Connie’s Italian Diner breaks free of Heartbreaker, goes big on family fun

Connie’s Italian Diner is completely ready for purple sauce-stained evenings backed by soul data and Americano cocktails, after a difficult summer of delays. Opening on April 21, the spin-off of Heartbreaker bar’s pizza window will sign up for the Designed in the Shade household, led by Michael and Zara Madrusan, incorporating another cafe to their beverages-targeted steady.

Departing slightly from the primary program claimed by Good Food items in November, Connie’s has morphed from informal pizza and pasta cafe previously mentioned Heartbreaker into a venue geared to the any-occasion dining Melburnians really like.

The modify is partly pushed by chef Matteo D’Elia’s credentials, like Michelin-starred London places to eat Galvin at Home windows and Bibendum. He’s folded more regular family recipes into the menu’s nostalgia for Italian places to eat in New York and Australia.

“The focus is however on feeling,” says Michael. “But now the food items has really ramped up to match the vibe.”

The Negative Nonna lasagne, for example, is primarily based on a recipe from Michael’s paternal grandmother, who ran Italian eating places in Newcastle. The anchovy zeppole are a contribution of Adrian Corigliano, chef at sister location Bar Margaux, whose mum generally will make the fried rounds of dough.

D’Elia, meanwhile, has added vitello tonnato, lamb rack ‘scottadito’ with peperonata, and cacio e pepe to the 26-dish menu.

The three pizzas are all deep-dish squares, baked on a conveyor belt oven that was previously applied in a Pizza Hut. A Tirami-sundae sees the preferred dessert reimagined, with tongue firmly in cheek.

Mirror balls are strung throughout the 100-seat venue (even in the bathrooms), which screams enjoyment many thanks to a fish tank, retro film posters and a jukebox loaded with 80 albums of Motown and soul. A rooftop terrace offers a grill, festoon lights and marble-topped tables.

Cocktails are grouped into highballs, glowing (accessible in pitchers, as well) and classics, which arrive in 500ml bottles for the entire table. The property spritz, Il Carretto, mixes amari Cynar and Aperol with pecorino white wine and soda. Wines are all Italian, with a reserve listing of barolos and other cellared bottles.

“You deliver your real mates to Connie’s on a Friday night time,” states Zara. “The individuals you can permit loose all over, share a significant bowl of spaghetti with, all those who will wipe the sauce off your chin and will never giggle at your dance moves right after meal.”

But, she provides, people can occur early for pasta alla norma in one particular of the booths, and the kids will get butchers paper and crayons.

Open up from April 21, Wed-Sat 5pm-late

Upstairs, 234B Russell Street, Melbourne, 03 8413 2970, connies.melbourne