As if arriving at the beginning of the perfect set to a theatre production about the modern ‘Eternal City’, Roma Ristorante sweeps you away to a different place. The fitout, in particular the ceiling, may be confronting to some, but it has a beauty about it to me. There’s something playful here.
When we enter we instantly recognise the manager (and part owner) from our regular visits to Supermaxi. Supermaxi was one of our favourites. A place Catherine had her 30th birthday with family and friends. A place that we would race takeaway ‘Supermaxi’ pizza with pancetta and radicchio home against the clock. It was special.
Italian
Catherine then mentions that the executive chef (and part owner) is Matt Wilkinson who ran beautiful Pope Joan, where our religiously regular visits to the original in Brunswick East also fill us with nostalgia. It was a very special place where Catherine and I got to know the staff at the same time our relationship formed.
Speaking of Joan, our waitperson for the evening comes and introduces himself and recounts the West End of London where he worked, and a story about making sure Joan Collins’ table was always ready for her arrival. This before telling us we had 90 minutes to eat, shortly before realising we actually had 2 hours, after we politely confronted him on the fact a several course meal and dessert was not going to be rushed!
Looking around at the people here, the deeply considered design, and the table setting in its ceramic glory, it’s hard not to be impressed. Turning a focus to the menu and there is some extra time and thought necessary to review the offerings, which are plentiful. You have a range of snacks, entrees, pastas, seafood, meats, and sides, sprawling across a book of a menu, with a cover that has a picture that feels familiar from our trips to Italy.
Eventually we settled on an entree serving of calamari, before a pasta and risotto to share, moving into a fillet of Blue Eye Cod, and finishing with dessert. We’ve already had a cocktail at The Lounge (Society), so we’re straight into a glass of wine. How’s this for novel – the waitperson immediately grabs a glass and serves it, rather than the ring roll of sending the order to the bar and waiting for it to shuffle up to the top of the bartender’s list. It’s a smart, keep-things-moving approach.
The calamari is tender and not your classic deep fried and dusted variety, so it shows off its natural flavour authentically. Beside my Vermentino by Willem Kurt of Beechworth, it pairs well. Catherine’s Bobar Chardonnay from the Yarra Valley is also nice and the price point is refreshingly under $20.
I’ve gotten used to sharing pasta and risotto lately, and it is an effective way to taste more dishes. Here it is an excellent serve of both, and the artichoke risotto is showing comfort and delicate flavour. The carbonara is anything but soqquadro (a complete mess in direct translation) and turns up looking more delicioso! In fact, the square shape is the pasta and sotto soqquadro means “out of square”. It’s a very flavoursome and inviting dish. We’re glad to have tried both.
I’ve moved on to a Kerner from Alto Adige producer Abbazia di Novacella and it is glorious balanced sweetness. The Blue Eye Cod comes out simply presented and there’s little pomp, but with the leaves it feels almost like a healthy and light main. The ability to be able to get a simply cooked whole fish, or fillet, with several different options available cannot be underestimated.
As the pasta, risotto, calamari and fish catch up to us and our stomachs, we opt to share dessert. Again it’s simply presented. A glossy Valrhona chocolate tart, with chestnut cream, that’s rich and sweet. This is what we primarily want in a dessert.
We spoke to Giovanni Patane towards the end of the meal and he was effusive about Roma Ristorante. While Supermaxi was special, he said there are aspects that you just cannot affordably do in the suburbs, and the whole palate has changed here. He made special mention of the tableware for example.
It true that the equation has dramatically changed for restaurants in recent years. You can now charge top dollar for Italian experiences that were once relegated to the cuisine being known to be more comforting and familiar than bespoke and special. You can assemble an amazing team, add the financing that Con Christopoloulos brings, and have a spectacular-to-look-at venue that provides the food and service experience you expect from the higher rated Italian joints. It’s back to the future with everything taken care of, and simplicity shining through.
