As a regular reader of this blog you’ll know that (a) I love movies and (b) I love food. So when one of my local favourites The Commoner invited me to the launch night of their first movie-inspired multi-course menu I could hardly say no. And the theme was chooks! Roast chooks! In the form [...]
I think this Sunday Age article is kind of true – in the north there’s yoga for everybody (including dogs), hippies, fixies and all the girls look like they stepped out of frankie magazine. Which is why the shop Spelt Quinoa is perfect for the neighbourhood. This little shop of healthy goodness opened about a [...]
New cafes seem to spring up every week in Fitzroy so when a cafe manages to outlast the competition for over a decade you know it must be good. So it goes with Alimentari. I remember when it used to be just a crushed little front room but the back room now opens up for [...]
In Fitzroy, it’s another day, another new cafe…. Backstreet Cafe is the new project from the people behind Birdman Eating and it takes some of what’s great about that Fitzroy stalwart and extends it beyond – or more precisely below. More on that later. The cafe is located in a corner spot in amongst residential [...]
I’ve written previously about the great author events that specialist cookbook store Books for Cooks run. They are becoming so popular that they’ve started moving certain events out of their store – too many books and people to fit into a small space! While the non-store events are generally not free, the great thing is [...]
What’s better than a pop up shop? A pop up house! Melbourne design blogger extraordinaire Lucy Feagins has brought her blog The Design Files out of the interwebs and into real life. With the help of The Project Agency’s Esther Navarro-Orejon, Lucy has turned a swoon-worthy Fitzroy warehouse conversion into an even more swoonworthy display home [...]
Nestled in Johnston Street, in between the curry houses, Latin American restaurants and sweaty gyms is Zakkaya, a quietly beatific shop selling contemporary Japanese goods. Their wares range from clocks, clothing, jewellery, toys, storage and everything is delicate, charming and oh-so-cute. It’s the perfect place to find a unique gift for that special person with [...]
For the last week I’ve been watching the corner of Gertrude and Napier Streets with interest. WLG stamped on the walls. Brightly coloured metal chairs lining long tables on the pavement. A dude with an enormous 19th century handlebar moustache working the tables. The answer? The WLG Wellington pop-up restaurant has landed in Melbourne to [...]
We’re so lucky to have Books for Cooks in our city. This independent book store in Fitzroy is Australia’s only retailer specialising in books on food and wine. The five rooms of an old Victorian terrace typical of the area are filled floor to ceiling with densely packed books, from the popular to the obscure. [...]
The Town Hall Hotel is a handsome gastropub where you can expect fine dining quality of food and service, without having to wear your best frock or bear the fine dining prices. The bistro menu has a heavy Italian focus and spans small, medium and large plates to cater for any appetite (they also have [...]