Project Burrata was the first burrata bar that South Australia’s had ever seen.
At its heart was a simple obsession with the fresh Italian cheese, made with a delicate mozzarella shell wrapped around a rich, creamy centre of stracciatella and cream.
Owned by brothers Michael and Stefan Calderisi and their cousin Mathew, with the concept was born from their family’s roots in Puglia, the southern Italian region where burrata originated. The Calderisi family is from the region, where Michael said his Nonna and Nonno were born.
The creamy cheese has long been a staple in their family cooking, and the trio turned that connection into doing market stalls, like Gillies at the Grounds, Norwood Food and Wine Festival and the Adelaide Central Markets.
What began as a series of pop-ups, where the trio could have fun showing people different ways to eat burrata, quickly started to evolve.
“As we’ve grown, we’ve learnt a lot more about Italian cooking, heard more amazing stories from our grandparents and learnt to experiment more,” Michael said.
While burrata was initially seen by many customers as a simple summer dish, Project Burrata began pushing it further with hot and cold bowls, ragu, porchetta, seasonal produce and house-made condiments.
“That’s probably been the biggest evolution for us. We want this cheese to be something people enjoy all year round, not just in one particular way, and we want to keep being creative with it.”
That growing confidence and experimentation eventually led the trio to open their first bricks-and-mortar home on Wyatt Street.
“We absolutely loved our six months on Wyatt St… it was our first proper bricks and mortar home and we built such a good group of regulars there, so we’re really grateful for what that space gave us,” Michael said.
Now, Project Burrata is returning to where much of its early momentum began, with a new home at Adelaide Central Market.
With burrata still a relatively niche product, Michael said the team was excited to be surrounded by traders similarly focused on specialty food and produce.
“The Adelaide Central Market just felt like the perfect next step for Project Burrata.
“We’re both massive foodies ourselves and have always loved the market as there is such a strong appreciation for good food, fresh produce and specialty products, all under the same roof.”
The move comes as the Adelaide Central Market welcomes a wave of new vendors as part of the $400m market redevelopment.
The core of Project Burrata, celebrating the cheese in fresh, fun ways while staying connected to its Italian roots, remains the same, but the new home will give the team even more room to experiment.
“The new space gives us more freedom to be creative with different pairings, specials and seasonal dishes.
“We’ve got some off the wall ideas that we’ve been working on, and the Market is the perfect place to bring them to life.
While the favourites aren’t going anywhere, the trio are also keen to work with local South Australian producers and make the most of the incredible produce surrounding them at the Market.
And for regulars worried about the move, the new shop is only a stone’s throw from Wyatt Street, with Michael excited to see familiar faces make the move with them.
“I encourage everyone to arrive hungry!”
Project Burrata
When: reopened on September 11
Where: Adelaide Central Market
For more, click here.
