After three decades of running restaurants in Wollongong, renowned chef Lorenzo Pagnan is preparing to close the doors on The Cheeky Fig to take a well-earned break.
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Lorenzo's last day of service will be June 19, when former Lorenzo's Diner chef - and current Rookie owner - Daniel Sherley takes over the lease.
Mr Sherley is likely to keep on existing staff, including long-time employee Melissa Garcia who has worked for Lorenzo since 2012.
Lorenzo made a decision to sell the restaurant last year when his partner Wendy McVicar moved to Melbourne for work.
He was set to follow and thought he had sold the eatery to an international buyer who had planned to open a Chinese restaurant at the site.
However, the sale fell through when they were apparently unable to secure a visa.
Now some of the newer chefs are doing really great things around town and I am really happy with what is happening in Wollongong.
Lorenzo's two chefs had already secured other positions at that time so he found himself back in the kitchen.
His passion for cooking and creating new recipes returned.
Lorenzo said he has loved going back to his roots during the past five months.
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While Ms McVicar has since returned to Wollongong and the couple is no longer moving to Melbourne, Lorenzo felt the time was right to take a break.
Lorenzo said he hasn't had a holiday in three years.
After some time off, he plans to become a hospitality consultant.
He may also make himself available to help out as a chef at other eateries.
"Now I have been back in the kitchen for five months I am really up to scratch again," he said.
"I look back over the years at what I have achieved with this and am really proud.
"Now some of the newer chefs are doing really great things around town and I am really happy with what is happening in Wollongong."
Lorenzo is also proud to have been a part of a dining-scene explosion in Sydney in the mid-80s and recalled bringing some of that to Wollongong three decades ago.
Before he finishes up at The Cheeky Fig he wants to help loyal diners reminisce about some of his signature dishes from the past 30 years.
As a special treat he is reintroducing, at great expense, the Torta Di Verona dessert. Unfortunately, some of the ingredients are hard to find and are only available in Boston.
"I am in the process of doing my last 'best-of menu'," he said.
Lorenzo's Diner first opened on July 6, 1999. When The Cheeky Fig closes mid-June it will be on the eve of Lorenzo's 20th anniversary at the site.
After working in Sydney during his early career, Lorenzo's first eatery in Wollongong was Lorenzo's Cafe at 90 Crown Street In 1990. It was next door to where Westfund is presently located at Lang's Corner.
A few years later Lorenzo went back to Sydney to work with Neil Perry for a year at Potts Point.
He then opened another eatery in a former bank site at Bulli with dining downstairs and an art gallery upstairs. Sweet Lips in Wollongong was another of his businesses as was a bar he opened next to Lorenzo's Diner that he sold to Michael Bolt's family in 2018. It is now a gin bar called Juniper.
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