Mosconi Review: Rolling out the welcome mat … still

Mosconi’s well-executed food is matched by service that’s much appreciated in this disrupted world, and that service now involves bringing their takeaway dishes to your car, writes Alison Walsh.

Qweekend – restaurant review Mosconi Dish: Scallops with bloody mary and sumac and Vanilla bean semifreddo with pistachio florentine. Pic Mark Cranitch.

“I GOT a message from the gym today offering a free toilet roll with every new membership,” announces a nearby diner to guffaws from the rest of the table. Others chat about sporting events going ahead without any fans in attendance. How weird is that, they wonder. No one seems to be to talk of much else. Apart from toilet roll humour, it’s a deeply unsettling time, with restaurants among the many businesses bearing the brunt of people hunkering down at home in an effort to avoid coronavirus.

But despite it all, on one of the first cool evenings of the year, all the outside tables are taken at Mosconi in inner-city New Farm’s Arthur Street. A breeze wafts down the street, strong enough to test the flames in the candles buried inside tall protectors and a welcome relief from seemingly endless humidity. Rattan chairs at the bare wooden tables are comfortable for those of us perched streetside, while a group heads into the tiled interior, which has an attractive curved wooden bar as its centrepiece and marble tables with bentwood chairs and a further upstairs dining area beneath the curved roof.

Scallops with bloody mary. Picture: Mark Cranitch

Beyond the circumstances, what is striking is the staff. Proprietor Mark Rotolone and his business partner sommelier Emer Landgraf seem to know most of the customers and this evening he is engaging the outdoor crowd in easy chitchat without being intrusive. It feels neighbourly and relaxed. The other wait staff are also so friendly and willing to engage that what should be run of the mill service seems like a surprise.

Bread with whipped butter tops chef Kathryn Anders’ menu, which has a light Italian accent and works its way from smaller to larger dishes. A rustic hillock of attractively earthy duck rillettes ($21), with a tile of preserved apricot and cranberry hibiscus arrives accompanied by a bowl of crostini, perfect fodder with an opening drink from the seriously considered and expansive wine list. Even the by-the-glass list has an interesting global touch with French, Italian, Spanish and Austrian options, well beyond the usual suspects.

In contrast, Abrolhos Island scallops ($27) are elegantly presented, formed into a half moon with cannellini beans, spiced bloody mary sauce, halved semi-dried cherry tomatoes, celery leaves, the whole lot given a light dusting of sumac.

Mosconi’s Vanilla bean semifreddo with pistachio florentine. Picture: Mark Cranitch

Main courses include plays on bistro favourites such as gnocchi with gorgonzola, roasted beets and walnut; pork cotoletta with cauliflower puree and nectarine salad and fusilli with Moreton Bay bug and tomato butter. Broad ribbons of housemade truffle pappardelle entwine with tender, flavoursome osso buco ($37) that’s been cooked low and slow, with an added chunk of marrow and a fine shower of aged reggiano. It’s delicious and tastes almost medicinal in its feel-good qualities. A special of blue swimmer crab with tagliatelle ($38) is lighter and generous in its crabmeat chunks which are allowed to shine in a simple tomato sauce.

Quality is maintained with desserts, dulcey chocolate (a caramelised white chocolate) mousse with honeycomb and dark chocolate sorbet ($14) and an ice-cream sandwich _ a (too hard) disc of vanilla bean semifreddo between chunky, pistachio-studded Florentine biscuits _ with a small pineapple and passionfruit salad and a smear of torched coconut meringue ($14).

While Mosconi’s food is plentiful and well executed, it’s more than matched by the warm service, welcome at the best of time, s but when the world seems so disrupted and uncertain, kindness and attentiveness are especially welcome.

Picture: Mark Cranitch

**YOU CAN NOW HAVE MOSCONI AT HOME!

Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, for a limited time Mosconi will be offering a take away service so you can enjoy their home made food in your own home.

Call them on [phone] to order and pay over the phone and they will bring your food to your car.

Available Wednesday – Sunday (12 – 2:30 for lunch and 5 – 8pm for dinner)

MOSCONI

Food: 4 stars

Ambience: 3.5/5 stars

Service: 4.5/5 stars

Value: 3/5 stars

Overall: 4/5

Must try

Pappardelle with osso buco

164B Arthur St, Fortitude Valley; 3151 1898; mosconi.com.au; Wed-Sun

Lunch from 12pm and dinner from 5pm