Italian cuisine is back. Okay, it never went away. But Adelaide’s ongoing love affair with the cuisine has really ramped up lately, with Roma, Rita’s, Latteria, Osteria Polpo, Oliveti and Rozelle’s all opening in the past year. And that’s just scratching the surface.
Mensa – which opened late last year next to Messina – is the latest local restaurant to champion the cuisine. But not too many are doing it with the pedigree of this team. The Kent Town eatery comes from a couple of heavyweights of Adelaide’s Italian dining scene: Eugenio Maiale, who co-founded Auge and Citrus in the early 2000s before opening A Tavola in Sydney; and Claudio Ferraro, one of the founders of Cibo Ristorante and its subsequent franchises, plus Valentino’s. (The two also own Italia Pasta Fresca alongside Messina’s Nick Palumbo.)
They’ve teamed up with third partner Zoran Pavlovic, who first met Maiale when he was working as a dishie at Citrus. Since then, he’s clocked time at institutions like Chianti, Press and Osteria Oggi. In short, there’s some serious Adelaide dining DNA running through this place. And if the busy dinner service (when this writer visits) is anything to go by, customers have caught on quick.
“The local crowd has been amazing. We’re getting people on their way out booking for the following week,” says Pavlovic.
The open kitchen, which is steered by Maiale, is turning out traditional and fancified Italian dishes, including a selection of pastas extruded in-house daily. There’s a classic rabbit ragu with thick ribbons of pappardelle; a knockout orecchiette with chicken livers, marsala and crisp-fried guanciale; and pumpkin-filled pasta triangles with butter and sage.
Otherwise, you can snack on pasta fritta (fried pasta) with honey, ’nduja and mascarpone; Abruzzese-style crumbed and fried olives stuffed with pork mince; and a rustic plate of chickpeas in olive oil with grated ricotta salata. Or go large with proteins like Rannoch quail with lentils and grapes; and pork Milanese, served on the bone with a buttery sauce, fried sage and crispy capers.
“Post-Covid, the urge to cook was quite strong for Eugene,” says Pavlovic. “The menu was built around [providing] a point of difference in Italian dining, and also things Eugene and Claude love to cook and eat themselves.”
Pastry chef Ferraro is behind the ciabatta, made with poolish dough and proved over three days. “It’s his specialty; he comes in on Monday nights when we’re closed and no one’s around to make the dough,” says Pavlovic. “There’s a lot of precision required so a lot of energy goes into it, hence Claudio using his quiet time to get it done.”
He’s also behind the desserts, which include staples like Sicilian cannoli and rum baba, plus a two-tone zuppa Inglese (Italian trifle) topped with torched meringue. Or you can conveniently head next door for gelato. “We might be losing some trade to next-door, but one hand feeds the other,” says Pavlovic.
Sans-Arc Studio designed both sites, which have recurring elements like timber veneer panelling, terrazzo detailing and stucco white walls. Mensa adds in earthy tones like sage green seating, terracotta tables and exposed brick – complementing the nostalgic, rustic, eating-at-nonna’s vibes on the plate.
Mensa
44 The Parade W, Kent Town
Hours:
Tue & Wed 3pm–9pm
Thu to Sat 11.30am–9pm