Authentic Italian by the Sea
NOT BEING A local and not sure where Rockingham Beach Road was I stopped to ask some locals who were not sure either. But ask about Capricci's Restaurant and there is no hesitation.
Officially re-launched in August this year, Capricci's has taken off with bookings recommended especially Fridays and Saturdays.
Admitting they haven't looked back restaurateurs, Trevor and Marianna Forster knew they had their work cut out for them.
"We knew it was going to be a lot hard work and with everyone pulling together it has paid off with the restaurant fully booked most nights, even Mondays and Tuesdays are busy," Trevor said.
Former Masterchef contestant Trevor said while he learnt a lot from the experience, running a restaurant has been a long time dream for the couple. After travelling through Central Europe last year they were impressed with the array of foods and were spurred on to run their own restaurant.
With home-style Italian cuisine, Capricci's Restaurant is a family business with Trevor and Marianna both passionate about cooking. Marianna comes from a long line of cooks and being Italian, has some wonderful authentic recipes handed down through the family.
Firstly we tried an entree of Ar ancini Ball. A hand rolled rice ball stuffed with bolognaise sauce, peas and mozzarella cheese, lightly crumbed served with a delicious creamy cheese sauce.
Marianna's brother, Lorenzo is the pizza specialist who takes great pride in his wood fired pizzas. We tried the Italian Pizza topped with cheese, mushrooms, olives, salami, anchovies and chilli - a delicious combination with just the right amount of everything.
According to Trevor, the most popular dish on the menu is Reef n Beef and I reckon you'd be hard pressed to find one to top this. A 300gram scotch fillet steak, grilled to your liking and topped with seafood of the day in a creamy garlic sauce served with potato cubes - it's a serious Reef n Beef that won't disappoint.
Trevor says his Reef'n Beef includes literally everything from the reef.
"It never made sense to me that Reef'‘n Beef was a piece of steak with a few prawns and garlic sauce on top. "Where's the shellfish?" "Where's the fish?" he questioned.
Trevor and Marianna's focus is on good food because they believe no matter how good the service is if the food isn't up to standard people won't come back.
Marianna is justifiably proud of her Chicken Scaloppini, another authentic Italian recipe handed down from her mother. While presentation is important, she says flavour is paramount. "The first impression is from the eyes but every bite after that is with the mouth," she said.
The wine recommended was Coonawarra Rumball Sparkling Shiraz. Served chilled, this was a great choice of wine as we found it did complement all the dishes very well. Very drinkable with a fruity and strong character, the sparkling Shiraz has a soft smooth palate complementing full flavoured foods.
The desserts, made fresh daily, are tempting and delicious. We had the Chocolate Cointreau Cake served with cream and ice-cream, which was sensational. For something lighter I would recommend the Macerated Strawberries - marinated in brandy and Cointreau and served with freshly whipped cream.
A great location with water views and an alfresco area, Capricci's is open six days a week for lunch and dinner and closed on Wednesdays. It is also open for private functions, seating up to 80. What an ideal place for lunch or dinner especially with summer approaching.
