Tag: italian
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I Can’t Stop Thinking About: Al Dente Enoteca’s Torta Sabbiosa
It’s 4pm on a weekday in the early 2000s. I’ve dumped my school bag in nonna’s “good room” and – like clockwork – a tall slice of sponge cake and a glass of chocolate Nesquik is waiting on the sink for me. It was an afterschool ritual – one that friends, who’d often visit for…
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The Casarecce With Peppery Pecorino Fondue and Crunchy Guanciale Is a Knockout at Ganzo, Richmond’s Laid-Back Italian Joint
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…
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South Yarra Institution Cosi Is Back, With Generous Bowls of Homemade Pasta and a Roving Grappa Cart
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…
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Now Open: Oster, a Modern Take on a Traditional Northern Italian Osteria
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 –…
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Now Open: Cantina Carolina Is Bar Carolina’s New Morning-Oriented Next-Door Neighbour, Inspired by Classic Italian Espresso Bars
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…
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First Look: The Grand Richmond’s Cheeky, Playful Sibling Piccolo Grand Moves In
Written for Broadsheet Responsible. Reliable. Always winning hearts. The traits of the eldest child mirror those of one of Melbourne’s classic pubs, The Grand Richmond. After closing for renovations earlier this year, the corner site – known for its cosy private dining room and elevated Italian cuisine – has reopened. And now it’s got a…
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Now Open: A Neighbourhood Pizzeria Inspired by the Caves of Southern Italy
Written for Broadsheet Sunlight floods the front bar of Il Caminetto, drenching the imported Italian terrazzo-tiled bar and woodfire oven with light. But follow the trail of bentwood chairs and dark wooden tables to the dining room beyond and the contrast is dramatic. The darkened space is lit by a couple of timber-framed windows, a…
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A Tiny Armadale Trattoria Reimagined
Written for Broadsheet Slow-cooked beef ragu begins simmering over the stove every morning at Zia Rina’s. As I walk in, the lingering smell brings up the nostalgia of a Sunday visit to nonna’s. The ragu recipe belongs to co-owner and ex-Neptune head chef Danny Natoli’s nonno (grandfather), but the real hero of the tiny trattoria is his zia (aunt) Rina,…
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A Traditional Italian Deli in the Heart of Melbourne’s Little Italy
DOC Delicatessen Giovanni Luciano Peluso knows a fair bit about fresh Italian produce. Moving to Australia from Italy in 1975, he’s been deli manager of Lygon Street’s DOC Delicatessen since it opened six years ago. “Prior to that, I’ve been working in the street – in the same industry – almost 30 years,” Peluso says.…
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First Look: “Alternative” Pizza and New-Wave Wine by the Founder of DOC
Written for Broadsheet Melbourne It’s 3pm on a rainy Friday afternoon when I step into Italian Artisans. A father and son carpentry team is working out the front crafting circular dining tables. Out back, in the newly renovated dining room, owner Tony Nicolini is entertaining a large group. Nicolini is best known for championing artisan…
Stephanie Vigilante 