Mt Hawthorn Fave La Madonna Nera Welcomes New Era With Chef-In-Residence Program

Ciao ragazzi!

We’ve been raving about Mount Hawthorn’s food renaissance for a while now, and right at the forefront of that resurgence has been the dimly-lit, oh-so-seductive, aperitivo-slinging La Madonna Nera.

The eatery is heralding a new era with the introduction of its Chef-in-Residence program. Instead of a one-night-only guest slot, chefs are invited to show their own take on La Madonna Nera’s contemporary Italian stylings over a longer period.

“It was something we had always talked about, even before we opened the business – but we hadn’t explored it because of the challenges facing hospitality in the last couple of years brought about by COVID,” owner Fiona Di Lanzo tells us.

“It really is an extension of a one night guest chef, but the chef can delve deeper into creating more than one menu, explore more ideas and develop a relationship with the other staff – both in kitchen and front-of-house, as well as with customers.”

“For us, as well as our staff, it is an exciting opportunity to work with many talents in a business as small as ours.”

First cab off the rank is Anthony Yuill, who will be in residence until mid-September. Formerly of Shadow Wine Bar (where he worked with La Madonna Nera’s current sous chef, Callum Snares), Lalla Rookh, Vue Du Monde and Healesville Hotel, his spin on La Madonna Nera involves plenty of decadent, winter-friendly flavours – we’re talking polenta with smoked lardo and honey, beef cheek cooked over 24 hours, or raviolini filled with mushroom and béchamel. And of course, with all these gorgeous truffles in season, you can add a shaving to the menu’s most delectable items.

As well as their new guest chef program, the team are also heralding in a new era for their social media. Two months ago, their Instagram was hacked and held for ransom by a nefarious individual – which is unfortunately becoming more and more common. Obviously this is a terrible situation, particularly for small businesses who depend on social media to connect with patrons – so we encourage you to go and give their new socials a follow, like, comment and share.

Check out their new Instagram account HERE.