Thursday 26 July 2012

O Lupo Mio!

There's a charming heritage house on Hamilton, in between modern condo buildings and commercial spaces. If you go up the stairs and through the front door, you will be warmly greeted by the smiling Michael, or another one of his welcoming team members. Walking into Lupo is like walking into an old friend's house, where you're always welcome, they've always got food on the stove, and great wines are ready for your glass. 

We were seated by the bay windows on the second floor, with views out to the street. The menu is Italian, meaning divided into Antipasti, Primi, Secondi and Contorni for the table. It is also vital to pay close attention to their specials of the evening, there are true gems hiding behind the words and descriptions! You could spend a good half hour reading the wine list and debating which one to pick, or, like us, a good conversation with your server and trusting their input. Our wine of choice for the evening was a good choice for our rather different plates and tastes.


We started out with their special of burrata cheese, which was as fresh as can be. Mixed with the balsamic vinegar, the olive oil, the tomatoes and the beets, this was a great start to a delicious meal! We also ordered their octopus carpaccio with barlotti beans and limoncello vinagrette. The carpaccio is an ideal way to serve octopus, as each paper thin slice is as tender as can be. 


For our second course, we picked two items from the primi part of the menu, the pasta courses. The pappardelle is served with slow cooked rabbit, sage and fontina cheese. The slow cooking process ensures that the rabbit is tender and juicy, which marries well with the perfectly cooked ribbons of pasta.


Risotto Nero is a squid ink risotto with assorted seafood throughout the risotto itself, served with freshly steamed shellfish on top. Delicate flavours of the ocean permeate the risotto itself, while the plump and juicy seafood on top acts as a smooth, almost buttery, complement.


For dessert, we chose mascarpone cheesecake (Joe’s weakness, and yes, it was his birthday) and a beautiful chocolate creation (chocolate gets me, every time). The light and fluffy and deeply satisfying cheesecake was velvety smooth, melt in your mouth, with a crunchy sweet base and a fresh coulis on top.


On my plate, the dark, dense, rich chocolate, with tart and sweet berry sauce, tickles the taste buds and makes my heart flutter, this is THE ONE. Our two desserts were certainly the perfect ending to a great meal, in a friendly setting we look forward to return to!