Delicious Australia – (08)August 2019

FORALLTHEinfluence
Italianfoodhasonour
culinarylandscape,I’m
alwaysa bitperplexedat
thelackofqualityenotecas,
a placewhereyou’dquaffwinesand
samplefoodfroma particularregion.
Butoverthepastfewyearsthere’sbeena
blurringofthelinesbetweenwinebarand
restaurant,especiallyin Melbourne,where
theidealofanenotecafeelsmostat home.
ThereasonmaybeMelbourne’sabilityto
cutthroughthecasualandclassy,orits
Italianheritage.Ofcourse,in thisinstance,
it maywellbethatnewenotecaAgostino
is onItalian-influencedLygonStreet,too.
Andalthoughthey’venotgot
everythingdownpatjustyetat
Agostino,there’ssomethingthatfeels
rightassoonasyouarriveatthedoor.
Theheritage-listedbuilding,now
ownedbyLucaSbardellaandJamie
Valmorbida,wasbuiltin 1884andwasrun
asa foodstorebyGeorgeGodfreeand
EdwinKing.Theysoldit toLucaand
Jamie’sgrandfatherCarloValmorbidain
1955,andit’sremainedin thefamilysince.
Thecurrentiteration– partdeli,espresso
bar,Pidapipógelataria,androoftopbar–
is nowjoinedbyAgostino– anenoteca
namedafterCarloValmorbida’s first food
store Frank Agostino & Co.

Serviceis moreformalthanthefeast

requires,andalthoughtherecanbelong

periodsbetweencourses,thestaffare

sharperthana 5Bpencil.Youcanbuya

bottleofwinefromthewinestoreandcop

a $20corkagefee,orperusesommelier

JamesTait’sItalianandAustralianlistthat

catersforthoseona lightbudget,but

mostlyforthoselookingtogolarge.

Inthekitchen,AnthonyMusarra

(ex-VanHaandelGroupandEstelleGroup)

is culinarydirector,andalthoughthereare

highlights,a fewdishesmissthemark,too.

Capers,raisinsandchillibringa mild

umamitoyellowfintunacrudo,whilea

saladofsteamednewpotatoesand

charredoctopusgarnerssupportfrom

‘ndujaandsalsaverde– nicethougha little

pedestrian.Betteris saltedpersimmon

whichaddsa refreshingedgetoshaved

culatello,perhapsthedishofthenight,

wherea medleyofprawn,crab,tomato,

garlic,chillianda dashofwhitewine

(soave) entwinewithspaghettini.More

ofthisplease.Borlottibeansandfennel

underpina grilledblue-eye,andalthough

ricotta-filledagnolottiis a miss,withsmall,

under-cookedparcelsbarelyfilled,an

almostbouillabaisse-stylebrodettoof

JohnDory,cuttlefish,musselsandvongole

is warming,generousandpointstowards

a bright future for theenoteca.

Melbourne’snewenotecadrinkstotheprideofItaly– good food,

good wine and good times, writesAnthony Huckstep.

FAMILY TIES

FROMLEFT:Agostinois thenewkid

onthe(Italian)block;thecosyspace

is perfectfortopdropsandtastybites;

such as anchovies and potato focaccia.

REVIEW.

@huckstergram @anthuckstep

For more of our critics’ dining picks.

REVIEWEDONLINETHISMONTH

Mary’sUnderground,SydneyCBD

Lover,Windsor,Melbourne

Tayim,TheRocks,Sydney

Chacho’s, Windsor, Melbourne

AGOSTINO

CUISINE

Italian

CHEF

AnthonyMusarra

VISIT

297 LygonSt,Carlton

OPENINGHOURS

MondaytoSunday,12pm– late

BOOKINGS

(03) 93471619

agostinowine.com

PRICE

$$$

BYO

No

CHILDFRIENDLY

No

delicious.com.au

BOOKA

TABLENOWAT

28 delicious.com.au