Where: 14 Pacific Street, Newcastle East

Prices: Small to large shares plates, $4 to

$34; Insalata e verdure (salad and vegetables), $9 to $11

Chef: Richard Latham

Wines: Blackboard list of Italian, Spanish, French, Aussie and New Zealand wines, by the bottle or glass

Hours: Dinner, Tuesday to Saturday, from 6pm; lunch Thursday and Friday, 12-2pm

Vegetarian: Olives, pasta, risotto, salad

Bookings: 4925 2244

Bottom line: About $110 for two without wine

Rule one – rustle up some friends who love sharing. There’s not a dish on this menu that you won’t want to try but

with just two people, there’s not a hope. Even with four it will be a challenge because with the best will in the world you won’t be able to try everything.

From rustic rosemary, chilli and sea salt grissini and marinated olives to twice-cooked duck breast, every dish demonstrates the skill of the kitchen. Plates arrive as soon as they are ready and in no particular order. The mouth

explodes with a plethora of flavours and textures. Tomato and parmesan, basil and garlic, fennel and prosciutto; chargrilled octopus, crunchy arancini with yummy tomato

relish, and creamy fish patties.

Ingredients, cooking styles and flavours range the length

of the Italian boot, from Sicily and Puglia in the south to the Veneto in the north, but the emphasis is on Tuscany.

Tuscans are known as mangiafagioli (bean eaters),

immortalised in a painting of the same name by the Italian

Baroque painter Annibale Carracci, so it’s no surprise to

find a dish of creamy braised white beans, Roma tomato and Tuscan black cabbage (cavolo nero) as a seasonal side dish. This is cucina povera (cooking inspired by poverty) at its very best.

Roast eggplant puree replaces the usual cauliflower under the five plump, just seared scallops. This is a real winner particularly when partnered with crisp celery, bright green peas, toasted almonds and smoked sea salt.

A plate of langoustine (scampi) creates an argument; how to share three between four?

Thankfully one of us isn’t a big seafood aficionado so the rest can prise every bit of succulent flesh from these beauties.

The smoked haddock patty is coated with crumbs, pan-fried then topped with a poached egg, salmon eggs and chives. Salsa rosso (a rosy-hued mayonnaise) creates a luscious base.

Bay leaf, grape tomatoes and garlic are perfect partners for the fork tender chargrilled West Australian octopus. Chunks of Kipfler potato and double peeled broad beans are a bonus and lime wedges adds zing.

Lacy grated parmesan crusts the terracotta dish of pork and oregano meatballs swimming in a spicy peperonata. A little taste of Sicily.

A pale pink veal cutlet is stuffed with Fontina cheese and prosciutto, coated with fennel, pan-fried then thick sliced down a long white plate and served with a dish of lentils that have been slow-braised as they are in Puglia. The

combination of luxurious meat, vibrant fennel and cucina povera-style earthy lentils is memorable. Another side dish uses Marsala to enhance the natural sweetness of sliced carrot, and pine nuts add a crunch.

Duck breast is successfully paired with often neglected brussels sprouts and bacon; hazelnuts and radicchio provide the support act. Twice cooking results in a crisp skin while maintaining beautifully pink flesh.

There’s no blood orange tart tonight and the cannoli pastry could be crisper but the tiramisu makes up for any shortcomings in the dolci department.

For food with more flavour than almost any place in town you can’t go past this cosy enoteca.