Adelaide’s hottest brew-pub Pirate Life docks in South Melbourne
It’s been years in the making, but cult Adelaide brew-pub Pirate Life is finally pouring cold ones in South Melbourne.
Food
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South Australia’s hottest brewery is opening in South Melbourne this week after years in the making.
Pirate Life will be pouring cold ones in an old mechanics’ garage, a block from South Melbourne Market from this Thursday.
Craft brew kegs will be shipped from its home state, with “The Market Street Lager” made specifically for Melburnian drinkers.
On the food front, head chefs Marua Delengas and Nicolas Lopez will play with South American and Greek flavours for their beer friendly menu.
Think plates of pickled octopus carpaccio, smoked goat spring rolls, lamb chops, slow cooked asado beef ribs and hot jam doughnuts for dessert.
Pirate Life co-founder Jack Cameron said: “We’re committed to bringing our own style of hospitality and service to the area. This venue is for anyone looking for a good time, especially if that includes sharing cracking food and drinks with mates”.
Pirate Life, 139-145 Market St, South Melbourne
Brunetti Classico’s mega airport cafe plans take flight
Brunetti Classico will soar to new heights next summer when it opens another Melbourne Airport store with an on-site bakery.
The homegrown cafe signed off on a mega-site at T1 Qantas Terminal with hospo group Red Rock Venues, set to take flight early 2025.
Croissants and Roman-style pizzas will be made fresh on-site daily, alongside Brunetti’s beloved cakes, pastries and coffee. A minimart with grab-and-go options and souvenirs are also being thrown around in the early planning meetings.
Owner Fabio Angele said the T1 site would be unlike anything he’s done at the airport.
“We have the space to bake croissants on-site and it’ll add to the theatre,” he said.
“At the moment we are baking the night before and because of logistics, it ends up being served four to five hours later.”
Brunetti’s new outpost — between gates 1 and 3 — joins its existing stores in terminals 2 and 4, and a suite of other big name food outlets shacking up in the new-look Qantas Terminal.
Pope Joan and MasterChef star Gary Mehigan’s Asian eatery Mobo Moga landed last year.
The move comes as Brunetti Classico’s Moonee Ponds prepares to launch its lunch and dinner menu, pending a liquor licence.
The 130-seater space, in the Penny Lane development, opened before Christmas last year.
“We’ve had it on our minds for many years now (to open a western suburbs store),” he said.
“We believe it's a good area. People don’t come to Carlton during the week as much. I think Carlton has lost a lot and the people in the suburbs have opened up post-Covid. People like working from home and frequenting their local cafes.”
Angele said the Moonee Ponds store would feed into the after-hours crowd and customers of the nearby Palace Cinemas.
Brunetti Classico T1 Qantas Terminal, opening early 2025
Melbourne pizza named best in Australia
It’s official — this Melbourne pizzeria has been crowned Australia’s best, for the fourth consecutive year.
48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar ranked fifth in the 50 Top Pizza Asia-Pacific 2024 awards this week, beating Melbourne peers Shop225, Il Caminetto and +39 Pizzeria to the post.
The win marks the fourth consecutive year the South Yarra and Elsternwick restaurants have claimed the lucrative title.
Pizza gurus Fabio Biscaldi and Michele Circhrillo were applauded for not only their wood-fired pizzas, but the overall food and drinks menu, beer service and ambience at the lavish ceremony held at the Italian Institute of Culture in Tokyo.
“We are so happy and honoured to be recognised once again. Thank you to the entire team and to all our customers for your support,” Biscaldi said.
48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar shared its ranking with Sydney’s Al Taglio pizzeria.
Sad reason behind Ballarat restaurant’s snap closure
A restaurant that redefined Ballarat’s food scene has closed for good.
Speculation has mounted over why Moon and Mountain — which won countless awards for its fiery spin on Thai cuisine — went AWOL last year.
For many months the restaurant has sat dormant on Mair St, with the doors shut and lights off.
Moon and Mountain’s official Instagram account noted it was “currently closed” in its bio, with its most recent post shared on October 7.
A Google search reveals the business as “temporarily closed”.
The closure seemed more permanent this week after reports Ballarat favourite Cattleya Thai was moving into the space.
PWLT Group co-founder Teddy Powlett, who opened the restaurant with Ballarat chef Liam Downes in 2017, told Kitchen Confidential he had sold the business last November due to “external pressures”.
“It was difficult to find staff and manage my time,” he said.
“There are so many new venues opening in Ballarat. The Atlantic Group has come into town and they have three venues alone under the one roof. It’s becoming harder to source the up-and-coming talent and even trickier to find staff on the whole.”
Kitchen Confidential understands staff shortages, economic pressures and changes in local dining habits contributed to the closure.
Some Ballarat foodies suggested there was now an “oversaturation” of restaurants in town and not enough chefs and staff to fill them.
Powlett said he enjoyed his time at Moon and Mountain and was glad to have sold to a business with similar values.
“The restaurant served a good purpose and it was great while it was there. Obviously Covid was a battle, but all in all, it was a lovely experience to provide for the people of Ballarat,” he said.
“It’s now moved on to experienced operators and that was something we were big on. Whether they will continue as Moon and Mountain or run their own business, I’m not sure what’s next.”
Seven years isn’t a bad lifespan for a Ballarat restaurant.
Acclaimed chef Damien Jones, who put Ballarat’s food scene on the map with his bold Catfish Thai, operated for five years before rebranding as Mr Jones in 2018.
The contemporary Main Rd restaurant is now in it’s sixth year.
Moon and Mountain was one of the many restaurants established by Downes, Powlett and his brother Louis under the PWLT Group umbrella.
The boys ran Italian restaurant Ragazzone, as well as cocktail bar Renard and sandwich shop Earls’.
Powlett said he sold his share in Ragazzone to concentrate on Renard and Wayward Winery in Waubra.
New chapter for Moonee Ponds Greek icon
A Moonee Ponds institution is putting Greece’s rugged and wild Epirus region on the map.
Philhellene’s new owner Paul Chatzis wants to give diners a taste of his home state – starting with olive oil.
“My best friend is producing it, down the road from where I grew up, and we’re the only ones to have it in Australia,” he said.
Paul took over the Mount Alexander Rd institution with wife Anna eight months ago.
He’s weeks away from unveiling a new-look dining room, kitchen and wine cellar.
Spiros Kassidis (The Strand, Williamstown) has also stepped up as head chef, with plans to add more Greek imports to the mix soon.
“We’re moving forward while respecting tradition,” Paul said.
“We haven’t changed the menu, though, as people love Greek food and there are a lot of traditional dishes and crowd favourites.”
Instead he’ll test the waters by sharing Epirus regional dishes on the specials menu.
“(The region is known for) having a lot of meat spits, so chicken, lamb and pork. And we’re famous for filo pies and pastries,” he said.
Paul and Anna have been working in hospitality for many years.
The duo own Flemington’s Elephant Cafe, and Paul ran a family business in Greece before moving to Australia.
His dad has been a long-time chef at Oakleigh’s famed Kalimera Souvlaki Art.
Philhellene also holds a special place in the couple’s hearts.
“We met at the restaurant – and even got married there. It has a sentimental background for us,” Paul said.
Philhellene, 551-553 Mt Alexander Rd, Moonee Ponds
D.O. C opens new St Kilda restaurant
Melbourne pizza icon D.O. C will mark two mega-milestones in March.
Not only is it celebrating 20-years in the game, but Simone Staltari and Michael Costanzo are also launching their seventh restaurant.
D.O. C is set to open in St Kilda at the Gurner Group’s ultra-luxe Saint Moritz residences, replacing fine diner Loti, on March 14.
In a first, the 100-seater space will celebrate the best of D.O. C by bundling treasured elements from all its restaurants under the one roof.
“We’re mixing the best of both worlds: fresh pasta, pizza, mains,” Simone told Kitchen Confidential.
D.O. C St Kilda will play to Carlton’s espresso, pizza and mozzarella bars, as well as Carlton and Mornington’s deli.
“The service (will be) more elevated, and not as casual as our other restaurants. The biggest point of difference will be the variety of the menu, especially the mains and starters which are new to the group.”
Head chef Luca Quadri’s cooking will include crowd-pleasing plates such as D. O. C’s famed San Daniele pizza alongside new friends such as campanelle pasta with a montenegro-spiked duck ragu and beef tagliata.
Focaccia, oysters and fritto misto will be served at the bar, while daily changing gelato flavours will be a hit with beachgoers. Vegan and gluten free dishes are also in the mix.
The new D.O. C outpost forms part of St Kilda’s restaurant revolution, joining big-name chefs and restaurateurs expanding into the bayside suburb.
Celebrity chef Karen Martini has taken over Fitzroy Street’s Saint George. Further along the strip, Cafe Di Stasio is planning to turn its vacant upstairs rooms into an art gallery and function space.
Expressions of interest are also out for the Tolarno Hotel, and its restaurant.
“We love being apart of the movement. St Kilda will be a destination for hospitality and we want to be part of the change,” Simone said.
14 – 16 The Esplanade, St Kilda
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