Simonetta Wenkert

A recipe-filled memoir of food, love, family, and running a small neighbourhood restaurant that has survived recession and lockdowns to become an internationally-renowned haven of Italian home cooking. In 2007, Simonetta and her husband made the quixotic decision to open a restaurant. Without any relevant experience, IT engineer Avi and novelist Simonetta put aside their careers to throw themselves (and...

In 2007, Simonetta and her husband made the quixotic decision to open a restaurant. Without any relevant experience, IT engineer Avi and novelist Simonetta put aside their careers to throw themselves (and their three young children) into their dream. This is the story of Ida, a tiny resilient restaurant situated on an unlovely arterial road between Kilburn and Kensal Rise,...