Now considered the 'bible of the restaurant industry', after a painful three-year hiatus, The Age Good Food Guide is back, continuing to recognise the talent and vision of Victoria's best chefs with its prestigious ‘hats’.
The awards ceremony, supported by long-time partner Vittoria Coffee and a new collaboration with Oceania Cruises, was held at The W Hotel in Melbourne on November 14, with more than three hundred local culinary experts in attendance.
In addition to the hats awarded to the best restaurants in metropolitan and regional Victoria, this year a number of venues of excellence were also celebrated with 'hearts'.
The excellence of some longstanding institutions of local Italian gastronomy was reconfirmed with consecutive hats ― Il Bacaro, Caterina's Cucina e Bar, Tipo 00 and Osteria Ilaria, Di Stasio, Matteo's and Stefano's in Mildura ― and joining the Olympus of culinary prestige in Australia, with a hat and a score of 15.5, is Lagotto in Fitzroy North, run by Parma-born head chef, Matteo Fulchiati.
Influenced by European hospitality, combined with the elegance of cosy interiors and modern design, Lagotto is the best expression of Italian-inspired cuisine with a touch of fusion.
It’s hard to ignore the cascading beams of light and shadow cast by the Venetian blinds, slightly ajar in the late afternoon; the white marble that dominates the main dining room and the long counter; the inlaid floor of geometric pink terrazzo tiles.
However, it’s not only the restaurant’s aesthetic that caught the attention of The Age Good Food Guide, but the high quality of the ever-changing selection of dishes: from the classic Italian focaccia, to the spaghettoni al limone with bottarga, mussels and breadcrumbs, to the carbonara with white asparagus, and the swordfish cotoletta.
"We were invited to the official ceremony, so we were hoping for some recognition, but we certainly did not expect such a result," said Fulchiati.
"Even the score excited us: that 0.5 more than many other restaurants is so gratifying.”
It’s taken two years of hard work and great sacrifice to reinvent the restaurant’s culinary offerings and transform a former Australian cafe into a fine dining establishment with an exclusive menu.
"Previous experience in the local gastronomic scene gave me the basis and skills to manage the kitchen independently and to be able to create dishes that were not necessarily linked to the Italian tradition. I think this was our secret; it gives us an added advantage,” continued the head chef.
From the many culinary collaborations the restaurant has organised ― with Japanese chef Atsushi Kawakami of Future Future in Richmond, and Andreas Papadakis of Tipo 00, for example ― to the Sunday menu that changes every week, at Lagotto, every aspect has been thought through down to the last detail in order to create an innovative restaurant.
“This hat is also dedicated to Lagotto’s owner, Katie McCormack, who recently passed away. She really believed in the project and we never lacked her support,” added Fulchiati, visibly moved.
“We are sure that this acknowledgement will give us great visibility, and perhaps also facilitate the recruiting process, at a time when all restaurants are suffering from a lack of manpower. But our direction will remain the same; this is just a starting point. It will be up to us to do our best to maintain high standards.”
