Hunky Dory

0 Comments. 2 Views. Posted 21 Feb 2012 @ 5:25pm.
  Hunky Dory is a relatively new fish and burger bar in South Yarra. Its owner, Greg Robatis, also runs its highly successful sister restaurant in Port Melbourne and has a background in commercial fishing. My first experience of Hunky Dory was on a pleasant summer afternoon. My date had bailed on me, so I was accompanied by the next readily available unemployed person: my little brother.   Upon arriving I was immediately impressed by the spacious outside seating area. The pavement in front of the shop was decked out with a dozen large wooden tables and received ample sunlight all... Read More!
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Cruzao Arepa Bar beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 42 Views. Posted 9 Feb 2012 @ 11:16am.
  The deep voice of Cruzao Arepa owner Eyal Chipkiewicz, is barely audible above the buzz of the small Brunswick St restaurant and bar on a Saturday night. The sound of laughter and conversation steadily grows as waiters with hot plates of lovingly prepared Venezuelan arepas navigate the chairs and tables to make their way to hungry diners.   The speakers around the bar pump out an... Read More
Lupé beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 264 Views. Posted 8 Feb 2012 @ 2:03pm.
  Wine lovers, take heed! Since its launch last November, Lupé wines have been shaking up the way we consume wine with their wonderful “class without glass” policy. Yes wine lovers, Lupé has heard your cries and felt your pain. No longer shall you be forced to suffer waterside events, outdoor festivals, or even the common-place picnic without your cherished chosen drop at your disposal... Read More
Robert Burns Hotel beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 218 Views. Posted 7 Feb 2012 @ 2:07pm.
  As a citizen of Great Britain, I have to say that I am kinda at home with the notion of what constitutes British “culinary identity”. It generally involves getting a big slab of meat, sticking it in an oven, and roasting the shit out of it. Add to that a load of seasonal veggies and gravy, and there you have it; a fine roast dinner. I’m all for it, but have to admit you couldn’t eat it... Read More
Harvest N’ Graze Festival beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 154 Views. Posted 31 Jan 2012 @ 12:08pm.
The Harvest N’ Graze Festival brings together the best, handpicked delicious and mouth-watering gourmet producers, mixed with the freshest local seasonal growers, blended with demonstrations by celebrity chefs, topped off with a variety of activities, roving performers and children’s entertainment and thrown into one big pot with some of Australia’s most outstanding musical talent. Fisher... Read More
Wooly Bully Needs Your Help beat eats, news, music.
0 Comments. 1,360 Views. Posted 20 Dec 2011 @ 6:24pm.
One of the freshest additions to North Melbourne's thriving Errol St district is after your support, with record/comic store/cafe Wooly Bully facing a challenge to a Change Of Use permit application. Wooly Bully has quickly been established as a favourite hangout for those after LPs, comics, coffee and bagels.   As well as serving up quality goods, Wooly Bully has featured a number of... Read More
Lawson Grove Shop beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 390 Views. Posted 14 Dec 2011 @ 9:12am.
Lawson Grove, sandwiched between the south side of the Yarra and a hill climbing up to Domain Road, is a magical little part of Melbourne. A tiny little cul-de sac that carves a valley through crumbling pre-war 'Hollywood art deco' apartment blocks, you wouldn't know it's there unless you set out to find it, much less the Lawson Grove Shop. About halfway up the street, tucked away underneath... Read More
Q&A: Joe Dean – Head Chef at Hoo Haa beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 504 Views. Posted 29 Nov 2011 @ 10:37am.
What do you think about Melbourne's restaurant scene? Melbourne's restaurant scene seems to be ever-evolving. Coming from Sydney it always amazes me at the diverse range of cultures and the influences that they have on the restaurant scene. I love venturing out to the city and trying people's new spin on [classic] dishes.   What's the concept behind the menu at Hoo Haa? Modern Australian... Read More
Dinner Review: Pasha's Fine Ottoman Cuisine beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 310 Views. Posted 23 Nov 2011 @ 10:25am.
A Pasha was a royal title under the Ottoman Empire, roughly equivalent to the Lord in the British feudal system, and the restaurant is geared to the theme of Turkish royalty. It's designed to give the diner the experience of Ottoman Empire style opulence, albeit in a busy Smith St eatery. It succeeds for the most part; although the restaurant is busy, a lot of work has been put into the... Read More
The Skinny Dog Hotel beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 601 Views. Posted 22 Nov 2011 @ 11:39am.
A slightly unusual name for a pub, especially one that emphasises its food as a major attraction. A bit of a strange vibe as we entered as well, a gastronomic pub that was next to empty at 1pm on a Saturday arvo, it was slightly unsettling. However, over the course of the next two hours, it filled up nicely, improving the atmosphere of this pretty classy pub in the leafy eastern suburbs. Maybe... Read More
The Boat Builders Yard beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 647 Views. Posted 16 Nov 2011 @ 10:07am.
The bar/café/restaurant trade is a tenuous one, with the amount of venues that close down regularly around town evidence of that. Even in known and established strips such as Brunswick or Chapel St there can be quite a high turnover, with seemingly solid and long term places closing down, killed by competition, high rents, fickle public desires and numerous other factors. To open a brand new... Read More
Nice Buns! beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 727 Views. Posted 9 Nov 2011 @ 10:38am.
There's nothing like a good burger, especially if you're looking to cure a Sunday hangover. But in order to cure the hangover and the craving, it has to be perfect. It has to taste exactly like you wanted it to. So to point you in the right direction, here are the top five burgers from around the inner-northern suburbs. Enjoy! Burger with the lot, The Seafood Shak (150 Scotchmer Street, North... Read More
Dinner Review: Nami at RBar beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 424 Views. Posted 8 Nov 2011 @ 1:49pm.
It's kind of unforgivable to preface a review by calling a restaurant an undiscovered treasure, but there's not really any other option with Nami, this sadly underappreciated restaurant tucked away underneath the RBar in Port Melbourne. Located on Beach Road in Port Melbourne, Nami boasts a magnificent ocean view, and while we ate we watched the sun set and the ferries chug across the bay. That... Read More
Royal Derby Hotel beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 559 Views. Posted 3 Nov 2011 @ 9:02am.
Truly old school pubs are difficult to find these days, especially in the inner city. Even venture out to the outer suburbs of Melbourne, if you dare, and you'll pay 19 bucks for a steak and chips and be assaulted on all sides by the relentless white noise of pokey machines. There is a last bastion of this tradition in Fitzroy however, at the top end of the Brunswick St precinct. The Royal... Read More
Blue Corn beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 569 Views. Posted 3 Nov 2011 @ 8:56am.
Blue Corn is a great little Mexican cantina and bar in St Kilda. The place is all the more special for the location, nestled amongst expensive dives near the corner of Barkly and Acland, in the ominous shadow of the Dolton bar. I remember eating here when it opened years ago and being intimidated by the prices. Paying $20 for a burrito seemed ridiculous, but that was before a new wave of haute-... Read More
Day of the Dead beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 578 Views. Posted 28 Oct 2011 @ 9:24am.
Why celebrate the 'Day of the Dead'? We celebrate the day of the dead as one of the biggest traditions in Mexican culture. It has been a tradition since the time of the Aztec civilization to celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed away. Therefore in all Mexican towns and homes, the preparations start early in October. At Los Amates, we give our customers the opportunity to be in... Read More
Dinner Review: The Treehouse Lounge beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 659 Views. Posted 20 Oct 2011 @ 9:51am.
The suburb of Balaclava in Melbourne's south-east may not be the best known or most desirable culinary destination in such a great gastronomic city as mighty Melbourne, but this place is an absolute treat, and well worth discovering for diners south of the Yarra. Venturing there from Northcote was a reasonable hike, but Punt Road was uncharacteristically reasonable on this Sunday evening, and the... Read More
Gluttony beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 314 Views. Posted 19 Oct 2011 @ 11:02am.
This is a story about overdoing it, about when you get so excited about food you lose track of right and wrong. The people in this story work in the media, so to protect their branding, I've hidden their identities with clever photoshopping. Self Potato   I'll just call them Michael A. and Dr. Scott.   We'd just stumbled out of an informal Catalan Tapas bar, where we'd been gorging... Read More
Bring The Ruckers beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 538 Views. Posted 12 Oct 2011 @ 9:47am.
A veritable wasteland 10 to 15 years ago, High Street Northcote has become a real centre for restaurants, cafes and live music in recent times - You can arguably trace this back to when the Northcote Social Club was established there, and while the precinct may not be as extensive or established as Brunswick Street (about ten minutes drive away), Chapel Street, or Fitzroy Street in St Kilda, it... Read More
Dinner Review: Grumpy's Green beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 588 Views. Posted 11 Oct 2011 @ 10:28am.
Grumpy's Green is tucked away in that grey area of Smith Street where gentrification has taken hold exactly the right amount - you can take your pick of delightful cosy little bars and still get shived on your way to the ATM. The decor is tasteful, fun and a little bit quirky. The menus are printed inside vintage children's story books. The lighting is nice, the staff are friendly but... Read More
Lunch Review: Section 8 beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 818 Views. Posted 6 Oct 2011 @ 12:55pm.
Australia is far from a perfect country. Sure, we have it better than most in the way of health care and weather, but there are more than a few dark spots in our history, current political climate and reputation abroad as common drunks.  However, I believe one area where we are furthest from perfection is in the humble land of hot dogs. Mention the word 'hot dog' and my conscious conjures... Read More
What Makes The Ultimate Cocktail Bar? beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 760 Views. Posted 5 Oct 2011 @ 10:27am.
So many things. The bit that a guest sees are rarely the same that makes any bar great. A solid bar team, friendly and efficient service, great music, ambience and obviously amazing drinks. From a bartenders point of view, to make the greatest cocktails you need a very well designed workstation, fresh produce (and a heavy duty juicer!), quality spirits, excellent refrigeration and (lots of) large... Read More
The Robert Burns Hotel Dinner Review beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 616 Views. Posted 4 Oct 2011 @ 10:58am.
The fun thing about Melbourne's deconstructing of old pubs to match their evolving locales is that you're not quite sure what you're going to be served once you enter. Take the Gasometer, for instance - it may have retained its ye olde Irish pub interior, but the fact that they're dishing up vegan-friendly Mexican means it's not totally off-balance that they're playing The Smiths on the sound... Read More
Lunch Review: Santucci's beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 669 Views. Posted 30 Sep 2011 @ 10:23am.
The kids were thrown the keys to a new joint and given a carte blanche to go nuts – such is the founding story of Santucci's Cafe on Toorak Rd in Camberwell. With the family cafe already well established in Carnegie – siblings Massimo, Fabian and Romina were given licence to open another venue under the established Santucci name. They chose an ancient delicatessen and moulded it to resemble the... Read More
Prost mate! beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 959 Views. Posted 28 Sep 2011 @ 10:57am.
Germany’s Oktoberfest combines a hefty dose of Bavarian culture with an even heftier dose of beer, and because of its celebration of the amber ale Oktoberfest has come to mean a lot to Australians. Prahan drinking hole Lucky Coq is putting the final touches on its best Oktoberfest celebration that’s happening from September 29 to October 9 with five German beers, live music and a free German... Read More
Gladiators Eat Their Greens: Why This Challenge Can Be Vegan Easy beat eats, feature.
8 Comments. 1,784 Views. Posted 22 Sep 2011 @ 10:35am.
I always say I was vegan for ‘about twenty minutes’. In reality it was more like two weeks. I had decided that since I was already a vegetarian, and lactose intolerant, that I might as well just get it over with and eliminate eggs (as vegans know, ‘free range’ eggs are rarely farmed in the humane way you would hope). But when I was at a local pub enjoying a boutique beer, I realised that at least... Read More
Lunch Review: Hooked beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 835 Views. Posted 20 Sep 2011 @ 12:11pm.
If you're after fancy fish and chips, Hooked is where it's at. The Brunswick Street store has just unveiled its summer menu, and I couldn't think of a better place to chow down during the warmer months over a bottle of cider. Inspired by a recent trip to New York, hooked owner Ray Good unveiled his new menu to a select few at lunch in the sunshine ahead of the September 14 launch. Ray worked... Read More
Grill'd For Good: Grill’d partners with The Y-House Foundation beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 801 Views. Posted 16 Sep 2011 @ 11:20am.
Georgia Retallick was only just out of high school when she saw a program on TV that changed her life. The program was about young people who had suffered severe physical disabilities and injuries and despite their age were forced to live in aged care facilities. The result was the creation of The Y-House Foundation; an organisation dedicated to providing improved living conditions and support... Read More
Lunch Review: The Workshop beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 330 Views. Posted 15 Sep 2011 @ 10:17am.
The Workshop on Elizabeth Street at the top end of the city is an interesting spot. It’s somewhat hard to find, although not in a ‘too cool for school’ way: it’s on the first floor and the entrance to the staircase is actually on A’Beckett Street. As you enter, you are struck by its dark and moody feel, and almost labyrinth setup. It has plenty of nooks and crannies which would be perfect for... Read More
Dinner Review: The Schnitzel Den beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 966 Views. Posted 14 Sep 2011 @ 11:53am.
Mink Bar in St Kilda has undergone a few rebirths over the years. Tucked away in a bunker underneath the Prince of Wales complex, the cosy maze of passages and velvet lined booths has been a fixture for drinkers in the area since 1997. It’s the kind of place you could go for a drink before a show at the Band Room, or draw the curtains off on one of its booths and dim the lights for a prolonged... Read More
Review: Coffee & Cake @ Santucci's beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 694 Views. Posted 13 Sep 2011 @ 5:32pm.
Abruzzo is a small village located in eastern Italy and it can also be found in Koornang Rd Carnergie. Rita and Franca Santucci have managed to wedge the flavours, sounds and surroundings of their home town into a delightfully pokey, family run cafe. Decorated in a homely, ordered-ramshackle fashion, Santucci's has a unique atmosphere that stays true to it's family's origins. The intricate... Read More
Dinner Party Etiquette beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 1,003 Views. Posted 7 Sep 2011 @ 7:51am.
In Australia’s other cities, the most popular pastimes of the leisure classes are also the most visible. Sydney tans its freckled hide on the beach. Brisbane loses its wallet and the contents of its stomach in the gutters of the Valley. Canberra huffs on a crude bong cobbled together from a coke bottle and a garden hose, then winds up screaming and clutching the bloody stump that used to seat its... Read More
Dinner at Baba beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 894 Views. Posted 7 Sep 2011 @ 5:44am.
Baba is nestled in the middle of a Lygon St block where you can get top-quality food without breaking the bank, from the weighty stir-fries of Thaila Thai to the scoops of icy goodness at Gelobar. The spacious interior of Baba makes it perfect for larger groups, with an appealing Food Safari banquet offered up for groups over seven. But all budgets and appetites are catered for here, with an... Read More
Fanatical Food Stuff: The MasterChef Effect beat eats, feature.
2 Comments. 1,369 Views. Posted 31 Aug 2011 @ 9:41am.
Not long ago I was lucky and foolish enough to fly to Copenhagen for lunch at Noma, the best restaurant in the world, run by Rene Redzepi, the young visionary who quickly whipped up a resume in half a dozen of the world's best restaurants before starting his own, where he singlehandedly reinvented haute cuisine with a return to unpretentious, simplicity of flavours combined with a madman's grasp... Read More
The Vine Hotel Dinner Review beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 678 Views. Posted 30 Aug 2011 @ 3:14pm.
Stepping into The Vine Hotel is like stepping back in time. The Collingwood pub has had a change of ownership recently, but the décor doesn't seem to have changed since the mid-seventies. It has what you might call a "strong look", however, a warm red radiance from the exposed brick, high, cork-lined ceilings and abundant wood panelling that delivers in atmosphere what it lacks in style. At a... Read More
The Fox Hotel Dinner Review beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 804 Views. Posted 25 Aug 2011 @ 10:40am.
You're standing on Wellington Street in Collingwood and you're pretty hungry. Hooray, you think, another delicious pub meal coming my way, how I love being surrounded by so many glorious gastronomic options in this fine city and, oh hark, here I stand betwixt so many gorgeous grottos that will surely sate me. But which to choose?  It just so happened that I was the hungry reviewer turning... Read More
Fixing For A Mix beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 938 Views. Posted 24 Aug 2011 @ 10:35am.
The first published reference of the word 'cocktail' is recorded in The Farmer's Cabinet in 1803. A lounger with a hangover at 11am 'drank a glass of cocktail - excellent for the head. Call'd at the Doct's. found Burnham - he looked very wise - drank another glass of cocktail.' Sounds like a stand-up (or possibly pass out) guy. Technically, any beverage adhering to the definition of '... Read More
Multitasking Melbourne beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 886 Views. Posted 17 Aug 2011 @ 10:47am.
Humans, huh. We've evolved from swamps, washed the mire from our bodies, developed opposable thumbs and then started swiping them across iPhones to unlock them every few minutes. Importantly, we've managed to mentally advance to the immense challenge of doing two things at once. Multitasking is no longer just a fib on your resume regarding your skill set, it's something we engage in with our day-... Read More
Mad Mex Lunch Review beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 979 Views. Posted 16 Aug 2011 @ 1:13pm.
In a fairly uninspirational location- tucked away in a corner of Melbourne central amongst the burger joints and tacky bars with Thursday night drink specials- is this surprising offering. Mad Mex Melbourne Central is the second of a popular Sydney chain store to open in Melbourne, the flagship Victorian store having been on Chapel St in Prahan a little while now, and the latest store has hit the... Read More
Rapido Burrito beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 1,046 Views. Posted 12 Aug 2011 @ 10:16am.
I've got this theory that the best cuisines come out of conflict. All over the world the really amazing tastes are born out of poverty and the cultural necessity of different ethnic groups being forced to get along. The sublime Franco-Vietnamese flavors of Saigon, the Cajun fun-times of Louisiana, the way the cheese-eating surrender monkeys of the Basque country can squeeze twenty different... Read More
Spotlight : Tyranny of Distance beat eats, feature.
0 Comments. 949 Views. Posted 11 Aug 2011 @ 9:41am.
The 'tyranny of distance' we feel living on the edges of a geographically remote and vast country is often the thing attributed to making Australia, and particularly Melbourne, so culturally and creatively rich. We rely on ourselves and work almost independently in a different season, time zone and hemisphere than most of the developed world, so it makes sense that we've managed to cultivate a... Read More