat in Richmond, and both Temple Brewing and Foreigner Brewing out Brunswick way. A few days ago I had a Stomping Ground pale ale at Canteen Pizza in Cottesloe on the other side of the country from where it is made in small batches in Collingwood!

The latest brewery to land in Richmond (well, the Burnley part at least) is Burnley Brewing on Bridge Road down the Yarra end. After a reasonably extensive renovation of the old Romulus and Remus site, BB took over but kept the R&R kitchen, along with its focus on Italian.

Pea and haloumi fritters and arancini

I can see BB being very popular. While it lacks a large outdoor space like the Bridge Hotel two doors down, it makes up for it with large windows fronting the street, and a big airy space with high ceilings, as you would expect from a brewery. The renovated room is clean and restrained, with good mixed spaces, and a long bar for the many who will have a drinking preference.

Eggplant parmigiano and salad

Tonight we are checking it out with Catherine’s sister Stephanie, and their Mum, Sandra. While it is an early dinner, there are plenty of punters both having a drink, and getting a bite to eat. We decide to share some starters and a pizza between three of us, with Sandra opting for the eggplant parmigiano, which she loved.

Capricciosa, ham, olives, artichoke, anchovies, mushrooms and fior di latte

The pizza hasn’t changed here, and it was always good quality, without being amazing. Our capricciosa is a good size, with plenty of topping, and is cooked right. The arancini is great, with a good dose of gorgonzola adding to the saltiness. On the flipside, the pea and haloumi fritters are a little bit weird with not a great amount of flavour.

Mini donuts

With a little bit of room left, we shared the donuts with chocolate coated vanilla ice cream, which is simple but effective for a shared dessert. More importantly, at this stage I’d tried a couple of the beers, and they are good, with the IPA a little ahead of the pale ale in my opinion. The only disappointment was the double IPA running out, but it should be back early next year.

With enthusiastic and energetic service, a comfortable space, and some freshly brewed beers, backed up by a kitchen that has always done a nice job, Burnley Brewing should enjoy plenty of success.

Burnley Brewing Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato