Melbourne food aficionado Con Christopoulos will open his first pop-up pagoto to run alongside the inaugural Summer Arts Program at the Hellenic Museum.
The ice creams on offer will have a European feel, but lean towards Christopoulos’ Greek heritage, with flavours such as ouzo, baclava and rosewater. The menu will also put a modern spin on ever-loved dinner items such as the six-point sandwich, and classic cinema sweets such as Maltesers and Jaffas.
”I loved getting swept up in the romance of this period of cinema when I was a kid, and I still love it now. It’s that ’60s, carefree, the struggles of family, the escapism of cinema and also the escapism of gelati, you know, as a kid, just having an ice cream in your hand makes everything fine,” says Christopoulos.
All profits from Pagoto will also flow back into funding the education programs at the Hellenic Museum, so audiences can enjoy an ice cream guilt free, knowing they will be contributing to inspiring young minds.
Con Christopoulos is one of the most prolific restaurateurs in Melbourne. He has worked in the industry for over twenty years, with a hand in eateries as diverse as The European, Neapoli, Supper Club, Journal, Siglo, Gill’s Diner, Degraves and City Wine Shop. Christopoulos combines European influences with quality produce, and extends his reach over the Melbourne CBD with his latest project, Pagoto.
Located in the private garden courtyard of the former Royal Mint Melbourne, the program will convert the space into an outdoor cinema on Saturday evenings from 1 February to 1 March, screening classic films from Greece’s golden era of movie production. The program culminates with the Summer Long Arts Weekend, a festival of visual and performing arts over the Labour Day long weekend, 7 – 10 March.
For tickets to the Summer Cinema at the Hellenic Museum and your chance to sample Christopoulos’ ice-cream, visit www.eventbrite.com.au/e/summer-cinema-tickets-9779754509