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John Nielsen loves Lygon Street
Melbourne's Lygon Street - fondly known as “Little Italy” - has the biggest selection of Italian restaurants and cafes anywhere in Australia, says John Nielsen.
By: John Nielsen
Major cities have special “eat streets” that offers diners a wonderful combination of restaurants, bars and cafes.
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Think Auckland’s Ponsonby, London’s Soho, New York’s Greenwich and Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong, all examples of destinations with treats to win over any gourmet.
Over the years I have always made it part of my “must do” when visiting bigger cities to visit such food centers. You can feel the vibe of the city and sample the local dining scene.
In Melbourne it is Lygon Street. Almost ten years ago there was a fear that Lygon Street would lose its appeal when Crown’s Entertainment center opened up, but luckily both Lygon Street and Crown Entertainment flourish today, thus giving Melbourne diners a superb variety of food styles and brilliant chefs.
Lygon Street is in the dynamic and diverse inner city suburb of Carlton, ten minutes' walk from such centrally-located hotels as InterContinental Melbourne, The Rialto, Park Hyatt Melbourne and the Westin Melbourne Hotel. Head east on Russell Street and as you walk through the Victoria Street intersection with the famed Melbourne Market on your left, Lygon Street and its delights are there to greet you!
It all started in the early immigration of Italian migrants to Melbourne post-World War Two. It also owes much of its growth and popularity to students from Melbourne University and RMIT University, who frequented the street long before it became fashionable with business people.
Eat outdoors, when Melbourne weather permits, at tables and chairs on footpaths with endless cafés and restaurants serving steaming bowls of pasta, coffee and delicious gelati. Lygon Street has evolved over the years from being home to mainly Italian family pizza-and-pasta restaurants to some of Melbourne's best and most serious dining venues.
One of the city's best wine restaurants is Jimmy Watson’s, who founded Australia’s most prestigious wine trophy at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show, (' the Jimmy Watson trophy'). Balzari is a restaurant that combines classic Italian home style cooking with a few stylish touches. Andrew McConnell's exceptional Embrasse, just off Lygon Street, is amazing, and if you like his cooking try his other restaurants, Cutler & Co in Gertrude Street, Carlton, and Cumulus Inc in Flinders Lane, both similarly trendy places.
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Maybe Lygon Street area's most famous café is Brunetti’s, on adjacent
Faraday Street - it is a gourmet bakery with dessert’s and cakes to die for. Walk on a few more minutes for the aroma of freshly-baked breads and coffee at the open plan bakery that is Threshermans Bakehouse, where the daily lunch crowd devours the great range of soups, pastas fresh from the hot stoves and toasted focaccias, perhaps with a freshly squeezed juice. This is, by the way, a regular spot for Melbourne’s many cycle riders to meet, so do not be too surprised to see enthusiasts in full gear.
One of Melbourne’s best delicatessens is King & Godfree, where olive oils, vintage wines and a big cheese counter are just a few of the delights on offer. The founder of Grinders Coffee, Giancarlo Guisti established Grinders Coffee in Carlton, where he had his roasting plant in a small shop that today is home to the University Café (photo), which is a specialized coffee boutique. Other excellent cafés to try are Carlton Espresso; a funky café showing the “old” Lygon Street what pizza is all about. Another Lygon Street institution, Lygon Food Store has its own quiet and pungent charm, the delicious odors of all those cheeses, salamis and pickles fill the air
After dining your way around Lygon Street, make sure you walk back through Carlton Gardens, home to Melbourne Museum, home to the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and many other excellent exhibitions, and the majestic Royal Exhibition Building, www.mov.vic.gov.au. One of the world's oldest remaining exhibition pavilions, this was originally built for the Great Exhibition of 1880 and in 1901 it housed the first Commonwealth Parliament: today it also plays host of the annual International Flower and Garden Show, held every third week in March.
Melbourne has a great choice of cultural activities to choose from. Yes, stay in the city or take a day trip to the vineyards of the Mornington Peninsula or Yarra Valley. You have plenty of options, and the best part is there is for sure to be a food component as part of the trip.
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