August 15, 2010: What About Food II

Our first visit to new local cafe What About Food had been reasonably successful, so at a loose end a week later we decided to go back for a second look. Things seemed to be running a bit more smoothly after a week of practice and the addition of printed menus meant we didn't have to crane our necks to read the blackboard.Cindy went for something a little more breakfasty this time around with poached cardamom apple and pear, topped with macadamia nut crumble and served with mascarpone ($11.50).This breakfast crumble was top-notch. It ... read more

Ask the Doctor: Small dishes for big eating

Movida Aqui 500 Bourke St Melbourne

Help me Doctor!: We are in Melbourne for a long weekend next week and want to fit as many great eateries in as possible. Can you suggest ones that serve smaller dishes so we can visit more than one a night/day/meal? Thanks – Louise

Your prescription: Hi Louise, great to hear that you’re planning your Melbourne eating in advance :–)

My suggestions for eateries that serve small dishes (all of which I’ve reviewed except the last one):

MoVida Aqui Izakaya Den Cutler & Co (Front bar, not restaurant) Auction Rooms Shark Fin House Old Town ... read more

Green vote surge in Federal Election

While we still don't know who will be our Prime Minister, one thing is clear - the Greens have been the big winners in this election.Adam Bandt, Sarah Hanson-Young, Bob Brown and Richard Di Natale. Photo: AAPHere in the seat of Melbourne, Adam Bandt won his party's first ever lower house seat (in a general election) with a massive 13% increase in the Green primary vote (to a total of 36%) and a 10% swing from Labor to Greens two-party-preferred. Nationally the Greens gained about 11.5% of the primary vote, an increase of almost 4% from ... read more

Flat White, Sweet Source, Carlton North

This is the downside of my bird's-eye-view coffee photos: the iPhone occasionally gets confused when it is horizontal and thinks it should switch to portrait. iPhoto didn't seem to want to rotate it either. It's time like this that I think I should be putting so much faith in so many iThings.

Strong Latte, North, Carlton North

Oh get the hell out of here. I'm nineteen posts behind?! How did that happen? As I'm sure you'll understand, I'm having trouble remembering what my strong latte from North was like last Friday. I imagine it was good. I'm pretty sure I woke up with no milk or coffee in the house, and went out to find both. Preferably in one cup.So, uh, not a particularly interesting post. I'd better move on. Eighteen to go...

Tuesday 28 September 2010 at 6:30pm

Readings Carlton: 309 Lygon St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053

Funny man and writer Tony Wilson is back with his second novel Making News. This is a darkly funny and revealing story about today’s celebrity culture, invasion of privacy and the machinations involved in creating a smutty story for the masses. Join us for a laugh and really quite a big gossip session.

Free, but please book on 9347 6633 or by email.


Wednesday 29 September 2010 at 6:30pm

Readings Carlton: 309 Lygon St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053

Join us for the launch of Neil Cole's Colonel Surry's Insanity.

This is the story of John Surry, a solicitor and former Colonel in the Second World War, who pleads Not Guilty to taking money from his client's trust account on the grounds that he was insane at the time he committed the offence with manic depression. When he is found Not Guilty he is sent to psychiatric prison. The story chronicles a man of who has enormous mood swings during the war and after. It is set against the backdrop of conscription of soldiers for the Vietnam War. The book poses the question what is sanity as young men are sent off to fight and be killed ... read more


Thursday 30 September 2010 at 6:30pm

Readings Carlton: 309 Lygon St, Carlton, Victoria, 3053

The bird king, the anthropologists, the thing in the bathroom, the paraffin-oil koala. What do they all have in common? Nothing! Except that they all inhabit the unique world of renowned artist, author and illustrator Shaun Tan.

Collected in this journal, The Bird King and other Sketches for the first time are his illustrations for stories that never developed, observational studies, preliminary drawings for books, films and theatre, and random doodles from Shaun’s working sketchbooks. Together with commentary by the artist, they offer a special insight into the imagination of one of Australia’s most celebrated storytellers, the internationally acclaimed creator of The Lost Thing, The Red Tree, The Arrival and Tales from Outer Suburbia.

Free, but please book on 9347 6633 ... read more