A
fter a recent trip to Italy, my husband and I were on the lookout
for some good Italian food closer to home. When we heard
about Ghidoli, a true Italian restaurant situated at Broadacres
Shopping Centre in Sandton, we simply had to go! Owner
Ferdinando “Ferdi” Ghidoli grew up in the Tuscan countryside,
which is where his passion for food started. During this time,
Ferdi learned a lot from his mother and “grannies” on how to
prepare all the dishes that make his menu so authentic.We start our lunch with a selection of antipasti freddi (or “cold starters”, for our
English-speaking readers) – the generous carpaccio di manzo (beef carpaccio) makes
it almost difficult to finish the delicious antipasti caldi (hot starters) of supplì (deep-
fried mozzarella-stuffed rice balls in Napoli sauce). Because our eyes are always
bigger than our tummies, we also order some bruschetta for the table – yum!
For mains, we order pizza and pasta to take us further down this trip on memory
lane. I opt for the linguine gamberi (fresh home-made pasta with prawns sautéed
in tomato sauce and basil), while hubby dearest goes for the olimpo pizza (a basic
margherita topped with bacon, feta and avocado). The ingredients are fresh and the
portion sizes are extremely hearty, closely resembling the popular family-style Italian
cooking. Other options on the menu include a great selection of fish, meat and
vegetable dishes.
We decide not to have dessert (to avoid another case of eyes too big), so we both
opt for coffee. Fortunately, no one frowns when we order a cappuccino after 11am (it is
very uncommon to see Italians enjoy a cuppa after lunch or dinner). I can say, though,
that dessert options include torte del giorno (cake of the day), chocolate mousse,
tiramisu, and panna cotta.
Overall, it is a bellissimo meal
in a lovely restaurant. The prices
are affordable and the portion
sizes are big enough to ensure
leftovers, so, go hungry!
SHOP 13, PHASE 2 BROADACRES
SHOPPING CENTRE, C/O
CEDAR AND VALLEY ROADS,
BROADACRES, FOURWAYS;
011-511-2616; GHIDOLI.CO.ZA
BY IMKA WEBB13 – 14 APRIL
PAARL
Get your purple-and-
white outfits ready,
round up some friends
and don’t miss out on
this year’s Pinotage and
Biltong Festival at
Perdeberg Wines near
Paarl. Look forward to
tasting (and buying)
about 30 Pinotages
from 18 wineries, with
traditional red variants,
rosés, dessert wines
and white Pinotages
on offer. Participating
wineries include Boland
Cellar, Bonnievale Wines,
Beyerskloof, Flagstone,
Lanzerac Wine Estate
and Grande Provence
Heritage Wine Estate.
Tickets are R230 pp
via plankton.mobi and
R250 pp at the gates.
For more details, visit
perdeberg.co.za.LAST FRIDAY OF
EVERY MONTH
JOHANNESBURG
Looking for something
to do on a Friday night?
Head over to the Final
Friday Foodie Market at
Killarney Mall! If you’re
a gourmand who lives
for the weekend, then
this event should be at
the top of your social
calendar. Bringing you
your favourite gourmet
foods, sweet treats and
delightful delicacies, the
Final Friday Foodie
Market at Killarney Mall is
the perfect place to pick
up some sustenance
for the weekend before
popping into the
adjacent shopping centre
for your weekly shop.
Visit facebook.com/
FinalFridayMarket for
more information.DIARY DATES
Out & about
JOBURG RESTAURANT – GHIDOLIFOODBITES