Australian Gourmet Traveller - (09)September 2020 (1)

You’vetravelledtheworld

withwork.Whatarethemost

unusualingredientsyou’ve

comeacross?I brought

somethingbackwithmejust

abouteveryepisodeweshot

• pureCanadianmaplesyrup
  fromMuskoka,deerjerky
  fromAustria,shrimppaste
  andsnakewinefromHong
  Kong,kavapowderfrom
  Hawaiiand pumpkin-seed
  oil from Slovenia.

WhatwasthefoodlikeinAustria?It was

excellent.Cheesesandcuredmeatsmade

upa partof everymeal,alongwithschnitzel

andbigbeers.Schnappswasaneveryday

thingtodrink,inallkindsofflavours–

fromapricottopinecone.Wewerethere

insummer,whichmadeeverythingthat

muchmorebeautiful. I’d go back at the

snap of a finger.

You’reoriginallyfromPhiladelphia.What’s

thefoodlikethere?Thefoodscenehas

reallyevolvedinPhilly.Justlikeanyother

city, there are some great cultures that

havesettledthereandproduced

wonderfulthings.TheItalianMarket

hasalwaysbeena happyplaceforme

• it’swheremygrandparentsranfood
  stands.There’sreallygoodItalianfood;
  sandwiches,bakeries,creameriesand,
  ofcourse,theReadingTerminalMarket
  which has just about anything you need.

CanyouexplainPhiladelphia’ssignature

dish,thePhillycheesesteak?ThePhilly

cheesesteakis somethingyouhavetotry

if youvisitPhilly.It’smadefromsliced

rib-eye,caramelisedonions,American

cheese– orwhatweliketocall“the

Whiz”.It usuallycomesona reallysoft

Amorosoroll.I liketohaveminewith

ketchupandhotpeppers.Someplaces

laywholepiecesofslicedmeatonthe

roll, while some chop the meat up.

If youweretoopena newrestaurant

anywhere,wherewouldit be?Sicily.

Myfamilyis fromthereandI absolutely

loveit – itsfish,produce,architecture

and beaches are all things I really love.

WhatmakesItalianfoodsospecial?

A lotofloveis putintoItalianfood,

especiallywhenit’scookedat home.

There’salwayssomeonecookingat

myhouse– it’sinourblood.The

combinationsofingredientsandhow

they’repairedconnectswithmost

people. Food is what brings us together.

DoyouhaveanyItalianspecialties

youlovetocook?Formeit hasto

bemakingporchettaandfreshpasta.

Both are therapeutic and fun to make.

Canyouexplaintheconceptbehindyour

nextventure, 618 Hospitality?I’vebeen

consultingwithrestaurantsfora bigpart

ofmycareer.Withthisnewhospitality

business,myteamandI willbetaking

overdistressedassetsandupliftingthem

tobeprofitablespaces.We’llalsobe

consultingonbusiness,bothfrontand

backofhouse,toelevateandimprove

uponotherrestaurants.Fartoomany

restaurantowners,bothbeforeCovid-19

andnow,don’ttakeenoughinitiative

to make their business better.●

NickhostsRestaurantsontheEdge, which

is available to stream on Netflix.

Nick Liberato

EATING WITH

ThehostofNetflix’sRestaurants

ontheEdgetalksPhilly

cheesesteaks,homecookingand

his love affair with Italian food.

Whatweresomeofthemostinteresting

restaurantsyouvisitedwhilefilming?

A restaurantcalledBanyanTreein

TaiO,forourHongKongepisode,

wasdefinitelyoutthere.It wasin

a smallfishingvillageaboutanhour

intothemountains.Whilethevillage

wasbeautiful,youcouldn’tgetanywhere

withoutnoticingthesmellofdriedfish.

I alsothoughta restaurantcalledThe

Lookout,inourCostaRicaepisode,

wasprettyoutthere– it wasallthe

wayupa dirtroadinthemountains.

The viewwasbeautiful,butit was

verydryandyouhadtoknow exactly

where it was to get there.

How I eat

GOURMET TRAVELLER 31

INTERVIEW GEORGIE MEREDITH. PHOTOGRAPHY AMBER GARCEAU/COMPASS COLLECTIVE.