Chopping Block dedication

A rarity in television production is learning that the subject you have filmed on camera passes away before the footage gets to air. It leaves you in a sensitive position, where the next move you make may be misinterpreted.

Such is the predicament Nine and WIN find themselves in with next Tuesday’s episode of The Chopping Block.

South Yarra restaurant Piazza Novana is run by the Romagnino Family and its matriarch Mama Rosa, who applied to the Nine reality show to have her family business included on the second series. Although she was in cancer remission during pre-production, it returned during production.

Mama Rosa lost her battle with cancer on Thursday, well after the episode of The Chopping Block had been filmed. According to a WIN Press Release, her family has requested the episode proceed next Tuesday in her honour.

The show’s chef Matt Moran said, “I was privileged to meet the wonderful Rosa during filming of The Chopping Block. After cooking for 40 years she still had fire in her belly and was truly passionate about food and her family. I am so very sad to hear of her passing.”

Nine’s press release was sent out a few hours earlier, and didn’t note the sad news, but probably only due to time constraints. (Update: Nine has since matched the WIN Press Release).

Piazza Novano will compete against South Yarra China House next Tuesday at 7:30pm on Nine.

Press Releases
Next week’s episode of The Chopping Block will be broadcast in memory of the guiding light behind one of the featured restaurants, following the death yesterday of Mama Rosa Romagnino after a long battle with cancer.

Mama Rosa was the one who nominated her family-run restaurant, Piazza Navona on Toorak Road in Melbourne, for the program. She was in remission during pre-production but received the news that the cancer had returned as filming began.

Mama Rosa was determined to carry on and requested that her illness not be made a part of the Piazza Navona story. It was Rosa’s final wish to participate in The Chopping Block and give the Romagnino family a fitting, lasting memory of her in her element.

The Romagninos have been in the pizza and pasta business for 40 years and have owned Piazza Navona since 1993, led by Mama Rosa, Papa Giovanni and their children Angela and David.

The Romagnino family have requested that the episode featuring Mama Rosa and Piazza Navona goes to air as scheduled next Tuesday night at 7.30pm in honour of their mother.

Chef Matt Moran said today: “I was privileged to meet the wonderful Rosa during filming of The Chopping Block. After cooking for 40 years she still had fire in her belly and was truly passionate about food and her family. I am so very sad to hear of her passing.”

The WIN  / Nine Networks extend their deepest sympathy and condolences to the Romagnino family.

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South Yarra is home to some of Melbourne’s most prestigious residential addresses. It’s the place to be seen, to shop, and to dine. Get it right here as a restaurateur and you’re laughing, get it wrong, and your customers aren’t very forgiving.

Just six doors apart, our two competing teams are hoping to lift the standards in South Yarra this week on The Chopping Block.

South Yarra China House – is the story of a nicely appointed Chinese restaurant that virtually has no regular clientele. Owner Ji thinks the problem is a lack of visibility and point of difference from the street. His young, funky staff, think its more about the terrible food, and Ji’s embarrassing habit of asking all the clientele how he should improve the struggling business while not listening to them at all. Ji is adamant that he needs to be catering to ‘western palettes’ by producing bad suburban ‘Anglo-Cantonese’ food and is in constant conflict with his Gen Y staff and his old school disciplinary ways.

Piazza Navona – The Romagnino Family has been in the business of making pizza and pasta for 39 years. Led by Mama Rosa, Papa Giovanni (John), daughter Angela and son David, they have held their current location on Toorak Road for the last 15 years. Despite their love for each other they are constantly at loggerheads, especially siblings David and Angela, over who is rightfully in charge. In an effort to stand out from the plethora of pizza and pasta joints on the South Yarra strip, Angela entertains the customers with wild table top dancing, sexual innuendo and thrusting the faces of her male clientele into her ample bosom or “the girls” as she likes to refer to them. The glory days are well and truly gone for the Piazza Navona and it might just be Rosa’s age and her use of poor quality ingredients that are keeping the customers away.