Fox in the Corn

If the most important aspect of a pasta restaurant is the pasta then I have good things to say about this new place in hip, happening Footscray. I also like the spacious room with impressively large (too large?) plywood booths and the handsome bar which will offer eight tap beers when the liquor licence finally comes through. I've never seen pasta and beer as inseparable companions but, hopefully, others will. Wine will also be available.

The Fox in the Corn concept is simple and simple is good: choose a pasta variety (fettuccine, spinach ravioli or beef ravioli) and one of a dozen sauces to go with it. The pasta is made at the owners' Millgrove Pasta factory in Williamstown, a brand available in delis around town. It's made from durum wheat and semolina from one farm in NSW; I like the single-origin factor and the pasta is firm with pleasant wheaty flavour, though my "nonna-ometer"  plummeted when I learnt it isn't lovingly made on site.

The sauces, mostly prepared off site, didn't do it for me. The pesto tasted of good olive oil but it's mixed with cream and lacked basil bite. The carbonara is made with thick-cut pancetta, egg and cream. Many purists would say cream has no place in carbonara, but my problem was with the pancetta, which is warmed but not sizzled so its fat was jellied rather than caramel crisp. A roasted vegetable sauce with house napoli was pretty good: a chunky mix of pumpkin, carrot and capsicum with a sprinkling of herby crumb. Portions are unfailingly generous.

I can see why successful wholesalers would think a restaurant showcase was a good idea, but feeding people is more than putting food on plates. This fox will need all his wiles to turn a cool plan into a heartfelt home of hospitality.

Rating: Two and a half stars (out of five)