HARD TO BEET

LUMA 66 Kennedy Drive, Cambridge 6240 1875 Open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday noon–8pm; Friday, Saturday noon–9pm

Aretail park not far from Hobart Airport seems an unlikely locale to find one of the most delicious starters I have encountered in recent memory. But the “beet it” on offer at this Cambridge eatery is certainly hard to, well, beat.

We head across to the Eastern Shore on a Friday night to meet a couple of Sorell dwellers half way for an early dinner at Luma. Opened about a year ago adjacent to the Red Square Cafe, it’s an oasis in an area with few night-time dining options. Given all the shops are closed, parking is no problem at the sprawling Kennedy Drive site.

As we make our way across the carpark, a pile of logs stacked outside the pizzeria and bar hint at what lies within. Our companions are already seated on the far side of the rather funky space, which is divided by a high communal bench running through to the open kitchen. It’s just after 6pm and the baseball cap-wearing kitchen crew is busy throwing dough and hauling hot pizzas out of the woodfired oven.

At the opposite end, the bench is bustling with a group of people and a solo performer set up in a corner near the front door is taking a break. One of our party has been here before and recommends the man candy – candied nuts with maple bacon – to start. We order some drinks and nibble on nuts as we further examine the menu, settling on a beetroot starter, a pizza, a couple of sides, and a shared plate known as “the pig out”.

While we wait, the guitar-strumming singer starts up again. While his playlist and delivery are crowd-pleasers – think Paul Kelly, Crowded action. Perhaps our bid to talk over the music irks them.

I had a similar experience a few months ago at a pizzeria with a penchant for disco. While the food was great, the background music at times made it nearly impossible to hear what was being said across the table. I am also approaching an age where I much prefer gentle croon to sonic boom, particularly when there’s food involved.

But happiness returns when the food begins to arrive, most notably the “beet it” beetroot carpaccio with a knob of slightly melted goats cheese in the middle of the plate. Fresh mint leaves and a generous scattering of walnuts complete the dish. The beetroot is in thinly cut rounds and pickled, retaining a pleasing crunch. The mushroom pizza, topped with a variety of earthy-flavoured fungi, could do with a little more taleggio but is lifted with fresh rocket leaves and, again, walnuts.

Finally comes the “the pig out”, pork belly with apple sauce topped with delicate dehydrated pears. While lacking the promised crackling, it’s pull-apart tender. We supplement the pork with delicious duck fat potatoes, piping hot from the oven and served with roasted capsicum, and a pumpkin, feta and rocket salad with toasted pine nuts. Well satisfied, we settle up and beat it – well ahead of our companions’ babysitter witching hour – as the singer launches into another set.