Don’t worry Dear Reader, you haven’t missed Valentine Day nor have I managed to do some time travel in between meals (although wouldn’t that be fabulous). Nor is this a story from about a year ago from Valentines Day 2010. Mr NQN and I were invited to sample Aperitivo’s Valentines Day menu ahead of the hallowed day of romance this year. At $60 a head it is a Valentines Day menu that won’t have you reaching for your eyes (gouging etc) and they have a six course menu on offer.
Involtini: Mullet involtini filled with asparagus & tomato concassé with vermouth reduction served with 08 Cavalier Pepe Falanghina Campania $10/150ml glass extra
There were two types of the mullet given, one with the skin on and one without the skin on. They’re both good although I preferred the skin off version (which is a change as I usually like skin on fish) but I felt that the skinless version was more delicate and “less fishy” if that makes sense and matched better with the asparagus and tomato concasse. There is a touch of bitterness at the very end from the vermouth reduction. Glasses of wine here come in 75ml, 150ml glasses or 375ml carafes and Mr NQN has asked for a wine by the glass to match it. He falls in love with their recommendation, a 08 Cavalier Pepe Falanghina Campania which is said to be a less floral version of a sauvignon blanc. In fact he asks where it can be purchased he likes it so much.
Apple & honeydew gazpacho
The gazpacho is interesting tasting more of apple than honeydew although I’m not that taken by this cold soup as it reminds me of apple sauce. It is served with spicy croutons which give it a more savoury flavour but they do end up a little wet from where they sit in the soup and I ate my shortly after it was set down while Mr NQN took photos of this.
Pepper tagliatelle served with sardines & cherry tomatoes finished with prosecco
The pepper tagliatelle is wonderfully silky and very well cooked and it is flavoured with sardines, breadcrumbs and small pieces of cooked cherry tomato. It has a strong flavour from the sardines but I do like the little crunch from the breadcrumbs and the lovely pasta texture. Because the sardines aren’t immediately apparent, it makes the strength and saltiness of the topping a bit of a surprise.
Salsicce Pizza (extra course) $22
Not part of the Valentines Day menu we had to try a pizza as I love Napolitana style pizzas. These are pizzas which are very thin in the centre with a thicker crust and are almost wet in the centre. This one has a heavenly home made truffle pork sausage, mozzarella (real buffalo mozzarella imported from Italy), tallegio, porcini mushroom, parmesan and radicchio (although Guiseppe offered to swap it over for rocket if we didn’t like radicchio). Absolutely lovely and yes I ate half of it 
Mare montagna Slow braised pork belly & sauté balmain bugs served with carrot purée served with 07 Viviani Calpolicella Classico Veneto $10 for a 150ml glass extra
The pork belly comes in two cubes straddling a piece of sauteed balmain bug. I try the pork belly first and it is soft and unctuous and goes well with the sweet aniseedy carrot puree. The Balmain bug has my heart all a flutter. It is cooked so that it is tender and melts in the mouth. Mr NQN also adores this second wine too.
Chargrilled perch with confit duck served with lavander risotto
Our last savoury dish is an interesting one. It is a chargrilled perch roulade edged with a duck confit. The duck confit is interesting, if anything it reminds me of the white meat from chicken with herbs and is an interesting contrast to the delicate white fish so that the herbs and flavour lay on the outside edge. And lavender risotto? Yes and it is actually delicious-lavendery most definitely but also not too soapy so that it is too floral.
Tortino di cioccolato: Chocolate pudding & cherry tomatoes infused with cinnamon & mint on a pandoro base served with a 08 Paolo Sordo Brachetto d’acqui piemonte $14 extra
The chocolate pudding is made using very bittersweet chocolate and candied cherry tomatoes with a gorgeous cinnamon and basil syrup that drenches the pandoro (golden bread similar to panettone without the fruit). We’re both not sure if we love the syrupy tomatoes and the chocolate cake together and the chocolate is too bittersweet for me. It almost seems a moot point though given how full we are with the rest of the food. I give the dessert wine a try and it’s a sweet red wine but not overpoweringly so with light bubbles and is a lovely way to end the meal.
So tell me Dear Reader, when you order wine, do you usually choose or do you ask the sommelier to match it for you?
NQN and Mr NQN dined as guests of Aperitivo
Aperitivo
163 Norton Street, Leichhardt, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9564 0003
The Valentines Day menu is $60 per person not including wines or alcohol
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31 Comments | Add your own
Omg!!! That all looks just too nice! I have no idea where you put all that food!
The pizza and the pork belly, yum!
Valentine’s 2010?
Everything looks wonderful! $60 a head sounds too good to be true on V Day.
I usually choose – would probably be too poor to pay for their suggestion!
I love the look of the bug and the pork, yum.
You no room for dessert I’m not sure I believe it.
It’s 9.30 on Sunday morning and I would give just about anything to be sitting at ‘Aperitivo’ – going thru’ every course of that fabulous menu, wines included of course! Beautifully presented fab food, and wines I do not know! And even a country pumpkin like me can’t object to this degustation menu price. Never mind about V’s Day! ANY day!
Oh, choice of wine – usually choose myself, but on overseas trips or with strange wines offered, certainly make use of the sommelier.
One of my regular haunts, love this place!
Oooh, lavender risotto! I love lavender in sweet things but have yet to try it in savoury dishes. I also love love love the look of the fruity gazpacho
Really love the little floral decorations, just perfect for V Day
I love asking the sommelier for suggestions, there are so many stunning wines ‘out there’ its fun to try new flavour combinations. I loved this review Lorraine, thanks for sharing.
Chocolate and tomato is a bit different. I’m not sure I’d go for that either.
I usually pick the wine myself although when we were in Europe we let the waiters choose a few cause the names were all too foreign for us. It was that or eeny meeny miney mo!
Oooh, that chocolate pudding looks dark as sin! I’m ashamed to say the only place in Leichhardt I’ve been to so far is Braza – I haven’t even tried the Italian restaurants! Something that must be rectified immediately.
Also, Stephen and I rarely have wine, if we do it’s usually a red with steak or something, so we choose it ourselves
I love close by to Aperitivo and have been meaning to try it.
The food isn’t what I was expecting, I thought it was mainly pizza and pasta. Looks like they put a lot of effort into the food.
Oh the pork belly and Balmain bug had my heart (and tummy) aflutter too! Happy Valentine’s Day NQN and Mr NQN!
It’s nice to see an affordable place with lovely food!
Oooh, the pork belly and bugs for me please! I usually defer to someone else at the table to choose wines – my expertise doesn’t extend much beyond red or white.
Drooling is bad manners, so I will refrain.
Lorraine, I don’t know what has happened, but from your site to mine, some Bible page pops up instead of my site.I am removing
my address until this gets resolved. What to do?
I like to choose my own wine but if a special occasion such as Valentine’s day presents then it’s nice to have a sommelier choose ( although at times they seem to have no price boundaries).
The menu looks adventurous and tasty , not a big fan of sardines as I find them overpowering but that pizza looks divine. Lavender risotto is interesting, last night we had gelato at Messina in Darlinghurst, I tried the White lavender flavour, it was lovely without being too strong.
Silly me, correction t’was White Violet flavoured gelato not White Lavender.
I wish I could be there.
Okay. I’m going to try this one more time. So far, there was only a problem clicking on from your site to mine. Wish me luck!
YAY! It worked, this time. Whew!
I don’t drink! Hahahaha.
Lavender risotto sounds really interesting. Someday, I bet that someone will come up with rose risotto!
Sounds like a great Valentine’s Day. Hope this is year is good for your too. I’ve just been to Aperitivo so there’s a recent update on my food blog Inside Cuisine. x
I always trust the sommelier – wouldn’t have a clue otherwise! This is so cheap for what you get, great find.
Oh the lavender risotto, how beautiful. That’s a dish I’d love to try. I can’t believe how inexpensive they are !
We tend to stick with what we know and like when it comes to wine although I do find that when we have a dego menu, the wines are matched perfectly.
p.s. the pork and bug looks amazing!!!
All that food looks gorgeous. I am still not too sure about lavender flavoured food… We usually pick our own wine but ask for suggestions from the waiter. We had valentine’s lunch at the River in Moruya on Sat (post to come) and they let us sample a few whites to see which bottle we would like to purchase, which I thought was very good.
Apperativo is my favorite gem in Norton Street!
What makes it a little bit more “romantic” is that my first date with my boyfriend (we briefly dated in high school and lost touch during our uni days) was in the café that used to occupy the Apperativo premises!
I love their tartufo pizza!
I want that pizza! Not too sure on the tomatoes with chocolate? Hmm maybe I need to get out more
Such a stunning meal! I really love the care they put into the presentation…everything is beautiful! The tagliatelle looks delicious!
A fantastic spread and so delicious too!
U sure do get the best invites in town:-) THe best for the Best!
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