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 DiMattina Family breathes new life into culinary institutions Thursday 30th October 2008 Few can match the DiMattina family when it comes to understanding food culture, particularly when you consider that it has more than 50 years experience in hospitality. Over the past four years, the DiMattina Restaurant Group has grown exponentially. Spanning nearly 30 years, its portfolio now comprises eight iconic restaurants, bars and cafés in both Melbourne and the Gold Coast. What’s more, the family still maintains a very hands-on approach with each business, ensuring the old-fashioned Italian hospitality it has long been renowned for. To give each of its establishments a contemporary yet traditional feel, the DiMattina Group has worked closely with respected designer Christo Gillard, whose credits include the Grand Hotel, Richmond, and Esplanade Hotel, St Kilda. Gillard’s touch has breathed new life into the group’s existing venues, while providing a definitive edge to its newer ventures. Society is, undoubtedly, the DiMattina Group’s flagship establishment. Originally a favourite haunt for many a celebrity and Melbourne’s social elite in the 1930s, the venue’s charm lies in its heritage. With Gillard’s outstanding eye for detail, the family has maintained the original venue’s old-world feel, while giving it a decidedly contemporary European edge, with stunning wallpapers, stylish décor and an invitingly warm ambience. All the while adhering to Italian tradition: good food, simply served. “We wanted people to walk in and feel like they were anywhere else in the world,” said Paul DiMattina, manager of the DiMattina Group. With a few new recent kitchen additions the food has gone to a new level of excellence. Il Gambero is one of Lygon Street’s most renowned culinary institutions. A Carlton mainstay for close to 30 years, this landmark pizzeria is the restaurant of choice for lovers of simple, traditional pizzas and pastas. While the ground floor remains relatively untouched, the tastefully refurbished upstairs area maintains the downstairs section’s unique, rustic charm. It also boasts one of Melbourne’s finest Spaghetti Marinaras. Literally just across the road from Il Gambero, DiMattina’s Restaurant and Bar is one of Lygon Street’s more refined establishments. The brief to Gillard was simple: provide an emphasis on comfort and style. The result is truly exceptional. Adding a new dimension to the venue, which boasts an already renowned menu and wine list, the new interior features stunning décor and wallpapers, including a superbly crafted collage illustrating the DiMattina family’s sporting heritage. Providing a warm, intimate ambience, the upstairs area is also fast becoming the venue for stand-up cocktail functions and sit-down dinners. Since opening earlier this year, Locanda – which is Italian for ‘inn’ – has quickly established itself as a popular post-work, pre-theatre and late-night haunt. Set against a stunning backdrop, it’s fast gaining a reputation for housing one of Melbourne’s most outstanding wine lists. The bar also features an Enomatic wine system, which ensures the quality and temperature of each particular wine. Locanda also has a delectable menu and, Society aside, offers some of the CBD’s best coffee. The Blue Train Café is often touted as the ‘people’s café – and quite rightly so. This venue is somewhat of a mainstay in the Southgate precinct and offers exceptional cuisine, as well as stunning views of Melbourne’s skyline and the Yarra River. Maintaining the decidedly upbeat, groovy feel, the recent refurbishment maintains the café’s unique ambience. Another recent addition to the DiMattina Group’s portfolio is the Carpark Café, an iconic landmark set within Melbourne’s famous Camberwell Markets. As with the DiMattina Group’s Melbourne venues, Mario’s has been the restaurant of choice for Italophiles on the Gold Coast for many years. Located in Broadbeach, this long-standing establishment offers a modern, authentic Italian dining experience with the kind of old-fashioned service you would expect. The recent refurbishment simply breathes new life into the rustic, traditional feel the restaurant has long been renowned for. ALTO has become the place to be seen on the Gold Coast since it opened in 2004. Its stylish, modern ambience is matched by its equally chic bar, which features DJs from Thursday to Sunday. What’s more, it’s the perfect place to gather with friends or simply to relax. As the name’s abbreviation suggests – A Little Taste Of – the superb menu is geared towards those who like to share, something that has endeared ALTO to culinary-savvy locals. Paul DiMattina is available for interviews upon request. |
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