Leeton's Cucina Della Nonna restaurant a tribute to family

In December Mr Nardi opened Cucina Della Nonna, an Italian restaurant located in Wade Avenue.

Its his latest foray into the hospitality industry after taking over cafe and coffee shop Stir in recent years.

"I always wanted to go that one step further and have a restaurant ... this is a dedication to my mum," Mr Nardi said.

"We've got a photo of her up here in the restaurant above the archway and the name comes back to that idea of mum and family as well.

"Mum passed away in 2007 and we just thought we would dedicate some of the recipes that mum used to cook for us. We want to give people a bit of a taste for what she used to do for us. We've got on our menu 'nonna's ragu' ... mum didn't give away her trade secrets, but the sauce is close to what she made us."

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After opening late last year, the restaurant has been busy, but is also trying to face the challenges of the pandemic.

This has meant bookings have fluctuated, but Mr Nardi said the business was taking every precaution to keep everyone safe and encouraged residents to head out for a meal.

Local staff are manning the kitchen, bar and tables, with Cucina Della Nonna mostly using ingredients sourced directly from Italy or local suppliers.

There's many local beverages also on hand to accompany meals, including wines from the area. Cocktails have also been proving popular, as has the lounge area and outdoor seating, which Mr Nardi is hoping to expand.

There's many different menu items, including hand-made pasta, chicken, steak, dessert and, of course, the big ticket item is woodfire pizza.

The woodfire pizza oven was put together by Mr Nardi himself, taking 54 hours, and it's a menu item proving to be a winner among dine in and takeaway customers.

With so many ideas still to come, Mr Nardi was hopeful the community would continue to show its support for his business and the wider hospitality industry.

He said being able to open the restaurant was a dream come true for not just himself, but his family members.

"I think mum would be pretty proud of it all ... I thinks he'd love it," Mr Nardi said.

Cucina Della Nonna is open Thursday through to Monday.

On Thursday, Friday and Monday the restaurant opens from 5.30pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 11am.

Bookings can be made by phoning 6953 4448, as well as online at http://cucinadellanonna.com.au/ where any allergies or dietary requirements can be specified.

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