SEA CHANGE
Burleigh’s newest restaurant transports diners to one of Italy’s most appetising regions, but it’s also a departure for its owners, writes Amber Macpherson
ANDREA Riva’s 16-year quest to chase the sun has culminated in the opening of new Burleigh Heads restaurant Osteria Del Mare.
Last week, the unapologetically authentic Italian restaurant welcomed its first diners with the promise of handmade pasta, stone-cooked pizza and decadent main meals.
If you’ve been wondering what would reopen in the space of burger joint Euro Grill after the business was sold last month, this is it: an Italian affair, run by a husband and wife team proud to present the best dishes inspired by their home region of Emilia-Romagna.
While Andrea has never opened a restaurant in Queensland, his success with Bondi Beach Italian bistro Osteria Riva is sure to translate to the hospitality hub in our region’s little slice of paradise.
“I worked all my life in Italy. I used to do six months in Italy, six months in Australia since 2002 because I was following the sun for the best time,” Andrea says.
“Then I decided to stop in Australia. In 2009 I opened an Italian restaurant called Osteria Riva (at Bondi Beach, Sydney).
“I operated for eight years, then I sold it last year. We had friends here and we came to see Burleigh Heads — we fell in love (with Burleigh Heads). For me it was a better life on the Gold Coast than Sydney, so that’s what we did.”
With Emilia-Romagna colloquialisms affectionately referring to the girth size of its inhabitants, you can expect indulgent meats, cheeses and desserts on the traditional menu.
“Emilia Romagna is where the best produce and the food is from,” Andrea says.
“Prosciutto de parma, balsamic vinegar, parmesan, tomatoes — all of those things.
“(We’re) using original produce imported from Italy, from the flour to the mozzarella cheese, the tomato. Osteria is a casual restaurant with very great produce, and everything hand made. I’m old school, an Italian chef.”
Osteria will be ocean-themed — Osteria Del Mare translates to hospitality by the sea — playing with blues and whites in the dining area for a light, bright, inviting space.
Andrea says the dinner menu will not be seafood heavy, rather a mix of meat, fish and vegetable-based dishes, plus a little experimentation with an ingredient known to aid digestion.
“Most of the menu is classic Italian — fresh pasta, lamb ragout, prawn ragout, lasagne, pizza, and some chargrilled sirloin and chargrilled tuna steak,” Andrea says. “Stone-cooked pizza. Very inviting for me. “Now there are all these things with charcoal bread, charcoal pizza, activated charcoal.
“I would like to introduce seafood lasagne, but made with pasta by hand, and black from the charcoal in the flour.
“Charcoal is best for digestion.” Italian-speaking wait staff have been employed to take your order and run you through the menu, giving diners the experience of eating in Italy without leaving the Gold Coast.
Osteria is also open for breakfast from 6.30am, offering pastries, sweet treats and coffees for early morning pick-me-ups, run by Andrea’s wife.
“When you come into this restaurant, you feel like you’ve entered Italy. Not in Australia — Italy. Very friendly, very authentic,” Andrea says.
“It’s a passion. My grandparents were in the restaurant industry, all my family is in the restaurant industry.
“I’ve got that passion about food.”
Osteria Del Mare, 2/1718 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 6.30am to late.