casual

HOT: Mad Cow Thursdays, Hotel Nest, 111 Victoria Ave, Albert Park

November 10, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

A steak for $1? Too good to be true, I hear you say. Well, on Thursdays at Hotel Nest they’ve termed it ‘Mad Cow Thursdays’ when premium John Dee sirloin steaks start from $1 for a 125g steak! The catch is that you’re likely to be spending more than $1 as the larger steaks cost [...]

HOT: Wye River General Store, 35 Great Ocean Rd, Wye River

November 8, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

With summer arriving my thoughts turn to the beach and the coast. To be exact, my thoughts are turning to where to eat at the beach and the coast. And one of my recommendations is Wye River General Store. As the name suggests, it’s a general store which operates for the citizens and visitors of [...]

HOT: Miss Marie, 45 Beetham Pde, Rosanna

October 24, 2011 ⋅ One comment

Miss Marie is a cafe with an inner-city vibe catering to the discerning suburban cafe set. The first hint of its slightly left-of-centre sense of humour is in small shrub outside its entrance. The hanging child made me take a horrified double-take before I gasped in relief to see that it was only a doll. [...]

HOT: The Mercy Seat, 31 Johnston St, Collingwood

October 20, 2011 ⋅ One comment

In case you get confused by the ’99 Problems’ emblazoned on the door of number 31 Johnston Street…the address is a cafe called The Mercy Seat by day and a bar called 99 Problems by night. Time-sharing space (and facilities) is such a good idea! The Mercy Seat serves vegan food that’s not just beans [...]

HOT: Pope Joan, 77-79 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East

October 12, 2011 ⋅ 2 comments

At last count, there were 19 blog reviews of Pope Joan on Urbanspoon. So I’m far behind with my visit and now I’m not sure why I’ve waited so long. Pope Joan is the kind of neighbourhood cafe for which you’d be willing to travel. Which is why it has found success despite being located [...]

HOT: Cafe Vue at Heide, Heide Museum of Modern Art, 7 Templestowe Rd, Bulleen

October 6, 2011 ⋅ 3 comments

It’s been a while since my last visit to Cafe Vue at Heide and this time we decided to try the a la carte menu rather than the Menu du Jour set menu. On a sunny weekend the cafe is a real drawcard for visitors to Heide Museum of Modern Art. There’s often a queue [...]

HOT: Mitte, 76 Michael Street (cnr Rowe Street), North Fitzroy

October 3, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

I’m not sure whether Mitte is named after the district in Berlin and the German word for ‘middle’ but let’s just say at the outset that there are no German references in the menu, decor or service of this neighbourhood cafe. It’s in a little hideaway location on the corner of two residential streets in [...]

HOT: The Wine Bar Restaurant, Yering Station, 38 Melba Hwy, Yarra Glen

September 30, 2011 ⋅ 2 comments

Fancy a day out in the country? In just 45 minutes from the city you can be out in the vineyards of the Yarra Valley. One of the most popular wineries in the Yarra Valley is Yering Station. It’s the first winery established in Victoria and is definitely worth a stop for the cellar door/art [...]

HOT: The Commoner, 122 Johnston St, Fitzroy

September 29, 2011 ⋅ One comment

The Commoner is one of my local favourites – great food, reasonable prices, friendly service and lots of different spaces depending on your dining needs, from intimate couples tables to the outdoor courtyard to upstairs private dining room. My most recent visit to The Commoner was for Sunday lunch. I reckon Sundays are the best days [...]

HOT: Demetri’s Feast, 141 Swan St, Richmond

September 28, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

Oh Demetri’s Feast. If only you weren’t so small. If only your food wasn’t so good. If only your service wasn’t so friendly. If only you weren’t so cool. Then it’d be easier to visit you all the time. Demetri’s Feast was crowned Melbourne’s best breakfast in The Age’s Cheap Eats 2010 and that accolade [...]