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5 May 2012

We head northwest for a road trip to satiate our hunger with some hearty and delicious European fare off the beaten track.

As the recent weekend rolled around, bringing with it shining sun and glorious bluebird skies, the need to escape the city took hold and we sought refuge in a Sunday drive to a favourite spot on the outskirts of town. Never one to pass up a day trip on a clear winter’s day, there are few better ways to enjoy the end of a weekend than a picturesque drive made complete by lazy evening at a cosy bistro.

Now Helensville is perhaps not the first place you’d expect to find an exceptionally good European bistro, however, nestled on the main drag (past the herds of bikies), is where you will find Porcini’s Restaurant and Pizzeria.

The menu comprises of mostly pizza and pasta dishes as well as a regularly changing specials board and vegetarian options. Much of the produce that is used in Porcini’s delicious menu offerings is grown in their home garden and orchard and then used alongside other artisan-supplied products that are sourced from around Helensville and South Head. On the occasion we visited we worked our way through an entrée of crispy duck and cashew salad before moving on to the main courses, a hearty serving of scotch fillet steak served on a horseradish mash and the fish of the day, long-line snapper, pan fried and served with scallops and hollandaise sauce. The fare is hearty and perfectly suited for dining in on a crisp winter’s afternoon, and there is something about the destination drive that makes us feel less guilty about indulging in such tasty dishes. We were also pleased to note that every single option on the menu is available in a gluten free alternative – not something easily found around the usual city haunts.

Lure some friends to make the short jaunt on the northwestern and make an afternoon of it.

Open Wednesday – Sunday