Debacle

If the Civic Pub is the social centre of the working-class of Braddon, Debacle is its middle-class counterpart - being usually filled with university students and people who look like young functionaries in one of Canberra's public or private bureaucracies.

In short, it's one of those loud, upmarket pizza places that sprung up as a genre of Australasian dining sometime in the 90s. Unlike most other such places, Debacle does have a genuinely impressive array of beer - probably the best in the city after the Wig and Pen. There are better German wheat beers, Czech pilsners, and Belgian trappist brews on tap - along with other friends in the fridge that we haven't got to yet. Unfortunately, the pizza is a bit of a disappointment - you'd be better off with a burrito from Zambrero across Lonsdale Street. While looking good on the menu, the delivery is just not that flash. On our last visit (on a 2-for-1 Monday), both pizzas were way too doughy and the toppings were seriously undercooked. And while the place does get busy, the kitchen did not look like it was so rushed as to serious cut corners while we were there. Not good.

So, in sum, if you're willing to put up with a little atmospheric vanity, 70s/80s middle-brow pop (Lionel Ritchie/Van Morrison), general noisiness, and the junior ranks of the middle-class - for the payoff of better than average beer (if risking worse than average pizza) - Debacle could be for you.

Pizza = La Posada (Not La Porchetta)

I really like pizza. It's not only yummy, it's also super easy to make - and to make it well. This is especially true if you stay away from apricots, tandoori chicken, and pineapple (sorry all you Hawaiian fans out there) and stick to the few basic ingredients, such as good quality bocconcini, some basil, and a tomato base with plenty of garlic, pepper and olive oil. Although I make my own pizza bases (using spelt flour - you may cringe at its hippy connotations, but it tastes delicious), even store bought bases can be OK if treated with some forethought (i.e. a really hot oven).

Anyway, the point of all this is that if I'm going to pay someone else to make a pizza for me then I expect, well, awesomeness. At La Posada (Civic), awesome pizza it is. This cute and cozy restaurant may also do a good job of pasta, risotto, etc. - but we wouldn't know. Having received some insider advice early on to stick with pizza, that's exactly what we've done. Some of our favourites are gorgonzola (I know I made a rather 'purist' pizza statement only a paragraph ago, but blue cheese really works on this one), veggie deluxe and chorizo. I won't go into the whole thick crust/thin crust thing - suffice it to say, the crust is just as it should be. Also, we highly recommend the chilli bread (a spicy alternative to the usual garlic/herb varieties) and the orange pudding for dessert, if there's any space left. Speaking of space, one large pizza ($20) should be plenty for two adults - it is, as the name suggests, large.

Not that this should be seen as something unusual and therefore worth mentioning, but the staff there are just so damn good - it's kinda hard to explain, but I think we've decided that they treat us like people, rather than customers, if you know what I mean.

Oh, and it's not that I have anything against La Porchetta, but you can do so much better...