The final event of the generous initiative was a lunch, hosted by the hospitable Club Italia Sporting Club in Sunshine and prepared by two veterans of Sardinian cuisine: Giovanni Pilu, owner-chef of Pilu at Freshwater, in Sydney, and Pietro Porcu, owner-chef of Da Noi, in Toorak.
Accompanying them in the kitchen were two rising Sardinian stars: chef Stefano Rassu and restaurateur Fabio Dore.
At the time, the former worked at Pomodoro Sardo, in Melbourne, and the latter managed Sydney’s Popolo.
Stefano and I soon forged a friendship, which continues to this day.
When he was still in Melbourne, my wife and I would often gravitate towards his Lonsdale Street venue for an aperitif and an appetiser, before a show at one of the city’s nearby theatres.
Pre-COVID, Stefano married a brilliant young woman during a splendid ceremony in Sardinia.
When his wife fell pregnant, the couple decided to leave the big smoke for the coast, settling in Sorrento along the Mornington Peninsula.
Hailing from the mountain village of Aritzo in the heart of Sardinia, Stefano felt the call of the sea and, with the arrival of his daughter, sought a more tranquil life devoted to his family.
Upon his arrival in the Victorian seaside town, Stefano became manager of Sardo Sorrento.
The restaurant reflects the life philosophy passed on to Stefano by his grandfather Michele (the founder of a large hotel in Aritzo, where Stefano trained professionally), who lived to be 105 years old.
“It’s about living at a slower pace, with little stress and a diet based on fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables, top-quality fish and meat, Sardinian pecorino cheese and red wine,” he said in an interview with Rete Italia.
In Sorrento, Stefano felt the same atmosphere he had left behind in Aritzo, where everyone knew each other and there was a strong sense of community.
“One day I took a walk with my wife, my son Leonardo and a friend visiting from Melbourne along the main street of Sorrento,” he said.
“The street isn’t very long but it took us an hour to walk down because of all of the people we stopped to talk to along the way; that would never happen in Lonsdale Street.”
Stefano’s days are certainly less hectic than when he was in the CBD, and he starts with a walk on one of the beaches along the Mornington Peninsula, before visiting the fishermen to see what the catch of the day is.
“Spaghetti with vongole and bottarga [produced in Australia by Giovanni Pilu and Massimiliano Scalas of Salumi Australia, in Byron Bay], isn’t always on the menu, because the vongole are locally sourced,” he explained.
Sardo Sorrento’s menu features favourites of Sardinian cuisine, including malloreddus (a type of pasta that looks similar to gnocchi) with traditional sausage ragù and Sardinian pecorino, as well as culurgiones, a unique type of stuffed pasta.
A must-try is the restaurant’s luxurious take on fregola, with lobster, prawns, crab, clams and mussels.
For those who have not yet decided to spend a weekend on the Mornington Peninsula, to relax while admiring the landscapes, walking on the beaches, or tasting the excellent wines produced in the area, Stefano offers another reason to head to this lovely part of Victoria.
“The products used at Sardo Sorrento are determined by the seasons and are as local as possible,” he concluded.
“Now, for example, it’s truffle season and we source truffles from nearby Red Hill and serve them on pappardelle with fresh porcini mushrooms, which are also in season and locally sourced.”
Perhaps we’ve discovered the secret to Sardinian longevity...
