Gigi, Newtown

I love getting emails from readers, especially the kind where they thoughtfully read your blog and understand exactly where you are coming from.  A few weeks ago, I received an email from a reader urging us to try her brother's ricotta cheesecake, as quite a few customer's claim that it is better than the legendary Pasticceria Papa's ricotta cheesecake.  However, she did mention that it all came down to personal preference at the end of the day.  Of course with Cheesecake Boy's intense love for Pasticceria Papa's ricotta cheesecake we were more than intrigued.

For Cheesecake Boy and I, it's a huge call to say a ricotta cheesecake can top the one at Pasticceria Papa's.  We actually get offended for Pasticceria Papa when people tell us they don't like the ricotta cheesecake, or I think their taste buds might need to be checked.  As a matter of fact, Cheesecake Boy could not stop thinking that there really might be a better cheesecake out there, so as soon as we could, we dashed over to Gigi's for their ricotta cheesecake and some pizza too.   

EnoPizzeria, Neutral Bay

It was Dumpling Mummy's birthday, and when you have fussy siblings like I do... Well, what they like to eat, dictates what we eat when we dine out together as a family.  The other part of my family hates to travel, so when I heard that Mauro Marcucci had just recently opened EnoPizzeria in Neutral Bay, I knew that it was going to be the perfect place for everyone to enjoy a relaxed birthday lunch.

Ormeggio at the Spit, Mosman

In late June, Cheesecake Boy finally went on his sailing experience that he got last Christmas.  However, as I get all sorts of motion sickness I couldn't go along with him, but I was prepared to wait for him for a good three hours as I tried to figure out how to use Cheesecake Boy's new toy to take pictures around Middle Harbour.  Actually, the real reason why I was so willing to wait around was that I have been wanting to go to Ormeggio on the Spit for ages and thought a leisurely lunch after Cheesecake Boy's sailoring adventure would be a great way to ease into the weekend.  Here are some of my shots of Middle Harbour, after it took me an hour to read the manual...

Cafe Sopra, Waterloo

One stunning but lazy Sunday that was quite some time ago now,  Cheesecake Boy and I were out and about with our good friend Noodle Boy for a brunch catch up.  The boys let me choose the venue and since we all love Italian food, Cafe Sopra was an easy choice that Sunday afternoon.  Cafe Sopra wasn't the easiest place to find.  However, by the time we found the little stairway entrance and waited patiently for our table, we were starving.

Berta, Surry Hills

Blink and you may very well miss Berta, with its discreet and narrow glass entrance.  That's what happened to my poor friend K, when we were having one of our girly catch ups.  It was Wednesday, and we were here for one of Berta's sagra dinners.  The sagra dinner's centres around the use of a key seasonal ingredient.  Our sagra dinner menu was titled 'Sagra della Pera', meaning we were in for a treat, as it was going to be a pear feast.  I love pears, and was really looking forward to see how they were going to incorporate the use of pears in each dish.

Fourth Village Providore, Mosman

Last Sunday, we went to visit Dumpling Mummy and as per usual, food is involved.  Thankfully, my non-fussy little sibling whom we will now refer to as "Pumpkin Girl" was the only one who came along, so the sky was the limit on food choice for once.  Now, I have had breakfast a few times at Fourth Village Providore and have always enjoyed it, but never lunch.  It was a pretty late lunch, as we arrived at 2.30pm, but they were still accommodated us as there were still many diners there leisurely enjoying their lunches and the atmosphere.

The entrance

The counter

Rosso Pomodoro, Balmain (White Bay)

Cheesecake Boy and I are moving house this weekend.  We wouldn't have been able to pull this off, if it wasn't for the help of our families.  In appreciation for all the moving and cleaning that was completed on Saturday, I booked a table at Rosso Pomodoro to end the hard day with pizzas and beer.

We began with two starters a nice garlic pizza and an antipasto platter.  It says on the menu that the antipasto platter is for two people, but this was huge.  There were five of us and there was plenty to share.  The antipasto was delicious,  the best I have had in a while, as the flavours are not too strong and overpowering as others tend to be with overly salty meat and olives.

Bruschetta all'Agio: pizza crust with garlic, herbs and extra virgin oil

Antipasto della casa (for two people)