New school Italian.
So these days it seems the only way to eat is somewhere with a use by date. The best of Chefs are picking a temporary site, popping up with new incarnations of their menu and then packing up before the masses even hear about it.
Alfio's is the nonna version of the slick city pop up. Set in a quiet suburban street in Leichhardt, inside an authentic vintage Italian restaurant fit out - brick arches and all, is a hot little spot serving up phenomenal food, albeit on Nonna's flowery plates.
It's been there since October and who knows when it will close, but with a menu that changes daily and offers four courses for $60 - cash only and BYO only, I suggest you get your butt in a seat presto. It was an achingly hot day so I went with a simple Morgan Marks maxi, a glo mesh clutch, a gift that I adore from C.A.M, new sparkly flats from Sambag and a ghetto fabulous Zariin amethyst ring from Eve Adorned.
The heat wasn't alleviated in the restaurant. Being old school for real means no air conditioning, just sweating it out European style. But who cares when you can drink your own wine without paying for the privilege and be served the first of four outstanding courses by young, cute boys? Not I.
The Saturday night crowd was heaving and the tunes were pumping, hence the atmosphere was rocking.
Then these crispy delights came out and the night really started. Roasted potatoes with sage and corn puree. Delicious and a taste revelation dipped in the corn puree.
Next course was mussels in a tomato broth with chickpeas and capsicum and a huge chunk of rustic bread to mop it all up - bellissimo.
The porcini lasagne stole the night though. Creamy, richly flavoured and so so moreish.
Minted lamb shoulder and peas were gorgeous, melt in your mouth stuff along with a fresh, crisp zucchini salad. But oh, that lasagne.
After a few trips outside to cool down (read flapping my maxi skirt up and down like your embarrassing Italian mama) we were steadily getting through our wine and ready for something sweet when this little chunk of heaven came out. Rochetta is a cheese from the piedmont region made from cow, sheep and goat's milk and it is mightily good.
Roasted peaches with marscapone were the final course of perfection. Fresh, beautifully sweet and simple, just Delicious (with a capital D).
The upshot is unfortunately we can't expect these ridiculously talented cute boys to stay in Nonna's kitchen forever, so check yourself before you wreck yourself and get there.
