Mediterranea

Anyone thinking about emigrating? The relentless onslaught of biblical storms courtesy of the roaming jet stream is enough to drive anyone to hibernation or long distance travel. At least up here on the Triangle we can be thankful for our altitude, unlike the poor souls along the Thames valley, Somerset Levels, and the southwest coast. It makes you wonder why a Sardinian would swap his island for ours, but Efisio Fronteddu has now been here, on and off for twenty years, so it can't all be bad. Anyway, I thought we could all do with an injection of colour and warmth, which is why I decided to pay a visit to Efisio's restaurant, Mediterranea.

Efisio had worked in, and run, several  restaurants, both here and in Sardinia, including a stint with the great Locatelli at Olivo in Belgravia, before opening his restaurant on Westow Street in 2007. Just in time for the recession! Times have been tough, but Efisio is optimistic about the future for this family business. Efiso's wife, Matilde works in the kitchen, alongside his brother-in-law, chef, Emanuele. The addition of a pizza oven certainly helped the business, and they now also bake their own bread, including Pane Carasau, a Sardinian flatbread, which is apparently thinner when made near the coast, and thicker inland. Possibly something to do with humidity suggests Efisio. Among the restaurant's signature dishes, are a fish stew,served with fregola (a Sardinian variety of cous-cous), and Malloreddus, a type of pasta served with a sausage sauce. In addition, they have a charcoal grill for authentic mediterranean flavour. Looking ahead, Efisio is considering a delivery service, and weekend brunches. 
Every year during the Overground festival, you'll find Efisio out front, serving food from a stall on the street, and being involved in the community is very important to him. The upstairs room is regularly made available for local groups such as Transition Town, and he is passionate about the library, having spent many hours there over the years, with his young children. When not in his own restaurant, his favourite local haunt is Numidie, which, come to think of it, is overdue a feature on this blog.

Efisio

Buon Appetito!