The finalists have been announced in the Otago Hospitality Awards and represent the best dining establishments in the region as voted by the hospitality industry.
Located in the heritage district of Oamaru, Italian and Latin fusion restaurant Cucina was awarded one hat in the Cuisine Good Food Awards last year, a ranking that denotes excellence and was given to fewer than 90 restaurants throughout the country.
Cucina prioritises fresh, locally sourced produce to ensure exceptional quality.
The journey of the restaurant’s owners, Mr Tacchini and his wife Yanina, from a holiday visit to a deep-rooted connection with Oamaru led to the creation of Cucina, which they have owned since 2016.
Restaurant Association of New Zealand chief executive officer Marisa Bidois said the "awards are a testament to the remarkable talent and innovation that make Otago a standout destination, and they provide an opportunity for us to honour the individuals and establishments that elevate our region’s hospitality industry".
"It is crucial that we take the time to pause and celebrate our successes, recognising the hard work and passion that our peers pour into their craft," she said.
Cucina also picked up nominations for outstanding bartender for Agustin Vijande, outstanding front of house and ambience and design.
To add to their accomplishments, the Tacchinis’ second harbourside restaurant in Oamaru, Del Mar, was also recognised for outstanding front of house.
"It’s really nice these kind of awards, because the people choose us, not the critics, so it’s very good that the people support us, " Mr Tacchini said.
In the outstanding chef category, Mr Tacchini is joined by Sam Sinclair of Heritage Coffee, Logan Wilson of No.7 Balmac and Hannes Bareiter of Tītī, all Dunedin restaurants.
Mr Tacchini said he and his wife had designed "specific" dishes and liked to serve the type of food they liked to eat.
"Some simple and some more elaborate, but there are two kinds. The same meat and pasta, and all the flavours are the flavours we grew up eating at home, quite interesting for Kiwis, strong flavours.
"Our popular meats are dressed with chimichurri, a sauce from Argentina. It’s quite special as well, not something you eat in every restaurant."
It was good that people were "keen" to try new flavours and new cuts of meat, he said.
Mr Tacchini was a chef for six years in Argentina before coming to New Zealand.
He said he was "always attracted to food, and to cooking" because of his family.
"My family are from Italy and Argentina, so food was very important. Each weekend we would have big family meals. Our pastas were made from scratch with my grandma and my mother. That’s when I started to be a chef."
They have kept the family traditions alive, cooking at home every day with their three children.
When he arrived in New Zealand he had to "adapt to the Kiwi flavour", working at award-winning restaurants Riverstone and Fleurs Place, Mr Tacchini said.
The front of house staff at both restaurants were "amazing" and they were "very grateful for the team".
"It’s really good. In a small town like Oamaru it is hard to find good staff, so when we find good staff we try to keep them as long as possible.
Mr Vijande, who is also originally from Argentina, worked on a Glenavy dairy farm in 2016, and returned to Oamaru in 2022 with his wife, after keeping in touch with Mr Tacchini.
Mr Tacchini said Mr Vijande was already experienced in hospitality in Argentina and was enjoying his role at Cucina and bringing up his family in Oamaru.
Voting for the Otago Hospitality Awards is open until July 14, and the winners will be announced on July 28.
