As chef and co-owner of Fico, and the recently-opened little sibling, Pitzi, Federica Andrisani loves putting local produce front and centre. We caught up with her ahead of some exciting renovations.

Can you tell me a little about where you grew up? I grew up in Naples, Italy. It’s a busy city, quite different from Hobart. Hobart is nice and quiet, while Naples is more like the bigger cities you find around the world.

When did you first come to Tasmania? I came here about nine or ten years ago. I met my husband, who’s from Hobart, when we were both in northern Italy.

What was your initial impression of Tasmania when you arrived? Honestly, I didn’t like it at first. It was very different from what I was used to. Ten years ago, there wasn’t much happening here, and I didn’t know anyone. But now there’s more to do and more opportunities. I’ve come to love Hobart and Tasmania, and we’ll probably never move elsewhere.

That’s great to hear! Fico likes to use the term “fun-dining” as a play on “fine-dining.” What does that mean to you? For us, “fun-dining” means creating an enjoyable experience for our customers. We aim to provide excellent service and high-quality food, similar to fine-dining, but in a more relaxed setting. It’s about good food and good service without so much of the formality.

You source most of your ingredients from local businesses. How does that work? Sourcing from small, local suppli­ers is wonderful but can be challenging at times, especially if they don’t always have enough of a product. However, the quality and flavour of the ingredients are exceptional. For example, Sulyn, a small grower in South Hobart, has a beautiful garden. When we get carrots and herbs from her, we don’t need to do much with the ingredients because the ingredients can stand out on their own. You don’t have the same flavour when you buy from the supermarket.

Do you have a favourite Tasmanian ingredient? There are many, but we par­ticularly enjoy game meats like venison and hare. My husband, Oscar, is very passionate about it. Game meat is really special here.

What is it like running two restau­rants with your husband? How do you balance work and home life? We actually met while working together. We each have our own way of doing things, and we’ve learned not to step on each other’s toes. It wasn’t always easy, but after ten years, it’s going fine. With our new restaurant, Pitzi, which we opened six months ago, it’s been better because we don’t need to work together all day. One of us can be here, the other can be there.

Can you share any exciting updates to Fico’s menu for when you open after a winter break? We’re not making major changes right away. We don’t want to overwhelm our team with a completely new menu and wine list right after a break. We plan to update the look of Fico, including some repainting and changing the lights, gradually over the next few months. The menu will change to reflect seasonal ingredients.

It’s nice that you take winter breaks to relax. Yes, it’s very important for us to close the restaurant and take a holiday together. We need that break to recharge without worrying about work. Next year, we’re hoping to travel to Europe, fingers crossed.

What do you like to cook at home? It varies. We cook a lot at home and enjoy a variety of dishes. Rather than European, we actually love making Asian food and using our fire oven for charcoal-cooked meats. While we do enjoy simple things like Vegemite on toast, we generally prefer more elaborate meals at home.