I’ve long been a lover of mushrooms, so it was with much excitement that I said yes when asked by Australian Mushroom Growers to join a group of food bloggers around Australia taking part in Mushroom Mania month throughout July.  For those of you unfamiliar,Mushroom Mania is a celebration of mushrooms and mushroom dishes taking part during July in over 1,600 restaurants Australia wide.

The first restaurant I selected to review was Giardinetto, a cosy little Italian restaurant, located in Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley, which has been operating since 1966.

The first dish we selected to try was Funghi Ripieni ($15.90), which we decided to share as a starter.  Mushroom caps are filled with ricotta cheese, pine nuts, spinach and sundried tomatoes and then crumbed and fried.  The mushroom caps are served with a mustard seed cream sauce.  These little balls were crispy on the outside and tender and soft in the middle and the mustard cream sauce they were paired with was delicious.

For main course I opted for the Risotto con Funghi ($18.50) while my fiancé ordered Scallopine al Funghi ($28.90).

The risotto was a generous serving which included sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and cream.  It was creamy, delicious and comforting, perfect for these cold winter nights we are having.  The serving was huge too, so huge I was only able to eat a quarter of it. Personally,as I am a mushroom lover, I would have preferred to see more mushrooms included.  My fiancé thought it was great though, as at times he can find mushrooms overpowering.

The veal was supremely tender and smothered in a delicious and generous creamy mushroom sauce. It also came with a side serve of steamed vegetables including cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini and potatoes.   My fiancé commented that the sauce in particular was delicious and he enjoyed that the sauce didn’t overpower the veal.

Giardinetto is a great Italian restaurant that offers an extensive menu with everything from pizza, pasta, more substantial main courses and traditional Italian desserts, including Tiramisu, Cassata, Tartufo and Profiteroles, which sadly we just didn’t have room for.

Have you dined at any of the Mushroom Mania restaurants?

Join the Mushroom Mania fun and you could win $100

Mushroom Mania runs from July 1 through to July 31.  Here’s how can you join in and win?

• Download the free Mushroom Mania app for your smartphone or check out the locality guide online to find your local participating restaurants.
• Order a dish that features mushrooms
• Write and submit a review of a mushroom dish you’ve eaten for your chance to win $100 every week throughout July

• Join the Mushroom Lovers Club for mushroom recipes, cooking tips, news and more
• Follow Mushroom Mania on Twitter and Facebook

 

Giardinetto 
366 Brunswick Street
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Website: http://www.giardinetto.com.au
Phone: (07) 3252 4750

 

 

Delicieux dined at the Giardinetto with compliments of the Australian Mushroom Growers Association as part of Mushroom Mania month.