Rachel's Guide to Newcastle and Beyond!
September 28, 2015 in Eating Out 6
I’ve driven along Jesmond Road hundreds of times and never failed to notice how busy it looks at Fretello’s. I couldn’t help but wonder what I was missing out on. I’ve now finally paid the popular eatery a visit and it seems I was missing out on delicious, authentic Italian pizza, a relaxed, informal dining experience and some of the most attentive customer service that Newcastle has to offer!
James and I were pleased to discover that the menu was a simple list of traditional Italian starters, freshly made pizzas and rustic pasta dishes. There were three or four meat and fish dishes on the menu too but the lure of a stone baked pizza with a perfectly crisp base was irresistible to me (more on that later).
For starters, I chose the Wild Mushroom Arancini and James opted for Gamberoni Pastella. We were both very impressed with the careful presentation of our dishes and I was delighted to discover that my crispy little arancini balls were accompanied by a luxurious truffle mayonnaise, absolutely divine!
As for the mains, I decided to sample a dish I’ve never had before, Florentine pizza. Despite being a huge pizza lover the idea of a runny egg as a topping always seemed a bit weird to me (I’m one of those unsophisticated people that actually likes ham and pineapple!)
I’m so glad I finally gave it a try though as it was absolutely delicious!
The delicate mix of pine nuts and spinach mixed with the egg yolk perfectly. It was a satisfying dish without giving me that bloated feeling I’m often left with after eating a dough based dish.
James is a typical carnivore and he couldn’t resist the Pan Fried Duck with Cherry Sauce. It was served with spiced polenta cake which isn’t really my cup of tea but the meat was perfectly pink and the sauce had a rich, sweet flavour that was so delicious the plate was empty in no time!
The service really was faultless at Fratello’s with our waiter making us feel like an old friend and the chef greeting us with a cheerful smile from his open kitchen, everyone was so friendly!
Next time you fancy visiting a cheerful Italian restaurant in Newcastle, give Fratello’s a try!
I have never been here either but i have always heard great things about it. Your meals looks amazing , I think I will have to add it to my list of places I need to visit xx
My friends discovered it recently for Sunday Lunch, she says it’s amazing and great value xx
Nanna Pat x
Oh wow this looks lush! I’ve never had a pizza with an egg on it before! xxx