Local Knowledge: La Fattoria Is a Slice of Sicily in the Perth Hills
When my decades-old white hatchback sputtered and stalled on its way up the Perth hills, a mere 40 minutes into my drive from the Perth CBD, two thoughts came to mind: first, “Did I renew my car insurance?” Second, “I am going to be bloody late for lunch. God I hope they hold my table.” That triggered a descending spiral of thoughts like, “Did I charge my phone?”, “Can I change a tyre?” and, “Is this why people write wills?”
The moment I pulled into La Fattoria, these paltry concerns melted away. The sight of olive trees being trimmed and neat rows of vineyards was a balm, instantly silencing the buzz of intrusive thoughts.
I share this not as a reminder to renew your car insurance (though that is important), but because it best illustrates the powerfully peaceful bliss of dining at La Fattoria, a restaurant run on Eric and Lucy Radice’s family orchard. It’s akin to the feeling you get after coming home from a particularly long day, which is fitting, as the restaurant – or rather, the orchard it’s on – has been home to the Radice family since Eric’s nonna arrived in Perth in 1945 from Sicily.
La Fattoria was originally a stone fruit orchard before it morphed to accommodate a winery and eventually a restaurant in 2016. In spite of all these changes, the spirit of the site has remained the same. “That whole Italian hospitality…was important for us to maintain because that’s what Nonna did when we went to her house,” Lucy tells Broadsheet. “We just sat there all day and we drank wine that came out of Uncle Tony’s shed! It was really bad wine, but we drank and we ate this amazing food … and I guess this is our interpretation of the family heritage.”
La Fattoria offers two dining experiences: a four-hour “family table experience”, which features a full seasonal degustation menu, or a casual “pick a platter” experience, where diners create their own antipasto platter. “The four-hour long lunch was specifically designed for people to detach from life,” Lucy says.
The degustation menu pays homage to the family’s Sicilian heritage while showcasing the best produce from the orchard and winery that season. There’s the antipasto with olives and sausage (an ode to Nonna), the slow-cooked beef with apples from the orchard, and desserts (a rotating feast based on the best stone fruit from that season).
It’s all served up with anecdotes from Lucy and the tight-knit crew, who share the personal stories behind each dish, like chisciol, Lucy notes is not Sicilian, but gets pride of place on the menu as a nod to her family friend who has roots in Northern Italy.
“In the end, we want people to walk through those doors, leave their baggage [behind them] and then just chill out for four hours,” Lucy says.
During the four-hour lunch, diners can explore the orchard between courses. (“We’ve had people sleeping out on the lawn too!”) The extended mealtime also ensures diners can enjoy a full wine tasting and get home safely.
La Fattoria is on a mission of preservation: to preserve the family’s Sicilian heritage and preserve all the best parts of a long lunch – laughter, lazy naps in the sun and lots and lots of homestyle food. “It’s all about breaking bread over a table and having conversations … that real family feeling,” says Lucy.
La Fattoria
211 Merrivale Road, Pickering Brook
9293 7888
Hours:
Fri 11am–4pm
Sat & Sun 11am–4.30pm
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