Matthew Michaelis
My nephew was up from Melbourne recently and was looking for a little bit of warm romance of the culinary sort with his girlfriend. Of course he hit me up for a recommendation for a proper eat-in Italian restaurant in the nearby suburbs. With Dominic’s long closed and pizza places all around, the prospects of an actual sit-down, Chianti-filled evening was Buckley’s or none without travelling, and he was in Mullumbimby at the time. It was a Wednesday, so I did suggest the Brunswick Heads Bowling Club where the famous Wednesday Italian nights are put on by Alessio Angeli, a local Italian cook. My nephew unfortunately arrived on Alessio’s last night and the place was packed to the hilt – no standing room let alone eating vacancies. Never mind, I told him, when you’re back in June, there’ll be a brand-new Italian restaurant opened in Mullumbimby replacing the La Table restaurant.
Eva Angeli is Alessio’s wife and has worked as the manager at La Table continuously for the last three years. ‘We’ve been in the hospitality industry for what seems like forever – around 20 years. We ran a cafe together in Surry Hills in 2005 and sold it when I became pregnant with my first child Pablo (pictured),’ Eva told me. They have two boys now and Eva and Alessio are about to have twins in the form of a busy cafe and a restaurant.
Alessio has been serving up the grub at Brunswick Bowling Club for the past five years and has established a large following on his Wednesday night Italian evenings. So, it’s no surprise that Eva and Alessio took the opportunity to take over the well-patronised La Table cafe and restaurant location in Mullum as a venue for his loyal following. Alessio was born in Pescara, west of Rome. ‘In his town and family it’s all about the food. Alessio went back home recently and his mum started cooking – stuff by the box – weeks before he arrived; this is very much the Italian way,’ Eva explained.
Eva tells me that the cafe, to be called The Other Joint, will be very much the same with the introduction of Italian faves the likes of bruschetta, cannoli and cannelloni as additional choices on the menu.
The Italian Trattoria opening in the restaurant next to the café will be a while in the making though. The Italian Joint, as they’ve named it, will swing its doors open in June on a date yet to be confirmed. I, for one, will be looking forward to a family-friendly and reasonably priced drink and Italian menu.
• The Italian Joint
(opening in June)
Fully licensed and BYO
Phone: 6684 2227
Address: 72a Burringbar Street, Mullumbimby
[email protected]
www.otheritalianjoint.com
• The Other Joint
– cafe; 8am–4pm (kitchen closed at 2.30pm)
Saturdays 8am until 3pm (kitchen closes at 2pm)
Phone: 6684 2220
Address: 72a Burringbar Street, Mullumbimby
[email protected]
www.otheritalianjoint.com