Celebrity Chefs
GUSTI REGIONALI
Life is a combination of magic and pasta.”- Federico Fellini, Director
Enjoy the creativity of our Italian chefs as they produce stunning regional dishes.
ROBERTO D'ANNA
Meet Roberto: A Culinary Journey from Sicily to Brisbane
From the sun-drenched shores of Balestrate, a charming coastal village near Palermo, comes Roberto, a culinary artist whose passion for authentic Italian cuisine has taken him on an extraordinary journey across three countries and two decades.
Roberto's story begins at Milan's prestigious Istituto Alberghiero C. Porta, where he honed his craft among Italy's finest culinary minds. But his appetite for excellence couldn't be contained by borders. His talents soon carried him across Europe, where he perfected his skills in the bustling kitchens of France, the vibrant markets of Spain, and the traditional trattorias of Italy.
In 2014, Roberto brought his authentic Sicilian heritage and European expertise to Brisbane, where the city's discerning Italian dining scene embraced him with open arms. Today, he's not just a Chef, he's an ambassador of Italian culinary tradition, proudly serving as Queensland Coordinator for the Federazione Italiana Cuochi Australian Delegation.
What's Cooking?
Prepare your palates for Roberto's signature presentation of Pasta alla Norma—but this isn't your typical recipe!
Drawing from his two decades of experience and multicultural culinary journey, Roberto promises to deliver this beloved Sicilian classic with an unexpected twist that honours tradition while embracig innovation.
Get ready to taste Sicily... with a surprise.
ALESSANDRO MOTTA
MAKING BUFFALO MOZZARELLA
The Accidental Artisan: Alessandro's Cheese Odyssey
In the cobblestone shadows of Rome, young Alessandro Motta's lactose-intolerant belly led him away from conventional milk toward the earthy richness of goat's milk and the sublime pleasure of authentic buffalo mozzarella.
The buffalo mozzarella of his childhood was revelatory: that taut, pearl-white skin yielding to a molten center that danced between salt and cream on his tongue—poetry wrapped in cheese cloth from the markets near the Tiber.
At twelve, Alessandro's universe shifted 10,000 miles southward to Brisbane's subtropical embrace, but the absence of his beloved buffalo mozzarella haunted every meal. Nostalgia became his recipe book. What began as desperate homesickness evolved into beautiful destruction—his mother's gas cooktop became collateral damage in his quest to recreate Rome in Queensland. Through years of spectacular failures, scalded milk, and rubbery disappointments, he refined his craft with the obsession of an alchemist seeking gold.
Word spread through Brisbane's food underground like wildfire when Alessandro finally mastered his art. Friends became customers, customers became disciples. Soon, his fingers were shaping not just buffalo mozzarella, but the silky luxury of burrata and the delicate sweetness of fior di latte—each cheese a love letter to his Roman roots.
Today, Brisbane's finest restaurants and delis showcase Alessandro's creations, proof that a lactose-intolerant toddler from Rome could become Queensland's unlikely cheese whisperer.