The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Just Open: Casa Nostra Ristorante, Fortitude Valley

Natascha Mirosch

A Sicilian scene replaces Mighty Mighty's cowboy mural.
A Sicilian scene replaces Mighty Mighty's cowboy mural.Supplied

Red Hill locals may remember Biagio in Musgrave Road dishing up hearty Italian fare with a seafood slant for five years. They sold up in 2012 and Colle Rosso moved into the neighbourhood.

In a kind of reverse sea-change, Biagio restaurant owners Biagio and Sarah Biuso have returned to Brisbane from Cairns, where they've lived for the past few years, and have hung their shingle in Fortitude Valley's M&A Lane, in the tenancy recently vacated by Mighty Mighty.

"Returning to Brisbane is more of a lifestyle change for our family than anything else – we missed the hustle and bustle of Brisbane and wanted to reconnect with our friends and customers," says Sarah Biuso.

Chocolate tart at Casa Nostra.
Chocolate tart at Casa Nostra.Supplied
Advertisement

"When the opportunity to open a new restaurant came up, we took it as a sign it was time to come home."

Casa Nostra ("our house") opened quietly last Monday, with Mighty Mighty's macho cowboy wall mural replaced by a Sicilian scene.

As at Biagio, the menu is a mix of traditional and contemporary Italian with everything made in house, including the pasta for dishes such as fettuccine served with local seafood in Biagio's Sicilian sauce, made to a family recipe, and agnolotti d'Arogosta filled with lobster and bechamel, with crustacean bisque sauce and cherry tomatoes.

Homely tabletop touches at Casa Nostra (Our House).
Homely tabletop touches at Casa Nostra (Our House).Supplied

Other dishes include a veal agrodolce (sweet and sour) and a less-traditional prawns with feta and avocado. There's also tomato sauce-based pizza and pizza "in bianco" (no tomato sauce), and a selection of $20 lunch specials.

Advertisement

As well as plenty of Australian drops, the wine list features about 30 Italians, from nebbiolo from Piedmonte, to a rosé from Sicily's Mount Etna region.

Open Mon-Sat, noon-2.30pm and 5.30pm-late.

Shop 6, 100 McLachlan Street, Fortitude Valley, 07 3257 0007, casanostraristorante.com.au

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement