Sunday, October 28, 2012

Garlic Bread by La Porchetta - Riccarton Mall and Cranford St

Tried at 2 sites on 2 occasions with similar results.

        La Porchetta is a chain of Italian restaurants, who's claim to fame seems to be that they bake their bases freshly. It's a shame they couldn't possibly say the same for their garlic bread!

      The comments around the table on both occasions were unfavorable. Not only from myself (a garlic addict) and my partner-in-garlic, but from all the others as well once they understood what we wanted.

      The roll is presented on a silver platter, still wrapped in tinfoil. This is approximately the same thing as you get from Pizza Hut. It keeps the bread moist, or more to the point it makes the bread soggy. There was no real crispness to the bread, except where the butter had sunk to the bottom so that the lowest part was "shallow fried" in butter, as it were.

      Quantity was unexceptional. One roll of bread for $5.50, which is again about the price from Pizza Hut. I've paid similar prices for two rolls of bread, of a much better quality.

Taste? What taste? This is herb bread, masquerading as garlic bread.

     Quality was dreadful. One comment was "Catering Pack" and I couldn't disagree with that. I could go to the supermarket and get the same quality, two rolls in a pack, for the same price. In one case, the bread was pale and flabby, and either the butter was soaking in too long or the bread was undercooked originally, but it was doughy in appearance.

      So why comment? Because this chain prides itself on it's pizza bases, and I didn't think a decent garlic bread would be so hard for a chain already specializing in freshly made dough and good quality toppings. End result: Must try harder!!!

Presentation 1 out of 5
Quantity 2 out of 5
Taste: 1 out of 5
Quality 0 out of 5


Overall score: 4 (out of poss 20)