I’ve always been envious of friends who have strong culinary heritages: my 1980s country Australia upbringing exposed me to Sunday roasts, deep-fried everything, overcooked chops and vegetables that were boiled until grey, some interesting takes on ‘Chinese food’, and that was about it. But since then I’ve been included in everything from Italian sauce days to Serbian Slava, sampled Swedish smorgasbord, honoured Hanukkah with matzoh, eaten cheese at festivals of fromage, and gorged myself on Greek mezze. I’ve also learnt the importance of regionality in countries, and that pasta alfredo from a packet was never a representation of anything resembling Italian cuisine.

And so, as someone who didn’t have much of a food influence in my upbringing it has given me a chance to create my own. Influenced by travel and cultures around the world, a dinner party at my place isn’t restricted by the expected. On one night you might expect a delicate Japanese omakase and another night you could be rolling your own dumplings. My standard weeknight might still be meat, and many veg, but I’ve learnt to make the best of each ingredient and dish, so that no-one leaves the table feeling grey.

As a food writer, I do tend to seek out newer restaurants, or those that innovate and evolve, rather than sticking with stalwarts. I have nothing against tradition, but old-school is rarely my first pick.

However, inspired by a recent visit to the Sweet and Savoury exhibition at the State Library (which Genevieve Meegan wrote about here) I decided that it was time to give one of the oldest venues in South Australia another go. La Trattoria opened in 1975 and its 1980 menu is on display as part of the exhibition. From Scampi-di-mare (prawn cocktail) to Calamari Fritti, Fillet Mignon to Spaghetti-alla-Marinara, all these dishes still feature 43 years later, alongside many more.

My one and only visit to La Trattoria was at least 15 years ago. Then I was wedged between colleagues in a back corner, eating some kind of pasta dish that wasn’t particularly memorable, and drinking some kind of wine that was likely syphoned from a box.

Today, with plenty more understanding about the nuances of traditional Italian cookery, a few trips to regional Italy and many, many more meals under my belt, I’ve arrived with more appreciation of all of the facets that make a good meal, starting with a carafe of house wine. It’s notably good, a blend I think, and quite quaffable, which is perhaps not a surprise, given that La Trattoria was recently taken over from the Parisi family by the same owners as Seppeltsfield wines.

We’re served by our waiter, Billy, who I’m told has been there since the dawn of time (or for a couple of decades at least) and we’re immediately caught up in the tradition of it all. There’s no long descriptions, sales pitches, or fancy words, just a bit of quick banter and a couple of quips and he’s off with our order, not a notepad in sight.

Within minutes plates start landing, one, after another until we’re scrambling to move around the parmesan and pepper to fit it all on, and this is just dinner for two.

There’s Bruschetta ‘Monte Bianca’ to start, a crisp pizza-style base teeming with garlic and a hint of Italian herbs, with a slice of tomato for each piece, topped with firm but fresh bocconcini and roughly chopped basil. There’s not much to it, but that’s the point. This has one job to do and that’s to be tasty, and it is.

La Tratt’s bruschetta. Photo: Paul Wood/InReview

Spaghetti Cozze is like puttanesca but with added mussels. The pasta is al dente, the ingredients flavoursome, with capers, olives and chilli oil all doing their bit, but it’s the sauce that says it all in this dish. It has an intense tomato flavour beyond a traditional Napoli. It’s been condensed, consolidated, reduced, and then some – the flavour clings to every strand. A spicy undertone and saltiness from the capers and olives intensify the longer it sits.

The salad alla Siciliana is really just a salad. It’s dressed in olive oil, and that’s enough. Nothing special, but the ingredients are fresh, and each forkful of lettuce, tomato, cucumber or bocconcini is a vehicle to collect more of that flavoursome spaghetti sauce. 

La Tratt’s Spaghetti Cozze (foreground) and its take on scallopine. Photo: Paul Wood/InReview

Finally comes Scaloppine, Italian for thinly sliced morsels. A jumbled assortment of roasted vegetables and seafood pieces coated in a thick, rich and creamy tomato-based sauce disguises the heart of the dish, and I assume we’ve been delivered the wrong thing. But no, hidden beneath is the most tender veal I’ve tried, ever. This is melt-in-your-mouth kind of good. The seafood, juicy prawns and calamari pieces, also shimmer in their sauce coating. Avocado seems an odd addition, but with the first mouthful I decide it belongs here too. Parmesan belongs here too. And lots of it.

And with that, our La Trattoria experience is done. Albeit much more fast-paced than a long traditional Italian dinner, this was a meal to remember with tasty dishes, great old-school service, some more-than-decent carafe wine, and limoncello to finish. When it comes to food, the 1970s in Australia has a lot to answer for, but at La Trattoria, they’ve been doing it right since then. The long-standing staff should be proud of the institution they’ve created over the decades.

La Trattoria

346 King William Street, Adelaide

(08) 8212 3327

latrattoria.com.au

Open weekdays for lunch 12-3pm and every night for dinner 5-10pm