#HighburyHearsYou – we at Cape Town Etc are passionate about getting local restaurants back and booming in business. As part of our #HighburyHearsYou initiative, we’re dishing out the deets on some incredible restaurants in and around town.
“After you have eaten your pasta and placed your fork down on your plate, a lashing of tasty unfinished pasta sauce still remains. The phrase ‘fare la scarpetta’ refers to the small piece of bread (that looks like a little shoe) is used to mop up, by sweeping the bread across, to relive those last mouthfuls of sauce that once enrobed the pasta on your plate. This is something my dad and I always did together” – Ricky Turilli.
Scarpetta is an attested Italian eatery that couldn’t hold a more suitable name. We’ve been fortunate enough to experience some of Chef Ricky Turilli’s creations, and needless to say, we were all scarpetta-ring at the end of our meals.
Seasonally focused, with heart and flavour at the core of the entire menu, Turilli, also known as The Big Boss, has brought a new level of authentic cooking to Cape Town.
Chef Ricky adheres to the Italian way of life by taking seasonal produce very seriously. He believes that the flavour profiles of food are enhanced when you eat them in symbiosis with nature.
A delectable menu is chalked on a board and reforms along with each passing season.
The food is served home-style, and so guests are encouraged to share multiple courses. Antipasto platters or a caprese salad with fresh mozzarella to start. Then pasta with traditional bolognese or a light mushrooms sauce. To end off the meal, homemade tiramisu or vibrant citrus cannoli.
Lasagne is made completely from scratch. Handmade fresh egg pasta layered with slow-cooked bolognese ragu, luscious béchamel, and Italian parmigiano. Their signature sauces are family heirlooms. They include rich, seven-mushroom and simple tomato-based Napolitana creations.
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Scarpetta serves up the kind of food that stirs the soul. A meal that somehow manages to concur both comfort and something entirely unexpected – the familiarity of a meal made by mama coupled with an experience of flavour previously unbeknown.
The Big Boss has been in the food industry for over 40 years. It’s in his blood to feed people with love. A promise that is delivered upon at every visit.
“The food industry is a way of life. I have bolognese sauce running through my veins. The most beautiful thing to see during this pandemic is community. I’m proud to be part of the Woodstock community, it’s been humbling to see how we have all boosted each other. The other part of my community are the people who have followed me over the years and continue to support me. That is why I call my customers my Scarpetta Familgia, as they are so much more than just people I feed. I feed them like my own family.”
Nothing could possibly prepare patrons for the profound and unique experience that awaits at Scarpetta. One thing is for sure: we can’t wait to come home.
Scarpetta is located in the heart of Woodstock at 85 Roodebloem road. They are open Monday to Saturday, dinner from 6pm to 10:30pm. Call or WhatsApp the Big Boss Ricky for bookings or takeaway orders 0832510730.
- Instagram @scarpettarestaurant
- Facebook @scarpettarestaurant