In the charming seaside town of Sorrento on the southern-most tip of mainland Australia, sits the authentic Italian cucina of Acquolina.
Milanese immigrant, Maria Grazie, and her Australian spouse, head-chef and somelier, Brett Johnson, run a firing trade here during the summer months. The pair then closes up shop and swaps the wild coastal beauty of Sorrento for the old-time glamour of Lake Como where they finesse and revitalise their cookery working at the Bellagio hotel.
As a result the pair never loses their enthusiasm, and their food, inspired by the culinary traditions of northern Italy, never tires.
Fresh, house-made pasta is definitely the highlight - whether it's the homemade beef casoncelli, the open prawn and porcini lasagna with light cream sauce, or the spaghetti bolognaise with preserved lemon and thyme. Simple, buttery veal scallopine is a bit too 50's comfort food for my tastes, but an old fashioned favourite nonetheless.
Mains are quite reasonable at $20.00-$28.00, so it's a perfect place for casual family dinners.
Stepping into Acquolina, however, means stepping into an Italian mindset. Expect all the drama, passion and temperament of real Italians. Here, you need to go with the flow and let charm work its magic. With Italian sous-chefs and waitstaff, and the eccentric, vibrant restauranter, Marie Grazie, it's a truly authentic way to eat Italian out of Italy.
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