2009 September | MEL: HOT OR NOT

HOT: Who’s That Chik?, Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne

September 30, 2009 ⋅ 2 comments

Candy Bowers wanted all the critics to introduce their reviews by saying that Who’s That Chik? features ‘a girl in skin tight dance pants’. So if you’re expecting crisp white linen suits and the perfect diction of God of Carnage, you’re in the wrong theatre.
Candy B’s self-written, autobiographical show is billed as ’a hip hop tale [...]

NOT: Patee Thai, 371-373 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

September 29, 2009 ⋅ 2 comments

I’ll be blunt. Other than the novelty of eating your meal while simultaneously stretching your hip flexors on floor cushions, I can’t think of much else to commend about Patee Thai. The restaurant was decked out in every Thai cliché I could think of (lots of temple references) and the food was bland, anglo-fied Thai [...]

HOT: Ridiculusmus Play Readings, La Mama, 205 Faraday St, Carlton

September 28, 2009 ⋅ 2 comments

La Mama is an intimate one-room shoebox tucked away in Carlton, and it’s a terrible/wonderful theatre space. Terrible if you’re stuck with a boring show, as there’s nowhere to hide, snooze or make a hasty escape. Wonderful if you’re sharing the space with a witty, invigorating production, as the sense of intimacy really feels like [...]

HOT: Donnini’s Restaurant, 320 Lygon St, Carlton

September 28, 2009 ⋅ 2 comments

For a smallish city of 4 million people, I think that the Melbourne restaurant scene is disproportionately vibrant – it seems every month I add yet another dozen new restaurant openings to my must-eat-and-blog list.
Yet Melbourne has an even longer list of under-appreciated stalwarts, the restaurants and cafes who do their stuff without celebrities, fanfare [...]

HOT: Tale of the Golden Lease, Lithuanian Club, 44 Errol St, North Melb

September 26, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Melbourne Fringe Festival #3: Tale of the Golden Lease by four blokes in jeans, otherwise known as Vigilantelope.
While the rest of Melbourne was getting celebrating/commiserating over the grand final, I sat in a dark room at the Lithuanian Club and got transported to heaven, hell, the prehistoric era and a fish and chip shop. Tale of [...]

HOT: Arj Barker, Lithuanian Club, 44 Errol St, North Melbourne

September 25, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Melbourne Fringe Festival #2: Arj Barker is a favourite act among Australian comedy audiences (helped no doubt by his role as Dave in Flight of the Conchords) so it makes sense that he would test out his new material on our friendly shores. So as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival he’s put together a [...]

HOT: The Court House Hotel, ‎ 86-90 Errol St, North Melbourne

September 25, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Every year for the past 30 or so years, a group of men have met up at The Court House on the eve of the grand final. They don’t have much to do with each other the rest of the year, but their annual catch up has been sacred through toddlers, mortgages, receding hairlines and [...]

HOT: Social Media Club, Mr Tulk, State Library, 328 Swanston St, Melb

September 25, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Another Friday, another Social Media Club breakfast at Mr Tulk. Having attended three breakfasts now, I’m starting to realise that there’s a bunch of regulars who I see every week but to whom I’ve never had to chance to introduce myself. So next week’s aim is to say hi to all those familiar faces.
This week [...]

HOT: Crust, 350 Smith St, Fitzroy

September 23, 2009 ⋅ 2 comments

Is it possible for a pizza to be healthy and tasty?
Gourmet pizza makers Crust have started selling a range of pizzas called ‘Healthier choice‘. It’s not just a meaningless euphemism for ‘vegetarian’ or ‘fewer toppings’ – the freshly made pizzas have literally been given the National Heart Foundation tick of approval, which means that they [...]

HOT: The Toff In Town, 2/252 Swanston St, Melbourne

September 22, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Ever since I read Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, I’ve wanted to go on a glamorous train ride. Not for the murder bit, of course, just for the opportunity to swan about in jewels and feathers as a grandly decadent train transported me to exotic lands.
The closest thing to the Orient Express in [...]