There is no charge for awesomeness.....but bad food and service cost you.

We set out Saturday to take the terrible three to the movies. We were going to see Narnia or as it is otherwise known here..Narna and Prince Capsicum. As Miss 11 is going out later in the hols with a friend for birthday treat to see this and as it is rated "M" we thought better of it so Kung Fu Panda it was. We had a gift voucher of $50 to use so we went to the other large movie theatre rather than our local one...big difference in prices and venue cleanliness that's for sure. Stick with Readings people, you will be happier and better off in the pocket.
After the movie we went to the local pizzeria/restaurant "La Porchetta" at Sydenham. When we entered the place was half empty..it was only 5.45 on a Saturday evening anyway, when we asked for table for five, we were asked if we had a booking! A booking?...it's a pizza place in the burbs FGS not Vlados. We said OK we'll go if there's no room*looking about at 40 plus empty chairs and 20plus empty tables in a half full restusrant* "No, I'll fit you in somewhere" was the reply. We really should have cut our losses then and left. Eventually we were seated and it was no biggie as it involved moving two tables together...any one would have thought we asked for snow from the South Pole. Anyway we ordered drinks and and when they came my Coke was supplied in a bottle SANS glass and 2IC's beer was supplied the same way. 2IC requested a glass and was supplied with a soft drink glass of some type but it was not a beer glass. When our meals arrived, Mr 8's pizza was supplied on the cooking pan with no dinnerware and the waitress attempted the pass the HOT dish to him from the other end of the table!! Other meals were passed across the table and over others heads. I know it's only a pizza place but even the most remote drive in diner with table service knows to serve tables from the left and clear from the right. That is with food. As far as beverages you serve them from the right. A good rule of thumb is to never serve with the back of your arm facing your guest. This is BASIC stuff any server learns...obviously not the waitresses at La Porchettas, Sydenham. As for the food, well Mr 8 had one slice and insisted the pizza was" yukky" in the middle, Miss 11 ate most of her lasagna but was sick in the toilets afterward...WTF! And Mr 5 ate some of his childrens size lasagna. 2IC's seafood pasta marinara was "soapy" had too much tomato paste...yes, paste, not tomatoes. My fungi con pollo penne was from the night before and was reheated and the chicken was red meat...stuff you boil for soups and such...YEECH. All in all, a place never to be revisited or recommended except to advise others to avoid it at all costs.