It’s a balmy Friday night and I’m out looking for the perfect place to start a long haul girl’s night with my partner in crime and fussy Italian friend. I’m looking to impress so we wandered up to little Italy and squished into the busy Ombra Salumi Bar, which is one of three in the Grossi Restaurant group. Everyone is rushing around with a smile on their face and we get ushered to a table in the heart of the restaurant and kick off the evening with some Prosecco and an Aperol Spritz. This is easily the place to be for a Friday night feed.
We decide to throw caution to the wind and ask to be surprised by the waiter, everything smells wonderful as it comes past us from the kitchen, and we know we can’t go wrong. To start we were brought out some Wagyu Salami from Sevens Creek in Victoria, and some Salami Norciana from Del Palma NSW. The Salami Norciana was the first to impress with my fussy Italian exclaiming “look how thick it is. I just love thick Italian sausage” and the Wagyu melted in our mouths. Joining our Italian meat was a bowl of Olive Ascolane, which is a traditional appetizer and an absolute fucking hit. These little deep friend balls of happiness are green olives stuffed with meat and crumbed. I could eat these for the rest of my life and be satisfied.
Course two brought us Eggplant Fritte with smoked aioli and the Bruchetta with whipped ricotta and rocket, drizzled in a light hit of maple syrup, which was simple in its execution and went perfectly with our bottle of Vignerons Schmölzer & Brown’s Prêt-À-Rosé from Beechworth. I’m a tough judger of eggplant chips, and I become the fussy one, and sadly this was the only dish that didn’t impress me.
Course three was the stand out, with a plate of Cuttlefish, Ink and Barley, that was light and chewy, along with the phenomenal Lamb Ribs, with Salsa Di Peperoni. Oh god, the Lamb Ribs didn’t even need the accompanying sauce; they were heaven on a bone. To top it all off we had the Salted Caramel Profiteroles and some espresso martinis made with Grossi’s own Territory coffee. We indulged in the food and drink for a solid four hours at Ombra and loved how comfortable the vibe was, it really felt like the staff and patrons were all having a wonderful time.
One of the great new event series that Ombra is putting on is called Shadow Thieves, and it’s a series of monthly dinners, with the next one to be held on October 5. Each has a theme, and Octobers is dedicated to the best understudies in the Melbourne foodie scene. There will be five courses brought to you by five of the best sous chefs from the top restaurants like MoVida, Estelle, Elyros, The Town Mouse, and of course, Ombra. The dinner will set you back $120 PP and for five of the best courses in town, each with matching wines, and honestly, it’s a steal.
