Pasta masters: The Italian diners delivering comfort to your door
Business models are changing forever, but there will always be a place for Italian comfort food, writes Simon Wilkinson.
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The virus will be conquered, the restrictions a distant memory, but life won’t ever be exactly the same. Over time, a new normal will become standard practice in the way we work, socialise, learn, travel… everything.
For some, the changes have simply been accelerated. In other cases, they have come totally from left field.
Owners of more serious-minded restaurants, for instance, may have toyed briefly with the idea of providing takeaway meals before dismissing the idea out of hand, or putting it on the backest of back burners while focusing on more immediate problems.
Now that the decision has been forced upon them, many are considering some form of take-home food as part of their ongoing business model. If it means extra revenue and more sustainable use of resources, why wouldn’t you?
Two Italian restaurants, at opposite ends of the scale in size and length of tenure, are seeing the benefits.
NIDO
The type of hand-made pasta that is wowing the judges night after night on MasterChef is helping this pint-sized eatery develop a loyal following for its take-home meals.
Laura Sharrad (formerly Cassai), who runs the restaurant with husband Max, is competing on the much-loved cooking show, which this year has invited past contestants back for a second chance.
While Max works to keep their restaurant dream alive at this difficult time, he says he couldn’t be prouder of his wife.
“She is very genuine and the Laura you are seeing on TV is the Laura you get in reality,” he says. “And she is just an amazing cook.”
Nido is offering single-serve, ready-to-eat meals featuring a different pasta shape each week matched to sauces such as pork ragu and braised lamb with chilli and peppers. Signature snacks, such as the irresistible Sicilian anchovy with stracciatella and basil have also reappeared on the menu.
For larger gatherings, family serves of lasagne and cannelloni are packed in foil trays, ready to heat in the oven.
The lasagne is a ripper, starting with silken pasta sheets made with Laucke flour and eggs from Falkai Farm at Finniss. They are layered with a pork ragu spiced with pepper and cloves (“It’s very similar to something my nonna used to make,” Max says) and a bechamel fragrant with grated nutmeg.
Tiramisu is scooped from a large bowl in the manner of any self-respecting old-school trattoria. “It’s not designed to be pretty,” Max says, “but it is delicious.”
Nido has also created a shop-front that, as well as handling orders, will be selling wine, sourdough, dried pasta and other provisions.
Max believes quality take-home food will still be offered when the dining room is allowed to re-open.
“I think it opens the door for people who don’t necessarily want to come out,” he says. “There is a whole market there that isn’t being tapped into.”
2/160 King William Rd, Hyde Park, 8373 2044, nidobarpasta.com.au.
Open Wed-Sat 5pm-9pm for takeaway and delivery.
ENZO’S RISTORANTE
He’s moved his restaurant lock, stock and barrel from one venue to another and survived the global financial crisis. But Enzo Fazzari has never had a challenge like the pandemic lockdown in more than 20 years of trading on Port Rd.
“It came out of nowhere and it was a chaotic time for us,” the owner of Enzo’s Ristorante says. “The hardest part was telling employees that with the restaurant closed we didn’t need floor staff and we didn’t know what would happen in the future.”
Adding to the general pandemonium, Enzo also has a badly broken ankle and is restricted in what he can do.
“I am sitting out the back at the moment and customers are coming in and asking ‘Where is Enzo?’,” he says.
Fortunately, the business already had two successful sideline projects – a wood-oven pizzeria tucked in next door, and a range of heat-at-home pastas that are available in supermarket chillers.
All are still available alongside a new takeaway restaurant menu that gives a sample of the traditional Italian flavours for which Enzo’s is renowned.
A serve of the stuffed green olives coated in a golden crumb brings back memories of a dining room run with pride and professionalism. The signature crab linguine, touched with tomato and a hint of fresh chilli, is available as well.
A more homely pasta dish shows there is still a place for cooking broccoli like your nan, the soft, almost mashable veg dressed in plenty of extra virgin oil and garlic to create a sauce for al dente tubes of penne.
Pizzas are crisp of base and generously topped, winning rave reviews in our household, particularly for the Enzo’s Special with its finishing touch of fresh prosciutto.
Enzo reckons the new concept is getting good support from regular clientele but is concerned that opening again with social distancing requirements “would kill us”.
“We are trying our best to get back on the other side,” he says. “It will depend on what happens in the next couple of months and the decisions that the government makes.
“We have to innovate and give people what they are after.”
46 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, 8340 3392, enzosristorante.com.au. Open Tue-Sun
for takeaway and delivery