Do you love a good dinner party? Well actor and teacher Ivano does too, and he’s welcoming diners into his North Hobart home each month, transformed into Scarpetta.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now? I grew up in Launces­ton. The youngest of seven, we moved around a bit. I can recall seven places in the 22 years of living there. One of my favourite places was the Australian Ital­ian Club when it was in George Street in the city. Dad was the barman, mum the cook and we were the kids that ran amuck. It was a fabulous time for me with friends visiting the club with their parents almost every day, playing eight­ball and darts and hanging with ‘the old­ies’ at the bar. Now I live in Hobart and have been here (on and off) for 27 years. My partner Jenni, George the very funny groodle, and I live in North Hobart now and we love our community here.

What do you do for work? I’ve had about 38 years of teaching predomi­nantly mathematics and science at 16 schools in Tasmania, interstate and in Hiroshima, Japan. Now retired from schools, I tutor maths and science, help run a little BnB at the back of our prop­erty, do some acting work when it crops up, waiter at Capital and run my home-based restaurant called Scarpetta.

Why did you decide to open a restau­rant at home in North Hobart? I remember stumbling across some home restaurants in Italy and thought how incredibly hospitable and authentic they were. I felt privileged to be allowed into a stranger’s home to eat. The food was always amazing. My home restaurant, Scarpetta, is a compromise of a dream I had of owning my own little estab­lishment, sharing my Italian-ness. We had an opportunity to do a reno on our beautiful historic home and thought we could make the restaurant happen here. And it’s happened. It’s an opportunity to put my version of ‘hospitable’ in the Hobart hospitality landscape. To provide food that I (and my collaborating chef, Alistair Wise) want to create, with some strong elements and storying from my heritage and upbringing, having a moth­er with amazing cooking intuition.

You have cooked on TV but turned down requests to audition for MKR. Do you see a coming together of your acting and cooking worlds in the future? OMG I WISH!!! That would be the most wonderful thing I can imagine doing. I have actually fleshed out two very new ideas regarding this, one of which with a friend from one of the channels based in Sydney. I think both concepts are really interesting but who do I pitch to? How do I get it out there? Can anyone help out here??? Contact me! hahaaha. But seriously, yes, yes I do.

Between the restaurant, the BnB, and directing your first show now – what does downtime look like for you these days? Haha, I’m not much for a lot of down time really. I’ve even started waitering with the wonderful lads (and ex-students) at Capital on Wednesday nights and I’m currently creating a multigenerational, all male, Italian choir! But when I do stop, it’s nice to just hang with my partner, Jenni and our very fun­ny groodle, George. I do try and catch up with mates for a bite, drink and a good chinwag and laugh as often as I can. Ac­tually, I have more downtime than what people think. I’m available for hangs!

Who do you admire? My mother. She passed away in 2010. She really was a living saint. A person of never-ending hospitality, incredible resilience and compassion, fun and funny, loyal and true. She left school at the age of 10 to work the land, somewhat unwillingly migrated to Australia with four young children in tow to an awaiting husband who had spent a year prior saving working on a farm in Evandale and then having three more children. All this with no English, missing her family in the motherland (she was one of 13) and the ways she knew, in a patriarchal family and working at the woollen mill, Coats Patons. She endured a lot, yet she always found the time and energy to give and to look out for others. Her spirit of gener­osity knew no bounds and her strength to face the challenges in front of her on a daily basis was beyond admirable.

Favourite podcast or tv show? That’s a tough one! Podcast, I’d go for No Such Thing As A Fish (funny and informative) and I don’t really watch TV, however, I’d say Four Corners for the insightful journalism.

Secret vice? Not being able to resist cheese…and vino! Making excuses for not starting work in the garden. I have a remedy for the latter but not the former!

What are you reading now? I have a couple going, the oldest one be­ing Utopia Avenue by old friend and Hiroshima roommate, David Mitchell and the other Struck Down by my old high school biology teacher, John Woodroffe.

What was your first job? Cleaning out old, trade-in refrigerators at Begent & McGuire in Launceston.

What are your daily news/social me­dia habits? My main habit is coffee in bed and a bit of a scroll through to see what’s happening in the (local) world.

Your favourite place for…

Breakfast: Lobby Eatery.

Lunch: Ranita Ramen.

Dinner: Ogee.

They are favourites not only because of the food but more so, for me, the people who own them and work there.

Dream holiday destination? Anywhere where there’s warmth, great eating opportunities and food markets, kind and wonderful people, (nearby) beaches and where one can easily be in a vibrant, happening crowd but just as easily be in a quiet and secluded place surrounded by magnificent nature.

Favourite Tasmanian secret? Haha I actually co-wrote and acted in a short film called Best Kept Secret about keeping Tassie secret! What’s secret anymore? The word is out! First thing that comes to mind is the beauty and history of Maria Island…check that place out. Stunning.

Parting words? Love and laughter. Always.

You can book a seat at Scarpetta at www.scarpetta.com.au.