shops and markets

NOT: Nicholson Street Baker, 706 Nicholson St, Carlton North

May 9, 2009 ⋅ 3 comments

I love a good neighbourhood bakery, so I was disappointed with my taste-test of Nicholson Street Baker. On the basis of its cheerful orange awning, RM and I had a brief morning tea there and sampled a dry chocolate cupcake and a sturdy apple and walnut muffin containing minimal fruit and nuts. The best of [...]

HOT: Eurodore, 271 Bay St, Port Melbourne

May 1, 2009 ⋅ One comment

I adore Eurodore. This is the European food and produce store that I wish I owned, with floor to ceiling shelves of prettily decorated condiment jars, bottles of oils and vinegars from Australia and overseas, good quality chocolate and enormous wheels of French cheese. What fun I’d have jaunting around Europe, sampling all the wares [...]

NOT: Little Cupcakes, Shop 7 Degraves St, Melbourne

April 24, 2009 ⋅ 5 comments

Aww – I feel dastardly giving cute candy-striped Little Cupcakes a NOT. But really, it’s only because their red velvet cupcake ($4) didn’t compare favourably to the red velvet cupcake from London’s Hummingbird Bakery. The cream cheese icing and the flavours were right, but it was just a bit too crumbly for my taste. Perhaps [...]

HOT: Stellini, 6-8 Howey Place, Melbourne

April 23, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Dear Mum I think I’ve just found my wedding dress! Five minutes after entering ever-reliable dress shop Stellini, the decision was made. Every time I’ve needed a special occasion dress I’ve popped into Stellini ‘just for a look’ and come out with something wonderful, in exactly my size. And this dress? Well, it’s white and [...]

HOT: Koko Black, Shop 4 Royal Arcade, 335 Bourke St, Melbourne

April 23, 2009 ⋅ One comment

In need of a chocolate boost, I ducked into the artisan chocolatier Koko Black and discovered that they’ve developed a product which taps into a lucrative market – students. I remember that as a uni student, I would regularly take a Fruit ‘n’ Nut into lectures, as it helped me to stay awake under a [...]

HOT: Phillippa’s Breads, 1030 High St, Armadale

April 22, 2009 ⋅ One comment

Philippa Grogan is the doyenne of her eponymous artisanal bakeries in Melbourne, and her breads and pastries are right at home in chi-chi Armadale. Although I really did fancy one of her expensive cakes for lunch, I opted instead for a pasty ($7.50) as I was starving and in need of carbs. It was an [...]

HOT: Ganache Chocolate Lounge, 250 Toorak Rd, South Yarra

April 19, 2009 ⋅ 3 comments

The master chocolatier from Koko Black has defected to South Yarra to open his own chocolate store and cafe, Ganache Chocolate Lounge. The cafe tables and leather sofa make a cosy retreat from the South Yarra shopping strips and the selection of handmade chocolates and gelatos are a nice alternative to a restaurant dessert. For [...]

HOT: Aesop Facial Treatment , 153 Toorak Rd, South Yarra

April 16, 2009 ⋅ 3 comments

During my teen years, I was lucky enough to display smug, blemish-free skin while everyone else at school was bulk-buying Clearasil. My luck changed though when I hit my last stressful year of school and for years later I was stuck in a quagmire of testing, searching and discarding skincare products – until I was [...]

HOT: Dogs Breakfast Trading Company, 245-247 Johnston St, Fitzroy 3065

April 13, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

I’m not sure why you’d call your stores such an unappealing name as Dogs Breakfast, but its name belies an appealing store if you’re into homewares and replica furniture. Unsurprisingly, I was browsing thoroughly aisle by aisle, picking up fabulous things like plastic microwave containers and sheet sets. RM flitted around uninspired until he spotted [...]

HOT: Lost and Found Market, 12 Smith St, Collingwood

April 13, 2009 ⋅ 4 comments

RM has been very patient with my new found penchant for retro lamps, so off I dragged him to Lost and Found Market. This indoor market is smaller than Chapel Street Bazaar but runs on the same idea – stall holders have a small space to display their secondhand wares, ranging from clothes, accessories, furniture, [...]