Australia Street has already carved out its name in the hearts and minds of inner west residents and Sydney’s diners, and now it further cements itself as a dining destination as three new venues open next door to each other. Flora and Mister Grotto (opened in February) respectively see a café and a seafood restaurant open up next to Continental Deli, while Osteria Mucca (open in March) rounds out the list as an old-school Italian trattoria.
The group Paisano and Daughters is founded by brothers-in-law Joe Valore and Elvis Abrahanowicz (who are also associated with the Porteño group) and named after the pair’s seven daughters. The new ventures continue to revitalise the storied H. May building on Australia Street, kicking off with the opening of Continental Deli a decade ago, and now evolving with the trio of new additions.
“It’s been almost four years in the making,” Abrahanowicz tells GT. “Just doing one venue at a time, there’s a lot of work that goes into it – doing three at once is insane. But we all work really well together.”
Flora, which sits at 206 Australia Street, serves as a vegetarian-focused day-to-night café-restaurant. The team has nabbed chef Jude Hughes, who brings his experience in the kitchens of The Summertown Aristologist in the Adelaide Hills and Three Blue Ducks in Byron Bay to Newtown. Experimenting with fermentation (seen in the everyday salad replete with house-made tempeh and ferments with sprouts and cashew ranch) and cheesemaking (showcased in dishes like ricotta and cacao husk pancakes with smoked maple syrup and espresso butter), Hughes brings a forward-thinking approach grounded in old-school fermentation techniques to the pass. By day, plates are joined by bulletproof coffees and white chocolate-spiked cold brews; and in the evening, a wholly Australian wine list is poured.
Next door dwells Mister Grotto, an ode to seafood from the cool waters of Tasmania, up through the NSW coastline and to the warm waters of Queensland, with Spanish, French and Mexican techniques and influences. Head chef Måns Engberg works closely with passionate suppliers and fishermen to honour their catches in both raw dishes and mains cooked carefully over charcoal. On the raw side of the menu you’ll find delicate cuttlefish in young coconut; seared bonito with sauce vierge and frisée; and prawns done in a Mexican-style aguachile (raw and seasoned with lime and chilli) with golden kiwi and serrano peppers. From the grill there are barbecued pipis in dry vermouth and lavender honey with cornbread; and nannygai served with sweet corn, Manchego, macadamia and salsa macha (a peanut and chilli oil condiment). Mister Grotto will also draw on Continental Deli’s knack for tinning with preserved mussels escabeche, harrisa octopus and smoked cod on the menu.
And finally, joining Mister Grotto, Flora and well-established Continental Deli, the opening of Osteria Mucca at 212 Australia Street is the the penultimate puzzle piece of Pasiano and Daughters’ delicious Australia Street precinct. Named to honour the building’s butcher shop past (Mucca meaning “cow” in Italian), the 50-seater brings old-school trattoria charm by keeping the fitout’s original green and white tiles, with the middle-of-the-room banquettes and walls thoughtfully curated in shades of green to match. With Janina Allende (Pellegrino 2000 and Alberto’s Lounge alum) at the helm, Osteria Mucca’s menu is bringing an “in with the old” philosophy to the plate, with old-world Italian techniques, nose-to-tail cooking and plenty of pasta at the fore. Think pigs’ head sausage across the board, lemony prawn spaghetti lifted with bottarga; pappardelle paired with chicken liver and mushrooms; and spinach and ricotta ravioli swimming in short-rib ragù. Desserts are courtesy of Pasiano official sweet tooth Lauren Eldridge, and might feature dolce delights like fluffy ricotta sponge or sweet-wine custards.
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