Sydney’s usual mid-afternoon breeze is swaying the shoreside eucalypts and chopping the bottle-green waves as our ride pulls up at the Birchgrove jetty in the city’s inner west. Our skipper, Daniel Da Silva, expertly guides our vessel, La Dolce Vita, alongside the weathered white pylons. He looks the part in a crisp shirt and striped epaulettes.
Da Silva may be pulling the levers and turning the wheel but the boat itself is the real star of the scene.
La Dolce Vita is a classic Italian speedboat, complete with polished chrome accents. The 26-foot Comitti Portofino runabout was built in 2002 from a single African mahogany log and imported to Australia from its birthplace on Lake Como. Similar models, usually made by the better-known brand Riva, swept Brigitte Bardot around the Gulf of Naples in 1963’s Le Mépris, and acted as a getaway vehicle for the female leads in the 1967 caper Deadlier Than the Male. They’ve appeared in so many James Bond films they’re practically a character.
Our mission today, if we choose to accept it, is to find out whether we can capture a little Italian water magic on Sydney Harbour.
Denne historien er fra January 2022-utgaven av Gourmet Traveller.
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Denne historien er fra January 2022-utgaven av Gourmet Traveller.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
From personal experience
Former Hope St Radio chef ELLIE BOUHADANA invites you to gather your loved ones and enjoy an evening of good food and laughter with recipes from her new cookbook, Ellie's Table.
Kimberley Moulton
Kylie Kwong celebrates the individuals helping to grow a stronger community. This month, we applaud the international curator and Yorta Yorta woman who is shining a light on First Peoples.
Tom Wallace
We share a drop with the head winemaker for Devil's Corner, Tamar Ridge and Pirie Sparkling, a master of cool-climate grapes.
Best in class
The top drops to keep an eye out for on wine lists (and why they're worth the splurge)
A taste of refuge
Fleeing war and persecution, Australia's new arrivals push our food culture forward. DANI VALENT explores the contributions of the country's refugee communities.
BE OUR GUEST
Inspired by the sense of place conjured by Europe's Michelin-star restaurants, local restaurateurs are expanding their hospitality remit to include accommodation
Barcelona BUZZ
A popular drawcard for digital nomads and expats alike, the Catalonian capital offers equal parts sophistication and fun. Here, DANI VALENT discovers the latest dining hotspots.
HEATHCOTE BOUND
MICHAEL HARDEN hits the road to explore regional Victoria's Heathcote, home to this year's Best Destination Dining and a host of other delights.
The art of...relishing restaurants
Does working in hospitality make someone a better or worse diner
HEART AND SOUL
Not a vegetable but rather a flower bud that rises on a thistle, the artichoke is a complex delight. Its rewards are hard won; first you must get past the armour of petals and remove the hairy choke. Those who step up are rewarded with sweet and savoury creaminess and the elusive flavour of spring. Many of the recipes here begin with the same Provençal braise. Others call on the nuttiness of artichokes in their raw form. The results make pasta lighter and chicken brighter or can be fried to become a vessel for bold flavours all of which capture the levity of the season.
