Australian Gourmet Traveller - (02)February 2021 (1)

I

n ourcurrentworld,a changeis

asgoodasa holiday.Andwhile

wemaynotbeabletotravelto

thesun-drenchedMediterraneanjust

yet,wecanslipintoourfinestlinen

andslinkdowntoD’AlboraMarinas

fora leisurelywatersidelunch at

OrmeggioatTheSpit.

Post-lockdown,thelongstanding

Italianfine-dinerunderwentrenovations

andresurfacedasa morelaidback,

“allamoda”versionofitself.Lessdrab,

morefab.Nomeat,allseafood.

Inside,stuffyupholsteredarmchairs

havemadewayforon-trendrattanand

timberones.Complementingthemare

vintageTurkishrugs,sheercurtainsand

a hintofbrass.Animpressivemarble

cocktailandgelatobarstretchesdown

onesideoftheroom;behindit, vases

decoratea texturedstuccowall.The

updated space is fresh and fashionable

• a farcryfromtheoriginal 2010 fit-out.
  Thediningroomisn’ttheonlything
  toreceivea makeover.In responseto
  anever-growingtrend,chef-owner
  AlessandroPavonishiftedtheoffering
  topescatarian,whichmakessensefor
  a venuesoclosetotheseayoucould
  dipyourtoesbetweencourses.
  Onceyou’vesettledinand
  sufficientlyogledtheluxuryvessels
  mooredmetresaway,orderan
  assaggini(smalltaste)ortwo.It could
  bea plumppastabottoni(button)
  floatingindelicatelysmokedeel
  consommé,itsgoat’scurdfillingready
  toburst.Ora batonofgoldenfried
  briochecrownedwithyellowfintuna
  andjewel-likeroe– a texturaltreatheld
  togetherwithsilkenpistachiocream.
  Pavoniemploysclevercooking
  techniquessoatnopointduringthe
  meal will you be searching for a wafer

Clockwisefrom

farleft:thechef’s

table;Ormeggio

co-ownersAnna

andAlessandro

Pavoni;Tasmanian

yellowfintuna

crudoonbrioche

crostini.

ofwagyuorpieceofpork.Takethe

swordfish“porchetta”forexample,

whichseesthefishopenedlikea book,

filledwithherbsandcapers,thenrolled

upandcookeduntiljustopaque.Thin

slicesareservedwithsalsaverde

(madeà la minute)andtoppedwith

crispfish-skincrackling.It’slightand

zingy,althoughanextraglug of olive

oilwouldn’tgoastray.

Largerdishesrangefrompastaand

animpressivemudcrabrisottotolocally

sourcedfish,includinga filletofNew

SouthWalesMurraycod,whichis

bakedin a saltcrustwithlemonleaves.

Theaccompanyingpreserved lemon

andmacadamia

sauceis richand

fatty,muchlike

thefishitself.

Thewinelist

favoursItalywith

a fewAustralian

andNewZealand

favouritesthrownin

forgoodmeasure.

It maynotbethe

AmalfiCoast,but

withanAperolSpritz

in onehandand

a gobletofgelato

in theother,it’s

darn convincing.●

ORMEGGIO

ATTHESPIT

D’AlboraMarinas,

SpitRd,Mosman,NSW

ormeggio.com.au

CHEF

AlessandroPavoni

OPENINGHOURS

Wed-Sat11.30am-3pm

and5.30pm-10pm;

Sun11.30am-9pm

PRICEGUIDE$$$

BOOKINGSRequired.

VERDICTThelongtime

favouritefeelsfresh

and fashionable again.

QU

ICKLOOK

TH

EREFRESH

Mosman,

NSW

Apescatarianmenuanda revampbringstheAmalfi

Coast to Sydney’s north, writesKARLIE VERKERK.

MODA ITALIA

PHOTOGRAPHY WILL HORNER (ORMEGGIO AT THE SPIT).