Fitzroyalty » meals

dinner at Grumpy’s Green on Smith St

brian — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:07:51 +0000

I’ve had a drink or two at Grumpy’s Green on Smith St in the past year but I don’t think I’ve eaten there since 2009. The crinkle cut chips are gone and the menu is very different, though still mostly vegetarian with a token meat page containing only a couple of dishes. Last week I had the halloumi burger with eggplant and pesto, which comes with excellent chips. The food may have improved, but the menu itself is horrific.…

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posted in Casual meals by brian

lunch at Piadina take away on Gertrude St

brian — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:08:20 +0000

In the space of a former convenience shop or fish and chip shop (I can’t remember), Piadina take away on Gertrude St has been open about two weeks. It serves a short menu of breakfast and lunch dishes designed to take away, though there are a few tables inside if you want to eat there. Last Saturday I ordered the lamb piadina. It’s a plump soft flatbread filled with tender lamb strips, grilled slices of eggplant and zucchini and garlicy tzatziki ($8.50).…

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posted in Business by brian

lunch at the new La Niche cafe on Smith St

brian — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 13:09:32 +0000

La Niche cafe on Smith St recently moved a few doors south and is now brighter and better than before, with more light and more space inside. The food remains delicious and the ambiance charming. I met a friend for lunch and we enjoyed the jamon baguette and the jamon pizza and coffees.

The new La Niche has also been reviewed by Mel: hot or not, Milk bar mag and Kit’s cucina. I’m somewhat underwhelmed to be called rude and arrogant by some of my readers when I habitually link to relevant content for their convenience, but other reviewers fail to reciprocate.…

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posted in Business by brian

lunch at Casa Iberica on Johnston St

brian — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 13:13:58 +0000

I had a conversation with a friend recently about my 5 favourite places in Fitzroy. I’m not sure I ever made a definitive list but Casa Iberica is on it. When I occasionally don’t know what to cook I go there and buy random ingredients, which always inspires me. Although you can’t actually have lunch at Casa Iberica, locals will know that you can buy freshly made rolls to take away for lunch. $8.50 buys a large ciabatta filled with jamon, cheese, olives and fresh tomato.…

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posted in Business by brian

brunch at Sonido on Gertrude St

brian — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:04:22 +0000

Although I was lucky to be the first to review the new Cruzao Arepa Bar on Brunswick St, I was not quick enough to do the same at the similar Sonido on Gertrude St. Respect to Where’s the beef for publishing the first review, followed by Vetti live in Northcote, Fat belly club and Crafty llama. I don’t know why two South American cafes serving arepas have opened in Fitzroy at the same time, but I appreciate it as both are great.…

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posted in Business by brian

tell me where to go – lunch at Yong green food, Brunswick St

brian — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:04:20 +0000

Yong green food on Brunswick St was the winner of my third ‘tell me where to go’ poll. It received 31% of the total vote (43 of the 139 votes, 3 less than last month). I was surprised that it won considering it has been open for about six months and has been well reviewed by established and newer food blogs. I thought people would already know about it and would not be that interested in another review, especially as I am hardly a vegetarian food expert.…

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posted in Brunswick St by brian

pork and fennel lasagne at Alimentari on Brunswick St

brian — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:07:52 +0000

Alimentari remains one of my favourite cafes in Fitzroy. Over the weekend I had a fantastic lunch there with my girlfriend. She enjoyed rice stuffed cabbage rolls with beetroot salad and I devoured a huge slice of pork and fennel lasagne. Amazing. I like the service and coffee too.

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posted in Brunswick St by brian

lunch at Felice’s on Greeves St

brian — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:14:21 +0000

Felice’s on Greeves St is a cafe and bar that opened last year. It’s the perfect place for an informal lunch and the coffee is fantastic. The staff are lovely and the anchovy and rosemary pizza is my new obsession. The toasted foccaccias are good too.

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posted in Casual meals by brian

lamb kebab at Fitzroy kebabs on Smith St

brian — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:05:43 +0000

On a recent Thursday night between gallery openings and comedy at A mic in hand at Vibe cafe I tried a lamb kebab at Fitzroy Kebabs (Aydin take-away) near the corner of Gertrude St and yes it was good – lots of lamb, lettuce, tomato and a generous dollop of tzatziki.

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posted in Casual meals by brian

lunch at Bebida on Smith St

brian — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:04:22 +0000

When you coincidentally bump into friends at Incub8r during a lazy Sunday midday passeggiata and discover that everyone is hungry, then repairing to Bebida for treats is highly recommended. It’s the kind of place where one person can have breakfast and coffee, another lunch or a snack and a glass of wine, and everything blends together beautifully. From the top down: ricotta tart, pork belly and meatballs.

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posted in Business by brian

another satisfying dinner at Soul Food cafe, Smith St

brian — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:06:51 +0000

I caught up for a friend recently for a long Friday night gossip at Soul Food cafe on Smith St. I devoured some tasty nachos while she enjoyed the potato broccoli and apple soup.

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posted in Casual meals by brian

lunch at Roundhouse Roti on Gertrude St

brian — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:07:16 +0000

I’ve walked past the closed door of Roundhouse Roti on many Saturdays, and have wondered if it would ever reopen. I began to wonder if they were open on weekdays (when I am not around) but not on Saturday when I am. I was very surprised last Saturday therefore to see the door open and smell delicious curry flavours wafting out into the street. I went in to investigate and stayed. My roti channai was the perfect lunch – tender chicken and potato in a curry sauce that was just the right amount to be soaked up by the freshly made roti.…

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posted in Casual meals by brian

Japanese tea at Happy Kappa

brian — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:11:48 +0000

I took a friend to Happy Kappa recently to try the ramen. We started with tea and then I forgot to take photos of the soup! I can’t show you but believe me when I say the miso flavoured ramen is very satisfying.

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posted in Brunswick St by brian

lunch at Juanita’s on Brunswick St

brian — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:13:15 +0000

I’ve enjoyed cake and coffee and breakfast at Juanita’s latin cafe on Brunswick St, but until a recent Saturday I had not found the time to try lunch there. I wanted something savoury and light and my creative companion was determined to obtain a Portugese tart. I chose a delicious beef empanada with salad. Perfect.

Portugese tart styled by Melbourne Jeweller.

Beef empanada not styled at all but quickly photographed before being eaten with great pleasure.…

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posted in Brunswick St by brian

dinner at The Tenth Muse on Brunswick St

brian — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:11:30 +0000

This beautiful monstrosity is an enormous piece of banana and chocolate cake from The Tenth Muse on Brunswick St. If you’re looking for fresh homemade food, with vegetarian and vegan options, Tenth Muse is a great place to go. It’s a casual queer friendly cafe that opened a few months ago and it’s becoming quite popular and is recommended by Sarah. I went there to try the coffee when it first opened and it’s taken me a while to find the right occasion to return to eat.…

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posted in Brunswick St by brian

snacks for busy people – eggplant pizza from Fatto a Mano

brian — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:17:11 +0000

The pizza at Fatto a Mano is divine as I have raved before. I recently tried the eggplant pizza for the first time and it is amazing!

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posted in Casual meals by brian

dinner at Bala’s on Brunswick St

brian — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:05:23 +0000

I had a busy evening recently when I found myself coming out of a long meeting about 15 minutes before a comedy show I wanted to attend. And I was hungry. I first discovered Bala’s in St Kilda when I first arrived in Melbourne, then I moved to Fitzroy. The food at both venues is consistently good and $12.50 gets you the Thali special below with beef vindaloo and butter chicken. Flagrant food fawning has reviewed the vegetarian version.…

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posted in Brunswick St by brian

breakfast parma at the Gertrude hotel

brian — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:13:08 +0000

Any meal can become breakfast. Making a meal into a good breakfast, however, requires creativity. At the Red Tongue cafe on Brunswick St they make an excellent breakfast pizza. The kitchen at the Gertrude hotel on Gertrude St has excelled themselves by making a breakfast parma. It’s a chicken parma with the usual napoli tomato sauce and cheese on top. In between the sauce and the cheese are rashers of bacon, and on top of it all sits a fried egg.…

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posted in Breakfasts by brian

dinner at Soul Food cafe on Smith St

brian — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:12:10 +0000

I met up with a friend recently for dinner at Soul Food cafe on Smith St. We talked about the delicious uncertainties and miserable certainties of life and enjoyed an excellent dinner. The Vegie Bar may be arguably the best known and most popular vegetarian cafe in Fitzroy, but I think the food at Soul Food is better.

I had the amazing eggplant and haloumi with cous cous (above) while my friend chose ravioli (below) that she declared to be most delicious.…

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posted in Business by brian

lunch at Sossa on Brunswick St

brian — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:07:51 +0000

Delicious food does not have to cost a lot of money. I was keen to reveal another side of the food culture in Fitzroy to a visiting relative over the Easter long weekend, so we had lunch at Sossa. I’ve already suggested that they make the best souvlaki on Brunswick St, but they have many other Greek treats, such as spanakopita and melitzanes papoutsakia (little shoes), which is half an eggplant suffed with spiced minced meat.…

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posted in Brunswick St by brian

lunch at Mario’s on Brunswick St

brian — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:20:29 +0000

One of the things I like about the better Fitzroy restaurants is their capacity to innovate and surprise. I took a visiting relative to Mario’s for lunch over the Easter long weekend. She ordered the penne matriciana while chose something less traditional: turmeric risotto with chicken, spinach and yoghurt. Both were delicious and perfectly cooked. At other restaurants choosing something different to their percieved specialty, in this case Italian food, can be risky. At Mario’s, you can trust that it will be good.…

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posted in Brunswick St by brian

dinner at Yume on Brunswick St

brian — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:02:53 +0000

Yume is another relatively new casual Japanese eatery on Brunswick St. I chose to eat there early in the evening before the recent state final of the Raw comedy competition. The menu includes a few dishes I have not seen on the menu at similar places and I was curious to see how it compared to Happy Kappa. I started with a deliciously smooth Kirin beer and looked out on the street through the open French doors near the front table.…

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posted in Brunswick St by brian

Happy Kappa Japanese on Brunswick St

brian — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:07:46 +0000

On a recent Friday evening after a busy week my fridge was empty and my enthusiasm was elsewhere. I wanted to eat something quick and nourishing and I remembered that I have been meaning to try Happy Kappa on Brunswick St. Previously Gorillaz (unknown food that I never tried), the space is now transformed into a cosy place to eat in though, from what I saw, most people came in to order takeaway.

Happy Kappa specialises in the Japanese noodle soup ramen, but I wanted rice so I chose miso soup and unagi-don (eel on rice).…

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posted in Brunswick St by brian

southern hospitality at Southpaw

brian — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:08:19 +0000

I never made it to Southpaw’s predecessor Little Rebel on Gertrude St, so I’m glad I have finally made it to Southpaw. The menu sounded intriguing when I read it in the window some time back, and it was the perfect place to have a casual dinner before before going to The Death Mook book launch at Dante’s and then to Vibe to see Adam Hills at A mic in hand.

There are various spaces within – the front bar area, a side room and a middle section with large tables and benches that leads to the rear courtyard.…

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posted in Business by brian

takeaway fish and chips from Ink

brian — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:01:21 +0000

On a recent Sunday a friend and I confessed to each other about our occasional fish and chips craving, and I remembered that Ink seafood restaurant now has a casual front bar with eat in or take away fish and chips. We stepped over the border (Alexandra Parade) and ordered a piece of plump battered rockling, tender chili pepper squid, prawn fritters and a medium chips, which was more than enough for two. At $23 it was good value for top quality fish as well as being totally delicious!…

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posted in Alexandra Parade by brian

dinner at Viet Rose on Brunswick St

brian — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:11:29 +0000

Viet Rose is an old school unpretentious cheap and cheerful Vietnamese and Chinese restaurant on Brunswick St that I have been eating at for years. It’s easy to eat well on Brunswick St or anywhere in Fitzroy really if you can afford to spend lots of money, but a good meal on a budget is more difficult to find. When you crave some Vietnamese comfort food or want something hot and spicy to pick you up, Viet Rose delivers.…

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posted in Brunswick St by brian

the best kebab on Brunswick St

brian — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:11:31 +0000

On Sunday I had a lamb gyros for lunch at the Sossa deli / cafe on Brunswick St, otherwise known as ‘The Real Greek Souvlaki’. Their boreks, spanakopita and everything else are also absolutely delicious. Above is the counter inside, and below is the front window that is so difficult to walk past.

Souvlaki, gyros, doner kebab and related foods are much loved in Melbourne and furious debates erupt about where to get the best. I think Sossa (315 Brunswick St) make the best kebab on Brunswick St, and another blogger rates Sossa highly, but others list the Kebab Factory (320/324 Brunswick St), Souvlaki King (311 Brunswick St) and Lamb on Brunswick (314 Brunswick St).…

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posted in Brunswick St by brian

Fatto a Mano on Gertrude St

brian — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:09:23 +0000

Beautiful bread and the most divine pizza is baked and sold daily at this bakery on Gertrude St. The potato and olive pizza, with lots of crunchy salt on top, is possibly the best take-away lunch in Fitzroy.

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posted in Business by brian

the world’s most expensive sausage roll

brian — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 13:20:49 +0000

Babka has a reputation for baking wonderful things and charging top price for them. I went to buy bread the other day and was of course tempted to buy something else… this time the veal, pork and rosemary sausage roll. It was generously sized, as it should be for $6.40. Yes, possibly the world’s most expensive sausage roll. And not the best. The pastry was delicious and the meat tasty and well flavoured with rosemary, but the meat felt more boiled than baked.…

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posted in Brunswick St by brian

Sushi Link

brian — Mon, 07 May 2007 13:29:08 +0000

I must institute a local content policy. I’ve been writing about my travels in Sydney recently, and want to cover more Fitzroy? stories. Here’s one I have been meaning to write for a few weeks. Sushi Link on Brunswick St make fantastic Maki. On a Sunday afternoon it’s the perfect late lunch.

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posted in Brunswick St by brian