Love Supreme, Paddington

“Off to Paddington!” we announce, as we rumble down Cleveland St in Madam Saucy’s newly acquired retro old Saab. With it’s clunky gearbox, sticky and heavy clutch and almost nonexistent handbrake, this barely roadworthy relic (which I found adorably charming) is the designated vehicle for the night. MedicineWoman bravely takes to wheel and we slowly but surely head towards Love Supreme, for an Italian themed light meal.

When we arrive, the place is packed. We wait patiently in line, beside the kitchen, where I see stacks of pizza trays hanging overhead. The kitchen is gratingly noisy at times, the restaurant a dimly lit cavernous room, filled with posses of smartly dressed Sydneysiders ready for a Saturday night – the accompanying bar readily obliging with drinks.

We’re greeted by a frantic lady, who is stressing that there are no tables and too long a line. We express we are happy to wait and are eventually seated at our table. Service was erratic and unreliable throughout the meal, with all staff we came across emitting a frustrated, flustered vibe, which was certainly contributing to the low level of service, perhaps they were understaffed that night. Feel free to find your own cutlery and water..

Antipasto Plate

Shared between the three of us, I was happy with the variety offered, taking to the zucchini flower and artichoke hearts particularly well. Value is poor however, this plate costing $25.00, I’ve had better for less.

Tomato Bruschetta

We weren’t particularly hungry that night and when this happens, it is not uncommon for Madam Saucy to order a serve of bruschetta for her main. Usually bruschetta portions suffice, but alas not this night. The serving was abysmally small - that’s two cherry tomatoes side by side on top! Taste wise, it was great, but even I could have finished that serve in one bite. We were lucky there were no famished males in our company. Again, value appears to be an issue.

Pizza – All the Best
Artichoke hearts, pesto, capsicum, grilled eggplant

Pizza is where this restaurant redeems itself - somewhat. MedicineWoman and I shared a pizza, which had no cheese on one half (MedicineWoman is vegan). I really enjoyed the flavours on this pizza, but was a bit dismayed at the presentation. Rustic is one thing, but we had to scrape most of the toppings from the plate back onto the base… The base itself was a tiny bit thicker than the one I had at Rosso Pomodoro, and had a more substantial crunch.

Overall, it appears to be a popular venue for locals, and the line continued to grow as we settled into our meal - I wouldn’t be deterred by this though as turnover appeared to be quick. Value is definitely an issue here for me; I’d recommend sticking to the pizzas. Not sure if I would come again, seeing as I have other much more satisfying pizza options much closer to home…

Love Supreme
Opp Victoria Barracks

180 Oxford St

Paddington, NSW, 2021
Phone (02) 9331 1779



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Rosso Pomodoro, Balmain

Rosso Pomodoro Pizzeria, Balmain

While Dominos/Pizza Hut pizzas will always serve a purpose, I relish quality authentic takeaway pizza. Whilst enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon at JJW and Snow White’s house, Herr Moutarde and I realised we’d have to forgo dinner out plans :) We were due for an appearance at a housewarming party and there was simply no time - we’d spent most of it with relaxed drinks and conversation, some trashy pay tv (cue Exiled) and a cute little puppy called Pippie. Being out of our own little area, we decided to grab some takeaway pizza from Rosso Pomodoro, a perfect solution which meant we could continue being our social selves AND fit a meal in:)

After placing our order we quickly drove to get pizza! And who was to be the pizza mule? Me. Gracefully (as only I know how), I darted through the fat rain droplets, avoided a giant puddle/pothole (or did I…), and ended up in the doorway of Rosso Pomodoro, where I was greeted with a hearty “Ciao Bella!” I have to say, whilst I was only in the premises for a relatively short period of time, I was very taken with the staff. They were cheery and warm, with dreamy Italian accents and an enthusiasm I rarely see when popping in for some takeway.

Our pizza’s were freshly cooked and ready to go:)

Diavola
Tomato, Italian mozzeralla, hot salami, capsicum

I’m usually apprehensive about the Diavola whenever I get pizza because many a time, I’ve been left numb in the mouth from excessively hot salami – before I even get full! But this one had been recommended strongly to us by Snow White and JJW, and for good reason, it’s delicious! The salami was fiery without being overpowering, while the capsicum was juicy and tender.

Funghi
Tomato, Italian mozzarella and fresh mushrooms

Gorgeous meaty mushrooms made for a satisfying vegetarian option. A fresh zing added by the scattered parsley on top.

Herr Moutarde is notoriously picky with his pizzas. Having enjoyed homestyle Italian pizzas for most of his life overseas, he’s still searching for the perfect pizza here in Sydney. He often laments at the thick doughey pizza bases, piled much too high with a myriad of mismatched toppings, which seem to be ubiquitous here, even in supposedly “authentic” pizzerias. Not this time. The bases were superbly thin and crispy (and not in the Dominos thin crust way) and the toppings were simple, fresh and minimal:) This coupled with some simple rules including - NO half & half, ONLY Italian mozzarellla and NO corkage if you dine in, and the big one - “NO ham & pineapple” was enough to coax the seal of approval from Herr Moutarde, the pizza purist.

We’re yet to eat in at this little gem in Balmain, but we’ve been told aside from the delicious pizza, they also do a fantastic antipasto plate. Will keep you posted on that one.

Rosso Pomodoro Pizzeria
Shop 90-91
24 Buchanan St
Balmain (White Bay)
Phone: (02) 9555 5924
http://www.rossopomodoro.com.au/