NANO Ready to Go
23 Ebenezer Place
Adelaide South Australia 5000
W not available
E nanos@internode.on.net
T +61 8 8227 0468
F +61 8 8227 0477
OPEN 7.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Saturday — food all day
FOOD Hutt street traders will lament the loss of NANO to their area and the steady stream of loyal regulars who came to enjoy the coffee, the focaccia, pizza and in our case especially the Zeppole. There has been a great sense of relief from less regular customers that they have moved, not closed, and although one now needs to make a little more effort to get there, their location is happily close to easy ticket parking on East Terrace. Never have there been so many calls and emails asking where an establishment has gone or why aren’t they there anymore. The freshness and honesty of the food at NANO quickly won them a place in the hearts of nearby Hutt street residents and way beyond.
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from left to right — a new generation entering the business, cousins and sons of Filomena and Stefan Capoccia, Lucio, and Rene and the late George Capoccia, Michele
From their tiny premises they have moved to a large bright open space on Ebenezer Place, which runs parallel with Rundle Street on the southern side. Slightly tucked away it is small wonder there has been panic that they might have vanished. A curvaceous gleaming yellow and chrome bar, lots of seating including community seating inside and a bank of north facing tables outside. With glorious Adelaide Autumn weather these seats are rarely empty. The Capoccia family have a long history in the Adelaide restaurant trade having started Amalfi Pizzeria Ristorante on Frome Street in the 80’s and there is poignant sense of de ja vu to see cousins and sons of Filomena and Stefan Capoccia, Lucio, and Rene and the late George Capoccia, Michele, buzzing around the room, taking orders giving cheek in just the same way their fathers did when they started Amalfi so long ago.
So, what’s changed? Well its bigger, a lot bigger, brighter and whilst all of the favourites are there the menu is extended to include breakfast items like Mediterranean omelette $12, pancakes with ricotta and strawberries $9.50 and the perennial Italian breakfast favourite Incarozzi, their own bread, fried with bocconcini and pancetta, topped with an egg and Napolitana sauce $12. Breakfast with the lot, eggs scrambled or fried is just $15, bread their own, is excellent. Butter comes in packs and you don’t have to bully them to get it. They are maintaining the same lack of pretension, concentrating on generous well-priced food and aiming to do what they do well.
Lunch items are all black board and change regularly. Insalata manza, mixed lettuce, pan seared beef and roasted capsicum $16.90, penne Galina, mushroom bacon and chicken sauce $15 and spaghetti vongole $13.50. Vongole aren’t meant to have the texture of finely diced car tires and so often do, so when you are served al dente pasta, rich chopped fresh tomato and sweet tender vongole, the intention only to eat enough to gauge the quality and flavour of the dish was quickly abandoned. It is very important to keep NANO in context these are generous main course portions. Sure they will have run out of many items by late afternoon, but silly, that’s the idea! Everything is made fresh each morning and that’s why it tastes to delicious and why we have often driven to NANO just to grab a focaccia because there is really not an equivalent in Adelaide for the right amount of fresh filling and crispy edged soft centered focaccia that has crust and bread and filling in proportion.
One of the good things about the new NANO is they are licensed and a glass of wine can now be enjoyed with the meal. Glassware is straight from the 60’s and so are the prices of wines by the glass or bottle. Choices are excellent and reflect their long association with the South Australian wine industry.
Now all of this is all very well, great coffee good food, but the truth is, it is not the healthy items that we lust over but their divine Italian doughnuts Zeppole. Crispy edged they have a gritty crust of white sugar that contrasts with their soft centers. They are mouthwatering! Countless times two or three have been purchased with the intention of sharing but somehow they just never make it to another destination. Another friend of ours was red faced when we were cleaning her car and discovered under her seat countless little white bags stamped with the little green NANO stamp and all traced with tell tale white sugar crystals. There are probably plenty more Adelaidians addicted to these luscious morsels.
For all those well-meaning souls who want NANO to stay open at night you need to remember by the time they have cleaned up at the end of each day and started breads for the next day they have already worked days that range between 15 and 18 hours. We want to keep them not kill them and most of all we want to Capoccia dynasty to keep on doing what they do well — good simple, fast generous fresh food.
OWNERS — Filomena and Stefan Capoccia
CHEF — Stefan Capoccia
FRONT OF HOUSE — Filomena and cousins Lucio and Michele Capoccia
