Peacock Trattoria

Every Christmas my family goes on holidays to Nowra to camp on a site attached to the Shoalhaven Zoo. I promise it isn't as weird as it sounds.

They have heaps of Australia wildlife there and also zillions of peacocks, which roam all over the zoo and campsite showing off their beautiful feathers and making their mating call. The first time James heard it he asked "what's that?" and I said "it's the peacocks" and he said "no seriously, what is it?" - it is really unlike any other bird noise I've ever heard. (Disclaimer: I haven't really heard that many bird noises, I'm not a massive aviculturalist.)

If you haven't heard it before here is a video (Mum don't watch this!):

Anyway, my point is that James's and my favourite restaurant at the moment is Peacock Trattoria in Kyle Bay. We were meaning to go for ages - all our friends who live nearby rave about it - and we finally got around to it in about February.  

We loved it!  The food's sensational, the value is outstanding and the restaurant itself is pretty cool, with a massive peacock mural on one wall and an open kitchen if you want to have a little sticky beak.

We've been a few times now, the most recent being last week. There are heaps of nice things on the menu but as always we chose their Trust The Chef surprise menu. It's $60 pp and you get about six different courses, each more insanely delicious than the last.

First up was this ducktastic crunchy salad. We've had it every time and I still love it.

Next we got this mini pizza with white anchovy and potato. I love potato on pizza! Their dough is just perfect.

I spied this adorable doggy bag sitting in the kitchen:

Say what you will about them, they know how to commit to a theme.

Courses three and four were two shared entrees. The first was some beautiful salmon. I forget what it was served with but I remember that we both loved it. 

The second entrée was these lovely little slider-type buns with slow cooked meat and a super tasty sauce. This description doesn't do them justice but nor would any, such is their indescribable deliciousness. This is another dish we've had every time, and they day they don't bring it out I will probably cry.

The main was meat - looks like beef or lamb, I don't remember which. It was beautifully cooked though and served with really yummy potato and roasted garlic.

Last and probably least, dessert. It was some sort of parfait with fruit and stuff. It was nice, but the savoury courses are all so wonderful that dessert usually falls a little short, especially considering how full we always are by this point.

It's a shame to end on a bit of a low point - perhaps they should serve dessert somewhere in the middle and put the sliders at the end? - but I'd still give this dining experience at least a nine peacocks out of ten.