Piccolo 2011

Following extremely high recommendations by a few much respected food friends, I suggested Piccolo might be the ideal venue for our upcoming girls catch-up session last night, and so it proved to be.

Since they opened in 2008 (3 years ago), they seem to have gone from strength to strength, and now appear to have finally found their own comfortable niche in Hobart’s dining out scene. I wouldn’t put them physically in Hobart’s top 4 restaurants – they’re not your starched linen tablecloths-type place, but I’d place them (arguably) as Hobart’s top venue for food quality and enjoyment. Add the excellent service to the mix and you’ll find, pretty well, a faultless restaurant, with the exception of the most uncomfortable restaurant chairs in Hobart!

I realize fellow reviewers have worshipped the ground Piccolo stood on, but on the three previous occasions I have eaten at Piccolo, I have to admit to not having been bowled over by the food. It was good, but not outstanding – till now.

Last night I had the Bass Strait scallops oven baked with garlic, pancetta, parsley pangrattato as an entrée ($20) and for mains, an entrée sized spanner crab and saffron ravioli, garlic, chilli, tomato, basil and brocoletti ($23/$32). One word sums up my feelings about this dish – orgasmic.

The scallop dish comprised 6 scallops with no roe, served individually in the shell. The heavy garlic flavour combined perfectly with the textural contrast of the pangrattato, and made me glad I didn’t have to sleep with someone who probably would complain about my garlic breath!

The spanner crab ravioli appeared more like a pasta lolly-log, and had I been starving, the entrée size would definitely not have filled me, but I was hanging out for a dessert as well, so stuck with the entrée size, and was glad I did. It was melt-in-your-mouth, mind-blowingly good. All flavours went exceedingly well together. I never wanted my dish to be finished, and was disappointed when I ate my last ravioli, kicking myself for not having ordered it as a main size……but……

On the specials board was a pear and armangac brulee with hazelnut icecream ($15) which most definitely had my name on it. It was all I had envisaged, and more. It topped off the most enjoyable meal I have had since I can’t remember when.

I consider Piccolo to be right up there in the Hobart eating scene, and suggest if you haven’t been there recently, you go along and try their food, then report back here and tell us about it.