Sandgate’s newest restaurant offers amazing Italian comfort food
From traditional pizza and pasta to authentic osso buco, antipasto della casa and more, the opening of this new Italian restaurant offering homestyle Tuscan cooking is proof the dining scene north of Brisbane is booming.
Local
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The restaurant scene in Brisbane’s north has been taken to another level with the grand opening of What’s in the Pot in Sandgate.
The authentic Italian restaurant is the second such venture by founder Carla Biachhessi, a self-professed “cook with passion” who has brought homestyle Tuscan to Redcliffe for seven years.
READ MORE
Tasers were needed to subdue the men after a simple traffic stop turned ugly in Bracken Ridge
REVEALED: Service station plans change after developers claim council demand ‘unlawful’
A single mouthful of Mrs Biacchessi’s humble osso buco has been known to bring diners to tears as it transports them back to long lost memories of nonna’s kitchen.
“You take a bite and close your eyes and you can see your mother and your grandmother cooking, preparing the table for a typical Italian Sunday lunch with family,” said Sandgate’s head chef and manager Antonino Trovato.
Mr Trovato first fell in love with Mrs Biacchessi’s cooking as a chef who would travel from the city to Redcliffe for an authentic Italian meal after work.
“The energy (Mrs Biacchessi) passes to you as a customer makes you feel like you’re sitting down and eating food with your family,” he said.
Mrs Biachessi attributes much of her success to creating simple food that “celebrates moments and creates memories”.
“There’s nothing much to my dishes, they’re very simple, but if people can connect what they’re eating to their emotions it makes it an experience they will never forget,” she said.
“It’s very heartwarming to see, it makes me feel good that we can give that to people.”
Mr Travoto teamed up with Mrs Biacchessi to take advantage of an opportunity in Sandgate, where they hope to bring the same welcoming atmosphere and delicious food to the bayside.
“People are screaming out for it,” Mrs Biachessi said.
The Sandgate location will be slightly different to its Redcliffe predecessor, as it will offer both breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The menu will feature Redcliffe favourites such as gnocchi in Tuscan ragu and meatballs in spicy tomato sauce, as well as new additions such as zucchini cannoli filled with ricotta cheese, and antipasto della casa featuring homemade focaccia bread and beef bresaola.
Wood-fired pizzas will also make an appearance on the menu over the next few months, when an authentic pizza oven finally arrives direct from Napoli.
“I am so proud of it, it is so beautiful and it has so much potential,” Mrs Biachessi said.