Perth Voice Interactive

DURING the October school holidays, Perth can be a desolate, sunny nirvana.

There’s a mass exodus as families fancy a change of scene, leaving behind an eerie and surreally quiet capital city.

By the second week of the holidays, Perth was beginning to splutter back into life, and the roads were a bit busier as I drove my family to Leederville for lunch.

I was going to Pappagallo restaurant, situated about two thirds of the way up Oxford Street on the corner of Bourke.

With its quirky name (Italian for parrot) and snazzy signage, I always wanted to try the established Italian, but continually got distracted by newer kids on the block.

The service was warm and friendly with the smiley man behind the counter offering us a range of tables inside or on the pavement alfresco.

With spring in full bloom, we opted for a seat in the alfresco where thick bistro blinds created a cosy atmosphere and provided shelter from the wind.

In these harsh economic times, Pappagallo deserves major brownie points for having a dedicated lunch menu.

It had the desired effect and the restaurant was busy on a Tuesday lunchtime with a mix of families, businessmen and retirees, discussing their latest ailment over a bottle of limoncello.

The lunch menu had a small range of traditional panuozzo sandwiches (made from light pizza dough) including beef fillet steak, salami, vegetarian, smoked provola and prosciutto.

There was also a rice dish – grilled chicken thigh with rice salad – and three pasta dishes including spaghetti with garlic, chilli and parsley.

You could also order from the full “dinner” menu which had a lovely range of antipasti, pasta, pizza, meat, seafood and kids meals.

There was a nice mix of traditional dishes with a modern twist including housemade pappardelle with home-made beef ragú, house made Squid ink Spaghetti Chitarra and Cavatelli served with clams, mussels, calamari, prawns, chilli and garlic in tomato sauce.

Service was brisk and super friendly, and it wasn’t long before the affable waiter was back with my tagliatelle con polpette ($24) from the lunch menu.

Sometimes lunch menus can skimp on portions, but this was a monster serve with several large meatballs sitting proudly on a bed of pasta and thick tomato sauce.

The house-made meatballs had a lovely blend of pork and veal, giving them a slightly sweet and delicate tang.

Thick and brimming with flavour, the tomato sauce was absolutely divine and enhanced by the generous topping of Italian cheese (tasted like pecorino romano).

Rounding things off was a mound of thin and delicate tagliatelle, which didn’t leave you feeling like a constipated Pavarotti.

A delicious and very filling polpette. Across the table my wife “Special K” was getting stuck into her orecchiette alla pugliese ($24).

It was a rather curios mix of spicy Italian sausage and broccoli; a combination I had never seen before.

Apparently it’s the signature pasta dish of Puglia, a southern region in the heel of Italy’s ‘boot’ famous for its superior olive oil.

“The broccoli is al dente, adding a nice texture to the dish, and goes well with the sausage, which is delicate and not too hot,” my wife said.

“I’m really enjoying the little ‘ears’ of orecchiette pasta. They’re something I don’t try that often and add a light and authentic touch to the dish.

“Overall, it’s very enjoyable with a light olive oil sauce and huge portions.”

My kids shared a Margherita pizza with ham ($24) from the full menu.

With its well-fired edges, thin base and lovely fresh toppings it looked divine and the kids wolfed it down.

“One of the best I’ve had,” noted my young daughter.

The service was great throughout – polite, efficient and lots of smiles – and it was busy on a Tuesday lunchtime.

The restaurant is deceptively big and includes a function lounge where a large group were enjoying a few Peronis and some finger food.

Founded by Nino La Verghetta and Sarina Tricoli, who import all the ingredients directly from Italy, I can see why Pappagallo is so popular and has become renowned for its Roman-style pizza and authentic Italian cuisine.

Pappagallo
250 Oxford Street, Leederville
pappagallo.com.au

by STEPHEN POLLOCK