Our Story

The Story of Italian Street Kitchen

My name is Isabella and Italian Street Kitchen is my restaurant.

My family has lived in Rome for generations, so I’m about as Italian as you can get! We’ve always been in the restaurant business, and I grew up sitting in the dining room while Mamma and Papa made the food. Almost as far back as I can remember, I was waiting tables and chatting to our guests.

Over the years, I’ve seen how things have changed. Today, Italy is vibrant, cosmopolitan and full of hustle and bustle. Of course, people still want amazing Italian food, but they want it in a more relaxed setting than the traditional restaurants from my childhood.

That’s why, when I turned 30, I decided to open an Italian restaurant that people my age could really connect with.

My vision was to have a space that pays homage to the lively eateries of Italy’s side streets. A space where people could watch the chefs in the kitchen and smell the incredible aromas of quality Italian food. A space where Italian food traditions and contemporary dining experiences intermingle. 

And so Italian Street Kitchen was born.

Inside and out, we embody the spirit of Italy. I like to think of ISK as my kitchen on my street – and I’d love for you to join me for a meal!

Isabella
FATTOINCASA type Our Story & Food

'Made in House'

Translating to ‘made in house’, Fatto in Casa is the celebration of making fresh pasta in house every single day; something I’m very proud of at Italian Street Kitchen.

We work through the early hours of the mornings to produce the extensive range of delicious fresh pastas that you can find in the Fatto in Casa section of our A la Carte menu.

The creation of each one has been inspired by my belief that the best Italian cooking utilises traditional recipes that are enriched with modern culinary techniques.

Enjoy ISK with all your senses. Look at how the chefs cook and then delight in the flavours and aromas of our authentic Italian dishes. 🍝
📽️: @feliciafeasts

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Our Italian Food Ethos

For me, the best Italian food combines modern culinary techniques with authentic recipes passed down through the generations. That’s why our menu is designed to showcase traditional classics as well as modern dishes with an Italian twist.

From wood-fired Italian style pizza to fresh pasta, antipasti and small plates, each and every dish is lovingly hand-made just like my mamma and papa used to.

Underpinning all our food is quality Italian ingredients. Throughout my travels I’ve met purveyors in Roma, Napoli, Sicilia, Venezia and regional Italy – and this is where we source premium stone-ground flour, tomatoes, cheeses and produce that you won’t find anywhere else on earth.

So come in and experience real Italian food at Italian Street Kitchen.

Modena

Aged Balsamic Vinegar

The story of balsamic vinegar starts around 1050 in the small, northern city of Modena. Back then, it as reportedly given to Emperor Enrico III of Franconia as a gift. It’s my absolute favourite vinegar and the best quailty still comes from Modena. I use an incredible 8-year-aged balsamic as a dressing for salads and steaks in my restaurant, which gives them a spectacular flavour boost. 

Reggio Emilia

Parmigiano - Reggiano

This is a wonderful hard and dry cheese made from skimmed or partially skimmed cow’s milk. It has a hard pale-golden rind and a straw-coloured interior which delivers a strikingly rich, sharp flavour. You”ll find it in so many of my dishes at Italian Street Kitchen, including pizzas, pastas and salads. Under Italian law, only cheese produced in Reggio Emilia, Bologna, Mantua, Modena and Parma can be labelled ‘Parmigiano-Reggiano’. Aged for 12-36 months, my favourite is from Reggio Emilia, which is where i get all that is used in the restaurant. 

Parma

Napoli Sauce

The classic, tomato-based sauce originated in Italy and has been used in pasta and other traditional dishes for generations. It’s made by slow cooking Italian tomatoes with celery, onion, garlic, basil and plenty of extra virign olive oil. The key to getting the flavour just right, is to never caramelise or burn the tomatoes, but rather let the tomatoes release all of their flavourful juices. I source mine from Parma in northern Italy. 

Abruzzo

Prosciutto

I use the brand, Montecristo (like the count), which is made by the Altobello family in Abruzzo. This magnificent cured meat can only be made in the mount of Abruzzo, where the fresh air makes the drying process unique to the region. I use this artisanal prosciutto in my signature antipasti as well as pizzas. 

Black Truffle

My black truffles are also from Abruzzo, which has the perfect environment to grow them. These subterranean fungi are grown in calcareous soils near the roots of broadleaved trees such as oak and hazlenut. They’re used in butters and oils to greatly enhance a number of my dishes, including my scrumptious parmesan truffle chips. 

Campania

Fior Di Latte cheese

Fior Di Latte, meaning ‘Flower of milk’, is a semi-soft cheese made in the style of Italian mozzarella. Created from fresh whole cow’s milk. It offers a sweet, light and delicate flavour with a very elastic texture. This makes it perfect for my traditional woodfired pizzas. The very best i’ve had comes from Campania in Italy, which is where i get all of mine from. 

Venezia Giulia

Pioppini Mushrooms

These beautiful mushrooms grow in large clusters on decaying hardwood trees, and i use them in meals such as my Conchiglie Alla Boscaiola and Porchetta. Characterised by long white or cream stems, and small light-brown caps, pioppini mushrooms have an earthy, nutty flavour with a touch of sweetness and peppery notes. Their aroma is faintly floral, while their texture is firm and crunchy; which i liken to cooked asparagus. I source my premium pioppini mushrooms from Venezia Giulia in northeast Italy. 

Sardegna

Fregola

This is a Sardinian type of pasta that has similarities with Israeli couscous, North African Berkoukes and Middle Eastern Moghrabieh, but importantly, it’s made by hand rather than machine. I mainly use it with a tomato-based sauce, like in my delightful Fregola De Marinaio, but it’s also a great option for salads. 

Pecorino Cheese

Pecorino is a hard to semi-hard sheep’s milk cheese with a compact structure and occasional holes. It has remarkably strong flavour whilst still remaining balanced. It works superbly in certain pastas like my Conchiglie Alla Boscaiola, but I also include pecorino in my signature antipasti, which is the perfect way to begin a fine Italian meal. 

Sydney

Bufala Cheese

Sourced from Vannella Cheese in Marrickville, this buffalo mozzarella is a soft pillow of creamy indulgence. Thick-skinned but with a tender milky heart and smooth texture, its flavour has subtle hints of sweetness and a lingering tang. I use it in some of my ISK pizzas as well as in my mouth-watering panzerotto. 

Capocollo / Salame Norcia / Guanciale

Capocollo: This Salumi is made from the whole muscle of the neck and is sometimes called ‘coppa’or ‘ossocollo’. It’s dry cured and typically sliced very thinly. To make it, capocollo is first lightly seasoned and massaged, before being wrapped in a natural collagen casign and hung for up to four months to cure. The delicate flavour and tender, artfully marbled texture makes it a fantastic inclusion in my signature antipasti and you’ll also find it on my Capocollo & Tuscan Cabbage pizza. 

Salame Norcia: Originating in the town of Norcia, this is probably my favourite type of salame and definitely one of the most sought after in Italy. It has an amazing taste and flavour that leaves your palette feeling smooth and craving more. Another highlight of my antipasti at ISK, Salame Norcia is slow fermented and left to dry for up to 3 months before being ready. 

Pork Cheek guanciale: This delicious meat is similar to pancetta, but made from pork cheeks rather than the belly. The flavour is slightly sweeter than other pork products too, with a particularly delicate texture. I get mine from De Palma Salumi which always produces outstanding quality guanicale, and it compliments the pork belly perfectly in my Porchetta dish.

South Australia

EVOO

I honestly couldn’t make much Italian food without Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and i consider it to be the lifeblood of Italian cooking. ‘Extra Virgin’ is the highest grade of olive oil, meaning that the extraction process has not altered the oil in any way and is completely natural (that’s right, no additives). It’s in all of my pizzas at ISK, basically anything that’s cooked in a pan, and it’s a must for salad dressings.

While any oil contains a lot of calories, it’s widely known to be healthy due to its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidative substances. It can even help to decrease bad cholesterol and improve good cholesterol. My EVOO is sourced from Fino Foods in South Australia and is a blend of Frantoio and Koreneiki olives. This oil offers a light, creamy feel with a moderate bitterness. 

North Star, NSW

Pizza Flour / Pasta Flour

At Italian Street Kitchen, we pride ourslves on our fresh pizza and pasta dough, which we make in house every day. I source the very best flour to ensure our doughs are made with the perfect texture for our entire pizza and pasta range. Using a blend of ’00’ and semolina flour, i’m able to create the optimal balance of subtle flavour and a rougher texture to soak up the delicious pasta sauces. The flavour profile of my flour blend is midway between a Parma (salty) and a San Daniele (sweet). 

Pick-Up or Delivery

Place your order online and pick-up directly from your nearest store, or place your takeaway order & enjoy authentic Italian delivered right to you!

Pecorino Cheese, Sardinia

Known locally as pecorino sardo, Sardinian pecorino is an aromatic hard or semi-hard cheese made from fresh whole sheep’s milk. It has a solid, balanced, pleasantly rich in flavour, which tends to become more marked with time.