Rita's Cafeteria

''RUSTICO'' is the word for Rita's Cafeteria, a five-week-old neighbourhood haven - cafe by day, pizzeria and pasta bar by night - down the forgotten end of Johnston Street.

It's run by Lorne lads Brett Graham and Rob Lowther (who also run Bottle of Milk and Pizza Pizza) and chef Daniel Spizzica (formerly of the Stokehouse), who are all 28 and went to school together.

''We wanted a good version of a classic Tiamo, a timeless cafe that will be there for 50 years,'' Graham says.

Rita's room is low-lit, with dark-timber tables, smart venetian blinds, glossy walls with white tile and black grout, designer enamelware and cloth serviettes. There is a buzzy vibe from diners old and young - some sitting solo at the high wooden bar, others sharing a spread and a bottle in the booth seating.

Risottos and pastas star, but pizzas are the focus (10-inch or 13-inch), the dough hand-rolled on the marble bench in the open kitchen and baked on a stone base in the gas deck oven.

The bases are bready and chewy, rolled in semolina for texture, with a thick, puffy, unflattened crust, a bit more home-style and filling than the typical thin-crust style. The ''Cavolo nero'' is probably the wackiest combination, topped with the wilted bitter greens, rich blue cheese and walnuts, with whole grapes added for freshness.

Other than that, the toppings are fairly typical. ''You can't open a pizza shop without capricciosa,'' says Graham, and Rita's sports a generous coverage of Istra ham, olives, oregano, mozzarella and sauteed mushrooms - no anchovies, though, but they're happy to add. Istra also supplies the tasty hot salami, on a thin spread of classic napoli, with caramelised red onion, mozzarella and chopped red chilli (ask for extra if you like it really spicy).

Olive oil is used liberally in most dishes, including the radicchio salad with sliced pear and pecorino, the perfect tart-sweet-savoury combo.

All the pastas, bar the orecchiette with broccolini, zucchini and pangrattato (breadcrumbs), are handmade, the gnocchi on site, the pappardelle, fettuccine and spaghetti by Millgrove Pasta (another Lorne mate).

For lunch, expect sandwiches such as braised lamb and coleslaw or fried red peppers with goat's cheese. All-day brekkies run at weekends and pizzas are available mostly round the clock.

For dessert, there is probably good apple and pear crumble with an oaty muesli topping and a scoop of Jock's pistachio ice-cream.

''We didn't want to be a hipster Melbourne cafe where people ignore you,'' Graham says. Rita's might have all the hallmarks - inner-north location, the fitout, the enamel cups - but it doesn't suffer from pretentiousness and exclusivity. Those Lorne boys might be on a winner.

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nrousseau@theage.com.au