Lygon Street Festa and Jimmy the Original

October 1997

It's now twenty years since the traders of Lygon St. Carlton first held their "Festa" and established a great tradition for food street parties.

Over this coming weekend, they'll be music, art, fashion, food and more food all day and night long.

Traditional activities like the Waiters' Race, Bocce, The Greasy Pole, a Singing Waiters' Competition, Fencing, Tug of War and the Medieval Flag Hurlers from San Gemini will take place along the street. All these special events are free. It's hoped that families from all over Melbourne will come and join in and that it will act as a pressing reminder of Lygon St.'s usual attractions. The past winter has been a bleak one on the street, everyone complaining about low spending and numbers of visitors. The opening of the Casino and all the attractions south on the river are said to be the cause.

But, now it's Festa time and the tradition of Mediterranean style outdoor eating will bring them back.

Jim Papadimitriou will open his Jimmy's the Original Taverna all weekend. Last year he closed, "leaving the Festa for the Italians," but this year's bad winter trading is a good incentive for him to join the party. He will be serving barbecued octopus and souvlaki outside under umbrellas from noon Saturday and Sunday till 1am. Inside the Taverna the full menu will be available.

And what food it is. The freshest of seafood, grilled over charcoal; Jimmy's freshly baked bread and delicious dips; fantastic garlicky stuffed mushrooms with green olives, oil and lemon; new season's broad beans with spring onions and dill; the unusual combination of squid grilled with oil and cheese; dishes of three different olives; cuttlefish with tomato and chilli. Not to mention the fish soup and Ambrosia, which aren't on the menu and need to be pre-ordered. The Ambrosia is one of the few dishes which Jimmy cooks in the pan and it forms a sort of "paella" but with much more juice. And of course, it is much better than the Spaniards can do, according to Jimmy, the Greeks are the only nation who can really cook seafood.

And for him, the fruits of the sea are what it is all about. He never uses any fresh water fish, doesn't like their taste and smell. Originally from Salonika, near the sea in Greece, he loves the salt water and hopes one day to have a restaurant overlooking the sea.

The Lygon St. Taverna is Jim's eighth restaurant. He started in 1971 with Fanari Tavern on Russell Street, which, he says, was Melbourne's first taverna. After three years he sold and opened Jimmy's Taverna on Johnston St, then opened Jimmy's Greek Taverna on Toorak Rd., then Jimmy's the Original in Victoria St. Collingwood.

"I went to Greece after," Jim told me, " I spent a few years there, opened a restaurant in Salonika in 1984. It went very well, I kept it for three years then sold it and came back to Australia. I wanted to learn, to find new recipes and because the restaurant I opened was on the pier where all the fishermen were, I learnt quite a few secrets."

Jim then came back to open Dimitri's on Johnston St followed by The Aegean on Brunswick St. before coming to Lygon Street in 1994. Jim said that he has only ever been involved in one restaurant at a time. "Because the way I work, it's personal, it's my cuisine, it's my technique, and so I can only concentrate on one at a time. Because I believe in the quality, want to watch myself. This is my problem , I am a fanatic on quality. It's unusual, a lot of people just want to be bigger and just have more."

Jim explained how in all these years, how many cooks and waiters he has taught. "There are so many tavernas now, all these people who were next to me (and then) they opened their own. But of course, it is not the same. Everyone has his own flavour, his own taste, his own imagination. Food is art, it's what you create yourself. I believe in honest food, in simplicity. Instead of getting more complicated I simplify - this is my theory in cooking. That's why I use the charcoal. I believe in charcoal because this way you dry the fat off everything you cook, then use lemon and olive oil on top. Lemon, garlic and chilli are my main seasoning. I use these a lot."

But the Ambrosia is different. "This is a beautiful new recipe. It's the food of the gods. the Olympic gods, the nectar -- You can use most seafoods for this. First, heat olive oil in the fry pan, then put in crabs, prawns, scampi, mussels, (you can use lobster if you like), chilli, garlic, green pepper. Then you put in white wine and then you add the rice which has been half boiled previously. Then the spinach (fresh cut into small pieces) slow fire, sea salt and lemon juice. Leave for 10-15 minutes uncovered."

I agree with Jimmy, the taste of the spinach with the seafood is fantastic. It was cooked for us by Jim's wife, Helen , who works with him in the kitchen along with chef Spiros and assistant Bill. Jim and Helen's daughters, Tina and Athena help out front. "We have become a beautiful team, for the first time, and that's nice."

Jimmy's The Original is at 130 Lygon St, phone 9663 5138.

For information about the Lygon St Festa special events call 0055 31 575.