The
Meath Coaster
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Colosseo Restaurant Review© September 2006 issue Colosseo, Main Street, Duleek, Co. Meath041 9823200 / 041 9823121
Guest Review. We had been to Colosseo before. A good friend had celebrated his birthday there in the company of other good friends, family and neighbours. It had been a winter’s night, and wild meat was on the menu. Really wild meat such as wild boar, venison, pigeon, quail, hare, mountain antelope and snipe. The restaurant offers a discount for hunters and it will cook the spoils of the day that any hunts-person may bring along. Unlike so many other pseudo-Italian restaurants, the owner, Alberto Antonetti, hails from Florence - not Florence Court - home of Chianti in Tuscany, and that is the regional style of his cooking. Alberto is himself a hunter in the age-old Italian tradition. He also has an ear for good music for on that night I heard, for the first time in Ireland, the traditional sounds of Angelo Branduardi. The restaurant only seats 50 people so on that night in winter, we virtually took over the room and we feasted royally. But game night is only once a week and on the occasion of our guest reviewer’s visit, it was to be a small quiet family trip out with the children. We had booked our table for a Saturday evening at 6pm as we had the two little ones with us. Unsurprisingly, we were the first people in the restaurant. We were immediately welcomed back and brought to our table, presented with the menus and a wine list. The children hadn’t heard any stories of the previous evening so they took in the Italian décor. Shortly afterwards, the waitress arrived back for our drink orders which included a glass of wine for (Madame or as they say in Italian) Signora, but the pre-arranged, coin-tossed designated driver, a somewhat disconsolate Signor, was restricted to the soft drinks with the children. The menus had a more normal range of Italian food on this evening. There was a nice selection of starters, including Minestrone Soup, Garlic Mushrooms, Caprese, Insalata Di Mare (seafood salad) and Calamari (squid) priced from €3.30 to €8.50. The children opted for garlic bread with cheese while Signora chose the Bruschetta Pomodoro and Signor decided on an Antipasta Italiano. As we waited for our starters, the waitress brought us four small heart-shaped pizzas as an appetiser. The children were delighted and wolfed them down. The proper starters soon arrived. The Bruschetta came with loads of fresh tomato on top. The antipasta came with Parma ham, various salamis, cheese, artichokes, olives and stuffed chillies which were all tasty. It was a large starter. The main courses ranged through Pasta, Pizza, chicken, veal and chargrilled dishes with a price range from €7.95 to €26 for a 450g (16oz) steak. There was a small delay before the main course arrived, giving us time to digest the starters. The children had ordered Penne Bolognese to share, which is a bit less messy than the Spaghetti dish with the same sauce, but once it arrived, it was a great hit with them. Our little Signorina said it was yummy, just like her mama’s. Mama herself, the Signora [as mentioned previously] , had ordered a Pollo Paesana, a marinated chicken breast, char-grilled and served with sun-dried tomatoes, salad and potato scallops. Again, the portions were very big and the taste was lovely. Unlike a true Italian, Signor had decided on a Hawaiian pizza with salad for a token healthy option. A very large, thin crusted platter was produced and even this sweet pizza tasted so good that not a pineapple was left. Meanwhile, just to rub it in, the Signora [as mentioned previously] ordered herself another glass of wine. No meal in a restaurant with children is complete without the obligatory ice cream, or as they say in Italy gelati, meaning Italian ice cream made from milk, gelatine, sugar and fruit. Many restaurants now serve these in novelty cups. The bambini were suitably impressed. For the adulti, the unanimous verdict was Tiramisu, followed by the friar’s drink, one cappuccino and one espresso. The bill came to €93. Our guest reviewers will return, both with the children and for the game night.
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