Taste la dolce vita at Wyong’s new Italian restaurant Osteria A’Mano
(Mum was no Jamie Oliver, I can assure you).
So it was only right that 50-plus years later I should try some Italian food.
And last week it came to pass that I found myself in Wyong’s new traditional Italian restaurant, Osteria A’Mano owned by “master” chef Alessandro Cigola.
And let me tell you the food there is a long hop from chops, spuds and peas.
You know you’re in for an Italian experience when, as soon as you open the doors of the restaurant, you hear the incredible voice of Pavarotti filtering through the speakers.
The decor too is truly Italian with posters of iconic movie stars such as Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni adorning the walls and even mafia-like black and white photos of men in long black coats standing on street corners sipping on bottles of Peroni beers.
But it was the food I was there for and as one of a party of five I was ready to eat.
My wife started with the duck liver pate with sour cherries and pickles, which I tasted and found not necessarily my dish of choice.
But I was assured by my wife, who can take some convincing, it was as good as she had ever tasted.
My entree choice was the calamari stuffed with prawns in a herb and prawn bisque with zucchini.
It was also the choice of two of my other guests and we all agreed it was pure heaven.
Personally, I could have gone for seconds but I didn’t want to appear greedy.
And so to the mains: green pesto and creamy pasta for one of my fellow diners; a homemade ravioli with a pear and greens salad for another; one slow-cooked pressed lamb shoulder with glazed carrots and two spaghetti marinaras.
Happily I was able to sample each dish, accompanied by a bottle of Prosecco champagne, of course, and while the pesto and ravioli were pure delight and the lamb almost melted in your mouth my favourite was the creamy marinara, complete with mussels, prawns and crab legs.
For dessert we share-tasted beautifully presented dishes of coffee and liqueur-laced tiramisu, lemon panna cotta and gelato.
Osteria A’Mano is located in the former Spencers clothing and haberdashery building in Wyong where, as a kid, I would go with my mother to buy schools socks, shorts and shirts.
So for me, it wasn’t just an Italian dining experience but a wonderful trip down memory lane.
I’ll definitely return and I won’t leave it another 50 years.
Food: 4.5/5
Drinks: 4/5
Staff: 4.5/5
Diner’s comfort: 4/5
Score: 17/20
Verdict: An Italian experience in my own home town
Address: 66 Pacific Highway Wyong
Hours: Lunch noon-2pm by appointment; dinner 5.30pm till late (every day except Monday).
Best value for money: Prawn-stuffed calamari ($20).
Phone: 4353 4444
Source: The Daily Telegraph - Central Coast Gosford Express Advocatel, Errol Smith, July 24th 2015
Originally published as: Taste la dolce vita at Wyong’s new Italian restaurant Osteria A’Mano
