Villa Villani — Episode 5: A Typical Day at Villa Villani

Welcome back to Villa Villani, where a typical day is anything but typical!

In the final episode of our delightful Italian comedy serial, join Don Angelo, Dianne, Michele, Carlina and the entire Villani family as they guide unsuspecting customers through the most extraordinary restaurant experience on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.

The day begins with Don Angelo dispensing free advice to the locals, who appear to regard his front entrance as a combination of town hall, social club and unofficial government headquarters.

By lunchtime, the car park is overflowing, the queues are growing and Christiano is confidently informing customers what they should be drinking, regardless of what they intended to order.

Meanwhile, Michele is busy replacing perfectly respectable Australian lunch orders with magnificent Italian dishes that nobody actually requested.

And just when the diners believe they've finished, Beniamino arrives with desserts they couldn't possibly eat, but somehow do.

Finally, Carlina appears with the bill, ensuring that even paying for lunch becomes another example of extraordinary Villani efficiency.

It's a wonderfully chaotic day filled with food, laughter, family and the sort of hospitality that makes customers return again and again.

Join us for the conclusion of Villa Villani, the humorous podcast serial adapted from the novella by Australian author Max Barrington.

At Villa Villani, you might not get what you ordered, you might eat more than you intended, and you might leave considerably poorer than when you arrived.

But you'll almost certainly be back!

Arrivederci, and grazie mille for listening!

Villa Villani — Episode 4: All in the Family

At Villa Villani, good service isn't simply a profession. It's a family obligation, and occasionally a competitive sport!

Meet Carlina Villani, the charming and exceptionally capable captain of the dining room, who supervises a collection of relatives whose talents extend considerably beyond carrying plates.

There's Guglielmo, the towering waiter and photographer who captures beautiful memories of your evening, then makes refusing to purchase them a surprisingly difficult proposition.

There's Luca, the devoted craftsman who built the restaurant's magnificent olive-wood tables and regards anyone placing a glass too heavily upon them as a potential criminal.

And then there's Christiano, the brilliant bartender whose cocktails are legendary, whose confidence is enormous, and whose most remarkable piece of equipment began life as an ordinary LG clothes dryer!

Yes, a clothes dryer.

In Episode Four, discover the extraordinary personalities who transform an evening at Villa Villani into an experience you'll remember long after you've forgotten what you ordered.

From mysterious photographs to priceless furniture and cocktails mixed by recycled household appliances, nothing at Villa Villani is ever entirely ordinary.

Adapted from the humorous Australian novella by Max Barrington.

Come on in, take a seat and enjoy the family hospitality.

Just put your glass down gently!

Villa Villani — Episode 3: The Formula One Chef

What do Formula One racing and authentic Italian cooking have in common?

Quite a lot, apparently, especially when the chef is a Villani!

Meet Michele Villani, known to Australians as Michael, the extraordinarily talented chef whose culinary education included travelling the world with a famous Formula One racing team.

Having learned to perform under enormous pressure, Michele now commands the kitchen at Villa Villani with the precision of a racing engineer and the confidence of a man who believes that most Australians haven't the faintest idea what they should be eating.

Order a hamburger and you might receive Veal Scaloppine. Ask for fish and chips and don't be surprised if Osso Buco arrives instead.

Complaints? Surprisingly few.

You see, Michele has a philosophy. Customers don't necessarily order what they want. They order what they recognise. His responsibility is to educate them, preferably while they're eating!

In Episode Three, step inside the bustling Villa Villani kitchen, where garlic fills the air, orders arrive at frightening speed and the chef considers the menu little more than a collection of helpful suggestions.

A deliciously entertaining instalment of the comedy podcast serial adapted from the novella by Max Barrington.

Remember, at Villa Villani, the customer is always right.

Unless the chef disagrees.

Buon appetito!