Short Bites: Giro d’Italia chef and owner Dom De Maco opens Giro del Mondo on St Kilda Rd
A tiny St Kilda Rd eatery which seats only eight people at a secret underground location is booked seven weeks in advance — and hasn’t even opened. More food news with Kara Irving.
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Italian chef Dom De Marco has already taken us on a tour of Italy at his St Kilda Rd restaurant Giro d’Italia.
At his new venue Giro del Mondo, he’ll take us around the world inside an eight-seater fine diner in a secret underground room beneath Giro d’Italia.
De Marco has already sold out the first seven weeks of his new venture to locals by word of mouth.
Giro del Mondo plans to open in late May, with De Marco’s six chefs creating a new monthly cuisine inspired by their home country.
Nelson Ho takes diners on the first culinary journey through Malaysia with traditional dishes like nasi goreng, and others with a twist such as Italian spiced chicken skewers and the aptly named Spaghetti Rome to Melbourne via Singapore.
Nepalese, Indian, Italian, Australian, Chinese and Filipino dinners are to come.
De Marco moved Giro d’Italia from its Carlton digs to tree-lined St Kilda Rd, near Toorak Rd, on the first day of Melbourne’s lockdown last March.
During this time De Marco formed a strong bond with locals, serving them takeaway coffee by day and dinners by night.
“It was a very scary time opening a restaurant on the first day of lockdown, but it’s been one of the biggest lessons for me as an entrepreneur and chef, as it has taught me how to adapt to anything,” he said.
Giro del Mondo opens for dinner on Friday May 28, from Monday to Saturday, from 6pm to 7.30pm. Five courses for $150pp, excluding drinks. Bookings: 9088 0095. www.giroditalia.com.au
A BAKER’S DELIGHT
A talented pastry chef who’s career fell victim to the pandemic is hoping his fancy cakes will lure more people back into the city.
Manchester-born Aidan Robinson once earned a crust at Dinner By Heston in London and Melbourne — and in 12 months has gone from unemployed to booming businessman with cake empire Chic de Partie, which he runs out of his two-bedroom CBD apartment.
His cakes are so popular he’s now a personal chef for a multi-millionaire and has recently signed a deal to make cakes at luxury watch and jewellery company Cartier’s VIP events.
“It’s incredible how this has all unfolded,” Robinson said.
The 26-year-old’s business was born out of Melbourne’s lockdown when he began making cakes for his neighbours after advertising his services in his building’s WhatsApp group.
Many placed an order, including someone who worked for entrepreneur Harold Mitchell.
Through word of mouth and a social media campaign, Robinson has gone from baking five to six cakes a week to about 15 to 20.
Some of his creations include Portuguese tarts, a macaron cake made with layers of raspberries, rose and lychee, and a spin-off to Heston’s tipsy cake — the boozy brioche, which takes two days to make. Robinson’s pipe dream is to one day open a city shop.
“There’s a lot places that are vacant. I’d just need a hole in the wall,” he said.
Order a celebration cake, the boozy brioche or Portuguese tarts from Chic de Partie on Instagram or via: chicdepartie@aol.com
REGIONAL FAVOURITE FOR SALE
The eatery feeding thousands of hungry tourists visiting popular western Victoria Talbot Farmers Market is up for sale. Talbot Provedore and Eatery owners Christopher Howe and Jayne Newgreen are saying goodbye to their farm-to-fork cafe of five years to focus on their other business — micro-abattoir and beef supplier Provenir. Howe, who earned his stripes at Daylesford’s Mercato and the Avoca Hotel, and partner Newgreen hope to find a buyer to continue the cafe’s legacy as a community meeting space and place to enjoy local produce.
“Coming out the other side of COVID and looking to what’s happening in the regions, it was time to hand over the reins,” Newgreen said.
So far there’s been some interest from buyers in the Talbot region and Ballarat.
Expressions of interest via Ballarat Real Estate.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Sydney billionaire Justin Hemmes has planted a stake in Melbourne’s CBD, buying Tomasetti House in Flinders Lane for a rumoured $40m. This is Merivale’s first Melbourne venue and the first outside of New South Wales. Hemmes, who owns Sydney’s Coogee Pavillion and Mr Wong, hasn’t revealed what would open in the space currently occupied by The Millet Group’s The Mill House Bar. “Melbourne’s CBD has suffered terribly from the hardships of the past year. We are committed to doing everything we can to help reinvigorate the city and support it in its road to recovery,” Hemmes said.
RAISE A GLASS
Jewel in the Yarra Valley’s crown, Levantine Hill, will officially open its luxe new winery and function space on Thursday, which has cost owners the Jreissati family north of $20m to build. The eye-catching, Fender Katsalidis Architects designed structure on the Maroondah Hwy sits adjacent to the winery’s cellar door and will play host to upscale weddings and functions, as well as wine tastings.
POPE LANDS HEAD CHEF
CBD favourite Pope Joan has welcomed new head chef Bente Grysbæk. Danish-born Grysbæk, previously of Yering Station and Denmark House, brings her produce-forward cooking to Pope, including a new sanga menu featuring The Danish Open of smoked salmon, crudités and mustard on rye and the Monte Cristo of mortadella, Swiss cheese and dijon.
No, Chris Lucas didn’t name his new French restaurant ‘bastard’
Eight years and a rumoured $45m later, Chris Lucas is finally opening his newest venue — a four-level French behemoth in the city next month. Just don’t say the name has a crude translation.
New elevated Italian joint takes rooftop restaurants to new heights
It’s been two years in the making, now the team behind Williamstown’s Sebastian has launched a buzzy new eatery at the top of Cremorne’s tallest building.