What: Acquazul
Where: E2 The Boardwalk, Honeysuckle Drive, Newcastle
Prices: Appetisers, $8 to $25; pizza, $21 to $25; pasta, $24 to $33; mains, $32 to $38; sides, $9; desserts, $10 to $13
Chef: Sam Harman
Wines: Selection of Hunter, WA, NZ, SA, Victorian and Italian wines, several by the glass
Vegetarian: Four antipasti, one gnocchi, two pizzas
Hours: Seven days a week, lunch and dinner (noon until late)
Bookings: 4927 0800
Bottom line: Entrée, main, dessert about $120 for two without drinks
Since this contemporary Italian opened more than two years ago it has undergone a number of reinventions.
The harbour with its ever-changing views still distracts and the staff are as efficient as ever. Ligurian olives, warmed in garlic, rosemary and thyme-infused olive oil ($9.50) are still good to nibble while waiting for more substantial dishes but we miss the complimentary polenta bread with fruity Hunter Valley olive oil of the early days. There was a period when the menu structure was simplified to suit an Australian clientele but it now seems to have returned to the more traditional Italian format of the original place.
An antipasto sharing plate ($25) offers a small selection of starter dishes. Two crisply crumbed risotto balls - their centres filled with spinach and ricotta - sit beside two slices of rather chewy toasted sourdough topped with creamy goat cheese and small cubes of beetroot, dotted with shredded basil. The small dish of garlicky aioli is just the ticket for dipping two zucchini flowers lightly coated in crisp champagne batter.
Duck livers on brioche ($22) on the specials board excites interest. The toasted brioche is more successful than the sourdough and works well with four seared lobes of duck liver, its slight sweetness offsetting the richness of the liver.
Pappardelle con conigli (rabbit and olive pappardelle, $28) is hard to resist. Silky house-made ribbons of pasta are coated with a rich rabbit, white wine, green olive and oregano sauce. Some black olives provide a colour lift but some freshly grated parmigiano would have been appreciated.
A generous pile of bug tails in a vanilla creme fraiche sauce ($33) crowns a tangle of al dente spaghetti. Green peas and finely sliced red onion provide a necessary foil for creamy sauce.
Fish of the day is barramundi ($32). It's crisp skinned and moist and comes simply presented with a tangy caper mayonnaise and fresh lemon. A side of your choice is included. This might be a simple rocket or Caprese salad, steamed green beans or shoestring fries, or a more substantial panzanella. This gutsy Tuscan salad only works with the best ingredients and this one doesn't disappoint. The tomatoes are deep red and full of flavour; there's plenty of fresh basil, the bread has enough body to absorb the fruity olive oil without becoming soggy, and olives, capers, red onion and anchovies give an extra kick.
Fritti di vaniglia sounds so much more glamorous than miniature vanilla doughnuts and torte di limone (lemon tart) is hard to pass up. But over indulgence earlier in the evening dictates a simpler choice. The strawberry sorbet is no longer available, so vanilla bean ice-cream and mango sorbet make the cut over the equally appealing double chocolate ice-cream or lemon sorbet. The ice-cream is declared a touch too sweet but the mango sorbet is tangy enough to cope.
You have to applaud an established restaurant's courage to continually reinvent, and most changes at Acquazul seem to be in the right direction.
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