Daniel S.
Yelp
1889 Enoteca is an unassuming little gem in a suburb not otherwise known for fine dining. Nestled in the shadow of the Gabba in the antiques precinct, 1889 Enoteca has some fine company in the form of Pearl, Canvas, and Crosstown. 1889 Enoteca stands out from the crowd for its dedication to authentic Italian cooking. Let's get to the food.
As starters come, you can not beat the bread. It is made fresh in store, and you can tell given how soft and absorbent the bread is. The paired olive oil is nice and light, not tasting too oily but having a strong enough punch of the young olives that it came from. Get the bread, you won't be disappointed.
For the primi, I had the fried zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies. The waiter cautioned that they go easy on the anchovies because they don't rate highly on the Australian palate. I shared my plate with a few who don't ordinarily like anchovies and they all enjoyed the dish. I, however, am a big fan of anchovies and would have liked a big more of the salty little fish than was in the dish. Overall, though, the zucchini flowers were excellently fried, not tasting of oil, but fried enough to soften the flower and melt the mozzarella.
I also had a try of the black mussels cooked in white wine, chilli and garlic, and the portabello mushrooms with thyme, garlic and salted ricotta. Both of these were excellent as well. The taste of the mussels was balanced well with the wine, so that neither overpowered, with just enough chilli and garlic to tease the palette. The grilled mushrooms were well paired with the ricotta, thyme and garlic.
For the main, I had the lamb rump with broad beans, chickpeas, artichokes, percorino romano, and mint. The mint is cooked to a beautiful medium rare (as is the fish). The meat was excellently cooked, with the outside being just chewy enough to offset the melting centre. The broad beans were a touch of an afterthought, not really bringing much, but the chickpea puree was a nice hummus-like bed for the lamb. The artichoke was nicely cooked, and keeping the stalks on was a nice way of showing that it didn't just come out of a jar. It provided a nice break from the lamb so that the main feature didn't overpower.
I also had a sliver of the saltimbocca--proscuitto wrapped veal served with asparagus, capsicum and sage--which was amazingly good. For anyone who is not a fan of lamb or fish and wants to try something truly Italian, the saltimbocca is excellent. The veal was amazingly soft and tender, and the pancetta crispy and salty. If you're having a hard time deciding what to get, go the saltimbocca.
For dessert, I had the chocolate and semolina tart topped with pistachio and served with orange ice cream. The semolina provided a soft and moist base for the chocolate, which was rich but not offensively so. The pistachio gave it all a nice crunch. The orange ice cream was a nice and fresh combination, letting one build a Jaffa in their mouth if they moved fast enough.
On offer with the desserts are coffee, though they are relatively strict about their insistence on "traditional" Italian coffees. Ask for a latte and you will be reminded that it is not Italian, though they make an exception for flat whites. Surprisingly there was nothing resembling Italian hot chocolate on the menu, so any bambini will be disappointed.
The restaurant is simply but nicely laid out, with the tables surrounded by shelves of wine (get a bottle of Italian red and you won't be disappointed). Every attempt is made to accent and show off the old Moreton Tyre building in which it is housed, the strongest example of this being the private dining room downstairs surrounded by the old brick walls. The wait staff were attentive and professional, explaining the finer points of the menu. Having an Italian maître d' was a nice touch, having him explain the historical and regional aspects of the dishes.
Overall, an excellent experience.