The two Italian foodies found themselves living in England around the same time, working in some of London’s most prestigious restaurants.
Hailing from the Lombard town of Gallarate, with Calabrian heritage, Aloisio cooked in the kitchens of Locanda Locatelli and Via Condotti, both owned by celebrity chef and author Giorgio Locatelli.
Meanwhile, Davidde comes from Mafalda, in Molise, and worked in the restaurants of French-born chef Alain Ducasse and international icon Marco Pierre White.
Following their London adventures, both Aloisio and Davidde ended up halfway around the world, in Melbourne.
The former has worked at the likes of the Grand Hotel in Richmond, Grossi Florentino and Trattoria Ilaria, which are considered among the best Italian restaurants in Melbourne.
The latter has lent his expertise to Circa, at The Prince of Wales Hotel in St Kilda, and was the restaurant’s manager when it was awarded two hats by the The Age Good Food Guide.
He has also worked at Rosetta, celebrity chef Neil Perry’s refined Italian restaurant at Crown.
After years of experience in the world of fine dining, Aloisio and Davidde began to seek simplicity in their lives.
In July 2020, just before Victoria went into lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the duo opened a small restaurant of their own.
“We’d come up with the idea a year earlier,” Aloisio said.
“We’d found a space that then became a small restaurant; then when we finally found the right place and were ready to go for it, the second wave of COVID-19 infections hit.
“Mattia was working as a chef for Ferrari at the Melbourne Grand Prix when I was going to sign the lease of the venue and he called me and said: ‘Stop everything, they’ve cancelled the Grand Prix due to the pandemic’.”
The two put their plans on hold but, realising that the pandemic had led to everyone being stuck at home and cooking the ultimate comfort food – lasagna – they decided to open Lasagna Lab the week before Melbourne’s second lockdown took effect.
Located at 184 High Street, Windsor, the restaurant was slightly different from what the pair initially had in mind.
They wanted it to be a place where diners could sit down for a plate of steaming lasagna and a glass of wine, or maybe a Limoncello with dessert, but instead they found themselves serving mainly take-away meals as a result of coronavirus restrictions.
The unprecedented health crisis caused suffering among many people, especially those on working holiday visas, who were not entitled to government aid.
Aloisio and Davidde, who were able to receive the JobKeeper payment as business owners, decided to donate part of the government subsidy to creating food packs for those in need, including rice, milk, eggs and lasagna.
With the return to normality, Aloisio is now busy in the kitchen and Davidde warmly welcomes the customers, but their initial philosophy based on authenticity and sustainability remains unchanged: the meat for the Sher Wagyu Bolognese lasagna comes from one of the three certified farms in Australia, while the lasagna with porcini mushrooms and truffles is 100 per cent vegan with the use of a locally sourced vegan cheese, and the beers on offer come from local artisan brewers.
Whatever you decide to order, Lasagna Lab offers a hearty, authentic dining experience that is as good for the planet as it is for your soul.
