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Written for Broadsheet Entering 25 Tilba Street is like stepping into the photo albums that document my parents’ childhoods. Retro leather dining chairs in a mix of burnt orange, chocolate and beige are tucked neatly under mismatched tables. Brown floral-printed tableware is near identical to what my nonna’s had for years. There’s a bar and… Continue reading The Cannoli Bar Team Opens 25 Tilba Street, a Quaint Espresso Bar Brimming With Italian Nostalgia
When Cannoleria moved out of That’s Amore Cheese’s Thomastown headquarters into its own independent factory in July last year, co-owner Dario Di Clerico saw an opportunity to open a takeaway cafe on the new premises. “We thought we needed another brand where we [could] showcase a savoury offering,” he tells Broadsheet. Located in an industrial pocket of Heidelberg West,… Continue reading Ugo Cucina Popolare, a Panini Bar From Cannoleria by That’s Amore, Opens in an Unassuming Heidelberg West Warehouse
When restaurateur Valerio Calabro (Figo, La Svolta) and former European Group executive chef and hospitality consultant Ian Curley (also co-owner of French Saloon and Kirk’s Wine Bar) decided to open a production kitchen – for house-made pasta, cured meats, pickles and more – to facilitate their respective businesses, they didn’t expect to open another restaurant. But when they discovered a tiny… Continue reading The Casarecce With Peppery Pecorino Fondue and Crunchy Guanciale Is a Knockout at Ganzo, Richmond’s Laid-Back Italian Joint
Written for Broadsheet Collingwood’s hole-in-the-wall gnocchi joint Good Gnocchi was around for a good time, not a long time. After its lease expired in December, the Langridge Street shop lay dormant. But as of March, pillowy potato pasta has been swapped out for buttery, golden pastry as Wonder Pies & Deli moved in. It’s by… Continue reading First Look: One of Melbourne’s Best Pie Shops, Wonder Pies & Deli, Arrives in Collingwood
Written for Broadsheet Cannoli Bar came to be when friends Carlo Mellini and Anthony Calenda decided to sell cannoli and biscotti in the suburb where they grew up – Avondale Heights in Melbourne’s north-west. The name is a nod to the mid-century milk bar the cannolificio has operated in since 2018. It’s on a quiet residential street, but… Continue reading Melbourne’s Cannoli Bar Is Now Selling DIY Cannoli Kits
Written for Broadsheet Walking into Cosi feels a little bit like stepping into my nonna’s living room. Roomy booths make it easy to get comfy, there’s a projector playing classic black-and-white films, a grappa cart roves around the room, and in cooler weather the open fireplace gets going. It’s this old-school hospitality that’s made Cosi… Continue reading South Yarra Institution Cosi Is Back, With Generous Bowls of Homemade Pasta and a Roving Grappa Cart
Written for Broadsheet Pasta is my thing. I’ve been shovelling it down by the bucketload since I was a kid. I’ve sat in my nonna’s kitchen for hours perfecting the gnocchi roll and churning out sheets of lasagne on her manual machine. A part-time job at a deli taught me about the different shapes –… Continue reading Now Open: Oster, a Modern Take on a Traditional Northern Italian Osteria
Written for Broadsheet A scan of the breakfast menu at Joe Mammone’s new Toorak Road spot, Cantina Carolina, makes it clear this is not another cookie-cutter Melbourne cafe. Classic breakfasts come with an Italian spin. There are ricotta hotcakes with pistachio and mascarpone. Bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes, a poached egg and prosciutto di Parma. Eggplant… Continue reading Now Open: Cantina Carolina Is Bar Carolina’s New Morning-Oriented Next-Door Neighbour, Inspired by Classic Italian Espresso Bars
Written for Broadsheet Flinders Lane’s historic Richard Allen & Son building was constructed in 1897 and operated as a fabric-manufacturing warehouse in the early 20th century. More recently, the site existed as office space before the Mulberry Group – which sold its iconic Melbourne cafes Top Paddock, Kettle Black and Higher Ground last year – took it over in 2017 and began… Continue reading First Look: Nathan Toleman’s Hazel Arrives, All Soft Hues and Natural Light, in a Historic Flinders Lane Building
Written for Broadsheet Brothers Miki and Igor Dodevski have fond childhood memories of their mother Vera Dodevska and their baba (grandmother) baking on Sunday mornings. Miki’s favourite dishes were banica – a hand-rolled, layered leek and cheese pastry – and pindjur, a relish of roast peppers, eggplant and tomato topped with feta. “Waking up in the morning and… Continue reading Le Lee Is Northcote’s Cosy New Family-Run Diner Serving Macedonian Meze and 18 Different Types of Rakia
