The deal
When Cameron and Jordan Votan made the decision to move Happy Boy earlier in the year, there was much talk about what would become of its Mein Street location. After discussing potentially opening a Southeast Asian restaurant in the space, the brains trust of the Votan brothers and head chef John Speranza talked about the idea of trying their hand at Italian cuisine instead. Using his experience working across huge restaurants in North America and his own Italian heritage, John floated the idea of a restaurant that drew upon the recipes of his mother and nonna, plating up dishes from his childhood, imbued with the simplicity, generosity and love that is synonymous with Italian cooking. Cameron and Jordan were sold, and so they got to work translating this vision to the plate for italian food restaurant. The venue itself has kept to the chic and minimalist vibe of the old Happy Boy days, illuminating the cavernous industrial space with warm lighting, while furnishing it with plenty of seats for group dining or intimate couplings.
The food and drink
John’s menu not only blends inspiration from his own family dinners, but also showcases the regional diversity of Italian cooking. Patrons can taste the width and breadth of Italy through one easy-to-follow menu broken up into small plates, larger dishes and desserts. Chomp on Campania-inspired cuisine in the form of ricotta-filled ravioli with beef and pork ragu (John’s nonna’s specialty), feast on sumptuous Sicilian dishes such as pistachio arancino and fried octopus with blood orange, devour roast chicken with pepper sauce or tiramisu with marsala cream and raspberry from Veneto, as well as fare from lesser-known regions such as Lombardy, Liguria, Friuli and Piemonte. What is an Italian feast without some wine? Fans of the Votan style of hospitality know that the boys do drops well, and italian food restaurant is no exception. The wine menu boasts a cross-section of Australian wines made from Italian grapes, with the likes of rondinella from Hill Top, vermentino from the Barossa Valley, nebbiolo from Macedon in Victoria and teroldego from the Margaret River. Complementing these varietals is a succinct selection of Italian beers, basic spirits, digestives and negronis.
The extras
Those keen to get stuck in can do so at night from Tuesday to Saturday until Christmas. In the new year italian food restaurant will kick off a lunch service, as well as coffee and light breakfast options for early risers.
italian food restaurant is open now. If this spot sounds like your kind of venue, check out the Stumble Guide for opening hours and contact details.
