That's Amore

Last week I was invited to That's Amore in Parktown North to try out this lovely little authentic Italian restaurant. It was such a treat and I really enjoyed the food as well as meeting the team and getting to know a little bit aout this little gem of a restaurant.

Lorenzo, part owner of the Ristobar,  had only been in South Africa for a few years when he decided to share his love for Italian cooking and south Italian charm. He had been involved with several restaurants in Rome so although new to Joburg, he certainly wasn't new to creating authentic dishes made only with the freshest ingredients! 

Alfonso, Lorenzo's friend and now co owner of That's Amore, grew up around his father's highly successful restaurants and got a taste for the industry at a very young age. Now he is following in his father's footsteps and his passion and enthuasiasm for Italian cuisine is clearly reflected in the owner-run restaurant. 

The charming decor and cosy ambience of the restaurant really does transport you to an authentic cafe in Italy. The fact that it is small and run by the owners themselves gives it an immensely personal feel. You'll feel like part of the family by the time main course is served and by dessert you will by sipping on delicious Italian wine with the owners and learning all about the Italian culture. 

Caprese

Now let's focus on the FOOD!

First of all, everything is freshly prepared using 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil from the hills of Salerno, it has a low degree of acidity and is made from olives collected by hand. Another impressive fact to note is that they use Italian buffalo mozzerella (in certain dishes) which is from Battipaglia (Italy) where it originated. It is made by hand on the same day as the milk and is landed and used at That's Amore within 18 hours, without ever having been frozen!

Polenta topped with gorgenzola and porcini mushrooms

Fresh mussels

Scallops

Above are a selection of starters that my mom and I tried (my mom was my non-diabetic "co tester").
Each dish was delicious but between us we decided that the scallops were our favourite. Scallops aren't a hugely common dish so it was nice to have something different and if you've never had scallops before then you definitely need to try them at That's Amore because they are done absolutely perfectly.

Paccheri all salernitana

Ossobuco - Veal shin with polenta (slow cooked for 4 hours)

Now onto mains, first of all, if you are a lover of pasta then this menu will be a little slice of heaven for you! If you want a delicious pizza then - go to the Jolly Roger down the road, That's Amore only has the best in AUTHENTIC Italian cusine!

All the pasta, gnocchi etc is made from scratch in the kitchen and you can definitely taste the love in all the dishes. That's Amore makes sure that everything is cooked to perfection, even if it takes days to prepare. Examples of this are especially evident in their Sirloin which is slow cooked for 8 hours and of course their most extravagant dish - Kabeljou. This 1.2kg fish is covered in course salt and baked for 45mins, when it is served the chef comes through to break through the salt crust in front of you. 

Babba (Neaolitan sponge cake with rum sauce)

Semi-frozen Tiramisu

Ready for dessert? That's Amore mixes it up with popular Italian desserts as well as some not so common desserts. We all know and love a good tiramisu but have you ever had it frozen? I haven't and I thought it was a divine take on the sponge cake version - especially for a hot summer's day!

A popular dessert in the south of Italy is Babba, this custurd stuffed sponge cake dessert never made it onto the western versions of Italian menus and you can not find it anyhwere else in Joburg. It's definitely a must try, I thought it was delicious and if it wasn't soaked in sugar I would be stuffing my face with it every day! 

If you're wondering about breakfast's then do not fear, That's Amore has you covered by serving a traditional Italian breakfast with cornetti and Nutella topped with a strong cup of illy cafe.

You can also enjoy some live jazz along with your Sunday lunch at That's Amore. 

That's Amore are excited to be a part of Taste Of Joburg this year, so please go give them a visit if you're attending! And don't forget to go say hi to them on Facebook or Twitter.