These days, it’s common to scrutinise a restaurant’s menu before making a booking. But Don’s is bucking the trend. Owner Alex Gavioli is purposely keeping things under wraps.

The venue in Prahran opened six weeks ago and while it has an Instagram page, the only clue the website gives you is a sample of the rotating natural wine list. “There’s no menu online, I’m trying to keep things pretty vague so diners don’t know what to expect,” he says.

Gavioli is also one of the guys behind Stan’s Deli in Malvern, and while sandwiches are still on the menu at Don’s, he steps it up a notch.

“The original idea was having a fried chicken sandwich with natural wine in a space where you don’t usually have those two items together,” he says. Diners sit along a 12m bar facing the open kitchen so they can see what’s happening and interact with the staff, because the service is the star of Don’s.

“I wanted to create a space where it wasn’t just about the food or the wine, but more about the people who are in front of you,” he says. “I want to get rid of that robotic service and increase the interaction with customers so there’s an energy and connection between people.

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“Especially in lockdown, I found that actually talking to someone as if they were a person and not just a customer, as if they were more than a transaction, had a profound effect on them.

“Don’s is a way to continue that conversation and break down that barrier. Good hospitality looks easy and it’s really not. I want people to come to the space and think, ‘I can work here, it looks fun,’ not knowing what goes into it.”

Staffing shortages are making it harder for venues and Gavioli found the easiest way was to start from the ground up.

“I’m bringing people in that have drive and an interest in hospitality and training them. You can teach people new skills if they’re interested in food and wine and people,” he says. Being across from Prahran Markets means the menu changes weekly depending on produce available, but the chicken sandwich and pasta on a spoon are staples.

“The fried chicken sandwich is like the service, it looks easy but a lot of work and technique has gone into it,” Gavioli says.

“The chicken is brined for 48 hours, and the jalapeno jam takes eight hours to make. We serve it with cabbage slaw, buttermilk dressing and fresh cucumber on a milk bun.”

The concept of the pasta on a spoon is to give diners a delicious mouthful. “It’s nice to not commit to a whole bowl of pasta, just a little flavour bomb,” Gavioli says. “It stemmed from that feeling of going to the fridge and eating a leftover spoonful of something. I think all good food comes from memories because you can relate to it.”

Some weeks it may be silverbeet pesto, others could be pork and fennel sausage, or bolognese with mafaldine. Just don’t come with any expectations.

Don’s
202 Commercial Rd, Prahran
Wed-Thur 5-9pm, Fri 4pm-11pm, Sat 1pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-6pm
dons.place

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