Jozef Imrich, name worthy of Kafka, has his finger on the pulse of any irony of interest and shares his findings to keep you in-the-know with the savviest trend setters and infomaniacs.
''I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center.''
-Kurt Vonnegut
All good things take time - Pe' fa' e cose bone ce vo' tiemp
Rosso Antico, ancient red, is more than a place to eat, it’s a place to gather. Whether you’re here for a relaxed midweek dinner, a celebration with friends, for a Negroni at the bar, we invite you to experience a little slice of Italy in the heart of Enmore
Will already decided it was his favourite joint when we sat down for the first time (which was pretty pre-emptive!), but once our order arrived – hot off the paddle from the wood-fired oven – his premonition proved true.
We like how the pizzas here have ballooning crusts that are marked by the odd ‘birthmark’ of charred blisters; and when you pick up each slice, it has a soft flop from the gentle load of juicy toppings it’s conveying (instead of, say, a suspicious surfboard toughness). I also love how this pizzeria pushes all its flavours to melting point – with gloriously punchy, savoury and sweet impressions revealed with every bite, whether it’s the Norma ($19), with its caramelly smoulder of eggplant slices, San Marzano tomatoes, oozy pool of fior di latte and sprinkles of salted ricotta, or Will’s pick, the Diavola ($20), its light chilli tingle bolstered by spicy salami and the rich and salty flourishes of capsicum, olives, tomato and cheese. On our second visit – with help from friends Chloe and Caro – we re-ordered our faves, and also made a demolition job of the Capricciosa ($21), with its layers of double-smoked ham, artichokes and mushroom (which was “super freakin’ delicious”, said Will), and the Ciociara ($20), all laced with ribbons of grilled zucchini, eggplant and capsicum; with these fresh-roasted flavours, it essentially tastes like the start of spring.
And of the salads, I really like the pan-tossed Cianfotta($15), which is a slick and rustic way to enjoy your vegies (even if they sound like an oddball mix at first glance – celery and potato might seem like suspicious partners for olive and tomato, but it makes a lot of delicious sense once you try it).
Rosso Antico Pizza Bar’s chefs were trained in Italy and the owner, Riccardo Tedesco, named the pizzeria after that particular aperitif for personal reasons. “The name reminds me of my childhood, there was always a bottle in the cabinet for when family and friends came over.”
That close connection translates in the restaurant, where it seems like different generations work across the kitchen and floor. And the stripped-back feel (which includes a decorative brick wall that you could argue is either “charmingly rustic” or “is-this-actually-finished? chic”) adds to the casual, warm atmosphere. There’s also the odd pizza paddle on display and a sign that I’ve been told means “good things take time”.
Thirty-five years after Salvatore Papa first opened the doors, it’s difficult to overstate how cherished this family-run institution remains. Zuccherati, biscotti, cannoli, arancini and pizzette are all part of the reason. But if there’s one thing keeping the queues coming, it’s the ricotta cake, soft-centred inside a shortcrust shell.
When it comes to thinking about the long-term health of her patients, Meghan Daresisn't most concerned with an 85-year-old with advanced arthritis.
Instead, the prominent Wollongong orthopaedic surgeon wants to focus on the exhausted 45-year-old who can't dance in her lounge room to 90s RnB.
In a TEDx talk that has just been recognised globally as an "editor's pick", Dr Dares used the case of a patient - "mid-40s real estate agent, married with kids, brilliant, capable, exhausted" - to show how pain and declining mobility should be a warning sign of unhealthy ageing.
She delivered her message at the Wollongong TEDx event in March, and it has now been placed among a select group of talks highlighted by TEDx for their ideas and storytelling.
"Jane came to see me because one of the great loves of her life was slipping away," Dr Dares said.
"I'm not talking about her husband. I'm not a psychiatrist. I'm an orthopaedic surgeon. I'm talking about her ability to dance. And not professionally, not in clubs. Jane was long past that.
"I'm talking late at night, after the kids had gone to bed on her lounge room floor, barefoot by herself to 90s RnB. But Jane's bunions and her heel pain were letting her down.
Wollongong orthopeadic surgeon Meghan Dares at the city's TEDx talk in March. Picture by Robert Peet.
"And it wasn't just affecting her moves, it was affecting her life. Jane had a stressful job. She had young kids. And her ability to move, her ability to dance was her release.
"And when she didn't have that, the stress transferred into other areas of her life."
Dr Dares said Jane came to see her fearing that the surgical solution would be worse than the pain and immobility.
"Fearing this was the end, the end of her, her youth, her dancing, and her 25-year love affair with Beyonce," she said.
A person holding their foot because of bunion pain. Picture by Canva
Health span, not just life span
Dr Dares, who is a co-founder of both Joint Vision Orthopaedic Group and the recently launched Phoenix Health Co at the Bruce Gordon Centre, said the non-catastrophic injuries of her mid-life patients - like swollen knees, ongoing Achilles tendonitis or lingering plantar fasciitis - were the beginning of a gradual health decline.
"We give up sport. We avoid stairs. We no longer take that long walk. We don't dance," she said.
"We know that a single week of immobility can result in up to 10 per cent loss of muscle mass.
"Not a decade, not a year, a week.
"So when someone doesn't take that dance, when someone gives up that sport, the body responds, muscle declines, pain in joint increases, and the cycle of immobility begins."
She said this immobility was affecting people's "health span" - which is the duration of our lives that we live free from chronic disease or serious medical impairment.
"What concerns me is ... this quiet acceptance of the shrinkage of our lives is normal," Dr Dares said.
Wollongong orthopeadic surgeon Meghan Dares at the city's TEDx talk in March. Picture by Robert Peet.
"First, it's a sport, then it's a stairs. Later, we're hesitating to pick up our groceries or pick up our grandchildren until finally we're declining social invitations because pain and immobility become a limiting factor.
"So, by the time most patients come to see me, they're not just managing a painful joint, they're managing a smaller world."
A woman with a painful knee joint. Picture by Canva
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A change in the profession
Dr Dares said the profession of orthopaedics had changed a lot over the past two decades, shifting from a culture of protection to a culture of movement.
"Decades ago, patients would come to us at the very end of their tether when joints were long worn out, pain was intolerable, and options in their perception were limited," she said.
She said Jane had been initially able to avoid surgery, but when her bunions continued to trouble her enough that she didn't want to dance or go on longer walks, she reconsidered surgery.
Wollongong orthopeadic surgeon Meghan Dares at the city's TEDx talk in March. Picture by Robert Peet.
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"Jane was about to give up on Beyonce," Dr Dares said.
"She still had a little Crazy In Love left in her, and that was the moment that mattered."
"Jane's bunion surgery certainly looked a lot different to how her aunt had described it from 30 years ago."
"She was back walking the same day. She was back driving at three weeks. She was back doing longer walks at 6 to 8 weeks.
"And she was back dancing on hardwood floors by herself, late at night after the kids had gone down, to RnB.
"Not professionally, possibly not impressively, though I never got the pleasure of seeing Jane dance, I must admit, but joyfully."
Dr Dares said making sure people don't start the gradual decline into immobility should be a national health priority.
For Australians, she said seeing a doctor for pain that stops you from moving should be as common as skin cancer checks.
"From a young age, we're taught that if a mole changes, we need to act," she said.
"If it becomes brown, if it becomes larger, if it's irregular, we don't modify our behavior, we seek professional advice because we know change equals risk."
She said there was a paradox in the country's health system, because skin cancer is not our biggest killer.
"Our biggest killer is cardiovascular disease, she said.
"And one of the best indicators of cardiovascular health isn't just our blood pressure and isn't just our cholesterol, but it's our ability to move...
"Pain is a warning signal. Declining mobility is a changing mole of the musculoskeletal system.
"And mobility doesn't just underpin joint health. It underpins everything: metabolic health, cancer risk, longevity, mental health, self-esteem, independence, health span, happiness."
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Neuroscientist and Wollongong local Lauren Dewsbury on the study that's investigating whether creatine has an impact on cognition and mood for post-menopausal women.
What should you do?
For people who want to live long and healthy lives, Dr Dares said the advice was simple.
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"If you can no longer run, ask yourself why," she said.
"If you're avoiding the stairs, act now. If your mobility is declining, seek professional assistance.
"Because like Jane, early intervention can change an individual's trajectory.
"The first thing we lose as we age isn't life itself. It's mobility. But mobility determines how much life we get to live.
"We've taught a nation to check its moles. It's now time we teach them to protect their movement."
