blame cyclone Narelle. I was at my desk, an unappealing salad in front of me for lunch, watching her unleash hell outside my office window.
It’s pasta and red wine weather, my brain told my tastebuds, as I shovelled more sad leaves into my mouth. Next thing I knew I was booking Posto Matto for dinner. My mood improved instantly. I’d driven past this Italian eatery many times but never gotten around to going until Narelle sparked major carb cravings.
According to the website, Posto Matto means mad house. When I told my other half that was where we were going to dinner, he failed to see how it would be any different to any other night.
Speaking of mad, Narelle was still raging when we made a quick dash from the car to the restaurant. Once inside we were seated at the back near the pizza oven, where I watched a strearn of bubbly, char-crusted beauties being cut and boxed. I made a mental note to return for one of the more than 20 pizzas on offer or to order takeaway in the near future.
But on this occasion nothing was going to distract me from my pasta dreams. I was torn between the pappardelle ragu, $32, or beef cheek panzotti, S34.
In the end I couldn’t go past the lure of tender beef cheek, which came enveloped in silky smooth, al dente pasta and smother in a rich tomato sauce with molten piles of buffalo mozzarella.
A glass of Underground pinot noir ($15) was perhaps a little too light but still, I had my pasta and a red, so happy days.
My husband opted for the mushroom and truffle ravioli, which came swimming in a creamy mushroom sauce truffle oil, parmesan and parsley ($34).
It’s the kind of meal that tastes like the greatest dish ever after the first spoonful, before you struggle to finish due to its richness. But my husband is clearly made of sterner stuff than me, because he managed to polish it off, no problem.
Our table of four also ordered a very traditional-looking lasagne ($32), which was deemed delicious by a pleased 10-year-old, and the aforementioned pappardelle ragu, which I got to sample
and can confirm was as tasty as I assumed it might be. Yet another reason to return.
Dotted around the restaurant are cute cartoons of how to communicate using Italian hand gestures. Included was the relatively well-know n “eh?” (fingertips clasped together, back of the palm facing out), alongside lesser known gestures including how to say “look at that idiot” “forget it” and my personal favourite, “if you could only imagine”.
i’m not quite sure what the hand gesture for “thanks, that really hit the spot” might be, so had to make do with a thanks and a wave, before heading out into the blustery night buoyed by a
satisfyingly full belly.
POSTO MATTO
211 MAIN ST, OSBORNE PARK
OPEN: Tuesday and Wednesday, 4pm until late, Thursday to Sunday, 11 30am until late
CONTACT: 9344 4748, postomatto.com.au
BOOKINGS: Yes
