Live 'la bella vita' at The Italian Place

When The Italian Place co-owner Tony Lo Terzo suffered a stroke in 2024, Chef Francesco Petrillo decided to close the adjoining providore and focus on the restaurant.

Now the sole owner/operator and full-time head chef, Francesco is keenly aware of the importance of taking time to relax. And to show Canberrans how the Italians do it, he’s reintroducing the beloved Italian tradition of l’aperitivo to Mort Street.

Traditionally, in Italy, alcohol is always drunk with food, whether it’s a full meal or just a snack to accompany a glass of wine at the end of the day.

Completion of the recent Braddon street upgrades has seen an increase in Mort Street’s pedestrian activity, so it’s the perfect place for a spot of people-watching. The $30 l’aperitivo menu includes a glass of wine, beer or a cocktail (I recommend the Aperol spritz) and includes a mixed plate of cichetti, which Francesco explained is a Venetian style of finger food.

“But l’aperitivo is not just about the food. It’s about people getting together and enjoying themselves,” Francesco told Region.

“We want to give people a nice Sunday with a nice drink, and nice food to enjoy with their friends: it’s la bella vita.”

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the cichetti on offer for l’aperitivo. Beautiful cured meats, sliced wafer thin alongside briny olives, preserved artichokes and gorgeous roasted capsicum on toasted baguette. Hot snacks like arancini, croquettes and stuffed focaccia will also feature. The outdoor seating area is a delightful space to sit in the dappled shade, especially during those languid Autumn afternoons.

The Veneto region is the flavour of the month at The Italian Place, as they kick off their monthly Regional dinners with a Venetian feast.

Starters will focus on the seafood-rich diet of Venice with sweet-vinegar marinated sardines, prawns with tomato and salted cod on baked polenta. Treviso-style radicchio risotto is followed by duck and ox tongue served with a traditional Veronese pearà sauce. The food will be accompanied by wines from Bungendore Winery Sapling Yard, made by Carla Rodeghiero, who has a family connection to the Veneto region through her father.

The monthly regional dinners allow Chef Francesco to dive deep into the unique cuisine of a specific part of Italy and showcase some of Italy’s lesser-known but equally delicious dishes that haven’t made it onto mainstream menus around the world. We all know Carbonara pasta and Margherita Pizza, but there’s a lot more to Italian cuisine than what we typically see in Australia.

“Italian food isn’t just ‘Italian Food’: it’s connected by region [which all have their] own style, own wines, and own traditions.”

March will feature the cuisine of Campania, the part of Italy where Francesco is from, so it’s sure to be a highlight! And April will take diners on a journey to the island cuisine of Sicily, which is actually closer to Tunisia in North Africa than it is to Rome. As a result, it has a very different history of conquest, culture and cuisine. Each dinner will have paired wines from a different Canberra region winemaker.

Francesco says that he misses having Tony around and is slowly becoming accustomed to being the face of the restaurant (although he prefers to hide in the kitchen).

“Tony’s shoes are big shoes to fill. Having him around gave me more confidence, but hopefully, people enjoy what I’m doing.”

The Italian Place is located at 38 Mort St Braddon. Book online and follow them on Instagram or Facebook. The Veneto Regional Dinner will be held on 24 February; bookings are essential.

L’Aperitivo Sundays commence on 2 March, and run from 11 am to 3 pm (with a lunch menu also available).

The Italian Place is open for lunch from Tuesday to Saturday, 12.30 pm to 2 pm, and for dinner from Monday to Saturday, 5.30 pm to 9.30 pm.