It’s urban meets country inside with polished concrete floors, white painted brick walls with an orignal hand painting and a black timbre ceiling dangling crystal chandeliers. The carpentry skills of Sean and his cousin Steven are also on show with beautifully crafted Victorian Ash timbre stained tables paired back with farm house style chairs.

There’s a delightful choice of breakfast and lunch options from the Limited Edition Menu or Specials Board. The Brekkie Burrito was a stand out choice when we were there. For something a little lighter try the Brekkie Salad which mixes roquette, bacon, croutons, cheery tomatoes, roasted capsicum and poached eggs together in perfect harmony. We’ll definitelty be back to try the French toast made with Dench Bakers brioche and served with yoghurt and blakberry compote.

Sweet treats like homemade hedgehog, caramel slice, chocolate brownies and freshly baked gluten-free cookies are also up for grabs at the counter, but be warned these goodies sell-out fast.

If you need pantry suplies, Red Brick Café sells Baked by Mum and also gluten free cookie mix along with Dench Bakers breads and pastries, Veneziano Coffee and The Functional Beverage Co. organic fair trade tea.

Where: 215 Mont Albert Road, Surrey Hills,
Hours:  Mon- Sun 7.00am – 4.30pm
Phone: 03 9836 0009
Details: facebook.com/redbrickcafe

There are only 30 tickets available for the next event, held at Byblos Bar in the city, so it’s first in first served. The masterclass is lead by international sommelier Vincent Martel, who currently works at The Point in Albert Park and probably knows more about wine than you do.

Vincent picks boutique varieties for you to sip, the kind that you won’t find just anywhere. But Vincent is by no means the hero; the winemaker is the star. One of Vincent’s business partners, Alexis, said the trio considers “each winemaker to be an artist.”

The second Word of Wine event in Melbourne is on May 22^nd and will focus on vibrant Victorian vineyards. You’ll get to learn the inside-outs of seven wines over two hours, complemented by Victorian cheese and crusty bread. If you like the wine you taste, Vincent will tell you where to buy it, but you won’t be able to purchase any on the night — Word of Wine take their independence seriously.  

Word of Wine will flush your cheeks and fill you with adjectives to describe what you’re drinking. It will teach you wine etiquette, give suggestions on how to best cellar wine and help you decide what food is best matched to each bottle. Vincent will tell the story behind each wine: the soil it originated from, the weather it endured, the type of grape responsible for this drink of the gods.

Vino aficionados will be encouraged to interact and take part in blind tastings, and everyone is entitled to their opinion.

So what makes a good wine?

“A good wine is simply something you like,” says Alexis. Cheers to that.

Price: $60 for FACCI members, $75 for non-members
Bookings: contact@wordofwine.com.au or 045 256 9608
Details: facebook.com/wordofwine and wordofwine.com.au

Great email. “Yes, yes we will”, we replied.

Sunday morning rolled around, and with our winter woolies in tow, we braved the rain and set off to find our breakfast destination.

Located down an unassuming alleyway in Clifton Hill, Steven’s house is just that: Steven’s House. We pushed open the red gate, and wandered into his backyard which was littered with the usual inhabitants of small inner city backyards. A few more steps however, and an inquisitive look around the corner of his house, we discovered a backyard of a different sort.

Scattered throughout the courtyard, and spilling over into the lounge room were various pieces of makeshift furniture; milk-crate tables, floor cushions and park benches. On these pieces of furniture, were people. Steven didn’t know these people, or at least he hadn’t known them until they had turned up at his house for breakfast.

For those who haven’t heard of Steven, let us give you a quick run down. Steven is a young man who lives in Clifton Hill. He likes people and food. One Sunday morning a few months ago he decided to cook breakfast for some friends. The following Sunday they came back, with some tagalongs. The cycle continued to repeat it’s self, until one Sunday, the backyard was full of strangers. Steven liked the sense of community, and the opportunity to meet new people, so he continued to cook breakfast for new people each Sunday. That’s the twitter version anyway.

We got comfy on our milk-crates, and dug in to our first course – Bircher with coconut cream, berries, cashews and almond milk. Steven handed us mugs of coffee and smiled, before turning away to feed the other 20 people who had taken shelter from the rain in his lounge room.

Live music flooded the house; a young woman delicately plucked a harp and sung words as sweet as our muesli, while the man next to her piped in on the snare drum. This was Sunday morning bliss at it’s best.

Course two was an equally delicious serving of eggs, beetroot and potato rosti, spinach, zucchini and tomato. Yes, we were officially in heaven. BUT like all good things, the breakfasts at Steven’s house must come to an end. The end is unfortunately occurring sooner than we would like; this weekend.

The good news is that Steven is opening up his home this Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast, through to dinner. Live Music. Good conversation and hopefully, some new friends. Get out of your comfort zone, and into Steven’s house. It’s worth it.

Interested? Flick Steven an email to reserve a spot: provoke.designs@gmail.com.

Deprived of decent caffeinate beverages for far too long, the citizens of Yarraville and surrounding areas our now flooded for choice.

Our latest destination, a mere 10 meters from Yarraville train station is the aptly named Wee Jeanie, a delightful little coffee pit-stop slash eatery.

Owned and operated by Iain Munro, Wee Jeanie’s exposed brick wall and fireplace tie in well with the homely and simple menu offering. However don’t mistake the word simple, for anything other than its intended meaning. The homemade meals are delicious – you know the type you could just curl up in a blanket and devour? From thick toast with Jam and an All Press coffee on your way to work, to a healthy salad in your lunch break or a giant mug of hot chocolate, with rhubarb muffin accompaniment for those chilly days we are about to start seeing more of – this is a menu you will make your way through with pleasure.

The courtyard houses a large communal table, perfect for making new pals or people watching as the passers by make their way to and from the bustling station. A delightful and welcome addition to one of our favourite precincts, Wee Jeanie is a must visit as far as we’re concerned.

Where: 50 Anderson St, Yarraville
Phone: 03 9687 7187
Hours: Tues – Sat: 7:30am – 3:30pm

The raw brick bar is where all the magic happens. There’s 2 Brothers beer on tap, as well as Kung Foo rice larger, Taxi (a German-style Pilsner) and Gypsy Cider. The wine list has an Australian bias and the cocktails are a mix of old favorites. Blonde wood beams line the ceiling and birdcage light fittings are an eye-catching feature. Replica old-fashioned streetlights fastened to patches of quirky tartan carpet cast a sultry glow over the couples at the raised tables. The middle section of the spacious restaurant is the perfect place to pull up a chair with the family, or you can join your mates up the back in the ‘roped off’ section.

Pop in for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Share some small plates, such as compressed watermelon gazpacho salad and a ploughman’s platter, or larger plates, like The Corner Store Paella. The boys don’t blame you for not wanting to share, so they’ve given you five options you can devour without a helping mouth. Try the handmade ravioli filled with roasted pumpkin, ricotta and sage in brown butter sauce. Can’t decide? Just say “yes chef” and he’ll decide for you. There are also ‘Kid’s Korner’ menus available for the little tuckers.

The Corner Store may be Bayside’s blessing, but it’s still worth traveling for. The menu even encourages talking with your mouth full. Stop by and put it to the test.  

Location: 1 Swanston Street, Mentone
Open: 7 days from 7am until late
Phone: (03) 03 9583 6462
Details: facebook.com/TheCornerStoreMentone

The ceiling is all that’s left of the former London, a single tobacco stained globe here, a fluorescent light there. Beneath them, wooden and marble tables are paired with green and white metal chairs. There’s also bar seating and a raised communal table. If the weather permits, park yourself outside and take in the ocean view, but the water is best admired from the large square windows on the second level, which is available for functions.

Customised light boxes are fastened to white tiled pillars and match the light globes suspended by green wire above the bar. The green theme extends to The London’s environmental philosophy. They’ve cut back on bottles and are offering more on tap (Stella, Kosciusko Pale Ale, Cricketers Arms Larger, Coldstream cider, etc.), including Hepburn mineral water. There’s a barrel wall with four Victorian wines ready to be served by the glass, half litre or full litre. Soon, you’ll also be able to buy a bottle and receive a discount when it’s refilled from the wall.

Pizza is the hero at this beachside venue. Try the house specialty of Mozzarella, pfifferling mushrooms, pancetta and rosemary, or skip straight to a dessert pizza with Nutella and macerated strawberries. Finish a morning walk with a prosciutto, roquette, buffalo Mozzarella and tomato piadina, washed down with a smooth Allpress coffee. Later, share some small plates of antipasto before digging into a gourmet pasta dish, an Angus beef burger or a swordfish steak from the grill.

Test The London out on mum this Sunday with a $45 two course lunch ($55 with dessert), complete with a glass of Paul Louis French sparkling. Go on… London’s calling.

Location: 92 Beach Street, Port Melbourne
Open: Weekdays 11.30am-1am | Weekends 9am-1am
Phone: (03) 8747 1239
Details: http://www.thelondonpm.com.au/

This place looks like it’s inspired by a New York diner and cocktail bar mixed with a trip to the Hamptons. It’s a contemporary destination where you can relax and enjoy a classy cocktail or a classic burger at the same time.

Unlike anything else you’ll find on this famous Acland Street strip, expect to be charmed at Joe’s with the carefully considered red and white stripes and red one-of-a-kind vintage chairs (sourced on ebay), crisp white-framed photographs of beach life, blonde recycled timbre tables, textured wallpaper panels, leather bench seating and oversized lamps.

Helping to give things a shake up from behind the bar are some of Melbourne’s finest mixologists (including a few ex-Cookie crew). The bespoke cocktail menu features a range of house infusions and homemade syrups, which are used to conjure up drinks like the Mojito Bodeguita, named in honour of Hemmingway’s favourite bar in Havana.

If cocktails aren’t your style, fear not as there is a multitude of expertly selected Australian wines and local brews including Stone & Wood, Mountain Goat and St Kilda Brew to choose from.

Staying true to its roots, Joe’s continues to dish up the finest burgers in Saint Kilda. However, today the expanded menu also includes modern options including Tastes, Seasonal Starters, Slow & Low, Market Salads, Main Courses and Desserts. Be sure to try the popular Pulled Pork Rolls, BBQ Sauce, Apple Chutney & Crackling and Slow Cooked Pork Ribs with Summer Slaw from the Slow & Low menu.

A friendly team with impressive know-how, a stellar location, top-notch drinks and food combined with incredible style is a welcoming makeover for this old Joe.

Where: 64-66 Acland Street, St Kilda
Hours: Mon to Wed 5pm-12am | Thu to Sun 12pm – late
Phone: (03) 9525 3755
Details: Joesbar.com.au

Fabric hangs from the doorway in colours reflective of the venues name, making this place impossible to miss. An abundance of natural timber, low lying ceilings and cushion-covered bench seats give this eatery the authentic Japanese feel so many restaurants of this persuasion lack.

The open plan kitchen allows you to see the chef at work as he whips up any one of the nine drool worthy teishoku meals on offer. From slow cooked pork belly in soy and sake sauce, to crispy chicken in soy and ginger – this place is sure to fill your belly, without leaving your wallet hungry as all meals range between $15 and $18. In traditional teishoku style, you also have the option to add in some rotating side meals for an extra $3. The drinks menu is particularly interesting; with choices ranging from Karita paper drip coffee and specialty teas, to a rather oddly placed Turkish Lemonade.

Aka Siro is currently only trading for lunch, however the owner Maso, formally of Piadina Slowfood and The Grace Darling suggests that late night izakaya and sake sessions are soon to come.

Where: 106 Cambridge St, Collingwood
Hours: Tue – Sun: 11am – 4pm

Greco!

Together on rolling carts – certainly sounds yum…cha.

Mama Baba’s speedy rise to casual yet coveted dining destination continues with the launch of Roman Greco yum cha. Calombaris’ head chef Dominic Pipicellli will launch brand new creations and the menu will rotate weekly showcasing some traditional favourites and some modern abbreviations of classic Italian and Greek fare.

There was a soft launch last Sunday with the yum cha menu featuring 12 different offerings.

A pick of some of the flavours – it all comes in three waves:

The 1^st Wave included Terrine of pork, rabbit and prosciutto with giardinera AND Bruschetta of zucchini, marjoram, mint and lemon.

The 2^nd Wave included Ravioles of haloumi, ricotta and mint with raisins and radicchio AND Salad of fennel, orange and spring onion.

The 3^rd Wave included Bucatini Bolognaise AND Kritharaki with squid ink, vongole and bottarga.

Unique isn’t it? Swap the prawn and crab dumplings, steamed pork buns and chicken feet with a rolling spread of antipasto/meze, pasta and sweat treats and you’ve got Mama Baba’s Greco Roman Yum Cha. All served yum cha style to your table.

This Sunday is the real deal. And deal it is, $40 for 4 courses plus bespoke cocktail of the day at $8 a glass and $25 a jug to share.

Where: 21 Daly Street, South Yarra
When:  every Sunday, 12-3pm
Reservations: certainly, call on 9207 7421
Details: mamababa.com.au/

P.S. We’d be remiss not to mention Mama Baba’s Friday night drinks too. George is shouting everyone his Greek Sausage Roll (sounds a bit dirty actually) every Friday from 4-6pm when you have a drink or two.

The Tasting Table is the first child of Jack Mullard and his fiancé. Fresh from the UK, Mullard formerly worked for Corney & Barrow, wine advisors to the Royal Family. The store stocks European and Australian bottles ranging from about $18 upwards. Thanks to three shiny Enomatic dispensers — which store wine for up to three weeks by ensuring not an atom of oxygen seeps in — patrons are able to try before they buy.

It works like this: $10 will get you a glass, four samples and an electric card (plus a $5 deposit). When their full license kicks in, you’ll be able to sample some of Europe’s finest (prices vary). Mullard knows that Aussies don’t usually like to pay for samples, but the benefits are obvious. If you’re a wine connoisseur with shallow pockets, you’ll be able to taste vintages you otherwise couldn’t afford. If you’re a vino virgin, Mullard will show you the ropes and put your taste buds to the test.

What was formally Nick’s Wine Merchants is now an airy space with polished floorboards. A naked brick feature wall lined with sleek bottle racks sets the scene next to the centerpiece of the room: the long, wooden tasting table. The store hosts weekly events and if you’re lucky, there might still be a few tickets available for their Italian food and wine session on Thursday evening, otherwise pop in the Saturday before Mother’s Day to test out some champagne on the house. There are also local events to look forward to, such as a dinner at The Smith with matched wines.

At The Tasting Table, it’s all about education. What better way to learn than by doing… or should we say sipping?

Where: 1219 High Street, Armadale
Open: Tue-Fri 11am-8.30pm | Sat 10am-7.30pm | Sun 12pm-6pm (Mon TBA)
Phone: (03) 9822 6754
Details: fb.com/thetastingtablewineshop or thetasting-table.com.au

Resident Chef Ewart Wardhaugh is in charge of the kitchen when the boys aren’t there, but listing his impressive resume would take up half of this article. The Pub Grub section of the menu is anything but ordinary and the grazing plates (antipasto, butcher block, cheese shoppe or seafood tower) are perfect to share. Smaller bites like lollipop buffalo wings with blue cheese will hit the spot, but if you’re up for a challenge, order The Caveman, a 1200g aged rib eye steak for two. During the day, breakfast gets fancy (125th St. crispy fried chicken & red velvet waffles with honey, anyone?) and the heat is turned up downstairs at the burger bar.

The huge space – designed by Mills Gorman — channels Las Vagas but without the fluff. It’s sharp without the snobbery and is as casual as a three level gastro pub with high ceilings, an upstairs restaurant area, a downstairs bar and an outdoor terrace can get. Inside, suspended glass lights litter the ceiling and illustrated posters remind patrons it’s okay to let their hair down. We’d love to know who emptied the 9000 beer bottles that make up the illuminated feature wall. As for the tunes, the DJ’s vinyl collection sets the mood, while the view from the heated terrace epitomises everything that makes Melbourne marvellous.

The “good times” start on tap with a choice of 8 beers and cider, then continues with 30 bottled beers, local and imported wine, and cocktails that will make your brain implode. But our favourite part of the beverage mix is the alcoholic floaters, especially the spider with root beer, vanilla ice cream and vanilla vodka. At The Merrywell, you’ll want to visit for lunch, stay for dinner and sip one of everything, so it’s little wonder the bill comes in a folder marked ‘damage’.

Location: Corner of Clarendon St & Crown Riverside
Open: Sun-Thurs: bar 5pm-1am, snacks 5pm-12am, dinner 6pm-11pm|Fri-Sat: bar 5pm-3am, snacks 5pm-2am, dinner 6pm-12am|Burger Bar 7 days, 11am-11pm
Phone: (03) 9292 7468
Details: themerrywell.com.au/

Moise Leouzon and Adam Diamond both quit their HR and consultancy jobs to open the warm café, which takes its name from the book written by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It’s a nod to owner Moise’s background, and touches of home appear throughout the café. We love the ‘bonjour’ scrabble tiles above the coffee machine… and what a coffee machine it is! The shiny Slayer is almost too good to use, but it will be pumping out Supreme Coffee come tomorrow. The boys even took it to a professional motorbike finisher and had it painted baby blue under the judgmental gaze of tattooed bikies (perhaps they just couldn’t believe how much it complements Moise’s eyes!).

Inside the café are matching metal stools and cushioned banquette seating. Old-school classroom chairs complement the boxy tables, made from recycled timber from the floor of a church. Sasufi (a French born, Melbourne based designer who nailed the fit out of Slowpoke Espresso) was the obvious choice when it came to the interior. Bright flowers in jars hang from rustic coat hooks, wooden crates pose as shelves housing vintage tins, and plants and antiques are scattered around the small space.

The milk is Jonesy’s, the eggs are Green Eggs and the soft drinks are Capi. Breakfast ranges from smooth bircher and crunchy granola to baked and smashed avo eggs. The glass display cabinet tempts visitors with seasonal sandwiches and salads and there are plans to expand the menu — which is presented inside a copy of Le Petit Prince — once the place finds its feet. In the meantime, look for the black awnings and the tables of smiling faces out the front.

Location: 1A Mercer Road, Armadale
Open: Daily from 6.30am-4pm
Phone: (03) 9824 6404
Details: facebook.com

It’s hard to believe this spot was once Peter Rowland’s first kitchen. A couple of walls have been knocked down and the white tiles and concrete floor polished to reveal a shiny space with a touch of homeliness. You might recognize the rustic table splattered with paint from Paco’s Tacos, which has a view of all the baking action. Aside from that, there’s bench seating in the window or cushions and milk crates on the front decking outside.

Although the Bakery specializes in sourdough, the range will make your head spin. Think rye with caraway and sunflower seeds and gluten free varieties with linseed and Brazil nuts. But at this fully functional bakery, the hungry folk of South Yarra can also stay for a snack. For breakfast there are fresh pastries and toast with homemade jam, perfect with Lavazza coffee or an old-school spider. Gourmet pies, pork and fennel sausage rolls, veggie empanadas and Cornish pasties will be ready to eat at lunchtime, as will seasonal sandwiches. We’re most looking forward to kicking those winter chills with the daily soup or braise. And if we haven’t sold it yet, skip straight to the sweets: oatmeal and walnut chunk cookies, lemon tarts and salted caramel doughnuts. Or perhaps an entire chocolate and beetroot cake will suffice.

One thing’s for sure: MoVida Bakery is the best thing since sliced bread.

Location: 3 Tivoli Road, South Yarra
Open: Seven days 7am-6pm(ish)
Phone: (03) 9041 4345
Details: facebook.com/MoVidaBakery

The Char-Grilled Pineapple Julep is the perfect refresher on a sunny afternoon in the courtyard, while the delicate Earl Grey Martini is well suited as a romantic pre-dinner cocktail at one of the candlelit tables for two. But it’s not all about the booze at Kid Boston; the boys take their food seriously too.

Kid Boston’s Chef, Dylan Evans, has worked in kitchens all over the world, including Noma in Cophenhagen. He’s created the perfect menu to help you line your stomach. Snack on chilli, fennel and paprika spiced popcorn before sharing grilled chilli octopus, an explosion of textures served on a salad of cucumber ribbons, fennel and orange. If you’re after some dude food, there’s sweet and sticky pork belly, buffalo wings and beer hanger steak.

The place is sexy. There’s no other way to describe it. The soundtrack swings smoothly between jazz and hip hop, the display of bottles behind the bar makes your knees weak and the walls flaunt artworks by Melbourne street artists. Wooden finishes (many salvaged from the Black Saturday fires) and a generous scattering of pot plants add an ‘into the jungle’ feel — even the toilet continues the theme, with crickets chirping and birds singing through speakers as you inevitably break the seal after a few Old Fashioneds.

The verdict? We would give it two thumbs up… but then we’d have to put down our drinks. You’ll understand when you visit.

Location: 44 Chapel Street, Windsor
Open: Wed-Fri 4pm-1am | Sat 11am-1am | Sun 11am-11pm
Phone: (03) 9939 5256
Details: http://kidboston.com.au/

In the remains of an old barbershop, at the top end of Anderson St lies a small but well thought out enoteca named Barkley Johnson. Yes, we too first thought it was located at the intersection of these two streets, however as owners Prue Sadler and Jim Gridias informed us, the watering hole was named after their dearly departed Golden Retriever.

Space is of a premium here, with only about 8 stools available inside and a handful of chairs and tables in the mosaic tiled courtyard at the rear. If you fancy people watching and the window stools are taken try popping out front and enjoying your perfectly brewed coffee or glass of pinot in the Parisian style, outward facing chairs.

Ceiling high wine racks line the wall adjacent to the deli style counter, which offers a selection of cheeses, antipasti and sweets. The breakfast offerings are simple and understated, as are the lunchtime baguette choices – but hey, more often than not the simple things in life are the best. Speaking of best, did we mention the entire menu is available for takeaway? Perfect for those days when you feel like lounging at home or lazing the afternoon away in the park.

Modest in size, but not in quality – this charming addition to the village is one to add to your must visit list.

Where: 11 Anderson St, Yarraville
Hours: Tue to Sat: 8am – 11pm, Sun: 8am – 6pm
Phone: (03) 9687 6663
Details: facebook.com

This tiny hole-in-the-wall (or is that hole-in-the-convent?) café serves Japanese soul food. Delight in a bento box for breakfast and choose from a range of fresh and simple lunch dishes. You can sip imported beer, tea, Sake and guzzle local organic wine. Alternatively, skip straight to dessert; the green tea mousse is a hit.

2. Pizze E Fichi || 321 High St, Kew. Ph: (03) 9853 5155. pizzefichi.com.au.
This family-run pizzeria is a local gem. Ingredients are sourced locally and imported from Italy, while the wood-fire oven keeps Kew commuters coming back. Try the Fichi pizza with Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, semi-dried figs and prosciutto crudo.

3. Old Barber Shop Café || 251 Church St, Richmond. Ph: (03) 9421 6463. facebook.com.
What was once the Barber of Seville is now an airy café with an impressive front deck. Sit beneath the umbrellas and relax with a latte, or be swept to the States with their addictive New York deli corned beef bagel. It comes with tangy mustard pickle and potato crisps on a wooden board. Delicious.

4. Pireaus Blues || 310 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Ph: (03) 9417 0222. pireausblues.com.au.
An oldie but a goldie, Pireaus Blues is recognised as Melbourne’s most authentic Greek Restaurant. Dim lighting and a warm atmosphere accompany the traditional food; a selection of tasty homemade dips, char grilled seafood and braised meat. Just make sure you save room for halva ice cream. You’ll wish you were part of the family.

5. Horn || 20 Johnston St, Fitzroy. Ph: (03) 9417 4670. thehorncafe.com.au.
Over on the other side of the world, Horn does Ethiopian food with flair. It’s made to share, but the best thing about Ethiopian cuisine is that you eat it with your hands using injera, traditional flat bread. Expect full bellies, African beer and live music. Did we mention you eat with your hands?

6. Olio & Pane || 328 Auburn Road, Hawthorn. Ph: (03) 9818 2375. facebook.com.
If you’re a lover of fine food, specifically fine Italian food, this is the place for you. What started as a providore stocking artisan oils, pasta, bread and condiments is now a tiny café serving breakfast and light lunches. Join up for one of their cooking classes and learn the tricks of the trade.

7. Bomb Café || 229 Johnston St, Abbotsford. Ph: (03) 9486 0699.
Four words of advice: order the open omelette! A wonderful spot for breakfast and lunch in a somewhat grungier part of Johnston St. Don’t despair at the size of the front room, there’s more space through the corridor and a mystical garden out the back. It’s the bomb (sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves!).

8. Milky Joe’s || 228 Glenhuntly Road, Elsternwick. Ph: (03) 9077 3505. milkyjoes.com.au.
Milky Joe’s is the new go-to joint for a smooth Allpress coffee if you’re Elsternwick-way. Breakfast is a simple mix of muesli and eggs (not together of course!). They’ve also just extended their opening hours. Perfect if you’re craving something from their late night burger menu.

9. Veggie Kitchen || 159 St Georges Rd, Northcote. Ph: (03) 9489 2120. veggiekitchen.com.au.
If you want some yin and yang in your mouth, stop in at Veggie Kitchen. It’s a must-visit for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Their balanced, healthy food is based on the five basic elements of Chinese therapy and there’s also plenty in the gluten free and vegan departments.

10. Daruma Japanese Kitchen || 845 Burke Rd, Camberwell. Ph: (03) 9882 4999.
This unassuming Japanese joint in the heart of Camberwell is surprisingly delicious. The service is efficient and the highly reasonable prices by no means reflect the quality of the fresh fare. Get into the gyoza, snack on some sashimi or go all out with spicy ox tongue and salmon steak with garlic butter.

Once a place where people would pick up a packet of cigarettes on their way to work – the run down Milk Bar situated on a quiet suburban street in Melbourne’s inner west has been given a new lease on life from owner Jess Tumbri.

Offering Padre coffee, complimented with Jonsey’s milk (and if you’re feeling cheeky one of Nana Milla’s shortbread biscuits), The Footscray Milking Station is quickly becoming the go-to spot for the savvy crew in the west.

The light filled space is warm and welcoming with just the right amount of industrial inspired add-ons to finish the otherwise chic fit-out: think country farm-house meets inner city warehouse, complete with courtyard and street tables.

The breakfast menu suggests a sago porridge that we will definitely be returning to try, and for those making lunchtime visits the small but delicious selection of paninis and wraps that fill the deli style fridge will surely satisfy, as will the lemon tart that could quite possibly start the third world war.

Catering for both vegans and gluten-free, The Footscray Milking station is yet another example of the caliber of cafes popping up in the Western Suburbs, and an exciting preview of what’s to come.

Where: 35 Bunbury St, Footscray
Hours: 7 days: 7am – 3pm
Phone: (03) 9029 9240
Details: footscraymilkingstation.com.au

After a six-month fight for a liquor license (major objections from the nearby brothels, we hear) you can now wash it all down with another kind of brew too – check out craft beers from Hawthorn Brewing Co, 3 Ravens and Hargraves Hill.

There’s four burgers on the menu – all made using local suppliers (naturally) including owner Luke Mutton’s mother’s home made relish and honey from their very own rooftop bees.

Our favourite is the Warialda beef burger with chorizo, pickles, onion rings and the aforementioned relish. There’s a beef, cheese, caramelised onion and beetroot option too.

Keeping the carnivore theme going is a lamb burger, pattie from Hook and Spoon, slopped with backyard fig relish (backyard being the owners’ backyard) and blue cheese. A veggie version with roasted field mushrooms, honey and cheddar is sure to please our herbivore friends.

Available from 5pm, all are sandwiched between soft brioche buns and served with a kitch bag of crinkle cuts – priced at a princely $10-12 each.

There’s not that many specialty cafes open after 5pm, but the Dead Man crew are happy to sacrifice their Friday nights for us, firing up the grill for a good old-fashioned bun fight. Now, about those Thursdays…

Where: 35 Market Street, South Melbourne
When: Friday from 5pm – Late
Phone: (03) 9686 2255
Details: deadmanespresso.com.au

True story. It’s called Northcote Bakeshop and having opened last month, it’s yet another reason to visit High Street – well, the ‘other’ bit of High Street not yet colonised by hipsters and bar hoppers – where Northcote meets Thornbury and local businesses have been around for decades.

Owners Arnold Salinas (ex-Convent Bakery) and Peter Byrne (La Paloma) took over the site from a Greek deli owner/baker who had been there 23 years. They’ve worked hard to create a small, homely and humble space, with timber furniture, polished concrete floors, white tiling, and window and outdoor seating that overlooks a decrepit building plastered in gig posters. “It’s all about good baking, good coffee making and good jazz,” emphasises Salinas, “without fuss and fanciness.”

The ‘Thornbury prices’ they offer are also a big draw card – raspberry and buttermilk scones are $3, for example, shortbread is $1.20 a piece and you can get a panino generously filled with pulled pork and pickles for just $6.50.

Everything is baked on the premises by the owners themselves, pastry chef Robert Ingritsen and Salinas’s Chilean mother, who help out with Latin delicacies like the miloja (similar to a mille-feuille) and empanadas.

Where: 571 High St, Northcote
Hours: Tues – Sun 6am – 4pm  
Details: northcotebakeshop.com.au

With a minimalist and industrial setting, featuring exposed brick and wiring, concrete floors, naked light bulbs and recycled timber furniture, Spout has been teaming with locals and commuters grabbing take-aways since it opened just a few weeks ago.

Co-owner Jonathan Dvash cut his teeth as barista at Pound (Elsternwick) and Miss Jackson (St Kilda), where he began his love affair with Allpress Coffee. And with the quality of brew he’s serving up, we give the union our full blessing. Chef and co-owner Ferris Khamsani (aka ‘Zul’), originally French-trained, developed a flair for Middle Eastern flavours as a breakie chef at St Ali. The short but solid menu reflects this, with a Moroccan chicken schnitzel sanga and a meatball and chorizo shakshuka starring at lunch. All-day brunch options include spiced bircher muesli, pan-fried challah with vanilla mascarpone and poached pears, and a one-pan sumac fried egg breakfast. Sweets and muffins are baked in-house daily and always changing.

While Spout may be a long way from its namesake, a cherished surf spot on the Great Ocean Road, it certainly has caused a splash in an otherwise quiet part of town.

Where: 48 Glen Eira Rd, Ripponlea
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm | Sat-Sun 8am-5pm
Phone: (03) 9523 8155
Details: facebook.com

Owner Lloyd Smith, who named the café after his much-loved dogs, is serving consistently smooth Allpress Coffee alongside a team of staff who know the meaning off good ol’ hospitality. The La Marzocco espresso machine fits snuggly into the miniscule open kitchen, where rusted green industrial lights contrast against shiny black tiles.

Make a friend and pull up a seat at the sizeable communal table or sit in front of the coffee machine and chat up the staff. Let’s be honest, they’re too polite not to oblige. The expected outdoor seating arrangement will soon be the perfect place to sip caffeine European laneway style—although realistically, the coffee will be decidedly more delicious and the people that walk by less interesting to look at. You can’t win them all.

If you need breakfast on the run, grab a mini BLT roll or a buttery pastry. Workers based in the city are quickly hearing about the hot duck baguette, where a baguette from the Convent Bakery in Abbotsford is stuffed with tender duck, slaw salad and doused with homemade plum sauce.

But it’s Oli & Levi’s signature egg tarts (a square pastry shell housing a whole baked egg, basil, feta and sundried tomatoes) that are stealing the spotlight. And at $1.50 a pop, they’re practically hatching and walking out the door.

If you need to escape the office, you won’t find a better excuse than Oli & Levi.

Location: Shop 2/20 Coromandel Place, Melbourne
Open: Mon-Fri 7am-5.30pm (soon opening on weekends)
Phone: (03) 9650 0501
Details: facebook.com

The beans are Espresso Syndicate and the cakes, muffins and biscuits are homemade. When we visited, a dreamy plum and polenta cake caught our eye almost as much as the pieces hung on the walls. There are also plans to introduce toasties and soups in the near future.

Seating is an eclectic collection of cushioned milk crates, old sofas, beanbags and chests. The vibe is somewhere between relaxed and inspiring—Sunday afternoon tunes ride the airwaves from nearby PBS Radio while artistic displays make our stick figures look very dull indeed.

The studios, which have been leased out since October last year, are a second home to some of Melbourne’s most talented up-and-coming creatives, from painters and designers to filmmakers and writers. The exhibitions in the adjoining gallery change regularly and anyone is welcome to submit a proposal to display their work. There are also screenings and launches that happen regularly, all of which are announced on the House of Bricks Facebook page.

Thanks to the recent addition of the tiny House of Bricks café, you can now drink coffee while drinking in the artwork. Oh, and did we mention they serve cake?

Where: 40 Budd Street, Collingwood
When: Tue-Fri 7am-4pm | weekends 9am-4pm
Details: facebook.com

At the helm of this landmark café is barista Sebastian Beard, who moved from his hometown of Sydney with ambitions to open his own café in Melbourne.  Joining Sebastian in the café are a circle of New South Welshman who bring with them their passion for café culture and their skills to make first class coffee using award winning Gridlock Coffee.

In the kitchen accomplished chef Jemma Doble, whose resume includes stints at Movida and De Clieu, creates a mothwatering and utterly satifying menu including a mix of breakfast and lunch dishes.

Try the grandmother ham, Yarra Valley goats feta, avocado, roma tomato and basil on thick sourdough toast or the fluffy USA blueberry pancakes with caramelised banana, maple syrup and whipped danish butter – simply divine. For something on the go, you’ll find a selection of freshly delivered pastries and muffins from Brasserie Bread to choose from.

The interior at The Victorian Cafe is sophisticated with black and white striped walls and a pressed tin paneled bar. A Victorian tiled floor, grand pillars and dining settings that look they belong outside a Parisian brassery all add to that coffee palace feel. Something that’s not true to the coffee palace ideal, however, is the well sourced wine list – this we are thankful for!

Sit back, relax and enjoy the bay all year round from the comfort of The Victorian Café.

Where: 123 Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park, Vic
When:  Mon-Fri 7am-3.30pm Sat-Sun 6.30am-3.30pm
Phone: 03 9686 3232
Details: thevictoriancafe.com.au

The menu has a notable range of gluten free and vegan-friendly meals. About half of the dishes are faux meat, but not the tasteless, rubbery kind that so many vegetarians detest. It could fool even the most avid meat eaters. The juicy Massaman lamb curry is a perfect example: tender ‘lamb’ is made from slow-cooked mushrooms and served with a scoop of mashed sweet potato and a generous sprinkling of crunchy cashew nuts.

Everything is affordable, but not to the detriment of flavour. While Madame K’s is heavily Thai influence—a nod to the owner’s home—there are hints of Chinese, Indian and Japanese along the way. Snack on Tom Yum soup or soy ‘duck’ pancakes before moving onto a green tempeh curry, Pad Thai or a hearty laksa. Save room for the exciting desserts, such as pumpkin balls and taro pudding in coconut milk with soy ice cream. There’s also a modest Australian-New Zealand wine list and a selection of imported beer to complement the food. The coconut drink is the perfect non-alcoholic refresher after a hit of spice.

Blues, greens and dark wood dominate the neat space, where diners can prop themselves up with comfortable patterned cushions along the length of the banquette seat. Framed prints of vintage cigarette advertisements decorate the walls alongside delicate china, but the modern mingles with the traditional the most in the feature lights, constructed from traditional basket fishing traps.

Madame K’s Vegetarian has plans to expand if the price is right. We can only pray to the vegetarian gods that they venture south of the river soon.

Where: 367 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
When: Seven days 12pm-10pm (closed between 4pm-5pm)
Phone: (03) 94156099
Details: facebook.com

Franco Choo’s, Prahran’s tiniest Mediterranean dining room – modelled on an Italian trattoria, opened a year ago to rave reviews. It’s Mediterranean and Asian inspired but clearly with more Italian blood than anything else…but why the name? Simple really. Owner Steven Choo’s partner, movie director Franco Di Chiera, was the catalyst to Steven’s enduring passion for all things Italian. In Rome Steven immersed himself in the culinary world…as they say, “when in Rome”. Steven returned to Melbourne to create Franco Choo’s – a real “hole in the wall” gem.

Ordering is easy, the menu changes regularly as Steven presides over the day’s best market eats. There are always and only 2 entrees,2 mains and 2 desserts to pick from. It adds to that “home cooked meal” feel. When we were there we munched on pork, chicken & pistachio terrina with sweet and sour onions for entrée, roasted duck leg, chestnut stuffing, Brussels sprouts and risotto cake for mains and a delicious ricotta tart for dessert.. Yum.

Our verdict – Franco Choo’s is just like Nonna used to make it. Warm with love and on non-matching plates.

Where: 179a High Street, Prahran
When: Tuesday to Saturday 6pm – Late
Details:  francochoos.com.au

Click here to get 30% off Franco Choo’s with AgendaTables.

We did the rounds a few weeks back and now highlight our Top 5 experiences in the context of the up and coming High Country Harvest – 40 events across 10 days in one of the states best celebrations of food, wine and beer.

1. Bridge Road Brewers – Ford Street, Beechworth

Grab a beer tasting paddle (10 beers) and try one of their pizza’s. Consumate beer pro’s and award winners this is a place to watch the Beechworth local and tourist crowd do their thing in a relaxed and definitely not pretentious enviro.

The event — Brewer’s Beer & Breakfast — Head of Beer, Ben Krauss will run you through what he has made an art. Beer and Brekky included! ($65  || Sat 19th May)

2. Pfeiffers Winery – Distillery Road, Wahgunyah (Rutherglen)

The legendary Pfeiffers Winery is a James Halliday Red 5 Star Winery. Better than that we were enamored with the most romantic bridge for a smooch in Victoria.

The event — Picnic with Autumn’s Bounty — Expect hampers prepared by Pfeiffer Wines and The Pickled Sisters Cafe, to be laden with the season’s best produce and matched to the Pfeiffer wine range. ($75 per hamper – feeds two || 18- 27th May)

3. The Rail Trail - Rutherglen

The High Country Rail Trail is a refurbished (for you) historic railway line. It’s been stripped of rails and now offers 35km of trail for walkers and cyclists. Bike it between wineries, pack a basket and fill your water bottles with the good stuff.

The event — The Sweet Cycle —  Enjoy three leisurely ‘stages’ of cycling through the picturesque Rutherglen countryside stopping off for 1) a sherry and local charcuterie master class with Australia’s most awarded wine maker; 2) High tea featuring artisan sweet treats, and; 3) an unforgettable Muscat & Topaque tasting with matched regional lovelies. ($90 || Sat 19th May)

4. Milawa Cheese Company - 17 Milawa-Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa

Some of the nations great cheese. Traditional methods and free of preservatives their cheese tasting room is a taste sensation.

The event – Cooking with Milawa Cheese -- A cheese platter is one thing but what about cooking with it?  Let the experts guide you through the different cooking methods to use when cooking with cheese.  ($75 || Thurs 24th May)

5. Pizzini Wines - 175 King Valley Road, Whitfield

Famous wines and famous for their Italian cooking. 25 years in the King Valley and one of the most respected grape growers in the region.

The event — The Dinner Party – Eight people will spend the afternoon in the kitchen with Katrina Pizzini preparing a four course feast. Also explore the vineyard before sitting down for the feast matched with Pizzini wine. ($155 || Sat 19th May)

For more information and tickets for the High Country Harvest Festival – HighCountryHarvest.com.au

It’s as if the café has been lifted from Fitzroy and plonked in the CBD. The space feels like a warm living room: exposed brick walls, an active fireplace, antiques scattered around the room. There’s also an ‘indoor laneway’ down the side of the café, where you can sit beneath suspended pot plants without being exposed to the elements. Paul Hyland of Glasshaus nursery and design is a friend of Chiaplias and has provided a touch of green. We especially love the mini garden in a jar on the display cabinet.

The coffee is Veneziano, the milk Jonesy’s and the eggs Green eggs. Brasserie brings the bread for now, but there are plans to bake onsite. The Workers’ Food Room encourages their business clientele to step away from the boring old sandwich. While there are gourmet versions available (Turkish sausage, onion, relish and Kasser cheese, anyone?), the daily specials from the wood oven are divine. Alternatively, small plates such as grilled Cypriot Haloumi, pickled octopus and pomegranate cured trout are perfect for sharing. Early risers can also visit for breakfast. We recommend the North African baked eggs and peppers.

The Worker’s Food Room is anticipating a liquor license, so soon you’ll be able to pop in for a glass of red after work and relax to the jazzy soundtrack. And if you’re based at the other end of Little Lonsdale, it’s well worth the trek.

Location: 472 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
When: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm
Phone: (03) 9602 3220
Details: facebook.com/theworkersfoodroom

Bringing this taste of goodness to life are friends Bronwyn Stuart and Emma Binks, who have known each other for 18 years and together account for a total of 45 years experience of cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Both were raised in the country and grew a love for food and cooking at an early age.

The name Priscilla Jones is after Bronwyn’s grandmother, Priscilla and her mother’s maiden name Jones. Bronwyn and Emma’s mother’s were wonderful cooks and Priscilla Jones continues the tradition of passing on their renowned recipe secrets.

Here you can enjoy alfresco dining with your four legged friend (who are catered to with doggy treats on the menu) or retreat inside where you’ll find a heart warming stone fireplace and freshly baked muffins, quiche and other tantalising treats cooling on the counter.

Rustic timbre floor boards, a green and white colour scheme, cuttings from a cottage garden, succulents growing in tea pots adorning the window sill and a pumkin head all add character and eminate an effortless country vibe.

With a neighbouring art gallery, theatre and park you can expect to find a creative mix of artists, actors, families and dog enthusiatis munching away at this much anticipated café.

If you can’t get away to the country, be sure to get a taste of its charm at Priscilla Jones. And beware, you may also find runaway dogs retreating from play in the park in search of more doggy treats.

Where: 21 Graham Street, Albert Park, Vic
When:  Daily 7.30am to 4.30pm
Phone: 03 9682 8255
Details: gasworks.org.au

The menu—inspired by ‘business trips’ overseas—is a classic demonstration of opposites attracting. Matt even says of Damien, “If he was a girl, I would have put a ring on his finger by now!” To distract ourselves from responding with a crass sausage joke, we’ll tell you about the food.

Everything from the snag to the bun is made using original recipes. The butcher down the road produces the gourmet sausages, free from preservatives and other nasties. In the meat corner, it’s hard to choose between the beer soaked bratwurst with sauerkraut, the cheesy smoked kransky with German potato salad and the Wagyu chilli dog with ground beef loaded on top. In the veggo corner, sausages are formed from pumpkin, ricotta and tarragon or black beans, lentils and veggies. Buns (classic, seeded or gluten-free) are baked around the corner. Beer battered fries come slathered in melted cheese or spicy beef (or beans). Alternatively, skip the carbs and risk being judged by ordering a naked dog, where salad replaces the bread.

The space itself is laidback but effective, probably because Matt owns food and beverage design company The Anatomy. Once a greasy late-night pizza shop, Phat Brats now has high ceilings, exposed brick and licks of red and gold along the white walls. There’s another project in the making next door, but if we told you, we’d have to kill you. Phat Brats is expecting a liquor license in the near future, but for now we’re more than happy to get drunk on those delicious dogs.

Location: 320 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Open: Weekdays midday-11pm |Weekends midday-1am
Phone: (03) 9419 5526
Details: facebook.com/phatbratsmelb and twitter.com/PhatBrats

That to us, seems like a description which could be used to describe the relatively barren food and drink wasteland that is St Kilda Road. Despite it being Melbourne’s connective tissue between the CBD and much of Melbourne’s South East, it’s no secret that the hospitality kings of Melbourne have forever shunned it!

No more. We’re enamoured with the fine dining addition that is Bakini.

A ‘hatted’ chef and Michelin star duo are at the helm. Richard Wills hails from The Point and Sous Chef Simone Righetto comes from Tuscany’s Gambero Rosso.

They’re delivering modern Australian cuisine with classic Italian flavours and, with a refined service team, everything seems oh so right. Of course, it’s even better when your starter is a few premium ‘bubbles’ -there’s a slick, 5pm alarm, bar for that!

Oh, and you won’t see a more open view of the kitchen than here. It’s all there on show. The Bakini team say it’s intended to mirror a modern Italian apartment – it reflects a core tenet of Italian cooking: a largesse of heart is the soul of many an Italian kitchen.

Best Bets: It’s a menu that encourages sharing and all pasta is made in-house, including potato ravioli and spaghetti. For us though, it was the Beetroot Cured Ocean Trout with radish, avocado & orange vinaigrette that made us that little bit giddy. Then from ‘The Land’, Bakini dished up a wholesome Wagyu Beef striploin with sautéed pine mushrooms, pine nut and mustard fruits, expertly cooked and completely moreish.

Bakini is a gift to St Kilda Road and it seems that reflects Head Chef Richard Wills’ dedication to cooking: “Cooking is like giving someone a gift – you have the potential to make someone very happy with really good food”.

Where: 568 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
When: Mon 6.30am – 3pm | Tues-Fri 6.30am – late | Saturday 7.30am – late | Sunday 7.30am – 3pm
Phone: 9521 7774
Details: BakiniRestaurant.com.au

Like its more up-market restaurant comrade across the road, Huxtable, and it’s casual neighbour, Huxtaburger, Bill’s Bar pinches its name from the Cosby Show. But unlike the rather comical Bill Cosby, the barely lit Bill’s has a dark, cavernous feel. Individual candles are placed on each polished table and leather bucket chairs mean there won’t be arguments over the banquette seating. Custom made, wooden wine racks cover the right wall in a network of diamonds, matched by another opposite the bar.

There are nearly 100 wines on offer, with a focus on Victorian varieties. The Enomatic wine dispenser means you can sample some exciting drops by the mouthful, half glass or full glass. The drinks list declares “we decided that it would be a nice gesture to make all of our spirits ‘premium’ yet ‘affordable.’” It doesn’t get much nicer than spirits for a flat $9, including 12-year-old single malt whiskies. Alternatively, try the “this shits be nasty”, an “ever evolving combination of premium spirits” that resembles a high-class version of what you used to sneak from your parents’ liquor cabinet in a water bottle.

There’s a small bar menu with a big name attached to it (Daniel Wilson of Huxtable), which also channels affordability. We liked the look of the southern fried chicken ribs with jalapeno mayo and the pulled pork buns with pickles. If you can’t decide, order everything on the menu, it will only set you back $54.

So count to 100, shout ‘ready or not, here I come’ and we’ll meet you at Bill’s Bar. Don’t worry—we’ll keep our phone handy for when you get lost.

Location: 104 Smith Street, Collingwood
Open: Tues-Sun 6pm-11pm (pending late night liquor license)
Phone: (03) 9417 6320
Details: twitter.com

After graduating from a psychology degree, owner Timna realised that the only way to really fix people was to give them sweets. She didn’t actually use those words, but it’s a logical conclusion to draw. Her mother and grandmother were great bakers when she was growing up (both have had cook books published) and now some of the family recipes feature in the cabinet.

There are bite-sized delights for those faking restraint, such as cake pops and pillow-soft handmade marshmallows. We won’t list all 30 cupcakes, but the red velvet and salted caramel caught our eye. If you’re a macaron fiend, they come out of the kitchen in an array of flavours (try the hazelnut and the pomegranate), made by a chef who worked in Paris for seven years.

Inspiration for the patisserie came from top sweet spots in Italy, New York and LA, but it is the Parisian influence that really shines through. The décor is decidedly French provincial, with rustic tables, a grand banquette seat, basket chairs and an outdoor sidewalk perfumed with dried lavender. The wooden shelves are adorned with Bonne Maman jams, homemade preserves, toffees, artisan chocolate, glass domes and colourful cupcake wrappers.

Timna was raised in Kenya, so it makes sense that the coffee is an exclusive Kenyan blend. There’s also a catering service available and the patisserie is planning to host baking classes and children’s parties in the near future. Sweet Crumble is currently putting together a breakfast and lunch menu of French pastries and gourmet baguettes, but for now you’ll have to settle with sweets.

Location: 111 Glenferrie Road, Malvern
Open: Mon-Thurs 8am-6pm| Fri 8am-5pm|Sun 10am-4pm (Subject to change)
Phone: (03) 9077 6956
Details: sweetcrumble.com.au and facebook.com/SweetCrumble

If you don’t already know, New Generation Hunter Valley is a group of “new generation” winemakers making their mark in the wine world with their own style of wine making. The gang consists of six men, David Hooks (David Hook Wines), Andrew Thomas (Thomas Wines), Rhys Eather (Merrea Park), Nick Paterson (Mistletoe Wines), Mike D Iuliis Wines and Andrew Margan (Margan Wines). They’ve all cut their teeth making wine around the world before settling down in the Hunter Valley. All six work with old vineyards using contemporary methods and are of course passionate about the future of the Hunter Valley.

Tickets are only $30 and include the chance to try over 24 of the best Hunter wines and to also meet the names behind them. Expect some of sexiest Hunter Valley Semilon and Shiraz that you’ve ever tasted. Ticket holders will receive an email regarding the location a week before.

When: April 19 from 6pm – 9pm
Where: That’s a secret!
Tickets: stickytickets.com.au
Details: newgenerationhuntervalley.com.au

Welsh chef Dylan Roberts (ex St Jude’s Cellars and Ezard) is Touché Hombre’s tacotician. The Del Coronel (char grilled chicken, chimichurri and toasted pepitas) comes highly recommended but if you’re feeling daring, try the El Secreto—you won’t be told what’s in it until it’s eaten. Juicy, braised ox tail featured when we visited but the night before it was lambs brains.

Crisp tostaditos with soft toppings complement the rotating brews on tap from both near and far, while the chilli chocolate peanut ice cream sandwich is not to be missed. As for tequila, forget that nasty stuff that gives you a hangover and sample the real deal in flights of three. Can’t get over that bad experience? There’s also alcoholic horcharta and decently priced vino. Cocktails come in jars and margaritas—perhaps the best in town—in Salvation Army mugs.

Yu’s love of architecture and design is evident in the lofty, warehouse space. Punters lean on the wooden bar made from the old Princes Pier and chat to the friendly staff over the nightly DJ sets. Up the back, the ‘wrestling ring’ table (which seats 20 and takes bookings) is surrounded by walls pasted with pop art. There are plans for more street art in the adjoining alley, pending council approval. In the mean time, old-school arcade games beneath the neon Ghost Busters sign (complete with replica ghost machines mounted on the wall) will keep you entertained.

Touché Hombre doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s serious when it comes to modern street fare and authentic Mexican booze. Surely that’s worth a toast, salud!

Location: 233 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Open: Wed-Sun 5pm-1am this week, then seven days from midday-1am (TBC)
Phone: (03) 9663 0811
Details: touchehombre.com.au and facebook.com/touchehombre

“Cave” is hardly the word to describe this Toorak corner shop. A white wall with characteristic arches divides the space down the middle. On one side is the custom-made cheese cabinet, on the other are ever-so-French circular tables and an espresso machine churning out Di Bella’s premium blend. The ceilings are high and sunlight drenches the black marble tiles. It’s an appreciated step away from the claustrophobic cheese rooms, where you have to close the door behind you and peg your nose.

Pop your head in the express window and grab a cheese-inspired muffin (mushroom, pinenut and parmesan today) or a sweet alternative baked fresh daily by chef Daniel Olszewski. Breakfast runs all day and includes Bircher muesli, eggs and French toast with orange, mascarpone and honeycomb. Grab a charcuterie board, cheese platter or a filled baguette from the display cabinet for lunch. There are also take-home meals and tiered cakes constructed from rolls of cheese, made to order.

Although The Cheese Cave is a fromagerie, the idea is that you can get everything you need for that perfect picnic platter. They stock Dench baguettes, quince paste, antipasto and oils. The Cheese Cave is the first fromagerie concept store and the owners hope to expand in the next couple of years. They’re also pending a liquor license, because let’s face it, you need a glass of red with that Camembert.

Location: 429-431 Toorak Road, Toorak
Open: weekdays 7am-5.30pm | weekends 7am-4pm (subject to change)
Phone: (03) 9826 1105
Details: thecheesecave.com.au

AgendaCity was invited for a sneak peak and we can honestly say we’ve never seen an afternoon tea like it! Sure there are the regular delights like fluffy scones and ribbon sandwiches but then enter Darren Purchese with his crazy spin on sweets and you have High Tea heaven! Marshmallows that explode raspberry goodness when bitten, little cups of avocado, mint cucumber and white chocolate or mango, milk chocolate and ginger cakes are a few of the goodies you could expect.

Simply describing this amazing display just won’t do it justice. Head there for yourself in April, May and June to experience your very own sugar coma.

Where: ARIA Bar & Lounge, Podium Level of The Langham, Melbourne
When: Friday 20 April, Friday 4 May and Friday 1 June 10.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $69 per person
Bookings: Langham restaurant reservations on 1800 641 107 or ariabar.com.au  

“Henry”, is the surname of Mathis’ PA, while “Fox” can be traced to the 2011 Age Young Chef of the Year in the kitchen, Michael Fox. The name also references a book Mathis read to his kiddies (cue ‘awwws’).

Mathis has a thing for antiques and the environment, which shows in the modern fit out at Henry and the Fox. Even the friendly staff look good, donning black pageboy hats and buttoned aprons. The walls are decked in recycled timber from the South Wharf Promenade. Leather banquettes boarder the restaurant, while the windows above them open up to the faux-grass terrace outside. The marble communal table is long enough for royalty. It sits opposite the open kitchen, where you can watch Fox and his small team meticulously plating up food.

And what food! The breakfast menu has a contemporary twist. During March there’s a two-course lunch menu for $35 ($45 with dessert). But it’s worth visiting with a group so you can try the whole shebang. “Small dishes” such as crunchy jamon and Manchego croquettes are washed down well with beer. As for the wine list, it’s comprehensive without being intimidating. Fox’s penchant for seafood is clear in the “medium dishes”, like the seared scallops with roasted baby beets and pickled shallots. Under “large dishes”, poached chicken with quinoa, pistachios and fig challenge anyone who ever thought chicken was boring.

If nothing else, we’ll see you after work on Friday for the weekly BBQ… like a fox!

Where: 525 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9614 3277
Open: Mon-Fri, 7.30am-late (kitchen closes at 10pm)
Details: henryandthefox.blogspot.com.au and facebook.com

Owned and run by Mexican expat Ricardo Amare and business partner Linda Temani Señoritas is home to the most impressive Mexican decor in Melbourne.The deceptively small venue pays a visual homage to Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – from the little skull motif to mark the fill line on your wine glass to the saucy dead-lady logo – this place is pop, its neon, it’s loud and its bright.

Imported from Mexico and offering a modern take on authenticity is head chef Hugo Reyes. Tackling the well-known (fresh, limey tuna ceviche; succulent pork tacos with pickled onions and habanero and the best refried beans we’ve had outside of Mexico) and the lesser known (flautas of crisp fried duck; pozole blanco – hominy grits in pork broth) with his poster sized menu covering the nation from top to tail.

A kleptomania inspiring pocket sized drinks list is your passport to tipsy. Its a little thin on the wine front (an insight into the difficulties in importing Mexico’s excellent wines to Australia, one suspects) but otherwise overflowing with top shelf Mexican beer, tequila, mezcal and del maguey. You’ve got a good shot at getting a table too, they may only be small, but Señoritas has very sensibly opted for a half booking, half walk-ins system. Fantástico.

Where: 16 Meyers Place Melbourne
Open: from 5pm – late Tuesday – Saturday
Phone: (03) 9639 7437
Details: senoritas.com.au

Families from Greece and Italy to Africa and the Middle East have called Dandenong ‘home’ for generations. For one day only, as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, you’ll be able to travel from Thessaloncia to Turkmenistan with your tongue.

On Sunday 18^th, celebrate cultural diversity with your taste buds at Dandenong Market. Don’t bother renewing your passport; you won’t need it on this gastronomic adventure.

The Dandenong Market will represent fare from all across the globe, from traditional recipes handed down by great-great grandmothers to intriguing exotic delights. Of course there will be hawker-style stalls, but don’t be surprised if you encounter the odd canopied stand, wandering vendor, or a bike hurtling towards you with a basket full of food. Expect sizzling Singaporean satay skewers, gözleme stuffed with spinach and feta, Turkish treats such as baklava, buttery Greek shortbread biscuits and much more.

If all the feasting makes you thirsty, hunt down the Afghan teacart or head to the Boutique Brewers for a free tasting. Apart from stuffing your face, you’ll be treated to an array of cultural entertainment including music and dance performances. There will be cooking demonstrations by visiting chefs and a wide range of merchandise and food available to take home. You’ll even have the opportunity to kiss the camels, but be careful, they spit.   

Entry is free and the food is affordable.  So whether you say bon appétit, smacznego, selamat makan or いただきます, you’re sure to sample something new!

Where: The Dandenong Market, corner Clow and Cleeland Streets, Dandenong
When: 18 March | 11am
Details: dandenongmarket.com.au

Named after architect I. M Pei (responsible for the Louvre’s glass pyramid), the focus at Pei Modern is as much about design as it is about food. Helen Rice from Rice Architecture is responsible for the vaulted ceiling made from natural timber, which curves all the way down to the floor. A metal screen divides this area from the main dining room, where white furniture and marble surfaces add extra sophistication. The best seat in the house is in one of two individual couch chairs. You may never get up, but at least you have a view of the open kitchen.

Lubbock’s wine list favours smaller, natural producers and is cleverly divided into descriptions to make choosing easier (whites may be with “perfume and texture” or “depth and richness”). There’s Brunswick Bitter, Coopers’ Pale Ale and sparkling water on tap. The latter is courtesy of a machine that filters, chills and carbonates “Melbourne’s perfectly good water”.

The breakfast menu features croissants from the MoVida bakery. Lunch is available until the kitchen closes (pork terrine with port mustard anyone?), while a dinner favourite is the dry aged rump camp with dried carrots and beetroot. For dessert, it’s hard to go past the caramelised tomato stuffed with twelve flavours and served with star anise ice cream (pinched from Marque). Mackintosh and Bartholomew can’t name the twelve flavours off the top of their heads, but they assure us it’s the kind of dessert that makes you come back. The chef wrote them down for us, but you’ll have to taste it to believe it.

Where: Collins Place, 45 Collins Street Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9654 8545
Open: Mon-Sun, 8am-11pm for food | until 1am for drinks
Details: peimodern.com.au

After an initial successful stint online, Karton has unfolded in Chapel Street. People didn’t believe a cardboard stool would hold them until they sat on it, and now they believe. The furniture gives certain Swedish superstores a run for their money. Gone are the Allen keys, missing screws and the back-breaking task of constructing a simple bedside table. Karton equals simplicity. Well, simplicity and folding. Everything packs down flat with a few flicks of the wrist: tables, chairs, desks. There are even foldable sheep that can be used to store books and turtle pencil holders.

Despite the simplicity of the furniture, creating Karton was no simple feat and involved some of Europe’s brightest engineers. Designed by Hans Peter Stange, it’s no coincidence that the German furniture is “over-engineered”. Apparently ten heavy guys can stand on the cardboard bed frame (their best seller) without making a dent.

The Karton crew is currently collaborating with local designers. Come April, there are plans to fold-up shop and make an appearance North of the river. Whip up a spare bed when the mother-in-law comes for the weekend, move the dining room table outside by yourself, or get some mates together and paint an entire set. Just don’t go lighting matches in the store, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Where: 228 Chapel Street, Prahran
When: Until the first week of April
Details: kartongroup.com.au

This won’t be just any old flea market, the folk at The Peoples Market have created an open-air offering that will be part design, part gastronomic wonderland and a whole lot of vendors selling pre-loved, unique and quirky items. Stalls are made from an assortment of shipping containers that have been customized to suit vendors with the help of NH Architecture and Zunica Designs.

As well as regular food stalls, there’ll also be pop up restaurants accommodating some of Melbourne’s biggest names in food, as well as entertainment right up until 9pm. 1000 £ Bend will be there serving up magical beverages with their own custom container bar and Phat Brats (set to open on Brunswick St later this month) will be launching their flame grilled gourmet dog range.

A market west of the city is pretty damn exciting in itself but we also reckon this might be just the thing to bring some life into Docklands precinct.

Farmers market will be open until 2pm, vintage stalls until 4pm and food and entertainment until 9pm. You can also have your own stall starting form $35 per day.

Where: 453-507 Docklands Dr, Docklands
When: Every Saturday 9am – 9pm rain, hail or shine
Details: peoplesmarket.com.au

If you only every drink Rekorderlig cider, you are living inside a bubble of ignorance. Cider has become the drink of choice for many over the last couple of years, but how much do you really know about its appley goodness? Did you know that cider apples are the ugly ducklings of apples? Or that ‘Perry’ is pear cider? Or that cider was touted as a cure for gout in the 19^th century?

It’s time to pop the bubble. Enough of those sugary drinks full of preservatives and flavours like ‘raspberry, lemon and mandarin’. You deserve better than those posers. In a one-day-only event, Bress Wine & Cider has partnered with the good people over at the Fringe Food Festival for a day of intensive cider education.

Start from scratch in the orchard, identifying and tasting the nine varieties of cider apples (Bress also grows four types of pears). Next, learn production techniques and traditional methods adapted from the French and English. They’ll even show you how to make cider at home. After your crash course in apples, lunch will be provided, and nothing quite matches cider like pork spit roast. They’ll even fire up the pizza oven and throw in some veggies from the garden.

Get ex-cider-ed to sip Bress’ French dry, Normandy-style refined cider, made using biodynamic farming practices. They supply some of our best restaurants (think Cumulus Inc. and The Commoner), but you’ll get to taste it from the tree to the tap. And as the saying goes, a cider a day keeps the doctor away… or something like that.

Where: Bress Winery & Cidery, 3894 Old Calder Highway, Harcourt
When: 25 March
Details: fringefoodfestival.com.au
Tickets: $100 inclusive, online at trybooking.com

From April until November you can mingle with epicurean big wigs like Philippe Mouchel (PM24), Adam D’Sylva (Coda) and Scott Pickett (Estelle Bar & Kitchen) to name a few, who will be overseeing starstruck cookery students to produce three course lunches and four course dinners. Each course is expertly matched with wines from the day’s/night’s sponsor with a presentation by the maker towards the end of the meal as well as a Q&A session with the guest chef.

The Great Chefs program is not a new comer, having been around since 1993, but is a fantastic initiative. It provides top chefs with an opportunity to give back to the industry and the final year William Angliss cookery students with valuable scenario experience and the chance to work with their idols.

At a mere $50pp for lunch and $80pp for dinner (incl matched wines) you can taste the gastronomic splendors from the best of today paired up with the best of tomorrow.

Where: Angliss Restaurant, 550 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
When: April – November
Bookings: [03] 9606 2108 or goodfood@angliss.edu.au
Details and program: angliss.edu.au

A stone’s throw away from Wattle Park Primary School, it’s a given that Foodrinkery is child friendly. Parents can sip organic Map coffee in the sunny courtyard while keeping an eye on the playground next door, and tantrums are put to a stop by $2 ‘pops’, fruity icy poles in mini takeaway cups. Doors officially open at 9am, but you’ll find one of the good-looking staff on-site to cater for the school drop off.

Andre De Laine is the man behind the menu (ex Coda, Libertine, and regular guest chef on The Circle). The unfussy, seasonal food is terribly affordable (everything is under $10) and can be easily ordered to go. A number of dishes are served in plastic cups, including coconut tapioca with kiwi and mango. Toasties range from plain to gourmet, eggs make a brief appearance and salads are prepared fresh. Little Bertha brings the sweet treats and the white chocolate passionfruit cheesecake in a cup is something of exotic dreams… but we’ll keep this one G-rated for the kids.

The rustic décor is an eclectic mix sourced from auction houses. Wooden buckets planted with mint sit on the impressive communal table, a ladder hangs from the roof intertwined with exposed light globes and cups attached to the chain of an old wheel chock are suspended above the coffee machine.

Although it’s only in its infancy, Foodrinkery already feels like the kind of place you can pop in for a chat as well as a coffee. Now where did we hide that cheesecake?

Where: 22 Banksia Street, Burwood East
Phone: (03) 9808 2468
Open: Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm
Details: facebook.com

Less than two months old, this Korean char-grill restaurant is easy to miss. From the outside, it’s a tiny hole-in-the-wall. Out the front, wooden bench seats line the open kitchen, where you can see your food prepared fresh in front of you. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see a flame shoot up. Controlled, of course.

But as soon as you walk through the ivy-green front door, the restaurant stretches further back. Elongated, white tiles line the walls while raw concrete surfaces and suspended, caged light globes give the space an industrial feel. Owner Insu Kim is an architect by trade, which explains the sleek design. The narrow space features three giant, black vents positioned above three communal tables with multiple grills built into the centre.

Seoul Soul specializes in Korean street eats. Cold dishes are served in authentic speckled and patterned bowls, while the BBQ share plates arrive literally sizzling hot. Start with “Korean Tapas” such as scallop skewers and deep fried dumplings before moving onto mains. Meat lovers will be impressed with the pork belly and a selection of marinated ribs, while vegetarians are catered for with spicy tofu ‘bulgogi’ and teriyaki mushrooms.

‘Dosirak’, or meal buckets, are a great lunch option and include rice and salad. Then of course there is ‘bibimbap’, a signature Korean dish where spicy pork or beef are sautéed with chilli paste and seasoning and served with vegetables on top of a bowl of rice, topped with a fried egg. The idea is to mix it all together yourself.

Seoul Soul is awaiting a liquor license, but until then, you can sample traditional Korean drinks such as ‘sikhye’, an authentic rice punch… or you can be a prude and order a coke. Spots are limited, so we recommend you book ahead. Go on, we dare you.

Location: 323 Victoria St, Abbotsford
Phone: 0432 206 404
Open: Mon to Wed, midday-3pm, 6pm-9.30pm|Thurs to Sun, midday-3.30pm, 5.30pm-10pm
Details: facebook.com

Every Thursday starting tonight, Style After Dark will be conquering South Melbourne Market. If the market stayed open until sunrise, Style After Dark would still be stylish in the morning. But seeing as it’s strictly nocturnal, you might as well make a night out of it.

Eat and drink your way around the wine bars and restaurants in Cecil Street, chow down on affordable octopus skewers from Claypots’ seafood peddler, or munch on paella, tapas, Italian and Mediterranean from the hawker-style food stalls. Just make sure you’re not too full to shop. Stalls will be parading locally made clothing, jewellery and accessories (check out Vinyl Cuts, handmade jewellery made from—you guessed it—old records) and an eclectic collection of artisan products.

Resident band Hi Fi Lounge Lizards will put their mixed bag of experience musicians together each week, fusing the acoustic with the electric. Launching Style After Dark from the stage will be Melbourne based band Dancing Heals. If Arcade Fire and Nick Drake had three illegitimate sons, and those sons formed a band, it would sound like the Dancing Heals. Musicians rotate weekly: soul, folk, rock, strings, funk, pop.

You don’t need an excuse to get out of the house for an evening in Melbourne, but just in case, we’ve given you one anyway.

Location: Under the verandah, Corner Coventry and Cecil Streets, South Melbourne
When: March 1 to April 19 | Thursdays 5.30pm-9.30pm
Details: styleafterdark.com.au

Named after a popular Vietnamese radio personality during the Vietnam War, the restaurant has been open less than a month, and yet it feels like it’s been on High Street for years. You can order take-away, but it’s worth sticking around. The fellas did the décor themselves. Almost everything in the intimate space is recycled, from the lengthy timber bar and food crates housing spirits behind it, to the secondhand stools from Byron Bay.

A rustic brick façade was unearthed a week after chipping away at the plaster behind the bar. Colourful photographs of Vietnam hang from the walls and sheets of floral material from the ceiling. An antique bicycle wedges the door open, while a collection of kitsch tin objects, including a cow and a Vietnamese rickshaw, add some quirk.

But is it as cheap as Victoria Street? You bet. Phở with meat will set you back $9. There’s also a modern take on hawker-style food, and nothing is over $13. Munch on balalot (crispy betel leaf beef cigars), 5 spice quail or chilli prawns. For lunch, there’s also banh-mi, French baguettes with Vietnamese fillings such as lemongrass beef and pork belly.

Hanoi Hannah is as serious about booze as it is about food. There’s a variety of hand selected beer (including one from Vietnam’s North and another from it’s South), wine and cider. But we recommend trying a fresh young coconut with a shot of rum for an authentic buzz. The kitchen closes around 9.30pm, but you can hang out ‘til late with a ginger and chilli mojito in hand.

Still not convinced? The Vietnamese tailor next door gives Hanoi Hannah the tick of approval, so you should check it out, phở sure.

Location: 180 High Street, Windsor
Open: 7 days, 11am-11pm
Phone: (03) 9939 5181
Details: hanoihannah.com.au

While still maintaining its basic structure, the venue has received a makeover and a number of enhancements. Dark timber tables, cookbook filled bookshelves, copper pots and pans, wooden honeycomb features and dim lighting help to create a warmer more intimate experience in the expansive dining space.

Executive chef John Lawson has stayed on from Maze and created a menu that showcases his traditional French cooking techniques in a modern context.

Like it’s preprocessor, the dessert bar is still a hot favourite. Designed by chef Daniel Fletcher, the dessert menu features classics and modern desserts that will satisfy even the most adventurous of dessert lovers. The chocolate bar with peanuts and caramel (otherwise known as a taste of heaven) features prominently. Making the dessert bar even sweeter, it offers home-made candies, serves chocolate milk with dessert and gives you a lollie bag to take home. Talk about a sugar high!

Where: Level 1, Crown Metropol, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank
Hours:  Breakfast daily from 6.30am -10.30am, Lunch from noon until 2.30pm, Dinner from 6.00pm – 10.30pm
Phone: 03 9292 8300
Details: crownmetropol.com.au

It’s an initiative by those crazy folk at the Melbourne Museum to attract a younger adult crowd to the museum, firstly luring with the “pop up bar” line and then subtly introducing some good old fashioned science.

You may not know but behind all the elaborate exhibitions, the Melbourne Museum also conducts ongoing research. A dead bird (donated by a bird lover wanting to help the species) will be dissected to demonstrate how researchers increase their knowledge of wild animals to better understand human and climate impact. Apart from observing the dissection of a bird you can also touch some bugs, marvel over the very cool animatronic dinosaur exhibition and even learn a thing or two about rocks and minerals.

Food and drink is available for purchase at the SmartBar and there’ll also be music from RRR’s Anthony Carew. So if you have always wanted to visit the museum but the thought of screaming children and stressed out parents with prams has previously deterred you, this is your chance!

Where: Melbourne Museum, Nicholson St, Melbourne
When: Thursday 1^st March, 6pm – 10pm
Tickets: Full $18, Concession $16.Online tickets have sold out so you’ll need to rock up nice and early at the door to get in.
Details: museumvictoria.com.au

The best part is that it’s democratic, the people of Melbourne voted online for what they want to devour. There were 10 menu options to vote from including Peking duck, fish and chips, pavlova, chicken salad, classic vanilla slice, Aussie hamburgers, hotdogs, sausage rolls, pizza and soft tacos… but alas only 5 could make it through.

Based on the public’s votes, the top five favourite foods for Fed Square Favourites have been revealed this morning. With Peking duck crepes, the clear winner, soft shell tacos with beef and tomato salsa coming in second, followed by gourmet pizza slices (vegetarian options available). Finally, in equal place for fourth and fifth, beer battered fish and chips with tartare sauce and classic mini pavlovas with cream & fresh fruit.

The damn fine chefs at Damn Fine Food will be cooking up your Fed Square favourites starting this Saturday, which will be delivered by a damn fine team of professional waiters. Each day starting at 10am, there will be eight, 30 minute sessions that accommodate 32 guests.

Passers by will be green with envy when they see the conservatory-style café. The restaurant, designed by Paul Hyland from Glasshaus, will look as though it’s sprouted from the ground in the middle of Fed Square. Its steel façade, anchored by 9 giant Eucalyptus trees, will be decked out in bright pink bougainvillea flowers— so it’s easy on the eyes as well as the tummy.

To be fed for free, all you need to do is pop down to the pop up in Fed Square and have the hostess jot your name on the list. Apparently there is such thing as a free lunch!

Location: Federation Square, Melbourne
When: March 3 & 4|10am-3.15pm
Details: fedsquare.com

The sleek, silver bullet (bought on eBay and shipped over from Iowa) has a striped yellow awning. It’s surrounded by patterned rugs and shaded by a camo net. Although the space accommodates 60, you’ll have to fight for a chair, or set yourself up inside the greenhouse. That’s right, there’s also a greenhouse (2 points Grub Food Van, other food vans, 0). At the moment tomatoes, climbing spinach and herbs are thriving.

Grub Food Van also serves booze. There’s Brunswick Bitter and Little Miss Muffet Cider on tap, a Victorian wine list by Anne-Marie Bunting of Lake House and Punch Lane fame, and a range of boutique brews and cocktails thanks to Kim Scott from Spice Temple (3 points Grub Food Van, other food vans, 0).

For breakfast there’s Five Senses coffee with Noisette pastries, Bircher, granola or toast with a range of gourmet toppings and sides. Share a ploughman’s platter at lunchtime or check out the specials written up on the old fridge (keep an eye out for “The Stack”). If you’re after something sweet, go for a sundae or a split.

Grub Food Van is an all-day garden party where you can eat, drink and play well into the evening. But best of all, it’s not going anywhere,

Where: 87-89 Moor Street, Fitzroy
When: Tues-Sun|7am-10pm (weather permitting, check Facebook)
Phone: (03) 9419 8991
Details: facebook.com

It’s now Marmalade and Soul, a café and bistro from Raymond Capaldi (behind Collins Streets’ Hare & Grace). Open Tuesday to Sunday, they’re also set to open for dinner in a couple of weeks.

On our visit, the place which has a country-style feel was buzzing. There’s a rustic floorboard, plenty of exposed brick, baskets of fresh produce, cans of exotic foods and buckets of foliage. They’ve up cycled too with light shades made from old cups and wooden spoons for the chandelier. The large communal with little dark stools balances plates of sweet thing.

The brekkie menu is definitely inventive. Try eggs on sourdough with Green Egg Béarnaise, baked eggs with figs, feta and sweet sour grapes or maybe a cornbeef and baked bean jaffle. For lunch, fill up on a cabinet sanger – perhaps the crispy prawn, pineapple and cucumber baguette or check out the main menu (divided neatly into composites, principals, accomplimains and desserts). Their wine list meanwhile features some impressive drops (mainly Vic, SA and NZ) and boutique beers.

Only moments from the Edinburgh Gardens and with a string of curbside tables, head here for breakfast this weekend.

Where: 162 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North
When: Tues – Sun 8am – 4pm
Details: marmaladeandsoul.com

Braydon Harriss has teamed up with business partners Robert Murphy, Daniel Giansiracusa, Will Minson and Brett Montgomery (who are better know for their football talents than for being involved in the hospitality scene) to create MLG.

Named after one of Murphy’s favorite songs by the band Pulp, this café exudes effortless cool and serves up vibe that you’d expect to find outside the South Yarra postcode.

The café features an eclectic art collection including a billboard size photographic print that looks like it belongs to Russh magazine. Jazz tunes beckon in the background while gorgeous young things, mums and students casually meet friends to enjoy a hearty breakfast or perk up with delicious smooth coffee made using Atomica blend of beans.

With a mix of communal tables and a tight row of more intimate seating options available, it doesn’t take long to get to know your neighbours or drool over what’s on the menu.

If you have a pang for something sweet then freshly made banana bread served with espresso butter will hit the spot. Needing something a little more substantial or suffering from a hangover, then a breakfast brioche with green egg and ham should help to soothe the pain. A healthier choice for those who may have just cracked a lap around “the tan”, would be the MLG granola served with Jonesy’s skinny milk (it’s Minson’s personal recipe, apparently he’s quiet the cook) or the red fruit salad.

MLG isn’t fancy or flashy but it’s not trying to be. It’s friendly, relaxed and homely serving simple, delicious food made with quality fresh produce.

Where: 157 Domain Road, South Yarra
Hours: Mon to Fri 7am-4pm | Sat & Sun 7am-late
Phone: (03) 9077 4863

Frederick Gugenberg is the brains behind Stop 15 Pop Up Shop, aptly named after the tram stop out the front. His philosophy goes something like this: ‘I take long service leave, my shop takes long service leave’. Genius.

After 12 years in business, Gugenberg’s motives aren’t limited to taking a break. Instead, he wants to give new retailers an opportunity to try out their trade without unwanted long-term contracts and high costs. The “for lease” sign went up at the end of December. Nine days later, the space was booked for the year.

Over 2012, a number of businesses will pop up in what was previously Frederick Gugenberg’s fashion store (and what will be again). The first tenant, The Virtual Goddess, broke free from the Internet and popped up at the start of the February. It will be selling clothing that “blurs the boundaries of high fashion and performance art” until April.

Stop 15 Pop Up Shop will also be home to a retro furniture bric-a-brac store, jewellery and designer clothing, an international fashion label, a Turkish coffee shop and a soup kitchen. It will even pose as an intimate performance space. Gugenberg, who simply can’t stay away from his “window to the world”, will also pop back in with a limited edition fashion showcase.

Come October, Frederick Gugenberg will be back selling his contemporary men’s fashion label. Until then, he’s free to recline on a beach sipping a cocktail while tenants blog about their pop up experiences, documented on Stop 15 Pop Up Shop’s official Tumblr site.

Location: 249A Gertrude St, Fitzory
When: Now until October
Details: stop15popup.tumblr.com/

Introducing Gladioli Restaurant, open in what was previously Matilda’s on High St, Inverleigh. It’s the latest venture of award-winning chef Matt Dempsey (ex- Pettavel) whose same yummy nosh we sampled when we visited Baveras on Geelong’s Cunningham Pier early last year.

While he may have forgone the coast and pier for the country and his boutique ‘Delicious Intent’ dinner party business, Matt’s new regional hotspot, which has made its home in the old homestead, boasts high-class service and a similarly high standard of food. Its contemporary-Australian menu employs an ingredient only (‘leave the rest to your imagination’) descriptive style. You might make entrée the trout with cream, fennel and watercress. Mains meanwhile may include everything from Greenvale lamb with peas, saltbush and black garlic to Lara rabbit with heirloom carrots and broadbeans and Western Plains suckling pig with radish and apple. Even more local are the desserts with offerings like Brian’s berries with custard and jelly and a St James walnut parfait with honeycomb and vanilla.

So this weekend could look a little like this. A local wine or micro brewed beer in a lush foliage ridden garden, a lunch interlude before more of the same – with the tasty addition of a cheese plate of course!

Where: 14 High St, Inverleigh. VIC
When:  Lunch Thurs-Sun| Dinner Weds-Sat
Details: gladiolirestaurant.com.au

Named after Pope Joan’s illegitimate child — who it’s alleged went on to become the Bishop of Ostia — the front of the building looks more industrial workshop than bar. Inside, the graffitied brick and roller door shell are asymmetric, with banquette seats and bare wooden tables. Outside however is where most of the action takes place. Fake grass covers the walls and bar while camouflage netting shades tables. Pink tin water jugs perfectly compliment the dotted cherry blossom mural by Josef Marzi inside.

Herbs and veggies from the onsite garden find their way into cocktails and the bar menu. The creative yet unfussy food, made with Victorian produce, is a modern nod to the Middle Ages while the wine list takes you “on a trip around Victoria from Rutherglen to Phillip Island” featuring harder-to-find varieties. Tap and bottled beer are local, same goes for the cider. Gin is The Bishop’s specialty, while cocktails like ‘Northside’ and ‘Brunswick Mule’ pay tribute to the area. Also expect to sample seasonal ingredients in the cocktails, such as blood plums from Foster’s garden, which the kitchen has also converted into jam.

Whether you’re a sinner or a saint, you’ll be raising your glass to this new little bar-stard.

Where: 79 Nicholson Street, East Brunswick
When:  Thu-Fri, 4pm-11am | Sat-Sun, 4pm-12pm | Food from 5.30pm
Phone: (03) 9388 8858
Details: bishopofostia.com.au

This though, this is new wave Yum Cha.

Sure, it has all the hallmarks of your traditional Chinese menu – small plates, excellent prices, chicken feet – but with a high-end twist.

Gone are the clanky trolleys rolling around, presumably so the kitchen has full control over when you get your dishes. Dishes do come fast and furious, however, and you can order as you go.

Each dish, Perry tells us at lunch on Friday, has been very carefully crafted so that it has it’s own distinct, delicate flavour.

The workmanship is evident – the kitchen has been working hard to get the texture of the rice rolls just so. There are house made sauces – the vibrant orange chilli sauce is chock-full of jalapenos and chipotles, clean and crisp and a perfect accompaniment to many of the tastes.

The produce is top notch you can be assured the poultry is organic and the seafood sustainable. If there was ever a yum cha joint in which to try the steamed tripe with black bean, it has to be here.

There are tasty dishes galore: the Tea smoked duck ($7.50) and the drunken chicken ($7) spring to mind. The steamed pork rib with black olives on rice rolls ($6) are tender and perfect for getting hands messy.

But while we would expect nothing less of all of the above from Spice Temple, the most telling dishes of all are the classics. When you bite into a soft, sticky BBQ pork bun or the creamy egg tart, you realise how truly far from Chinatown you really are.

Where: Crown Complex | 8 Whiteman St, Southbank
Bookings: 03 8679 1888
When: Yum Cha daily from 12noon-3pm, Monday to Sunday
Details: spicetemplemelbourne.com

The café and bistro is open 7 days for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between and is brought to us by Birdman Eating’s Tim Tehan. You’ll find it on the corner of Kerr and Napier Street, at the base of those swanky Artist Apartments, and if ever you could manufacture a café rivalry – it’s here. The new spot eyeballs the little bluestone cafe ICI – which ensures a face off between those enjoying renowned ICI porridge and chef Tobee Powell (ex Birdman’s) baked eggs.

A nice change from those all-too-bright stark set ups, the lighting is dim. Inside, find a swish marble bar, communal with high stools, a scattering of black bronze rimmed tables and bentwood chairs and some cosy banquette seating. All set on a rather unique pale wood lazer cut floor. Outside, a mini veranda with tiny alcoves is perfect for people watchers, those with pets or wanting to catch some extra rays.

Sourcing beef from Coldstream Cattle Company and pork from McIvor in Tooborac, this corner spot also boasts a charcuterie and downstairs drying room for cured, smoked or salted meats, deli and provedore. They will also soon be selling take-home meals that are sure to have mouths watering.

Where: 152 Kerr St, Fitzroy
When: Mon-Fri 7am-10.30pm | Sat-Sun 8am-10.30pm
Phone: 03 9417 1212

Set in the historic Werribee Mansion and Park, the event will mimic the lavish High Teas enjoyed by the Mansion’s original owners, as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Unlike in Alice in Wonderland you’ll be sitting on elegant vintage furniture while snacking on teacakes and other goodies. Food will be based on the records of old Werribee Mansion cooks and housekeepers from the 1870s. A twist of 2012 will probably still find it’s way into your bellies, thanks to the Mansion’s modern restaurant, Joseph’s.

Get started by sipping on some bubbles before moving onto cucumber sandwiches (what else) among the manicured lawns and exquisite gardens. Challenge your friends to a game of croquet or test out your badminton skills. Once you’ve had your fill of the outdoors, wonder the halls of the 19^th century building.

The opulent dinning room, ballroom and private sitting areas are the perfect atmosphere in which to enjoy a cuppa. Later, watch dusk fall over the magical property from the grand balcony as the afternoon comes to a close. Guests are encouraged to dress for the occasion, so ladies, remember to wear your tea gown and bonnet, and be sure your gentlemen remember to don their finest waistcoats and top hats.

Why not stay overnight, darlings, and enjoy the luxuries a little longer? Just remember to organise a horse and cart for when you do finally decide to return to the big smoke.

Location: The Mansion Hotel and Spa, K Road, Werribee
When: 3pm-6pm | March 17
Phone: (03) 9731 4000
Cost: $90
Details: melbournefoodandwine.com.au

A nice change from typical modern pub fare, chef Stephen Drake (ex sous chef Royal Saxon) plates up seasonal; produce driven fare to create Country Women’s Association inspired, classic dishes.

At lunch, go for their corned beef sandwich with dill pickles, Dijon and Gruyere. For dinner, try an appetizer of oysters or perhaps a vol-au-vent – moreish puff pastry plump with fillings like crayfish or confit duck and pork belly. From there, pan-roasted Hervey Bay scallops are a fine precursor to their Steak Diane – a Gippsland Grass-fed Scotch Fillet with brandy, mustard and shallot. Tuesday nights see roast chicken for two with sage and pork sausage stuffing, peas, spinach and bread sauce and there’s no doubt their Berkshire pork shoulder will be a winner for Sunday lunches.

For early risers, you’ll love their sister café Little Rose out back (entry via Heath St). The catch cry is ‘Shakes, Jaffles and Coffee’ (Syndicate) alongside other brekkie basics like baked Green eggs, muesli and toast from Brasserie Bread in Melbourne.  This converted mini ex-garage has been fitted out with recycled timber topped tables, a communal with stools and window bench seating. Other cute touches include mini glass coke bottles for sugar, recycled old ladders and some faux grass.

And to top it off, upstairs sees the fantastic little Back Bar set to showcase some great live music – having already showcased two jazz and swing bands.

You’ve heard it here first, Rose Diner and Bar and Little Rose are set to become local favourites in no time!

Where: 309 Bay St, Port Melbourne
When: Mon-Thurs 12pm-11pm | Fri-Sat 12pm-1am | Sun 12pm-6pm || Little Rose Mon-Fri 7am-3pm | Sat-Sun 8am-4pm || Back Bar Fri & Sat 5pm–11pm
Phone: (03) 9681 8550
Details: rosediner.com.au

Last Friday in Fitzroy, Brothers Christian and Adam Ferrante (the lads behind Rose Street Market) teamed up with Marx Grixti (former sommelier at the European/Melbourne Supper Club) to officially open the gates of Hell — or more accurately, restaurant bar Hell of the North.

Gluttony. UK chefs Anthony Power (Oxo Towers and Movember cofounder) and Michael Lenton (Cubitt House and Mandarin Oriental) are in charge of Hell’s fire, so skip the late night kebabs and try their supper menu from 10pm until 1am. Dinner highlights include snapper with butterbeans and chorizo and confit chicken with thyme broth. As for the chocolate & Guinness cake with milk ice cream, it’s a sin in itself.

Greed. Your thirst will be unquenchable once you see the wine list: a comprehensive, ‘round-the-world collection carefully selected by Grixti. There are also local beers and cider on tap, as well as all the cocktails classics.

Envy. Once you open the bright yellow door, you’ll be jealous of the sparkling brass bar, framed in timber and stocked with booze.

Wrath. If you can’t get a spot beneath the ‘70s style pulley lights, beside the kitchen, on the wooden block stools or in the paved courtyard, you’ll be fuming. Book ahead to avoid the desire to spear tackle fellow patrons off their seats.

Pride. The exclusive meeting room table with shelves of wine on the far wall is the ideal platform from which to brag in front of 13 other people.

Lust. Feeling desirous? Maybe it’s because you’re socialising in an old brothel. Then again, the 1830s bluestone building was also home to the pastor from the church up the road. Most recently, it was the Lambs Go Barrr.

Sloth. If you feel lazy after a night in Hell, just remember what 2007 champion of France’s grueling bike race, Hell of the North, said: “pain is temporary, memories are forever.” It’s written on the coasters, in case you forget.

See you in hell.

Location: 135 Greeves Street, Fitzroy
Where: Wed-Fri 5pm-1am |Sat 12pm-1am | Sun 12pm-11pm
Phone: (03) 9417 6660
Details: hellofthenorth.com.au/

At the end of last year, a French inspired restaurant and wine bar opened in the city. Brought to you by The Publican Group (Veludo, Campari House and Warf Hotel), Mr. Mason knows how to woo. Their special Valentine’s Day dinner is inspired by none other than the city of love. Whether you decide sink into the maroon chesterfield couches in front of the stone fireplace and sample the boutique wine list (by the glass only, so you can try them all) or feast in style in the main dining area, Mr. Mason is sure to impress.

If you think French fare means lots of butter, salt and fat, think again. At Mr. Mason the French food has a modern touch. The produce-driven menu changes weekly, depending on what’s seasonal. Breakfast is available in the morning, with the option of a Croque Madame. If it’s a meal for one you’re after, try the $15 express lunch any weekday between midday and 3pm (add $5 for wine).

Choose something from the ‘small’ section of the menu to accompany after work drinks on the outdoor terrace. For dinner, try the Carpaccio of beef with celeriac remoulade and Gruyere crisps from the ‘medium’ section. It’s hard to go passed the roasted lamb rump with bacon lardons, broad beans and potato dumplings as a main… but just make sure you save room for the chocolate soufflé with milk sherbet and honeycomb for dessert.

The rustic décor has an industrial touch, shifting between Parisian fine dining and a Provençal bistro. A mass of rounded brass lights spurt from the ceiling, red brick appears next to raw wooden beams and raised yellow stools provide a view of the bar.

It doesn’t matter if you’re dining with a loved one or if you fall in love with dining experience. Mr. Mason, c’est trés romantique!

Location: Shop 10, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne (enter via Little Collins)
Open: Mon-Thur 8am-10pm |Fri 8am-midnight | Available for hire on weekends
Phone: (03) 9614 4500
Details: mrmason.com.au

Owners Clint Hyndman (A.K.A Something for Kate drummer) and Dean Bowden have turned the place into a charming old world bar with a polished new world feel. Bottles of grog compete for shelf space with taxidermy animals (including their mascot, a rabbit with antlers known as a ‘jackalope’) behind the dark oak bar. Other knickknacks from Hyndman’s personal collection are scattered throughout the dimly lit space, including a gramophone, vintage suitcases, and a Singer sewing machine. Guests can sit out the front, on stools by the bar or at romantic tables towards the rear of the building.

Regardless of whether you want pre-dinner snacks or a five course meal, head chef Nick Stanton (who has previously worked at The Millswyn and alongside Gordon Ramsay) has put together a menu inspired by the 1900s. How can you say no to “sweet and crisp” pork belly with creamed corn and glazed baby onions? Alternatively, stop in for a two or three course express lunch. If you’re not hungry, you can always order a cigar from the menu instead.

But let’s get serious: we’re here for the single malt whiskey. With nearly 50 options, the choice is overwhelming. But the knowledgeable staff are there to decipher your tastes and walk you through the options. The cocktail list is an ode to Windsor, where the owners have lived for the past 10 years. Take the F. J Sargood Sazerac with whisky, Armagnac and chocolate bitters for example; a tribute to the first chairman of the Prahran Municipality. There’s also a decent selection of beer, cider and wine.

The charismatic Woods of Windsor is completely different from the boys’ first venture, Yellowbird Café, just up the road. But like The Bird, The Woods is sure to become a Windsor local in no time.

Location: 108 Chapel Street, Windsor
When: Wed-Sat, midday-1am | Sun, midday-11am
Phone: (03) 9521 1900
Details: facebook.com/thewoodsofwindsor

Back to the Butcher is in fact a paddock to plate menu with a focus on local and sustainable produce. Whisky Business will feature single malt whisky with commentary by Australian Gourmet Pages’ whisky authority, Franz Scheurer. Planet of the Canapés will offer “A snacking menu with bite” that will “leave you going ape for more!”

But other than being a whole lot of fun, owner Jo Corrigan and chef Brooke Petrie want to inspire their guests’ taste buds and induce a sense of nostalgia. Their recipe for success? Six classic cult movies and a bi-monthly silver screen degustation dinner. A new menu will be introduced on the first Thursday of every month, where food will be served with a side of knowledge from a relevant guest speaker. You can still order from the normal menu, but why would you?

This Thursday the feasting kicks off with Poultrygeist. Based on the 1982 horror film, Poltergeist, this is one for those who love drooling over smokin’ hot birds… also known as chicken. Unlike the original, there won’t be any ghosts, but expect to be haunted by fowl memories. The following month The Commoner is sailing out to sea. They’ll turn Jaws into Claws and crustacean fans won’t want to miss out.

With all the quirky themes and corny jokes that lie ahead, there is certainly nothing common about The Commoner’s unique film inspired fare.

Bookings are essential. Leave the popcorn at home.

Location: 122 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
When: Feb 2 until end of Dec
Phone: (03) 9415 6876
Details: thecommoner.com.au

Cheeky, sassy and a little bit naughty, Minksy’s Market is a burlesque bazaar that takes place on the first Sunday of every month. Held fittingly in the sultry red glow of Fitzroy’s House of Burlesque, Minksy is turning on the heat and striping off the layers.

Nipple tassels are probably a good enough draw card for the fellas, but just in case, Project Runway finalist Ryan Whelan will be selling designer get-up for the boys. In terms of burlesque gear, a corset will set you back $30, or $50 for two. Showgirl fans, garters and Italian stockings will be flaunted like can-can girls at heavily discounted prices. And for those who should have been born in the 50s, there will be pinup style clothes as well.

Standout stalls for burlesque babes include homewares and fashion from Jubilee Road (think aprons cut from vintage recycled material) and high waisted, polka dot, zebra-stripe and leopard-print underwear from Bonsai Kitten.

But just like any burlesque extravaganza, it’s all about the show at Minksy’s Market. The walls will be decked out in vintage posters, performances and parades will litter the hall, and there will even by a psychic offering tarot card readings and light therapy… not sure what light therapy is but we are intrigued!

If your heart is racing and you begin to feel faint from all the feathers and lace, suck on a truffle from The Truffle Mistress’ cart. We recommend the Absinthe filled truffle for a serious kick. Alternatively, find yourself a nice corner and read one of the burlesque books available.

You know you’re onto a winner when Minksy’s Market claims, “there’s lingerie to tone it down”. Yes, you read that correctly, in Minksy’s world, lingerie tones things down.

Location: 397A Brunswick Street, Fitzroy (rear entry, above Calico House)
When: Feb 5, 11am-5pm
Phone: (03) 9417 1192
Details: houseofburlesque.com

Enter at the front (or is it the back?) or from the little cobbled laneway at the side. Prop counter-side on a quaint cowhide stool, by the large pale wood communal with a centerpiece of white orchids or settle on the lengthy navy banquette-style seat extending along the back wall. Alternating apple green and white seats and small white round tables lie under modern bare bulb lights on polished concrete floors. Before the menu, eyes glance quickly to that fabulous ‘Poolside Gossip’ print by American Slim Aarons, which portrays Lita Baron, Nelda Linsk and Helen Dzo Dzo at a 1970 Palm Springs designer home.

If you’re in to coffee, get excited. It’s superb. Installing “The Slayer Espresso,” one of the world’s finest handmade machines ($30,000 worth), owners Jared Cooper (a former chef) and his wife Talya are the first outside Melbourne to use beans from renowned Chapel St roasters Dukes. On our visit, our coffee came with the perfect cheerful compliment – a classic mini chocolate freckle.  Word is the hot choc, made from Ecuadorian organic cocoa is just as good.

If it’s for breakfast, try house made bircher with chia seeds, passionfruit coulis, labna and fresh blueberries or test out their ‘avochoke smash’ with avocado, artichoke, barrel aged, Mt Vikos feta and vine ripe tomatoes on seeded sourdough.

If it’s for lunch, from behind the counter come paninis, baguettes with fillings like chicken, pickled chili, sesame cucumber and tahini and a salad – maybe quinoa with green beans, fresh herbs, chickpeas, Spanish onion, barrel aged feta and pomegranate dressing.

For something sweat, the treats don’t hide – resting on marble slate beneath a clear glass cabinet, smack bang on the counter. Lamingtons, baci’s, pain au chocolates… and some luscious Argentinian Alfajores. Unlike those notorious macs, these babies boast thick caramel wedged between two soft biscuits with a chocolate or coconut flake coating.

Geelong is a meagre 1hr drive away and while many wouldn’t think to stop there on route to the coast, A Spot for Joe is a reason.

Where: 33 Little Ryrie St | Geelong
When: Mon-Fri 7.30am-4pm | Sat 8am-2pm
Details: Facebook

Andy Todd, Head barista at The Sensory Lab, is a very religious man. He is devout to coffee. He knows the origins of each bean and the processing methods of each blend. This weekend, he’s going to share his knowledge in a special Coffee Knowledge workshop. What better way to kick off the day than being one of his disciples?

After you’ve been enlightened by Todd, stick around and meet Joe Tyan from The Sensory Lab’s roasting department. He’s taking a masterclass on coffee cupping, featuring only the finest Finca Santaurio Colombian coffees. Just remember that ‘cupping’ is another word for ‘tasting’, so you can learn how to evaluate and compare beans with an open mind (and mouth) from a coffee legend.

Caffeine buffs will also be familiar with Matt Perger, who’s taking the third session. He’s the third ranked barista in the world. Yes, IN THE WORLD. That’s no small feat. He’s also an Australian Barista Champion, so he knows the ins and outs of the delicate Hairo coffee appliances. Perger will walk you through alternative brewing. Whether the words “siphon”, “pour over” and “drip” are foreign to you, or if you just want to perfect your technique, Perger’s your man.

If you haven’t already started cartwheeling ‘round South Melbourne thanks to a caffeine buzz, finish the day with an open tour of the Sensory Lab roastery. Learn the art of micro roasting using a four-barrel Probat Gas Roaster with Joe Tyan.

There is only room for 10 people per class, so get in quick.

Location: 12-18 Yarra Place, South Melbourne
When: 9.30am-5pm| Jan 28
Cost: $75 per class or $250 full day plus lunch
Details & bookings: Email ross@sensorylab.com.au

An Effortless Picnic 
with Fitzrovia
Picnics. You have to gather the nibbles, deal with leaky dips and mozzies before you can enjoy one. Luckily, Fitzrovia stuffs piles of gourmet food into a hamper, provides the cutlery, crockery, glassware, blanket and everything else you need for the perfect picnic. All you have to do is bring the beer and pick the location.
Pick up: 155 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda
Orders: (03) 9537 0001 (48 hours in advance)
Details: fitzrovia.com.au/

Campari House Rooftop Trivia & BBQ
Campari House is firing up the BBQ on their astro-turf’d, barrel-seated rooftop. Tickets are $20 and include a drink to get you started. If you’re a member, their evening celebration includes free drinks and finger food from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. Bookings essential.
Where: 23/33-35 Hardware Lane, CBD
Tickets: (03) 9600 1574
Details: camparihouse.com.au

Shine at Open Air Cinema
Spend the day at St Kilda beach then enjoy some drinks with an ocean view at Republica restaurant and bar. Stick around ‘til sundown for Open Air Cinema’s Australia Day screening of Shine, featuring Geoffrey Rush’s Oscar winning performance as a young pianist who has a nervous breakdown. Don’t worry, it all ends happily ever after.
Where: 10-18 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda
Tickets: 1300 438 849
Details: stkildaopenair.com.au

James Morrison in the Park
Jazzy, jazzy, jazzy! Oi, oi, oi! Get your groove on with legendary jazz trumpeter James Morrison at King’s Domain Gardens. He’ll be flaunting his timeless tunes and soulful sounds. Did we mention it’s free?
Where: King’s Domain Gardens, St Kilda Road
When: 1pm-3pm
Details: thatsmelbourne.com.au

Mama Baba opens today in South Yarra. The menu is inspired by George’s Greek mother (Mama) and Italian father (Baba). Head chef Dominic Pipicelli, formerly of Becco, will also be bringing his Italian heritage to the table. At Mama Baba, pasta is paramount. From craft to consumption, each strand, tube and parcel is handled with care. The menu features 12 pasta dishes divided into Mama (Greek) and Baba (Italian).

Highlights from the Greek column (pun intended) include kritharaki with braised chicken meatballs and tortellini with prawn sagnaki. Italian favourites include spaghettini carbonara with calamari, pork, pumpkin, Parmesan and saffron broth, as well as the ravioli stuffed with beef, bone marrow, beetroot and horseradish. This family inspired restaurant even has baby food on the menu.

And to all the mothers out there forcing veggies upon their children, just remember that Mama Mary once taught young George “if you have a sweet tooth, then it’s important to nourish it”… In which case go straight for the frozen tiramisu on a stick.

On one side of the spacious dining area is the open kitchen, where you can see pasta being made as you eat. On the other side, the bar serves old school cocktails, local tap beer and wine with an Italian and Greek focus. The simple exposed beams, raw timber and polished marble floors are the perfect surface from which the resident DJ can bounce their tunes.

So whether you want a night out with friends or family, quality comfort food, or somewhere to carb load, Mama Baba has you covered. And just like at Mama’s house, at Mama Baba, “food is king!”

Where: 21 Daly Street, South Yarra
Hours: Dinner 7 days from 5.30pm|Lunch Fri & Sun from noon
Details: mamababa.com.au
Phone: (03) 9207 7421

The Ballarat Beer Festival is on this Saturday. First and foremost, it celebrates boutique beer. Coming in at a close second, it celebrates gourmet food and first-rate entertainment.

The festival showcases Victoria’s best microbreweries including James Squire, Mountain Goat, Old Mount Cider, Pipsqueak, White Rabbit and more. We recommend buying an entry and tastings ticket, which will get you through the gates, start you off with five tokens and provide you with an official tasting glass. Need more tokens? Look no further than the Brew Crew, who will be selling them throughout the day.

There’s nothing quite like wood fired pizzas, sausages and gourmet pies to accompany a brew, but for something international, nosh on Turkish crepes, seafood paella, curries or tacos. Music kicks off at 2pm with Triple J regulars Stonefield, followed by jazz and blues outfit The Blue Souls. Stick around for No Strings Attached, singer-songwriter Jordie Lane and finally, the one and only Clare Bowditch.

Expect beer pouring and blind tasting competitions for the grown-ups and jumping castles and magic shows for the kiddies. If you’d rather not drive, we don’t blame you. Catch a train from the city or buy a ticket to ‘The Local Taphouse Road Trip’. Leaving at midday from The Local Taphouse in St Kilda, it includes return coach travel, entry, tokens and tasting glass.

A wise (read: yellow, overweight, stupid and bald) man once said, “Beer is the cause of, and the solution to, all of life’s problems.” With that in mind, drink responsibly, enjoy the music and make sure you get home safely.

Location: Ballarat City Oval, corner of Pleasant and Mair Street, Ballarat
When: 11am-8pm| Jan 21
Details: ballaratbeerfestival.com.au/
Tickets: premier.ticketek.com.au

Therapist is Barry Adamson’s first shot behind the camera. It’s a dark, 40 minute ride alongside a Polish immigrant searching for her twin sister. But the plot features a world-within-a world structure, merging simultaneously with a narrative of the movie producer and his therapist.

Inspired by Hitchcock, the lines between reality, fantasy and memory become blurred. You can eliminate the chance of subsequent nightmares with a moderated Q&A after the screening. There will also be champagne and Mexican food from Blue Corn to lighten the mood.

Adamson is traditionally a muso. A founding member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, he’s familiar to fans of post-punk band Magazine from the late ‘70s. His musical skills have seen him create haunting movie scores for other directors, including David Lynch and Oliver Stone. Obviously, he composed the score for Therapist as well.

Just in case you doubt that a single man can have so many talents, guests will be treated to a live performance from Adamson’s soon-to-be-released album ‘I Will Set You Free.’ With only 50 tickets available, the first show sold out. But due to mass complaints and popular demand there will be a second screening and performance on the January 24.

Tickets can be book in person or over the phone.

Location: Pure Pop Records, 221 Barkly Street, St Kilda
When: 7pm| Jan 23 (sold out) and Jan 24
Phone: (03) 9525 5066
Details: purepop.com.au

Responsible for flavour Na Sauw, the aunt of owner Siriporn ‘Pla’ Liamthong, a Thai ex-pat (formerly of Outpost and Sensory Lab). As for the industrial, rustic-style fit out, dues go to Pla’s partner, David Holtum, a chippie. Entering the warehouse, eyes turn quickly from that shining chandelier (made using Thai silver bowls) to a giant fish sculpture by Torlarp Larpjaroensook, a Chiang Mai artist. From there, various other quaint Bangkok-born décor and art delights within exposed brick walls as you choose where to sit – perhaps the wooden communal or one of those booths.

AM, order a herbal tea or Five Senses coffee and anticipate Thai iced coffee (with sweetened condensed milk). But forget avo and feta, brekkie at Middle Fish is done a tad differently. While toast and toasties do make the menu, why not try their Crunchy Omelette of Mussels, which mixes home style Sri Ra Cha sauce with bean sprouts, spring onion and coriander.

PM, order ‘something light’ like chicken or vegetarian spring rolls with homemade chilli sauce. From there, go for an authentic Tom Yum soup or Green Curry or dishes like a Thai North-West beef salad or stir fried crispy pork belly with Chinese broccoli, chilli, garlic and crispy fried egg. The Apple Som Tum is a delightful Thai-style fruit salad of apple, pineapple and strawberries with roasted peanuts, carrots, sun-dried shrimp and Thai-style dressing.

Thoughts of impending Middle Fish lunches will surely keep nearby students motivated to turn up, and endure their long lectures. Though has anyone checked fares to Thailand of late?

Where: 122-128 Berkeley St, Carlton, 3053
When: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm | Sat-Sun 10am-4pm
Details: Facebook

Meet your host for the evening, BurgerMary. She spends a few months in the south each year. She knows how to pronounce New Orleans. She knows how to spell “Mississippi”. And she knows more about Creole chow than anyone in Melbourne.

That’s why recently opened restaurant My Mexican Cousin hired her as their Creole consultant. Although there’s apparently a direct correlation between the number of drinks BurgerMary consumes and her southern accent, she’ll do her very best to walk y’all through each dish’s heritage on the night.

So what’s with the Creole craze? Aside from the rich French influence in the food, most recipes are handed down from one generation to the next. BurgerMary reckons you can taste the passion as a result. Then there’s “the discretional use of a deep fryer,” which is always a bonus.

As well as praline bacon, expect to scoff a pulled pork and cornbread skillet and to binge on beignet (Louisiana donuts) with salted caramel dipping sauce. All up, there will be eight dishes served. Most are entirely novel to the Melbourne food scene. “Plus there are two desserts,” says BurgerMary, “I don’t think you need more of an excuse than that.”

But it’s not just about gorging yourself on the robust flavours of southern comfort food; it’s also about expanding your cultural knowledge… and most likely having a few too many. Hurry, this event is almost sold out.

Where: Melbourne Recital Centre, 31 Sturt Street, Southbank
When: 7pm, 17 Jan
Tickets: trybooking.com/19019
Details: fringefoodfestival.com.au

So Frenchy So Chic is the ultimate Parisian garden party and a celebration of all things French. It takes place just 25 minutes West of Melbourne in our city’s backyard, Werribee Park.

Make the most of your diet’s day off and indulge in pâté, pain au chocolat and genuine Champagne. Up-and-coming French musicians will also be performing in front of our own European mansion (better known as Werribee Mansion), set on 10 hectares of green parkland.

Spoil your ears with Nouvelle Vague’s sweet take on post-punk and new wave classics, FéFé’s explosive rock and soulful blues, Moriarty’s folky tunes sung by Neil Young’s female equivalent, and ASA’s catchy Afro pop songs. ASA has sung alongside the likes of Lenny Kravitz and supported Beyoncé.

You’ll want to be there from lunch until after dinner. Bring a picnic or indulge in some French fare to keep you going: baguettes, Brie, crêpes, croissants, macarons – all the usual French suspects. You can also pre-order picnic hampers by Eggs Unlimited online.

We recommend the Decadent French Fare for Two, with everything from roast beef brioche rolls and salad nicoise to a cheese plate and cakes for dessert. Of course there will be a selection of the finest French wine, all the way from the Provence and Loire Champagne regions.

If you fancy yourself as a Francophile, escape to Paris this Sunday. Bring along a picnic rug, grow your moustache, don a beret and enjoy an afternoon of joie de vivre.

Location: Werribee Park Mansion, K Road, Werribee, 3030
When: Jan 15 , 12pm-8.30pm
Tickets: Online at Cartell   or through Ticketmaster
Details: cartellmusic.com.au/sfsc/

The venue has approximately 250 seats, so there’s no need to drag along a truckload of blankets, beanbags and deckchairs. As for the imported custom screen, size certainly matters. At 28ft by 15.75ft (apparently that .75 “makes a big difference”) and with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound blasting from 12 speakers, the quality is top notch.

Tonight is Shadow Electric’s launch party, but tomorrow you can perv on Ryan Gosling in Drive. On Saturday, be transported to Europe with Midnight in Paris or if you’re after something lighter, laugh along with Dave Chappelle’s Block Party documentary on Sunday. A number of old-school films grace the program including Stanley Kubrik’s adaptation of Lolita and ’80s cult classic Heathers. Shadow electric also supports up-and-coming artists by screening 20 minutes of local shorts before each feature.

This cinema under the stars is fully catered. We’ve heard rumours of gourmet gelato and the Taco Truck. More importantly, it’s fully licensed. They even have their own bar serving summer cocktails, wine, beer, cider… and soft drinks, if you’re into that kind of thing.

But nothing will quite compare to Shadow Electric’s Sunday sessions. The bar will be open from 1pm, as will the table tennis tournaments. Enjoy some tunes while you recover from Saturday night’s shenanigans, even if this involved ‘backing it up.’ As for the movie, it’s first in best dressed, so you might as well make an afternoon of it.

Location: 1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford, 3067
When: Until 29 April | Thurs to Sat 6pm-11.30pm | Sun 3pm-11.30pm (films start around 8.30pm)
Details: shadowelectric.com.au/

1. Gather as many willing mates as you can and at the sound of an air horn, strip to your birthday suits and run around the hotel. In the resulting confusion and shock, sneak the print outside.

2. Get 10 friends to stand in front of the print with a covered, framed copy. At your signal, uncover the copies and have someone swap the real one with their fake one. Exit with haste, and not through the gift shop.

3. Pretend to have lost your room key and ask for another at reception. While this is being done, drop two smoke bombs. Help the staff to safety while a friend removes the print and makes a run for it.

4. Pose as an art expert or a student doing a project on Banksy. Adopt an air of confidence and claim at reception that you need to take the painting out the front to be photographed. If they don’t trust you, leave your wallet at the desk as a deposit or bribe a staff member to be your alibi.

5. Hire a celebrity to distract the hotel staff. Don’t opt for footballers; no one really gives a drop punt about them during summer, but there are plenty of tennis players in Melbourne at the moment. Alternatively, abduct Geoffrey Rush from one of his Camberwell strolls and bribe him to be your accomplice with a treasure chest of gold.

Stay the night. Find the art. Steal the art. Don’t get caught. It’s simple. And as Banksy said himself, “If at first you don’t succeed, call an air strike.”

Location: either The Cullen, 164 Commercial Road, Prahran; or The Olsen, 637-641 Chapel Street, South Yarra; or The Blackman, 452 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne.
When: Until Jan 15
Details: artserieshotels.com.au/stealbanksy
Hints: Follow the Art Series Hotels on Twitter (@ArtSeriesHotels) and Facebook.

Bucking the trend of the gallivanting foodie-truck, it mimics an American-style fast food outlet and to our delight (and soon yours), it’s here to stay. Like the fit out the menu is basic. With gills, feathers or chickpeas yet to score a mention, your vegan bestie may be wise to sit this one out – unless of course they’re partial to a plackie bowl of side salad with the likes of cauliflower, quinoa, pomegranate, mint, red onion and pinenuts.

As for those burgers, put your order in for the namesake. The pattie: Moondarra Wagyu beef. The extras: mayo, tomato sauce, tomato, cheese, lettuce and pickles. The bun: toasted, soft inside, glazed and seasame seed smothered.

Other variants draw their names from Crosby cast members and include the ‘Bills’ which introduces bacon, egg, pineapple and beetroot, a ‘Theo’ for a double pattie, double cheese and bbq sauce or a ‘Denise’ (aka ‘the hot one’) with jalapeno and sriracha mayo. Chase your pick with a side of crinkle cut chips and wash it all down with a Peroni, can of beer or drop from Medhurst Estate.

While there is indeed no shortage of eat options this side of town, as far as burgers goes, Andrew and Danny better watch their back.

Where: 106 Smith Street, Collingwood
When: 11.30am – 10pm daily
Details: huxtaburger.com.au

Running over two weekends in Fitzroy Gardens, the Sunset Series is giving punters an opportunity to attend free gigs and learn some sweet dance moves. Oh yeah, and it’s completely and utterly gratis, nada, on-the-house.

Leave your inhibitions behind in 2011 and take part in a Bollywood dance workshop. Put on your sherwanis and saris and find out why everyone is always smiling in those movies. Accompanied by ’70s Bollywood music from Bombay Royale, you’ll be twirling around in no time.

If you’ve already mastered Bollywood, head west to Africa with the Afro-funk dance workshop the following Sunday. The Afro beat tunes of King Marong and Afro Mandinko will be the perfect soundtrack to the energetic moves, guaranteed to impress.

If you have two left feet, head to one of the free concerts. Lose yourself in the sultry sounds of Stella Angelico, Saturday week at 6.30pm. At 8pm the beat picks up a notch with the Shuffle Club, a four-piece concoction of saxophone, double bass, piano and drums. They’ll have you jitterbugging in no time.

Get some mates together the following week and check out Mama Kin (pictured). Aside from her stomping percussive beats and seductive grooves, her mesmerising voice has sung alongside John Butler and supported the Cat Empire.

Bring a picnic and get swept up in the music, or wear some comfortable shoes and really get involved. How to summarise the Sunset Series? Top tunes. Balmy nights. Old Friends. No Cost. We’ll see you there.

Where: Fitzroy Gardens, 230-298 Wellington Pde, East Melbourne (next to the Pavilion Café)
When: 6.30-9.30pm | 14-22 Jan
Phone: (03) 9658 9658
Details: thatsmelbourne.com.au

Beneath the palm trees in the iconic O’Donnell Gardens, you’ll find rows upon rows of stalls. In fact, the market is bigger than ever, thanks to new management that’s taken over for the 2012 season. But the word ‘market’ is often misleading. Sure, there are more than 60 stallholders offering vintage clothing, jewellery, arts and crafts, hand-designed pieces and one-off finds, but the Twilight Market is so much more than that.

If you’re not one to have your face painted, opt for the fire twirling or drumming ensembles. Still not convinced? Try the silent disco where you’ll be given a set of wireless headphones and a space to rock out to your choice of music. If a herd of people singing out loud to different songs and dancing to apparent silence isn’t your thing, you can at least have a laugh at those brave enough to try it.

Collapse after your shopping expedition at a restaurant in nearby Acland Street, or grab a bite at one of the exotic, international food stalls. If it’s a warm night, visit 7 Apples Gelato and plant yourself on a nice grassy spot where you can soak up the atmosphere.

With Luna Park’s rickety rollercoaster lit up in the background and the sound of local musicians humming through the air, you’ll want to stay ’til the stars come out.

Where: O’Donnell Gardens, cnr Cavell and Carlisle Sts, St Kilda
When: 5-10pm, every Thurs until Feb 23
Details: stkildatwilightmarket.com

It’s easy to dive straight into the ramen menu, but it’s also worth checking out the beer snack list, which is a fun way to get your bowl-ing night started. Then it’s time to hit the noodles, and you’ve two ways to do this: choose from the ready-made menu or assemble your own (by far the most expensive version), starting with your broth of choice and then adding extras as you see fit. There are quirky options like corn, butter and cheese, or you can go for the more straightforward toppings of pork belly or the assorted minced meats.

Fried soft-shell crab with Tokyo ramen (a chicken and seafood stock base) is simple yet satisfying, and serving sizes are generous. More exciting is the spicy sesame ramen: slick red chilli in a milky tonkotsu (pork bone) broth, with plenty of pork mince, egg and that great pickled bamboo stuff. If you’re hungry enough to eat a horse, well, you can fly to Tokyo for some bashimi, or merely stick around at Kokoro and go for broke with The Lot – it’s ramen with literally all of the accompaniments.

Order and pay cash up at the counter – bowls hover around the $15 mark, so maybe unload that growing stash of gold coins. There’s no BYO, and for the moment the drinks menu extends as far as Coke cans and a single Japanese tap beer pushing the price point at $9 a schooner.

Having only been open a couple of weeks, Kokoro is sure to improve its already solid offering – especially if the line of customers out the door before the 5pm dinner bell is anything to go by (thankfully they take bookings). And luckily for us, they start lunch hours as of this Monday, 9 December, so you can enjoy your ramen during the hours of the rising sun, too.

Where: 157-159 Lonsdale St, Melbourne
Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-late
Phone: (03) 9650 1215
Details: Facebook

Giveaway
Sunset NYD

It’s New Year’s Day, and you and 249 other guests are partying at the extreme point of the Mornington Peninsula at All Smiles Sorrento Ocean Beach, with uninterrupted views of the coast and, of course, the sunset. From 5pm to 11pm, enjoy Finlandia vodka, Laurent-Perrier Champagne, and Italy’s one-and-only Peroni. Canapes will circulate all evening.

Valued at $220 each, we have TWO tickets to give away. Simply see our Facebook page for directions on how to win.

Tickets: Email steve@hhme.com.au | $220 | All Smiles, 250 Ocean Beach, Sorrento

Singalong
Grease at Rochford Winery

All summer, Rochford Winery will be screening films under the stars. On New Year’s Day, Grease, the musical, is gracing their outdoor screen. Song lyrics will be played on screen to warm those chords, shake off that hangover and forget about whichever resolution is haunting you the most.

Tickets: rochfordwines.com.au | $24 | 878-880 Maroondah Hwy, Coldstream

It’s Back
THAT Party at The Point

It’s the third year, and it’s going to be huge. Expect non-stop renditions of “Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle” from the crowd as you jive with Flight Facilities, performing their hit singles “Crave You” and “Foreign Language”, plus Yolanda Be Cool alongside John Course for a three-hour disco set.

Tickets: Email thatparty2012@gmail.com | $150 | The Point, Albert Park Lake

Throughout summer, Rochford Winery is screening films under the stars as part of their ‘Movies in the Vineyard’ program. But on this particular evening, the one and only Grease, the musical, is gracing their outdoor cinema.

Song lyrics will be karaoke’d on screen, so you don’t have to try to remember the words to “Hopelessly Devoted to You” while trying to hide your tears. It’s also a brilliant opportunity to do a refresher course of those “Grease Lighting” actions, which no one ever seems to get quite right.

Too embarrassed to exercise your vocal chords? Bring along your T-Birds or your Pink Ladies for backup. Alternatively, you can always just pretend you’re still under the influence from your New Year’s Eve celebrations. Just don’t pretend like you don’t know every lyric. You’d only be lying to yourself.

Make a day of it and head in early for lunch on the restaurant patio. You could even stay overnight in the first-class accommodation nearby. For the screening, bring a basket of edible treats from home, order a gourmet hamper from Rochford Wines or buy something to eat from the café.

Be transported from the Yarra Valley vineyards to Rydell High and find out if Sandra Dee and Danny will live happily ever after (SPOILER ALERT: they do, duh!). Bring a picnic rug, deck chair, beanbag and some blankets and make sure you get down early to snag the best spots. Grease is the word.

Where: 878-880 Maroondah Hwy, Coldstream, Yarra Valley, Vic
When: New Year’s Day | gates open 6pm for an 8.45pm screening
Price: $24
Details: rochfordwines.com.au

Beer & food matchings are the order of the day at Brunswick East’s new Temple Brewery & Brasserie. Now you can order a beer from this award winning brew house, stare lovingly through walls of glass showing off their sparkly clean brewery and pick from a menu prepared by head food guy Raymond Chang (ex Vue de Monde), providing a ‘refined’ version of every drinkers favourite beer food.

It’s a non-descript locale and you could be forgiven for thinking you’d arrived to anything but a delightful interpretation and evolution of an award winning microbrewery.

The team, Ron and Renata Feruglio, launched the Temple Brewing Company in 2006, brewing their beers at selected breweries across Victora. They brewed and conquered so it’s no wonder they began developing their own playpen. They’ve now popped the top to bring this new direct-to-you temple. And, it’s actually a thing of beauty! Take a look from the mezzanine to see what a custom built brewery really looks like.

That same mezzanine will be the home for regular beer education and structured tastings in the future.  Cheers to that!

Beer in one hand, one of 12 food sensations in the other, this is a Temple to behold for any thirsty northsider.

Where: 122 Weston Street, Brunswick East || Phone 9380 8999
Open Mon-Sat 11am-11pm & Sun 11am-9pm

If you’re outdoorsy, jump on your bike and cycle there along the banks of the Yarra. Sit on the grass and sink a boutique beer from the Boiler Room Bar. Don’t worry about entertaining the kids; the storyteller has it covered.

But it’s not all R&R: this Friday you’ll be stomping your feet to ARIA-winning Melbourne blues trio, Collard Greens and Gravy. The following week you’ll get to meet The Miserable Little Bastards, who – despite their name – are more likely to cheer you up with their alternative rock. They’ve even played on ABC’s Spicks and Specks, so you know they’re good.

Sift through the bric-a-brac, vintage clothing, jewellery, handbags, handmade journals, tea products, environmentally friendly toys and fair trade goods. For something out of the ordinary, bare your soul to the resident clairvoyant, or take a peek at your future with a tarot card reading. Or you could just munch on a bretzel, which is German for ‘big soft pretzel’. Probably.

If you have a bottomless stomach after eating your way around the stalls from Nice to Nepal (we recommend trying Mama’s gözlemes), you can always pop into Lentil As Anything or the Convent Bakery. If you can find it, Handsome Steve’s House of Refreshments is also worth a visit.

Should the clouds look threatening, sign up online to the SMS service, so you can be notified of any rainchecks. Otherwise, pack your picnic blanket and head to Abbotsford for supper this Friday night.

Location: 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford
When: Every Friday until 24 Feb | 6-10pm
Details: suppermarket.com.au

Turns out that Clement Clarke’s poem The Night Before Christmas was was actually quite factual. But not because all the kids are tucked up in bed, more likely because all you kids are out and about ‘av an a laff.

This Christmas Eve, get yourself to the Checkpoint Charlie Comedy.

Taking place at Melbourne’s newest Comedy Room (Eurotrash, 18 Corrs Lane, Melbourne) some of the country’s best-established comedians will be telling their best “man walked into a bar” gags (actually, no they won’t).

The odd DJ and all the usual Chrissy Eve alcohol soaked frivolity will be complimented by comedy crowd favourites including David Quirk, Bart Freebairn, Jonathan Schuster, Kirk McKenzie and Adam Know. We’re also told by Charlie himself to expect a few surprise guests on the night.

And to kick you off in the right although no where near as edgy manner:

Q: Why is Christmas just like a day at the office?
A: You do all the work and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit.

Where: Euratrash Bar, 18 Corrs Lane, Melbourne
Date & Time: 24^th December | 6pm-3am
How much: Free!

The main attraction is the volleyball tournament. Now in its 12th year, Slam beach-hops from coast-to-coast, promoting the sport with quintessential Aussie activities (beers in the sun anyone?). The festival gives newbies an opportunity to become acquainted with volleyball and those with a strong spike a chance to get noticed.

From amateur to elite, it’s the biggest competition of its kind in the southern hemisphere. The round-robin features three levels: The Cup is essentially the A-league, followed by The Plate and The Bowl. Prizes range from official Slam trophies to gift vouchers to booze.

If you’re not participating, grab an ice-cold drink, work on your tan and enjoy being a spectator in the sun. If ballgames aren’t for you, get your cardio workout by dance-partying to the revelry instead. Some of the big names to catch include festival regulars The Potbelleez, Amy Meredith, house DJs the Stafford Brothers, Perth partiers Boom! Bap! Pow!, Timmy Trumpet, Kaz James and a stack of local names.

Keep an eye out for the Slam staff, who will be surfing the crowds and snapping the best festival fashion. There are will be a mountain of freebees to snatch up on the day as well.

Slam makes summer a religion. Where else can you find a sports tournament, a music festival and a beach party in one event? For one glorious day, it’s Melbourne as Malibu Beach.

Where: South Reserve, St Kilda Foreshore
When: 17 Dec
When: noon-8pm
Details & Ticket Pricing: slamvolleyball.com.au

Stuart Brookshaw has been in the food and wine industry for 25 years, while Ruth Giffney has won awards for managing restaurants on both sides of the globe. And leading the kitchen and broadening her ‘dessert queen’ title is one-time The Age Good Food Guide Chef of the Year and PS Desserts author, Philippa Sibley, best known for her days at est est est, Luxe, and Ondine, and most recently head chef at St Kilda’s Il Fornaio.

The Mediterranean menu is drool-worthy. Start with fresh broad bean falafel, then sample scotch fillet from the grill. Other options include the summer cassoulet, saffron gnocchi with braised veal, and the seasonal tomato ‘party’ pizza. As expected for one of the country’s top pastry chefs, all six desserts are decidedly decadent, and if you’re lucky you might just encounter Sibley’s ‘Snickers Bar’ sensation on the daily dessert specials.

Beneath the high ceiling, sleek black chairs are paired with tables made from recycled timber. Groups of up to 14 can hire the private wine vault table overlooking the kitchen, while others can take advantage of the wooden decking for after-work drinks.

A wine list with over 200 varieties may be daunting to some, but the staff will ensure your glass, carafe or bottle is just what you’re after. Not a vino lover? There’s also Trumer Pils or Brunswick Bitter on tap.

Drag out the experience and take home some artisan breads, cheese, charcuterie, or condiments concocted by Sibley herself. That way, the warm, contented feeling will remain long after you leave.

Where: 382 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
Hours: Mon-Thu 8am-midnight | Fri-Sat 8am-1am | Sun 8am-11pm
Details: albertst.com.au
Phone: (03) 8354 6600

Well, it will be near you if you can get to South Melbourne this Thursday night. And just in case you need a designer coffee to complement your designer outfit, the handpicked pieces will be popping up at St Ali, the specialty coffee pros.

Miishka combines current and retro trends to suit your individuality, rather than dictating your style. After debuting just over a year ago, its fan base is as loyal as Vince Chase’s crew in Entourage… except they wear dresses, there are more of them, and they prefer heels to wheels. Can’t gather the cash? Dresses start at $10 (85 percent off enough for you?) alongside other clothing, shoes and accessories – all sourced worldwide.

So what makes Miishka the queen of the online vintage castle? There’s no signing up, no spam, no stress – just flicking through Facebook images of outfits. From here, all you need to do is comment on the photo of the piece you want, specifying your size and the word ‘sold’. Then you email Miishka for payment details. It’s that simple. Oh and did we mention shipping is free?

But if you want to try before you buy, the Miishka pop-up event is your kryptonite. With over 300 vintage and new pieces, it will be a treasure trove of trendiness. You could even buy someone a Christmas gift… if you have any cash left after splurging on yourself.

Where: St Ali, 12-18 Yarra Pl, South Melbourne
When: 15 Dec | 10am-7pm
Details: miishka.com or Facebook

Melbournalia brings together over 30 creatives who favour the right side of their brain. Prices range from a few to a few hundred dollars, and they’ll even post any presents you purchase. The smarts behind this crafty showcase are pretty darn creative themselves: Alasdair MacKinnon (designer at Otto and Spike), Jenny Brown (ex-buyer at Wilkins & Kent) and Michael Brady and Dale Campisi (Arcade Publications).

For the ladies, the Parlour pop-up shop in The Nicholas Building on Swanston Street has sugar and spice and all things nice… or at the very least a colourful combination of textiles, tea, ceramics, jewellery, hosiery and accessories. For the fellas, the Captains pop-up shop at Captains of Industry offers everything from knitwear cycling accessories and custom notebooks to maps and stationery.

The League pop-up shop sprouted last Thursday at the League of Honest Coffee in Exploration Lane. Alongside the daily roast, Melbournalia will be serving up stationary, cards, books, jewellery, prints, accessories, bags and more.

But for a little bit of all of the above, head to the Home pop-up shop around the corner from the Queen Victoria Market. Down a laneway, behind a fishing tackle store and up some rickety stairs, you will find the Melbournia hub. The giant recycled Melbournalia Christmas tree alone is worth a visit.

All the shops are open until Christmas Eve, but if you’re too lazy, you can shop online. With a vintage-meets-festive feel and a collection of odds and ends to please everyone, the Melbournalia pop-ups are spreading a bit of holiday cheer to our Christmas shopping.

Where: Various pop-ups in Melbourne’s CBD
When: Now until Christmas Eve
Addresses & opening hours: melbournalia.com.au

Maybe it’s the designer, crumpled water glasses, the industrial coiled light bulbs or the copper-pipe table legs bolted to the floor. Perhaps it’s the plants in brown medicine bottles or the cartoon of a boy throwing a paper airplane on the white walls.

But the most logical explanation why this Queensberry Street addition was never a secret is their damn-fine coffee. Served in powder-green china, the ‘Angel Wings’ house blend from Proud Mary is a hit. There are also filter and pour-over varieties and C.O.D. No, not Call of Duty, you nerds – Coffee of the Day (best paid by Cash on Delivery).

The menu, while miniscule, does the job. There are four permanent breakfast items – a variety of toast, granola, fruit salad and eggs with sides – and two specials (the breakfast pudding with sour cherry fruit loaf, custard, burnt caramel and vanilla-sweetened ricotta looked divine).

For lunch, check out the gourmet pizza and sandwich specials on the blackboard. There are also rotating tarts and pastries from newly opened Brasserie Bread, all placed in front of the cream La Marzocco coffee machine.

Make a friend at the communal table, sit on a plastic crate by the window, or pounce on one of the three couples’ tables. There are a few spots out the front but in two to three weeks you’ll be able to enjoy the sunshine in the courtyard as well… though you’ll have to push your way through the crowd to get there.

Where: 594 Queensberry St, North Melbourne
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm | Sat-Sun 8am-5pm
Details: twentyandsix.com.au
Phone: (03) 9329 0298

The retail giant has landed on our shores, choosing Chapel Street as its new fashionable home. And with it comes that special brand of London High Street style that will definitely have an influence on what the cool kids are wearing.

The launch last night saw international DJs Midnight Juggernauts and The Presets entertaining a who’s-who of celebs, models and fashion bloggers over canapés and drinks – all clutching glasses in one hand and, no doubt, a credit card in the other.

While it’s but a small sample of the Oxford Circus flagship (who could compete with 8,400sqm of shopping and styling?), they’ve packed loads of key trends in for us here, stocking the same product they’re currently shopping in London. Melburnians have even gotten the jump on a few collections in a world premiere. Think Kate Moss meets Alex Chung.

The first few days will be an overwhelming experience – hordes scrambling for their first taste. To help yourself out, identify your favourite styles. They’re placed around the store in easy-to-find zones so you can shop your look easily.

One thing is for sure, whatever you need, this store has it. Chunky shoes, lacy underwear, smoky make-up, lots of clothes and fun accessories all perfect for an economic, on-trend style fix. Recessionistas will love it.

If you really want to do Topshop right, book yourself in for their personal shopping and styling service – the store’s pièce de résistance. Both Topshop and its male counterpart, Topman, offer complimentary private styling, from the quick in-and-out to the full two-hour wardrobe overhaul.

For the men in town, this is shopping at its best for you. Go with a group of mates, have a Sapporo beer and play some Xbox on a Chesterfield couch as you take turns letting the stylists work their magic.

What’s not to love? This is first-class, real service at High Street prices.

Where: The Jam Factory, 500 Chapel St, South Yarra
Phone: (03) 8844 0910
Hours: Mon-Thu & Sat 10am-7pm | Fri 10am-9pm | Sun 10am-6pm

The Sand Hill Road boys behind Holliava, the Richmond Club Hotel, The Prahran Hotel and Post Office Bar Pizza teamed up with Techne Architects to create a series of themed balcony bars, traditional taverns, dining rooms and private areas – all under the one roof.

As you step inside, you find you are not inside at all, but in a cobbled laneway. Signs hang from the graffiti’d walls advertising each bar, while fluoro seats and wooden benches line the ‘street.’

There’s the good old-fashioned Public Bar with antique TVs and dark oak finishes. The colourful Cabana Club will throw you into holiday mode, while the Diner Bar next door will take you back to the ’70s with its bucket seats and red vinyl.

Up a level at the Loft Bar, a drum kit masquerades as a light, and symbols decorate the walls. Grab an ice-cold beer from the bath then sink into the Studio Bar’s comfortable couches beneath photography light boxes. There are even Hollywood mirrors so you can re-apply your lipstick.

Downstairs in the Winter Garden, groups of eight sit in booths beneath green watering-can lights and hanging pot plants. Try not to let the taxidermy birds put you off your $13 porterhouse on Tuesday Steak Night.

With more tap beer than you can count on two hands, the value is as decent as the design. At the new and improved Bridge Hotel, you can even get boozed in a laneway without being moved along. What’s not to love?

Where: 642 Bridge Rd, Richmond
Hours: Mon-Sat, noon-3am | Sun, noon-11pm
Details: thebridgehotel.com.au
Phone: (03) 9429 5734

To be honest, there probably won’t be any bacon, but there will be apparel for boys and gals, vintage couture, shoes and accessories. Expect everything from streetwear and old-school vintage to the brand new and the handmade.

But Mister Mode is different to other markets. In between all that fabric there’s live music to be heard, grog to be consumed, networking to be done and dancing to be busted out. As Mister Mode puts it, it’s the perfect opportunity to party up in hand-me-downs.

The brains behind the event is Tish Tambakau, a fiery redhead who brought this unique shopping experience to life with two fellow students. What was last year an RMIT project is now a fashion institution. Since graduating, Tish has continued the market due to popular demand.

Not only will Mister Mode push this year’s new fashion meccas to the back of your mind (sorry, Top what?), they’ll even shout you a bottle of Rekorderlig cider for every ticket purchased online if you round up three or more friends. The secret word you need to know is ‘modetroops’. Bonus.

If you’re the kind of Melburnian who craves individuality, creativity, lifestyle and fashion, don’t miss this one. There’s nothing second-best about this second-hand fashion experience.

Where: Oak Place warehouse, Simmons St, South Yarra
When: 10 Dec | 6pm-midnight
Tickets: http://tickets.myguestlist.com.au
Price: $8 ($10 at the door)
Details: mister-mode.com

Held at the Melbourne Bicycle Centre in Clifton Hill, it’s a gnarly opportunity to sell, buy or browse the bashed to the brand new. Expect BMXs, mountain bikes, track bikes, cruisers, roadies, townies, fixies and everything in between. It will be a bike orgy.

Being a cycle enthusiast himself, organiser Andy White of FYXO knows how important it is to have your own wheels. If you’ve got some, chances are you’re sick of them or you’re perving on others. Not dissimilar to a relationship, really.

In its third year, the Swap Meet attracts riders from all over Victoria. Last year over 300 people got into gear and turned up. With something for all ages, from training wheels to pros, the atmosphere is always buzzing. If it’s your first time as a bike buff, Andy guarantees the event will have you “instantly hooked.”

Swap and haggle over $2 coffee and gourmet BBQ bangers. Aside from the bikes, Andy reckons it’s a great opportunity to “eat food, drink coffee and talk sh-t” – about bikes, of course.

If you’re planning on selling, it’s first in, best dressed, so arrive around 8am. Bring your helmet. Leave your lycra. You don’t need a ticket to ride; you just need to show up.

Where: Melbourne Bicycle Centre, 37 Queens Pde, Clifton Hill
When: 3 Dec | 8am for sellers and 9am-noon for buyers
Cost: $5 to sell
Details: fyxomatosis.com

Hello Sailor and Crate Diggers are coming together to form a gigantic retro paradise. Downstairs you’ll find a collection of men and women’s fashion from the ’20s through today, while upstairs will be crammed full of records.

There’s no need to sacrifice your Saturday night either; this one kicks off at midday. Bring your eagle eyes and reusable bags and prepare to rummage through the bric-a-brac, clothing, trinkets and LPs. Refuel at the soup kitchen for $4 a bowl before diving back in – head first – for round two.

From rockabilly getup to authentic Cuban-heeled boots, Hello Sailor stallholders have sourced their garments from Europe and the USA. Some of Crate Digger’s vinyl hoarders are even making the trip from interstate to participate. Expect bluegrass, doo-wop, surf garage, swamp blues, ’60s French pop, glam rock and everything in between.

You could wait until 9.30pm Christmas Eve and head to Chadstone with hundreds of frenzied shoppers, or you could pick up some original gifts this Sunday. Alternatively, treat yourself to some retro goods and then stay for a brew.

Take a trip to the barber, or put on that bright red lipstick, and get ready to turn back time. Whether you’re into period fashion or old school vinyl, Hello Sailor and Crate Diggers will convince you that vintage is the new black.     

Where: Yah Yah’s, 99 Smith St, Collingwood
When: Sun 4 Dec | noon-6pm
Details: Facebook

Well now, thanks to The Design Files blog and The Project Agency, you can.

Starting this Thursday and running for four days only, a warehouse-converted Fitzroy home will open its doors to showcase and retail more than 70 hand-picked designer brands spanning across fashion, food and interiors.

Inside this stylised and edited household, you’ll find everything celebrating the best of Melbourne’s design scene. From bed linen to books, artwork, furniture, kitchenware and light fittings, each and every item within the space can be bought on the spot.

Be the first to preview stylish new outdoor furniture range by Jardan that’s as far from Bunnings or Ikea as you can get. Think coloured aluminium tables sporting coran and spotted gum tops.

Dutch-born florist, artist, builder and environmentalist Joost Bakker – who created the pop-up restaurant Greenhouse – will unveil his new homeware collection and flower stall. Expect to be inspired by the plant wall adorning the courtyard walls and pick up Joost’s floristry creations to take home.

Every space is oozing with style, even the garage, where you’ll get a sneak peek at the latest Mini coupe, to be launched in Australia in February.

Looking for inspiration in the kitchen? Then watch photographer and Whole Larder Love food blogger Rohan Anderson as he whips up a tasty menu for you and the other house guests.

If you need a break from all the desinger stimuli and shopping, take a break and head up to the open-air rooftop café, where you can grab a Coffee Supreme latte or sit back on the deck and enjoy a feed in the sunshine. Ahhh, holiday shopping should always feel so pleasurable.

Where: 40 Little Napier St, Fitzroy
Hours: Thu 1 Dec-Sun 4 Dec | 10am-5pm
Details: thedesignfilesopenhouse.com

So how about this for your next Bellarine beach escape? Mexican. No, not the clueless stuff, but some real downhome Mexican and Tex Mex from an American native. Yes, we’re talking tacos by the sea – we’ve died and gone to Baja.

Introducing El Poco Burrito, a new Mexican cantina open for dinner Thursday to Sunday, with lunch launching soon. Previously the popular Bean Pod cafe, it’s hard to miss: just look for the rainbow bunting flags, colourful outdoor garden furniture, and pale-blue beach shack confines. Here, Texas native and owner Amy Ames is importing corn tortillas from LA and sourcing Mex and Tex recipes from family and friends back home.

Settle into a 1950s style Acapulco chair out front and mull over the menu. Aperitivos include salsa rojo with corn chips, margarita-spiked oysters or perhaps the prawn tostada: a crispy corn tortilla topped with refritos, grilled prawns, guacamole, roasted corn and pico de gallo. For mains, it’s a choice of tacos, nachos, burritos, and quesadillas, or perhaps the ‘Cowboy Chili Bowl’, a stew of beef, pinto and black beans, and mild chillis.

Perhaps the beach locale has you craving some requisite fish and chips. Well, ditch the fisho and flake for El Poco’s signature fish tacos. Voted #1 by the Herald Sun, they comprise flathead tails tucked into corn tortillas and topped with white lime and chilli, pico de gallo, salsa and purple cabbage.

Any ankle-biters in tow can be treated to mac-n-cheese, tiny tacos or the ‘Nachos for Ninos’. But heed the warning sign – unsupervised children score a shot of tequila and a free kitten. Hopefully.  

For bebidas (drinks), opt for a frozen margarita made with fresh lime and agave syrup, or maybe some summer sangria. There’s also a good Mexican beer list. Or if it’s early, rock past their little window out front a takeaway smoothie or Genovese coffee. Yep, if Diver Dan was still pulling cappuccinos, he’d find he had some stiff competition down the road.

Where: 37 Hitchcock Ave, Barwon Heads, VIC
When: Mon-Sun 7am–11am | Thu-Sun from 5.30pm
Details: elpocoburrito.com.au

The name’s inspired by Pomona, the goddess of fruitful abundance in Roman mythology. It’s an apt choice for a café that sources local produce and has a veggie patch out the back. Owner Vince Lotito has continued the spelt and gluten-free theme from his first venture, Thornbury’s Pizza Farro, alongside business partner Michael O’Loughlin.

The café is divided into three spaces. A communal table covered in pen sketches takes up the bulk of the front room, shadowed by a light sculpture formed from kindergarten building blocks. An impressive mural of a farm covers the entire left wall and leads to a light-filled section with long bench seats. Beyond that is an outdoor area shaded by umbrellas.

Pomona uses an organic spelt loaf for their toast and sandwiches, with a gluten-free multigrain loaf as an alternative. That said, café goers who could give a stuff about wheat intolerances are simply coming back for the house-roasted coffee and monthly single origin brews.

Breakfast is served all day and could be mistaken for a Dr. Seuss tribute. Take for example the Green Eggs and Ham (two poached eggs, smoked Virigina ham, pesto, roasted beetroots and ricotta on toast) and the Fox in Socks (beans and chorizo in a tomato sauce with two poached eggs, goats cheese and paprika on toast).

Piles of rainbow plastic crockery and colouring books scream kid-friendly. If you’re brining the tykes, you can treat them to the ‘exclusive little people’ breakfast and lunch menus.

Out of intolerance, here’s a place you can more than tolerate. Take it from us – this cafe’s downright delightful, one hundred percent.

Where: 474B Murray Rd, Preston
Hours: Mon-Sun 7.30am-3.30pm
Details: pomonacafe.com.au
Phone: (03) 9478 0026

Though we must say, wouldn’t it be great if you could buy quick and fast healthy food online too? Imagine price parity with the streets of San Francisco, an equally great food destination and probably the best Mexican this side of Plaza Zócalo.

But here in Melbourne, Fonda Mexican is like a boutique Taqueria. All the staples (and some not so) in a slick tight space near the corner of Swan and Church Streets.

It’s no secret, renovations have been underway for months and it’s not so discreet laneway signage certainly gives it’s origins away.

It’s cerveza free for the moment (cartel free too) and we must say, owners David and Tim agree too, everything will all be a hell of a lot better when we can get a Dos Equis, Pacifico, Negra Modelo and Tecate with that Kangaroo Burritto. For the moment settle for their Horchata, which goes surprisingly well with spicy food. FYI, Horchata is made from rice and always with cinnamon.

You read right, Kangaroo Burritto. Delicious but its lucky we didn’t see the mention of authentic Mexican on the menu. That’s right, even minus the kanga, burritto’s are not actually Mexican. The yank interpretation of Mexican did good though…

Among there other staples there’s fish (fried), and pork Tacos, and most definitely worth a recommendation, the corn on the cob. Street vendor style it’s done on the grill with grated Cotija cheese, chilli powder and lime.

What’s left? Tiempo para comer gringo.

Where: 248 Swan St, Richmond.
When: Sun-Thurs 12pm – 10pm | Fri – Sat 12pm – midnight.
Phone: (03) 9429 0085
Details: fondamexican.com.au

Opened just yesterday, The Moat is a subterranean space from Breadwell’s Paul Bonet (ex-Café e Cucina, Rosarti and Pause) and Rosie Avitable (Mint Café and Pause). The name is fitting considering The Wheeler Centre has long been a castle for academics and bookworms.

You can access the café through the Centre, but for the full effect, head through the courtyard entrance with faux grass and green park benches. Inside, the wallpaper doubles as an established home library, while in the main dining area the feature wall is speckled gold and red. A giant steaming coffee cup is printed on the angled ceiling overhanging the dark oak and tiled bar, perhaps referencing the Espresso Syndicate coffee on offer.

Emma Jeffrey, formerly of Matteo’s, Fenix and Reserve, heads the cosy kitchen, separated from the bar only by a shelf of spirits. Nibble on carpaccio of Green Mountain veal crusted in fennel pollen with capers, pink grapefruit and chervil cheese, or dine on Moat-made meatballs in a rich Napoli sauce.  Be sure to finish on a sweet note with a Valrhona chocolate and Earl Grey tea tart with Persian floss. Breakfast will be on the books in a few weeks.

It’s time to turn the page. Whether you’re after an aperitif or a hearty meal, cross The Moat and enjoy the mellow tunes and tasty food. Then sit back and order a glass of red… because that’s what intellectuals drink, right?

Where: 176 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne
Hours: Mon-Sat noon-1am (from Dec 5, Mon-Sat 8am-1am)
Phone: (03) 9094 7820
Details: themoat.com.au

This is a local’s tour. From the random ghetto blasters filled with plants and cactim perched above Melbourne street signs (have you seen them?) through to the paste-ups high above street level, you’ll be privy to a new and under-appreciated side of Melbourne.

Now, with a stay-cation on the cards, Walk to Art has launched a Twilight tour giving you the chance to visit Melbourne’s street ‘galleries,’ old and new, famous and never heard of.

From 6-8pm, you’ll wander the laneways, pop into an opening or two, and
appreciate Melbourne’s art scene under the stars.

Plus, host Bernie Alibrando insists on starting and finishing with a few wines and a few gourmet treats. We were at Bar Lourinha but like Bernie’s tour, her choice for closing drinks is ever changing.

Groups are small (max 8 people) and all intimidating pre-conceptions are left at the door. Oh yeah, Bernie keeps you on your toes (literally) so leave those glamorous heels at the door.

No intimidations here. Go where the artists have gone – after dark!

Dates: Friday 25th November | Friday 2nd December | Friday 9th December | Friday 16th December | Friday 23rd December
Bookings: Call 8415 0449 or email
More detail: walktoart.com.au

Finding Strange Wolf – a city basement bar from the brains behind the Grace Darling Hotel – is half the fun. Keep an eye out for the inconspicuous rope railing down Strachan Lane. It’s the only thing marking the entrance.

Why ‘Strange Wolf’? On the advice of the bartender, we Googled it. According to UrbanDictionary.com, strange wolf is slang for being desperate for sex. Perhaps the owners named the bar accordingly so they can snigger when patrons declare, exhausted, “I’ve been looking for Strange Wolf all night!”

Formerly the colourful Cabana Club, the atmosphere is now slightly shady, if not sinister. The walls are covered in prints of what appears to be the grim reaper standing over a wolf. A giant crucifix poses as a glass-topped table. Plants dangle in alcoves beneath the limited windows and gothic candles flicker against a painted silver wall.

Head to the black tiled bar for Trumer Pils on tap. Above the semi-circular hub, industrial lights weave between a network of wooden cubes. Try one of the microbrews from the fridge, sip locally sourced wine, or order a Strange Mule with chilli vodka, lime, ginger beer and passionfruit from the cocktail menu. Nibbles are served in anything except crockery, adding to the science laboratory feel of the venue.

If you’re up for after-work drinks, late-night dancing or a secret rendezvous, Strange Wolf is the place to go. And by the time you find it, you’ll be in need of a drink.

Where: 71 Collins St, Melbourne (in Strachan Ln)
Hours: Wed-Sat | 4pm-3am
Phone: (03) 9662 4914
Details: Facebook

Over three days, local and international performers are commandeering Melbourne’s best music venues: The Arts Centre, The Toff in Town, The HiFi and Melbourne Recital Centre. The line-up itself is enough to get your head bopping.

Agenda’s top picks include 30-piece ensemble The Melbourne Ska Orchestra with Nicky Bomba and special guest Stranger Cole from Jamaica (ya mon), 17-piece African funk group The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, and Queensland based Bobby Alu with his chill-out ukulele melodies, contagious smile and Polynesian ’fro. For something a bit different, check out The Barons of Tang with their gypsy-meets-rockabilly tunes.

Australian indie-pop fans will be familiar with local acts such as Eagle and the Worm, Tinpan Orange and Skipping Girl Vinegar, while those loyal to roots will scramble to see Blue King Brown for some Afro-groove.

But it’s not all about the music. There are conferences on touring, the evolution of music and skill development and films that range from the rise of indigenous hip hop to archives and documentaries, not to mention invaluable networking opportunities.

Buy an individual ticket to one of the music showcases, invest in a daytime conference pass or see the lot with an all-inclusive delegate pass.

After all, music makes the world go ’round.

Where: Various venues across Melbourne
When: 17-20 Nov
Bookings: Online here
Details: awme.com.au

If you’re not a celebrity chef these days, you’re nobody. In early 2009, food blogger and restaurant marketeer Melissa Leong and then-Flinders Inn chef Morgan McGlone decided enough was enough, and TOYS – Taste of Young Sydney – emerged from the oven. The event promoted the biggest kitchen up-and-comers, including unheralded talent holding down the fort while their celeb bosses did TV shows and built restaurant empires.

Six months later, Nicolas Poelaert (Embrasse) and Daniel Wilson (Huxtable) joined in to represent Melbourne – it was time to stick it to the man. And what better way to do it than flaunting your kitchen skills and showing off like a fun-loving fraternity?

Next Monday the best of Gen Y will be cooking, plating, pouring and hosting guests at the “Old Dogs, New Tricks” dinner, held at Cutler & Co. The gaggle of young chefs, sommeliers and bartenders will not be alone. The fresh faces are pairing up with top chefs who have been their mentors or inspiration, including those mentioned above, as well as The Smith’s Michael Lambie and Aaron Turner from the Bellarine’s excellent Loam.

After winning The Age Good Food Guide’s Award for Innovation, the TOYS dinners have become famously creative. Past dishes range from a toy tugboat that squirted ‘pollution’ onto monkfish, to a chocolate dessert soup laced with pig’s blood and chilli – yes, you read that correctly.

For a one-off experience, come play with TOYS next week and see for yourself what kind of tricks you can command when old and new dogs get together.

Where: Cutler & Co, 55-57 Gertrude St, Fitzroy
When: 21 Nov | 6.30pm
Cost: $220 for 6 courses with matched wines and cocktail on arrival
Bookings: Online here
Details: toyscollective.com

Tucked down an unassuming laneway (as any great Melbourne bar should), the pedigree behind this venue is impeccable – and what a little show pony it’s going to be.

It’s a very manly place to inhabit: all dark, polished wood and soft leathers, punctuated by bright prints of Todd White’s iconic expressionist art. The whisky room is especially so, hidden behind a sliding door painted to look like a library wall. In here, you can lock away rare bottles of grog in your very own cubby and keep the key for easy access for when you want to slip in and take a nip.

The emphasis is heavy on bar theatre. ‘The Noble Experiment’ is essentially a martini, but you’ll find the bartenders donning goggles and white gloves as they chill the glass to perfection in a plume of liquid nitrogen before serving you a Ketel One vodka or Tanqueray gin martini mixed to your exact taste.

The group drinks are also a sight to behold, particularly the ‘Lady’s Leg Cosmopolitan’ for four. Creamy cranberry sorbet is the base for this twist on the classic, served in an antique 1930s cocktail shaker shaped like a (to-scale!) replica of a lady’s leg, complete with a silver high heel and affectionately dubbed the Heather Mills. Ladies only.

Running the kitchen is Fluffy (we didn’t ask), joining the team from his position as sous chef at MoVida. His modern Australian menu is great grazing fare, featuring lots of brandy and liqueur sauces, intending to be a perfect match to the cocktail offerings.

In fact, so intent is the EDV Melbourne crew at encouraging food-cocktail pairings that they will soon be launching cocktail degustation dinners.  Seated at a custom-made communal table with a mother of a built-in ice bucket, guests will be treated to a five-course extravaganza of food and booze. Running Wednesday to Saturday nights, you can simply buy tickets for yourself and a guest and join a group of randoms for dinner and cocktails. Don’t plan to drive home.

Go soon, before the rest of the city catches on.

Where: 1 Malthouse Ln, Melbourne CBD
Hours: 7 days, from 5pm
Bookings: 0412 825 441
Details: eaudevie.com.au

The Smirnoff Nightlight Exchange Project is an international swap of nightlife experiences, and for us Melbournians, we get to trade our late-night culture with Italy (hey, it could have been Kazakhstan). It’s all part of a unique global experience that involves countries doing paired swaps of local musicians – because the merit of any nation is its ability to party till the sun comes up, isn’t it?

During the evening you can frolic in the fake snow at the Torino Alps Bar, sip on luxury cocktails in the Milano room or nosh on Roman style pizzas in the piazza forecourt, which is plenty of incentive to schlep over to Docklands. And if the drinks and atmosphere make you want to start that hip sway (hopefully more sashay than wobble), then move them to headliner Italiano acts like acid house and techno DJs, Junior Jack & Kid Créme, and Alex Gaudino – whose Destination Unknown with singer Cristal Waters reached #3 on the Australian music charts – plus Aussie DJ Anna Lunoe (pictured).

As for our Italian sister city of Turin, it will be gifted an Australian beach party for 3000 people, complete with palm trees and deck chairs, with Aussie exports Nervo and Bang Gang Deejays spinning discs within a purpose-built lifeguard station. Road trip, anyone?

Beyond our Aussie-Italo swap, the global event ropes in some 50 countries. This year, sister-city nightlife swaps include Brazil and Bulgaria; Chile and China; Ghana and Great Britain; Venezuela and Vietnam; and Nigeria and New York – the latter of which Madonna herself will attend to help handpick the overall global winner of the Nightlife Exchange’s dance competition. Ten finalists will fly to The Big Apple to dance for Her Madgesty, with the winner being chosen to join her troupe of backing dancers.

So if you’ve got the moves, shake a leg. The rest of us, of course, will merely practice our ability to get legless. Cin cin.

What: Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project
When: 12 Nov
Where: Peninsula, Harbourside, Docklands
Details: Facebook

So what the crap is Creole? According to the Creole-pedia that accompanies the menu, Creole is “best described as the passion of many cultures’ cuisine.” In fact, it’s a wide definition that spans the cooking of Caribbean and Latin American natives with European heritage, those of mixed black and French/Spanish heritage, and Louisiana natives with French roots (helloooo New Orleans).

The open kitchen is in the experienced hands of Melbourne’s most celebrated seafood chef Maurice Esposito (Saint Peter’s and Esposito), so it’s no surprise that fresh fish features heavily on the menu. Behind him are some hotshot hospitality backers, including St Ali’s Salvatore Malatesta and the crew behind Ponyfish Island.

Beneath the high ceiling, exposed pipes contrast against aquamarine tiles and a homely red carpet. Sit at the long wooden bar or grab a seat outside on the footpath. Start the day with ‘My Mexican Cousin’, the St Ali breakfast favourite from which the venture plucked its name: corn fritters, baby spinach, haloumi, kasundi and fried or poached eggs.

For lunch, you can’t go passed the Louisiana po’boy sandwich with cornmeal-crumbed prawns. Pre or post-performance, share a plate of crab profiteroles or ‘boudin’ chicken wings, or visit for dinner and sample the Daily Blaff West Indian fish stew. Don’t forget your sweet tooth – the white rum and coconut sherbet with popcorn crumble will be a hit. Está delicioso!

Starving? Seeing a show? Seeking a cocktail soiree? My Mexican Cousin is the epitome of what makes the Melbourne dining scene so damned good. It combines the industry’s top dogs with quality food, coffee and an extensive drinks list… and you won’t have to work through your siesta to afford it. 

Where: Melbourne Recital Hall | 31 Sturt St, Southbank
Hours: Mon-Sun 7am-11pm | Breakfast until 4pm
Details: Facebook
Phone: (03) 9686 3398

But what for the budding players, those that wish to taste the thrill of the swung mallet themselves. The Vic Polo Academy can kick-start a newfound hobby (do you even have a hobby) at the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre, with the Werribee Mansion as a convenient and fitting backdrop.

What you won’t need:
-       Private luxury helicopter
-       Polo Ralph Lauren jodhpurs
-       Argentinean ancestry
-       Rich Untie Doris with a horse stud in Heathcote

Introductory lessons are your first step. It’s like an “idiots guide to polo”, just the type of lesson you and I need to get us on the horse. You’ll go through the basic swing of things and have ride on the Polo ponies, property of the Victorian Polo Academy of course.  How much? $100.

Beyond that, it’s a two-day intensive clinic. The Vic Polo Academy guys tell us you’ll need (we told them we need the idiots guide) five to ten lessons before getting into a chukka.

And then it’s back to the Helicopter to take on Nacho Figueras over in BA.

Need to know
Location: The Victorian Polo Academy is located at Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre, K Road, Werribee South  – Map
Cost: Beginner lessons $100
Book: Contact via email or Matt O’Leary on 0400 909 279

Oh yeah, if you just want to be one of those Melbourne hot things lining the side then here’s a quick list of where to do it:

Paspaley Polo in the City: Albert Park, 3^rd December | Buy here
Christmas Polo: Werribee Park, 26^th November | Buy here
Stella Artois Portsea Polo: Point Nepean National Park, 14^th January | Buy here
Stella Artois February International: Werribee Park, 25^th February | Details

French poet Charles Baudelaire is the inspiration behind the café. His interpretation of the French term flâneur refers to a person who strolls through a city in order to experience it. Indeed, an entire wall pays homage to the man, plastered with pages from his books.

Opened just last week, Le Flâneur has already attracted locals and suits. They can smell the house blend coffee being expertly prepared by head barista Tony Lin, who learned the ropes under 2011 Australian Latte Art champ, Kirby Berlin. The coffee’s roasted by uber cafes Proud Mary and The Maling Room – choose from the espresso blend, weekly-changing single origins, and siphon and pour-over varieties.

Owner Katrina had to defer her French lessons this semester in order to open her Francophile fantasy, with Studio Equator Designs lending a hand. A birch tree, complete with birdhouse, protrudes through the middle of the communal table. Portraits of suited animals hang in a cluster on the wall behind it, while a clock with Roman numerals is projected onto the far wall.

From the canary yellow chairs to the rainbow marshmallows on the counter, the atmosphere is undeniably playful. If not for the perfect macarons, you need to visit purely for the view of the Eiffel Tower from the toilet.

Try the continental breakfast: a mini croissant, boiled egg, poached fruit and bircher muesli. For lunch, it’s all about baguettes with rotating lunch specials scribbled on butcher’s paper. Bon appétit, indeed.

Where: 5 Church St, Hawthorn
Hours: Tue-Fri 7am-4pm | Sat-Sun 8am-4pm
Details: facebook.com/CafeLeFlaneur
Phone: (03) 9853 8587

KUBIK is a multi-faceted open air venue that by day will be the second home for South Melbourne’s Che Dré Café and by night will open as an open-air live music venue.

If you’re thinking big warehouse in a hard to find, off-the-beaten track locale then you’re wrong. KUBIK will be the pulse of Melbourne Music Week, it’s the colourful installation making it’s home at Birrarung Marr (on the north bank of the Yarra River) from the 18th November.

Designed in Berlin KUBIK is designed to host 700 people. KUBIK is constructed from a series of interconnected and illuminated water tanks with lighting effects that change in synchronization with music. That’s one smart building.

By day Chez Dré’s menu will indulge Francophiles and futurists alike as their chefs bring extra artistry to their patisserie and boulangerie.

By night, it kicks off on the 18th November with Cut Copy and the Midnight Juggernauts joined together for a three-hour DJ set.

Other performances include the Raah Project alongside a 17 piece orchestra, Japanese hip-hop legend DJ Krush and a unique part dance party, part record fair called How U Livin’.

10-days, 13 different shows and events. This is KUBIK Melbourne, the Southern Hemisphere debut of one of Europe’s most talked about temporary installations.

Tickets for all shows available via Moshtix and for more detail on each visit KUBIK Melbourne: Melbourne Music Week.

We now invite you to Vernon Chalker’s new place. He’s that guy behind Gin Palace, Collins Quarter and Madame Brussels.

It’s an eccentric place: an all-day café (7.30am start) and all-night bar (3am finish) that sits alongside an electrical substation. Hence the name Ampere, which is the unit measure of electric current. At first there’s the outdoor/indoor alcove, then a beauty of a bar that makes its name in pastis and a wine list owned by a single Rhone Valley winemaker.

Though the real story begins out back.

Notice the old farmyard gate, barred-up shutters and moss flooring (a.k.a. ‘the swamp’), then hit up the piano man for a mint julep.

Add Gin Palace to the mix and you’ve got two bars, one old and one new, connected by a decrepit patio overlooking swampland. And better yet, all this eccentricity is splashed with class.

As we said, true story!

Where: 16 Russell Pl, Melbourne
When: Mon–Sun | 7.30am–3am
Details: barampere.com.au

Behind Niche on Bridge is the Saade family, who already have Toorak Deli, Toscani’s, Giorgio’s and St Kilda’s Phamish in their portfolio. At Niche, head chef Justin Beilin – previously executive chef at Hairy Canary and Hairy Little Sister – plates up Modern Australian fare with a Middle Eastern and Spanish accent, a reflection on the owners’ heritage.

With years of hospitality experience, they’ve created a space to suit all kinds of patrons, all day long: from morning coffees to after-dark drinks, and everything in between. The massive fit-out takes 250, and features richly glossed dark-timber tables, banquette seating and a stunning marble bar.

Early, stop by for coffee and a freshly baked salted éclair, or stick around for the Niche breakfast, proving to be a most popular activity and served up from 7am. All of the classic standbys are here, from hash browns to a bircher muesli with yoghurt, Syrian figs and groundnut crumble. Or you can change it up and go for the Middle Eastern baked eggs or some ricotta Dutch pancakes with pistachio caramel and pomegranate.

For lunch or dinner, it’s wood-fired pizza, pasta, burgers or the paella de Granada y Jerez, a dish to share. But with marinated octopus and market-inspired croquettes among the offerings, you can also design then devour your own mezze plate. For sweets, does it get any better than Spanish churros?

Later, move to the bar for a wine from the well-priced list, flooded with drops from all the right wine regions and varieties throughout Australia.

Where: 571 Bridge Rd, Richmond
When: 7am–10pm Mon–Sun
Phone: (03) 9421 4784
Details: Niche on Bridge Facebook page

The location: Opposite Fawkner Park on Toorak Road West. It’s a short trot from the Tan and it may just become the new headquarters for handshakes, backslaps and deal making for the bereft St Kilda Road crew. It’s the old Fawkner Bistro.

The acumen: From the stem of Jacques Reymond – Edouard (ex Movida) and Antoine Reymond are on the floor and Jacques Reymond chef Steven Nelson is running the kitchen.

The exterior remains (of course) and they turned around a ‘refresh’ in just under a week. Good going! Now, it’s a French dinner table – family style format designed as if it were for a family in France.

Take a peak at the menu. There’s a lot of French about it, though there’s an obvious Spanish and Italian influence too. Our pick of the Petite was the Croque Monsieur with Gypsy ham, cheese and smoked morteau sausage and we’ve got to say, the Hopkins River Pure Black Angus Beef with the Gitan dressing of mustard, anchovy and horseradish is delish, decadent and perfectly French.

The Reymond boys have made this their own. ‘Regulars’ – those not knowing there had been a change of hands – are impressed and why wouldn’t you be with this injection bon vivant.

Where: 52 Toorak Road West, South Yarra
Hours: Monday 5pm – late | Tuesday to Friday 12pm – late | Saturday 3pm – late
Phone: 9867 5853

It’s Thursday night, you’re edgy and need to get out of the house. You’re not sure if you feel like fashion, music, food or perhaps you just have an intense craving for that famous Dim Sim. Fine with us…this is Style After Dark.

Started last Thursday and on every Thursday through to November 24^th Style After Dark at South Melbourne Market provides a showcase of local designers mixed with an eclectic mix of artisan stalls, bands, DJ’s and roving performers. Oh yeah, Ross Hannaford, one part of 70’s Australian rock band Daddy Cool is a fixture too – perhaps he’s got that same craving as you!

It’s also a perfect excuse to sample rejuvenated Cecil Street which is now buzzing. It’s like an all year round hawkers’ market with restaurants and bars attached. Have you been to the new Claypots Evening Star yet (ask for the chowder)? Or grab some of the best roast duck in Melbourne at Linx BBQ & Yum Cha.

We’re sure those famed Dim Sims will be floating about as well.

Want to go? Style After Dark is on Thursday evenings 5.30-9.30 until November 24^th

What: Style After Dark Night Market
Where: Under the Verandah, Coventry and Cecil Streets, South Melbourne
Details: southmelbournemarket.com.au

After a successful season in a tiny office space last year, MKA Theatre is popping up in Abbotsford. This time they’re in a “crumbling, ivy-covered, abandoned primary school hall… and it’s amazing,” says general manager Glyn Roberts.

MKA sure gets around. When they first started in Richmond, the local council and some grumpy residents kicked them out after just two days. Since then, they’ve flaunted their skills all over town, from the QV centre to Prahran, and now Abbotsford.

The opening season starts next week and previews 15 plays over 15 days. Readings include Eight Gigabytes of Hardcore Pornography, Aeroplane Jelly and Acid Tongue. Themes vary from unionists to the post-apocalypse. What’s not to like?

Traditional notions of boring ’90s playwriting will be challenged. The system will be shocked. And your reactions will determine which plays are put on next year. Last year, some were even snatched up by the Malthouse Theatre.

As that annoying furniture ad says, ‘Exclusive? Yes. Expensive? No.’ Tickets are just $7 a pop. If you buy a season pass for $50, it works out at less than a small coffee per sneak peak.

According to MKA’s artistic director, Toby Manderson-Galvin, MKA is a dare: “A dare to anyone who has ever been to the theatre and a dare to those who’ve yet to come.” Glyn agrees, but he also thinks Toby was pretty drunk when he wrote that.

So which preview you should go and see? “Ooh,” Glyn moans, “it’s like choosing between my children.”

Where: 73 Nicholson St, Abbotsford
When: Oct 26–13 Nov | Tue–Sat from 8pm
Phone: (03) 9421 5476
Details: mka.org.au

The newly opened San Telmo has a parrilla worth boasting about. Plucked straight from the cobbled streets of Buenos Aires, the restaurant has set up shop in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD.

While sipping malbec and basking in Buenos Aires’ San Telmo barrio (neighbourhood), Jason and Renee Mcconnell (ex-The Vic and The Aviary), and brothers Dave and Mickey Parker thought, ‘Hell, why can’t we have this at home?’

So after falling in love with all things Argentine, the foursome spent a year on a ‘business trip’ becoming experts in Argentinean culture and cuisine. Unable to leave behind Buenos Aires, they decided to bring home oversized souvenirs from markets and wrecking yards. Now, rustic glass jars, animal hides and antiques complement the exposed brick walls and hardwood furniture in their brand new restaurant.

The leather-bound menu, complete with fur, features a variety of starters and cuts of meat. Share humita (fried cornmeal with chipotle mayonnaise) and calabaza (half roast pumpkin with mint and goat’s cheese), followed by higado (lamb liver with bitter leaves) and pata de cordero (slow-cooked lamb). There are also traditional alfajor cookies for dessert and pancakes for breakfast, and you can also have your fill of dulche de leche.

Imported wine and beer have traveled from such provinces as Salta, Mendoza and Patagonia. They’ve made the journey, so you might as well sit at the 10-meter hardwood bar and enjoy them while snacking on some empanadas… after all, it takes two to tango.

Where: 14 Meyers Pl, Melbourne
Hours: Mon­–Fri 7am–1am | Sat noon–1am
Phone: (03) 9650 5525
Details: santelmo.com.au

Go Go Bar opened earlier this week in Chin Chin’s basement. The first thing you’ll notice in the cavernous space is the red neon sign: “Lonely Only For You”. You probably get it, but if not (and not even all the staff do), picture last-minute dates in Chiang Mai. The sign’s alluring glow adds to the mysterious atmosphere, which is enhanced by the smooth jazz soundtrack.

It’s easy to lose track of time at Go Go. Once daylight finishes, it’s all lightbulbs in red cylinders and flickering tea light candles. The big circular tables are ideal for groups, or, if you’re letting your hair down, flaunt yourself like a go-go dancer at one of the raised tables.

But we’re not here to talk about that – we’re here for the booze. On every table is a Little Black Book. Each page is dedicated to a season, and each season features two to three choices of cocktails, bottled beers and ciders, and wine by the glass.

Yes, the drinks have been designed with Melbourne’s unpredictable weather in mind, plus ingredients such as kaffir lime and palm sugar that mirror Chin Chin’s Thai influence. You can also line your stomach with snacks from the restaurant upstairs.

Go Go Bar insists it’s a place “where bartenders are bartenders and drinks are drinks.” But as soon as you pop in, you’ll know there’s a lot more to this drinking hot spot than meets the eye. Go Go, we love you long time. 

Where: 125 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
Hours: Mon-Sun 4pm-3am
Phone: (03) 8663 2020
Details: gogobar.com.au

With this in mind, let us introduce you to the Kirrily Johnston pop-up sale store in Chapel Street. Over the next four days, it will help inject some fresh designer threads and looks into your wardrobe.

In a first, Johnston – the Project Runway Australia judge and acclaimed designer whose clothes are seen on Miranda Kerr, Megan Gale, Rachael Taylor and Dianne Kruger – will sell her past collections, one-off samples, shoes and accessories in Melbourne. That’s right Sydneysiders, it’s our turn for some Kj love.

Rest assured, there will be no rummaging in boxes or sorting through makeshift racks, dangling a tangled disarray of designer clothing. Instead, what was once the Satch store is being transformed into a Kirrily Johnston space featuring carefully curated styles suited to carnival time in Melbourne.

Shop from current season samples, the Autumn/Winter 2011 collection and pick up the perfect outfit just in time for Melbourne Cup. Stock up on the diffusion line, Kj by Kirrily Johnston, for timeless basics and relaxed weekend wear.

Expect to find styles crafted in buttery soft leather, suede, silk and luxe knits in a colour palette featuring turquoise, neon, signature KJ orange, stripes and gorgeous gold and neutrals. Gents, you will earn major bonus points for bringing your woman here (and far more points if you wait patiently).

There’s hardly a better excuse to shop in style than a Kirrily Johnston pop-up store because what’s here today will be gone on Monday and you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t go.

Where: 445 Chapel St, South Yarra
Hours: Thu 20 Oct, 10am–6pm | Fri 21 Oct, 10am–7pm | Sat 22 Oct, 10am–6pm | Sun 23 Oct, 11am–5pm
Details: kirrilyjohnston.com

Read on

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Hello Melbourne. This is your conscience speaking. I have two words for you: Streat Party.

For one night in November, Melbourne’s laneways and rooftops will play host to a dinner party with a twist, a night out for those who have a sense of adventure and like their dinner to remain… mysterious.

Buy a ticket and a week or so ahead of time, you’ll receive instructions about which laneway or rooftop bar will be hosting you and your posse for your arrival cocktail. Twenty-five hidden bars will be participating, so there’s no telling which one you could end up at – we’re willing to bet there’s even a few on the list that you’ve never heard of.

Once there, maybe rooftop icon Madame Brussels or tucked-down-a-laneway Cabinet Bar, you’ll be given further instructions on where you are to head for a three-course dinner. With 50 restaurants involved (including, we’ve heard whispered, Punch Lane and Portello Rosso), the city will be bustling with groups of diners weaving their way through laneways and seeking out hidden doors for their dinner spot.

The Streat Party accomplishes two additional things. Firstly, it acts as the launch for a new book, Flavours of Melbourne, that explores Melbourne’s laneways: from history and street art to restaurants, bars and even recipes from some of Melbourne’s top chefs. And, more importantly, it raises money for Streat, a charity that provides hospitality training for homeless youth by way of their street carts, located around the CBD.

As for the night’s moveable feast, wine is also provided to go with your dinner, and afterwards you can dance off your eat and drink at the after-party, held in a Melbourne nightclub. We predict some very satisfied Melburnians at the end of it all.

When: Tue 29 Nov
Where: Melbourne’s laneways & rooftops
Price: $150, including a pre-dinner drink, 3-course dinner, a selection of Victorian wines, autographed copy of Flavours of Melbourne, and a ticket to the after-party
Details: streatparty.com

Launched a weekend ago at the Birregurra farmers’ market, the fire-engine-red food truck keeps things simple with five gourmet snags: Polish, Hungarian, chorizo, hot & spicy and Italian pork.

All of the sausages are housemade by Gruner’s Butcher & Deli in St Kilda – a Barkly Street institution since 1958. They’re also accessorised with mustard, relish, caramelised onion and cheese, and slapped on bread from Port Melbourne’s boulangerie-style Noisette bakery. If you’re still hungry (or vego), there are chunky chips.

Owner Alex Talimanidis, who operates the truck with partner Laura Thompson, says it’s all about simple, quality ingredients. After working for seven years at his family’s acclaimed A la Grecque restaurant down in Aireys Inlet, Alex wanted to keep cooking but do something different. “I’d been looking at making gourmet sausages for a while, then I saw the truck on eBay and got the idea for Le Sausage. I bought it straight away then thought, ‘Oh wow, what’ve I done?’”

After a few months modifying the truck and adding a few licks of paint, Le Sausage is finally ready to roll. Alex plans to hit up the summer festival circuit, and when he’s not there you can catch him cruising on Northcote’s High Street, where Le Sausage will call home between gigs.

In true food truck fashion, nothing’s really planned out and things can change quicker than a red light, so to find out where the red truck’s setting up its next sausage sizzle, stalk it via its Facebook page.

Details: lesausage.com

Threefold’s mismatched décor – including crates of fresh herbs and heavy black lights – resembles a contemporary industrial farmhouse kitchen. Their mission? Restaurant-quality food without the wait. UK chef Stephen Black (formerly of Pearl) and his small kitchen team serve up a seasonal menu that varies with the availability of ingredients.

Breakfast is served until 11am alongside Syndicate coffee, but for something different, substitute your morning caffeine fix for a spicy, white hot chocolate or a homemade chai latte.

At 12pm sharp you can really score. Come midday, platters heaving with food are placed theatrically on the 3.5-meter marble table for the lunch feast. Choose from three toasties, three tarts or three muffins, amongst a range of other options. We like the rabbit and prune terrine wrapped in prosciutto with quinoa, walnut, pesto and pear salad on the side.

Rendezvous at Threefold on Thursdays or Fridays (and soon Wednesdays) for after-work drinks or a dinner date. A braised, slow-cooked roast special is offered on Friday nights – best enjoyed with a full-bodied Italian, Spaniard, or German… wine that is!

Situated off Queen Street at the quieter end of Flinders Lane, call into Threefold before their clientele triples.

Where: 381 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
Hours: Mon–Wed 7am–4pm | Thu–Fri 7am–11pm (soon to open Wed 7am­–11pm)
Details: three-fold.com.au
Phone: (03) 9614 8194

Well, those are exactly why we’d be gallavanting off to the The Moving Clickers Lorne Film Festival, 14-16 October, which is kicking off its 45th year in fine style.

Founded in 1957 by a group of arts-minded movie nuts, Moving Clickers began screening films at a nearby house in Moggs Creek. As interest grew, so did the numbers and today the epicentre of this niche festival is the art deco Lorne Theatre.

The venue successfully retains the intimacy and charm that is the foundation of this film festival. Half a century on, it still encapsulates the ceremony and tradition of seeing great movies amongst convivial company. There are no 3D specs here, and you can ditch your choc tops at the door.

Instead, the film fest features movies from France, Italy, Germany and Great Britain that are intelligent, challenging and adrenalin packed. Polanski’s The Ghost Writer (starring Ewan McGregor, pictured above) kicks off the festival on Friday night, while French charmer, The Concert, closes ceremony on Sunday. In between, cult classics on show include La Femme Nikita, Scorsese’s Rolling Stone epic, Shine a Light, and The Counterfeiters, to name just three.

The $85 entry gives you an all-areas pass to the seven festival screenings, plus a late-night pizza and wine supper on Friday, lunch and a cocktail party dinner on Saturday night and a home-grown BBQ and petanque game at Moggs Creek on Sunday.

If you tire of the sliver screen, take in some quicksilver with surf or a swim, or stroll along the foreshore, soaking up the art of the 2011 Lorne Sculpture Festival. Whatever you do, it’ll be backdropped by the kind of scenery worthy of a cinematic moment.

Where: Lorne Cinema, 78 Mountjoy Pde, Lorne
Price: $85 ($75 members)
Details: movingclickers.com.au

But as they say: don’t get mad; get even. And, really, we’re only beginning to settle the score. We’ve already lured Rockpool, Guillaume and Longrain here, and now Melbourne is about to appropriate Sydney’s masters of artisan loaves, Brasserie Bread. In fact, they fire up their ovens in South Melbourne tomorrow.

Brasserie co-founded Tony Papas (of Bayswater Brasserie and Allpress coffee fame) once worked with iconic US chef Alice Waters at Chez Panisse, a time during which he discovered San Francisco’s mind-blowing sourdough bread. He went on to investigate other leading loaf makers in the bay area, including La Brea and the Acme, as he set out to recreate the complex and crusty risings back in Australia. In 1999, Brasserie Bread was born.

Visitors to the Melbourne branch, which reportedly took $1.8 million to finance, can seek out the excellent organic sourdough, but there’s plenty of additional company: olive & rosemary bread, NY rye, French mountain bread, sour cherry loaves, croissants, tarts and more. There’s also a hands-on baking school, including artisan breadmaking and what we expect to be extremely popular kid’s classes.

Wholesale operations kick off first, so unless you’re packing sandwiches for the entire footy team, you’ll have to wait until early November for the bakery café. Expect a space that’s all timbre floors, earth tones, glass and stone, a menu spanning baguettes with duck rillettes to croque monsieurs, and Allpress coffee to go with your sourdough pancakes.

So along with Dench, Babka and Baker D. Chirico, we’ve got another stellar breadmaker to add to our books. Now it’s onto the next must-haves on our Sydney shopping list: inner-city surf beaches, reliable weather and the return of the South Melbourne Swans.

Where: 150 Thistlethwaite St, South Melbourne
Phone: 1300 966 845
Details: brasseriebread.com.au/melbourne

Our picks:

Call of Life
Tuesday 11^th Oct, 7.15pm & Saturday 15^th Oct, 2.30pm

All over the world species are becoming extinct at an astonishing rate, from 1,000 to 10,000 times faster than normal. The loss of biodiversity has become so severe that scientists are calling it a “mass extinction”.

If a Tree Falls
Thursday 13th Oct, 6pm

In December ’05, there was a nationwide sweep of radical environmentalists involved with the Earth Liberation Front. The FBI has called the group America’s “number on domestic terrorism threat”.

Planeat
Saturday 15th Oct, 6pm

The story of three mens’ life-long search for a diet that is good for our health, good for the environment and good for the future of the planet.

Often amusing, informative, whimsical and philosophical this festival tackles important environmental issues via film. Running from Tuesday 11^th October until Sunday 16^th the Environmental Film Festival is confronting and important but these serious problems are presented with simple answers.

Need to know
For tickets – Environmental Film Festival
Location – Kino Cinemas, 45 Collins Street Melbourne

Take a seat by one of the pale wooden tables or in one of the black booth seats. Place your order for some dips to start, perhaps the carrot, yoghurt and caraway, or go straight for a couple of their self-titled ‘inauthentic’ pizzas. Typically eaten as a morning or midday snack in the Middle East, the manoushe is a round flatbread. Toppings range from minced chicken, garlic, green olives and roquette (inexplicably called ‘Fred the Deaf’), or perhaps some tomato, haloumi, bastourma (air-dried, cured beef) with parsley, called ‘Fairuz’ in honour of the Lebanese woman recognised as the most famous singer in the Arab world.

You might find you’re on more familiar pizza territory with the boat-shaped Turkish pides. Choose from flavours like ‘The Bosphorus’ – with tomato, prawns, chilli, garlic and coriander – or maybe the ‘Istanbuli’ with pumpkin, tahini and dukkah.

To drink, choose among three red and that white wines, a very local 3 Ravens Golden Ale from Thornbury or not-so-local brews like Almaza from Lebanon or Efes Pilsner from Turkey. There’s also an arak of the day – in fact, it’s the top of the still (as in distillery) used in making the Middle East’s beloved aniseed drink that the restaurant draws its quirky name from.

There are salads too, like chickpea with parsley, tahini yoghurt and almonds, but the sweets on the tail-end of the menu are the most alluring. The fatayer is a Middle Eastern pastry filled a choice of Nutella, halva and banana; or ricotta and honey.

So the next time you fancy a slice, maybe opt for this otherworldly pizza shop. Just don’t make a dad joke and order a Hawaiian or a margherita – surely, they’ve heard it all before.

Where: 2/774 High St, Thornbury
Hours: Wed-Sun from 5.30pm
Phone: (03) 9484 0173
Details: themoorshead.com

You’ll find The Aylesbury on Lonsdale St, supplanting the short-lived ICarusi sequel, Barbagallo Trattoria e Pizzeria. You might start at the restaurant down beneath; but post-work it doesn’t get much better than their rooftop bar, perched high above on the fifth floor.

With Spanish hints evident, the menu appreciates organic, home-grown produce and rare-breed meats. Heritage and heirloom veggies from Jesse and Vanessa’s own garden join local, seasonal produce (some of which is cured, smoked and pickled onsite) for small plates, larger sharing ones and a feasting menu. There are also Spanish staples like piquillo peppers, Joselito ‘Gran Reserva’ jamon Iberico and morcilla with broad beans.

With lunch starting this week – a menu that’s more pan-European that its evening counterpart – midday diners can head here for two courses with tea or coffee and petit fours for $35: perhaps fried Spring Bay mussels with walnut taratour or duck neck sausage with quince aioli before, say, barramundi with rainbow chard or a dry-aged Belted Galloway roast beef with horseradish and curd.

Come evening, go after magnificent city views by migrating to the rooftop for small plates and a succinct list of eight cocktails, divided neatly into ‘before’, ‘after’ and ‘whenevs’ (with classics on request). All emerge from behind an ironbark concave bar with bare light-globes overhead. A Sherry Cobbler mixes Paolo Cortado ‘La Regente’ sherry with orange chunks and lemon sugar or, more fittingly, a Melbhattan with VSOP Cognac, Dolin sweet vermouth and bitters. For good measure, put in your order for some Coffin Bay oysters with strawberry mignonette.

Bookings are taken for groups of six or more or for lunch. Open just in time for spring, this one will be a fantastic post-races landing or pre-night-out launch pad.

Where: 103 Lonsdale St, Melbourne
When: Lunch Mon-Fri noon-3pm | Mon-Sun 5pm–late | Rooftop open from 5pm
Phone: (03) 9077 0451

With spring in full bloom and the sun finally setting after happy hour (kinda), it’s time to start thinking about coastal weekends again, including that old chestnut, the Great Ocean Road. And as you travel that familiar zigzag to beachside Lorne – maybe taking in the beach scene en route to the Twelve (erm, make that eight) Apostles – we’ve got a favourite stop for you: Old Lorne Road Olives in the Otway Ranges.

While the property remains a working olive grove, including more than 1300 trees, forget any quickie dip’n’taste business. OK, so there is a small tasting station, but owners Andrew and Judy Goddard specialise in serving quality regional wine with gourmet food, and their Italian-inspired menu has received a seasonal overhaul since last summer.

Absorbing flavours of the Mediterranean, sample marinated olives with Bellbrae spices and Le Madre sourdough. For a light lunch or brunch, try the char-grilled veggie and olive tart with capers and goat’s cheese, or pan-fried sardines with peperonata. For mains, a 300g pork cutlet comes on a bed of sultanas, red cabbage, apple and roast potato; or there’s ocean trout with fennel, orange and marmalade. Mixing olive oil with lots of fresh air, you’ll be radiant by Monday. Probably.

For sweets, think spicy red wine and raspberry poached pears with masala custard. And maybe spend the arvo on the timber deck, with its hardy potted natives and antique pots, and enjoy views of the Deans Marsh hills.

While you’re there, pick up your own olive tree or a piece of West Gippsland pelagic art (made from timber driftwood and marine debris) from the gallery or browse the gift shop and pantry.

Come unannounced at your peril. You’ll fight for a car spot, let alone a table, so it’s wise to book. We wouldn’t want your olive jar to runneth empty, now, would we?

Where: 45 Old Lorne Rd, Deans Marsh
Phone: (03) 5236 3479
Hours: Thu–Mon 10am–5pm (7 days in January & Easter)
Details: oldlorneroadolives.com.au

In our fair city it’s practically impossible to set foot in a laneway without tripping over a bridal party or gaggle of tourists snapping at the graphic murals and abstract creations that spread vine-like over the walls.

Beyond the CBD though, it’s in suburbs like Brunswick where these transient street-art gems are lesser known and plastered like an oversized gallery for your viewing pleasure.

Art Afficionado (a team of dedicated art curators) takes you to Brunswick. The two-hour stroll will take you on an exploration of these street enliveners that evince themes from pop culture, to politics, to a clear defiance of authority.

It all starts at Anstey station and traverses the streets that hug the train tracks.

Artists bear names like City Krime Artists and Rock da City – responsible for huge trackside silos; the commission on the façade of the Royal Nut Company, featuring whimsical animals on dynamic mountain paths is by AWOL, ID and SDM 2009; and you’ll be intrigued by The Captain & The Skipper paste up alongside the Brunswick Baths. Full disclaimer though, what happens on ‘this’ tour may not stay on tour; street art is as dynamic as a gallery exhibition program.

This is an insiders guide to the mostly underground world of street-art…you’ll be surprised at the variety and stories within the works. Don’t forget to snap a shot…this transient street art is an expression of our time.

Where: Anstey Station, Platform 1, Albion St, Brunswick 3056
Times: Departure 11.00am Fridays and Saturdays
Cost: $25 pp
Bookings: Visit ArtAfficionado

Os (rhymes with floss) has a fantastic pedigree. Owner Alastair Dobbs is a passionate sommelier who hails from Church St Enoteca. His well-edited wine list is heavily skewed to Europe, with a focus on boutique wines that aren’t readily available on the wider market.

Chef Rachael Ginty joins the team from Cicciolina, and has created an impeccably simple, clean Italian menu. Her orecchiette puttanesca with calamari is delicate and delicious: minuscule olives and capers provide bursts of flavour along with chilli and garlic. Heartier fare includes a rich-looking veal ragu papardelle, and a pork belly with Waldorf salad.

The corner shop has been remodelled and is all dark wood and marble counter tops, retaining the charming, original stained glass windows for a touch of nostalgia. Robust tins of Italian tomatoes preside over the dining room, keeping company with artisan bread and lovely olive oils. Black-and-white photographs from a local artist, taken in Italy, put the finishing touches on the décor.

Dominating the front counter is a large shiny meat slicer, promising melt-in-your mouth charcuterie, hand-sliced to order.

Look out for upcoming wine tasting events and wine flights. If you’re heading there for dinner, you may want to call ahead to make a booking; we hear they’re already quite busy, despite only being open a week. After that, get ready for the friendly greetings of Al and his wife Marie, who make you feel like family right away.

Where: 531 Hampton St, Hampton
When: Lunch, Tue–Sat | Dinner, Wed–Sat
Phone: (03) 9533 1922
Details: oskitchenandwinebar.com.au

When the Italian in question moves from Milan, fresh from coordinating exhibitions in galleries and museums such as Ferrara’s Palazzo dei Diamanti and Rome’s Palazzo Venezia you stand up and take a good look.

This is a look you’ll want…mostly affordable, unique and characterized by unexpected materials including PVC, vinyl (old records that is), aluminum and onion skin.

Spring Racing Carnival girls?!

Bini Gallery is not your usual jewellery store. Expect a very individual style, handcrafted by independent makers from Puglia, the heel of Italy and glass studios in Venice to the North.

Owner Lorenza Bini says, “you can play with materials and achieve a great result, even if the materials aren’t precious.”

Wearable and distinctive is the name of the game. Designed to wear with the sassy frocks or jeans, pieces from this collection will makes you feel special.

Walk around the store (designed by Lorenza’s husband, architect Lorenzo Nuti) and try everything on. Lorenza will talk you thru’ the unique character of each piece and the unique traits of her designer motherland.

Bini is worthwhile noticing, particularly when you’re the one being noticed.

Where: 62 Smith Street, Collingwood
For more details: BiniGallery or Phone (03) 9486 0145

But, what if you had guidance, training, quality equipment and the hops to capture that desired flavour.

Welcome to the The Brew Barn. Started by a couple of DIY boozers, The Brew Barns “brew on premises” joint offers a home-away-from-homebrewing, allowing you to create your own suds on location while doubling as a classroom and equipment shop. The Brew Barn team will get you from the kettle, to the perfect head and ultimately on the couch with yours truly in hand.

You become head brewer and use commercial grade equipment and fine ingredients to create your own chemical and preservative free great tasting beer. More than your local Dan’s, there’s over 150 recipes available – based on Aussie icons (sold!!) and premium international and boutique beers.

The deets:

• Choose your brew
• Make your brew – step by step instructions and staff on hand, guiding you thru’ the process to beer utopia
• Fermentation – over to the experts. The team from The Brew Barn will place your drop into the purpose built fermenting room for 10-days. Your brew is then transferred to a cold room to settle and mature.
• Bottling and Keging – On your bottling day your beer will be chilled to perfection, triple filtered, carbonated to your liking and best of all ready to drink.

How many beers will I walk away with? Your brew will make approximately 50 litres (that’s about 6 slabs). Just in time for Octoberfest!

Where: Unit 2, 1 Nevada Court, Hoppers Crossing, VIC || Phone: 9974 1884 || How much:

Do you ever feel like throwing stuff at the screen?

Mid-movie smoke or toilet break?

Well now you can. The Room, which is both written and directed by the lead actor, Tommy Wiseau, is a cult classic where adults can behave like mischievous teenagers.

The Nova cinema screens late night sessions on Saturday nights and provides patrons with an instructional pamphlet on when to call out and even when to chuck around a football. If this isn’t a deal-sealer, there are also buckets of plastic spoons at the entrance for your throwing enjoyment.

Released in 2003, the so-called ‘drama’ follows Johnny (the writer/director/self-proclaimed legend), his fiancee and his best friend in an absurd love triangle. A number of secondary characters also pop up briefly, and experience everything from breast cancer to a run-in with a drug lord (of course!). The movie concludes with a bang, and consequently, an excuse to never resolve any of the presented themes.

Although the film’s progression in minutes is directly related to the audience’s level of confusion, it is the participation aspect that has given this movie its cult following. You can find ‘Viewer’s Guides’ online that instruct you on when to yell “SPOON!” and then hurl one at the screen during one of the many spoon references. It is also customary to yell, ”go, go, go!” throughout the unnecessarily long pans of the Golden Gate Bridge, and viewers are further encouraged to go for a smoke or visit the toilet following any of the incredibly gratuitous sex scenes.

Laugh, snort, squeal and throw stuff at the cinema.

Where: 380 Lygon Street, Carlton, Victoria || When: late screenings every Saturday, around 11.10pm || Price: adults $17.50 | concession $14.50 || Details: CinemaNova.com.au/cultcravings

Kitsch wooden doors lead to a tiki village of bamboo huts, plastic palm trees and carved idols – the sort of place you’d expect to see Indiana Jones having a drink. Over at the bar, staff in Hawaiian shirts (what else?) shake up cocktails topped with glazed cherries and little umbrellas. There’s a stuffed shark on the wall and, somehow, it all seems just right.

Out back there’s ‘The Forbidden Temple’, an even larger space with sunset-themed wallpaper, Hindu gods, glowing lights and skulls on sticks. In the centre is the tiki stage, featuring live bands and dancing on weekends. It’s a helluva lotta fun, especially considering the place used to be a Centrelink.

But most important of all are the drinks, the cornerstone of any self-respecting tiki bar. They’ve got to be strong, colourful looking, colourful sounding, and strong. LuWow doesn’t pull any punches with its punch, offering four pages of drinks with names like the Lava Flow, the Bikini Bottom, as well as classics like the Mai Tai. A few sips of these boozy brews will get you feeling like you’re on holiday, which is what tiki is all about.

So next time you’re heading down Johnston Street, stop by LuWow and treat yourself to a quick trip to the South Pacific.

Where: 62-70 Johnston St, Fitzroy
Phone: (02) 9417 5447
Hours: Wed–Thu 5pm–midnight, Fri–Sat 5pm–2am, Sun 4–10pm
Details: theluwow.com

People from all over the world will submit sketchbooks in what can only be described as the Sketchbook Project. Last year, 28,838 sketchbooks from 94 different countries were received. Sketchbooks were then exhibited in a tour of US cities.

The difference this year – it’s coming to Melbourne! Sketchbooks from this continent will be showcased here in Melbourne.

Let’s be clear, there’s no financial benefit to anyone involved. Literally anyone can get involved, from serious artists, scrapbookers and mums. Tap the artistic pulse and start sketching.

The idea is simple enough. Sign up online, pick a theme and a sketchbook is sent to you. Fill its pages with drawings, designs, watercolours and just about anything and send it back by the deadline.

Last year, there were 47 themes to choose from. The most popular was “In 5 Minutes” (selected by 1172 people, “Coffee and Cigarettes” (1000 people), “Happy Thoughts” (734) and “Mystery Maps” (255). This year, choose from themes like “I remember you”, “In fifty years” and “It’s summer where you are” among the 40 options.

Each sketchbook is given a bar code and can be tracked…each time it is opened and consumed. It will live permanently in the Brooklyn Art Library and be digitally catalogued. You can view real-time statistics on your submission for years to come.

Turns out getting your doodles published isn’t that hard after all.

Want in: Sign up by Oct 31^st, 2011 | Post your book by Jan 31^st 2012 | The Sketchbook Project

New social justice campaigners We Don’t Care Inc (WDC) are putting on The Fashion Fund, a free public fashion event that’s taking over the main stage area at Federation Square this Saturday. It’s fashion with a cause: a market stocked full of pre-owned designer clothes from the likes of Marc Jacobs, Claude Maus, Topman, Country Road, Prada, Hugo Boss, Hermes, Ksubi and many more – all kindly donated to WDC in order to raise funds to help the homeless.

But it’s more than just an above-average clothing sale; there will also be bands and DJs, food and drinks and competitions throughout the day. This is the first initiative from the Generation Y-led group, which is (happily) breaking all the preconceptions and stereotypes that come with Gen Y bracket. Apathetic, us? Puh-lease.

So far, we’ve seen only the highest quality from WDC in the lead-up to their debut event. The high-fashion photo shoot done using clothes that will be on sale this Saturday was genius, and can be glimpsed in full here – all of which gives us a glimpse of what we can expect on Saturday.

Proceeds from the sale of the clothes will go to local homeless shelters, while a movie screen will show ‘I Have a Name’, in which homeless Victorians tell their stories through a series of candid, highly emotive short films.

Rest assured, Melbourne’s well-heeled will turn out in force to support the cause, raise awareness and put their considerable bulk behind this worthy event. And just remember, what’s the greatest nation in the world? Do-nation. A funny homeless dude told us that one.

When: Sat 24 Sep, 10.30am–7.30pm
Where: Federation Square (Main Square)
Price: Free entry
Details: wedontcareinc.com

The all-day-dining restaurant, now open in St Kilda, features a modern-European menu that changes daily with farm-to-fork seasonal produce, likely organic or biodynamic, and arriving from within 100km of the CBD.

The team: chef Paul Jewson and bubbly front-of-house manager Marco Pugnaloni. Jewson worked in the kitchens of London restaurants Mezzo, Soho House, The Bluebird and River Café before returning home to manage St Ali empire-builder Salvatore Malatesta’s Outpost in South Yarra with Pugnaloni.

The name: it pays homage to London’s West End, where the boys once lived. That, and St Kilda’s Fitrzroy Street, where the restaurant now sits in good company with Andrew McConnell’s Golden Fields, across the road from Albert Park’s southern fringe.

The split-level dining area has an Edwardian-era look, with green-and-white checked tiles, a scattering of crates of fresh produce and vases of lilies. Walk too far – past the striking glass façade and up the stairs – and you’ll land in one very open kitchen. Old bronze kitchen scales and lampshades sit behind a front counter balancing daily baked goodies.

Stop by early for grilled asparagus with Istra dry-cured bacon from Daylesford, free-range eggs, shaved fennel, crumbled fetta and mixed herb salad; or the brioche French toast with pear, frangipani and rhubarb mascarpone. From noon, maybe try some pulled pork shoulder on sourdough with apple, sour cherry and fennel chutney; a coconut chicken salad; or sticky lamb ribs with smoked corn and herb salad. For takeaway, pick up a St Ali single-origin with a blueberry and vanilla muffin.

When the sun’s out, make sure you get in earlier to secure that footpath posse, kicking off with some slow-pressed organic juice. Or stick around until after twilight and whittle away the hours with some biodynamic wine or a boutique beer.

Where: 2/155 Fitzroy St, St Kilda
When: Tue–Sun 7am–11pm
Phone: (03) 9537 0001
Details: fitzrovia.com.au

Responsible for the likes of Honkytonks and Sorry Grandma!, Michael has triumphed again with The Bottom End, somehow rewriting the rulebook and getting it oh-so-right.

The place is a self-described “love-child of a fair-dinkum pub and a hedonistic party palace with an all-night pseudo-US diner thrown in for good measure”, and its menu is gleefully bogan-chic. There are only three kinds of wine: cheap, reasonable and good. If pressed, they’ll reluctantly divulge the grape varieties, but they’d really prefer that you just call it like it is and be done with it.

Notable cocktails include the Australian Martini, complete with a smear of Vegemite, a bright green pickled onion and a slice of Coon cheese; the Single Mother, a dubious-sounding blend of Southern Comfort, red wine and ginger beer; and the Boston Tea Party, a great twist on a Long Island Ice Tea.

You’ll notice a patron or two wandering around with a Doss Blockos Pale Lager, a microbrew originating right here in St Kilda and served in a customised brown paper bag – so derelict cool. The beer list is extensive and has cred.

This bar will make the most of its all-hours licence and you can expect the hospitality industry to come flocking in the wee hours of the morning for a knock-off drink and a fix of dude food.

American diner is the inspiration here. The fried mac and cheese balls are a must, as is the po’ boy – a prawn and chorizo ‘hero’ sandwich with spicy Creole sauce. For traditionalists, a hearty selection of burgers and buffalo wings awaits.

We predict a new Melbourne favourite that may just entice the cool crowd from the Paris end of town… The Bottom End is beckoning.

Where: 579 Little Collins St, Melbourne CBD
Hours: Wed-Sun, 4pm–late
Phone: (03) 9629 3001
Details: thebottomend.com.au

Famed Taxi Dining Room leaked some talent on this one. Michael Lambie and Scott Borg head The Smith Family. Lambie was of course, Head Chef at Taxi and Borg the restaurants Manager.  One suggests they were well liked too…along for the ride is ex-Taxi head Sommelier, Alex Owens.

The kitchen space is revealing. Diners get all the theatre of the kitchens many teams interchanging and finessing over what is set-up to serve an all day dining and grazing menu. There’s the ‘Mouthfuls’ from 4.50 – Peking Duck Dumplings anyone; ‘Tastes’ which are all under $20, ‘Charcuterie’ and ‘Fish & Meat’ all under $40 and shareable.

On entry, go left for dining and right for the bar. Between those two areas Agenda sat upright on one of the long communal tables. There are two communals running parallel and these for us are the prized seats. On a Friday and Saturday they make for prime people viewing and perfect casual dining.

At The Smith our sense is that this is far more about the food than the drinks. Certainly good for a couple of glasses of plonk with the lady or gent, or a starting few with the lads & lasses but a lot better if you’ve got a tummy and table waiting.

Location: 213 High Street, Prahran || Reservations: 9514 2444 || Web: TheSmithPrahran.com.au

The high-end affair will be staged at the ballroom of The Langham, which is probably the most charming of Melbourne’s five-star hotels, and is serving a menu devised by the accomplished Pierrick Boyer (Le Petit Gateau), matched with tea blends by Madame Flavour. They are collaborating with the talented gentlemen behind Madam Virtue & Co., Melbourne’s treasure trove of archival quality European high-end, who are presenting an installation of true French couture from their own label.

So…we are being invited to take tea in a ballroom full of blooms by the lauded Domain Flowers, and be served pastries while losing ourselves in the textures, intricate stitching and draping of true French couture – the real kind, the kind that’s hand-sewn in Paris by the ‘premières’ couturiers.

Clearly, this is not your everyday sort of cuppa; more a died-and-went-to-Paris moment. Le Style have capped the day off with a ‘Pop-up French Emporium’.  They have invited Melbourne’s most special boutiques, like Peony Melbourne Haute Parfumerie, to trade from the venue for the day. Guests will be able to shop and sample treasure-some French luxuries, necessities and ephemera.

The dress code is Parisienne Chic, and the best-dressed will win a piece of French luxury by Prahran’s homeware and objet d’art dealer, Miles Mason Trading Company. Need any better reason to get dressed up all Frenchie-chic and join in? Ticket proceeds and 100 percent of raffle funds raised are being donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Tickets are $55 and each guest leaves with a giftbag full of chic goodies. Ooh-la-la!

When: Sat 17 Sep
Where: The Langham, Clarendon Ballroom, 1 Southgate Ave, Southbank
Times: Three sittings, 11am, 1pm and 3pm
Dress Code: Parisienne Chic
Details: L’Heure du Thé

So for a moment, forget all the no-bookings, tapas, degustation, nose-to-tail and foraging trends. Rather, meet Queen Margaret, a new pizzeria in Clifton Hill (technically Fitzroy North, but its village possie says otherwise) that aims to celebrate the perfect margherita. Owner Robert Coco describes such perfection with an emphatic smile: dough fermented at least 24 hours for maximum depth and flavour, a crust with a thin and crisp exterior yet chewy interior, and of course, fresh toppings.

Queen Margaret is classy but casual. Staff in floral or checked aprons don genuine smiles. A rustic, industrial-style design features reclaimed timber, black tabletops and white brick walls dressed with shelves of canned goods, old books and salvaged kitchen props. An open pizza kitchen and small bar separate the front and back dining spaces, while the main kitchen hides behind a mock shabby-chic cottage frontage with lace curtains. From there to the loo, the story of QM is fleshed out in black ink across the walls and ceiling.

Delighting any margherita devotee, there’s not one but three versions: QM I, II and III. There’s also a cheese focus: around 10 types span the pizza and cheese boards. Maybe start with a cured meat and cheese platter, some focaccia or small plate of fried calamari with chili salt or pork & veal meatballs. For drinks, try the full-flavoured Red Duck porter or slightly spicy 3 Ravens Blonde.

We’ve all travelled from Carlton to Mornington for DOC, from Fitzroy to Prahran to Ladro, but QM now seems poised to capture a hefty slice of our pizza pilgrimages.

Where: 356 Queens Pde, Fitzroy North
Phone: (03) 9482 5988
Hours: Tue–Sun, 5pm–Late
Details: queenmargaret.com.au

Morris Jones! It opened yesterday (Sep 8th) and let’s keep this simple, it’s one of the best fit outs we’ve seen. This 1887 heritage warehouse has been given an almighty working over. Now Morris Jones is reborn, formally a furniture store and mainstay of the Windsor end of Chapel Street, it’s now a uniquely blended bar & restaurant.

There’s nothing to hide this one – Morris Jones shouts out, local passers by have been peaking in for months…in anticipation. They’ve retained and refurbished the prominent Morris Jones façade and gutted the rest to reveal huge ceilings, an open dining room (take a look upstairs too), and a long narrow bar area leading to the rear courtyard. That rear courtyard is likely to become one of Melbourne’s summer darlings.

For the moment Morris Jones is open 7 days for lunch, dinner and supper with full cocktail bar to 1am. Chef Paul Wilson has provided the direction on a modern Australian / European menu in conjunction with head food guy Tony Milton.

Windsor’s booming scene just got rocked by this one, in a good way that is, and we’re pretty sure that if this is your side of the Yarra you’ve just uncovered a new local.

What do we love?
-       Staff ‘get-up’ is slick
-       Wood fired BBQ
-       Casual meets elegant meets Windsor cool
-       South of High Street keeps getting better…can we call the area SOHI

Location: 163 Chapel Street, Windsor || Open 7-days, lunch, dinner and late-night || Walk-ins welcome and reservations at 9533 2055

And with all the fun of zippy go-kart handling, and all the frugal of 3.8l/100km* in the new MINI Cooper D, 4.4l/100km* in the new MINI Cooper D Countryman or 4.9l/100km* in the new MINI Cooper SD ALL4 Countryman, the new MINI Diesel range is FRUGALFÜN with a capital F. (Speaking of capitals, you can also have a capital A for Also Available in Auto, because the new MINI Cooper D is…well, it’s also available in auto.)

But the handsome figures don’t stop there, oh no. We’ve got emissions to talk about. Nobody likes gas, so the less there is, the better, right? Right. That’s why the new MINI Diesel range gives you just that. Just 99 CO2g/km* in the new MINI Cooper D, 115 CO2g/km* in the new MINI Cooper D Countryman and 129 CO2g/km* in the new MINI Cooper SD ALL4 Countryman.

But the FRUGALFÜN doesn’t end there, we’ve got FRUGALFÜN for the whole family! Seriously, the whole family. With four doors and seats for four adults, new MINI Cooper D Countryman and MINI Cooper SD ALL4 Countryman have plenty of room for the kids. Goat or kin.

Of course, the fun ain’t frugal without the innovative features of MINIMALISM. We know what you’re thinking. What the FRUGALFÜN is MINIMALISM? It’s a combination of intelligent technologies that help to give you more from less. With features like Auto Start/Stop, Brake Energy Regeneration and Shift Point Display, you’ll have more than a smiley face to smile about.

So there you have it, frugally friend. FRUGALFÜN. More fun, less fuel. Test-drive a new MINI D at your MINI Garage today or visit MINI.COM.AU/FRUGALFUN for more.

*Combined fuel consumption as per ADR81/02

The Global Party concept is inspired by Phileas Fogg, the protagonist in Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days. As such, The Global Party will be held at more than 80 venues, from Amsterdam to Rio to New York, and Dubai and Shanghai. Plus of course, Melbourne!

Imagine 80,000 of the world’s VIP’s strutting it at 80 of the world’s finest locations, all raising money for various charities over a 24 hour period. From yachts in St Barts to luxury villas in Marrakech this is one of the most sort after nights on the worldwide social calendar.

Sure, the party is good but this is one hell of a networking gig. All ticket holders will receive a limited edition ‘Global Party’ Key-2 Luxury key ring. This will not only be your unique entrance key for the night but also give you exclusive VIP privileges at hotels, restaurants and clubs. Let’s just say you’ll become a life member or privilege.

Next Thursday (7-late) at The Spice Market expect one hell of a bash. Open bar and mezza from 7pm and it’s a surprise but we’ve been assured of a pretty special guest appearance.

The best thing about all this – this illustrious event is all in aid of hundreds of charities worldwide. The Global Party is expected to raise over 40 million dollars, benefiting 15 of the world’s leading charities including ARK (Absolute Return for Kids), Keep a Child Alive, The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and Sentabale.

We’ve done our bit…now get bidding. You can do so on our Facebook page here – Facebook.com/Agenda. The five highest bidders will win two keys – your ticket to be a part of this world-wide Charity doo.

That’s The Loading Dock, and not only is it a welcome surprise, but arrive here on the third Sunday of each month, and you’ll be whisked to Jamaica for a feast befitting Bob Marley, Shaggy or that beach-loving bobsled team.

Jamaican-born chef Milton Reboe has worked in some pretty diverse culinary locales; as a sous chef in Jamaica’s Port Antonia, head chef on a yacht in Tuscany, and later as head chef of neighbourhood Italian and pizzeria (and Food Network fave) Graziella’s in Brooklyn, NY.

Melbournians can experience his culinary diversity and far-flung influences any time of day. The Loading Dock serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday sans attitude and inflated prices. The menu is best described as modern Australian with excellent thin-crust pizzas, burgers from the grill and an abundance of fresh seafood and Jamaican-influenced dishes.

But Milton truly gets his groove on in the kitchen when he retraces his Jamaican roots on the third Sunday of every month with ‘Jamaican Sunday’: a night of Kingston-inspired Caribbean fare, featuring such plates as curried goat, jerk chicken and rice and peas, all for a meager $25.

And while Melbourne weather and water can’t exaclty compete the Negril sands, you can get a step closer with the restaurant’s north-facing, sun-soaked outside tables, plus bobbing boats jostling mere steps away on the marina. The warming weather should help with the effect.

So melt into the large, comfortable couch seating, soak up the sweeping city views, and as you devour that that jerk chicken, imagine yourself lighting a spliff and grooving to some wicked riddims. Possibly.

Where: Riverfront, 70 Lorimer St, Port Melbourne
When: Jamaican Sunday is held every 3rd Sunday of the month, from 5–9pm. The next event is 17 Sep
Price: $25 per person
Bookings: (03) 9681 8289
Details: loadingdockbar.com.au

Arthur’s Day is a celebration of the man who started it all – Arthur Guinness. In 1759 he signed a 9000 year lease on his brewery, thereby securing the St James Gate Brewery as the home of Guinness. Each year the world celebrates the great man, by coming together and raising a glass at 17:59. This year will be no different with massive celebrations around the world, the largest of which will take place in Dublin with the Scissor Sisters, Stereophonics, Paloma Faith, Calvin Harris and many more… And you could be there too!

It’s easy
1. “Like” us on Facebook

2. Listen to the bands, vote and enter the competition to win
3. Get down to the semi-finals and support the bands… And of course enjoy a Guinness

Check out all the semi finals here – Facebook.com/GuinnessAustralia

With all the runways and VIP events going on all over town, there’s the usual dilemma: how to choose which to grace with your presence?

Standouts that aren’t yet sold out include the Art of the Cocktail Hour Events – the roaring ’20s are influencing fashion at the moment, celebrated during MSFW with a cocktail party at Town Hall, featuring designer runways, canapés, nibbles, entertainment and sultry jazz music. Sounds like a perfectly decadent way to experience the best of fashion to us. Tickets are $97. Be quick, they’re disappearing fast.

For recessionistas, there are plenty of free runways and events to lurk around, including the MSFW@City Square series, where you can see new collections by the likes of De Cjuba, French Connection, Marcs and Jigsaw – conveniently shown during your lunch hour from noon-2pm. Pick up a piadini from nearby Superfino Deli (275 Flinders Ln) and drop into the Lavazza coffee tent for a free latte to accompany.

Now, what to wear while you’re traipsing all over the city?

A nice antidote to Melbourne’s penchant for black is the colour-blocking trend – the fun electric colours also ensure attention from the social pages photographers. Heels or chunky wedges are a must, but you can cheat by sneaking a pair of Tipsy Toes into your clutch between events.

During downtime, primp yourself at the free Kevin Murphy Style Bar at City Square, where hair stylists will be on hand to do your ’do. Then pop in to the Nikon tent to post in front of your very own paparazzi pack, model-style, so you can upload the pics later straight from the web to Facebook…  After all, what’s the point of going if no one knows you were there?

When: 5-11 Sep
Where: All over the CBD
Details: melbourne.vic.gov.au/msfw

Unfortunately, the Rue de Fleurus team couldn’t get their artistic paws on number 27 Gertrude Street. Instead, hospitality guru Wayne Markus and designer Aaron McKenzie teamed up with Claypots owner Renan Goksin to open at number 153 last Thursday night.

The concept behind Rue de Fleurus is simple: it’s a space that creates. Stein once said, “a writer should write with his eyes, and a painter, paint with his ears.” At Rue de Fleurus, her words have been taken as gospel, with patrons encouraged to use every one of their five senses.

Expect fine food, film nights, exhibitions and, well, the unexpected.

A flexible roster of chefs will see celebrity culinarians share the kitchen with home cooks to produce an ever-changing daily menu. Wednesdays will be a highlight, with a gourmet vegetarian menu that’s aimed at even making the carnivorous drool.

Paris-trained and Greek-bred chef Andreas Papadakis, previously of Vue de Monde fame, is already set to be involved. If his squid ink seafood paella at the opening is anything to go by, diners will be spoilt for choice.

When ordering Little Creatures or White Rabbit on tap, keep an eye out for the intricate bar tiles hand-painted by McKenzie himself. Then bask in the elegant European living room décor by the open fire, or beneath the bulbous art deco feature light, and drown in the rich sound of the Albert Fahr Zeitz piano.

With so much to look forward to from the Rue de Fleurus team, ‘number 27’ may soon be buried in the annals of history. Instead, locals and devotees will be flocking to ‘number 153.’

Where: 153 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, Vic
Hours: Mon-Sun noon-1am
Details: facebook.com/ruedefleurus
Phone: (03) 9416 4116

Who says vegans can’t have any fun? In fact, there’s a new way they can have their cake and eat it, too.

Plump with vegan, organic and fair-trade ingredients, husband and wife team Lucas Cook and Deb Kantor started baking Mister Nice Guy Cupcakes during nights at Lentil as Anything. Born in Oklahoma, Lucas (whose Cook surname is among the best ever for a pan-rattler) started baking at age 10 with his great aunt. Pleasing strict and non-vegans alike, he’s perfected a recipe that uses animal-free products to produce bouncy, moist and fluffy cakes.

With demand growing, Lucas is now focusing on frosting, leaving Deb, a former graphic designer who became a vegan after watching Food Inc, with the baking. Catering for events, wholesaling to cafes, selling at markets (e.g. Finders Keepers) and fuelling movie buffs at the Westgarth Cinema, they’ve now opened their own Mister Nice Guy Cupcake Bakery at the Noise Bar in Brunswick’s Railway Hotel.

Sweet brunchy things include crepes or French toast, while lunch features Tex Mex goods like quesadillas and ‘mother flippin’ enchiladas, inspired by Cook’s love of Mexican-American food.

But it’s those baked oddities that keep them coming: from crepes, ‘cheese’ cakes or giant cookie cakes to cream pies and the headlining cupcakes.

With great titles, they do all kinds of cupcake flavour combos: from the Fuzzy Ewok, a cinnamon and clove cake with chocolate frosting and toasted coconut; to the Rosie Robot, topped with rosewater-infused pistachio frosting and sprinkled with pistachios. Cocktail varieties include the Pina Colada, a coconut cupcake with pineapple and coconut frosting; or the Bloody Mary, a tomato, black pepper and vodka-infused base with Tabasco-and-tomato frosting and celery garnish.

Scared yet? Don’t be. Pay a visit and you’ll sink into one of their plush couches, listen to retro tunes and go straight to vegan cupcake heaven.

Your ethical consciousness extends to the trip home with the train station and bike path minutes away – the latter perfect for offsetting any over-indulgences.

Where: Railway Hotel, 291 Albert St, Brunswick
Hours: Wed-Fri 9am-3pm | Sat-Sun 11am-5pm
Phone: 0405 001 442
Details: misterniceguy.com.au

She brought us the Lake House in 1984. Now, after 27 years and a ton of awards, owner Alla Wolf Tasker brings us a go-to in the gardens.

A labour of love for the whole family, the Wolf-Tasker’s have gutted a 1940′s caretaker cottage for Wombat Hill House, a new garden, cafe and store now open in Daylesford’s Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens.

Beneath the vanilla brick veneer building lies an ancient extinct volcano (note – ancient and extinct) which promises great views over Daylesford and the surrounding countryside.

On entering, find a home-style dining room, cosy armchairs by open fires and a mural by Alla’s husband Allan, an artist.

The breakfast and lunch menu mirrors the Lake House philosophy and while probably not as elaborate, expect seasonal produce from the same local suppliers. And chefs – the garden house giving the Lake House team a sabbatical break from the rigours of fine dine.

And of course, we’re talking gourmet. Think Brioche French Toast, saffron pears, Meredith yoghurt, Des’ honey and walnut crumble for breakfast. As for lunch, it’s sandwiches and baguettes and daily specials like a Moroccan duck pastie or ‘corn pickers’ pie (slow cooked lamb under with polenta crust). For afternoon tea, don’t miss those warm madeleines with lemon curd and cream.

And picnickers, don’t bring a thing (well, maybe a rug). Alongside take home meals and pantry provisions (from Alla’s own ‘A Wolf in the Kitchen’ range), the store has ‘picnic out’ fare ready and waiting – from terrines and pates to local olives and warm crusty bread.

On Sunday, you might linger on for ‘Aperitivo in the Gardens.’ From 5pm, you’ll sip wine in the open bar area on the attached pegola, with a spread of olives, grissini and a little pizza.

With springs on the doorstep, winter mists will soon get the boot from warm days and longer opening hours.

Day spas, mineral springs, long walks…one more reason to visit Daylesford.

Where: Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens (entry off Central Spring Road), Daylesford.
Hours: Thurs-Mon 8.30 am – 5pm.
Phone: (03) 4373 0099
Details: wombathillhouse.com

Named after a recently departed friend and local musician, you’ll find the Juddy Roller down a little alley off Johnston St.

You’ll sit on a milk crate stool by the wall, put in your coffee order and pick eats from a small blackboard menu, split into Herbivore or Carnivore (likely to determine the fate of your baked eggs). Other options include a classic croque monsieur, bircher muesli with goji berries, ‘smushed’ avo on sourdough or Fitzroy Fresh sandwich.

But as good as the food and coffee is, your focus will if it hasn’t already, soon flip to art with the main wall featuring non-generic street art. Shaun favours art forms that push boundaries and the norm and commissions work from local and international street artists for the space.

He’s also the co-founder of the ILL-Logic Art Festival, an urban styled art exhibition which returns to Chapel St and surrounds this Thursday with diverse styles from 5 new artists, from graffiti, stencil and paint to video and illustration art.

The line-up includes Melbourne-based graffiti artist Itch, a runner up in the ’11 Red Bull Wreckers Yard live graffiti art painting competition and Flake who, having worked with Element Skateboards, Billabong, T-bar and Globe draws inspiration from fine images, sounds and the dirty underbelly of the city.

So drop by for a coffee at the JR or head along on Thursday night for projections, drinks and live DJs.

Where: Corner Johnston and Chapel St. Fitzroy.
When: Cafe | Mon-Fri 8am-4pm; Sat 8.30am – 4pm. ILL-Logic Art Festival | Thurs Aug 25 at 6pm
Details: facebook.com/JuddyRoller; ill-logicexhibition.com

The Brix Café & Bistrot is now open on Westgarth St at the rear of Brunswick St (on the Alexandra Avenue end).

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, head chef Joel Alderson (ex-Attica and former Sous Chef at The Royal Mail) is offering modern French fare with a 5-course set menu from Friday to Sunday.

The design background of owners Emma O’Mara and Keir Vaughan is clear, interior and communications designers respectively. A white and charcoal painted brick fascade is interrupted by remnants of an old garage roller door while a fresh, also white interior is offset by pale timber. You’ll spy hanging potted ferns and indoor plants on glossed concrete floors, a larger-than-life black pig sculpture and a joyful family-feast artwork (an atmosphere The Brix creators are keen to replicate).

Meet for a cheeky wine or coffee, perhaps with a sweet treat or better yet, their charcuterie plate. Take a seat by the mosaic counter bar; in the small dining area; out back by a window-lined bench or opt for the light infused indoor/outdoor courtyard.

Smartly dressed staff don suspenders and deliver paper menus fixed with metal clips. Menus will change weekly with market produce but if you’re in for brekkie, don’t expect the usual. Sure, there’s granola with granny smith, nuts and buttermilk but try ocean trout with coddled egg and brioche or black pudding with apple, cider, sorrel and duck egg. Couples can summon the Tier for Two for a spread of fruit, yoghurt, pastry, cheese, egg and meats.

At lunch, offerings include a fine herb omellete and shallot tart tatin.  For dinner, make entree calamari or veal breast before mains like bass grouper or lamb with artichokes and salsa verde. At the tail end, if any of chestnut, chocolate or lemon tart appeal, this is your spot.

Armed with arrows of beautiful food and wine, The Brix has added another string to Fitzroy’s rejuvenated bow.

Where: Rear 412 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Phone: (03) 9417 6114
Hours: Tues 6pm-late | Wed - Fri 12pm-3pm 6pm-late  | Sat 8am-3pm 6pm-late | Sun 8am-long lunch | Set Menu Fri, Sat nights & Sun Lunch
Details: thebrix.com.au

This time he’s headed upstairs to Melbourne Central’s new level two Dining Hall, opening specialty coffee outlet Plantation. While coffee connoisseurs can expect a new experimental coffee encounter, others will relish this convenient pre-work or mid-shop high-class coffee stop.

You’ll arrive at an eight-metre long coffee bench with distinct ‘order here’ and ‘collect here’ stations. With a selection of single-origins on offer, a little chalkboard signals the days brew – today, a Nicaragua Cup of Excellence Lot # 13 La Bendicion. Expect unique brewing methods, Plantation housing both a customized cold drip coffee wall and Uber Boiler for a pour over station. Invited to lift the lids on glass cloche jars at the ‘aroma’ station, they also do cold drip coffee in takeaway bottles that is, coffee extracted over several hours. A La Mazacco FB70 waits in the wings for espresso lovers.

As for the design, thank The Design Collective’s Jennifer Lowe and Brooke Thorn and Foolscap Studio’s Adele Winteridge. That lush green fern is an instant eye-catcher. Decorative metalwork and a dark timber and tiled shopfront mimic colonial-style architecture while under foot; a bright red and white checked floor alludes to the shaded balconies of plantation houses.

Invited to re-create the ‘boutique’ coffee experience at home – they sell a range of Hario specialty brewing equipment (all the way from Japan), packaged coffee blends and single origin beans.

Find fuel in fresh salads, sandwiches and pastries (baked on site) as friendly, knowledgeable coffee consultants help with coffee speak.

Where: Level 2 Dining Hall. Melbourne Central
When: Check back soon.

From the Swan Valley, Australia’s most compact wine region; to the stunning Margaret River, now producing close to 20 per cent of the nations premium wines, we’re certainly spoilt by the Western grape.

Get a Taste of WA. The Point at Albert Park Lake is putting the spotlight on the western states premium wine producers with a wine tasting celebration of Western Australia’s premium wines.

Taste, taste, taste…. From 5.30 – 8pm on September 13^th you can taste from over 20 premium wineries. $35 will get your own tasting glass, tastings from over 20 premium WA wineries and canapés.

If you’d prefer to learn, learn, learn…then taste there are three fantastic masterclasses, hosted by Peter Forrestal, a Perth based wine writer for Gourmet Traveler Wine and the Sunday Times Magazine. Each masterclass will examine regional styles, covering sub-regional variation and aged styles.

The following classes are available:
Great Southern Riesling – 6pm-6.20pm
Great Southern Shiraz – 6.40pm – 7pm
Western Australian Cabernet Sauvignon – 7.20 – 7.40pm

Drink to learn, learn to drink. WA’s infiltration continues.

To book: Contact Jayde Cox on 08 9284 3355 or email winewa@winewa.asn.au || The Point is located on Aquatic Drive in Albert Park

Whether you are a connoisseur or more pragmatic in your bottled grape selections, this nine day wine festival has something for every level of palate.

Since 2007, The Young Guns of Wine Awards has presented an array of dinners, tastings, talks and events at Melbourne’s most stellar venues, from Cumulus Inc to The Botanical, Coda and Madame Brussels.

Tomorrow night, Bar Lourinha hosts a casual Spanish-themed long-table dinner, complete with open bottles from six Young Gun Wine makers while on Thursday, three cool climate wine makers head to Coda, presenting drops to share with an intimate dinner from Adam D’Sylva.

Across the festival, a panel of industry leaders will call upon their poetic palette skills to determine The Young Gun of Wine Winner, from a pool of 11. As for the People’s Choice Award, well…that’s up to you. It’s determined according to purchasing decisions at the People’s Sessions Event, so head along to the Prince Wine Room this Saturday from 12pm to make your vote count.

From traditionalists to vibrant young bloods, Australian winemakers continue to break new ground. So help support the future of Australian wine and our youngest bottlers by tasting the fruits of their labour!

Based on Melbourne’s passion for the juice of the gods, this worthy event is sure to continue.

Cheers.

Where: Various locations across Melbourne.
When: Aug 15 thru’ – Aug 22, 2011
Details: For bookings and further info, visit younggunofwine.com

Introducing Speakeasy Kitchen & Bar, a new breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot open now near the corner of Chapel St and Commercial Rd in South Yarra.

Offering something for all hours – early birds are dropping in on route to work for coffee (brewed from nearby favourite, Dukes). Others linger behind blackened iron work in the alcove out front for a quick brekkie, possibly their tasty bircher. Weekenders stay even longer – interchanging glances between weekend papers, the Agenda website, the usual Chapel Street characters and their eggs bene.

For lunch, small plates fit the bill – like a Speakeasy Beef Burger with French Fries or pumpkin soup with pancetta and crème fraîche. Freshly shucked oysters or their great fat chips (soon to be popular we think) go down well with a pre-dinner tipple. From there, it’s heartier fare like grilled swordfish, a pork belly or 300g Scotch fillet. Follow up with a vanilla crème brulee or frozen banana parfait dessert.

To the back it’s more refined with more timber fittings…communal table, tables for two and kitchen bar seating. The skylight overhead lets plenty of light through as pale blue and white seats and modern light fittings add to the sleek design aesthetic.

Outside there’s more to to get excited about. There’s talk of commissioning artwork for the laneway (which runs adjacent to Commercial Road) alongside a massive existing mural and when the weather warms we have a sneaky suspicion that sipping bubbles out back on the timber deck will be the chosen Sunday agenda of many.

Not literally a speakeasy of course but certainly easy enough to speak in favour of.

Where: 359 Chapel Street, South Yarra | Contact: 9824 0770

Opening Hours
Tuesday – Sunday (Breakfast/Lunch)
Thursday – Saturday (Dinner)

What?

Well, the not-so-underground wintery whisper is that St Jerome’s is re-opening. Impossible, you say – the building got pulled down.

However, Jerome Borazio and business partner Danny Rogers have today opened up a venue aptly named The Resurrection along Lygon Street in East Brunswick.

The guys have again kept all the bells and whistles to a unique minimum, paying homage to the not-so-grand but great space of St Jerome’s of CBD legend (back alley laneway, of course), which, of course, famously spawned the eponymous music festival that’s now in seven cities and three countries.

Almost as famous as the old venue’s beer crates, grinding tunes and the seriously rocking nights have been the current venue’s well-publicized battles with a tiny band of locals against a damn jolly good and unpretentious poppin’ time. So, this has taken a little longer to rise up as planned, but this ‘grown-up’ version has been worth the wait.

Here, milk crates are replaced with stools, and there’s not a stinky bin in sight. In fact, this is double the size and triple the fun. There’s also an extended food/snack menu, the coolest of DJs, the new ‘500ml cans of Melbourne’ beer stock, and a cocktail inspired by a night out with Prince Fred of Denmark: complete with thyme, other herbs and a secret white spirit. Ah, yep.

It’s a completely left-of-centre, eccentric and slightly sophisticated yet unpretentious clubhouse to hang, drink and be merry with your mates. It’s all pretty simple. Just the way we like… no, love it.

Where: 135 Lygon St, East Brunswick
Hours: Sun-Wed 7am-11pm, Thu-Sat 7am-1am
Details: The Resurrection Facebook page

So we’re pleased to report that Melbourne’s Real Hot B!tches* are keen to take a literal approach to lyrics. What’s more, judging by the packed turnout at the RHB meetings, there were more than a few little boys posturing in front of the bedroom mirror too.

Come to this circus space in East Brunswick on a Tuesday night, and you’ll witness head b!tch Molly Moonshine bending over in nothing but a g-string leotard and shocking tights, leading a class through some histrionic workout choreography that leans heavily towards pomp-rock stylin’.

It’s total, unadulterated fun with a feel-good vibe. Molly brought the concept over from New Zealand – where the Wellington branch have been going strong for six years – and now has a regular cast of men and women with outrageous nom de plumes (Blonde Jovi, Jane Fondle and Jet Phoenix among them), helping to coach ever-increasing numbers of new recruits. They also put on professional shows, including a recent performance was at a roller derby, but participation is optional.

Sign up to the mailing list and you’ll be emailed in advance the numbers coming up: no doubt something by Poison, Olivia N.J., Billy Idol, Stevie Nicks or Pat Benatar. It’s a little bit c*ck rock video, a little bit 1980s aerobics class in the ’burbs, a little bit wannabe Jane Fonda glam; although the persona most of the b!tches adopt is of the hardnosed bogan with a heart of gold.

All the diehard members trawl eBay for hideous vintage aerobics wear in offensive patterns, but do tailor your outfit. If turning up to an ‘Eye of the Tiger’ night, for instance, flaunt American flags, sweatbands and big-cat print. And check your embarrassment at the door – this stuff’s daggier than a sheep’s a-se, and proudly so.

It’s “awse”, as the B!tches say.

Where: Email realhotb.tches@gmail.com for location
When: Every other Tuesday | next meeting is 23 Aug
Hours: 7pm 
start
Price: $5
Details: realhotb!tchesmelbourne.com

* The exclamation mark is all ours, thanks to overzealous sp-m filters.

Well stand back, because a breath of brisk air is blowing back into August next week with the launch of The Alpine Melbourne Winter Festival.

Set to cool the city to sub-temps for the second year in a row, this last-hoorah to hibernation involves tons of ice, loads of fine liquor and piles of nosh.

From gluhwein to goulash, the festival’s seasonal menu celebrates cold-weather cuisine from more than 20 different countries. Exclusive to the Melbourne end of the Winter Festival (which has also enjoyed whistle stops in Brisbane, the Sydney CBD and Bondi Beach) is the French Crepes Cuisine Ohlala; authentic, aromatic crepes whipped up in front of you using a range of French ingredients.

To work off said kilos, get your skates on. Literally. The hero of this festival is the ice rink erected in front of the Royal Exhibition Building, offering skate hire day and night. Go hard, then head to the Alpine Ski Hut, built in the tradition of a mountain chalet. It will be jam-packed with more gourmet food, a fully stocked bar, a cosy fireplace and heated outdoor terrace.

Put your feet up and enjoy a cuppa from the Lipton Chai Latte Lodge, and if you prefer to raise the temp a bit more, grab some pals and head to one of the themed weeknight events.

For the luvvas, Monday is all about enjoying a classic waltz session on the ice, while Fridays puts on the party skates with some Euro lounge. And get your Flashdance leg warmers out on Saturdays for an icy ode to the ’80s.

Come Sunday, if you’re still lamenting a lack of winter woollies, you can knit and crochet up a storm fireside in the Alpine Ski Hut. BYO yarn and thirst – the first 50 festival knitters receive a complimentary gluhwein or hot chocolate.

Oh, and just in case, get ready to bust out random skating moves to “Ice Ice Baby”. You know you wanna…

Where: Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson St, Carlton
When: 18 Aug-4 Sep | Mon-Fr noon-10pm | Sat 10am-11pm | Sun 10am-10pm
Details: winterfestival.com.au

On entry to Kumo Izakaya & Sake Bar you’ll be greeted Japanese style – ‘irasshaimase’ they chant. Literally translates to ‘come in’. Naturally it adds to the atmosphere too when all staff boisterously sing the welcome tune.

The man responsible for this latest Japanese translation is owner and entrepreneur Andre Bishop, also behind Robot, Golden Monkey and Izakaya Chuji.

In the kitchen it’s Akimi Iguachi (Yu-U and Bar Lourinha) and Eriko Hamabe (of Kobe Jones and The Royal George). You’ll share traditional gems found street side in Japan like yakitori chicken skewers, as well as innovative little dishes including delicious potato-wrapped fried king prawns.

If you are lucky enough to be local, consider this your new dojo.  The drinks: as we said, Melbourne’s most comprehensive sake list. The communal table: A 26-seat recycled timber. The deep booths: red leather and found upstairs in the loft.

Irasshaimase. Irasshaimase, Irasshaimase.

Where: 152 Lygon St, Brunswick East
When: Mon-Thurs 5.30-11.30pm | Fri-Sat 5.30pm-12.30pm
Phone: (03) 9388 1505
Details: kumoizakaya.com.au

Caffeine connoisseurs have already been flocking from far and wide to enjoy an affair with Market Lane Coffee and their café at the Prahran Market. But when chance provided a prime location on Therry Street, opposite the QVM, business partners Fleur Studd and Jason Scheltus couldn’t resist the opportunity to expand, giving followers another source to get their Market Lane fix.

The second outpost shares signature good looks with its older sibling, with the use of recycled timbre, white tile splashbacks, polished concrete flooring, painted brick walls and exposed lightbulbs and worker lamps. The minimalist design and monochromatic colour palette allows for the coffee to stand out as the real hero.

Smaller in space than its predecessor, the new kid-on-the-block is more of a pit stop and retail outlet than traditional café setting. There is bench seating and an intimate bar, so you can relax while you wait for your ‘medium-strong double-ristretto extra-hot piccolo latte’ to be expertly made. Here, you can refuel on market day with a single origin or seasonal blend espresso, or maybe a clean and complex-flavoured pour over, and then grab a snack with a small selection of Dench pastries or housemade cakes.

Replenish your brew supply and pick up a bag of freshly roasted beans, or stock up with coffee-making equipment. Each week, choose between five different types of beans or the seasonal espresso.

This is premium-quality stuff, and enough to take your nose on an exotic journey to Brazil, Costa Rica, Kenya and beyond. That’s not too bad of a jaunt for mere gold pocket shrapnel, and should leave you with enough spare coinage (not to mention pre-deal carbon credits) to pony up for any remaining goodies on your Queen Vic shopping list.

Where: 109-111 Therry St, Melbourne
Hours: Tue, Thu-Sat 7am-3pm | Sun 9am-3pm
Phone: (03) 9804 7434
Details: marketlane.com.au

Don’t change; just re-adjust a little with Mana Bar – a unique alcohol-meets-gaming bar that first opened in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley in April last year and is newly console-jockeying the Melbourne bar scene.

Assumptions abound: anti-social… full of 40-plus overweight nerds. Nope. From hard-core gamers to casual first timers, it’s a diverse crew. And by supporting a smart gaming and drinking subculture, Mana challenges the view that video games fuel alcohol-related violence ­– one of the owners says they’ve yet to encounter violence up north. In fact, he adds, video-game bars tend to turn strangers into friends, a casual vibe reinforced by player instinct and a ‘you lose, you move’ mentality.

And forget grimy décor and dusty couches – the stylish and well-lit Fitzroy instalment houses seven LCD screens across multiple rooms: a main one with bar for on-request multiplayer games, a back room for movement-like games, an upstairs VIP area, and an outdoor courtyard with a projector for more games and trailers.

Mixed next-gen games will change monthly, from Xbox 360’s Modern Warfare 2, Grand Theft Auto and FIFA 11 to PS3’s Gran Turismo 5 and Wii Sports. So with console in one hand, place a game-themed Mana cocktail or shot in the other – perhaps a Princess Peach, served long with Bombay Sapphire gin, lemon juice and peaches muddled with peach liqueur and sparkling. If that’s too girly, then go the Finish Him shot of vodka, tomato juice, garlic and Tabasco.

Collaborating with game developers and publishers, Mana Bar will promote and trial pre-release titles with game launch nights. There will also be host gaming, trivia nights and tournaments – think Guitar Hero competitions.

The last Sunday of every month will be a dress-up event. Suit up as a night creature this Sunday, 31 July, for the ‘Dead of Winter: Witches and Vampires’ night for a chance to win games. Over-researching by watching the first three seasons of True Blood? Possibly optional.

Where: 336 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
When: Mon-Fri (TBD) | Sat-Sun noon-11pm
Details: melbourne.manabar.com.au
Phone: (03) 9417 3432

Finding a hat for the races ­– neither a fast nor cheap task – is usually left to the last minute. But, this year, how about being first out of the gate? DIY, my dear.

If anyone knows their bonnets, it’s Louise McDonald, one of Australia’s leading hatmakers, or milliners as they like to say in the trade. Her designs have been worn by Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter in Howards End, Tom Cruise in Far and Away, and Jennifer Ehle in Pride & Prejudice. So sophisticated and stylish are her designs that the NGV bought her ‘Miss Moneypenny’ and ‘Bibi Cap’ for their collection.

Today, Louise designs and makes ready-to-wear hats and headpieces, and couture made-to-measures, from her Melbourne studio. With a focus on race wear, she’s known to draw inspiration from garage sales, hardware shops and historical pieces. Her hats have been spied everywhere from the Darwin and Broome Cups to the Dubai World Cup.

And she’s happy to share her skills. Her millinery classes teach the secrets of design and costume pieces, as well as new and traditional hat-making techniques. Together with beginner and intermediate classes, specific workshops cover the likes of how to make a vintage-textured hat, button beret or sculptured headpiece, ribbon origami and 1920s cockade trims.

If you want to get ready for the races, sign up for her beginner and intermediate classes, which kick off next Monday, 8 August and run six sessions over six weeks. Otherwise, the next classes start on 17 November, although by then fascinators start to give way to Santa’s red-and-white headgear.

For more inspiration, check out the exhibition of Louise’s 20 years of works at the Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, from 30 August to 5 September, in the Nicholas building where her studio is located. How’s hat for the perfect precursor to the Spring Racing Carnival?

Where: Rm 3, 8th Fl, 37 Swanston St, Melbourne
Price: $350, plus materials (about $30 to $80 per hat)
Phone: (03) 9650 1352
Details: millinery.com.au

Now, this August, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra brings Ludwig VB back into the now with the Beethoven Festival, a unique event celebrating the comprehensive works of said music marvel. Over two weeks and five concerts, you’ll hear all nine symphonies from start to finish at Melbourne Town Hall.

It kicks off on Monday with two of the world’s greatest symphonies: No 1 and No 3, the latter known as Eroica, described as the grandest and most ambitious orchestral work of its time. On Thursday, it’s the influential, thought-provoking No 2 and No 5, and on Saturday the incredible swiftness of No 4 and pictorial beauty of No 6. The following Wed, hear the undimmed emotional power of No 8 and his most wittiest creation, No 7, a fireball of energy described by Wagner as ‘the apotheosis of the dance.’

Each is conducted by Douglas Boyd, who’ll be interviewed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s artistic director, Huw Humphreys, an hour prior to each concert. And on the Sat, there’s a host of free activities to enrich and stimulate your thinking about the master, from a beginners guide to ‘The Great De-Beethoven’, arguing pro and con about Beethoven’s merits as the world’s greatest symphonic composer.

We’re giving you the chance to win one of 5 double passes to Concert 5 – Ode to Joy (Symphony No. 9) – on Monday 22 August. For a chance to win, simply post why you love Beethoven so much, in 25 words or less, on our Facebook Page.

Where: Melbourne Town Hall, 90-120 Swanston St, Melbourne
When: 9–22Aug
Details: mso.com.au/Beethoven
Price: $70-$130 per concert, or 3-concert packages from $150
Bookings: (03) 9929 9600, mso.com.au, or the MSO box office, 3 Driver Ln, Melbourne

Well, get your two-wheeler butt indoors, we say. Introducing The Shane Kelly Cycling Room, where you’ll not only get a killer workout, but you’ll be challenged and mentored by a world-class cyclist.

Shane Kelly’s resume looks a bit like this: five-time Olympian with three Olympic medals (silver in ’92, and bronze in ’00 and ’04); back-to-back Commonwealth Games gold medallist (’94 and ’98); four gold medals at the Track Cycling World Championships; four-time Australian Male Cyclist of the Year.

Perhaps not on the resume is the ’96 Olympics in Atlanta when the reigning world champ, then world record-holder and outright favourite accidentally slipped a shoe off his pedals at the start of the 1km time trial, and stopped racing. Still, he quickly congratulated eventual victor and long-time rival, Frenchman Florian Rousseau – that’s just his nature.

So after retiring in ’08, he’s brought those two decades of cycling experience to his newly opened studio in Richmond. And all are invited: seasoned pros, absolute beginners, those keen to improve their cycling skills, those after weight loss, or those hoping to keep warm and dry. But you will need some wheels. The studio’s decked out with spiffy LeMond Revolution Trainers, which allow your back wheel to spin freely on your own BYO’d road, hybrid or mountain bike.

Kelly also tailors personal or group programs and hosts Velodrome Team Building – corporate sessions designed to help colleagues work together better in high-pressure environments. The latter covers bike fitting, track skills (including riding 43-degrees bank), racing against the clock and tricks for dealing with success and disappointment (and doesn’t he know it).

Want in? Kelly runs sessions six days a week, so just email or ring to reserve your possie. Then, with water bottle and towel in tow, rock up 15 minutes early for the bike set-up.

After class (and now with tight buns), thank yourself, your instructor and us.

Where: 53-55 Burnley St, Richmond (btw Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre & Bike Force)
When: Mon-Sat, various times
How much: $20 per session, $160 for a 10-pack
Bookings: Call or SMS 0417 344 676 or email shane@shanekelly.net.au

Occupying the space left by Balcony Bar, Little Red Pocket has completely transformed the décor into a modern Japanese lounge bar, the likes of which Melbourne has never seen before.

Sure, there are plenty of Asian-inspired bars dotted through the CBD, but if you think of the big names – Golden Monkey, Manchuria, New Gold Mountain – you realise they all have their roots in Chinese culture. And yes, there are the food-focused izakayas and sashimi joints, but none have LRP’s lounge bar feel.

Start with a sparkling sake to whet the palate, accompanied by Murray River-salted edamame beans, Japan’s healthier alternative to beer nuts.  Then move on to the sake-based cocktail list created by top mixologist David Van Iersel. It’s all sake or shochu-based, excepting the Mr Miyagi, made with 12-year Japanese whisky.

We loved the Akebono, a complex blend of sake with pineapple juice, citrus-meets-aromatics Licor 43, Suntory Lena banana liqueur, spiced syrup and lemon. We also tip a hat to the Jade Temple, a kind of kiwi sour made with sake, green tea liqueur, umeshu, lime and yuzu.

With all that booze, you’ll want food to soak it up. Luckily, LRB’s ex-Nobu chef has put together tantalising treats on his ‘Japas’ (Japanese tapas) menu. Green tea-cured salmon comes finished in a yuzu dressing, hugging a small seaweed salad. Also a hit are the crispy oysters with wasabi mayo and the wafer-thin beef tataki.

At lunch, the menu will soon be extended to include more substantial choices, served alongside a gourmet tea selection – we wager it will become a popular choice for the local lawyers and investment bankers.

Ordering here is via cutting-edge, table-mounted iPad2s – a homage to the technically advanced Japanese, maybe? The app saves your private profile, clocks favourite drinks for next time and lets you Tweet and Facebook as you go.

And having drinks magically appear at your table without queuing at the bar? Priceless.

Where: 422 Little Collins St, Melbourne
Hours: Tue-Thu 11.30am-midnight, Fri 11.30am-3am, St 8pm-3am
Phone: (03) 9078 2051
Details: littleredpocket.com.au

Twin brothers and co-directors Brian and Vincent Wu launched Incu in 2002 in Sydney’s The Galeries Victoria, now home to two distinct men’s and women’s stores. Then came a unisex store in Paddington on Oxford Street, a highly anticipated menswear store on Melbourne’s Flinders Lane and then an online store. And while we all love a bit of an internet shop, as of Thursday, the whinge of the female fashion-savvy came to a halt.

Landing in the well-trodden retail and café precinct, the QV, you’ll find the Incu Women’s Store on Alberts Coates Lane, replacing what once was Cactus Jam International. With a simple, understated fit-out, the store’s basic concreted floors flick the focus upward to the labels.

And for Incu, selecting them goes with more than a bit of thought. In keeping with their vision to foster and support emerging designers ­– reflected in a title derived from ‘incubator’ – you’ll peruse collections by leading local and international labels. And with a nice balance – some exclusive, some more accessible – regular visits ensue.

Expect international high-enders like Marc by Marc Jacobs and Rag & Bone, amid collections from edgy Aussie labels like TR Ensemble, Antipodium and Romance was Born, plus pieces by Lover, Bassike, Karen Walker and Dion Lee.  They’ll also be stocking Melbourne’s first Topshop selection. The boys partnered with the UK chain giants in 2009 for a pop-up installation upstairs in their Paddington store as part of ‘Incu Presents…’

Innovative projects like these, which extend to collaborations with designers and artists for unique, ever-changing window displays, have delivered Incu a special edge in high-end street wear. And when you put knowledgeable and friendly staff in stores overflowing with sought-after labels, success is a pretty sure bet.

Where: QV, Shop ACL 12, Alberts Coates Ln, Melbourne
When: Mon-Thu 10am-6pm, Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm
Phone: (03) 9654 4725
Details: incuclothing.com.au

When the inception involves an old garage space, a few of Melbourne’s well known dining and design creatives and, of course, a plan to hit us with a sensory overload, the result is Hobba Coffee and Kitchen.

The warehouse space is grand, yet deceptively simple with an absolute focus of quality and detailing. It’s the small moments that reinforce the value and importance of a well-designed eatery here.

Texture and taste are bountiful. A tough black exterior will greet you, but an almost shy soft interior awaits. Blonde wood booths and tables provide comfort and ease, bar stools to allow front row viewing – for the passing traffic, or the carefully considered art instalments. The garden areas simply add another dimension and interest.

If privacy is more your thing whilst you enjoy your Five Senses (that’s coffee this time) or something from the carefully considered breakfast and lunch menu, well, they have that too in the form of private rooms and spaces.

And if you’re not too distracted by admiring the diverse mix of customers and art, feast your eyes on the delicious menu, with a huge emphasis on fresh and local produce. The baked eggs with beans, chipotle and smoked corn salsa queso fresco is yes, literally more than a mouthful, as is the quinoa salad with roasted beet, braised lamb neck, pistachio and harissa yoghurt dressing. And it wouldn’t be a new Melbourne hot spot without a savvy barista sharing the coffee passion and options. Hobba has it all.

It’s an elegant vision of a majestic building as a seamless whole, where the physical presence retreats and forms a sensuous background for great food, objects, and of course social activity.

You really don’t want to leave, and if the liquor license and possible dinner plans run smoothly, you may not have to.

Where: 428 Malvern Rd, Prahran
When: 7 days, 7am-5pm
Phone: (03) 9510 8336
Details: hobba.com.au

The nearly sold-out charity gala, held at Collins Street’s Melbourne International Fine Art Gallery (MIFA) is courtesy of culinary event makers the Bright Young Things. They draw inspiration from the 1920s, an era when entertaining kept spirits high, and when exuberant ‘bright young people’ shined on the party circuit.

Let us assure you – this crew is good. Last month they spiced up our deliciously wonderful Chilli Crab Feast with their trademark sparkle, wit and vivacity.

The festivities include tracks spun by DJ mee2 (who’s played at exclusive venues like Boutique, 161 and Honey Bar), cocktails on arrival, great food and spiffy service by the BYT crew. Local businesses on board include The Melbourne Theatre Company and the Australian Ballet, who’ve donated tickets for the night’s score-fest of a raffle, which also includes a $1000 Mecca Maxima Master Class for you and seven friends, and signed merchandise by Little Red.

So if you consider yourself a bright young thing (and who doesn’t), know how to dress (cocktail that is) and how to party, this is your ticket.

Where: Melbourne International Fine Art Gallery, Level 1, 278 Collins St, Melbourne
When: Fri 29 July, 7-11pm
Details: See the Youngstars blog or Facebook page
Tickets: $90
Bookings: Email theyoungstarsmelb@gmail.com and they’ll provide details

The Festival’s venues can be found in and around South Melbourne Town Hall, where 100 shows are being performed, by 78 performers, across 7 venues, over 6 nights. Phew.

Now in its second year, the Melbourne Cabaret Festival hosts (among others) Hello You – A Kamikaze Cabaret, a tale of misspent youth delivered in an endearingly honest improvisation, as well as the comedy performance, A Night With Faulty Towers, a two-hour dinner and cabaret show based on the 1970s John Cleese sitcom. Mayhem ensues when Basil books the acts for Sybil’s cabaret night at Fawlty Towers. Anything can go wrong, and it probably will.

If song is more your scene, the huge operatic vocals of Le Gateau Chocolat brings new meaning to big vocals (only outsized by the lycra and laughs). And don’t miss songbird and onstage seductress Emma Dean – named one of the ten artists to watch in 2011 by the New York Post, her act has been described as a ‘sexy circus’ and a ‘freaky dream’ with equal parts emotion and eroticism played out alongside a piano.

Late night after-show options include The Moritz Light & Sound Show, an ‘animation augmentation’ where images are beamed across the façade of the Bank Street location in 20-minute intervals from sundown. Then there’s Late Night Piano Bar with Trevor Jones, an entertaining and intimate musical experience based on the New York City piano bars of old.

So don your feathers and get in fast – you’ve only got this weekend to catch the rest of this standout fest.

When: 19-24 July
Where: In and around South Melbourne Town Hall, Bank St, South Melbourne
Details: melbournecabaret.com

And now, you can also discover the brand spanking new Olinda Tea House on Olinda-Monbulk Road, off the Mt Dandenong tourist drive. Its owner’s retirement dream – injecting $2.6m into the old tearoom and nursery that stood before – this gleaming teahouse and wellness facility and self-proclaimed ‘hidden jewel of the mountain’ sits on a 17-acre wholesale flower and foliage farm.

Stroll across the walkway decking to the pavilion-style teahouse, which floods with natural light. It sits beside native landscaped gardens and bushland. Out back is an al fresco dining area with wicker chairs and open louver roof.

If you arrive early, down some freshly squeezed juice, then maybe the bircher or their ‘healthy breakfast’: a spread of dressed leafy salad, seasonal fruit, confit tomatoes and Yarra Valley free-range poached eggs on sourdough. Or indulge with homemade pancakes or baked eggs with mushroom ragout and Persian feta.

Later, be tempted by a share plate or soup of the day (we sampled the carrot, coconut and ginger) before a main affair – perhaps the Glenloth parmesan-crumbed free-range chicken with broccolini, roasted kipflers, lemon and homemade relish.

As for those quaint outdoor gazebos, book them for one of the high tea sets, either $50 or $80 per person, depending on how elaborate you get. Think tiers of finger sandwiches, housemade sweets and savouries, cheese, tea and coffee and those scones, oh, the scones – they’re also available for morning or afternoon tea.

Yoga and meditation class begin in early August and they’re offering a promo package to get things going – $25 for a session of either plus brekkie. Though if yoga ain’t your thing, there are plans for flower arrangement or tea appreciation courses too.

Where: 86A Olinda-Monbulk Rd, Olinda, Vic
Hours: Wed-Mon 9am-5pm
Phone: (03) 9751 0556
Details: olindateahouse.com.au

With the title, owners and brothers Simon and Trevor Simmons pay homage to the late Hubert Foggart, a Penny Farthing enthusiast whose 1891 world record attempt to reach the highest top speed on the big-wheeled bicycle was denied official recognition.

The place has a homely, down-to-earth vibe. The self-renovated space absorbs a large communal in the front room, a scattering of wooden tables and a courtyard. Eye-catching is the ancient metallic steampunk bicycle in the window and Penny Farthing figurines.

So after a long, slow ride up Rucker’s Hill, settle in and crush an appetite early with the avocado and feta smash on Dench organic sourdough or bircher muesli with fresh-cut banana and seasonal berries. Made-to-order sandwiches (fillings include chicken and a housemade mayo, celery and walnut mix), stews and soups grant pedal power for the trip home.

Recently celebrating their first-year anniversary, the boys decided to diversify and develop the café’s core attributes, launching dinners from Wednesday to Saturday. Dishes burst with local, seasonal produce and offer two serving sizes: a ‘penny’ (large) or ‘farthing’ (small, for sharing). They range from seared scallops with pea and sage puree to waifer-thin smoked duck crepes.

The cafe has also started serving beans from its own off-site coffee roasting operation, Industry Beans, a move likely to cement their reputation for some of Melbourne’s best cuppas. That includes a range of specialty single-origin coffees, which you can also take home.

Add to this a select list of coffee-based cocktails. Using the same brewing methods, each flouts a unique unity between coffee, spirits and liqueurs. Down a few ‘Penny Farthing espressos’ – with Fernet Branca, Kahlua, PFE blend double ristresso, crème de cacao, cinnamon and egg white – and you’ll stay bright-eyed for some serious late night Le Tour watching.

Where: 206 High St, Northcote
When: Mon-Tue 7.30am-4pm | Wed-Fri 7.30pm-late | Sat 8.30am-late | Sun 8.30am-5pm
Phone: (03) 9482 2246
Details: pennyfarthingespresso.com

Visual highlights include Look.Stop.Shop, a walk through the CBD to view window displays and installations created by businesses, big and small, around this year’s festival theme. Another is ‘Movement in Space’, a photographic exhibit of dance and movement, and how these organic, physical actions work within the increasingly inorganic urban space we live in.

There’s also a unique opportunity to have your say in the future of one of Melbourne’s burgeoning suburbs, Fishermans Bend, via a two-day workshop that engages people and businesses to generate innovating thinking and ownership of the area.

On a more intimate level is Eat with Me, a face-to-face social network initiative that invites participants to connect with strangers by dining together, while the Design Reading Room is an informal drop-in session where designers share passages from books that have inspired and transformed their practices.

This is a mere snippet of the array of creative, quirky, clever and unique events on offer at The State of Design Fest, which clearly invites the question of how design can complement our city to make it more active, attractive and interactive.

The mission to find the answer is an inspiring one to say the least.

When: 20-30 July
Where: In and around the Melbourne CBD
Details: stateofdesign.com.au

Photograph by Tobia Titz

Moving on from the much-loved Absinthe Design store in Castlemaine, Melissa Langford has now set up shop in the big smoke. With her expert eye and tactile approach, Melissa effortlessly mixes vintage finds with new garments to create one-off and limited-edition pieces to treasure.

But it’s not just dreamy pretty floral prints, frothy French tulle skirts and lovely lace that are given new life here – customised vintage furniture, decoupage busts, soft furnishings and whimsical lamps captivate and inspire too.

Seeing the potential beyond the ordinary is what Albert & Victoria showcases best. Old drawers lined with music sheets become a wall of display shelves. Adding cheer to the glass counter is a chorus line of hand-painted polystyrene heads transformed into dolly girls, while the pigeonhole system behind the counter keeps affairs in order. Fresh cuttings of succulents, berries, foliage, bay leaves, rosemary and quinces or whatever is available from the country garden are scattered with flair and add a touch of charm.

Pretty much everything in the shop is up for sale. Be spoilt for choice: there are cheap and cheerful items, old and new or more elaborately priced pieces.

Step inside Albert & Victoria and into a haven where the best of the old and new worlds collide.

Where: 86 Bridport St, Albert Park, Vic
Hours: Wed-Sat 10am-5.30pm
Phone: 0429 355 112

Owned by cocktail purveyors of Milk & Honey fame (for the uninitiated, the New York and London members-only bars are among the world’s best), this sophisticated little speakeasy is tricky to find – and they like it that way.

“It works better for us – when people come to find us, they come with intention.,” says co-owner Lauren Schell. “That means they know who we are, what we’re about and they know what to expect before even setting foot in the door.”

While the traditional Milk & Honey house rules have relaxed slightly to suit the Melbourne crowd and lifestyle (no reservations necessary, unlike their international sister-bars), there is still a very civilised air to proceedings.

Swing music and ’30s jazz set the scene, candlelight is everywhere and the mahogany booths are cosy enough to nestle in for the better part of an evening. A stunning vintage chandelier crowns the bar area where the action happens. And action there is.

While a small list of cocktail ‘examples’ is supplied, patrons are encouraged to let the bartenders create bespoke cocktails for you as they go.  This truly is where the team seems to shine.

Our bartender lit up at the mention of the ‘Bartender’s Choice’. A quick consultation about flavour profiles (Sazerac-style) and liquor preferences (Scotch, thank you very much) and he returned with a perfectly judged concoction we’d never heard of before – a Beals, made up of sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, Scotch and Angostura bitters. Impressive work.

Also notable is the use of hand-carved ice blocks. Filtered water is frozen into various shapes and sizes, and hand-cut to size as needed – tailored to both the glass and what’s in the glass. And all juices are fresh-squeezed to order. It’s small touches like these that should excite even the fussiest of cocktail connoisseurs in this town.

Where: Level 1, 150-156 Gertrude St, Fitzroy
Phone: (03) 9416 2229
Hours: 7 days, 5pm–1am
Details: The Everleigh’s Facebook page

One of the hottest seats is undoubtedly chef Shannon Bennett’s pairing with Gourmet Traveller for a Bastille dinner at Bistro Vue. Expect Rottnest Island scallops, duck and pheasant terrine, organic Milawa chicken with locally foraged mushrooms, and a Gateaux St Honoré – an ornate cake of choux pastry, cream and more – plus matched wines and more. Or if you prefer to escape the city confines, opt for sister eatery Café Vue at Heide and its 4-course dinner including duck rillettes, crispy school prawns and a crepe suzette soufflé.

The CBD’s French Brasserie celebrates with Lionel Abello’s “Chef’s Tour of the South”, a 6-course degu with Kir Royal on arrival. There’s Provencal fish-soup, slow-braised calamari, poached flathead with leek fondue, braised leg of lamb, chocolate fondant with preserved lemon and more.

Over at The European, the festivities head upstairs to the Tea Room. De plat principal (main) is your choice of daube de boeuf or roasted kingfish in a bouillabaisse sauce. There are matched wines, including a mouthful (to say, as well as drink) of NV Doyard Champagne Vendemiaire Brut, as well as parfait of duck liver and smoked eel, pigs trotter and chicken mousse sausage. Wrap things up with a crème brulee with green apple sorbet.

Finally, North Melbourne’s French outpost Libertine is holding a ‘Bastille Day Night of Nights’, starring foie gras, WA marron, Manjimup truffles, local guinea hen and matching French wine.

All too trés for your budget? Then maybe opt for Hotel Nest’s ‘Winter in Paris’ high tea in the Greenhouse Dining Room. Think sophistication, vintage wares, delicate macarons and a very sane $40 price tag.

Wherever you go, arrive hungry and thirsty, and well-versed in Cadel Evans’ latest Tour de France movements. Bringing your Lonely Planet French phrasebook is optional.

Bistro Vue | 430 Little Collins St, Melbourne. $130. (03) 9691 3838
Café Vue at Heide | 7 Templestowe Rd, Bulleen. $95. (03) 9852 2346
The French Brasserie | 2 Malthouse Ln, Melbourne. $95. (03) 9662 1632
The European |161 Spring St, Melbourne. $140. 0427 230 166
Libertine | 500 Victoria St, North Melbourne. $185. (03) 9329 5228
Hotel Nest | 111 Victoria Ave, Albert Park. $40, $55 with a glass of Veuve Cliquot. (03) 9699 9744

And in the shadows were the understudy and the rest of the backstage crew, operating out of the limelight, as unheralded as they were invaluable to any show that must go on.

Thus the inspiration for anti-establishment establishment, The Understudy, a new CBD bar by the reliable crew from Melbourne cocktail mecca 1806, housed in the bowels of the building.

Previewing now, The Understudy is made for patrons to slip down into, bypassing 1806 and the pomp of table service and mixology theatre (and the fab new Four Deuces nights) for a down-and-dirty basement bar experience. It seems management has had little to do with the conceptualisation, leaving it all in the capable hands of their extremely cheeky supporting cast.

Ties and jackets will need to be removed down here, as everyone abides by the rules of house.

It also helps to know the playbook: a) the bartender is always right and b) no brand calling. Regarding the latter, one of each kind of spirit or liquor is available, but don’t fret – they are boutique brands, hand-picked by very competent palates. Ask for a Tanq and tonic and you risk being booted out to the luxury of 1806, upstairs.

A well-edited list of cocktails is available here too, of course: all brand-new concoctions, only available in the depths of The Understudy.

Our pick is the Winds of Change – a punch of Tradewinds gin, Earl Grey tea and yellow Chartreuse with lemon that serves three ($45). The Woodford Reserve bourbon fat-washed with chorizo, bitters and sherry and served in a hickory smoke-filled vintage glass ($25) certainly sounds worth a taste too.

Whatever you do, don’t get caught wandering around upstairs by the staff at The Understudy or you will be branded a traitor to the cause, resulting in black-listing from the downstairs venue for the night.

When: Thu-Sat nights
Where: The Basement, 169 Exhibition St, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9663 7722
Details: 1806.com.au

Let’s stop at that last bit for a moment. Don’t mind us if we get a bit excited ­– indeed, Miss Fox is launching a Friday night cocktail lounge and beauty floor later this month. Even better, it kicks off in spectacular fashion with a 1950s-style ‘Naughty Office Christmas Cocktail Party’ on Friday, the 29th.

Christmas in July has never looked so cheeky. Think Mad Men vintage glamour, where you can don (no pun intended, Mr Draper) your best pencil skirt and munch on mince pies and other nibbles.

While Miss Victoria Fox herself remains coy on the finer details, preferring to surprise her guests, we can reveal there will be free entry (but RSVP now, since space is limited), two-for-one cocktails and delicious treats.

After the Naughty Office Cocktail Party, the Champagne and Martini Lounge will continue to open on Friday nights. Pop in after work for a Mumm Champagne or a signature cocktail, specially created for Miss Fox by the bar greats at Madame Brussels.

Drop by simply to sip cocktails in the ruby-themed lounge, or spoil yourself with drink in hand at the blow-dry bar, where make-up artists will be on hand to tame your locks and paint your face. The exceptionally talented Clara may just be around to hand-craft you some nail art – maybe a vintage-feel manicure with fine lace detailing, but her steady hand and flighty imagination can achieve whatever look you desire.

If you ask us, Fridays at Miss Fox are one glamorous way to shake off your office woes and launch your night on the town.

When: Miss Fox Naughty Office Christmas Party | Fri 29 July | RSVP required
Where: Levels 1-3, 285 Little Collins St, CBD
Opening Hours: Tue–Fri 11am-late | Saturday 9am-5pm
Phone: 1300 MISS FOX
Details: missfox.com.au

Case in point: Limbo, the new creative work from Australia’s emerging circus company, After Dark Theatre. Far from our day-to-day, and yours no doubt, After Dark is composed of a very talented group of graduates from the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA).

In Limbo, they take you on a perception-altered theatrical journey into the life of an old widowed woman living in her twisted mansion, her mind escaping from her as she tries to grasp, ‘What is real?’. As her mind fails, her perception of the world changes, her beautiful paintings come to life, and she accepts her new reality with the aid of a free-floating butterfly.

This is non-traditional circus (thankfully). Theatrical effects – from puppetry to illusion and black light – are matched to a terrific musical score, and combined with a contemporary circus performance.

The result is, well, pretty sensational. And, as we said, it’s an effort best left to those who stretch, twist, balance… and limbo for a living.

Where: David Williamson Theatre, St John St, Prahran
When: 13-23 July (Tue-Sun) | 8.30-10pm
Price: $25 Full | $22 Concession
Bookings: Moshtix

Spread your broadsheet on the skinny communal table out front, overlooking the bay (perfect for drenched pets and owners), or head inside to escape the elements. Once settled, mull over big and little ‘noshes.’

It’s been 18 months in the making for owner-siblings, Michael and Jen Nham, whose parents once owned a Vietnamese restaurant and are now making their first hospitality inroad. Michael’s in the kitchen, drawing inspiration from a recent sojourn to Japan and recreating childhood favourites like an omelette with Japanese mushrooms and white truffle oil, spring onions and chilli soy dressing. Other offerings include spicy poached eggs with parmesan and chilli oil on sundried tomato-and-chilli sourdough (from Bay Street’s Noisette boulangerie), and usual suspects like croque madames, baked beans and eggs benny.

After midday, order an umami burger: a wagyu/angus patty with a ‘umani’ rub, gruyere cheese, caramelised onions and roasted tomatoes on brioche with a side of onion rings, slaw, cornichons, spicy chip dip and wasabi Kewpie mayo. A Vietnamese beef soup and poached chicken salad are both variants of their mother’s special recipe.

The design is minimalistic: hundreds of timber stalactites hang from the ceiling, and there’s a mock-marble bar, plus pale-wood puzzle piece walls and sandy-feet-friendly floor.

Currently serving coffee using Campos ‘Superior Blend’ (think caramel intonations and cherry highlights), the single-origin beans change weekly. There are also syphon coffee pours, while the Oji, a Japanese cold drip machine, will crank in summer. If coffee won’t cut it, a watermelon, lime, ginger and mint juice just might, or if it’s been a warm day, kick off your thongs and unwind on the promenade with a Murray’s Whale Ale. It’s entirely linger worthy.

Dinner plans are on foot and a takeaway nosh and ice-cream bar will open in summer. So if nothing else, a blood orange sorbet will set you up for a post-nosh walk on the promenade.

Where: 19A Beaconsfield Pde (opp Kerferd Rd), Albert Park
Hours: Tue-Sun 8am-4pm. Open all public holidays
Phone: (03) 9682 1077
Details: nshry.com.au

Step into 1806 on Thursday, 14 July, and you may notice something a little odd going on in the corner. Amid the bar’s normal operations will be a subset of patrons caught up in a horrific murder at a lavish 1920s bar named The Four Deuces.

If you are one of the lucky few who have pre-elected to join the Murder Mystery, you’ll be sent your character’s name and M.O. ahead of time. You must arrive ready to act your part, be it Gangster, Moll, Hollywood Celebrity or Esteemed Congressman.

Expect blackmail, traitors, secret-spilling, coercion and more. There may be shots fired and screams heard. We can’t know for sure how it will play out, but what you can be guaranteed is that someone, at some point in the night, will get knocked off.

No doubt this will alarm others in the bar who aren’t in on the scheme, but it’s all part of the fun.

The Four Deuces contingent will be dressed in Roaring Twenties flappers, pearls and wingtips, no doubt sipping on one of 1806’s famed martinis as they try and figure out who the killer among them is.

This bar is perfect for such follies. The ex-Tikki and John’s Music Hall was the birthplace of dinner cabaret in Melbourne, and the old stage area is still framed by two-storey-high red velvet curtains, showing off the bartenders as they work their alcoholic alchemy.

Numbers for the murder mystery are limited, but even if you miss out, it doesn’t stop you from rolling in to witness the fun.

And remember, kids – everyone’s a suspect.

When: From 7pm, Thu 14 July 14, then once a month after that
Where: 169 Exhibition St, Melbourne
Price: $50 each, including arrival cocktail, specially priced drinks all night and gourmet food platters
Phone: (03) 9663 7722
Details: 1806.com.au

Illuminated to Fire is a statewide initiative starring 10 diverse artistic works from regional artists and their communities. Premiering in regional communities late last year, they’ve come to Federation Square from 29 June to 3 July for the final week of The Light in Winter festival.

From Portland to Maldon, Swan Hill and Kyneton, each unique project explores the idea, role and impact of fire, celebrating a sense of community through creativity.

So what’s to see? Well, there’s Briagolong, a giant tiered chandelier of LED-lit organza buds, which ebb, flow and change colour to original music, celebrating post-fire regrowth and regeneration. Flowerdale commemorates Black Saturday with a large tree-shaped lightbox covered in resin hand-casts of local residents.

A must-see is artist Carmel Wallace’s multi-million-dollar installation merging sculpture, fine art and pyrotechnics. A ship’s hull sculpture, it’s filled with interpretations of Melblom’s spider orchids – a fire-dependent flora local to the Portland region. Symbolising fire’s regenerative qualities, it will burn on the Yarra River for three nights only, from tonight thru Saturday.

All fire-inspired projects will be complemented by a series of events, tours and talks. So with map in hand, join an artist-guided tour for personal insights, secrets and stories or charter your own self-guided tour. Installations, naturally, look doubly impressive in the dark, so tag along for a night tour as the shards of Federation Square, the River Terrace and the Yarra shimmer with fire, art and water performances.

If you’re feeling more fireman than firebug, maybe head out on Sunday for the ‘leempeeyt weeyn’ – an Indigenous campfire installation – as it is ceremoniously doused for the closing ceremony.

Where: Federation Square: BMW Edge, Atrium, Artplay and Birrarung Marr
When: 29 Jun-3 Jul
Details: rav.net.au/storyboard

The shop, which will sell truffles from all three states, plus Victoria if supply allows, will also sell truffle cutters from Italy.

It is the brainchild of couple Simon McCrudden and Bernadette Jenner. After McCrudden’s father died last year, they wanted to do something cool in his memory that reflected his love of food and wine ­– and truffles – rather than simply use his modest inheritance to pay down the mortgage.

And so Madame Truffles was born with a little help from their friends: designer Linda Sanderson, fit-out man Greg Hatton and flower girl Katie Marx.

In the past five years, Australia has produced ever-increasing yields of truffles: it’s now about 3 tonnes annually over a three-month season that typically starts in June, while the harvest in France (in Northern Hemisphere winter) has shrunk to about 15 tonnes.

The truffles will retail from $2.80 to $3.50 per gram and are packaged in glass jars. Ten grams should be plenty enough to pimp up your scrambled eggs.

A sneak peak of NSW truffle last week indicated that they may be the pick off the crop. But with a range to choose from, you can vote for your favoured state with your wallet.

Where: 12-18 Yarra Pl, South Melbourne
Hours: 10am-6pm Thu-Sun for the whole of July
Details: madametruffles.com.au

A pop-up venue aimed at Gen Yers whose courtship approach extends little further than one-liners and wolf whistles, the Courtship Clinic aims to turn the woeful state of modern-day wooing on its head. In less than ten minutes. With some tipple thrown in.

Think Perfect Match (hallooo, the dating game?) with a decidedly Downton Abbey approach as you step back in time within the Victorian-inspired parlour and enjoy the ambience of etiquette.

It’s a no-brainer for a lazy day when you’ve maxed out your plastic and your black book entries remain, um, minimalist. Simply cruise in alone, in a pack or on the arm of Your Amore for face-time with Dr Humphrey SixWivs and Mrs Isabella Forlornicate – and a nip of gin, of course – while being schooled on all matters from PC body language to conversation 101 and decoding the most obvious (or obscure) of mating rituals, rights and oh-so-wrongs.

Following in the well-shod footsteps of recent clinics in London and Madrid, this is a welcome respite from too many crowded bars – and bad dates.

Where: 202 Commercial Rd, Prahran, Vic
When: Fri 1 Jul, 2-8pm | Sat 2 Jul, noon-7pm | Sun 3 Jul, noon-7pm
Phone: (02) 9994 4416
Details: facebook.com/thecucumberandrosesociety

Owner Curtis Riddington says he hopes to contribute to growing and enlivening this previously un-kempt slice of Fitzroy with Slow Poke, a pint-sized café with a rustic, sustainable edge. Replacing Pollen Industries, it welcomes good people for good food and coffee.

And you feel welcome. Intent on creating a warm, inviting space, Riddington called upon ex-housemate and close friend Anne-Sophie Poirier (aka ‘Sasufi’) for the fit-out. Born in France and now a Melburnian, she’s employed recycled timber for a natural feature wall, where protruding off-cuts balance sugar and salt.

Coffee Supreme is dealt with by local barista Nick Milwright, and a chalkboard lists what Riddington describes as ‘thoughtful, seasonal and local tucker,’ favouring organic eggs and meat. Breakfast might be avocado and feta mash; creamed corn and grilled cheese on toast; or a bowl of creamy porridge – a three-grainer with rhubarb and blueberries.

Like the bread? You should. It and the croissants come from neighborhood artisans, Loafer Bread. Then there’s lunch. Sangas pair with cheery accoutrements like egg, crispy lettuce and mayo, while soup specials (maybe pumpkin) and stews arrive with chewy organic sourdough. For sweet-tooths, the front counter carries brownies and goodies baked by Riddington’s mate, Ceinwen.

Hoping for a seat? There ain’t much room. The narrow space hugs a few small tables and a communal in the bright, airy front room with shabby-chic white stools. Further out back, bluestone tiles lead to a concise courtyard that finds the sun nicely, while the cracking open fireplace retains a cottage-style feel. Amidst bric-a-brac, there are native proteas and potted herbs top tables. Preserved fruit jars line one wall. It’s a feel-good spot – the sign out front lit by solar power from above. How’s that for sustainability?

And they’re early risers. That means plenty of lattes arriving in time to fuel chirpy locals and commuters, who no longer have to caffeine crawl over to those more ‘desirable’ Brunswick Street blocks.

Where: 157 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Phone: (03) 9942 7813
Hours: Tue-Sat 7am-3.30pm | Sun 8am-3.30pm
Details: Slowpoke Espresso on Facebook

For nibbles, start with some St Marcellin soft-ripened cow’s cheese, paired with garlic, olive & parmesan Turkish bread crackers by Ricci’s Bikkies. Then make yourself a ‘Pimp my Spaghetti Carbonara’ using un-homogenised Elgaar organic milk, Saskia Beer free-range black pig prosciutto, Kangaroo Island free-range eggs and Martelli spaghetti. Match it all with some stellar plonk, maybe the 2008 Poggiotondo Chianti. Then finish it off by treating yourself to Blanxart 82% Grand Cru single-origin Congo dark choc from Spain, Cunliffe & Waters caramelized fig & quince jam, and Larsen & Thompson tea.

With a basket in tow, bring that list to Grove & Vine Providore. Alluding to a time when vineyards, olive groves, vegie gardens and livestock shared the one estate for a true ecology, Sherri Dickinson and Roger Duncan (ex-Superfino Delicatessen on Flinders Lane) have introduced a unique cellar door experience to South Yarra’s not-so-secret new foodie mecca, Yarra Lane.

It’s a little spot where gourmet food (grove) and wine (vine) float on polished chipboard boxes amidst other design elements. The design for this tasteful haven – not to mention the cascading display of hanging corks in the window – is the brainchild of Coco Flip’s Kate Stokes and architect Haslett Grounds.

Keen to express the truth of the grape and its origin, Grove & Vine have lined up old- and new-world wines, a wealth of boutique winemakers, many of them organic and biodynamic, alongside traditional standards. Think 2009 Eden Road ‘The Long Road’ barbera/cab sav (ACT), or 2008 Amisfield ‘Noble’ sauvignon blanc (Central Otago).

Hosting weekly tastings from different regions, the owners share an obvious passion for food and wine. They’re happy to chat about purchasing decisions and to help solve food and wine pairing dilemmas – like how to find the perfect bottle with the right acidity and structure to balance that chilli hit of your takeaway Oporto burger. Or something like that.

Where: 9 Yarra St, South Yarra
Phone: (03) 9826 0180
Hours: 11am–8pm Daily
Details: groveandvine.com.au

For the third time, Australia’s highest movie theatre will screen a hand-picked selection of mountain, adventure-themed short films and documentaries for The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. Exploring remote landscapes and cultures, films celebrate the spirit of outdoor action and adventure: from skiing and snowboarding to ice climbing, base-jumping and mountain biking.

Founded in 1976, Canada’s prestigious Banff Mountain Film Festival promotes an appreciation for the world’s finest alpine environments. Sixty films are selected from a pool of 300 submissions and a shortlist travel the world on tour. And we’re talking one major tour – some 275 communities across 30 countries.

So what’s to see? For starters, check out the aerial footage of one of the world’s best speed alpinists, Ueli Steck, in “The Swiss Machine.” Renowned for taking alpine speed to new heights (8,000-foot mountains, why not?), the film follows Steck in Yosemite with fellow climber Alex Honnold as they take on the world’s tallest granite walls. Another hot pick is “Cross Country Snowboarding,” about two Nordic-style snowboarders who battle the winter elements, as well as flack by mainstream skiers and snowboarders. Others include ultra-HD mountain biking flick “Life Cycles”, and “Into Darkness,” which captures cavers as they navigate tiny passages to reach an underworld of remote wilderness caves.

And for some local flavor, Aussie director and producer Anthony Bonello uses world-class cinematography and animation for his film “Azadi: Freedom.” Through the lens of skiing and a fleet of local characters, it shows how ski tourism and the freedom of adventure helped rebuild Kashmir (home to one of the world’s highest ski gondolas) following the violent insurgence of the 1990s.

If anything, it’s certain to rev you up for an energetic Sunday morning on the slopes.

The bar opens at 6.30pm (before films at 7pm) and with sponsors like National Geographic Adventure Channel, World Expeditions, Outer Edge magazine, Sea to Summit, Icebreaker, Black Diamond and Vasque, those prizes and giveaways could be looking good. Discounts are offered for groups of 10, so get persuasive – only three hours from Melbourne, why not?

Where: Mt Buller Cinema, Mt Buller, Vic
When: Sat 25 Jun | 7pm
Price: $30
Bookings: banffaustralia.com.au or the Mt Buller Post Office from 20 June
Details: mtbuller.com.au

By popular demand, the annual Albert Park Hotel Oyster Frenzy is being cracked open again next Thursday, June 30th. For $75, your mission – to devour as many as you like. That’s right: unlimited.

And we’re not talking just any ol’ bivalves. This is about world-class oysters from our finest Aussie waters: perhaps some Label Rouges, Clair de Lunes, Petit Clairs, Angasi Native Flats from NSW, a few perfect Pacifics like Coffin Bay Kumamotos or some Tassie Barilla Bays or Woody Island-ers.

Last year, more than 200 guests consumed a staggering 6500 oysters, so if you’re up for the challenge of a 32-plus per capita oyster consumption, better get in quick-sticks.

The man at the helm of this see-food seafood diet is Melbourne’s red-hot chef Paul Wilson. Everything this culinary gun touches seems to turn to gold – from the Middle Park Hotel and Newmarket Hotel to his previous turn at Botanical – so there’s little surprise this event is becoming such a cracker on the culinary calender.

As for drink, start the evening with a price-inclusive glass of Laurent-Perrier Champagne on arrival. Afterwards, fine wine will flow to help wash down your slippery swallowings (not that they need much help). You can also pull up a pew at the coal face and witness the frenetic shucking and serving by chef Paul and those ‘mother shuckers’ from Clamms seafood.

So slide on in next Thursday. Oh, and in case there’s any truth to those aphrodesiac qualities, we recommend you choose your dinner company, and eye contact, wisely.

When: Thu 30 June | 6-9pm
Where: Albert Park Hotel | cnr Montague St & Dundas Pl, Albert Park
Price: $75
Bookings: (03) 9690 5459 or info@thealbertparkhotel.com.au
Details: www.thealbertpark.com.au

This is the tiny baby sister of Richmond’s famed cocktail bar, Der Raum. Instead of foams, bungy-cord bottles and mixology theatre, Americano promises a classic walk through coffee, food and cocktails – the way they once were, in Prohibition-era America.

The interior is still having its finishing touches put on it, but the subway tiles and dark wood panelling certainly make the step over the threshold feel like a different time and place.

The venue itself can barely fit 15 people – standing. Luckily, there’s enough room to jostle at the coffee window from the alleyway for a takeaway and plenty of bench space to enjoy a quick, stand-up espresso inside on your way to work.

That’s right – it will be an early 7am start for the staff. New baristas have been employed and a shiny new coffee machine arrived earlier this week.

Clients can takeaway a little food to go with their daily ristretto: a daily-changing blackboard will feature revolving piadina along with bruschetta and hearty winter soups for the opening season.

If you prefer something sweet, you’re in luck. Burch and Purchese have custom-created signature Americano goodies. We managed to get the inside word on the   individual mini-pannetones with a chocolate and hazelnut centre, though we had no luck drawing out proprietor Matt Rees on what the bespoke Americano nougat will be – the secret ingredient will have to be experienced firsthand.

There is more than a small flavour of Italy coming through – free, apertivo-style offerings will be available from 4-6pm, along with a small but reliable selection of classic cocktails (impeccably made, no doubt, by the staff who will be brought in on secondment from Der Raum for the night shift), priced from $16-$19 and featuring the Der Raum philosophy of premium-quality alcohols.

We don’t know about you, but we’ll be looking forward to a Clover Club cocktail at the bar sometime very soon.

Where: 20 Presgrave Pl, Melbourne CBD
Hours: Mon 7am-4pm | Tue-Sat 7am-11pm | Cash Only
Details: baramericano.com

Zara, that is.

The iconic store opened its doors Tuesday night, hosting 700 VIPs in a Champagne-fuelled shopping frenzy.

The women’s floor was a cacophony of delighted exclamations as the who’s who of Melbourne got first dibs on giving their credit cards a workout – and from what we saw, they took full advantage.

Melbourne is home to a new look for Zara: an updated aesthetic that is all gloss, resin and aluminium. Step across the threshold and you can almost believe you’re shopping Fifth Avenue in New York.

And that’s not the only international flavour this brand is bringing to Australia. The stock mirrors their overseas stores. No longer is Australia waiting a season or two to catch up.

What’s more, Agenda predicts a retail shake up (a long time coming) after viewing the price points attached to Zara’s range.  Most items are priced between $70-$120. Denim starts as low as $49.95 and knitwear from $25.95 – yet the quality of fabric and craftsmanship and the high-end, straight-from-the-catwalk looks scream designer.

Within a few weeks, Zara will have collected its first information on the buying habits of Melburnian style mavens and will begin to curate their collections accordingly. In the meantime, they have release limited-edition, Melbourne-only designs for us to snap up.  Our pick included an oversized black clutch with textured blue leather detailing – and the heels to match, of course.

This three-level shopping mecca does come at a price: your precious time.

Queues on opening day were long, but seemed to be moving quickly. There is no way of knowing what might happen next; 80 per cent of the stock in the Sydney store was cleaned out in the first few minutes, although Zara assures us they have prepared accordingly this time.

Our advice? Grab a girlfriend, slip on your tunic, leggings and ballet flats (standard marathon-shopping uniform) – gentlemen, you’re good as you are. Stop on your way over for a takeaway latte you can nurse in line from Sensory Lab, just a short jaunt away, through the David Jones men’s floor to Little Collins Street.

Your lunch hour will not suffice to get you in and out in time, but luckily, the store has planned a few weeks of late-night trading while everyone gets their fix.

Once inside, go with the flow. The store has been designed especially for ease of movement and the clothes are displayed extremely well, courtesy of some high-level visual merchandising.

Men can head straight to level 3, and you’ll find Zara Kids on level 2. Each floor has a range that is classic, one that is casual and one that is on-trend, high-fashion – all displayed in separate sections so you can find the look you’re after quickly.

If you’re a little overwhelmed, look to the mannequins – they’ll always be adorned with the trendiest looks recommended specifically for their Melbourne clientele.

Where: Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne CBD
Hours: 9am-9pm, 7 days (for the first few weeks of trade)
Details: zara.com

When reflecting on lunch at the new Guillaume yesterday, we can tell you, it’s still elegant but more understated, true Bistro like in appeal, with some fabulously French dishes, and of course, French wait staff that we could all listen to for hours.

This new version is Parisian-inspired and we’d now also like to label it good date material. More casual than the first, this version has the ambience and character of modern Parisian life (matched to Melbourne tastes).

There’s still the French oak timber, and there’s the spirited green colouring. It makes for a pretty cool experience actually; we’re thinking that Gainsbourg and Birkin might have felt comfortable here, perhaps reserved a corner table for a late dinner…started with a glass of Mumm (the only Champagne available), half a dozen oysters and then ordered Guillaume’s famed half roast chicken with Paris mash, and chicken jus.

What else did we like?

Fun – the single Profiterole for dessert is a nice touch.

Practical – short wine list…and menu all part of the place setting– which they’ll flip after ordering

Notes –

Where: Crown, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank

Get me in: 03 9292 4751

Hours: Mon-Sun | Lunch 12-3 | Dinner 5.30 – 11

This is Emerge. The only festival of its kind – one where the amazing colours, sounds, real stories and imaginations of recently settled refugees and emerging international artists are on show.

On this Sunday June 19^th the drum beats, guitar riffs and vocals of rich and undiscovered cultures from Africa to the Far East, traditional and contemporary will be hosted at Fitzroy town hall in a free concert (12-5pm).

What to expect?

-       MASH-2: Melbourne’s one and only Female Rwandan Hip Hop Artist.

-       The Burundian Drummers: traditional Burundian drums, dance and chants

-       Dereb The Ambassador: led by renowned Ethiopian/ Australian singer Dereb Desalegn this 7 piece band revives Ethiopian vintage soul masterpieces by Mahmoud Ahmed and Mulatu Astatqe

There won’t be a Safeway Sausage Sizzle out front here either. Go for the traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony and then migrate thru’ the Napier Street Food Stalls taking bites out of Jamaican BBQ, Colombian Tamales and Senegalese rice dishes.

Emerge is all that Melbourne is and the tastes and sounds of all that we love.

Notes –

Where: Fitzroy Town Hall, Napier Street Fitzroy

Last year, proprietor Kim Wood was on the hunt for good-quality incense, and when she realised she couldn’t find any in Melbourne, she set out to do something about it. Stocking more than 80 different types of incense, gathered meticulously from different corners of the world, Metta Scents is home to exclusive, sustainable and ethical incense, imported from Japan, Bali, India and Nepal.

This is Australia’s first specialist incense store of its kind, and special care is being taken to ensure all brands stocked are natural – made solely from aromatic woods, resins, herbs, flowers and spices. Fine incense is like fine wine, Kim tells us. Once you’ve sampled the Grange, how can you go back to cask wine?

The upshot of the natural and the soon-to-come organic and biodynamic incense brands (another first for Australia) is that you won’t be breathing in harsh chemicals, which also makes the scents altogether more subtle than your run-of-the-mill stinkers. It’s a marked contrast to the many artificial fragrances and chemicals we’re exposed to on a daily basis.

The unique store fit-out reflects its ethical stance, making use of 97 percent recycled Freefold Furniture, a modular cardboard system created by Melbourne-bred architect Toby Horrocks. Ceramic holders and votives are also created especially for Metta by Australian artists, lending a local flavour to the store.

As for the hero – the incense – it’s beautifully packaged, diverse and luxurious. Prices start from $6 per box and go right up to around $50 for the truly stunning stuff. We sense a new brand of connoisseur will emerge soon – one with a good nose, no doubt.

Where: 111 Greville St, Prahran
Phone: (03) 9939 4893
Hours: Tue-Thu 10am-6pm | Fri 10am-7pm | Sat 10am-6pm | Sun 11am-5pm
Details: mettascents.com

We suggest you stay a while. Pull up a pew, order a great bottle and when the wine settles see what inspires you.

Will you go right, left or up top? This is a big place. Ample space, a constantly ‘revolving’ polished wood staircase and a few secret nooks. At this stage, they’re still settling in so they’ve opened the big space downstairs and the cellar with the rest to come shortly.

Left (behind the bar) will take you down into the cellar. This is where secret meetings are had; you can get away with a cheeky smooch and re-surface with red lips stained from an almighty Barossa Shiraz. The large rectangle table surrounded by literally thousands of bottles is super intimate. Nice atmosphere too…you can hear the acoustics of shifting heals and leather soles tapping about above you. Co-owner Jay Bessell knows this will be a winner; “the Cellar Room is available for reservations – the price is reasonable. We want people to use the space like it’s their own dining room”.

The brains behind this one are Jay, Michael Tenace and Connie Capello. You may know their names from Il Solito Posto. Like that one this ambitious project will be hoping for “institution” status.

Shall we summarise – this is the kind of bar where a quick nibble and glass of wine can lead to the kind of night that lasts thru’ morning. It’s welcoming; large but still cozy, and; with a wine list made with love and understanding. Yep, it’s in Carlton too.

Notes –

Where: 172-174 Faraday Street, Carlton

Hours: Tuesday to Friday 5pm – 11pm | Saturday and Sunday 12pm – 11pm

Contact: 9347 2626

It can all be traced to TLC for Kids, an Australian charity that provides support for children in hospital. The Tracky Dack Day concept was borne from the tradition of staff and family encouraging hospital-bound kids to change out of their PJs into trackies each day as a way to boost their mindset.

This concept struck a chord with the well-heeled set, and tonight (Thurs June 9) they are holding ‘Fashion Supports Tracky Dack Day’, a cocktail soiree at Melbourne’s Whitehouse Institute.

Hosted by former Project Runway Australia judge and fashion aficionado, Sarah Gale, the night will feature music by smoking DJ Georgia Sinclair and a rooftop runway parade styled by leading fashion and celebrity stylist Phillip Boon, featuring unique designs by Carla Zampatti, J’Aton, Ellery, Rachael Gilbert, Life With Bird and more.

And there’s more action in store for your party (sweat)pants. July 1 marks TLC for Kids’ major fund- and awareness-raising initiative – Tracky Dack Day – when Australians are encouraged to donate $3 and slip into their sweats in support of the 1.8 million kids undergoing treatment in hospital.

Tickets for tonight’s soiree are still available via the webiste at or on the door. Alternatively, dack up tomorrow and donate online. The kids will thank you for it. Society may not.

When: Thu 9 Jun
Where: Whitehouse Institute, 672 Bourke St, Melbourne
Price: $40
Details: tlcforkids.org.au/fashion

Unlike many purveyors of foam ­– the modern, delicate (and much maligned) alternative to rich jus and butter-enhanced sauces – Flaherty knows what he’s doing. His resume includes three of the world’s best restaurants: two years at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck, a year experimenting in the laboratory of Arzak in San Sebastian (while working at Afuego Nero), and seven months in the kitchen of Ferran Adria’s El Bulli.

What Flaherty is bringing to Melbourne is a bit of contemporary Basque-style cuisine. That includes plenty of humour and whimsy, with dishes such as sweetbread nuggets and sweet paprika mayonnaise presented in a smiley-faced Chinese takeout container, challenging anything a fast food outlet might serve.

The sardine fossil is one of Flaherty’s innovations from San Sebastian: sardines that are split and dried, then deep-fried in tapioca to the point of becoming a cracker, and served in a martini glass with a foamed sour cream.

Another glimpse of Basque cuisine comes with leatherjacket cheeks and orzo peeking out under a green snow pea foam, as well as blue-eye bakaiļao (salt cod), fennel and lemon. Skate, white onion gel and black olives is a homage to the classic skate with black butter and capers.

The dishes are available as snacks (from $6-$13) or plates ($19-$25) or as a seven-course degustation for $70.

Finish with the rhubarb & musk which, as is the case nowadays, is much more complex and gorgeous-looking than it sounds.

Where: 243 High St, Northcote
Phone: (03) 9489 4609
Hours: Wed 6pm-midnight, Thu noon-midnight, Fri noon-1am, Sat 11am-1am, Sun 11am-midnight
Details: estellebar-kitchen.com

Agenda rates Winery Walkabout as one of the state’s best days out, and the party’s happening this coming Queens Birthday Weekend, 11-12 June. Here are our top five tips for making it successful:

1. Only go with your mates that can handle a tipple. It’s a long day. Stand up tall early… you can wobble later.

2. Pick your battles – short-list three or four wineries in close proximity. Settle in for a long lunch at one of your favourites (and book ahead).

3. Buy at least a bottle at each winery. The service is better when you do. And just in case wine tasting becomes more like wine gulping, you’ll be able to do it all again at home (and remember it).

4. Plan something for the evening. Rutherglen is a little sleepy. Try the Rutherglen Young Bloods ‘Wine Down’, a celebration of the region’s younger generation of winemakers. It kicks off at 7pm and costs $80, includes tastings, food and merriment.

5. Stay somewhere close!

Here are some top picks for the day:

• Jones Winery & Vineyard: Cute and boutique. Arthur Jones is often at cellar door. Try his practical tasting exercise; you’ll be surprised.
• All Saints: Big and entertaining. Some would say it’s the heart of the party. Known for their fortifieds (like most in the region), but doing some fun things with wines like their sangiovese cabernet.
• Pfeiffer Wines: Enjoyed via tables and chairs on the bridge. Try their cheese hampers. No doubt there will be some live music too.

When: Queens Birthday Weekend, 11-12 June
Cost: $25, including a wineglass and wineries entry
Details: winemakers.com.au
Transport: Unlimited shuttles from winery to winery for $25
Getting there: Jump on the Hume and head north for three hours

Neil Perry’s new stand-alone bar, The Waiting Room — tucked away in the new opulent lobby that is forming at Crown Towers — is certainly helping to revive the artistry behind mixology, and is now offering bespoke cocktail masterclasses in the intimacy of its private backroom: The Lounge.

If you’re going to learn, it may as well be from the best. Bartenders Will Oxenham and Steve Crozier certainly are two of Melbourne’s most talented. Their philosophy is centred in only the purest ingredients: these are artisans who fresh-squeeze their juices to order,  fat-wash their own alcohol to infuse flavours like burnt toast, and who could rhapsodise for hours about the history and joys of cocktails.

The masterclass runs for 90 minutes. Each class starts with a punch – ours was a Philadelphia Fishhouse, a potent concoction with rum, Cognac and peach that dates back to 1732. Moving smoothly through the years, we also covered off martinis, margaritas and more.

Along the way, guests are treated to nibbles courtesy of Neil Perry’s bar snack menu. The spicy beef empanadas are a stand-out, as is the house-cured jamon, served simply on sliced baguette with a drizzle of fine olive oil.

Three different cocktails are featured in each class, and personally selected by the participants. Among snacking and sipping, conversation with Oxenham and Crozier turns to highballs and tumblers, shakers and jiggers, then fat-washing, Prohibition, hangovers and agaves. It is fascinating, educating and delicious all at once.

The class ends with you creating and mixing your own cocktail, with full access to the very generous spoils of their professional bar set-up.

This class is a must for any cocktail enthusiast. You’ll need at least eight friends with you for a private event in the back room. Even if it’s not your birthday, make it a half-birthday, or just do it for the greater good.

Where: Lobby, Crown Towers Hotel, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank
Hours: By exclusive booking for groups of nine to 21
Price: $75
Phone: (03) 8679 1900
Details: twrbar.com

Fortunately, the folks at the City of Port Phillip are here to help with Future Fashion Now, a festival full of clothes swapping and craftiness based around the themes of sustainability and creativity. Bring along your old, quality clothes to swap with like-minded fashionistas, or use those pieces that have been lurking aimlessly in your wardrobe in one of the refashioning workshops.

To be sustainable, you’ll have to act fast – it’s all happening tomorrow.

Don’t have any gear that’s seen better days? Then simply show up empty-handed – there will be crafty people on hand with the skills and materials to show you how to transform an old jumper into a bolero, use scraps of fabric to create flowers for a unique brooch, or turn an old sock into a super-cute toy.

If you’re worn out after all that creativity, sit back and enjoy a hip-hop performance, grab a bite to eat or check out the photo exhibition for the “I Made This!” competition – a chance to view the creations of all sorts of amateur crafters.

The evening will be capped off with a designer and vintage fashion show hosted by transgender ‘green queen’ Kaye Sera and ‘vintage beauty’ Louarna Hewlett and featuring designs by local labels including Looming, Brkich, and Mainichi jewellery (pictured). If you haven’t made your own green outfit by the end of the night, the fashion show will give you plenty of ideas about where to shop sustainably. Talk about something to proudly wear on your sleeve…

Where: St Kilda Town Hall | 99A Carlisle St, St Kilda
When: Fri 3 Jun | 4-7.30pm
Price: Free
Details: See the Future Fashion Now Facebook page

Pull up a chair at the bar or at a table to watch the open kitchen of chefs Andrew Gimber (former head chef of Sydney’s Jimmy Liks) and Ben Cooper (ex-St Ali, Nobu and Ezard). They’re serving affordable food designed for sharing, with Thai flavours hitting the right balance of chilli heat, and in a room that gets and the balance of noise and music just right.

The space, which until last year housed the infamous Icon Bar nightclub, manages to be cavernous yet intimate. That’s partly due to the lighting by de jour designers Projects of Imagination. It’s a room flanked by a bar lit under lampshades made from found objects – large cylindrical liners of wool containers.

Small dishes are about $8 to $16, with the crunchy school prawns with nahm prik pla gapi (a dipping sauce of chillis, fish sauce and shrimp paste) worth special mention. Curries, such as sour orange curry of kingfish head with daikon and betel leaf, are from $13 to $18. Larger dishes are mainly $21 to $28 although a whole steamed line caught snapper with chilli and lime dressing rings in at $33.

With wine by the 500ml carafe at $18, made specially for Chin Chin by Yabby Lake’s Tom Carson, it means that dinner for two can (in theory) come in at under $100.

Get in early as Chin Chin is red hot right now with 200 bums on seats by 7pm on the second night. And wait for the imminent opening of the downstairs bar Go Go for more Chris Lucas-driven excitement.

Where: 125 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
Hours: 7 days | 5pm to late (from the 14th June they’ll open 11am-late)
Details: chinchinrestaurant.com.au

Anyway, we digress. Putting aside the Glee TV series, which you’ll either love or loathe, we reckon singing clubs might be the next big dag must-do. In the olden days, glee clubs were the domain of fancy universities and involved a capella sing-songs with a glossy polish. Now, according to Melbourne Glee Club hostess Vicky Jacobs, it’s all about the endorphin release (over a nice glass of red).

Held at the clandestine Butterfly Club in South Melbourne — a Victorian house with its parlour converted into a kitsch-cluttered lounge, and the poky kitchen into a cute bar — around 30 men and women cram into the front room, clutching drinks and looking a bit like naughty children. Singing in public… it’s just not the done thing anymore, is it?

After warm-ups of waggishly worded scales and rounds, it’s on to the songs proper, which might be ’60s, ’70s, ’80s or ’90s pop classics, or perhaps soundtrack favourites, depending on when you go. It’s easy to follow, yet sounds unfeasibly beautiful and forlorn, even if you rasp like Marge Simpson as a solo artist. In fact, there are plenty of goosebump moments in what becomes something of a bonding experience.

“I haven’t quite put my finger on what it is, but everyone leaves the room buzzing at the end of an hour of singing in harmony with 30 other people,” confirms Vicky, who also runs another Glee Club in Warrandyte, deep in the city’s east.

While the Glee Club is completely informal and there’s no obligation to attend regularly, there are gigs put on by the group every now and then. There’s even an iPhone app that aids practise: warm-me-up.com.

You may walk with fears of bygone karaoke disasters, but you’ll walk out feeling less jaded; that’s a guarantee.

Where: The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank St, South Melbourne | Earth Harmony, 246-250 Yarra St, Warrandyte
Phone: (03) 9690 2000
Hours: Butterfly Club, Tue-Wed 6.15-7.15pm | Warrandyte, Sun 4-5pm
Price: $10-$12
Details: gleeclubsinging.com

Nestled in the heart of Kew, just off the restaurant-packed High Street, St Katherine’s delivers a mix of modern Mediterranean interpretations, from Greek to Middle Eastern and Turkish. It’s all served up by enthusiastic staff amid a high-ceiling space dominated by pendant lights and communal seating. A charcoal hue wafts from the kitchen.

The menu boasts a creative platter of morsels that won’t break your budget: nearly all are between $7.50-$13. Think cumin-spiced duck spring rolls, crunchy whitebait coleslaw and Coca-Cola lamb ribs with candied coconut, which will put any self-confessed barbie expert to shame.

Be prepared to fight politely with your dining companions for crusty wood-fire pides stuffed with creative combinations: peppered figs with mint, ricotta and haloumi; green eggs with sujuk (a spicy Turkish sausage); or maybe the true-blue Aussie combo of ham and pineapple – well, this being Calombaris, that means smoked ham hock and pickled pineapple.

The Turkish grill provides a more substantial plates to share, from Maltese pork sausage with pickled beetroot to lamb chops with green chilli and sesame. For a unique experience, there’s also a chef’s table situated directly in front of the kitchen, where Calombaris and Delia have crafted a special menu centring on the Turkish grill, sometimes including a ‘whole beast’ for the table.

If you’re time-poor, that’s cool, too. There’s a full takeaway menu, so you can share those plates and maybe some majool date donuts within the comforts of your own middle Eastern (Suburbs) villa.

Where: 26 Cotham St, Kew
Hours: 7 days (lunch & dinner) | noon-late
Phone: (03) 9207 7477
Details: stkatherines.com.au

The bar’s been open a year, but has only recently positioned itself as the place in Melbourne for tasting, smelling, talking about and educating yourself about the golden drop.

There’s Whisky 101 for noobs – evocatively named Whisk(e)y, A Mapped History: From Babylonian Distillation to International Tipple. There are food-matching events and rare bottles that make appearances on a feature menu that changes monthly.

Then there’s the monthly Monday monthly event – the Single Malt Collective.

Chez Regine owner Brooke Hayman could talk for hours about whisky. She isn’t what you’d expect – you don’t often associate pretty young things with a penchant for hard liquor. But she has a true love for the stuff. Her favourite drink? Whisky – neat, thank you very much.

The SMC is a clever stroke: take Melbourne’s hospitality industry on their night off and add a few whisky distillers, keen to get their brands out there. While the industry has cottoned on quickly, the door is open to anyone who can stumble through work the next day.

A mere $10 looks after all your tastings; each month features new whisky brands to taste. The May 30 tasting showcases Glenfiddich –  including their 12-year, 15-year and 18-year – and The Balvenie 12-year ‘DoubleWood’ and 15-year single barrel.

A typical tasting encompasses the distilling method, tasting notes and heated debates among the crowds. While you’re there, you can sample some of the other hundreds of whiskies available on the menu, at up to 25 per cent off retail at all times.

Bookings are highly recommended, but you can always try your luck at the door.

Where: Chez Regine, 270 Russell St, Melbourne
When: Last Monday of each month, from 5pm
Price: $10
Phone: 0420 309 660
Details: chezreginemelbourne.com.au

Andrew combines some genius looping to bring to life what sounds like a four piece ensemble including the 130-year-old violin he plucks at masterfully.  Owned by his great grandfather, he’d found it in his grandparents’ attic when he was 14 and since then has mastered the old instruments wizardry.

It’s hard to define Andrew’s music but interestingly he cites Michael Jackson, Talking Heads and the opera he sang at school as major influences. That amazingly resembles the diversity we witnessed on Sunday night.

Set atop The Cullen Hotel the performance was organized last minute. Didn’t feel like it though…this was intimate, the fine drops were provided by Innocent Bystander and the crowd was mesmerized by Andrew Keoghan. We sipped, snacked and listened as we looked North toward a glorious CBD skyline.

Live music found a new charismatic fellow to celebrate on Sunday night (although we do need to convince Andrew to move to Melbourne) and we’re now also hoping that we’ve found a new live music venue to keep our fidgety social toes tapping.

Pick up Andrew’s new album Arctic Tales Divide from his website.

Yes, yes, there’s the feelgood factor, but all that good karma seems one step better when you know your $12 entry also lands you a pour of Little Creatures brew and some fine bands to back up the liquid inspiration.

Catch local acts like soulful folk-rock vocalist Charlie Lim, the indie-pop ballads of The Lights, and singer/songwriter Hazel Boot on acoustic guitar and cajon box drum. Also spicing things up will be burlesque dancer Miss Kay Risqué, described as a ‘buxom little firecracker’. Now that’s what we call a party.

The gig will also serve as an inner-city collection point for pre-loved bikes, and donors get onto the shortlist to win any of three spiffy refurbished vintage bikes. There’s more to score at a silent auction on donated goods from local businesses: from café vouchers to handmade jewelry, yoga and massage.

As for the container of bikes, the goal is to turn it into a bike workshop after it arrives on African soil. Meeting the container will be Kiwi adventurer Hap Cameron, his girlfriend Mandy and documentary maker Richard Sidley, who plan to cycle 5000km across Africa, starting from Cape Town on June 7. The jaunt will end at the container, and they’ll train locals to run it as a self-sustainable bike business.

That Cameron’s African goal also completes a personal desire to live and work in every continent across the globe (thus explaining the FCE) might sound a teeny bit self-serving, but so does a bit of grog and live music for $12. Helping the world’s poor? Hey, it’s worth the dosh every time. That it’s fun in the process? Priceless.

When: Sun 29 May | 5-8pm
Where: The Workers Club | 51 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Price: $12
Details: beerbikesandbands.com

How do blue veins develop? What’s the difference between mild or tasty cheddar, double-Brie, triple cream and hand washed? Is that really mould? Can I eat the rind? And is ‘mining’ (eating the centre of a cheese) a social faux pas?

Learn all this and more at the 2011 Good Food & Wine Show Cheese Matters Masterclass.

We’re giving one lucky punter a double pass to the Cheese Matters Masterclass on next Sunday June 5^th. The first person to tweet “@TheAgendaDaily – I want to know my stinkies from my creamies” will win a double pass and access to the Good Food & Wine Show.

Plus, we’ve got 20 double passes to giveaway for the Good Food and Wine Show. Simply Tweet, “I want good food and wine”. Don’t forget to tag your tweet with #AgendaGF&W. The first 20 correct tweets will win.

So whether you’re a cheese and crackers lad or a King Island Blue, lavender honey and poached prunes chick, here is your chance to join Agenda at the 2011 Good Food and Wine Show.

Try various styles – from elegant Brie and Camembert to mild cheddars and stinky blues, learn how to match your cheese with James Squire Beer, Michelton and Croser Wines. All this under the guidance of Naomi Crisante and other Cheese Matters tutors.

You’ll soon realize that from pasteurization and cultures, heating and hoping to maturation, wrapping and storage, (phew!) that there’s more to Brie than desperate housewives.

American writer Clifton Tadiman once wrote – ‘…a cheese may disappoint, it may be dull, it may be naïve, it may be over sophisticated…yet it remains milks leap toward immortality.’

Notes –

The Cheese Matters Masterclass has four sessions on Friday 3rd, Saturday 4th & Sunday 5^th June (10am | 12pm | 2pm | 4pm). Tickets available from Ticket Master via the Good Food & Wine Show site.

The Good Food & Wine Show is on Friday 3^rd – Sunday 5^th June. Open daily from 10am.

Glenn gives us the inside word:

What exactly is No Lights No Lycra?
“No Lights No Lycra is a dance community where you can completely let go and shake out the stresses of the week in a friendly, non-threatening alcohol-free environment. It’s a time to lose yourself in the music – and the dark – while working up a sweat.”

Where did the idea come from?
“Heidi and I were both frustrated with the rigid nature of technical dance classes. We wanted a place to dance as freely as we do in our living rooms – but with lots of friends. And a space to dance for the pure joy of dancing.”

What sort of music can we expect?
“We play music across all genres: a certain number of daggy tracks mixed in with the latest pop and indie tunes, which keeps it fun and unpretentious. We play anything from Salt n Pepa’s Shoop to Aretha Franklin, M.I.A. and Dolly Parton’s 9-5, just to name a few.”

Sessions are in Fitzroy and Brunswick East and Glenn tells us a Baby NLNL is going to launch soon for for tiny dancers – from newborns to four-year-olds – and their parents at Schoolhouse Studios in Abbotsford.

When & Where:
Tuesdays 7-8.30pm | St Marks Church, 250 George St, Fitzroy
Wednesdays 7-8.30pm | 49 Nicholson St, Brunswick East (via Barkly St)
Price: $5
Details: nolightsnolycra.blogspot.com

Coffee-mad and soon-to-marry duo, David Makin and Zoe Delany, know a thing or two about the humble bean. Makin is a two-time Australian barista champion and World Barista Championship runner-up, while Delany, an expert barista and roaster, formerly served as head trainer for Michel’s Espresso and Sunbeam. Completing the cafe dream team is 2011 Australian Specialty Coffee Championship winner, barista Matt Perger, working behind the twin La Marzocco machines.

The former office space has been converted into an industrial warehouse, divided by a wall of little terracotta planters that mute the coffee machine’s hum. Black-lacquered milk cans hang over a communal table, and there are pale timber tables with leather bench seats or designer chairs. Sugar resides in glass Quattro Tagioni storage jars.

Peak through to the roaster and spot hessian bags plump with ready-to-roast green beans. An empty side room is tipped for training and cupping classes – giving coffee neophytes the chance to be schooled by world-class baristas.

There are also colour-coded keep mugs on sale for $10, including a free pour. Full creamers are blue. Skinny minis, you’re yellow. Soy lovers are siren red. Improving service by anticipating customer preference, we like that.

Enough about coffee. An all-day brekkie menu stars muesli with banana, kiwi and vanilla-poached pear or a smoked trout wrap with scrambled eggs, avocado and tomato salsa. Lunch features made-to-order sandwiches: from slow-roasted lamb shoulder to crispy pork with pickles.

Right on the money with location, right near Swinburne Uni, Axil is destined to attract plenty of caffeine-deprived students (with loyalty cards in tow).

Where: 322 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn
When: Mon-Sun 7am-4pm
Phone: (03) 9819 0093
Details: axilcoffee.com.au

To celebrate the 2011 Stonnington Jazz Festival (now in its sixth year), Agenda is offering one jazzy person a night to remember. Jazz, dinner and a nights stay. More on that below…

From the 19-28th May, plush venues like the Malvern Town Hall and Chapel Off Chapel host great emerging and established artists for nothing but 100% Australian jazz.

Opening this year’s festival is up and comer Sarah McKenzie. A talented pianist, vocalist and composer, she’s stared at high-profile jazz festivals around the country, performed alongside David Campbell at the L’Oreal Paris AFI awards, backed for Michael Buble and is bringing music described as stylish, sassy and swinging.

Other highlights include renowned faves James Morrison, Vince Jones & Band, a rare performance by pianist Joe Chindamo and Trio, intimate jazz and folk from the Elixir trio with ex-George vocalist Katie Noonan and 1940’s hits from Harry James Angus (who’s performed with The Cat Empire).

Guaranteed to be memorable, the Red Bennies South Side Show will enliven Saturday night with high flying circus acts performed to Jazz, Swing and Soul tunes from DJs Mike Gurrieri, Doc Mustard and Knave Knizz. And bringing energy to classic jazz originals, The Jelly Tub Rollers and Friends will conclude the festival with 1930s party jazz and blues.

Now for that “night to remember” – simply Tweet what makes you so jazzy. Be sure to tag your response #JazzyAgenda.

The lucky tenth tweeter will win a fabulous overnight stay in a studio suite at The Cullen Hotel in Prahran, dinner for two to the value of $60 at one of the following – The Terrace Restaurant, Oska Whyte Café, Thai On High or Florina’s Greek Tavern, plus, two tickets to see Sarah McKenzie on May 20.

Not bad for flicking out a Tweet – the total prize is valued at $655

And the fine print?

Accommodation, dinner and gig tickets valid on May 20 (concert night) only. Prize is non-transferable beyond the winner and cannot be redeemable for cash.

Where: Malvern Town Hall, Chapel Off Chapel and other venues

When: 19-28 May 2011

Details: www.stonningtonjazz.com.au

Here, Melbourne-born McConnell draws inspiration from favourite Asian eats experienced during his time cooking overseas in Shanghai and Hong Kong, from street food to home cooking and fine dining. He also incorporates an understated approach to fine, interesting produce, revealing an admiration for Japanese cooking and presentation.

Prepare to share. Select small plates like rustic pork dumplings with Shanghai chilli vinegar, raw dishes like duckfish with avocado, horseradish and dried sea lettuce, some Moonlight Flat oysters or salads like a shredded cabbage with Moreton Bay bug. Mains are equally inspired, from line-caught snapper steamed with picked wasabi leaf and clams to a roasted lamb shoulder with cumin seeds and salted lemon.

There are no reservations for small groups, so the waiting game is best played out with a tasty snack, wine or sake at the bar. Larger groups of eight or more can save seats, however, and choose from either of two set banquets, an omakase-like chef’s choice of shared dishes and individual desserts – think peanut butter parfait with salted caramel or green tea ice-cream with pumpkin and licorice. For parties of 10-plus there’s ‘The Beast’: a five-course dinner staring a whole suckling pig (hence the title). A pre-ordered wine magnum is an advised accompaniment.

Melbourne architects Projects of Imagination – the same folks behind Adam Wilkinson’s miniature Small World Café on Russell St – have orchestrated a fresh, modern dining area with polished concrete floors. The front is all floor-to-ceiling glass and paneled windows, while white marble lines the bar fronting the room-long open kitchen. Black bentwood chairs alternate with petite blonde stools at linen-free tables.

As of tomorrow, lunch service is being added to the already buzzing dinner trade. Early birds will soon have reason to rejoice as well – a breakfast menu is slated to arrive in June, running Friday to Sunday mornings and a fitting move for a place that’s taking plenty of inspiration from the Rising Sun.

Where: 157 Fitzroy St, St Kilda
Hours: Tues-Sun noon-midnight (Brekkie 8-11.30, Sat & Sun)
Phone: (03) 9525 4488
Details: goldenfields.com.au

Architect Robert Conti’s design is clean and simple, with natural wood, limestone, copper and plenty of glass. In warmer months, folding doors invite sea breezes into the 150-seat dining area that offers sweeping views of Swan Island and Port Phillip Bay.

The menu features innovative, contemporary cuisine, split into emotive headings: Share, Tasty, Hungry, Extras, Sweet. Head chef Colin Swalwell (ex-Yering Station) maintains a strong focus on local, regional produce, including fresh fish sourced straight from catches at nearby St Leonards and Barwon Heads.

Tempura crab and scallop-filled zucchini flowers come with chilli and soy dressing for a tapas-style tempter. For a light lunch, try the dill and lemon infused prawns with tomato and basil terrine, or fill up with eye-fillet medallions with beetroot and peppercorn sauce.

Rathbone Wine Group has added 360Q to an illustrious portfolio of vineyards, including the Yarra’s Yering Station, Coonawarra’s Parker Estate, the Grampians’ Mount Langi Ghiran and Margaret River’s Xanadu. Even without a vineyard in sight at 360Q, weekend tastings and wine store specials feature prominently in tandem with a lengthy wine list.

Diners who arrive for lunch might be interested in 360Q’s encore – taking the staircase up the 30-metre Observational Tower. The viewing platform provides an impressive 360-degree view overlooking Queenscliff, the Harbour and the Peninsula surrounds.

Too late for lunch? Settle for an iced coffee in a stemless wineglass. After 5? Sip Champagne as the sun streams through the windows. A few too many? Hit the pillow at one of Queenscliff’s historic homesteads.

Where: Marina, 2 Wharf St, Queenscliff
Phone: (03) 5247 4200
Hours (winter): Lunch noon-3pm Thu-Mon | Dinner from 6pm Sat
Details: 360q.com.au

Northcote’s High Street is the latest recipient of Harajuku-style cool, adding Disco Beans to its long, eclectic list of cafes and bars. Like a pearl in an oyster, the shop – a sister concept to an Osaka art gallery and performance space, and owned by Japanese local Yuka Harte – shines brightly with walls heavily tattooed with Japanese magazine clippings and photos crafted by artist Shigeru Nakano.

The colourful vegetarian menu, plastered with Hello Kitty stickers, changes weekly and adds items based on requests (or demands) by friends. It’s limited, but heavily influenced by the owner’s personal take on Japanese home-style favourites: expect towering vegan rice bowls topped with heart-warming curries, mock-meat sushi rolls with quinoa kernels, affordable ramen, authentic okonomiyaki pancakes and sweet Strawberry Fields cakes.

Settle into the cushioned milk crate stools, enjoy the friendly service from quirky waitstaff, and make new friends at the communal tables.

As the sun goes down, plan to rub shoulders with the droves of hip followers, who pack in to check out the space’s artists and musicians. Those who can read Japanese have the luxury of keeping in touch via Disco Beans’ blog, but events are regularly updated on Facebook with the latest information on who’s performing and what’s on display.

Whether it’s the lack of meat options, overwhelming wallpaper or random music, this is one hub for those seeking out something different.

Where: 238 High St, Northcote
Hours: Tue-Sun 6-9.30pm
Phone: (03) 9077 4772
Details: gallery.discobeans.com

That’s just one of the treats you’ll find at The Fine and Dandy Café, an unpretentious little diner offering all-day breakfasts and home-style meals, and located on a strip more attuned to antiques and collectables than freshly roasted coffee beans.

The décor’s eccentric yet homely. Navigate beaded door curtains through a bright green door and into a space laden with gold and pink wallpaper. It’s a dangerous combination, green and hot pink, but somehow it works. Outside, potted pink flowers dress a tired footpath.

“After food, coffee or all of the above?” owner Sue Hetherington chirps from behind the counter. With personality and a spotty red apron, she’s likely to remember your name and is happy to chat.

A mini chalkboard lists daily specials. Concerned about culling food miles, Sue turns locally sourced produce into everything from spanakopita to eggplant parmigiana or salmon patties with corn and coriander. Generous portions come with sides wholesome pumpkin, couscous and chickpea salad. A traditional hidden-egg meatloaf makes an appearance in the cabinet below. Rare as it is, choosing between it and a toastie constructed with Dench bread can prove difficult.

Old-style cornie cookies, charming chocolate cake with sprinkles or moist banana cake with zingy, zesty icing go well with single-origin coffees from Andrew Lew at The Mailing Room. Word is they also do a fine chai latte. For “kidliwinks”, there’s fairy bread and Little Golden Books.

Perch on a green polka-dot stool by the window and browse a designer homeware mag between mouthfuls. With vintage recipes, a bit of passion and an old-style grill and microwave, Sue proves you don’t need much for a great café.

Where: 135 Melville Rd, West Brunswick
Hours: Tue-Fri 7am-3pm | Sat-Sun 8am-4pm
Phone: 0403 704 449
Details: fineanddandyfoodstuffs.com.au

Enter Union Dining, and you get the feeling you’re in good hands. Drawing inspiration from places they’ve been and loved in Europe, two friends have joined forces and moved into Richmond’s heritage-listed Union House – former Cutler & Co maître d’ Adam Cash and chef Nicky Riemer (ex-Melbourne Wine Room, Trunk and Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder). What was once a Greek tavern, now has the air of a classic European bistro, albeit with a dash of Melbourne cool.

Riemer uses local, seasonal produce for her provincial European dishes. For appetizers, we went with prosciutto and figs with gorgonzola, a trio of oysters Rockefeller and mussels with fennel, garlic and amontillado sherry. Dinner then progresses via shared plates or comforting mains, maybe a pan-roasted hapuka fillet on wilted greens, mushrooms and baby leeks; or the 400g-aged scotch fillet with spicy harissa spuds. Silence that sweet tooth with a citrus semifreddo or a croustade of apple & Armagnac prunes.

To pair with the bistro fare, sommelier Greg Lightfoot has cultivated a list of Victorian and European drops. If you’re feeling indecisive, we can recommend the 2009 Enzo Boglietti Barbera d’Alba from Piedmont.

The interior by architects Peckvonhartel – the award-winners behind The Royce Hotel – conveys a modern, elegant design. Bi-folding doors invite in light from Swan Street, and the room is spacious enough to allow a buffer from the next table’s gabfest. Still, it’s intimate and inclusive, with a scattering of dark wooden tables and bentwood chairs, leather banquet-style camel seating and hessian light shades. And just in time for winter, there’s an open gas fire complete with mantelpiece.

Still in the forecast are lunches and weekend brekkies, but for now, we’re content to stay warm and cosy by the fire, and linger with another Italian red.

Where: 270 Swan St, Richmond
Phone: (03) 9428 2988
Hours: Tue-Sat - Dinner from 5pm & Fri-Sun – Lunch from 12noon
Details: uniondining.com.au

It wasn’t long ago that when one thought of handmade, designer lingerie, it was in regards to labels sprouting from Parisian laneways or Viennese arcades. Then Elegantly Scant was established a decade ago in a Paddington living room, and grew into Australia’s own vintage-inspired underwear label, producing handmade or limited-edition pieces from rare, imported fabrics. “It took us three weeks to find the perfect bow for the Heart Breaker collection, which goes to show how we treasure each and every item,” says founder Kee Kee.

The garments are cut and adorned to make a woman feel attractive: sensuous fabrics are decorated with ribbons, tiny bows and old lace; there’s patterned hosiery, silk kimonos, and polka dots with frills; and showgirl styles made from emerald and ruby satin. Details are layered with care upon luxurious fabrics, cut in order to flatter the female form and achieved to ridiculously gorgeous effect.

A new label, Elegantly Mum, was launched last year, aimed at flattering the curves and contours of yummy mummies. It includes the French-inspired Jamais L’Amour collection, made with 100-percent cotton lining and vintage lace trimming – a fine way to beautify pregnancy, rather than hide it. “We can fit anyone,” says Kee Kee, noting that she makes garments in some 20 different sizes.

The May 5th opening night will feature giveaways of Elegantly Scant’s knickers on the night, but with a catch – guests must swap the underwear they’re wearing to get a new pair. If that doesn’t guarantee a memorable opening night, we’re not sure what will.

Where: 6 Degraves St, Melbourne
Hours: Mon-Fri 10.30am-5.30pm | Sat 10.30am-5.30pm | Sun 11am-5pm
Details: elegantlyscant.com

Anna’s Go-Go Academy is held across three Melbourne bars each week and draws inspiration from everything from The Ikettes and Tina Turner, The Jackson 5, Jackie Wilson, Ann-Margret, Denise Drysdale, vintage TV shows and Elvis movies.

Technically, go-go dancers were the resident mini-skirt and high-boot-wearing dancers at discos, but the Academy at times seems happy to simply tap into the ebullient vibe. “Just recently we re-created the dance from Pat Benatar’s video for ‘Love is a Battlefield’,” says founder Anna Achi, who’s also given the go-go touch to Cee Lo Green’s “Fuck You” and Outkast’s “Hey Ya”.

Anna, a bawdy wit who has classes in stitches, led the entire big tent in synchronised boogaloos and mashed potatoes at The Falls Festival last year.  She also gained a bit of a rep for her live show, “So You Drink? You Can Dance!”, which has appeared at both Melbourne’s comedy and fringe festivals.

Anna says she was booted out of ballet as a child for trying to introduce spirit fingers and cut loose, Footloose-style. These days she’s all Babs Windsor repartee and Liz Taylor hair, and it’s her personality that keeps bringing rookies back week after week.

Academy alumni have gone on to form their own troupes, or dance with bands around town, while others are discovering go-go is the fun fitness workout they’ve always searched for. The classes aren’t limited to women, either. “Men look great go-go dancing,” Anna insists. “Just look at Elvis.”

The unco among us might be bemused at the routines at first, but trying to keep up is nothing but a hoot. And doesn’t it look groovy when everyone finally dances in sync?

Where: Tuesdays at The Bendigo Hotel, 125 Johnson St, Collingwood | Wednesdays at Bella Union Bar, 2 Lygon St, Carlton | Thursdays at The Victoria Hotel, 380 Victoria St, Brunswick
Price: $12
Phone: 0402 769 515
Details: gogoacademy.com.au

The miniature shop joins an ever-expanding roster of vibrant businesses and fine eateries at this modern alleyway development, which took a decade to come to fruition. The St Ali boys crossed from coffee and contemporary fare into Asian eats only months ago, introducing Mopho Noodle Bar to the lane. Both it and Deba are metres from their original St Ali spinoffs, Outpost Café and Outpost Dining.

Deba’s got a wood-panelled frontage and a simple interior. Prop on a pint-sized timber stool by the half-circle communal table, or nestle on a baby-blue cushion in the corner alcove. A pair of woven-wicker lampshades hangs overhead; behind, there’s a magical Japanese koi fish mosaic in blue, green and brown hues.

While the surrounds are up-market, prices are not. Yes, $2.50 will still get you a hand roll, and it’s only a dollar more for uramaki (the inside-out ones). And forget any of this brown rice business; chef Kin San handcrafts traditional style, so expect crispy nori, fluffy vinegar rice and prime ingredients. There’s also tofu, shitake and konbu for the vegos; fish or unagi (eel) teriyaki for the pescetarians; and, for the omnivores, winter comfort food in Japanese curries.

With premium wasabi, ginger and great soy, you’ll be yearning for a lychee ice green tea by roll four. Or haven them pour a bottle of Sangaria Maroyaka café latte for your coffee fix.

Excitingly convenient, literally moments from the train station, you’ll be back on Swanston St in 10 minutes – for shopping that is.

Where: Shop 1, 7 Yarra St, South Yarra
Hours: Mon-Fri, lunch from 11am | Thu-Sat, dinner until 10 pm
Phone: (03) 9827 0299

Founder Nahji Chu or ‘Miss Chu’ spent much of her childhood in a Vietnamese refugee camp before coming to Australia. A great cook, she started catering, serving Asian canapés to partygoers. With an original and unique concept, she opened her first shopfront in Sydney six years ago and it filled with time-poor and hungry locals from word go.

Miss Chu’s puts a modern mark on familial recipes as her young face flags the wallpaper inside. The cheapish menu features dumplings steamed with scallops and prawns, fluffy pork buns, Peking duck pancakes, warm vermicelli salads and other Vietnamese delicacies.

And, of course, there is her signature range of rice paper rolls. Light and tasty, they’re filled to order with market-fresh goodies and devoid of MSG. The tiger prawn and green mango, or the roast duck with banana flower versions are standouts.

Avoiding lines onto the footpath, takeaway service is notoriously brief. Goodies come quick in plastic containers or paper bags, like the old lunch order days.

If you’re sticking around, sit inside or alfresco on old milk crates. In the evening, lanterns light a small alcove on the footpath. There’s upbeat music and little teapots hang above the bar and kitchen.

Sip on a young coconut juice – real flesh floats inside, triggering thoughts of island beaches. Or try Miss Chu’s own favourite: the banana lassi, a frozen version blended with banana and mint. Open till 10 pm, they’re also licenced, so accept a splash of vodka.

Oh, and Miss Chu delivers, so expect to spy little electric bikes shuttling her delicacies across town.

Where: 297 Exhibition St, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9077 1097
Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-10pm
Details: misschu.com.au

And just when you thought the noughties was all about gastropub-style comfort food and slow-cooking, Noir’s head chef Peter Roddy – who’s pan-rattled for such UK Michelin-star heavyweights as Gordon Ramsay and Michel Roux ­– throws his hat in the ring with a very delicate and ultra-creative cooking style that reminds us of something between nouvelle cuisine and Heston Blumenthal’s scientific gastronomy.

You’ll want to choose a selection of entrees to share. We loved the salted cod croquettes, ocean trout cured in Hendricks gin, and beetroot gnocchi with confit duck. Mains are good for sharing too. Try it with the succulent roast rack and braised shoulder of lamb with pine mushrooms, snails and chestnuts, and the Devon duck with carrots, quince and chocolate (believe us, it works).

The biggest and best surprise comes at the tail end of proceedings: a square of sensational baked white chocolate cheesecake, topped with caviar-like shavings of granita, and rounds of rhubarb jelly and rosemary panna cotta that you would swear were tomato and bocconcini slices – that its topped with basil only reinforces the illusion.

It’s refreshing to come across an eatery these days that you can’t really say reminds you of somewhere else in town. Noir really is the new black.

Where: 175 Swan St, Richmond
Hours: Brunch from 12noon (Sat & Sun) Lunch from 12noon (Tue-Fri) & Dinner from 6pm (Tue-Sun)
Phone: (03) 9428 3585
Details: noirrestaurant.com.au

Mario Maccarone and Mario De Pasquale opened Marios on 28 April 1986, and for a quarter century, they’ve been plying Melbourne northsiders with solid trattoria fare, not to mention real-deal Italian coffee that helped inspire the city’s current caffeine heights.

If you haven’t been to Marios – and, well, where the hell have you been? – it’s famed for its all-day brekkies and consistent cheap-n-cheerful Italian cuisine atop linen tablecloths. Enjoy meals amid the piped-in jazz, and in a cosy haven adorned with a seemingly timeless décor – initially furniture from the boys’ homes. Lending their walls as a showcase for emerging artists, they’re also a favourite with the Melbourne arts community.

Service is efficient, even if the laissez-faire attitude of ‘I’ve been here forever’ waistcoats can off-put some diners thinking they deserve nothing less than a window seat. Fact is, there are no bookings, so whoever you are, whatever you do, you’ll line up with the rest of humanity for your penne puttanesca. Also, if you like your latte skinny, with soy or decaf, forget it. It’s either the full-fat way, or the highway.

Starting with today’s birthday and lasting a full month, Marios is flaunting ’80s and ’90s dishes that have been menu favourites over the years, albeit classics that are getting contemporary makeovers. A traditional tortellini with mushroom sauce – a late ’80s fave – becomes wild mushroom and ricotta-filled, handcrafted tortellini with a pine mushroom and lemon thyme sauce. That classic eggplant parma is now a pumpkin, zucchini and eggplant parmigiana with tomato & cumin relish, almonds and feta.

So at a time when Ida Buttrose’s seventies heyday is back as a focal point on TV, everything old is new again. So goes it at Marios, where the more things change, the more fun it is to celebrate how they can remain the same.

What: Marios 25th Birthday Celebration
When: 28 Apr-28 May
Where: 303 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Phone: (03) 9417 3343
Details: marioscafe.com.au