The look, mannerisms and bravado would be at home in trattorias of Roma or Firenze. There’s only one thing missing: the accent. In that way he is a fitting representation for the restaurant he runs – a splendid Italian eatery that is unmistakably Australian.

While fellow co-owners Max Sharrad and Laura Cassai are receiving deserved accolades for their CBD showpiece Fugazzi, little Nido tends to fly under the radar. That will no doubt be fine with southern suburbs residents who treat it as their local and fill the tables squeezed into every corner. The attraction begins with the buzz that accompanies a restaurant firing on all cylinders and flows through a super-smart wine list mixing Aussie and Latino.

Then there’s cooking that has the Gina Lollobrigida combination of classic bones and innate flair. Start, for example, with a skewer of wood-grilled pork belly pieces in a smoked pineapple sauce or signature gnocco fritto fried bread with whipped ricotta, honey and grind of black pepper that’s the clincher.

Barely al-dente spaghetti might come with chunks of prawn and a power-packed crustacean and chilli sauce. Grilled flat iron steak with whipped mustard butter and marsala jus is like Italy beating France 4-3 in a Euro Cup final.

To read our full list of reviews for South Australia, head here.