Julien Moussi opens third cafe in Mount Waverley

Cafe heavyweight Julien Moussi has opened another venue in Mount Waverley, converting an old milk bar into a thriving brunch spot.

Cafe heavyweight Julien Moussi has opened his third Mt Waverley venue.

Hamlet, owned solely by Moussi and wife Kristy-lea, opened in an old Marianne Way milk bar last Friday.

Hamlet joins Moussi’s other venues, Stanley and Inglewood Coffee, in the suburb.

Frankie Pham, who is executive chef of Moussi’s Only Hospitality Group, is in charge of the food, cooking a modern mix of cafe faves with an Asian twist.

Think braised duck with macadamia tofu and green chilli chicken larb, with Inglewood coffee beans on the machine.

Hamlet, 47 Marianne Way, Mount Waverley

Julien Moussi and wife Kristy-lea have opened another cafe in Mt Waverley. Picture: Nicki Connolly

New life for St Kilda pub

St Kilda’s Post Office Club Hotel may have had a “rough as guts” past, but catering king Ben Avramides is breathing new life into the space.

“I’ve been told the gangsters would come in and the barman would make them check their guns behind the bar,” he said.

“There are a heaps of old stories like that, I’m not sure how many are myths.”

The Bayside local has embarked on the ambitious task of turning what was once the old Buck’s Head Hotel, on the corner of St Kilda Rd and Inkerman St, into an up-market bistro serving steak frites and champagne.

St Kilda's Post Office Club Hotel has been taken over by Legacy Hospitality Group’s Ben Avramides, Romaric Senelas and head chef Julian Baker. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Avramides said the area had gentrified, and was known less for its gangster and backpacker past and more for being an affluent area filled with young families.

“We appeal to all sorts, which is the beauty of St Kilda, so we’ll get people coming in for champagne and oysters, mainly between that 30 to 50-year age bracket,” he said.

“But being that side of the highway it’s also closer to families and old wealth, so we’re able to build regulars.”

Avramides has hosted events through Tommy Collins Group for about 15 years, while growing his Legacy Hospitality Group stable, which includes popular pubs The Cricketers Arms and Montague Hotels, as well as the Hamptons Bakery and The Villager bistro in Mt Buller.

Last year he took over the Postie’s lease with partner Romaric Senelas, trading for a short while as Latin American restaurant High Road Cantina before revamping the space and reopening as a bistro two weeks ago.

Julian Baker (ex-The Espy, Kirk’s Wine Bar) has come on as head chef, serving both classic and modern eats such as comte gougères swiped in horseradish aioli, white anchovy toast with taramasalata, charcuterie and the classic entrecote frites with a red wine jus.

Attached to the old building is Little Postie, an all-day “street” cafe and deli serving pastries, small goods, cured meats, flowers and Avramides’ family-owned Santos coffee.

The Post Office Club Hotel is open from noon daily, cafe open 7am-4pm Wed to Sat

Al Denta Sapori is opening in Carlton.

New pasta place

Fans of Al Dente Enoteca’s lockdown pasta packs can now enjoy the pared-back Italian eats outside of the home.

Chefs Andrea Vignali and Davide Bonadiman will open their second venue, Al Dente Sapori, next door to their original Carlton pasta place next Tuesday.

Sapori’s dine-in menu is similar to the Enoteca’s takeaway offering, but with fewer bells and whistles than an Enoteca degustation.

“We knew we were missing something. Sometimes it’s good to cook fine food but it’s also nice to get lasagne and a glass of wine and sit down somewhere to eat it,” Vignali said.

For the past year, the Sapori space has been functioning as a grocer and will continue when the restaurant opens, stocking fresh-made pastas, chilli oil, sauces and pantry staples.

Sapori will also sport new menu items such as vitello tonnato (cold sliced veal), olive ascolane (meat-stuffed fried olives) and panzerotti pomodoro (fried pizza dough).

Unlike Enoteca, Sapori will also offer al fresco dining as the weather warms up.

Al Dente Sapori, 163 Nicholson Street, Carlton

Vinny’s pop-up at The Vincent. Picture: Ben Frazer

Put in the diary

– Summer pop-up Vinny’s is hoping to breathe new life into Albert Park’s ever-changing The Vincent Hotel. Colonial Leisure Group, behind the Portsea Hotel and South Melbourne’s O’Connell’s, added the venue to its stable back in June. Vinny’s will offer a bounty of seafood including oysters, kingfish crudo, marinated sardines, grilled prawns alongside piles of pasta such as cacio e pepe, lamb ragu parpadelle and seafood linguine. Italian-inspired cocktails and wines will keep you hydrated.

Vinny’s at The Vincent, 111 Victoria Ave, Albert Park

– East Malvern Food and Wine Festival returns for its fifth year at Central Park this Sunday (November 20). Victorian wineries Montalto, Mount Avoca and Michelini Wines will join a suite of Melbourne restaurant pop-ups and small producers at the free-entry event. Pre-sale wine packages are available online.

East Malvern Food and Wine Festival, eastmalvernfoodandwine.melbourne

– Jewish cooking star Joan Nathan will headline the first Melbourne Jewish Food Festival in Elsternwick on December 11. Nathan will share her passion for Jewish cuisines, from well-known Polish and Israeli-inspired eats to the less common foods from India, Iran, Cuba, Ukraine and regional Greek and Italian dishes. Tickets start at $20.

Melbourne Jewish Food Festival, Kadimah, 7 Selwyn St, Elsternwick