After three years up in the Cape, Marco Nico has come back to KZN and is reprising his own slow cooking movement interpretations of classic dishes up in Westville on the site of the old Christina Martin School of Cookery.
It was humming the night we went, which on a chilly winter’s night up the hill is testament enough to the excitement surrounding his arrival.
As you enter you are greeted by an enormous wood fired pizza oven and Marco doing what he does best. The decor is eclectic and very classy, dozens of empty wine bottles make up a chandelier, a wall is covered with little blackboards encouraging you to bring pictures in for a ‘memory wall’ and the glasses and cutlery are the loveliest I have seen since I left Europe.
The bread with balsamic dip, which has become almost ubiquitous these days, really had a yeasty taste and the charring from the oven and woodiness meant we cleared the plate. The calamari a l’arrabiata was a triumph. Marco loves his octopus and this was tender, garlicky, a little al dente just as it should be, and the tomatoes were sweet and local. My prawns were wild and wrapped in Angel Hair pasta and the pork belly that followed melted in the mouth and the subtle flavours of apple and a reduced jus that coated the creamy mashed potatoes, true comfort food. My husband’s pepper steak showed that Marco is still taking care of his meat, it melted in the mouth and was well aged.
After a grappa or two with Marco in the cellar which he is going to make into a private dining room for up to fourteen, we were warm inside and out and I have a feeling that hill is going to become quite a well used route for foodies everywhere.
La Storia Restaurant, 124 Jan Hofmeyr Road (Westville Hotel), Westville.
Tel: 031 266 8793 or 031 266 5877
Email: hello@lastoria.co.za
Website: www.lastoria.co.za
Story by Elizabeth Moore