Who knew that there was a beautiful rustic Italian Restaurant hidden in Toowong?!
Mariosarti’s is right next to Toowong Village not far from Brisbane city and from the outside looks quite unassuming. Inside, you know you’ve stumbled into somewhere special.
We ordered the scamorza to start – best choice ever! You could smell the wood smoked mozzarella before you see it. The beautiful smokey flavour was just delightful and mouthwatering. The smokiness had permeated throughout the entire cheese. Be sure to pair with the lemon and the salt for that little bit extra.
We tried the Frutti di Mare, Moreton Bay bug sauteed with chilli, garlic and ginger, finished in a light creamy tomato and cognac sauce next. This came out differently to how I expected, served almost as a soup which was perfect for dipping the housemade, crusty bread in.
The Ragu (Rigatoni al Ragù di Agnello) was amazing. A stand out dish. The sauce was incredibly flavoursome. The lamb was soft and delicate, probably because it was cooked for 6-8 hours, then simmered again with root vegetables and then with the wine. I know all that because I was so impressed I made sure to ask why it was so good! The basil made for a beautiful flagrant hint and was the perfect pop of freshness with the rich sauce.
We also tried the veal (Vitello Funghi) which was a lovely, light mushroom sauce with tender meat. I’ve found at other restaurants the sauce can be somewhat overpowering but here it was creamy and flavoursome, nicely contrasted with crispy, fresh greens. It delivered on everything it said.
Finally, (with giant, happy stomachs) we tried the spaghetti con polpette. Black angus Wagyu meatballs filled with smoked white mozzarella, cooked in a Napoli sauce served with truffle infused ricotta and fresh herbs. Yup you read that right! A lovely dish and definitely one of the unique menu items.
Now, the wine list here is very impressive. We went with a lovely bottle of chainti, and I highly recommend asking the staff which wine will go with your meal. The list is extensive and I was more than happy to leave it to Kim (the owner) to make a decision for us.
Hot tip: Make sure you try Mariosarti’s house-made lemonchello! It is made the traditional way and is lovely and light with no preservatives. A very different taste to the commercial versions. It takes six weeks to soak the lemon skins and then it isn’t ready for another six weeks. It’s gooood.
Also, make sure you check out the private dining function room at the back, I was gobsmacked!! It’s like stepping into a room in Vegas. Very impressive and worth a peep!
*While this dining experience was complimentary, this review is true and authentic
