By Franz Scheurer
Stuck in Melbourne on business the least I could do was treat myself to a good lunch.
Taxi!… Taxi!… oh good, right on queue: to the Café Di Stasio, please, post haste!
Ronnie Di Stasio’s restaurant in St. Kilda has always been one of my favourite eating places in Melbourne. His no nonsense approach to Italian food is a starving stomach’s delight. The pasta, all made on the premises, is amongst the best you’ll find anywhere and the way the pastas are cooked makes them really special.
I ordered the Fritattini al Taleggio, a wafer thin herbed fritatta topped with Taleggio cheese, a perfect match for the Di Stasio Chardonnay, served by the glass. The Di Stasio family has owned a vineyard in the Coldstram area for 6 years but the 1999 Chardonnay and 1999 Pinot Noir are the first vintages and both are served at the restaurant with all the labels handwritten by the matriarch of the Di Stasio family. The Chardonnay is clean, fresh, buttery and has some lovely floral aromas and the Pinot Noir is a fairly light style but very drinkable. The wine-maker for the Di Stasio wines is Mario Marsen from Mount Mary and a Mount Mary Pinot Noir is what I ordered to complement the Linguini with Duck Liver in a Wine Reduction. A match made in heaven and as I simply didn’t manage to finish all the wine with this dish I had to order the Char-grilled Porterhouse with White Truffle Oil and Roasted Potatoes. The meat was succulent and cooked to perfection. There aren’t many places that can do “blue” perfectly. The meal came to an end with the Gnocchetti of Ricotta and Home Made Ice Cream. The Gnocchetti were a dream, however I didn’t like, nor understand the Maple Syrup that the plate was flooded with.
As usual, a fabulous meal, great service, a superb wine list, a fabulously well stocked bar, superb food and a great atmosphere.
For more information or bookings:
Café di Stasio
31 Fitzroy Street
St. Kilda VIC 3182
Tel: 03 9525 3999