The end of winter in Melbourne will be celebrated again with Flavours of Greece, as the Greek community of Melbourne’s annual festival of Greek cuisine takes off.
Presented by Barbaresso Oyzo, for four weeks, a selection of Melbourne’s Greek restaurants will share their favourite dishes – and some of their culinary secrets – through a program of special dinners and events, each designed to showcase the best of Greek cuisine from the country’s numerous regions.
Melbourne plays host to some of the most celebrated Greek eateries in the country, which vary from the romantically traditional to the most recent emergence of Greek street food.
Now in its fifth year, Flavours of Greece will capture the spirit of this ever-evolving phenomenon, presenting a mix of regional cuisine, classic feasts and contemporary culinary expression.
The festival began on Saturday, as Food Safari’s Maeve O’Meara and writer Victoria Kyriakopoulos took lucky foodies on a guided walking tour – Greek Gourmet Walking Safari – of the vibrant Greek suburb of Oakleigh.
The safarians spent a lively Saturday morning among the horde of shoppers who flock to Oakleigh on a weekly basis, where local butchers fire up their barbecues on the street and cook up delicious loukaniko sausages, while the multitude of cafes and zaxaroplasteia were buzzing with atmosphere.
Visit The Greek Deli and Taverna in South Yarra for a spring dinner, Philhellene in Moonee Ponds for a delicious seafood menu, Alpha Ouzeri in Fitzroy for contemporary Greek cuisine, or set out on a culinary journey to traditional Crete with Zimari in Windsor.
Other participating venues include Pireaus Blues (Fitzroy), Spitiko (South Melbourne), Argo Fish Shop (North Fitzroy) and Kalimera (Oakleigh).
To make a reservation for Flavours of Greece, visit www.antipodesfestival.com.au/antipodes-events/flavours-of-greece
Event guide:
Event 19 August – 16 September
Spring Dinner @ The Deli
The Greek Deli and Taverna
Bookings: (03) 9827 3734
Tuesday 19 August 2014, 7.00 pm
Psarotaverna: Greek Sea Flavour
Philhellene
Bookings: (03) 9370 3303
Thursday 21 August 2014, 7.00 pm
Contemporary Greek Night
Alpha Ouzeri
Bookings: (03) 9078 0582
Thursday 28 August 2014, 6.30 pm
The Road to Crete
Zimari
Bookings: (03) 9529 7894
Thursday 4 September 2014, 7.00 pm
Contemporary Greek Night
Alpha Ouzeri
Bookings (03) 9078 0582
8 September – 16 September
Argo’s Seafood Flavours of Greece
Argo
Bookings: (03) 9489 8714
Thursday 11 September, 7.30 pm
The Odyssey
Pireaus Blues
Bookings: (03) 9417 0222
Tuesday 16 September, 6.30 pm
Kalimera Souvlaki Art
Kalimera
Bookings: (03) 9939 3912
Thursday 18 September, 7.00 pm
Food from the Greek Gods
Grecian Scenes: Meze Ouzeri
Bookings (03) 9388 1558
Saturday 20 September 2014, 9.30 am
Greek Gourmet Walking Safari
Oakleigh Bookings: www.gourmetsafaris.com.au/cart/index.php?mod=events&catid=47
Wednesday 24 September 2014, 7.00 pm
San to Spiti Sas
Spitiko
Bookings: (03) 9690 2600
Saturday 18 October 2014, 9.30 am
Greek Gourmet Walking Safari
Oakleigh
Bookings: see above
Sunday 26 October 2014, 11.00 am
Mediterranean Spring
Angela’s Kitchen
Bookings: 0417 106 147