I am very lucky to be in Melbourne this week celebrating my father’s 70th birthday.   One thing that I really enjoy when I come home is going out to eat at the many incredible restaurants that Melbourne has to offer.  When people in Italy ask me what I miss from most from Australia, I always say Asian food!  I miss the variety of cuisines, the mix of cultures and the wide choice of amazing food that one can find here.

Having said that though, it may surprise you to know that we ate Italian food for lunch and dinner on Sunday.  I usually avoid Italian, not because I don’t think it will be as good as what I can eat in Florence but because I am happy to have a change of scenery and try all of the foods that I can’t easily find in Italy.

To remind me of what I do love about Italy,  one of the restaurants we went to was actually owned by a Florentine and his Italo-Australian wife who had much success in Florence for over 10 years with their restaurant, Osteria dei Centopoveri.  Well Florence’s loss is Melbourne’s gain!  Their new restaurant in Richardson Street, Middle Park, (conveniently located 5 minutes from my father’s house) Tacco e Tosca was a great find and I loved my Zuppa di Pesce! Will definetly go back and I recommend it to anyone who wants a taste of Tuscany while in Melbourne!