Melbourne, Melbourne, it's a wonderful town....
----
I've always said I'm a walking contradiction.
Frankly, it's becoming a bore. Im born on the cusp of Sagittarius and Capricorn - two diametrically opposed personalities throwing martini glasses at each other from across the room.
But really, I'm much more grounded than that.
I worked hospitality for seven years but am an aspiring designer currently cutting his teeth in an architecture and interiors firm.
If I don't have your number on my phone I wont answer it.
If you call me after midnight I automatically assume someone has died. It's happened before.
I don't feel like dancing. I just want to get dressed in my coat, eyeliner and drink my martini while gossiping about the little people. Takes one to know one after all.
I'm easily distracted by shiny things, Hugo Boss shoes and architecture books. I nearly cried at the death of my favorite jeans, again with the near death of the next pair. Who becomes emotionally attached to jeans? I had 14721 songs on my ipod, and it is now below layers of freshly fallen snow on Mt Buller. Thank god for a credit card and late night JB-Hifi. I may have no cash, but I can spend a fortune on credit. You taught me well Alexxx.
I may not look it but yes, I am paying attention. My reflections cracked and looking back I'm so unrecognizable. And according to the what Muppet Are You quiz.. I'm Rowlf. You are a calm and quiet person, but this does not mean you are overlooked. You are easy going and a fan of the finer things in life. Your artistic flare, leads you to appreciate the arts, especially music! People are drawn to you and enjoy your sense of style. Your hospitality is flawless as you love entertaining friends...
And on that note I am going now. Don't say I didn't warn you.
52 Breakfasts
1 - A Minor Place - 7th January 2012 - New York style bagel with avocado, dukkah, fresh lemon, cream cheese and roquette.
2 - Milkwood - 15th January 2012 - Sourdough toast with two poached eggs, smoked salmon and avocado smash
3 - Albert St Food & Wine - 28th January 2012 - We actually arrived just past breakfast cut off (boo) so had lunch. Albert St steak tartare, sardines on grilled bread with capers, currants and pine nuts, and the Albert St special - pizza with roasted peppers, pork and fennel sausage and mozzarella. Service started off slow, but became much more attentive. Food was delicious and I would definitely recommend going back and grazing through the menu. The wine store adjacent has a great selection of local and international wines for (I think) very reasonable prices. Definitely one to check out.
4 - Pope Joan - 4th February 2012 - A beautiful sunny Saturday morning in Brunswick, Bradley and I jumped on our bikes and headed off to Pope Joan’s on Nicholson Street. We got there very late morning so the place was heaving, but managed to snag a table right down the very back in between fresh herbs, apple trees and other assorted bits and pieces. Poached eggs and falafels with zucchini, parsley and pinenuts, with a generous service of spiced tomato aioli. Adam says delish.
5 - Jellystone - 5th February 2012 - How do I love thee? Let me count the ways… Jellystone was one of those places I walked past again and again and assumed was just a young family, child friendly establishment and didn’t give it a second thought. Oh the times I wasted! I’ve been back half a dozen times and alway have a great meal. I woke up this morning craving their middle eastern eggs with thick cut sourdough, beetroot hummus, rocket and dukkah. The dukkah today was a bit… bland… but still the meal was delicious. We had to wait a while for our breakfast but were told that straight up so no fuss. The old sand pit out the back is gone (previously a bit family draw card) but is really of no concern to me. I had my coffee, my paper and my eggs. What else do you want on a Sunday?
Breakfast and resolutions
I’m not one for New Years Resolutions. Last year my ‘resolution’ was to keep my work email inbox empty, or at most one page so that I didn’t have to scroll down. Not exactly saving the world or self improvement, but it was manageable and actually helped negate some 2am ‘I forgot to respond I need to do this I need to do that’ anxiety.
So no, resolving to loose 10kgs or to learn a new language are not my sort of goals. Cue 2012: 52 breakfast dates.
When Bradley and I first started dating we would meet every weekend for breakfast at a cafe, roughly half way between his place and mine. Eventually we moved in together and the breakfast dates were maintained while we still both worked in hospitality and had roughly the same working schedule.
Slowly the breakfast dates became fortnightly, then monthly. We would do breakfast at home but really, that’s not so much a date as sitting at the same table.
So enter 2012 and each weekend I plan on going out on a breakfast, brunch or some other food related date, and not doubling up on cafes. 52 different establishments please and thank you. Of course, I can visit the same place twice, but it doesn’t count in the grand scheme of 52. Brunswick can easily accommodate 52 breakfast spots, but I’m hoping for a bit of enthusiasm to venture out to surrounding locales.
1 - A Minor Place - 7th January 2012 - New York style bagel with avocado, dukkah, fresh lemon, cream cheese and roquette.
2 - Milkwood - 15th January 2012 - Sourdough toast with two poached eggs, smoked salmon and avocado smash
3 - Albert St Food & Wine - 28th January 2012 - We actually arrived just past breakfast cut off (boo) so had lunch. Albert St steak tartare, sardines on grilled bread with capers, currants and pine nuts, and the Albert St special - pizza with roasted peppers, pork and fennel sausage and mozzarella. Service started off slow, but became much more attentive. Food was delicious and I would definitely recommend going back and grazing through the menu. The wine store adjacent has a great selection of local and international wines for (I think) very reasonable prices. Definitely one to check out.
Click on the image above for more information care of Broadsheet.
Link with 2 notes
Portello Rosso - Melbourne - Restaurants - Time Out Melbourne →
Have I ever told you how amazing Portello is? Yes I might be biased (have you seen the maitre de?). But if I’ve been… dare I say it, compromised, then follow directions from this outstanding review. Trust me you won’t be disappointed!
Just had an early dinner at The Spot (cnr Union St and Sydney Road in Brunswick).
The Spot menu has no prices; everything is charged by ‘the time’. So if you go in at 5pm you pay $5, at 6pm $6, 7pm $7 etc.
This applies for everything: pizza, pasta, parmas, steaks etc. Now you obviously ain’t gonna get a 2-Hat meal for this price but for $5 it was a pretty damn tasty parma.
You have to buy a drink with your meal but that still means you get a cheap meal and if you sit outside, you get some sunshine for free.
Maha Bar and Grill →
I went to Maha Bar and Grill last night and, as per usual, the food was excellent.
The menu had recently changed however as we selected the 4-course Soufra ($75 per head) there has a massive amount to taste and flavours to share.
We started off with a plate of traditional and non traditional Turkish / Arabic dips with warm bread, and an aperitif glass full of salmon and pea/corriander soup.
We moved on to the second course of entrees - king prawns with katafi pastry and a wide variety of spices and herbs. Baby lamb dumplings in oil with labna finished us off before the third round.
The mains consisted of the tastiest iceberg salad I have ever experienced, 12 hour cooked lamb, pilaf and marinated swordfish. At this point everyone was clutching their stomachs….
The night finished with turkish donuts, chocolate and beetroot cake with honeycomb and chocolate mousse and a strange mint granita and biscuit dish.
Great food, attentive service, a wonderful night out.
Melbourne Hidden Pizza →
Pop up shops are all the rage these days; temporary locations for a temporary fashion scene. Consumers love ‘the next big thing’, the latest trend and seem to be in search of that constantly changing, elusive hot spot.
Well some creative types here in Melbourne have taken that one step further, creating Melbourne’s first pop up restaurant.
The Hidden Pizza Restaurant is one of the newest editions to the Melbourne food scene. All our pizzas are cooked in a wood fire oven using mostly local ingredients and from April 12 – April 25 we’re offering a free pizza to everyone who finds us.
Opening night is TONIGHT (April 12). Hidden Pizza runs for two weeks only…. can you find it and get your free pizza? (Word on the street is that Hidden Pizza can be found in Fitzroy - now get searching!)
