Just opposite Piedimonte’s Supermarket, Pinotta is in the thick of North Fitzroy and is being warmly embraced by the strong community.

Owned by Logue and business partner Heidi Modra, the primary goal of Pinotta is to provide a good local. “I sound really clichéd, but we really wanted to open a good local restaurant that’s popular not for just 12 months,” says Modra. “We want to be here for ages, we want to become part of the landscape.”

Logue was head chef at The Italian in the CBD for six years and Pinotta’s blackboard menu, which changes a couple of times a week with daily specials and the like, is steeped in Italian cuisine. That said, there are some French touches. “We were doing duck confit before Christmas, but with cotechino sausage,” says Logue. “So there’s a lot of Italian ingredients.”

Modra, a former graphic designer, runs the floor and is mad about wine, creating a list of about 40 drops, each of which can be ordered by the glass. “We offer anything by the glass,” she says. “I’m happy to open something if someone just wants a glass to try.”

The key here is the owners’ hands-on approach. It’s a well run, small local in an area that demands quality and the locals are lapping it up. Flying under the radar doesn’t seem to have done them any harm.

Pinotta
32 Best Street, North Fitzroy
(03) 9481 3393

Hours
Wed to Fri noon–11pm
Sat & Sun 9.30am–11pm

pinotta.com