January 24, 2009: Oskar II

Oskar seems to be a fallback when our preferred restaurant is closed. First, there was that visit when we actually wanted to try Burger Republic; this time it filled the gap when Mike and Jo wanted pizza and I Carusi was closed. This is rather unfair to Oskar as their pizzas are fine specimens in their own right, already earning them a mention on our where's the best? page of highlights.

The menu seems to have altered only slightly since we were here two years ago; the seasonal mushroom and kipfler potato pizzas we enjoyed are still there, as is a pizza featuring bull boar sausage, but the kangaroo and duck Michael mentioned last time were notably absent. As it currently stands, six of the fifteen main pizza options are vegetarian - a commendable ratio.

They range from the rich (three cheeses, or kipfler potato with tallegio, rosemary and olive oil) to the vegetable-friendly - you'll never see a pizza more packed with mushrooms than their 'seasonal mushroom' one, and there's another featuring roast eggplant and zucchini. Then there's this one, topped with roast pumpkin, garlic, pine nuts, onion, nutmeg, ricotta, rocket and pecorino ($14.50). It's quite the treat, though inevitably we compared it to I Carusi's Pizza for a Friend and the ricotta here came second to their salty dabs of goat cheese. The onion and nutmeg, though, are excellent additions.

Though the menu has fine and fancy ingredients scattered throughout, I think these pizzas are quite reasonably priced - a small one will serve a reasonable appetite well (I was full after three quarters of a small pizza), and the vegetarian ones peak at $15 (meat-laced ones at $17). A salad will set you back $8, a heftier-than-usual price that will yield a much heftier-than-usual portion, plenty to share amongst 2-4 people. With specs like these, there's no reason why Oskar shouldn't be your first choice for dinner out on a Saturday night.


(You can read about our previous visit to Oskar here.)