Penne for Your Thoughts – 6 Restaurants to Get an Italian Foodie Fix

At the start of June, Italians celebrated Festa della Repubblica or Italian National Day – what better time to showcase all those great Italian restaurants out there that call Australia home?

While fish, chips, barbeques and burgers may be the go-to foods for Aussies…Italian is right up there.

If you are looking for a family-friendly local restaurant, you’ll probably be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t serve at least one Italian dish on the menu – here are six of our favourite venues to get your fix:

Discerning Sunshine Coast foodies seeking a modern Italian restaurant in the heart of Maroochydore, head to Bottarga on Mundoo Boulevard. This stylish dining destination exudes warmth and charm with a stacked stone bar, wooden table settings and sparkling glassware setting the scene for memorable meals; say ciao to authentic dishes such as slow-cooked pork belly, pickled cauliflower, carrot, fennel and apple butter to start.

 

For the main, twirl your fork around spaghettini with spanner crab, white miso butter, yuzu, chive and bottarga, or campanelle pasta with pork and fennel meatballs, mushrooms, Napoli sauce and basil; pizza lovers are in heaven over slices topped with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, spicy salami, nduja, Kalamata olives, basil and olive oil.

Scusa Mi Italiano on Springvale Road in Glen Waverley is big on the inside, filled with plenty of Italian bravata and designed to be enjoyed by all who dine there. With retro styles and flavours from the North to the South, this restaurant delivers a little slice of Italy in stylish surrounds of banquette and booth seating, vibrant aqua stools and mosaic-tiled floors.

 

Antipasti choices like slow-cooked pork and veal meatballs in pomodoro sugo with buffalo mozzarella and warm bread are a great starting point, moving onto pappardelle tossed with Moreton Bay bugs, cherry tomatoes and prawn bisque; as for pizza, think choices like San Marzano sugo, smoked ham, pineapple and fior di latte, along with prosciutto, roast potato, mushrooms, mozzarella, Parmigiano and basil.

With a contemporary Italian menu and amazing cocktails and beverages, Juliana’s Cucina & Bar on Hall Street is the place to be in Moonee Ponds. This Melbourne restaurant delivers on all fronts with a delicious dinner menu served in stylish surrounds, while on Friday and Saturday nights, the lights go down, the music goes up and Rat Pack-style vocalists mingle around the room to get the party started.

 

Jump right in with vitello tonnato – thinly sliced veal with tuna fish sauce, caper and anchovy – or deep-fried calamari, lemon and black garlic aioli; pasta plates such as tagliatelle with slow-cooked venison ragu are sure to entice, as well as sous vide lamb shoulder, sautéed mustard leaves, chilli, mint sauce and red wine jus.

Find a little slice of Italy without leaving Rosebud West at Unica Cucina e Caffe on Point Nepean Road. This traditional Italian ristorante and trattoria twinkles with fairy lights alfresco at night while green, white and red coloured pillars mark the way down the path to the front door; indoors is warm and welcoming with polished timber floors and table settings, trailing greenery and Italian accents setting the scene for memorable dining.

 

From a menu showcasing Calabrian fare, embark on your culinary adventure with shallow-fried calamari on a bed of mixed salad, then indulge your seafood senses with signature handmade tagliatelle, crab, mussels, lobster meat, calamari, vongole, fish and seafood bisque.

Follow the aromas of tasty and hot pizza just out of the oven to find Napolitano Pizza on North Concourse in Beaumaris. This Melbourne pizzeria invites dining alfresco street side at black table settings while people-watching, while indoors feels traditional with red walls covered with tempting menu items, a white tiled floor and an open kitchen, bringing the taste of Italy Down Under.

 

Pick up a gourmet slice of traditional Greek lamb on a tomato base with mozzarella, onion, roasted rep pepper, baby spinach and housemade tzatziki; perhaps Tiger prawns, chorizo, garlic, herbs and mozzarella hits the mark, or salami, pancetta, Italian sausage and bocconcini, with fresh basil on a tomato base.

Fresh housemade pasta, delicious pizza and a traditional Italian experience await at Mother Dough on Burwood Road in Hawthorn. This well-loved restaurant oozes rustic charm with exposed brick, recycled timber and softly glowing Edison bulb lighting, making for the ideal spot for a romantic dinner or family celebration.

Dive into signature pasta dishes lavished with housemade marinara sauce, brimming with the freshest calamari, crab meat, mussels, pipis and succulent snapper fillets; or pappardelle with Wagyu and Black Angus ragu, slow-cooked in Napoli sauce with Sangiovese, herbs and spices, gluten-free pasta options are also available for fettuccine and spaghetti dishes.