Add Stocco for a bellissimo bite

STYLISH new look inside Stocco Italian Restaurant on Yorkshire Street, Oldham

IF SLOW-COOKED wild boar ragu isn't quite screaming mamma mia, or king prawns and courgettes with a chilli white wine sauce doesn't float your gondola, maybe it's time to take stock.

Run-of-the-pepper-mill pasta platters with sweaty-sock smelling parmesan sprinkles may once have been the aroma of Roma.

Arrivederci to that. This is 2017... and time to take Stocco, the all-new Italian job on Yorkshire Street many will remember as Mario's, THE Italian institution of Oldham. Big shoes - not to mention bellies - to fill.

Fast forward to the here and now, we still have all the classics - spag bol supremes, luscious lasagnes and an array of prima pizzas. The difference today though is a fresh feel - light and airy - a stylish modern take on an Italian vintage infused with more than a (garlic) bread and butter menu.

Sharing a generous-sized pane formaggio (cheesy garlic pizza bread) was the perfect way to start having sampled a brief tipple at the bustling Saturday night bar - just to soak up the ambience you understand (according to Mrs R).

Couldn't agree more, the place was buzzing, what a welcome.

Having craftily spied the dessert menu on a neighbouring table, early but brief hopes of squeezing in an authentic dolce ice cream quickly evaporated when the mains came served with a "good luck with finishing that" smile from the friendly waitress.

Now let's have it right fellas, sometimes when you eat Italian, the portions - although perfectly ample for your average bambino - are very rarely anywhere near man-sized. A paltry parcel of ravioli and sparse sprig of parsley at best.

Let's just say that wasn't an issue here as my belt moved into emergency-notch mode.

The tagliatelle con gamberoni (the fishy one mentioned earlier) and Mrs R's ragu di cingihala con rigatoni (wild boar ragu) were immensi - that's "incredibly huge" in Italian. A bit like Stocco.

We finished it... just, but only just.

And all that - washed down with a nice bottle of Rose - at a little more than £40 for the ever-increasing pair of us.

An immensi diet on the way.

MR