Cafe culture, review.

Adelaide has a multitude of great venues that serve great food, but why do some get more attention in the certain media than others. Or is it my perception of what they receive?
It seems as though every sports reporter with a few firing synapses end up doing their half baked reports from the foyer of selected cafes. They would report from their lunchtime chair in a pub but putting any doubt that they're cut to rest would be bad for business. A little imagination boys, Please!

Rundle st. has the largest concentration of Cafes and Restaurants in Adelaide, more choice than you could fit in any week of 3 meals a day out on the town. We rolled into a pre-movie meal at Scoozi on Rundle, not to be mistaken for the North Adelaide version which suffers from the over exposure as mentioned above. I have been to Scoozi before but not with my brain switched on to the goings on of one of the smoothest functioning cafes in Adelaide. It is sort of self explanatory - in hospitality if you survive the test of time you must have a successful formula. One of the factors in the equation is an Egyptian native named Emilio (pictured left) who has been working this wood fired oven for 8 years. Brick ovens are an ancient cooking method, I would tend to trust an Egyptian around a brick oven, because an 'Egyptian' trumps your 'Skippy' any day! The pizza menu covers all bases with the traditional to the tested cross over favourites such as Tandoori, which has a respectable amount of chilli to keep you awake!

I went with a Penne Veal Ragu matched with a Coriole Sangiovese, rich, hearty and tender, it is the perfect meal on a cold "Tight Arsed Tuesday" evening. On closer inspection the brick oven is in full swing with pizza after pizza rolling out of the wood fired wonder. Emilio explains he did some time in Italy, and has many fans in the Restaurant - "Yeah Emilio, he makes the best pizza's" responds the horn rimmed wearing barista. You would really appreciate working with someone like Emilio... "Make me something special", as you've been through the menu twice all ready. The real talent shows through - the imagination, skills and flair. Maybe the undercover manager could find it in his heart to put a pizza special on the under utilised chalk board. These places pump out reasonable food at reasonable prices with their eyes closed, you could eat cheaper but then why would you bother reading this if you choose to stop in at the golden arches of death.
Try something different - try a cafe that has been there forever. Try the special - It is not always the dregs of the cool room, it might be the exquisite creation of the illiterate sous chef, sadly often when the chalk hits the board their tasty idea reads like a truck stop take out! As Kevin Rudd would have us say - Don't throw the fair go out the back door! But for your own culinary sake ask a few questions before you go with any daily concoction.
Onward fearless foodie!!

Giles