Movement afoot as MPG 'ideas man' Julian Gerner steps away
One of the leading figures behind the expansion of Melbourne Pub Group - the entity behind a few exciting Melbourne food projects in recent years - has stepped aside.
Julian Gerner, while still a shareholder in a company largely controlled by millionaire caravan entrepreneur, Green Edge cycling team sponsor and Melbourne Cup winner Gerry Ryan, has resigned from an executive position, a move that puts well-known chef Paul Wilson one step up the MPG ladder. Gerner is usually characterised as the "ideas man" and concept developer of the team. It's not clear what led to the decision, but it has been suggested by First Bite snouts that rapid growth has not necessarily meant rapid profits. MPG is behind the Newmarket, Circa (Prince of Wales) and Acland Street Cantina, as well as the Middle Park and Albert Park Hotels. However, the recent instant flop that was the Newmarket Cellar Bar must have squandered cash and left a poor taste in the mouths of fellow directors, including Ryan and pub expert Tom Walker. Outside MPG, Gerner is still a part-owner of Richmond's food-focused "pub", The Royal Saxon.
Julian Gerner has resigned his executive position at Melbourne Pub Group.
Ratelli Paradiso, the Potts Point machina beloved of local notables, last week signed a heads of agreement with the City of Sydney to lease a site in Ash Street, Sydney. The city branch of Paradiso will be in Merivale heartland, metres from Felix and Ash Street Cellars. The expansion follows the launch last year of the Ambrosino brothers' wildly successful Paddington gastro-bar 10 William Street, where new chef Dan Pepperell has just unpacked a bag (the same bag where he keeps a CV that lists Attica, Oscillate Wildly, Marque, Tetsuya's and Momofuku SSam Bar in New York). Talk about raising the bar at the bar.
All Saints vineyard, on the Victorian/NSW border at Wahgunyah, has made another impressive appointment to its restaurant team, hiring the current director of wine at Vue de Monde, no less, as operations manager of its hospitality outlets. Rocco Esposito joins the Brown family's wineries in six weeks. Last year, All Saints hired well-known Britpack chef Simon Arkless for the All Saints and St Leonard's vineyards (owned by the same family). A job for his wife Kate, formerly a chef at Melbourne Mexican phenomenon Mamasita, was part of the package. Esposito, who moved to Australia from Italy at 24, ran his own acclaimed restaurant, Wardens in Beechworth. He plans to plant grapes on land he owns just outside Beechworth as part of his second tree-change.
Aa George Calombaris and his colleagues at Made Group prepare to radically downsize flagship restaurant The Press Club to make way for something more boisterous and casual, George C's suburban souvlaki rollout could be the more interesting story. Jimmy Grants opens in the old Peter Watson Spices building off Smith Street, Fitzroy, next month, a simple charcoal-burning souvlaki bar with seating for 24 and a limited beer and wine list. Made's George Sykiotis concedes the plan is to start with one and see where it ends. Back in Flinders Street, the turnaround from Press Club to Gazi is "at least an eight-week job", says Sykiotis. So early June at the earliest. He describes it as "an evolution of the Hellenic Republic concept" (modern Aussie taverna). The Press Club will not re-emerge in its new space next door (currently Little Press) until October.
Still in Melbourne, veteran restaurateur Joe Mammone (Il Bacaro, Sarti) has brought in a new head chef, Paolo Masciopinto, to replace Riccardo Momesso. Masciopinto will head the kitchen at Sarti; his last gig was at North Melbourne's Sosta Cucina. His CV includes a stint at Giorgio Locatelli's London Locanda. Momesso, meanwhile, is in the process of re-designing and rebuilding the old Soto in Hawksburn. His first restaurant as a chef/operator will be relaunched late next month as Valentino Calabrian Kitchen.
London's The Square has launched the careers of many Australians including, most notably, Brett Graham, now considered one of Britain's finest chefs and almost certainly lost to us for good. Will young Melburnian Josh Pelham go the same way? Pelham has been to-ing and fro-ing between home and London for years, but now Phillip Howard, The Square's co-owner and culinary beacon, has made the young ex-Matteos/Fenix cook his head chef. It's a proud moment for his family and Australian professional cookery.
Source: The Australian, 12 March 2013
