Melbourne wining and dining hotspots
Traditional Argentinean BBQ fires up in Melbourne (14 Meyers Place, Melbourne)
San Telmo is a new Argentinean restaurant that recently opened in central Melbourne. Named after the oldest and most bohemian neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, the restaurant boasts an enormous parrilla, a traditional coal-fired grill used to cook large chunks of meat to perfection.
A variety of cuts of meat, sweet breads, blood sausage, pancakes and alfajor ‘caramel sandwich’ cookies are a few of the tasty items in the leather-bound menu. The owners Jason and Renee McConnell and brothers Dave and Mickey Parker spent time in Argentina collecting souvenirs and antiques including old glass jars and animal skins that now hang on the exposed brick walls. Wines served at San Telmo are all Argentinean and have been selected by the owners. The restaurant is open from 7am to 1am Monday to Friday and on Saturday from noon until 1am.
The Aylesbury Restaurant & Rooftop Bar (103 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne)
Stylish and relaxed, The Aylesbury is a ground floor restaurant and rooftop bar from Jesse and Vanessa Gerner, the duo behind Andalusian inspired tapas bar and restaurant Anada in Fitzroy. Open daily for lunch and dinner, the Spanish influence is evident in the delicious food and cocktail menu.
Seasonal produce features heavily alongside Spanish favourites including piquillo peppers, Spanish jamon, morcilla and broad beans. In the evening, diners can head to the rooftop bar to enjoy small plates of food, cocktails and sunset views of the city.
Albert St Food & Wine (Cnr Sydney Road and Albert Street, Brunswick)
Housed in a renovated old bank, Albert St Food & Wine is a unique dining room/café/food store hybrid due to open this month. Inspired by local Victorian produce and Mediterranean recipes, it will cater for the needs of hungry Melburnians all day from breakfast through to dinner.
Owners Stuart Brookshaw and partner Ruth Giffney will work alongside executive chef Philippa Sibley, a renowned dessert specialist who is keen to explore savoury options. Specials from Philippa's cookbook PS Desserts will feature on the menu and rotate daily. The bank’s old safe will serve as the wine cellar, featuring over 200 wines, most of which are Victorian.
Middle Fish (122-128 Berkeley Street, Carlton)
For a well-rounded Thai experience nestled in the comfort of Carlton, mark Middle Fish as the first stop on your list. Owned by Thai native Siriporn Liamthong and her partner David Holtum, Middle Fish draws inspiration from authentic family recipes originating in Siriporn’s hometown in the south of Thailand.
Siriporn’s coffee background, established while working with St Ali's Salvatore Malatesta, has resulted in a strong coffee focus with plans to import coffee beans from local producers in Thailand. Keeping it in the family, Liamthong’s cousin Phantita Intarayota is the chef at Middle Fish. The café, which is hidden in a renovated warehouse, also features unique artwork by Thai artist Torlarp Larpjaroensook.
My Mexican Cousin (Melbourne Recital Hall, 31 Sturt St, Southbank)
For art lovers and foodies alike, My Mexican Cousin is Melbourne’s newest collaborative dining experience.
Salvatore Malatesta (St Ali), Jerome Borazio (St Jerome’s, Sister Bella, 1000 £ Bend), Grant Smillie (360 Agency), Andrew McKinnon (The Taboo Group) and Maurice Esposito (Esposito and St Peter’s) have come together to bring diners an all day eatery and bar, located at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
My Mexican Cousin’s Creole cuisine is best described as a combination of Caribbean, Latin American and European cooking and the cuisine style shines through a mostly fresh seafood menu inspired by Maurice Esposito. The all day breakfast menu runs from 7am to 4pm, with tempting individual or share plate options for lunch and dinner. Menu highlights include Blaff (a Caribbean fish/pork stew), Acras (smoked cod fritters served with seafood crème), the classic Po’Boy and the savoury Gougères (an equivalent to profiteroles but filled with cheese or game puree).
St Ali’s Salvatore Malatesta will be looking after the coffee, while Jerome Borazio will man the exotic range of alcoholic beverages. The bar restaurant is open 7 days a week, from 7am to late.
St Ali presents its first Coffee Exposition in January 2012
Pioneering Melbourne coffee group St Ali is set to host its first Coffee Exposition at its Yarra Place address in South Melbourne on Sunday 29 January 2012 from 10am – 4pm.
As part of the Coffee Expo, Salvatore Malatesta, owner of the St Ali Group, will present a session on brand creation and empire building and participants can attend a full day course exploring coffee from Seed to Cup. The program also includes finding a career in coffee with Ross Quail, General Manager of the St Ali Group of Companies, as well as an educational session discovering roasting methods for alternative brewing with Sensory Lab Roaster Joe Tynan.
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