Da Eros, East Road, Avondale
INVITED by Da Eros padrone, Nevio Prendini, to re-visit and sample that pleasant hostelry’s table and cellar, it was maybe a little churlish of me to, in turn, invite one of his competitors to join me.well, I couldn’t get hold of either of two ladies who like to lunch at short notice and Lance Nettelton, from The Centurion Bar & Grill at Harare Sports Club was helping me with laptop computer conundrums.da Eros is a favourite venue, especially on a leisurely Sunday lunchtime with apparently little prospect of rain.
That’s important because they usually have a pleasant singer entertaining in the leafy garden and several times I’ve watched mesmerized as a sudden squall lashes the stand and buzzing, flashing speakers, boom boxes, amps, mikes and electric guitars have been in imminent danger of frying the incumbent crooner!
Young Daniel Jenkins (whose family presumably originates from the Welsh Valleys with their lovely choirs) had no such trouble last week and played to an appreciative audience.
The restaurant is housed in a former rambling Colonialstyle dwelling on a large acreage on East Road, Avondale (also home to Mojo’s Brazilian steakhouse, Fishmonger and Great Wall), the operation seats 120 pax indoors and out (in a pleasant garden or on a wide, shady stoep.)
Management team is the Prendini family: Italian-ethiopians previously at the hugely successful Italian Bakery at Avondale SC. (Now Café Nush.)
Nevio and his sparkling wife, Nassy, are hands-on directors, Nevio’s pop, Vittoria, chairman and financier, and a cousin, Maurizio Vadala, originally front of house is due to return.
Maurizio returned from working overseas for the Da Eros launch nearly five years ago; previously he ran IB, Da Guido’s, Montagu Avenue (when it was good!), Cortina Ice-cream and the Italian Club, when it was really excellent, often catering 500 cover four-course banquets.
The trattoria is all lifestyle magazine pale terracotta walls, wooden doors and heavy tables, cane chairs, tile and marble floors; distinctive green-and-white gingham table cloths had me looking for the candle-stoppered, wax-drip-covered Chianti bottles of the 60s, 70s, 80s…and come to think of it 2015 in retro places which usually know and cook good food and keep fine wine.
Monochrome pix of Italian film stars vaguely recognised from cult sub-titled movies, usually wolfing spaghetti, adorn inside walls with other assorted art.
As befits any Italian-themed eatery, children aren’t just tolerated, but made enthusiastically welcome. The place is often alive with bright-eyed ankle-biters, eating kiddy-sized bites of pasta or pizza, slurping milk shakes and cooldrink, clambering on, off and in a huge Wendy tree house.
“I can see you like children, Senor Miller” said a Prendini family friend on a previous occasion.
“Love ‘em,” said I. “But couldn’t manage to eat a whole one on my own!” Seriously raised eyebrows until the penny dropped I jested!
Lunch was a wonderful basket of warm continental bread and butter with melanzane (brinjal-and-tomato spread), followed by a complimentary salad. Both Lance and I wanted shrimp cocktail starter, at US$7, assuming it was the cold 1960s-retro dish served in an old fashioned champagne glass.
I won and was glad because it was hot shrimps (or small prawns) served in garlic and cream sauce on a thick round of white bread, super-saturated by the delightful sauce. My guest had calamari fritti at a buck less. I also love the antipasto misto, featuring Parma ham and salami imported from Italy, feta, Gouda and olives which costs US$8.
Nevio revealed that local chef Lance Hickey is to return to the country soon and will serve a six-month attachment at Da Eros. Among new starters he plans are ravioli with Napolitano or pesto sauce at US$6 and garlic/chili grilled or deep-fried prawns with lemon garlic sauce for US$7. These will be available from today (Sunday.)
From the current mains list I went for a new dish of grilled kingklip fillets, in my case with chips and seasonal vegetables at US$20 and Lance opted for petto di pollo alla crème di funghi (creamed chicken with mushrooms on mashed potato) at US$13.
Not really a pizza fan, I won’t comment on their listings; dearest pasta is al cartoccio: spaghetti cooked in creamy seafood sauce along with garlic and parsley inside a tightly crimped tinfoil “envelope” at $16.
Hickey will launch a new pasta alla boscaiola (with sausage and mushroom) at US$13; three new wood-fired pizzas at US$11-US$12, a fish platter costing US$15 and pan-fried pork medallions at the same cost.
The worrying problem with my Samsung solved (out of data!) we finished, sharing puddings: a light-as-air tiramisu and crème caramel (both were superb) and two filter coffees.
As we left, the singer seemed to be getting further into his stride, while waiters prepared for evening bookings.
Da Eros Trattoria, 86, East Road, Avondale. Tel 332044. Opens until 10pm but they close Mondays. Fully licensed: good range of drinks at affordable prices.