‘An insult to his culture’: Italian chef sacked for not putting pineapple on pizza loses bid to get job back

The Irish Times · Joe Hinchliffe · 2026-11-05 15:22 UTC

In Australia many would consider this fruity refusal a sacrilege

With its sea foam-green and white decor, exposed brick columns and “classic Italian dishes” served atop European oak tables, La Costa was billed as an elegant slice of Italy in the urban heart of Queensland, Australia’s sunshine state.

“We promise, it’ll only take a moment to realise you’re not in Brisbane any more, you’ve made it to the Italian Riviera,” the now closed restaurant’s website still reads.

But for its disgruntled former head chef, it seems, just one moment – or, more specifically, one ingredient – was all it took to break the spell conjuring the “luxurious splendour of Italy’s coastline” and to plonk his diners right back into the nightclub district of Queensland’s Fortitude Valley.

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