Katia Marci- Roberts shares stories and recipes of family business

Katia Macri-Roberts and her family owned the former Calabrisella restaurant in Wellington St for 41 years. Her uncle also owned Franco's, which also closed down earlier this year.

She has just published a book, 'Secrets of Calabrisella', which is a mix of memoirs, travel stories and recipes from the famous menu.

"We were a local hotspot and treasured by many and this keepsake book is something many people would be interested in checking out," she said.

For four decades the restaurant stood on Wellington Street, serving a plethora of southern Italian cuisines inspired by the region of its namesake: Calabria.

With a menu full of pasta, pizza, wine and desserts the establishment was hugely popular with locals, many of which came on a weekly basis.

The family-focused business was a staple on the Launceston Italian food scene.

But Calabrisella served its last dish, with owners announcing its closure on May 1, 2020.

Owner and founder Lorenzo Macri first moved to Tasmania from a little village near Tropea in southern Italy in 1973.

After marrying and briefly returning to Italy, he moved back to Launceston and opened up his own business in 1979.

For daughter and former head chef Katia Macri-Roberts, Calabrisella had been a part of her life since she was five.

"A lot of the customers were locals so they enjoyed listening to my dad's stories over the years," she said.

"I thought it would be a great memento and tribute to put in the history of the restaurant.

"We have won a few local awards and a lot of the people they used to come there quite regularly, a lot of the customers would come two or three times a week for 30 or 40 years.

"When we closed up a lot of those people were really sad, I got a lot of emails and Facebook messages. People were contacting me for six months after we closed and I though to myself 'why don't I just write this memento'."

Ms Marci-Roberts said that many people were asking for the famous secret recipes of the restaurants long-time menu.

"Everyone wanted the recipes because they couldn't get their favourite dish that they had been eating for decades any more," she said.

"They tried to recreate the dishes and people would stop me in the supermarket asking for recipes and if the shop was opening back up."

To pick up a copy of 'Secrets of Calabrisella' by Katia Macri-Roberts, visit Prospect Newsxpress, Kings Meadows Hair and Beauty, Kameleon Hair and Beauty and major online book stores.

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