An Italian restaurant beloved by many in the Huntly and Bendigo areas has reopened its doors after a two-year hiatus.
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La Terrazza owners Alvaro and Vivian Mazzarino have retired from running the restaurant and have handed the reins to chefs Dario Boemio and Suzie Coghlan.
The family-run restaurant opened in 2004 and operated for 11 years before closing for two years for personal reasons, although the Mazzarinos continued to work the vineyard and make wine.
After closing the restaurant, Mr Mazzarino went to Italy for a holiday and while there even tried to find a new chef for the restaurant, but it was not until July this year things began falling into place when he met Mr Boemio and Ms Coghlan.
Mr Boemio said they discovered they had a good connection and similar ways of working.
This led to the restaurant reopening in late September, an announcement met with a positive response Mr Mazzarino’s daughter Cristina said was “overwhelming”.
Mr Boemio and Ms Coghlan have backgrounds in fine dining, and they aim to provide a unique menu with food prepared in the traditional Italian way, which can be different to what people might expect.
“We try to keep the local, authentic food,” Mr Boemio said.
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Mr Boemio, a Naples native, explained southern Italian cuisine was different from northern Italian food in that it was influenced by north Africa and other parts of the Mediterranean, including Spain and France.
They want to use their own vegetables and celebrate locally-produced food, already using their own free-range eggs.
The couple also have plans in the works beyond the menu.
Mr Boemio said they wanted to do live music and happy hours, and possibly a New Year’s Eve event.
For the Mazzarinos, it is exciting to see the restaurant brought back to life.
Ms Mazzarino said as an Italian family, it was nice to see someone else with passion continue to deliver Italian food and culture.
She thanked the community for being so accepting of the business in its early days and for the support.
The restaurant is currently open Thursday to Sunday nights and Sunday lunch.