You haven’t tried Pasta until you’ve tried Lorenzo’s spinach and ricotta ravioli, bechamel lasagne or tagliatelle. Lorenzo has amassed a wealth of culinary experience from the early days when his father, Danilo used to take a break from running The Lake Street store and cook lunch for the family everyday down at European Foods. The Uncles would come together at 1pm everyday to a meal prepared by Danilo, banter about current events and enjoy a well-earned pause in their busy day. This was not just a weekday event; Sunday lunch was an event to make your way to the Berti household. Danilo would begin midmorning, finely slicing celery, chopping carrots and caramelising the onions and pork sausage for his famous Sunday risotto. Lorenzo, Moreno and Maria would have friends drop by for an impromptu visit which would stretch long into the afternoon as they hover around the stove waiting for this family favourite to be ready.
Having been involved in the business from childhood, cooking and food is in Lorenzo’s DNA, his passion extends to the Italian traditions of the annual sausage making at his home, making his own killer chilli paste and pickling and preserving a variety of home-grown vegetables. His knowledge of these processes and attention to detail in the execution is a source of inspiration for all home cooks.
Under Lorenzo’s direction the Northbridge Store has grown from producing their in-house fresh pasta to cooking lunches, take home meals, Christmas hams, turkeys and cakes to external catering for events. Lorenzo can often be found keeping an eye on the store from behind the Pasta machine, with the occasional shout out to regular customers. The buzz in the store at lunch time and Saturday morning makes it a favourite amongst locals to meet for Lunch, coffee and cake or both!