THE end to another frustrating week at Tec Towers had finally come and I was looking forward to putting my feet up.

Then the dreaded call came in…

“Hey Tec, I bought a new outfit with some amazing shoes I want to try out,” said Goldilocks, “come and meet me in town.”

“Erm… Okay… What?... How much?” I blurted out.

“Great! Get me on Gordon Street. And don’t worry about your wallet – I’ve got it… Okay… bye!”.

Before I had time to think, the line went dead and I was in the Buick, shell-shocked and heading towards the city centre.

As I pulled up on Gordon Street, I spotted her majesty, gesturing that she would get me inside the cosy-looking little place called Spuntini.

When I finally got parked and ventured inside, I was greeted with a smile from the friendly waiter, who showed me to the table where the Moll was sitting flicking through the menu.

Just as I remembered our earlier conversation and got ready to put my questions to her, she began ordering the wine and thrust the menu into my hands.

To kick us off, we went for the Crostini Misto sharing platter, which was a selection of mixed crostini, flame roasted and served with tomato bruschetta, salami spread and mozzarella, quattro formaggio (four cheeses), bruschetta peperonata (peppers), and liver pate.

The tomatoes, peppers, and cheeses were delicious and although this old gumshoe wasn’t keen on the pate, Goldilocks lapped it up.

For the main course, we decided on two small dishes (Spuntini) each and the Pennette Spuntini pasta to share. The pasta was al dente and served with delicious Italian sausage, pine nuts, wild mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

The Moll plumped for the 5in Scozzese pizza and the Arancini Di Manzo. The pizza was topped with spicy pepperoni and Stornoway black pudding. It hit the spot and was very filling.

The Arancini Di Manzo wasn’t as successful, however. The deep-fried risotto balls were let down by the lack of beef and pork ragu, which was supposed to be inside.

I went for the 5in New York pizza, with Italian meatballs and spicy Italian sausage. The meatballs were beautiful and the Italian sausage had the perfect blend of spice and salt. It was a beautiful dish.

But while the pork belly dish had some nice flavours, it was slightly overcooked and a little disappointing.

Overall it was a mixed bag at Spuntini. While the pizzas and pasta were excellent, the Arancini and pork belly are not recommended. Despite that, the atmosphere and the service were great throughout and the prices were reasonable.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the Moll’s little pre-dinner shopping trip!

BILL

Starters

Crostini Misto (sharing) - £12.95

Spuntini (small plates)

5in New York pizza - £5.55

5in Scozzese pizza - £5.25

Pork belly - £5.55

Arancini Di Manzo - £4.95

Pasta (to share)

Penne Spuntini - £11.25

Drinks

Red wine (glass) x 4 £19.50

Total - £65

REVIEW

FOOD - ⭐⭐⭐

ATMOSPHERE - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

SERVICE - ⭐⭐⭐⭐