Former lawyer turned hospitality juggernaut Mark Filippelli has just written his first book The Cookbook Is A Huge Missed Steak -inspired by a cancer diagnosis when he was 31 that saw him change his eating habits.
Sure he counts Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth as a close friend, but it’s his Nonna he also turned to when creating these plant based recipe gems.
Mark talks to The Write Drop for our At The Bar series.
MY CITY
Melbourne. We are the most passionate and discerning eaters and drinkers! In order to capture our hearts and mouths the level needs to be high and therefore we have set an incredible standard.
FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY
Exploding Olive at Tickets Restaurant in Barcelona by Albert Adrià, mind blowing !! I’m dying to go to his new restaurant Enigma.
FAVOURITE BAR
Bahama Gold. The epitome of an epic, Melbourne bar- Vibes, tunes, crew, guests, quality of booze, quality of service. I tend to start with a wine and then always a Negroni.
DRINK THAT DESCRIBES YOU
A barrel aged Negroni; served in a top hat and when it’s served, Dean Martin starts to play over the speakers “when the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pizza pie”. Multi-layered but real, a little edgy but still traditional, a little dry (sense of humour) but ultimately warm-hearted. A good time.
BEST HANGOVER CURE
If I need to interact with other humans – it’s a jump in the sea and either a very spicy Bloody Mary or a banana smoothie. If I’m having a slow day in bed, I’ll try to convince someone to bring me several pastries from Lune and eat something greasy, most likely several hash browns.
BEST INTERSTATE BAR
Ciao Mate, Bangalow NSW which has just outside of Byron Bay. Negroni’s could be the best in the country. Food is incredible.
OVERSEAS BAR
SG club Tokyo: imaginative drinks using unique ingredients, made by award winning mixologists.
FAVOURITE WINE
Bass Philip Pinot Noir. Extremely easy to drink, feels like a walk in the forest after the rain. Grab some friends, play Hozier cherry wine, and drink this wine and life will be pretty close to perfect.
FAVOURITE WINERY
Soumah in the Yarra Valley. So much to love about this place. Banging wines, extremely knowledgeable and absolutely glorious views.
NEXT DESTINATION
I’ll be heading to New York City on the book tour in February. In some ways it is similar to Melbourne, a melting pot for incredible food and culture. It has been a while between trips, I can’t wait to see what they have been up to.
