Tony Tomatoes

North Adelaide wouldn’t be the same without Tony Tomatoes. It’s O’Connell Street address is the go-to for pizza and hearty Italian main courses and moreish small plates, loved for it’s open-plan vibe and, of course, it’s fantastic pizza pies. At times, Tony Tomatoes isn’t afraid to buck the straitjacket of tradition when it comes to what’s on the menu. The pizzas are named irreverently, you can choose from several different bases (including gluten-free, and there’s vegan mozzarella, too), and the lushest four-person-plus banqueting option is called – no nonsense – The Big Feast. Elsewhere, the small and big plates are more traditionally named, but nevertheless packs in a lot of modern culinary creativity. A top informal Italian restaurant in Adelaide!

Let’s take a look at the eclectic menu at a restaurant that should be on any Adelaide foodie’s list of must-haves, whether or not Italian dining is your ‘thing’. Starting with the pizza – the main draw for North Adelaide locals – it’s easy to see that Mr. Tomatoes, Tony to his friends, has a good sense of humour. There’s the cheeky Eat My Breast (herb-poached chicken breast with tomato, spinach, radicchio, mozzarella and basil pesto), the Fun Guy (a quartet of mushrooms with asiago cheese and a pear and walnut salad), the Flying Anchovy (self-explanatory), and the Jenny Craig Special – as the house four-cheese pizza (mozzarella, asiago, gorgonzola and stracchino) it’s anything but! You’re going to need a base for these toppings, and at Tony Tomatoes you can ask for the 72-hour classic, the wholemeal superleggera made from rye, oats and wheatgerm, or opt for the gluten-free variety.

Over on the other side you’ll find Tony Tomatoes’ nicely curated selection of main courses, many of which can be ordered small or big for variable appetites or for sharing. There are plates of Parma prosciutto or house-made porchetta served with pizzetta bread, pork and veal polpette, Italian-style ‘fish and chips’ (i.e. lightly battered and fried squid and zucchini), vegetarian radicchio or asparagus arancini, cannelloni, a handsome pork ribeye or scotch fillet tagliata, a marinated and oven-baked spatchcock, or a lovely riso nero with mixed seafood and chorizo. To really test the waters at Tony Tomatoes, reserve a big section of this top-notch but relaxed North Adelaide restaurant for a banquet (minimum four people) and head down to O’Connell Street for either The Sunday Lunch, A Dinner Gathering, or A Big Feat – this last features many of the dishes we’ve just mentioned, a selection of pizzas, spelt salad, and a fantastic finish courtesy of Mrs Tiramisu and Sir Chocolate Fondant!