Chianti | SA Weekend restaurant review

While Frank and Maria are no longer as present, the strong family feel at ego-free Italian institution Chianti remains – more than three decades on.

Assorted dishes at Chianti, Hutt St, Adelaide. Picture: Jack Fenby

Sometimes you don’t realise how much you will miss someone until they are no longer around. Such is the case with Chianti and its owners Frank and Maria Favaro, a couple for whom the term legend can be used without exaggeration.

I have a connection with this restaurant that goes back more than 35 years, to the original Chianti Classico in Light Square, a cheerful old-school trattoria that was a semi-regular lunch spot for staff at The ’Tiser, just up the road.

A move to larger, more polished premises on Hutt St was matched by a corresponding shift in dining style but the warmth of the greeting and unforced hospitality was, if anything, enhanced.

Maria, particularly, was a near-constant presence, always remembering faces and names.

Now, the couple have taken a step back (though Maria still works most lunch services and brings bounty to the kitchen), leaving their children Nick and Jess to look after both the restaurant and its neighbouring companion, Bar Torino. This Saturday evening visit to Chianti, then, is the first I can recall without one of the family being present. But the initial disappointment that comes from missing an anticipated encounter with an old friend, is soon replaced by an appreciation for a restaurant that continues to operate at a high level.

Dining room at Chianti, Hutt St, Adelaide.

Smoked beef tartare, pickled walnuts, fried garlic at Chianti, Hutt St, Adelaide.

The room is still striking, its classic bones – bluestone, dark timber panelling, immaculate white napery – now complemented by more contemporary touches. Yes, the people are different but, after a greeting that is perhaps a little too showy, we are looked after by a waitress who combines Maria-esque charm with impressive wine knowledge.

In the kitchen, British head chef Josh Cooke trained with Rick Stein in Cornwall and also worked for five years at Orana. He has embraced, it seems, the Chianti style of ego-free Italian cooking that celebrates good produce without unnecessary complication.

Take a crayfish salad that is exactly what it promises on the wrapper. A more-than-fair portion of poached tail meat and slices of avocado lie beneath still-crisp blanched veg including runner beans and asparagus.

Don’t look past the farfalle pasta, rabbit and Sicilian olives at Chianti, Hutt St, Adelaide. Picture: Jack Fenby

The kitchen has a greater role to play in the tartare, hand-cutting quality beef so it’s a textural wonderland, adding just enough crisp fried garlic wafer, little blobs of pickled walnut mayonnaise and a final flurry of grated parmesan. Think of it as tartare in carpaccio clothing.

From a short (five) selection of pasta, the farfalle is made in-house, then plunged in boiling water just long enough to become silken and supple. A ragu of wild rabbit is the ideal partner, the ground meat adding its gamy oomph to a sauce that is finished with plenty of fresh sage. A few dollops of zesty pulverised Sicilian (green) olives work a treat.

It’s no surprise that Cooke has a passion for seafood and he has continued Chianti’s relationship with Fair Fish SA, an organisation promoting local fishermen and sustainable practices. Part of that is encouraging consumers to try less familiar species, such as the gurnard, boarfish and nannygai that are all showcased in the one dish, arranged on top of a mound of fregola and diced fennel in a light tomato broth.

Crayfish salad with beans and asparagus at Chianti, Hutt St, Adelaide. Picture: Jack Fenby

Butter milk panna cotta, strawberries, amaretti biscuit at Chianti, Hutt St, Adelaide.

All three fillets have the meaty, white flesh and mild flavour that no doubt appeals to the widest audience but, personally, I’d have preferred at least one wasn’t so shy about its fishiness. A little extra seasoning and depth to the broth would also have helped.

To finish, a textbook wiggly panna cotta, rises above a cluster of sliced strawberries cleverly marinated to accentuate their tarter, leafy flavour rather than just their sweetness.

Nothing lasts forever but, with the next generation slowly taking charge and a committed chef in the kitchen, Chianti’s succession plan looks to be going smoothly. This is still a very good restaurant. Another 30 years? Don’t rule it out.

For more reviews visit delicious.com.au/eatout