No Freezer in this Italian Kitchen!

Damiano Zaffi and Giuseppe Migliaccio toast to the flavours of Italy at NANNINI.

New Albury Italian eatery, NANNINI Ristorante & Pizzeria pitches itself as providing ‘authentic Italian cuisine’, using only the finest fresh local ingredients. So much so, the restaurant doesn’t even have a stand-alone freezer in the kitchen.

NANNINI is run by Chef and Food and Beverage Manager, Giuseppe Migliaccio who had been enjoying living and working in the region for a few years, but his taste-buds were craving flavours of his mother country.

“I was really missing my really good Italian food,” Giuseppe said.

Giuseppe Migliaccio

“I grew up with my grandmother’s recipes and her passion, so last year I decided to open a restaurant in Albury, to not only teach the younger generation chefs, but share genuine Italian recipes.”

The food might take centre stage, but it’s the welcoming Italian atmosphere that the team at NANNINI wants to replicate.

“This is what Italy is about, families and children laughing, eating, staying at the table all day and having La Dolce Vita (the sweet life). Bringing La Dolce Vita to Albury, this is my main project,” Giuseppe said.

Among the Italian friends Giuseppe has recruited to join him in the kitchen is fourth generation pizza maker Damiano Zaffi from Italy, who’s spent the past three years working in Sydney. He’s keen to share his recipes and knowledge in creating great Italian pizza.

Damiano is in charge of the pizza oven.

“The most important secret to a good pizza is the dough,” Damiano said.

“You have to know how to use the flour, mix the flour and find the best way to make a good dough. There are a lot of problems with dough – temperature, water, the yeast and finding a good mix. You need a lot of patience,” he said.

“We are crazy for the ingredients,’ Giuseppe added.

“Damiano will never make his pizza if he doesn’t have the right mozzarella or herbs like oregano, basil that must come from a local farm.

“We try and make you understand that the choice over the ingredients we are using is a really serious choice and I want only what is in season in Australia, even the spice that we put on top.

“In this restaurant there is no freezer, even in an inspection they said they could not find the freezer and asked ‘what are you doing’?”

Pizza has already proven popular, with plans for expansion into home-made varieties of pasta, pastries, cooking classes, functions and take away, all while remaining true to Italian values.

“It is not only an Italian restaurant, but a family that welcomes you,” Giuseppe said.

Details: https://www.nannini.com.au/