Al Fresco Italian astaurant 1991 Gold Coast Highway, Surfers Paradise
Phone: 5538 0395 Open 7 nights from 5.30 BYO
Accepts V/C, B/C, M/C
Okay! Before you read this, go and put on the CD of the Three Tenors
or Dean Martin singing That's Amore and settle back to read a good story.
It goes back to a Melbourne Cup lunch last year when, feeling pretty pleased
with ourselves for winning the 'best dressed couple' award, we were quite
buffed to find that we had also won a raffle prize — dinner for
two at Al Fresco restaurant.
For some strange reason though there was no phone number or address on
the voucher, so it was put into the 'too hard' basket until last week
when a spontaneous decision to claim our prize inspired us to find the
donor.
THE STYLE
Just for your information there are in fact four restaurants called
Al Fresco on the Gold Coast, so it took some Sherlock skill to finally
find the one we were after, which is in Surfers. Turns out that 'our'
Al Fresco, run by Tony, has another restaurant of the same name in Southport,
run by wife Silvana. That accounts for two but still leaves two other
name clones — a typical Italian opportunity for confusion.
AMBIENCE
We'd driven past the restaurant on the way to the bottle shop and were
not too thrilled with the out
side, but walked on, not over enthusiastically mind you, toward this unknown
entity — the vision of a few plastic chairs looming in the distance
not encouraging our pace. But then it hit us — the rich and vibrant
sounds of Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras, the seductive voices getting
louder the closer we came. We looked at each other and smiled, fear fading
as memories of It aly flooded back — this was going to be fun. Given
a choice of tables by a singing apparition carrying plates we chose outside,
although the glimpsed inside walls permeated Italian scenes reminiscent
of the Colosseum as it is today, complete with graffiti. The atmosphere
outside is created by the singing waiter, his rival background music and,
as in any of the thousands of al fresco restaurants in Italy, people hurrying
by and traffic buzzing past. Perhaps the only difference here is the passing
parade are clad in thongs and have Sizzlers and McDonald's firmly planted
in their eyes. This rather adds to the atmosphere though, as more than
one lot broke into a mimic of our waiter's song. Even the Japanese sitting
at neighbouring tables were getting lessons in how to say 'Bellisimo".
THE FOOD
Al Fresco has a standard menu that doesn't surprise or scare and you
know it's been designed for people who don't want to go out of their comfort
zone. You can match your favourite pasta ($10$13) with a choice of 11
sauces, have the runofthe mill veal, chicken and steak dishes ($16$19)
with some quite bizarre combinations such as veal schnitzel with spaghetti
bolognaise (!!)
Tony swears it's a best sellers and it's times like this that we are re
minded that not everyone has the same idea about food as we have. Don't
think that this sort of food combo is unique though, as we've actually
seen this dish on a menu in Venice. Pizzas ($10 - $16) are great value
and feature all the hot favourites, plus a few unusual ones that propose
such toppings as magic mushie (?), all meat (not for the vego), and Aussie,
the latter being graced with mozzarella, tomato, bacon, egg and onion
. . . hmm! So you're wondering why we haven't walked by now? Weil, there's
a specials' board, isn't there! We started with crisp brushetta balancing
a voluptuous crimson mound of tomato, basil and cheese ($3.50); Oysters
Arrabiata ($18.50 a doz) being far too much, as they were very large beautiful
Tassie oysters topped with tomato and chilli, all just warmed through
under the salamander, leaving the supreme quality oysters still fresh
tasting. Tripe ($8.90) braised in tomato, and garlic, simple and very
good; quails ($15.90) which were two succulent birds crispy grilled with
olive oil, rosemary and pepper and served with a salad laced with olives
and a true Italian dressing. The quails appeared to have been placed on
the plate in a very compromising position and we weren't sure if it was
a little humour from the kitchen or pur Chianti impaired perception.
Handmade spaghetti Capri ($16.50) had fresh perfectly cooked green prawns
and garlic with, you guessed it, tomato. You may have noticed that most
dishes star a tomato based sauce — so? That's Napoli!
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| Tony, Al Fresco waiter/owner, runs around singing,
throwing dishes to and from, perspiring, winking at the ladies, with
everything totally under control. Picture: TROY PERDUE |
THE SERVICE
Tony is the waiter/owner who seems to run the flior pretty much on his
own. If you've been lo Italy you won't be amazed that he runs around with
so much vivacity, singing, throwing dishes to and fro, perspiring, winking
at the ladies, more singing, more winking, but with everything totally
under control. He is the atmosphere and makes every woman feel fabulous.
THE VERDICT
There are different levels of dining here on the Coast and you can have
the most ordinary experience in the most brilliant and expensive restaurant
or you can have the most brilliant experience in the most ordinary restaurant.
Don't come to Al Fresco expecting bowtie silver service, Alessi design
or sparkling toilets (we've seen MUCH worse in Italy). But do come to
be serenaded and enjoy good food with good prices, and you will have the
time of your life. You can take away if you want, but who would? Being
here is what it's all about.
Rating: *** and a half
***** exceptional
**** very good
*** good
** not too bad
* bad
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