Giuseppes a hidden delight

Since having our little boy, outings to restaurants have certainly decreased. So when the opportunity to go for a meal presents itself, it’s something to savour and really enjoy. It does however add to the pressure of finding somewhere really nice to eat.

Italian cuisine is a definite favourite of mine (Parma Ham, Olives, Gnocchi, Arancini, Rissoto, Spaghetti Bolognese,Tiramisu to name a few) so if I have the choice this will always be top of the restaurant list.

When family get together we inevitably end up having a good meal, or maybe that's just us. During a recent trip to Worthing we found Giuseppe's a Southern Italian Restaurant hidden down a little side street.

Entering through a sliding conservatory door the restaurant has quite the unassuming entrance. But as I've come to find with restaurants looks can be very deceiving and as we soon understand, this is true of Giuseppes which is a hive of activity even on a Saturday lunch time in Worthing. 

Now anyone who has ever had dinner with a little person will know it’s a bit like Russian roulette, you never know what your going to get. You can have the most promising start to a meal only for it to turn to total chaos or vise versa. On the day of our visit Noah was being a boisterous and demanding little guest, so apologies in advance for a couple of the photos as they were taken whilst I was in a wrestling match with the little man.

On the plus side all the starters on the menu looked wonderful. 

I opt for Carpaccio di Manzo (£7.50): thinly sliced fillet of beef marinated in lemon dressing served on a bed of rocket salad and topped with Parmesan. 

The Carpaccio which was sliced a little thick was however delicious, with the perfect peppery taste from the rocket and beef in lemon juice. 

Other guests around the table choose the Salmone Marinato: (£7.45) Thinly sliced fillets of salmon in a balsamic glaze and dill, marinated in citrus dressing.
I'm reliably informed that the balsamic glaze and dill on the salmon was really refreshing; but a little less glaze would have been appreciated. 

Meatballs is always a favourite of mine so I was pleased that a member of the table chose this, Polpette Catanesi (£6.95) Traditional meatballs served in tomato sauce.

For a starter three meatballs is a great size, not too big or small. 

The last starter on the table was Arancini Siciliani,
Sicilian rice ball (£7.25) filled with mozzarella, peas and Bolognese sauce.

The breadcrumb coating was perfectly crisp, whilst the rice, mozzarella and Bolognese was wonderfully flavoursome and moist. This might sound easy but as a foodie I have had many that have been overcooked and incredibly dry.

The menu for mains is extensive and I was feeling incredibly indecisive so went for the safe option of Maiale agli Asparagi (£16.95), slow roasted prime pork fillet, red wine jus, asparagus and caramelised onion.

The pork was moist, the red wine jus had sufficient flavour, but not too much to over power the dish. It was delicious, I was only sad that it wasn't accompanied with potatoes. 

The other half continued the theme of fish with Salmone Cartoccio (£18.95), fresh grilled salmon cooked with king prawns, mussels, black olives and capers in a white wine sauce.

The description for this dish just doesn't do it justice.  I think for the table this was definitely the showstopper; delicious. A seafood feast for the eyes and the belly. 

Next up was Pollo Funghi & Crema (£16.95), Chicken breast in a creamy sauce with mushroom and peas

There is something about white wine cream sauces in chicken dishes that I am unable to stomach as it is so rich, so this wouldn't have been my first choice, but arrived as expected. The sauce I was informed as being surprisingly tasty.

Now I've said it before that you can really judge a restaurant by how well they cook Italian icon dishes. 

The last meal on our table is a classic, Vongole & Peperoncino (£10.50), clams with cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, parsley, tomato and a hint of chilli.

The Vongole was up there with some of the best we have had. The pasta was cooked 'al dente' and the sauce had the perfect amount of chilli kick. 

Giuseppe's is definitely a hidden gem and I am very much looking forward to returning and working my way through their entire menu. Hopefully, when Noah is behaving a little better.

www.giuseppeskitchen.com