BOLD & BEAUTIFUL

There’s a new osteria in Sydney, headed up by a fearless chef with undeniable skill, writes Anthony Huckstep. The result may be audacious but it’s also one of the best Italian experiences in town.

FORCES OF NATURE have a way of imposing themselves on you – cyclones, floods, confident egos. At times, they can be too powerful. But a combination of the right elements can create a perfect storm.

Take CicciaBella, the new Bondi Italian osteria by restaurateur Maurice Terzini in the former bones of his Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta. He’s corralled the culinary nous of Mitch Orr (ACME) and grape-juice guru James Hird for a trio with strong CVs and a healthy confidence to match.

CicciaBella is a darker proposition than Da Orazio. With a disco-meets-post-punk playlist setting the tone, CicciaBella has wood panelling, rippled black metal, tie-dyed cloths and dim lighting, and you can sit at the bar, counter or banquettes.

The wine, and indeed cocktail list, is a cracker. Hird veers us towards Italy with a Guttarolo Verdeca from Puglia he describes as “like a chardonnay with a mullet”, but we opt for the rumbling red thunder of an Antoniotti Pramartel Hird describes as “a bit heavy at first, like ‘Master of Puppets’ by Metallica, but like the album, once you’re in it’s a smooth ride.” It had me ready to swirl and sip.

In the kitchen chef Mitch Orr, forever the over-confident kid, has built a career on talent and a willingness to test your tolerance on tongue-in-cheek creations – think Duke and ACME. But here, it’s just beautifully cooked southern Italian.

A long antipasti offering could include broad beans and edamame in a puddle of olive oil; yellowfin tuna tartare tossed with Calabrian chilli, or gremolata-topped bone marrow – all delightful with a light garlic pizza fritta. Pasta, Orr’s strong suit, takes things up a notch. Blistered cherry tomatoes get an umami oomph from shaved bottarga tossed through linguine.

Then maltagliati matches braised rabbit with pistachio. Like Da Orazio, there are pizzas, but here they are smaller pizzette. Thin, blistered, smoky and malleable, the puttanesca is perfect and you’ll be hard pressed to not order another – if so, the ’nduja, olive and mozzarella is where to go. For mains, NZ flounder, pork chop, or a charred Riverina angus flank – delightful on its own, but served atop an intense cafe cucina butter. Finish with a no frills but fun macadamia semifreddo with coconut and mango.

Sure it’s brash and loud, but for those drawn in, it’s good times, great food and cracking wine. And there’s that perfect storm of confidence, talent and experience that puts CicciaBella in the realms of one of the best openings of the year.