Johnny, Vince & Sam’s -‘The space itself is an act of love – and comedy’ writes Good Food

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Brothers Joe and Carlo Salanitri and best mate Andrew Manfre, aka comedy trio Sooshi Mango, are opening their first restaurant, Johnny, Vince & Sam’s (named after their ethnic dad characters) in the site formerly known as St Charly cafe in Lygon Street, Carlton.

The Italian restaurant will be “a gimmick-free, delicious food experience, laced with nostalgia” aimed at restoring Lygon Street to its former glory.

“We didn’t want it to be like Disneyland. We don’t want it to be an amusement park,” Joe tells Good Food.

Meantime, Manfre defines his vision for the eatery as homely, unpretentious and tasty.

The troupe developed the concept with award-winning chef Johnny Di Francesco (400 Gradi) and Dani Zeini (Royal Stacks), drawing on the pair’s industry knowledge and experience.

Joe says, “We’ve gone to a lot of effort to get it right, working with two well-established amazing restaurateurs because the only thing we know about restaurants is ordering food, and that’s about it.”