• Howick and Pakuranga Times
 

JUST THE TICKET: Antipasto platter for two combined many Mediterranean flavours – perfect with limoncello chaser

Every time I dine at Casa Tua in the Farm Cove shops, some little thing takes my fancy and recently it was the café’s own limoncello that proved a hit.

We enjoyed a most refreshing shot with just the right amount of bite and a real ‘fresh from the tree’ flavour (not the sweet and sickly taste that can sometimes result if artificial flavourings are used).

In fact, that evening we enjoyed a particularly appealing, but simple meal.

We started with the mushroom soup ($11) which differed dramatically from my own tried and true recipe but pleased us no end. (We were told it had been in hot demand and the restaurant had run out three times that week).

We then followed up with a shared antipasto platter for two ($23) – most of it pretty well what we expected but the rustic paté went way beyond the expected. Good choice!  

A bottle of BYO Stonier’s Windmill Road 2006 Pinot Noir from Australia completed our meal.

Under owner of the past three years, Richard Austin, Casa Tua continues to play an integral role on the local dining scene and attracts a loyal following.

I am also delighted to see Tony Buonocore (who has been in the industry for longer than I’ve been at the Times) still keeping customers happy and he sure kept us happy with that lip-smacking limoncello which seemed to include an extra dash of passion.

And in there lies a message for those wanting to add bite to Valentine’s Day celebrations –  what more could you want than dining Italian-style with luscious limoncello to finish – just the thing to fire romance.

Of course, it’s my experience diners seldom agree on a restaurant – some will rate a venue highly, others won’t.  All I can say is Casa Tua does it for me.