My partner in life has been a busy man and I’ve had the privilege of working with him in business and on multiple projects.
Stefano’s originally from northern Italy while my family is from two southern regions of the peninsula. In Stefano I found a person who loves all the things I do about Italy and who shares my interests in family, art, nature, and much more.
Stefano migrated to Australia in the mid 1970s settling in Melbourne and worked marginally in food and mostly in state politics. After we met we moved back to my home town of Mildura and began our work with my family in the Mildura Grand Hotel.
Stefano wrote two ABC-produced cookbooks, A Gondola on the Murray and A Feast by the River. In a 13-episode ABC TV series, also named A Gondola on the Murray, that was aired nationally, Stefano played host, visiting local food producers and making dishes from the ingredients he collected along the way. It was a warm, engaging program featuring Stefano’s ebullient personality and the beauty of our area. It resulted in a dramatic increase in visitors to Mildura who wanted to see the region and dine in our restaurant.
We turned our focus to providing a positive experience for these visitors and found ways to add value to their Mildura stay by including visits to local producers into three and four day packages to the region. We managed our guests’ accommodation, dining and sightseeing, the highlight of their trip often being a meal in Stefano’s restaurant.
I like to think that we have consistently delivered good food, wine and service to a myriad of people for a range of different needs. Whether it’s been for a very personal occasion like a wedding on the banks of the Murray, or an opportunity to showcase Mildura’s landscape and resources at a dinner for 100 by a salt lake, we have made it happen together.
While I no longer physically work in the restaurant with Stefano, we speak daily about every facet of our shared businesses.
Since 2013 we have combined our love of Italy into tours that feature cultural and architectural highlights matched with good food and wine. Partnered with Emily Tassone of Avanti Italy, we have found an excellent formula that combines travel and work while Emily takes care of the logistics. I know it sounds terribly glamorous, but I can assure you that it is hard work when we are not sampling the quality of each new location’s Aperol Spritz! Tour combinations have included a week each in Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast, the Veneto Region and Sicily, Puglia and Umbria. In September 2018 we’ll be in Tuscany and Rome.
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