Al Firenzi
Where:
21 Ray Paul Drive, La Lucia
Open:
Sunday to Tuesday 11am to 6pm, Wednesday to Saturday 11am to 7pm
Call:
0315725559
It is a real neighbourhood family restaurant, famed for its great Italian food. A friend and I arranged to meet for lunch at Al Firenzi on a beautiful sunny winter’s Sunday. I was craving their veal.
Al Firenzi was always a busy space. But the restaurant had been physically distanced and was, despite the restrictions, being well supported.
We opted to sit outside once all the health protocols and paperwork were completed.
We sipped on zero-alcohol beer (which really is not the same) or sugar-free tonic water tarted up with lemon and half the herb garden as we perused the menu.
A glass of wine would have been better, but it was preparation for what was to come - that evening our president closed the bar without calling last rounds.
Starters take in some real retro favourites, like Palma ham and melon, or avocado Ritz.
There’s also baked mushrooms,
or artichokes cooked in the pizza oven along with baked cheesy prawns or snails.
My friend went for an old favourite, the melanzane rösti (R80), roasted brinjal slices marinated in olive oil, vinegar, garlic and chilli. It was every bit as good as we both remembered. I opted for another old favourite - the fish soup (R85), which can also be served as a main course. This had plenty of seafood in it and I loved the punchy tomato, chilli and seafood broth. This would be great for a meal on a cold evening.
The menu obviously takes in a number of pizzas and pastas, all of which are worth trying.
One enjoyable option is Enrico’s aglio olio e peperoncino spaghetti, a vegetarian and deliciously simple pasta with olive oil, garlic, porcini mushroom, cherry tomatoes, baby marrow, olives, mushrooms and chilli. The spinach and feta tortellini cooked in a simple sage butter is another dish worth trying.
I want to try the rosette next time. It’s home-made spinach and egg pasta rolled with ham and cheese and baked with cheese sauce in a wood-fire oven.
The seafood or mushroom risottos also appealed.
Al Firenzi is also known for its fresh fish offerings. When it’s in stock, the whole fish cooked in the pizza oven is a real treat. Unfortunately this wasn’t available. But seafood platters loaded with prawns, calamari, mussels and linefish were certainly coming out the kitchen.
We opted for veal, one of the few Italian restaurants in Durban that cook it properly. I opted for the very simple veal limone (R155), which is lightly dusted in herbed flour, grilled and topped with fresh lemon and pan juices. It might not look the most exciting dish on the plate, but it certainly hit the spot. This was good cooking.
My friend tried the veal piccata (R155), which was topped with a creamy mushroom, ham and herb sauce. It too got the thumbs up. We could have had the dishes with chips or mash, or even a side salad, but I’ve always enjoyed veal with a side of pasta aglio olio. Somehow they work together.
The restaurant has mains you don’t often see in Durban, with the likes of rabbit casserole, or tripe Italian-style cooked with tomatoes and white wine.
For those who want a steak, the fillet Toscana served in a creamy balsamic vinegar with Parma ham and topped with Parmesan shavings, looks spot on.
We skipped dessert. Here the offerings are a little bit limited to Italian kisses, cassata and cheesecake. I might have been tempted if the tiramisu was available, but sadly that was still being made in the kitchen.
We did enjoy good coffees, but thanks to the big boss in Pretoria, their home-made limoncello is off the menu.
Food:
4
Service:
3
Ambience:
3 ½