One of my best friends Nicole and I took a week off over Easter to spend with our old house mate and good friend Francesca and this is my diary of our week.
So, albeit a little late here is the details of our Melbourne Odyssey 2011.
DAY 1 - April 20, 2011 - The Laneway Bar experience.
So we had booked into Red Spice Road for dinner, a South East Asian fusion restaurant on the recommendation of @danielthorpe (the food was awesome by the way we had the $65 banquet and fell totally in love with the pork belly and the lamb ribs with coriander and chili!).
Anyway, Pre dinner we decided to go find a bar in one of the laneways and so I googled Melbourne Bars and we decided on one called 'Eurotrash'. So we get there and the place doesn't seem to be open but there is an open door and a flight of stairs next door, no signage just this dimly lit stairwell in an old industrial space where the sandstone walls have been painted black. We follow two flights of stairs and at the top of the first landing is a photo of Charlie Chaplin wearing a Hitler mustache behind a red velvet curtain and we are intrigued so we climb another flight. At the top we reach a solid steel door with a peep hole and an instruction to ring the bell for entry. By this stage curiosity was high but we had also concerns about where we might be heading!
After a moment or two the door is opened and we enquire as to the Eurotrash bar and find out that it wasn't open that evening but where we were was the 'Berlin Bar' and if we cared to join them we could have cocktails and table service in either East or West Berlin.
So we followed our handsome barman Up another flight of stairs into the dimly lit parlor that is West Berlin with all it's opulence, plush leather lounges, inviting dark paneled booths and chandeliers.
We order cocktails from a unique list set out like a boarding pass and each is served with it's own unique twist whether it be the glass wear ( in my case cocktail no 1 was a jam jar) or with unusual combinations and way it was dressed.
At $19 a cocktail they were not cheap but totally worth both the opulence of the drink itself, the table service and the amazing surrounds.
If the mood so strikes you may prefer to drink in war torn East Berlin where the chairs were old munition crates or bunk beds with mismatched cushions and the tables old claw footed bathtubs with wooden tops.
Food wise the bar menu is small. Cocktail frankfurters which have a slight spicy kick, a trio of dips which today were spicy capsicum, hommus and olive tapenade as well as olives, a cheese plate or gumi bears, which totally made me think of 'Hedwig and the angry inch' where Luther the African American soldier wins the heart of Hansel by leaving a trail of gumi bears for him to follow :)
During our visit there was only 7 other guests, which being 5pm on Wednesday night in a hidden bar was pretty good! Other than a girl and guy the others were 2 groups of men. It's only small and probably holds 50 people maximum across both rooms so you wouldn't go with a group but I'd highly recommend it for 2 or 3 as somewhere a little different.
Although not technically a gay bar it did seem to be gay friendly and an older crowed, mainly due to the $$$.
So well worth the experience though. Next time we come to Melbourne we will definitely be heading back there.
The Berlin Bar
16 Corrs Lane Melbourne
http://berlinbar.com.au/
Day 2 - April 21 - Frank Camorra marry me? & 'Ladies who lunch'
Today we decided to be 'ladies who lunch' so after a leisurely breakfast and sleep in we hit Lygon street and found a hair salon for a wash and blow dry.
Looking glam we then headed to Albert Park, home to advertising agencies and a whole lot of 'new money'.
We.went there for me to visit www.empirevintage.com.au to check out a bangle I'm interested in for my upcoming 40th only to find that she had sold the samples she kept in the shop!!! I did however get to see a similar piece which I liked so will probably order it online :)
So we settled into the 'Continental' a cafe specializing in Greek and Spanish food and then once sated headed to Richmond where the mysize factory outlet is. With the help of Nicole and Cheska I tried on half the store but sensibly came away with a few key pieces for my winter wardrobe, all of which were black or black and white!!!
Shopping took a lot out of us so we went to Carlton to the Brunetti cafe for cafe and macarons before heading back to Brunswick to dress for dinner :) http://www.brunetti.com.au/
Before our trip we agreed that each of us would pick a restaurant and mine was tonight when we went to MoVida. It is a Spanish Tapas restaurant in Hosier lane near the iconic 'Forum' theatre, these days most well known for housing comedy festival acts.
Jamon to air dried wagyu to duck and even partridge (sadly it wasn't served in a pear tree!!!).
The Spanish Rose at $85 a bottle may have seemed steep but it went down a treat!!
Dessert was shared as we couldn't decide what to order so we settled for the churros (Spanish donuts) with drinking chocolate, warm ganache tart with vanilla pod ice cream and a Basque Tart (which is French for a tart that is more like a cake) filled with stewed quince and ice cream. We left there feeling satisfied but not stuffed, a very good way to be!!
I'm now officially in lust with Frank Camorra who owns the restaurant :)
MoVida
Hosier Lane, Melbourne
http://www.movida.com.au/
After dinner which ended around 11pm we headed to 'The Melbourne Supper Club' a bar that had an old school members only feel with polished floors, book cases and big leather armchairs. You have to wait to be seated and it's table service only and generally an older crowd although as it opens til 4:00am and we left around 1:30am that probably changes!!! Whilst I could have drunk a $4500 bottle of French Merlot, and yes I did mean thousands not hundreds I settled on $9.50 glasses of 'Baileys' on ice :)
Right now I'm winding down and getting ready to hit the pillows. Today is now Good Friday and we have no plans til the afternoon :)
The Melbourne Supper Club
1st Floor 161 Spring Street, Melbourne
(unfortunately they don't have a website, but google and you'll find various reviews :)
DAY 3 - April 22 - Good Friday, an old brothel and a touch of Absinthe
Today started off pretty slow with tired hung over girls from the night before :)
We slept in and I gave Cheska a lesson in Social Networking for her business before we gussied up and headed into town to Madame Brussels for afternoon tea/late lunch.
In the 1880's Madam Brussels at the age of 28 was the madam and owner of 8 brothels in Melbourne and thus the name as this is a former location.
The owner Madam Pearls is a drag queen and unfortunately she wasn't working at the time we were there, but our waiter in early 1920's cricket whites, and the waitress in a short dress that didn't quite cover the frilly bloomers underneath give you an idea of what this place is like.
We sat out on the rooftop terrace in the sun however next time I would love to sit inside near the bar on the lawn chairs on the AstroTurf :)
We ordered a jug of Pimms and sparkling pink champagne to accompany our sausage rolls, dip, pate, toasted chicken and mayo sandwiches with Tabasco and lemon and mini pickled gherkins and lemon chiffon pink iced cupcake for dessert.
We also experienced for the first time a glass of absinthe and loved the theatrics of our waiter melting the sugar cube and pouring the water over it into the spirit below.
Again another Melbourne bar that is totally unique with a fabulous atmosphere and that thing we lack in Sydney- table service. Do you pay a little bit extra for it? Yes you do but it really is worth it.
After last nights effort we decided to take it easy tonight and we finished off dips and cheese for dinner that we had on arrival on Tuesday and watched 'Eat Pray Love' and 'The Social Network' both awesome films that I wish I had of seen at the cinema.
Right now it's off to sleep ready for a day on Bridge Rd and a degustation menu tomorrow night at Cutler & Co
Madame Brussels
Level 3, 59-63 Bourke Street, Melbourne
http://www.madamebrussels.com/
Day 4 - 23 April 2011 Shopaholics and Degustation to die for
So today we were up and on the road at 10:00am with our walking shoes on and our warm coats as we commenced the day at just 14 degrees.
Carlton was our first stop where we hit the Paddington Coat Factory for Nicole to pick up her jumpers and jackets that she had put aside on Thursday and where I managed to buy an Italian wool scarf to go on my new black trench coat and a pair of leather gloves.
After chai and a scrumptious berry muffin which would end up being breakfast, lunch, morning and afternoon tea we headed to Bridge Rd Richmond and didn't look back!!!
My main reason for going there was to try out 2 plus size shops that we don't have in NSW - on que plus and dream diva. On que plus will be great for me in about 20 years time and dream diva would have been great about 10 years ago!! Oh well at least I now know I'm not missing out although I did manage to get a red t-shirt from dream diva reduced from $80 down to $20!
A cosmetic warehouse was never going to see me walk out empty handed and I also ended up with a cute black and white clutch from Events that cost me $19 instead of the original $69.
My last piece of shopping was a black, white and orange animal print sequined dress. Yes, sounds beyond tacky however it is actually gorgeous. I tried it on in mysize on Thursday but wasn't 100% sure about it. Today when I went back not only did I decide I liked it on the second try on but when I got to the register it was another $20 cheaper!!!
After a quick trip to k-mart for last minute Easter eggs to take down the coast tomorrow for Cheska's nieces it was home to change for our dinner at Cutler & Co.
www.cutlerandco.com.au won the 2011 Gourmet Traveller restaurant of the year so it had a lot of expectation on it.
We were running a little late and they won brownie points from me when I rang to tell them and they were really laid back about the whole thing.
The building is in an old steel works so is very industrial which works really well with the stylish dark wood interior and clever use of mirrors to reflect the light and give it a warm and inviting feel.
As it was Easter we had 2 options for dinner, the $110 degustation menu where you received the chefs selection of entrees then choose your own main and dessert from a list of 3 or the $140 8 course degustation. Having not eaten all day especially we went the 8 course menu :)
The food was sensational, such delicate parings of flavours and textures, immaculate presentation and service beyond compare.
In a restaurant such as this the staff are often arrogant and rude and barely crack a smile. The opposite can be said for Cutler & Co. From Stephanie the maitre'd who seated us to our interchanging wait staff and sommelier, each was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and treated you as though you were the only customer.
The only thing I didn't enjoy were the oysters which as part of the chef's selection of entree was only one anyway but no matter where I've eaten them I'm really just not a fan. That said tonight I ate fois gras which I'm not usually a fan of and I enjoyed it and I ate my first sweet breads. Yes, I ate sheep's balls! Whilst they were well cooked and I did enjoy them, I'm not sure I'd personally order them again!!
Tonight I decided to skip the wine and instead drank $20 'bitter & twisted' martinis which were vodka, Campari and pink grapefruit juice whilst the girls had wine.
So whilst today and especially dinner tonight was far from cheap it was without a doubt worth every cent :)
Cutler & Co
57 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
www.cutlerandco.com.au
Day 5 - 24 April 2011 - Easter Sunday and Rustic Italian home cooked meals
Today being Easter Sunday we finally slowed down!We arrived around 11:00 and Cheska's sister Grace set up an Easter Egg Hunt for their two gorgeous
We got up early and headed to Dromana on the Mornington Peninsular where Cheska's family have a holiday house.
little nieces Emily 5 and Samantha 2.
The girls had a ball trudging through the garden with their basket and managed to find 43 eggs they proudly told us :)
Cheska's mum cooked us an awesome traditional rustic Italian comfort food lunch - the most amazing lasagna, rice, homegrown beans and tomatoes, crumbed herb chicken pieces.
We followed up with mini pastries from Brunetti's :)
After lunch we wandered down to the Pier at Dromana but it was a little cool on the water so we did a few groceries, hired some DVD's and headed home where we spent the afternoon chatting and watching Eat Pray Love again as Cheska's mum and sister had not seen it.
Dinner was lunchtime leftovers and we then sat and watched a brilliant movie with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts 'Fair Game' about a real incident in 2003 in which a Bush Administrator leaked the name of an undercover CIA operative putting her family and other operatives in danger - damn good movie!
Now it's time for zzzz first time before midnight since we got here!!!
Tomorrow we are off to lunch at La Petanque winery which has a French bistro and this is Nicole's restaurant selection. It will also be another quiet night here in Dromana with more DVDs and a chance to relax before heading home.
Day 6 - 25 April 2011 - The French Connection and a relaxing day
So here we are and our trip is almost over. One more day, 2 more sleeps and back to the real world.
Today began rather leisurely with us all having a lovely sleep in before espressos and Greek Easter bread for breakfast.
For lunch we ventured to www.lapetanque.com.au for a southern French meal and lovely wines. The food was once again exquisite, not once have we not been impressed by the quality of the food whilst we have been here. I decided to go the 2 course option whilst the girls went the 3. Even though I wasn't wanting the 3 the waiter bought me a taste of the soup of the day - such lovely hospitality!
The restaurant is set amongst a vineyard and had the day not been so cold we would have opted for an outdoor table.
Once again gorgeous Australian wines and good food - I'm going to need to detox when I get home!
We popped into 'Foxey's hideout' for a dessert wine for dinner on the way back and it was a very cool little cellar door and kitchen which we hope to visit again on our next trip down :)
We got back home and although it was only 5pm got into our pj's and settled in to watch 'Twilight'. Cheska and her sister Grace loved it so much we ended up watching 'New Moon' and in the morning will be popping back to the video store so they can see 'Eclipse'. :)
Lastly we watched 'Confessions of a shopaholic' which, whilst they did take a lot of liberties with the story (which I know from being a lover of the books) I did still enjoy it immensely.
It's now almost 1:00am and this is our last night in Dromana. Later today we will head back to Brunswick for one last night before our flight Wednesday morning.
It's been a fabulous trip and I'm really starting now to feel relaxed.
Almost wish I had taken Thu/Fri too, but alas work is calling :)
Right now though sweet dreams are ahead.
La Petanque Restaurant and Winery
1208 Mornington Flinders Road, Main Ridge, Victoria
http://www.lapetanque.com.au/
We got up early and headed to Dromana on the Mornington Peninsular where Cheska's family have a holiday house.
little nieces Emily 5 and Samantha 2.
The girls had a ball trudging through the garden with their basket and managed to find 43 eggs they proudly told us :)
Cheska's mum cooked us an awesome traditional rustic Italian comfort food lunch - the most amazing lasagna, rice, homegrown beans and tomatoes, crumbed herb chicken pieces.
We followed up with mini pastries from Brunetti's :)
After lunch we wandered down to the Pier at Dromana but it was a little cool on the water so we did a few groceries, hired some DVD's and headed home where we spent the afternoon chatting and watching Eat Pray Love again as Cheska's mum and sister had not seen it.
Dinner was lunchtime leftovers and we then sat and watched a brilliant movie with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts 'Fair Game' about a real incident in 2003 in which a Bush Administrator leaked the name of an undercover CIA operative putting her family and other operatives in danger - damn good movie!
Now it's time for zzzz first time before midnight since we got here!!!
Tomorrow we are off to lunch at La Petanque winery which has a French bistro and this is Nicole's restaurant selection. It will also be another quiet night here in Dromana with more DVDs and a chance to relax before heading home.
Day 6 - 25 April 2011 - The French Connection and a relaxing day
So here we are and our trip is almost over. One more day, 2 more sleeps and back to the real world.
Today began rather leisurely with us all having a lovely sleep in before espressos and Greek Easter bread for breakfast.
For lunch we ventured to www.lapetanque.com.au for a southern French meal and lovely wines. The food was once again exquisite, not once have we not been impressed by the quality of the food whilst we have been here. I decided to go the 2 course option whilst the girls went the 3. Even though I wasn't wanting the 3 the waiter bought me a taste of the soup of the day - such lovely hospitality!
The restaurant is set amongst a vineyard and had the day not been so cold we would have opted for an outdoor table.
Once again gorgeous Australian wines and good food - I'm going to need to detox when I get home!
We popped into 'Foxey's hideout' for a dessert wine for dinner on the way back and it was a very cool little cellar door and kitchen which we hope to visit again on our next trip down :)
We got back home and although it was only 5pm got into our pj's and settled in to watch 'Twilight'. Cheska and her sister Grace loved it so much we ended up watching 'New Moon' and in the morning will be popping back to the video store so they can see 'Eclipse'. :)
Lastly we watched 'Confessions of a shopaholic' which, whilst they did take a lot of liberties with the story (which I know from being a lover of the books) I did still enjoy it immensely.
It's now almost 1:00am and this is our last night in Dromana. Later today we will head back to Brunswick for one last night before our flight Wednesday morning.
It's been a fabulous trip and I'm really starting now to feel relaxed.
Almost wish I had taken Thu/Fri too, but alas work is calling :)
Right now though sweet dreams are ahead.
La Petanque Restaurant and Winery
1208 Mornington Flinders Road, Main Ridge, Victoria
http://www.lapetanque.com.au/
So today was our last day. I can't believe how fast this week has flown :(
After a fabulous sleep I woke up feeling completely refreshed and for the first time really relaxed. Typical that I feel that way on the last day of the trip!
After providing Cheska with a social media strategy for her organization and fleshing that out we drove down to Sorento for lunch.
Sorrento was dangerous!!! If I had room in my bags there were some gorgeous home wears I would have purchased. And art!! Fabulous paintings :). Instead I settled for jewellery walking away from a gallery with a hand crafted silver ring and a boutique with a bangle and necklace.
We lunched at the Continental Hotel sitting in the sunshine with a salad and glass of wine before browsing a few more shops and then driving into Portsea to look at the huge multi million dollar homes. http://www.continentalhotel.com.au
By then it was going on 5:00pm and it was time to hit the road back to the city.
Once home we packed ready for tomorrow morning then ordered pizza, drank G&T's and watched Twilight Eclipse getting Cheska now up to speed with the series :)
The girls are already asleep and I'm about to turn out the light. I can't believe how quickly these last 7 days have gone. It's been such a great break, but Thursday will be back to the real world - work, domestic goddess duties, dieting and gym. But it's OK, without those things I wouldn't appreciate times like these so much, and I really do love all of those parts of my life right now :)
