Revealed: SA’s best spots to get a weird and wonderful schnitzel
It’s not just a choice between a parmi or mushroom gravy anymore. These 13 Adelaide eateries are putting a new spin on the old favourite.
Food & Wine
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Classic gravy, mushroom and creamy sauces are being cast aside, as gourmet and grandiose toppings begin to revolutionise the iconic schnitzel.
Could you power through pulled beef, a rack of pork and chicken wings all loaded on the one schnitty or a lighter topping of two beef patties, grilled cheese and fried onion rings?
What about an asparagus, sour cream, bacon and cheese topping, or meatballs with cheese?
Whether these toppings make your stomach churn or have you licking your lips, these extra combos are gaining traction whether it’s for dining in or a take-home schnitty in a box.
Schnithouse Rundle St business manager Eshan Patel said gourmet schnitzels are the most popular items served up at the Adelaide franchise’s five stores.
Waitress Prabh Kaur believes crowd favourites such as the soprano, reef and schnit and bourbon cowboy toppings are the reason customers keep flocking to Schnithouse.
“I thought the soprano topping was great after I tried it and I’m not just saying that because I work here,” Ms Kaur said.
“Other places have the same topping with the napoli sauce, but it’s hard to compare ours to anything else because of it’s unique taste.”
Here are a few of the most weird and wonderful schnitzel toppings around the state.
1. SOPRANO TOPPING
Schnithouse
Location: 260 Rundle St, Adelaide, 160 Sir Donald Bradman Drive, Hilton, Golden Grove Shopping Centre, Golden Grove, 125 Main South Rd, O’Halloran Hill, 50 Elizabeth Way Elizabeth.
Swap a sourdough bread base with a crispy schnitzel, and have yourself a hefty brunch-like meal, perfect for those with an eccentric appetite.
The blend of flavours and ingredients include a few slices of prosciutto and bocconcini with roasted capsicum, mushroom, cherry tomato, tossed spinach and napoli sauce.
2. BOURBON COWBOY
Schnithouse
Location: 260 Rundle St, Adelaide, 160 Sir Donald Bradman Drive, Hilton, Golden Grove Shopping Centre, Golden Grove, 125 Main South Rd, O’Halloran Hill, 50 Elizabeth Way Elizabeth
This mouth-watering, yet artery-clogging beast of a schnitzel is not for the faint-hearted. Packed with two beef slider patties, grilled cheese, fried onion rings then doused with a special in-house bourbon sauce, this schnitzel should be part of the Schnitzelmister Challenge.
3. THERMIDOR LOBSTER
Joe’s Pizza Bar
Location: 415 Henley Beach Rd, Brooklyn Park
Can’t decide between a lobster or a schnitzel? You’re in luck because you can now eat both at the same time. For $45.90 and topped with half a thermidor lobster, prawns and creamy garlic sauce, this schnitzel and seafood combo is fastest way to tantalise your tastebuds. After a customer posted their order on the South Aussie Schnitzel Appreciation Group, one sceptical reviewer said “Who the f*ck orders lobster and prawn topping in a boxed schnitzel and expects it to be good?”.
4. FARMHOUSE
Sorrelli Cafe
Location: Cnr of Walkleys and Montague Rds, Ingle Farm
Tasked with the assignment to add “something crazy” to the next monthly special menu, the Sorrelli chefs curated the Farmhouse, which quickly became a fan-favourite.
The daredevils who ordered this schnitzel, were treated to a 700g chicken schnitzel topped with pulled beef, a heap of tasty cheese, half a rack of pork marinated in barbecue sauce and a final layer of fried Kentucky chicken wings.
Priced at $31.90, foodies eager to try this special topping, should keep an eye out on Sorrelli Cafe’s Facebook page, as the monthly special is set to return early this year.
5. LORD OF THE RINGS
Pizza Love You
Location: 358A Tapleys Hill Rd, Seaton
This schnitzel topping is one of few reasons, anyone can justifiably salivate at the thought of onion rings, cheese and napolitana sauce. Lined with napolitana sauce then stacked with crunchy onion rings and plenty of tasty melted mozzarella and American cheese, this schnitzel could possibly live up to it’s self-proclaimed name.
6. MEATBALL
Gungellan Hotel
Location: 2 Fray St, Freeling
Tired of the conventional spaghetti and meatballs dish? Try combining two cultural cuisines in the one mouthful, with this crispy schnitzel topped with meatballs, napolitana sauce and the cheesiest of cheeses known to man. If the less than an hour drive to Freeling is too taxing, the meatball topping is also offered at numerous restaurants around Adelaide offering gourmet schnitzels.
7. TRIPLE DECK PARMI
Highbury Hotel
Location: 1017 Lower North East Rd, Highbury
If you want to eat your body-weight in schnitzel, look no further. It needs little explanation – this is simply a standard ham and cheese schnitzel … topped with two more ham and cheese schnitzels. For those that can devour a triple-stacked burger with ease, this parmi equivalent is worth trying.
8. THE AUSSIE OUTBACK
Da Vinci Ristorante
Location: 10 O’Connell St, Adelaide
At the tip of your fork, foodies can catch a taste of the Aussie outback with this enticing schnitzel topping for $24.90. Packed with a side of chips and salad, this succulent schnitzel is topped with mushroom, egg, bacon, melted cheese and a generous amount of smoky barbecue sauce.
9. MEDITERRANEAN
Joe’s Pizza Bar
Location: 415 Henley Beach Rd, Brooklyn Park
This flavoursome extravaganza may be a culinary masterpiece, siding on the risky end of socially acceptable schnitzel toppings. The pizza alternative schnitzel is topped with the same Mediterranean ingredients, such as napoli sauce, cheese, roasted pumpkin, zucchini, capsicum, onion, artichoke, sun-dried tomato with a balsamic glaze and basil pesto.
10. PEPPERONI
Portseaya Pizza
Location: 6/9 Gawler St, Port Noarlunga
For those that prefer simpler toppings, a pepperoni topped schnitzel may be a good place to stretch your tastebuds. This huge schnitzel is big enough to feed two. The mega meal has neapolitan sauce, ham, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices, but customers can customise their schnitty with up to five different toppings. As the schnitty in a box trend becomes more popular, foodies unable to drive to Port Noarlunga can head to a participating franchise, then enjoy the meal in the comfortable of their home.
11. MEXICAN
The Grosvenor Hotel
Location: 40 Ocean St, Victor Harbor
Taco Tuesday’s are no longer a match for nacho night, with this Mexican topping feed. The meal concoction combines different food textures, including the crunchy schnitzel which is topped with mild salsa, cheese, corn chips, sour cream and guacamole. Priced at $25, peck away at the serving of battered chips and salad as you explore the wonderland of flavours.
12. SEAFOOD
The Macclesfield Hotel
Location: 31 Venables St, Macclesfield
If a lobster-topped schnitzel is a little too much, this seafood fusion topping for $12 might be a more feasible option.
Offered less than an hour out of the city at Macclesfield, the hotel bistro adds large prawns, squid rings covered in creamy garlic sauce over a crunchy schnitzel.
13. CHARLESTON TOPPING
Charleston Pub
Location: 26 Onkaparinga Valley Rd, Charleston
On a scale of weird to wonderful schnitzels, a majority of people may place this topping on the weirder end. Instead of the conventional neapolitan sauce, the schnitzel has a thick layer of sour cream, topped with bits of bacon and asparagus then a cover of melted cheese. For the foodies who relish in obscure food combos, this meal is an interesting one to attempt.
Have we missed any weird and wonderful schnitzel toppings? Let us know which one you’re going to try.
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