Australian Gourmet Traveller - (05)May 2019 (1)

Details

DiStasioCittà

45 SpringSt,Melbourne,

(03) 9070 1177,

distasio.com.au

Licensed

CardsAEDCMCV EFT

OpenDaily11.30am-late

PricesEntrées$12-$32,

maincourses$28-$58,

desserts$9-$19.50

VegetarianThree

entrées,fivemaincourses

NoiseParty-level

WheelchairAccessYe s

PlusArtmeetsrestaurant

MinusArtcan

be expensive

48 GOURMET TRAVELLER

Melbourne review

Fromtop:porchetta

conmele(suckling

piggyandfaithful

friendapple);

restaurantmanager

MalloryWall;

zeppolediSan

Giuseppe(custard,

cherry and pastry).

Thiscanmeansuperbmorselsof

calamari,soft-shellcrab,rocklingand

prawnfriedina brittlebatterandserved

ina papercone.Orgoldenroasted

sucklingpigfromWesternplainsserved

simplywitha slow-roastedapple.Orpasta

cookedal chiodo(“tothenail”,firmer

thanal dente),perhapstossedwitha

straight-to-the-pointmixofguanciale,

tomatoandpecorinoora richterracotta-

colouredragùofbeefandpork.

There’sa lotofgroundtocover,

anddifferentthingsfordifferenttimes.

The AfterSchoolSandwichfromBar

DiStasiomakesanappearance,the

merendaofcrumbedvealonbuttered

slicedwhiteservedwrappedinfoilso

thebuttermeltsdeepintothebread.

Thebagnacaudais accompaniedby

asparagusandtomatoes,andmulti-

colouredbeetrootandcarrotsfor

crunch.Thecanapésselezione,

meanwhile,a collectionofsaltysnacks

thatincludesfingersofthepancetta

andsilverbeetpiecallederbazzone,and

mozzarellafriedintempurabatterand

sprayedwitha littlelemonjuice,are

particularlyappropriatewithcocktails

(trythePinkaDrinka,a lime-infusedgin

andtonicstainedwitha littleCampari).

Thedrinksoffersprawlsas muchas

thefoodmenu.There’sa separatelistof

cocktails,andthena winelistofdecent

heftthat,nosurprise,spendsmuchofits

timeinItalyoramongItalianvarieties.

Likethefoodmenu,it’snota place

forbargainhunters.Butforthoseafter

delicious,well-craftedwineslikeElio

Ottin’sfreshandcomplexPetiteArvine

(fromValled’Aostainthenorth)there

areplentyofreasonstobecheerful.

The mostcheerfulaspectofDiStasio

Città,though,is howemphaticallyit’s

filleda gapthatwehadn’trealisedexisted.

Thisglamorous,confidenttempleoffood,

art,architecture,hospitalityandItalian-

Melbournecultureis notjustexciting

tobein,notjustslightlyraucousand

attitudinal,butalsounashamedlyand

wholeheartedly focused on good times.

It’sdiningasanevent.Peopleactually

dressuptocomehere.

Cittàis atoncea throwbackto

a moreexcessivepastand,perhaps,

anembraceofa morehopefulpresent.

It’ssomewherebeautifultoletyour

hairdownfora fewhoursbeforegoing

back toworryingaboutthestateof

therealworld.What’smore,it takes

funseriously,andthatmaybe exactly

what we need right now.●