Capers Pizza Corrimal NSW

Coming out of Queensland, Capers seemed to me initially as the new player on the competitive and already established pizza fast food delivery market in Australia.  However it commenced operations in 1996 in Kenmore in the greater Brisbane area - which I was not aware of.  So I had expectations of what makes Capers different, to distinguish themselves in this space. What is their target demographic? May be this can be discerned from the location of their stores in new areas.  My first encounter with Capers was in Corrimal, which lies at the northern end of the Illawarra region south of greater Sydney.  This store opens only at noon, is manned minimally but is sited strategically opposite the Woolworths car park and within walking distance from the main intersection of the shopping strip.  The Corrimal store is part of at least a 120 outlet network, still mainly located in Queensland State and mostly in regional areas outside capital cities.

The Corrimal store is designed with Gen Y in mind, with colourful murals and eye catching fonts.  I also loved the design of the take away boxes.  The pricing can appear to be higher than some of its competitors for almost comparable products, but at the same time I acknowledge its unique recipes and toppings.  You can also obtain gelato in various flavours from its refrigerated help your selves.  My favourite flavour is salted caramel. Most pizza businesses thrive on take-aways but there is also seating at Capers outlets. Capers describes its products as handcrafted - it also embraces the Internet in providing a blog, on-line orders and club memberships.

I have an affinity for the fresh garnishing used for Capers items.  I have not sampled the full range of the available menu (which has dips, salads and pasta as well) but some people do tell me about the smaller serves of some of its pizzas. What has caught my eye are the so called Black label choices, although I  get traditional ones like the Margherita and the Capricciosa.  I also like the crust served.  Currently it looks like a suburban and country strategy for Capers and it shall be on my watch on their expansion locations.

Costa Azzurra, Fairy Meadow - Wollongong NSW

A light summer perfect olive oil drenched salad of rocket with Parmesan and cherry tomatoes.

The Costa Azzurra has been a long term landmark to the Australian community of mainly Italian background in Fairy Meadow, a suburb several kilometres north of Wollongong CBD, sited beside the narrow Princes Highway. It sits in a interesting and diverse hub with the Leisure Coast markets and nursery as its neighbour and with the  Fraternity Club grounds across the main road. The building may look the same as when I first moved to the Wollongong area, but inside the renovated environment is pleasant, is inviting and provides a more spacious dining experience than years before. The menu may have changed gradually over the years, but the food is ever reliable, harking back to traditional recipes, is ever wholesome, good for family groups and still sensitive to more innovative trends.  The restaurant emphasises its wood fired gourmet pizzas.

Rich and yummy, the pork belly sitting on a bed of potato mush accompanied by fresh and crunchy greens.
The thing that also mass the difference is the gravy!

Geographically, the Costa Azzurra refers to the French Riveria, with all its perceptions, buzz and natural beauty.  In Europe, there is a Ristorante Pizzeria Coasta Azzurra in Ventimiglia and I would like to think of both restaurants - in Australia and in the EU - as possibly having a cosmic connection.  I must thank Andy for suggesting this place for dinner recently as it is located in my own neighbourhood and yet I have unintentionally forgotten about its unique charms and offerings. I reckon it is a good place to consider for a special occasion, besides the causal dropping in for its pizzas.  Service is friendly - and when we got pour servings later than expected, we got a well worded apology for the wait.  The dishes served are in large portions and just like what Mama would prefer.

Lamb shoulder, braised with TLC and comes out top notch.

Chef and co-owner Chris Stojanovski strives for an elegant dining experience but also provides for  a home feel with items like spaghetti meatballs, spinach and ricotta ravioli and pizza flavours like the Ancona (with both veg and salami) and the Calabria (with prosciutto and bocconcini).  I have not seen so  many Aussie themed pizza toppings like in Philip Island ( with Mexican beef, jalapeños and pepperoni), the Noosa (fresh ham, cheeses and pineapple) and the Port Lincoln (with marinated chicken fillets, mushroom, bacon and fresh tomato).  There are both function and ala carte menus available.  Costa Azzurra is also BYO. I noticed that tables are not crammed too close together, a refreshing aspect with more than reasonable walking space between tables for the guests. You also have relaxing surrounding window views of the outside and vehicle parking is also relatively easy in their own courtyard.

The garlic bread gets the palate going on an early summer's evening.

Pizzazz at Il Nido, Balgownie NSW

The Il Nido Restaurant in Balgownie NSW opens only on evenings from Tuesdays to Sundays.

The patriarch of the family run place maintains a rather friendly atmosphere with his wife Diane and son Adrian. It is popular with local family groups.

On a recent week night, a group of us had a variety of thin crust pizzas to accompany the pan fried king fish, seafood penne and Hunter Valley wine. Above, generous servings of prosciutto on a well done and freshly made crust.

Above, the garlic bread as starters and below, potato and chorizo as toppings. Chorizos come with a hint of a spicy bite, and although I prefer the fresh versions, on pizzas, the fermented, cured or smoked types are often better.

Nothing like a bit of feta cheese to liven up a well dressed Italian inspired salad serve.

The Doughboy, Potts Point, NSW

Since this post was written in 2011, the name of the place has changed to the Rocketboy Pizza.

Doughboy is a recent pizza chain that joins several others already on the typical Australian fast food scene. It currently has four outlets in metropolitan Sydney, including Bondi and Randwick. My first encounter with Doughboy was in Potts Point, along the more quiet Victoria Street, adjoining a Chinese dumpling bar and residential unit blocks and removed from the infamous Kings Cross strip. A client friendly Aussie youngster efficiently maintained the small joint, which nevertheless was frequented by take away walk-in customers.

What impresses me about Doughboy was its effort made in creating a lifestyle, with bright red colours, eye-catching names for its fare like the Chick and its ability to maximise utilisation of its limited retail space. The Potts Pott outlet had a kitchen downstairs but which was well hidden from view of the street side. I also appreciated its well done salad offering, tasty and looking more like dished up in a restaurant rather than in a franchised pizza eatery. We were there as part of an informal degustation, commencing with churruzos dipped in hot chocolate at a St Moritz cafe in Darling Harbour and landing up at the Gelato Messini in the Darlinghurst side of Victoria Road. So we chose only one pizza - the toppings with Morrocan lamb (image above) - and what a hit it was, with crispy crust and even more fascinating flavours once in the mouth!