This week was a close call when it came to votes for Canberra’s best pasta. Apart from the unanimous agreement that Nonna’s pasta is always the best, there was little consensus amongst RiotACT readers about where to find quality pasta outside of Nonna’s kitchen.
There was a lot of love for Italian and Sons in Braddon. It was the only place to get more than one vote in this week’s call out, and while there were quite a few other suggestions, they only got one vote each. It was up to me to choose who would be this week’s second contender. I had the difficult choice between some of Canberra’s best pasta joints – Loading Zone or Mama’s Trattoria in the City, Eightysix or Chez Frederic in Braddon, La Cantina at Narrabundah shops, Zucchini Bros in Chisholm, La Rustica on the Kingston Foreshore or Grande’s on the Lawns in Manuka. This week I chose Chez Frederic to go up against Italian and Sons for the pasta Taste Off.
I wasn’t surprised when the votes kept coming in for Italian and Sons. This cute little place in Braddon is my mum’s favourite Canberra restaurant with it’s warm cozy vibes, friendly service and pasta that is always on point. This week it made for a special late Friday night date with my significant other. I had the ricotta and silverbeet tortellini with burnt sage butter and aged reggiano, while my partner in crime tried their fancy spaghetti carbonara with black pepper, pork cheek, asparagus and egg yolk. All of their pasta is freshly made in-house and cooked to al dente perfection. It’s a bit more on the fancier side of things, but we left with full bellies and big smiles. However, as one RiotACT reader pointed out, paying $7 for a soda water was a bit much.
The next night we found ourselves back in Braddon to try out Chez Frederic. Takeaway or eat-in, this laid back little restaurant has everyone covered. Don’t be fooled by their paper plates, serving up delicious pasta is their main game. We tried two – the duck ravioli is a house favourite and the gnocchi with plum chutney and almonds was straight from the specials board. The tried and true duck ravioli was more than delicious, but unfortunately we were pretty disappointed with the gnocchi. I knew it was a risky move when I ordered it and I had instant food regret, wishing I’d ordered the spinach and ricotta ravioli instead.
I know from past experience how good the pasta at Chez Frederic can be, but their gnocchi made my decision this week a little easier. Italian and Sons is this week’s winner, taking out the crown for Canberra’s best pasta.
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