La Pesa Trattoria

LOCATION
On the corner of Liverpool and Yurong Streets, in Darlinghurst.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Never been to Milan? Don’t worry there’s always time. For now you can get close with a visit to La Pesa Trattoria where the spirit of Italy bubbles feverishly in Italian-inspired decor and authentic cuisine. The younger sister of a Milanese restaurant of the same name, La Pesa is the creation of Michael and Maki Dackiw. Having come back to Australia after a collective 12 years of travelling and living in Europe, they searched as far as Byron Bay to find a spot to continue their romance with Milano. But it was the curved archways and historic characteristics of the heritage-listed building on the corner of Liverpool and Yurong Streets that won them over. It didn’t take too much decorating to turn the spot into a relaxed trattoria – complete with wine-bottle lined walls, rustic wooden tables and original 60s and 70s black and white photographs taken by celebrated Milanese photographer, Virgilio Carnasio.

In step, the menu was designed to be a testament to the Milanese kitchen with La Pesa Milano chefs, Marco Devecchi and Mauro Manenti, being lured to shuffle the pans in Sydney. The result is a collection of handmade pastas and authentic dishes like Milanese antipasto (pancetta, coppa, handmade hot bread, oven-roasted capsicums and caramelised balsamic onions), oven-baked ossobuco served on creamy saffron risotto with bone marrow and mondeghili Milanesi serviti con polenta e funghi trifolati (traditional Milanese meatballs served with polenta and sauteed mushrooms), finding a permanent home on the menu. As for the rest of the selection? Expect it to change monthly as the chefs get creative with seasonal produce. Pair your meal with a glass of wine or an Italian cocktail (perhaps a spiced caramel espresso martini will tempt you?), close your eyes and you’ll find yourself half-way to Europe.

Agnes Gajewska 2010