Monday, February 10, 2014

La Margherita, Croydon

Despite living in Croydon for the past 15 years, I can't say I've dined at a single restaurant in my home town. Yes, yes, poor form, Sherrie! But I can now say I have :D After my disappointing Italian meal at Janus, I was craving a good one to replace my unsatisfied experience. Venturing down to a local restaurant with my brother and sister for dinner, I was hoping to replace my poor experience with a good one! When we arrived at 6:30, the waitress mentioned that all the indoor tables were booked out (a sign of it's popularity with the locals), but the outdoor tables were free which we did not mind sitting at. The fresh air was welcome on this warm summer's day.

Calamari fritti, $17.00
I looove deep-fried calamari! But sometimes it can be quite overcooked, chewy and rubbery. Fortunately, this was not the case! The calamari was cooked beautifully and was so very tender. Dip it into their very own homemade mayonnaise and we were on a very good start to our meal.

Gnocchi 4 Formaggi, $20.00
The last time I had amazing gnocchi would have had to be in Melbourne but I couldn't resist the lure of homemade potato dumplings on the menu. And this did not let me down one bit. With four types of cheeses (gorgonzola, smoked provolone, parmesan AND mozzarella), the sauce was wonderfully salty and the hint of saffron really elevated it just that little more. And the gnocchi... The gnocchi! So soft like little pillows. When I mentioned that I loved pepper, the waitress sure did not skimp out on dousing our dish with it. Look at all those flakes of freshly cracked pepper!

Carne pizze rosse, $21.00
There have been some pretty good reviews about the pizza served here being a hidden suburban gem so I was very excited to see if it matched the hype. And this has got to be one of the better pizzas I've had in Sydney for a while. The base was thin with a puffy edge and was topped with tomato, mozzarella, mild salami, smoked ham, Italian sausage and caramelised onion. With so many meats, how could it be anything but tasty?

As I went to pay for the bill, I noticed a lot of locals coming to pick up pizzas to takeaway. It may not be the cheapest of places for its serving size, but what they do offer is quality with both food and service. And with it so close to home, I will sure to be back for another visit :)

La Magherita
7 The Strand Croydon
Croydon, NSW, 2132

Opening Hours
Monday - Saturday: 5:00 - 10:00pm
Sunday: Closed

La Margherita Pizzeria on Urbanspoon

22 comments:

  1. oh my freaking god that gnocchi! i want it, i NEED it

    ReplyDelete
  2. The food looks really good! And at least now you've got a good local place to visit :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Having good local restaurants within walking distance is always a win!

      Delete
  3. That gnocchi! Amazeballs! Love a good gnocchi 8D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Uggh that gnocchi :'(
    Four Cheeses ……….
    Just had goosebumps !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just thinking about multiple cheeses in one dish makes me drool (fatty and unashamed!)

      Delete
  5. Gnocchi looks like it is to die for!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. That gnocchi with 4 cheese looks freakin boss! And that pizza looks so legit too. Glad to hear that this fixed your previous bad Italian food experience.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The gnocchi looks awesome! And I think every Aussie loves deep fried calamari. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
  8. My God!!
    That gnocchi looked positively dripping with cheese! YUM!
    Any place called la margherita has got to be good, I hope you had a cocktail too :)
    Gourmet Getaways

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheese in general = yum! Unfortunately I didn't have a cocktail :( Next time!

      Delete
  9. Dear Sherrie,

    I'm not a fan of gnocchi but this one looks exceptional!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh no, how come you're not a fan of gnocchi? I do think the sauce would be great on other forms of pasta too!

      Delete
    2. Unfortunately, the ones I have tried are chewy pieces of dough and that might have scarred me for life.

      Delete
    3. I hope you find a gnocchi that will change your mind soon! :)

      Delete
  10. THAT GNOCCHI! I need that in my belly!
    PS. Gorgeous blog! x

    ReplyDelete