Chronicles

Jason Jones, former chef and co-owner of Mamasita, has changed continents with the recent launch of B'stilla in South Yarra. While staying true to classic Moroccan fare he added a modern Melbourne flare that we're loving. He found some time to share with us what this new passion is all about.

Master Blender, Wayne Archer, takes us through the very intricate process of creating a perfect blend.

The transition from summer to winter is abrupt but beautiful. The weather cools and the colours warm, our wardrobe changes, our choice of drink turns red and that bike we bought gets locked away.

Richard Ampudia, dubbed the godfather of Mexican street food, is in town to exclusively host a series of events at Touche Hombre. We're massive fans and couldn't resist the opportunity to chin-wag with the man himself and get his answer to a nagging question. Are burritos actually Mexican or are they just a gigantic taco invented for the stomach's of Americans?

Saigon Sally, NGV Summer Sessions, Intrepid Free Food Truck, Chinese New Year at Claremont Tonic, Yusu at The Chefs Armoury

Pawn & Co, Shophouse Ramen, Mork Specialty Hot Chocolate, Broga

NBHD Neanderthal, Candied Bakery, Sugar Mountain Festival, So Frenchy So Chic, Harvest 'n' Graze Festival

Just in case you blinked or fell off the radar for a moment, here's some of the best from the year. Merry Christmas. Love Agenda.

Remember the Tram Stop Café on the corner of Glenferrie and Riversdale Roads? Neither do we. The once greasy corner store has completely transformed into Huckleberry Finn, an airy café with simple, homely decor and a turquoise coffee machine to boot. You’ll be tempted by the pulled pork sliders (in brioche, of course). There's also Allpress coffee (Supremo Blend or single origin), perfect with a homemade cake. Nice one, Huck.

New: Fergus Cafe has sprung up on a strip of Wattletree Road that never used to be worth visiting. Now it's full of delightful things to brighten your weekend. We recommend trying the broad bean and Meredith goats curd smash with eggs for brekkie. Do & See: The Alliance Francaise de Melbourne are having a shin dig this weekend with their annual French Xmas Market. Expect frenchy goodness at it's best. The new Chef's Amoury in Richmond are holding a series of events and masterclasses to get you up to scratch on all things Japanese. Best part? Some of them are free!

New: Head to Captain Baxter in St Kilda for plush couches, seaside views and killer cocktails. Oldie: Prahran favourite Hobba is now serving dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. Expect honest cooking with big flavours and local produce. To Do: Spend your Sunday at Orto's brand spankin' new deck. From 1pm, listen to tunes from Your Music Radar while getting your Summer on with burgers and ribs on the BBQ by Hopkins River Beef. Wash it all down with Brown Brothers prosecco and a beer. Out of Town: Eye and Leaf is a family-run farm that opens to the public on Saturdays for seasonal lunches. But here’s the twist – you get to forage for seasonal ingredients from the farm, garden and dairy, before teaming up to cook and eat a delicious three course meal with local wines. You’ll also milk one of the house cows (the animals, you silly thing).

New: Downstairs Bistro & Lounge has opened in Southbank, bringing consistently delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings to suits and locals alike. The clean, white space with rustic wooden finishes is decorated with flowers, and coffee flows out the door with nearby workers who stop in for their fix. To Do: Check out Where?House as Melbourne Music Week comes to a close or head to France in South Yarra with the annual Paris to Provence festival. Out of Town: A Day on the Green, in the sunshine, with a picnic blanket, rolling hills and Aussie rock. We’ll see you in the Yarra Valley.

An agent is something that is capable of producing an effect, which is exactly what Agent284 does. Taking over the shell of Suede with a gorgeous new fit out just begging to be touched is Agent 284. And she has much to offer. Split over three distinct levels; enter at the street level where the staff are quick to offer a menu, take the stairs down to the Gallery Room, or head up to the top level and discover a cocktail lounge where opulence prevails. The Modern Australian “keep it simple, satisfying and affordable” menu does just that, with breakfast served ‘til 4pm, snacks, more substantial offerings from noon, and a take away cabinet with sandwiches and cake offerings to go.

La Svolta is as authentic as Italian gets in Melbourne. You are called signor or signora by the staff. The sound of a shattering glass is followed by cheering and applause. And most importantly, the pizza is perfecto. La Svolta has been open in Hampton for five years. They recently opened in Prahran’s Cecil Place. La Svolta took out Melbourne’s Best Pizza, Melbourne’s Best Pizzeria, Best Service and Public’s Choice in this year’s Pizza Festival. How bad can it be?

Summer is coming and the sun is beginning to shine - it must be ‘Prosecco Time’. #proseccotime Brown Brothers Prosecco is zesty and fresh. It can be enjoyed as a pre-dinner drink or over the entire course of the meal, offering a lighter style partner to food. Prosecco complements food flavours that range from freshly shucked oysters, Vietnamese chicken salad or a cured meat platter.

We'll let you in on a little something.... it's Mother's Day this Sunday. Lucky for you we had a chat with Emile Avramides, Head Chef at Melbourne's The Grosvenor Hotel, and he gave us the ultimate recipe for mouth watering roast chicken dinner. Hint... cook it for your mum this Sunday.

I primarily paint portraits using both life models and photographs. I work best when I paint fast at first, trying to capture the essence of the figure added with my own emotions at the time.

Think of a Mexican Señor, proudly defending his traditions, and you’ll understand Ricardo Amare, Creative Director of Si Señor Group.

Itali.co highlights Melbourne’s Italian traditions. Pastas are home-made (as we’ve come to expect) and all sauces are made in house. There are tessellated black and white tiles and stone floors plus you’ll notice a feature wall of hanging salami, legs of ham and cheeses.

Lucy-Ann May from the Hidden Souk in Melbourne educates us on the mysterious spice that is Ras El Hanout.

It's only a week away and we're guessing you've left it until the last minute... again. Settle yourself. We've found the perfect romantic dinner to help you win Valentines Day.

To Marketto, to Marketto to buy a fat pig; home again, home again, jiggety-jig. Okay, so you won’t find any fat pigs at Marketto, the bi-monthly organic market out the back of Sweet Caroline in South Yarra (unless you count us), but you will find homegrown groceries and hair cuts.

Babu opens in Prahran, Hip Hop Hooray Beerfest at The Alehouse Project, Midsumma Carnival, Trevor Music Festival and Portarlington Mussel Festival.

It was the ‘drink naked’ that first caught our eye. Dare we? The warm, sultry bar area with its dim lighting would certainly paint ones nakedness in a good light, but everyone else appeared to be dressed, so we ventured outside.

Summer is here and Spring Street Grocery, with its Gelataria Primavera gelati and juice bar, is your new favourite hang out. So that makes Massimo Bidin your new best friend. He's a native of Fruili in Italy's north and uses real and fresh ingredients to create seasonal gelato that is high in flavour, low in calories and (yes, it’s really true), good for you! “When you taste the gelati it soothes your mind as well as your soul,” he says, and who are you to argue? Just shut up and eat.

A bike riding caffeine addict like yourself would already know about the new St Ali North and its bike friendly pick-up window and roving bike mechanics. But if for those not into coffee or bikes then the sweets by pastry chef Shaun Quade, food by Head Chef Chris Hamburger (could a chef wish for a better name?) and the beard trimming service will be sure to lure them in for a looksy.

Meet Leigh Hudson, he owns the Chef’s Armoury store in Richmond. The place to go to for top quality Japanese knives or hard to find Japanese ingredients. He’s worked as a professional chef in Australia and is the first non-Japanese person to be certified in Knife Repair & Sharpening by Japanese knife house Aoki Hamono (Sakai Takayuki). We’ve got a hankering for Japanese today and thought he might have a few tips… so he told us where to go.

Somewhere in Melbourne and Sydney, a vineyard is hidden. So let your curiosity grow and discover this place where summer is in the air and the prosecco flows.

New: The crew behind Miss Libertine reopened Melbourne's oldest public house today as Captain Melville, your new favourite spot to grab a casual bite in the CBD. Inspired by the Gold Rush era and the Captain himself, it would be un-Australian not to at least give it a go. To Do: There’s plenty on this weekend, but our picks are Taste of Melbourne and the Johnston Street Fiesta. Sample the best Melbourne chefs and restaurants at the former in Taste’s all new lakeside location, then head to Spain in Fitzroy and get the fiesta started. Out of Town: If you consider yourself a jazz fiend, we’ll see you at Phillip Island for the 8th annual Jazz Festival.

When you own Cupcake Central, you get pretty damn busy. All that baking and taste testing requires a lot of coffee to stay awake, balanced with plenty of time outs. We asked Cupcake Central co-owners Thin Neu and Sheryl Thai where they go to escape from the hustle, bustle and icing sugar that make up their lives. Here are their top five chill out joints where they go to forget about work.

Swan Street Social used to be a brothel. Thankfully, it's been completely transformed by the owners of Noir, the restaurant underneath it. With a tapas-style menu, a select cocktail list, wine by the glass and a selection of boutique imported and local beers and ciders, Swan Street Social is a welcome addition to this otherwise rowdy strip.

This week. You and your mum.

Four places you should be this weekend

Discussing the topic of tea seems to always revolve around two areas; its health and its origins. We’d like to add one more to that, its cool factor.

Milk the Cow is all about cheese, and booze. In that order, and preferably all at once.

A former car park, a business hub and a main road don’t necessarily sound conducive for a successful cafe; more like a recipe for disaster. Add the Midas cafe touch (sans the foolishness) from the team behind Apte, Liar Liar, Three Bags Full, and afore mentioned, Two Birds, and you just know you’re in for something special.

Lolo and Wren in West Brunswick, The Garden Party, Chow Town at BDO, Melbourne City Rooftop Honey's first Fed Square harvest.

Shawcross Pizza in Fitzroy, Hugo First in Werribee, I, Animal at Melbourne Zoo, The People's Market in Collingwood, Movies in the Vineyard at Rochford Wines

The downstairs space at the Stokehouse reopened last week as Stokehouse Café after 6 months of intensive cosmetic surgery. We like what they’ve done to the place. You’ll enter a bright and airy space with fresh natural colours throughout and full views of the St Kilda foreshore. Opt to sit outside and enjoy the breeze on your face whilst munch on Head Chef Nick Mahlook’s European inspired nosh. There’s also a large bar area with beer, wine and quirky beach-inspired cocktails (Sex on St Kilda Beach anyone?).

Opening an Alice in Wonderland inspired cafe is an unusual choice for a chemical engineer. There we said it. But hear us out. What if this engineer could use her special science skills to perfect the perfect brew? Janet Wong has done just that. She's also teamed up with a pretty awesome pastry chef to ensure amazing, fresh baked sweet treats to go with your perfect brew. Pop in today and be sure to check out the quirky Alice mural by illustrator Same Octigan. ‘I asked for a big Alice shrinking to a small Alice,’ grins Janet. ‘But Sam heard a big Alice spitting on to a small Alice and I didn’t correct.’ Curiouser and curiouser!

There’s only one Greek on Bridge Road. And we’ve found it. Only a couple of months old, Kritamos already has a steady flow of regulars. Many are Greek immigrants looking for a meal like their mitera’s used to make. Others have wondered in off the street and struck Greek gold. Owner Sifis Tsourdalakis (say that five times fast) decided to share his love of food with Melbourne after a promising musical career led him to sample food from all over Greece. If you’re lucky, he might even pull the lyra off the wall and play you a tune.

Don’t fear, the McKillop St venue still exists; this is an extra Red Spice Road. A new and improved one offering all that the original does but with the added bonus of a massive function space and room to expand both venue and menu wise. Initially you’ll head here for a drink at the Ginger Bar. You’ll be sipping on a refreshing Tang Dynasty and next thing you know you’ll be munching on Chef John McLeay’s trademark fresh, flavoursome shared dishes (he’s looking to expand on the menu soon).

You don’t usually associate beer with chicks. That’s until you meet Tiffany Waldron. Originally from Pennsylvania, the now Melburnian has been chugging them down since college. She figured, hell, why can’t I make a living from beer? And now she does. Tiffany is a social media mascot for the craft beer industry in Victoria, an organizer for Good Beer Week and a gun when it comes to matching beer with food (she recently matched beer to cupcakes, proving that beer can be feminine). Sure, it’s only Wednesday, but we know you’re dying to know the best place to wash away your worries after work. Tiffany has given us her top 5 joints to drink craft beer in Melbourne.

There haven’t been this many new pizza places in Melbourne since Italians immigrated and made our city a better place. Whether you want pizza in Prahran, Richmond, Fitzroy, Carlton or Mont Albert, it appears that no suburb is safe from the pizza invasion. It’s difficult to keep track of all the pizza joints opening up in Melbourne, but Agenda are pleased to announce we’ve made a list of the five most recent pizza places to pop up.

Italian is taking over Melbourne at the moment and it's difficult to know which places are actually decent. You don't want to waste a meal guessing. Agenda has gone straight to the expert, Ladro’s executive chef, Niko Pizzimenti, to find out where he eats when he's not working. Niko was born and raised in Sicily in a small fishing village. Since moving to the land down-under, he has eaten his way around Melbourne to see if our Italian food matches his standards. Here are his top five Italian joints that serve food “just the way nonna used to make it”.