There’s nothing like dinner at a little BYO. It’s as close to dining at home as you can get, but without the fuss.
Of course, BYO is a contentious point around town. There are those of us who love bringing our own bottle, but of course there’s no ‘cream’ profit for restaurateurs so, when we do dine BYO, an extra thanks and return custom never goes astray!
When friends ask us to join them at Arlo’s on Chevron, we’re delighted to find another little hidden gem. It’s one of several great diners on Chevron worth seeking out. The area is central and largely ignored by tourists, with plenty of parking close by.
Owned and operated by Chef Paul Ramunno and his wife Jo-Anne, Arlo’s, named after their first son, is tiny enough to be considered a takeaway pizzeria. There are just a few seats inside and a few tables out front on the footpath, making seating for around 20 diners, so booking a table is recommended.
We order a large Fruitti di Mare pizza ($26) All’ Amatriciana pasta with pancetta, chilli, fresh garlic, sugo, pecorino and local Queensland prawns ($20), a Caprese ($14) and a Spinach salad ($16) to share between four – a feast, as it turns out.
We’re about to discover the real joy of Arlo’s: its pizza, served with a ‘small town’ welcome.
It’s here that Paul’s Italian background and his 17 years as a chef come to the fore. Using sustainable stoneground and wholemeal flour, natural levain and the same techniques used to make sourdough, the pizza dough is proven in a long slow cold fermentation process, making it easily digestible.
“The organic purple wheat we use is very high in anti-oxidants,” Paul tells us. “The slow 24-hour fermentation promotes gut health and we find that a lot of people with mild gluten intolerance can happily eat our pizza.”
It’s a hands-on operation with little mechanisation in the kitchen; a return to how bread used to be made.
“I trained in England and have catered for events across Australia, on super-yachts and for the V8 supercars, but we wanted to do something small and simple here and do it well – something that was sustainable with a young family,” Paul says.
Using fresh local olive oil and produce as toppings, Italian tomatoes, anchovies and truffle oil, our pizza is a standout. There’s no heavy feeling after we eat, yet there’s enough topping to satisfy our appetites. The salads and pasta too are delicious!
Although it’s street-side dining, given the quality of their food it’s hardly surprising that Arlo’s won the AGFG Readers’ Choice 2019 award for Best Pizza on the Gold Coast!
For dessert, there are exciting possibilities as well: Dessert pizza with rum-glazed caramelised banana, chocolate nibs, mascarpone and toasted almonds to share, Italian specialties such as tiramisu, cannoli or affogato, and Rocco’s Gelato (ex-Yum Gelato, Surfers) in flavours such as strawberry and watermelon sorbet, caramel popcorn and bubble gum.
We anticipate many more return visits to Arlo’s for pizza and salad. Now that we’ve found it, it’s far too good to ignore!
46 – 50 Thomas Drive, Chevron Island, Surfers Paradise Ph: 07 5627 1509
Open: Mon 5pm – 9pm, Wed 3pm – 9pm, Thurs 5pm – 9pm, Fri 12noon – 10pm, Sat 5pm – 10pm, Sun 5pm – 9pm
NOTE: Ask Paul and Jo-Anne about their off-site catering. No charge for BYO.
