AFTER 11 years of tantalising the taste buds of fine diners in Mildura, The Province By Matt De Angelo will close its doors at the end of the year.
Co-owner Matt De Angelo said it wasn’t an easy decision to make, but the acclaimed ‘Feast Street’ restaurant will wrap up trading on December 31.
“It was a decision based around family and having that time with them, and having a bit of a break from the industry,” he said.
Matt and his wife Danni have three children, Alexia, Rafael and Eva, and their eldest is entering her teenage years.
De Angelo said he and his wife decided to step away from the restaurant and spend more time with the children, after more than a decade of hands on service.
“Anyone that works in the industry (knows) it’s pretty demanding,” he said.
“We feel that with us, it’s personal, our restaurant, and we feel we have to be there all the time.
“We’ve given what we’ve got into The Province and we wanted to go out on a high.”
The restaurant didn’t take long to find its footing after it opened, and was awarded Chef’s Hats by the Good Food Guide in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
“It was among the biggest achievements we achieved in the restaurant,” De Angelo said.
“Looking back, at the very start all I wanted to do was just keep my head above water.
“We knew we wanted to produce good food and the chef hats when they came about, that was a big surprise.
“To say that we were among some of the best restaurants in Australia, it was a pretty proud moment.”
De Angelo said he was extremely thankful to customers and his staff for their support, and his departure from the restaurant scene was not goodbye, but more of a break, as he focuses on the catering business, Province Catering.
“To get some time away from the industry, just recharge your batteries as well and who knows, we might be back in it soon,” he said.
“Mildura people just love their food, they love going out for dinner, they really enjoy the local produce that Mildura has to offer.
“I really hope that after we go the restaurants will still continue on, hopefully people still come to the region for our food, for our restaurants.”
