70s to 80s New York Italian at Tarantino’s
The Big Easy Group’s Tarantino’s is open for business in the former House of George space.
For The Big Easy Group, there are hidden references to Academy Award-winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino through a few of its venues.
“[Anchovy Bandit] is underneath a cinema, so [we] wanted to have a cinema reference in the name,” Oliver Brown of The Big Easy Group says.
At just 12, Quentin Tarantino wrote a script titled Captain Peachfuzz and the Anchovy Bandit, which follows the story of a bandit who robs pizza parlours.
“So that’s why we were like ‘this is perfect for a pizza restaurant’. That’s why [the venue] was called Anchovy Bandit,” Oliver tells CityMag.
“And then when we were doing La Louisiane, we were trying to do mood boards and stylise what it was going to be, and people were going like The Great Gatsby, glittery and glam.
“To me, [La Louisiane] was a bit more divey, and we also didn’t have the budget for The Great Gatsby. I was thinking more like from [Quentin Tarantino’s] Inglourious Basterds, where they go into that speakeasy, and they have the big shoot up downstairs.
“And then we looked up the name, and…that bar was called La Louisiane.”
When it came to the name of The Big Easy Group’s latest opening, Tarantino’s, Oliver says “the designers actually suggested [it], not knowing that we had other Tarantino references” as they were looking for something that ended with an ‘o’.
“It came together, and we were like ‘that’s actually perfect’,” Oliver says.
“It’s the least subtle reference,” Alex Bennett of The Big Easy Group says.
Tarantino’s opened over the weekend, bringing a 70s to 80s New York Italian vibe to the former House of George spot with food that changes with the seasons.
This venue hopes to marry the two Big Easy concepts, La Louisiane and Anchovy Bandit, into one.
“First course is definitely all about the snacks. [They’re] pretty fresh and light, because…it’s a three-course menu. I think a lot of the times when we’re running a neighbourhood venue, like Anchovy Bandit…it’s pretty carb-heavy on the snacks and mains, because it’s just a two-course meal,” Alex says.
“But [at Tarantino’s], we want to go for that three-course, four-course [experience], so we are keeping it pretty light in the snacks.
“Sourdough focaccia is a staple. It’s absolutely incredible. [Chef] Shane [Wilson] has been working on a sourdough focaccia recipe from 2019, and brought it to life at Anchovy Bandit.”
The second course is “really about pasta”.
“[With the risotto Milanese], the chicken broth is made in a ramen style,” Alex says.
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“Then it’s cooked down, and then it’s pretty classic risotto Milanese from there: saffron being the champion ingredient with some cool chestnut mushrooms.”
The third course, the grill section, uses a “wood-fired hearth, so it’s all cooked over red gum wood fire”.
This section includes “prime cuts” like an O’Connor M5 T-bone steak, a citrus-fed wagyu, the Margra Lamb Barnsley chop and more.
When we spoke to The Big Easy crew ahead of opening Tarantino’s, they told us “experience-based hospitality”, similar to how La Louisiane operates, would be a large part of Tarantino’s.
“We’re really just working on our order of service…and making sure that they are able to provide a really intimate experience,” Alex says.
“I think there’s a lot of details that go into that memorable experience [which can be] bit hard to recreate.
“So it’s really about staff training for now and making sure that we’re picking up on all the cues and have all the information we need to recognise it’s someone’s anniversary or birthday, and then what we do when it’s one of those occasions is make sure we’re really celebrating with our guest.”
Similar to La Louisiane’s snail shot, Tarantino’s has an “oyster shell gin” shot.
“We’ll see what develops. It’s a collaborative effort between the kitchen and front of house,” Alex says.
Following from this, the cocktail list is “pretty classic” with options like a martini, an Aperol spritz, a “milk-punched Amaretto Sour” and a small or full-size negroni.
“[We’ve got] a little stemmed negroni…that drink in particular is like, think people are rocking up. You might be waiting for friends or having a chat as you first sit down. So, it’s like, everyone gets a little drink,” Alex says.
Tarantino’s is located at 30 Vardon Avenue, Adelaide and is open from Wednesday until Sunday from 5pm until late.
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