Adam Pizzini

RINALDO'S OF THE KING VALLEY

Adam Pizzini - Chef & Owner

Three years ago, Adam Pizzini saw all the joys of his youth come together in what he refers to as his 'ideal project'. Within what is essentially a corrugated iron shed, he whips up heaven-sent dishes and preserves from the vegetable garden running alongside his restaurant and even indulges in a spot of mushrooming whenever rainfall is abundant.

'Last week, we had ten ingredients on the menu that came directly from our veggie garden,' he proudly boasts. 'We have fresh peppermint tea available and I've been known to grab a torch and head outside to pick it in the middle of the night whenever supplies are low.'

Rinaldo's of the King Valley serves cuisine that is 'Italian comfort food with an edge'. Named after his father who encouraged him to pick up the pots and pans at a young age, Adam has fashioned the restaurant as a showcase for the great produce from the North East of his upbringing, as well as being a nod to his broader Italian heritage.

Adam admits, apart from some dry ingredients and seafood, Rinaldo's is about as 'King Valley' as it gets, including an assortment of wines specifically from the region. 'I've got a lot of family in the area and they're often dropping in fruit or whatever is in season at the time,' says Adam. 'We get these great, flavoursome black pigs from up the road and they're even fed on our vegetable waste.'

In terms of being resourceful and eco-friendly, it appears Rinaldo's sets the example from which others should follow. Even the interior is constructed from reclaimed timbers found in the kilns of its former incarnation as a tobacco shed. For Adam, the challenge has been creating a refined eating space within an unrefined setting.

'People seem really surprised when they walk in... I think we did really well.'

Rinaldo's of the King Valley

Dal Zotto Wines Cellar Door

Main Road

Whitfield

Ph: 03 5729 8000

www.rinaldos.com.au