Daniel D’Aquino and Michaela and Ben Di Rosa strive for innovation on their menu. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
When Griffith’s Zecca Handmade Restaurant decided to offer breakfast for the first time, the team members set themselves a challenge: create dishes that diners would struggle to find anywhere else in Australia.
“What we offer, you won’t even get in the trendy inner-city Melbourne cafes,” chef Ben Di Rosa said.
“Most places you go to for breakfast offer the same type of dishes. We wanted to showcase something a bit different.”
Traditionalists can still order eggs on toast — served on Zecca’s homemade sourdough — but the offerings quickly move beyond the familiar. Alongside the staples are dishes such as frittata del giorno and piadina filled with Grunt pork bacon, new-season zucchini and fresh tomatoes.
Piadina is an Italian street food favourite. Photo: Supplied.
“Piadina is a flatbread that we make in-house and fill with fresh seasonal ingredients,” Mr Di Rosa said.
“It’s a famous street food in northern Italy, and it’s quite unique in Australia.
“We also bake eggs in a tomato sugo, which is something you won’t find elsewhere.
“The frittata is made from local free-range eggs that we source from Murrumbidgee Farms and Archie Eggs. The key to Zecca is local, seasonal, quality ingredients.”
Italian breakfasts tend to lean sweeter than their Australian counterparts, something reflected in Zecca’s offerings.
“We have pastries, like freshly filled cannolis, which is what people have for breakfast in Italy,” Mr Di Rosa said.
“You’ll also find yoghurt panna cotta served with granola made from Whispering Pines Organics, a Temora outlet that has been milling oats for years now.”
Mr Di Rosa owns Zecca with his wife, Michaela, and best friend Daniel D’Aquino. For nine years, the trio built a loyal following as a dinner destination before shifting their focus to daytime trade last year.
“There were a few reasons for this — one was family-life balance,” Mr Di Rosa said. ”We have a young family; my daughter, Julieta, has just turned five. Michaela and I want to have a substantial influence during this early stage of her life. We want to instil our values.
“Getting staff to work at night is difficult, too. They also want work-life balance.”
The frittata is made from locally sourced eggs. Photo: Supplied.
Those who miss dining at Zecca in the evening need not despair.
“We have a new night-time concept coming up,” Mr Di Rosa said. ”I can’t say too much yet, it’ll be a surprise. Watch this space.”
What will not change is the focus on knowledgeable staff and attentive service.
“High-quality food needs to go along with high-quality service, and we spend a lot of time getting that right, even though there’s a constant coming-and-going of staff,” Mr Di Rosa said.
“Most people don’t consider hospitality a career path — it’s something to fill a gap.
“We try hard to retain staff and give them a good working environment.”
The core team at Zecca. Photo: Supplied.
The dishes at Zecca continue to evolve, shaped in part by regular trips back to Italy.
“We always come back with a different perspective,” Mr Di Rosa said. “You never stop learning.”
And for Zecca, that constant learning is what keeps the kitchen — and its ideas — fresh.
Zecca Handmade Italian, at 239 Banna Avenue, is open for breakfast and lunch from 7:30 am to 3 pm Tuesday to Saturday. Keep up with them via their website, Facebook page and Instagram.
