It’s like learning to ride a bike, stopping, starting again for a few weeks, and stopping again for a few months. It felt much more unusual last time with empty but full dining rooms, and tonnes of sanitiser. Somehow with masks on your way to the table, and on all the staff, it feels quite natural now?

Park Street Pasta and Wine was our choice for our first big lunch back after 3.5 months of a strong lockdown. Reservations across town were full seemingly moments after the State Government announcement that we were allowed to safely go back to eat and drink the way we used to (in a sense).

The planning concessions allowed the restaurant to sprawl out onto the street, but we were keen for an intimate chance to dine. Our little boy, not in our care for the first time since the middle of July, meant we had some serious indulging to do.

It’s not our style to eat huge meals, or drink a lot (well, maybe not Catherine), but we do like to try multiple dishes by sharing. First up we tried the sardines, which were lightly cooked and full of flavour that we hadn’t enjoyed outside of our home for some time. As we finished our cocktails, mine an Americano spritz to celebrate a return to normality from a US political perspective at least, we were beginning to remember what we had been missing.

Sharing the cacio e pepe brought back memories of Rome. The pepper not pushing the limits, but delicious all the same, and the mafaldine pasta a talking point for both its shape, and its great texture. Next we were back for some more fruits of the sea, with Port Phillip mussels topping a rich and deep tomato sauced spaghetti. Such a delight. The sweet vincotto (balsamic) in the parmesan and pistachio salad led to us finishing every mouthful, which is a bit unusual for even the best of side salads.

Turning to dessert, despite the continuing “doughnut days”, we skipped the bombolini, and instead tried the apple and pecan crumble. Deconstructed, it had the freshness of crisp apple to balance the sweetness of the crumble, along with some sweetened fior di latte gelato. A nice finish to a long lunch.

With good expressions of Soave, Vermentino, and several other Italian varieties, the wine list by the glass has plenty to keep diners interested. The weaker point of the meal was not surprising. Service is terribly difficult at the moment with a lot of elements to consider, especially the fact that so many staff are not in Australia any longer (and probably won’t come back). It did not disrupt the meal, but it was not a positive either.

I’m very aware that we are in different times right now. This is a relaxed long Sunday lunch that was overdue, and it was terrific to again be out in Melbourne!