Go south go local: Sicily Mare and Lot 8, Aldinga

Above: Cono Gorgone opened his new restaurant Sicily Mare in June 2020 at Aldinga.

Go south go local – a little slice of Sicily and Singapore

Story by Jake Dean.

In a list of 2020’s most unenviable tasks, opening a new business in a new region amid a pandemic would have to be right up there. That was the challenge for Cono Gorgone, who opened his new restaurant Sicily Mare Pizzeria in June this year.

‘I signed the lease before COVID, but I thought, it’s going to be a slow process cleaning up the place, so the timing worked,’ says Cono, who took over the old Snapper Point Deli and Marie’s Crystal Cave on Aldinga Beach’s Esplanade in late 2019. Despite COVID restrictions still limiting dine-in customers after the June opening, Cono has been thrilled with the support his restaurant has received. ‘It’s been brilliant,’ he says.

It’s these stories, and the people behind them, that the City of Onkaparinga Council is celebrating this summer as part of the Go South Go Local campaign, which supports local businesses to recover and grow.

Sicily Mare is Cono’s third venture, joining Sicily Pizzeria e Bar on Rundle Street and Sicily Autostrada in Everard Park. The pizzeria features a UNESCO-recognised recipe for handmade and stretched dough (rested for 72 hours), a Sicilian wine list, menus in the Sicilian dialect, gelati and a sunbathed Mediterranean-inspired space, filled with white, blue and orange.

The menu also features homestyle dishes that have been passed down through generations of Cono’s family, including ‘polpette di poveri’ – vegetarian ‘meatballs’ that were first made during a time when meat was too expensive for many to afford.

‘It [the pizzeria] has become a melting pot, from farmers, to people from wineries, to workers, locals trying something new, and tourists on their Sunday drives,’ Cono says. However its multifaceted appeal perhaps shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. With four decades in the hospitality industry – including the past four years with his Sicily brand – Cono’s credentials, infectious enthusiasm and Sicilian fare were always going to be a hit, pandemic or not.

Cono is just one of the unique characters in the Onkaparinga Council’s spotlight. Drive five minutes inland from Sicily Mare and you’ll find two more – Francis and Eileen Tan. They brought authentic Singaporean hawker-style food to Onkaparinga when they opened Lot 8, a cosy restaurant alongside their Aldinga Arts EcoVillage home, in late 2018.

Above: Francis Tan and his family are serving up delicious authentic Singaporean dishes at Lot 8, Aldinga.

– a little slice of Sicily and Singapore

The Tans migrated from Singapore in 2009 after Francis fell in love with SA during a business trip. But it was a Carrickalinga staycation with Eileen’s parents in 2012 – and the chance to discover the Willunga Farmers Market, Port Willunga and the EcoVillage – that convinced them to move south.

Longing for the simple, unpretentious comfort food of their homeland, Frances and Eileen began recreating it in their new Fleurieu home. Eventually they were spurred on to share it with the community, with customers regularly commenting that Lot 8’s menu – including laksas, char siu (BBQ) chicken and spring rolls – evokes memories of their own Asian travels.

Like Cono, Francis and Eileen say the local response has been instrumental in their success, particularly during COVID-19. Inspired food and affable hosts (including their two teenage sons) aside, Lot 8’s community of loyal customers was built on its intimate dining space. But when the state government declared a public health emergency in March, the Tans pivoted to takeaway only.

‘We’re lucky we had fourteen months to build a following before,’ Francis says. ‘Without the community’s support, Lot 8 wouldn’t survive this pandemic. Customers miss that spontaneity and connection and we miss it too! [But] staying open and increasing our online communication has helped sustain our business while we try new ways to engage with our customers.’ That Sicily Mare and Lot 8 have continued thriving during the pandemic is proof unique personalities and offerings keep customers coming back. Their existence – little slices of Sicily and Singapore in the suburbs – is also proof Onkaparinga is spoiled for choice, and both businesses walk the talk themselves when it comes to supporting local.

Cono has employed local tradespeople and a gardener to transform his building into a space fit for a Sicilian. The Tans buy most ingredients from locals, including veggies from Oriental Green (which has a stall at Willunga Farmers Market), free-range eggs from Willunga’s Feather and Peck, and free-range local meat via Aldinga Central Meats. They also sell desserts from McLaren Vale’s My Sweet Art.

‘It’s important, especially during this pandemic, because these businesses are the people who make up our community,’ explains Francis, who hopes to reopen for dine-in this summer.

‘They’re our neighbours and friends. We care about them, and they us. Every dollar spent with a local business is another dollar invested in the community.’

To learn more about City of Onkaparinga’s Go South Go Local campaign, visit onbusinesspartnerprogram.com/go-south-go-local