Antico – Jesmond

Abigail’s 5th birthday expanded into a couple of days. The main event for Abigail was Treasure Island in Morpeth. For Imogen and the adults we were treated to a nice meal out on the Saturday night before.

Antico – Jesmond

Saturday night and we were returning to Antico. We’d been for a lunch time special before, but tonight we had more time. Our table was located near the window towards the bar. The interior is decorated in black and greys and give the restaurant a modern feel. The lighting is dimmed, but gave it a great atmosphere. Totally the opposite to Francesca’s from last week. However the customer base this restaurant is looking for would probably be the opposite too. Kids are welcome here, but there isn’t much for them to do or look at if they get twisty quickly. Imogen and Abigail weren’t any bother as both Cat’s parents were there and they keep them occupied.

Starters

We all had starters, this time. Imogen and Abigail had potato skins, Catherine chose Garlic prawns, I opted for mozzarella wrapped in Parma ham.

The food is well presented on square plates. The portions may be slightly smaller than other locations, but we certainly weren’t left hungry. The Gamberoni All’Aglio (garlic prawns) were cooked with a little chilli, which gave a nice after kick. They were served on a skewer on a bed of rocket. My Involtini di  Mozerella (Mozerella wrapped in Parma ham) was served warm also on a bed of rocket. I love the texture and chewiness of Mozerella and it isn’t something I get a chance to eat on a regular basis. It combined perfectly with the saltiness of the Parma ham, then the bitter, pepperiness in the rocket salad.

Main course

The kids wanted to share a margarita pizza and some lasagna. Both items are standard Italian fare. The pizza base had a nice elastic chewiness to it, with a crisp crunch of the crust. Imogen decided at this point that they didn’t really want the half portion of lasagna.

Cat and I both went for chicken dishes for a change. Cat chose the Pollo Picante, which had a spicy pepper and  tomato sauce. I chose Pollo agli Asparagi. Chicken in a Cream sauce with Asparagus. I chose something that was a little different and I love Asparagus. They’re like peas in stick form.

Deserts

Usually we end up skipping the deserts. When we were offered the desert menu the waitress said “The cheesecake of the day is Salted Caramel Cheesecake”, we were sold. All of us chose a desert. The kids were tempted more towards ice cream. The Adults were split between the Salted Caramel Cheesecake and a Chocolate brownie.

I went Salted Caramel.

It was delicious, the filling was very light and mousse like, where some cheesecakes seem solid. I could have eaten two slices, but I’m not greedy!
Cat chose the chocolate brownie.

The Brownie was very rich and chocolatey. What more can I say!!

We love it here as it is an up market Italian restaurant and ideal for a treat. The serving is presented in a contemporary style, which well though out flavourings. The Salted Caramel for example is a very in flavour, just like Sticky Toffee was previously. To round off the evening one of the waiters came over and entertained the kids with a quick magic trick involving two coins. Catherine’s Dad on the other had performed a magic trick with the bill and a credit card. A great night out and we will be back.