There was a time when I didn't understand all the fuss around Italian and Sons. It is, on the face of it, simple food - antipasto, salami, pasta, pizza and a special for each day of the week. Over the years, with a bit of age and wisdom, plus the insight of a couple of trips to Italy, I've come to understand the elegant simplicity and restraint that is the trademark of good Italian food.
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Italian and Sons is all that. Almost nine years old, its fit out remains timeless and chic - dark wooden floors, warm lighting and retro Italian posters plastered on a wall near the entrance. A wood-fired oven is the star of the open kitchen, and the blackboard is neatly updated with seasonal specials.
Service is friendly and warm with all the charm of the region. Tony, a bespectacled Italian gentleman greets every customer, making sure that every table feels looked after. We're seated at the front of the restaurant - the back section feels more like a classic dining room, while the front has the benefit of daylight for the first seating.
Our waiter suggests that this warm summer day is Aperol spritz weather and who am I to disagree? The drinks list is sharply curated with a selection of local favourites and Italian staples. My partner opts for the aglianico ($16) a full-bodied red variety from the southern region of Campania.
My spritz ($16) could've done with a quick stir - I'm happy to do without plastic straws, but it arrives in separate layers and I'm left using my entrée fork as a stirrer. The wine pours are 150ml and not a drop more, lacking in trademark Italian generosity and a touch pricey at $16 per glass. The following glasses of barbera ($16) and nerello ($18) are similarly poured.
The focaccia ($8) arrives warm with a rosemary infused olive oil. Deliciously chewy, slightly charred on the edges and lightly salted, it's delicious in its own right, not just a filler like bread courses can be.
Salumi is served individually rather in the traditional sharing style, but that's no matter. Fennel salamino ($15) comes with tangy pickled onions and a summery accompaniment of broad beans, while the prosciutto san daniele ($19) is perfectly matched with creamy stracciatella and peach instead of traditional melon. It's exciting to see new twists on classic combinations, thoughtfully executed from a tiny kitchen space.
The most difficult part of eating here is deciding what to order, so after a great deal of deliberation we opt for the specials, figuring that the kitchen knows best. For the very indecisive diners, there's an $80 tasting menu.
Mains don't really come much better than this wood roast pork belly ($38). The quality of the pork is outstanding, and upon enquiring I discover it's from a free range farm called Pillar Rock. There's just the right ratio of fat to light and dark meat topped with golden brown crackling. Green lentils add earthiness, there's cotechino sausage on the side and a surprising accompaniment of candied fruit 'mostarda' lightens the very rich affair.
The pasta of the day is fennel agnolotti with oxtail ragu ($35), a perfect combination of slightly sweet fennel with oxtail and tomato. I'm a little dismayed that there's only five agnolotti on the plate, but it may well be one of the best filled pasta dishes I've ever had.
On the waiter's recommendation we order the zucchini salad ($9), a refreshingly simple dish of shaved zucchini dressed with a bit of parmesan, olive oil and mint. It's a reminder that with good produce less is more.
I'm never one to skip dessert and very much the type that stops reading the rest of the dessert menu when I see chocolate, so the flourless chocolate torte with salted caramel popcorn and chocolate sorbet ($16) was always on my list. This one ticks all the boxes, fudgy and crunchy, top quality chocolate layered with salt and caramel.
Bookings are essential here; they run a tight service - our dinner never feels rushed but we are finishing up dessert exactly an hour and fifteen minutes after we were seated. There's a lot to like about Italian and Sons, and it doesn't overcomplicate things; to source good produce and cook it well has undoubtedly made it the Canberra institution it is today.
Score: 16.5/20
Italian and Sons
7 Lonsdale St, Braddon, 6162 4888
Owners: Trimboli group
Head Chef: Pasquale Trimboli
BYO: No
Lunch: Tuesday to Friday, noon until 2pm
Dinner: Monday to Saturday, 6pm until 11pm
Wheelchair access: via Bacaro wine bar
Noise: Not too bad at the early sitting
Vegetarian: A couple of good options
