Though it only opened in February this year Nick says Bar Torino has been "in the works" for ten years. With his Italian family in hospitality for over three decades now and Nick's long-term ambition to start his own venture, the sustained dreams and hard work have paid off with a successful opening and on-going patronage.
The European influence
After finding a suitable site for the bar in 2013 Nick left behind a career as an accountant and embarked on a research trip to Europe. Here, he focused on exploring his Italian heritage and learning as much as possible about how Italians and Spaniards eat, drink and enjoy life.
"In Europe food and drink is so much a part of the culture. It's about refined enjoyment. It brings people together. We wanted to bring a bit of this home to Australia," Nick says.
Now, with Nick and his sister Jessica running Bar Torino and the pair sharing ownership with their parents, the family has together shaped the venue into a unique and memorable dining and drinking destination. The bar's popularity is due in no small part to the balance it delivers.
"We have a great bar with a wide variety of drinks (including some unique gins), and an elaborate shared menu," says Nick. "We want everyone to drink responsibly so you can come in from 11am to midnight and you'll always find something delicious to eat as well as drink."
The food is fun, relaxed and communal. The "bar bits" menu includes such tempting tastes as house-cured meats and popcorn drizzled with honey butter – then served with salted caramel sauce. The interior of the bar also has a warm, European feel with white-washed walls, black tiles and lots of rustic, wooden tones.
Open for 11 hours a day, six days a week, and with seating for 120 people, demand on the kitchen is considerable. The kitchen and bar area is also on display to patrons. So it's important that it's in keeping with the contemporary, sophisticated fit-out.
Inside the kitchen
When setting up their kitchen Nick turned to Moffat, before installing a whole range of the high performing Waldorf 800 Series equipment. This includes a Waldorf twin pan gas fryer, a chargrill, salamander, cooktop and target top.
To add to this impressive line-up of powerful equipment, Bar Torino has installed a 10.10 and 6.10 gas Convotherm combi-steamer ovens as the double-stacked backbone of the kitchen. There's also a Turbofan prover & holding cabinet, a Friginox blast freezer and for a productive dishwashing solution, a Wexiodisk dishwasher and Washtech dishwasher.
"Moffat offer good products, and have personable, on-site service", says Nick. "We've only been open a short while, but so far, I think we're all quite impressed with the equipment."
With a technology line-up like this, and Nick's passion helping to drive it, Bar Torino will continue to offer culinary treats and beverage delicacies – bringing people together to share in his Italian dreams.
Source: Moffat Australia, "Bar Torino."
