An Italian twirls his tiny moustache as he ponders just how many more pizzas he has to knead, toss and throw into the oven. Moments later, he snaps back to reality. The next order just came in.

Stacked against rival Papa Gino’s, Corretto is a fine restaurant on its own. It looks like Gino’s: similar floor space, mirrored layout and they even have the same type of seating. Green for Corretto, red for Gino, if you happen to stand in between, bored enough to notice. (To you-know-who-you-are: be on time!). The walls are clad in bright pictures of ferraris, an obvious supporting statement. And overhead you can see a model of a racing car whose manufacturer is…you guessed it. Ferrari. Waitresses outnumber waiters, which really isn’t a problem since they’re usually more attending towards customers. They all come in white tops and black pants, batteries sold separately.

We were quickly ushered to our table, decked in red and white tablecloth, which, for some reason, has been the only table we’ve ever been assigned to. Surely they can’t be racist and condemn us to that one table, can they? So anyway glass bottles of water came promptly, as we drank to the final meal of the day.

Correttos boasts a whole range of pastas, and pizzas, not to mention steaks, so it does take quite a while before you can totally absorb everything on offer and make a choice. So if you’re in a rush and you’re waiting for someone, then it’s advisable that you go over the menu at the window and pick what you want beforehand. Or better still, pick something disgusting for the other person in revenge.

We had Pasta Al Quattro Formagi, Penne ($10.50, $14.50), Carbonara, Fettucine ($9.50, $13.50), Prawns Alla Zingara, Risotto ($12.50, $22.50 ->!!!!!!!!!!!) and Mushroom Steak ($21.50). We must say that these pastas aren’t the cheapest of the lot, purely because the best pastas don’t usually come at the best prices.

Al Quattro Formagi, Penne
tastebudds

Formagi consists of FOUR different cheeses – gorgonzole, parmesan, paleggio and fontina, plus crème and herbs. So naturally the pasta tasted cheesy and thick. It was quite overpowering, but at least we could taste several dimensions of cheesiness. It wasn’t a bad choice, but not a great one either.

Prawns Alla Zingara, Risotto
tastebudds

On the other hand, Prawns Alla Zingara, Risotto was a bad choice. As posh as it may sound, it’s basically a dry rice dish with pepper, mushroom, olives, garlic, napoli (tomato-based) sauce, basil and parsley. We felt the risotto was not cooked long enough, so it was hard and dry. Adding more napoli sauce might help, but we felt it wasn’t cooked through enough. Prawns were semi-fresh. So overall, taste didn’t justify price. It wasn’t much more than ‘rice with tomato sauce’, as one critic mentioned.

Carbonare Fettucine
tastebudds

Carbonare Fettucine was a taste for sore buds. It was presented simply - coloured strands bathed in cream sauce. It was surprisingly light and fluffy, revealing hints of egg white, unlike others we’ve had in the past. The fettucine wasn’t in uniform width and thickness, signs of something truly homemade. Thick and thin on the same strand, our tongues were feeling the smooth, seductive curves of the fettucine. Haha. Reasonably priced too.

And now, the one dish you must try…

Mushroom Steak
willywei

The Mushroom Steak on hotplate. Really there isn’t that much in it. Just good, old-fashioned pure meat with creme mushroom sauce. Omg. Heavenly tastes and smells for those who still haven’t quite evolved that far from our meat-loving ancestors. Two whole slabs of meat, done to medium-rare, to allow for the heat from the hotplate. So don’t ever ask for well-done; you would need jaws of steel for the resulting chewiness. Unless of course, evolution betrayed you and you still eat like a caveperson, as barbaric as ever. Quoted as ‘nevertheless the best steak I have ever eaten’, this steak is tops on the list. Served with a choice of chips, salad or vegetables. Get chips or salad, never the vegetables. Trust us.

And even after we were done with our cow, we could still smell more sizzling steaks being served to other customers, tempting our tastebuds even more. So, restaurant-owners-to-be take note: Never underestimate the power of THE SMELL. It’s the reason why Amos became famous.

Tiramisu
tastebudds

Lastly we had tiramisu for dessert…Tiramisu was more expensive at $6, as compared to Gino’s while the slice was smaller too. The sponge layers were pleasant at best, but the cream on top was found to be solid and overly-set. So don’t take grandma or grandpa there for tiramisu okie?

Overall a pleasant dining experience, with a reasonable standard of service was maintained. Yes, we were all happy…until the bill was brought over. Haha. No money le. Enjoy your Easter break everyone!

Lesson learnt: Simple is best. Even if it’s just a cow.

16/20 budds

Correttos
225 – 227 Lygon St
Carlton Melbourne
P 9347 2300
F 9347 2466
correttos@alphalink.com.au