We had dinner out last Saturday for a friend’s birthday and when they said it was Italian (Cotto on Road), I was uhm like, carbs. And this is really by habit even if in truth, the Italian restaurants I’ve been to the last couple of years had a menu where you had heaps of non-pasta options.

And these were not after-thoughts either. Amano’s Hawkes Bay-sourced lamb shoulder is my go-to and is always excellent in whatever iteration. The prawns at posh local Andiamo prepared with a simple salsa verde and a confit potato side makes me want to ask the chef if they’ve been sourced fresh nearby because that’s how they taste (I haven’t though).

And of course at Cotto like most modern Italian restaurants, you don’t get a big bowl of spaghetti (though I wouldn’t mind one to be honest), but smaller, tasting plates.