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Little
taste of
Italy
Croydon
Advertiser: 15th
October 2004
Laura Kendall
I must
confess, I had been to
Lorenzo Pizzeria before
I visited in the guise
of restaurant reviewer.
In fact, when I lived a
stone's throw from
Crystal Palace a couple
of years back, this cosy
restaurant was one of my
favourite places to eat.
It's always interesting
returning to a cherished
eatery after an extended
hiatus. There's an
almost nervous
excitement: will the
atmosphere be as
vibrant, the staff as
friendly and, of course,
the food as
delicious?
Happily
at Lorenzo, the answer
is a resounding yes.
This is the very best
kind of "neighbourhood
joint" - the sort where,
if you go there often
enough, the staff learn
your name and your
favourite dish. In
London, such personal
attention is a rare
commodity.
If you've
ever been to a trattoria
in Italy itself, it will
be evident just how well
that atmosphere has been
recreated at Lorenzo.
Tables are set close
together over two floors
ensuring a constant
lively hubbub as
neighbouring diners work
to be heard over each
other, while low
lighting and plenty of
nooks offer an intimate
setting for parties of
two.
And the
hearty food is of
consistently good
quality here; steaming
mounds of freshly cooked
pasta and interesting,
richly flavoured sauces
are the kind of meals
that will warm you to
the tips of your toes on
a cold autumn
evening.
Generosity
appears to be the buzz
word - portions are
enormous. I ordered
bruschetta as a starter
expecting one or two
slices of thin bread.
Four slabs of crusty
ciabatta were delivered,
each heaped with olive
oildrizzled tomatoes and
herbs.
My
friends were just as
well-fed: a rocket salad
was loaded with sundried
tomato, pine kernels and
liberal slices of
parmesan, while insalata
tricolore mimicked the
colours of the Italian
flag with its plump rows
of avocado, mozzarella
and tomato.
Main
courses are another
matter entirely; don't
order a pasta dish
unless you have an
Olympic athlete-sized
craving for
carbohydrates. My
spaghetti Lorenzo was a
veritable mountain of
pasta with what was
essentially a puttanesca
sauce. But the flavours
of the capers,
anchovies, garlic,
chillies, olives and
tomatoes blended so
seamlessly as to give
the dish something
extra.
Lorenzo
certainly isn't stingy
with the seafood in his
linguine marinara,
either. It was piled
high with prawns among
the red pepper, olive,
cream and tomato
sauce.
And
ravioli pesto was an
earthy vegetarian
option, offering pasta
parcels stuffed with
basil, parmesan and pine
kernels in a pesto,
garlic and cream
sauce.
No room
for dessert this time,
though we managed to
find a corner for a
glass (or three) of
sweet, fruity chianti.
And when we rolled out
of Lorenzo's two hours
later - our wallets not
that much lighter given
the quality of food and
service we'd enjoyed -
it didn't feel that cold
outside after
all.
Dinner
for three at Lorenzo
Pizzeria, including two
courses and wine, cost
around £52.
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