On March 31, 2004, the Brisbane News reported “Italian style cafes and restaurants might be ubiquitous in Brisbane, but New Farm Deli is one of the originals and still the best. The deli has been open for almost 30 years and is still the place to go in Brisbane if you want great Italian food….A trip to the New Farm Deli is all the proof visitors to Brisbane will need to confirm what a cosmopolitan and stylish food scene we now have.”
So we went. And ate lunch. Along with several hundred other residents of Brisbane. Our timing was great in that we snagged a table on the sidewalk under cover o a canopy, then Colin and Chloe kept the table while Jacquelynn and I stood in line to order lunch. We chose our food from a giant blackboard behind the counter. We ordered one Pollo Funghi (chicken, mushrooms, cream and topped with Napoli sauce) and the counterman suggested it should be served over rice, one Boscaiola (mushrooms, bacon, cream, wine, garlic topped with a Napoli Sauce) and the suggestion was that it be served over gnocchi made at the Deli, one Deli Salad (mixed salad leaves, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, olives, capers, marinated feta, pan fried eggplant and shaved parmesan) and one fries for Chloe. After paying and pointing out to the cashier where we were seated - look for a guy in a blue shirt with a baby, outside and to the left of the main door - we went back to the table and waited for the food to arrive.
The Deli Salad was delivered first and Chloe snacked on the shaved parmesan while we waited for the other main courses. These arrived shortly after and conversations quieted as we delved into the food. The two pasta plates were quite good, Chloe preferred the Pollo Funghi and Boscaiola instead of the fries, but there was universal agreement that the rice and gnocchi were poor choices for support of the delicious pasta sauces. The salad was bathed overly heavy in olive oil and vinegar dressing and was heavier on the leaves than the other ingredients.
It was great to sit outside on the sidewalk and enjoy the beautiful weather while eating lunch. We can possibly blame ourselves for accepting the recommendations of rice and gnocchi, so I'd proably give The Deli another chance as a better informed consumer.
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