Marco Sellitto’s Little Deer Tracks specialises in, and totally nails, vegetarian Italian cuisine. Tucked away on little-known O'Hea Street in Coburg, it's situated between the Coburg and Batman stops on the Upfield line. LDT is proudly Italian, but extends the well-known fascination with fresh food into a meat-free, organic focus.

Where Sellitto (The Continental, Marios, The Italian) channels his nutritious side with pure olive oils, rennet-free cheeses and homemade sourdough bread, partner Silvia Famularo is curator of the art-gallery side of the business. With all-day breakfasts on the go and quality coffee arriving via an organic Fairtrade East Timor blend, it’s not until you look at the lunch portion of the menu, that you realise that pasta is king at Little Deer Tracks.

The silken ravioli special with ricotta and mint melts away in your mouth in seconds, while the fettuccine with eggplant balls, tomato and basil has a touch more body. The spaghetti carbonara al porcini mushroom and white truffle proves to be another milestone dish. For an extra $3, gluten-free pasta is also available upon request.

With dishes like the cauliflower tempura with citrus wasabi aioli; and the zucchini, mint, dill and feta fritters, Little Deer Tracks isn’t exactly ‘like Mama used to make’ – in fact, it’s seriously healthier and produced with significantly more daring.