Little Creatures Beer Hall

There are two things I love about Little Creatures . The beer and the bikes. 

That's not really true, I also adore Little Creatures Pipsqueak Cider. And as I found out today, I also have a soft spot for the Amber Ale. 

On a rather ho-hum Queens long weekend, I needed a little pick me up, and wandered to the beer hall. Its a big, noisy space located at 222 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Its bright, bustling and in its second, maybe third year, quite popular.

I wouldn't say the atmosphere here is warm, but its definatly friendly, and there are plently of beers and/or other beveridges to chooese from. On this occoasion ther was no food consumed, but from what I could see, there are plenty of options to choose from. Snacks, mains, or shared. 

I would highly recommend the Little Creatures Beer Hall for an afternoon drink, and maybe a few more. I have herd that the steamed muscles are fab.  

Best Sunday Roast in Melbourne - Contender # 1 The Gem

As winter rolls in my appetite for hearty warm meals grows. And so, my search for the best Sunday Roast in Melbourne begins. I estimate that I have at least 3 months worth of cravings up my sleave, and an eating partner with an insatiable taste for roasted meats.

The search begins at The Gem, 289 Wellington Street, Collingwood. The Gem is a little rough around the edges. The walls are plastered with gig posters and the pool table is missing a ball. All these things add to the warm, no bullshit atmosphere of the pub.

Onto the meal. For $18 you have a choice of roast pork or lamb, with veggies and Yorkshire pudding. The lamb is a good size meal, with juicy meat, gravy, roast potatoes, parsnip, carrots and peas. Best of all is the yorky pud. Yum, yum, yum. My fellow dinner says in summary, "at first I was mad that the pudding was soaking up all my gravy, then I took a bite and I was in heaven. Gravy heaven. I would come back for the gravy alone".

Now I don't know if the Gem is going to be the best roast in Melbourne, but for the first cab off the rank, the standard has been set. My only critique is that the potatoes could have been better roasted, and I am not a fan of frozen peas, ever. At $18, the Gem represents good value.

Have you eaten at The Gem?

Fitzroy Market

Glorious Food

Long time no blog...

It has been a really long time since I made a post. But that doesn't mean that I stopped eating! Far from it, its the best time of year for eating, and believe me, I've done well. I got really busy finding a new place to live, moving into the new house, starting a new job, surviving christmas and starting a new year! 

So as well as my memory serves me, I will attempt to wrap up of the places I have been and the things I have seen....

The move has bought me within walking distance to Banda Parte` Pizza. I have read some mixed reviews, but I have to say, I really enjoyed eating here. Good selection of beers and interesting pizza toppings. I'm looking forward to going back. 

Continuing along the beer trail, have had a meal and a drink at the Empress Hotel. I know many locals love the Empress, and thats fair enough, but I just don't like eating here. Have had a few meals here over the years and I'll pretty much do anyting to avoid eating here again. Fish and chips were greasy and the chicken burger was dry. I don't want to overly critique pub food, but there are better pub meals around. Bulmers on tap is a winner though!

Had a totally different kind of pub experience at the North Fitzroy Star. Nuzzled in the quiet end of St Georges Road, the Star caters to a quieter, more middle aged crowd, and its seasonal menu reflects this. I had a beautiful pasta with a glass of pinot and a salmon salad with baby herbs. Its not cheap here, but the food is really well thought out, and the quality is easy to see. I like the warm cozy feeling of this place, and despite not being middle aged, I will be back!

Further down the road, I stopped in at the Commercial Hotel for a pre xmas drink and a bite to eat with friends. I'm not sure if this place has changed hands, but it seems a bit different to  a few years ago. Different vibe? I don't know. But I like it here. The menu is pretty standard pub grub, but pub grub done well. I really liked the fish and chips here, and the porterhouse was done just right. I was very embarassed to ask for my medium steak to be done a little more (I never do this), and the guy who I suspect was the owner was so nice about it. I even got new chips. I really appreciated not being made to feel like I was troubling them. Two thumbs up to the Commercail. 

The pub tour continues to the Fitzroy Pinnacle. I'm going to say: good place to drink, poor place to eat. I had an eggplant parma, and it was honestly the most horrid thing I have had the displeasure of paying to eat. It was undercooked, chewy, and greasy. HOWEVER, I love the beer garden here, its small, cozy and the music is good. 

Changing the flavour, I sat down at Mezza Lebansese Bar and Grill for a falafel. MY god this place is busy! The lamb is amazing, and the salads were fresh. Great balance of vegetarian and meet dishes. I get the impression that a lot of people make this a regular dining spot along Lygon. 

The work Christmas lunch was held at the Langham Hotel in South Bank. It was AMAZING. This place is the ultimate buffet. You can pretty much eat anything you feel like, and as much as you can handel. I treated myself to half a dozen oysters, half a dozen + prawns, crayfish and yabby. And thats juat to start. The cheese was phenominal. Cheddar, french brie, fetta, quince paste. Then there is a carvery and a curry bar. The highlight is without doubt the dessert fridge. Small portion of tiramisu, chocolate fountain or pudding. 

I can't pass up an evening at The Old Kingdom on Smith Street. A festive duck dinner with family was a great way to wish eachother a happy christmas. 1 duck, 4 people. It was epic. I am never happier than when I have a pecking duck pancake in my hands. This little gem is also BYO, so you can pick the finest pinot your budget can stretch too. More food was consumed than would be medically remommended, all at $25 a head. 

The most tradgic place I've eaten at, possibly ever, was Soul Mamma, in St Kilda. NEVER GO THERE. Dam, it was bad. Got there early, close to 6, and was told that without a booking, we roughly had 45 minutes to eat and vacate. I can respect that other people may have booked our table, but the place was empty. It was rude, and unncessary and over priced. The food was sub par, and there are better veggie places to ear. By miles. *REPEAT* Do not go there. 

In addition to the festive food and pubs, I have payed a visit to cafe Fig. I'm not sure if its north Fitzoy or north Carlton, but its not bad. Its the only cafe in walking distance of my house, and the breakfast was pretty good. They serve fair trade coffee and are reasonably priced. Nothing stand out, but a good place to read the paper and ease into a weekend. 

Had a coffee or two at Julios on Miller street in North Fitzroy. I believe that they serve genovese coffee, and serve it well. However, I recomend that you skip the food and stick with the baked goods. Had a terribly bland breakfast, and saw some hidiously sloppy baked eggs sered t a friend. I suspect this place is popular with the school Mum crown on weekdays.

I also made my annual summer pilgrimage to Mildura for xmas. I may be bias here, but for a small town, Mildura can turn it on in the food departmet. My plans for a day trip to Trentham Estate were foiled by 46 degree heat, however, I managed to squeeze in a meal at the Pizza Cafe. I can't go home without squeezing in a talian pizza with olives. Its my thing. And I suspect I'm not alone here.

There were more more dinner between october and Januarary, many of them were old favs, its been sweet. Here's to 2010.

Noodle Palace

328 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

My lack of enthusiasm in the kitchen seems to be on a never ending run. I think I've hit a mid season lul or something of the sort. On this particularly non-enthused Tuesday eve I wandered down to Noodle Palace.

Noodle Palace offers a stock standard menu of pan-asian dishes. Curry Luksa - check, Singapore Noodle - check, Mee Gorang - check etc etc. Not exactly the most exciting menu, but seriously, how exciting can noodles be? They kind of fall in to the category of cheap take out. However, tonight I decided to dine in.

I ordered vegetarian fried kway teow and the man in black had seafood curry luksa. Inspired choices.

Both dishes were ok. There was nothing horrible about them but there was also nothing to rave about. The veggies were a little soggy in the kway teow and a bit of chili would have gone a long way. The seafood actually looked a little revolting, it had those scary fake fish balls and tiny little pizza prawns (exactly why I order vegetarian).

On the bright side, I didn't leave feeling like I had eaten something cheap and nasty. At $10 a head, we got what we paid for. Overall, I rate Noodle Palace 8/20 and would recommend it as a takeout joint. Don't bring a date here, as they might spontaneously self combust when Lincoln Park plays on the stereo.

Service- 2/5

Menu- 2/5

Atmosphere- 1/5

Value for money- 3/5

Bebida Bar and Cafe

325 Smith Street, Fitzroy

www.bebida.com.au

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday night is go out for dinner with friends. On this particular evening, we were farewelling a friend, chosen destination, Bebida.

Bebida is a lovely little place on Smith Street which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner 6 days a week. The atmosphere on a Saturday night is upbeat and welcoming with some local live music on offer. We were treated to a little  banjo playing and disco ball action. An interesting combo. In such as small space, the performance was quite intimate. There is also a cozy courtyard out back with plenty of seating and a fire.

To be honest, the live music was a little bit of a surprise, we had come for the food! The tapas menu has quite a lot on offer. We chose a number of dishes to share:

• Sugo di Bologna, Rich bolognaise sauce with fresh grated parmesan on fried polenta wedges.
• Spanish tortilla, Traditional style with potato and onion.
• Calamari, Pan fried salt & pepper calamari with a citrus aoli.
• Fried Haloumi with za’atar, Pan fried cheese served with pomegranate molasses.
• Patatas Bravas, Potatoes tossed in spicy tomato salsa.
• Chickpea salad.
• Russian salad.
• Trio of dips (pea and sage, beetroot and mint and tuna wasabi) served with pide

This really was an amazing feast. One of our diners was vegetarian, which caused no problem in selecting yummy dishes. The only slightly dissapointing dish was the Spanish tortilla, which was a little bland. To pick a standout dish is almost impossible. Each one was uinque and delectable. If I had to chose a stand out, it would be the Haloumi. The texture was beautiful and the za'atar complitmented perfectly. The Sugo di Bologan was rich and morish, the calamari was soft and juicy, the salads were fresh and light and the Patatas Bravas were rich and fulfiling. I find that Patatas can occasinally be a little lacking in flavour, not in this case. In the trip of dips, the stand out was the pea and sage. I really love when you taste something new, and you are totally blown away by the flavour. The pea is creamy and the sage offers a lovely earthy undertone. In addition the the Tapas, we also had room for 2 carafs of Sangria and a dark chocolate fondue.

I would love to post some pics of the feast, but my crappy iphone wasn't up to scratch in the dim warm light.

At the end of the evening, we were pleasently suprised with a tab of just $120. I'm not sure if maybe they forgot to tally everything up, but for 2 litres of Sangria, dessert and a huge meal, this is excellent value.

On this visit I offer Bebida 16.5/20 and would gladly return!

Service- 3/5

Value for money- 5/5

Menu- 4/5

Atmosphere- 4.5/5

Los Amates Mexican Kitchen- Fitzroy

34 Johnston St

Fitzroy VIC 3065

Los Amates Mexican Kitchen claims to be the best Mexican food in Australia. No Tex Mex crap to be found here. I suppose they thought they should get that off their chests from the get go. OK, I'm up for it. Lets just jump in head first.

This partucular Thusrday evening began with a rather grumpy phone call, "what do you mean your not coming home for dinner? Your out drinking? But I'm hungry!" the phone call was followed by a text "our boys are out drinking, we should go out for dinner!" a quick reply read "rad, meet me at work and we will go from there". Thank god, I will be eating soon, my blood sugar is dropping rapidly.

Los Amates was the chosen venu, and with no booking, we were lucky enough to be seated straight away. I really should learn to make bookings more often. Apparently there are many many organised people out there, making bookings for dinners two and even three weeks in advance. Sheesh, I need to get with the program.

Los Amates isn't exactly the prettiest restaurant, the tables and chairs are old and a little crappy, but the walls are covered in bright vibrant murals. The mood is quite festive and comfortable.

I'm not exactly fluent in Spanish and the wait staff were friendly enough to walk us through the menu. In addition to being unorganised, I am also indecisive. In my current state of starvation, there was no time to waste so the vegetarian combination platter ($30) was chosen and corona with fresh lime ($8) to wash it down.

Just as everything was settled, the boys phone wanting to join us. A bigger table is obtained with little fuss, and a meat eater platter is ordered. The food arrives as the boys do, for a chaotic evening, everything is going swimmingly.

The combination paltter was rather impressive. It had five selections;Sope, Quesadilla, Molletes, Tlacoyos and Tacos.Each item was different from the other. The platter offered bold flavours of lime, coriander and chili with contrasting crispy iceberg lettuce, beans, cheeses and tortillas. By the time I got to the second mouth full I was really excited. To he honest, for a $30 platter, there could have had more of each selection. A hungry man could easily finish this to himself.

Left not quite satisfied, the boys had another serve of tacos and the girls would try some dessert. We selected a Flan de la casa ($7.50).

The flan was like a very moist corn bread with a rich caramel sauce. It was unlike anything I have ever had before, and throughly enjoyable. There was definatly enough to share.

This is actually the second time I have dined at the Mexican Kitchen and I would definatly return. While I enjoyed the platter, I would not have it again. The second plate of tacos was a generous size, and I would go this option next time around. Between four people including drinks, desserts and extras the total was $130. Not to bad.

On this occasion I would offer 14/20.

St Judes Wine Cellar- Fitzroy

389-391 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
www.stjudescellars.com.au

Like any good Melbournian, I am an avid reader of the Age's Epicure, and will sometimes even visit the lovely looking restaurants that grace the hallowed pages, particularly if they are on my side of the river.

I was recently in dire need of treating my significant other to a fancy meal. Based on our mutual love of vino and the Epicure's recommendation, I decided to give St Jude's Wine Cellar a test drive.

St Jude's has been around since March 2008, and isn't really the new kid on the block anymore. There are many reviews out there, some good and some not so good. What really caught my attention was the concept of mixed business, bar/cellar/restaurant and the industrial looking warehouse fit out had also caught my eye when walking past some time ago. I managed to score a 7.30 reservation on a saturday night. It was on.

Despite being seated a little close to the door, my first impression of the space was wow. Firstly, its huge. The dim lighting contrasts magnificently with the cool polished concreate floors, and caged wine racks which house the cellar componant of the venue. I was errily reminded of the Japanese restaurant Industria, which Patrick Bateman visits with his girlfriend and her hipster friends in American Psycho.

I found the service to be friendly and professional. We were guided through the wine list, and took the recommendation of the St Jude's Pinot Noir. Regarding wine, you can either chose from the menu, or brouse the cellar and add $15 corckage. Brousing the cellar was quite fun and found the Somilier to be very knowledgeable and helpful. I didn't feel like I was being sold something that was out of my price range or not sure about.


The menu offers five enrte's, four mains and a range of sides, speicals and deserts. There was also a good balance of vegetain options. I opted for the Butternut pumpkin raviolo with sage butter, almonds and mustard fruit. My guest chose the duck breast with red wine jus. We also had a side of braised red cabbage and marmalaide.

Both meals were perfect winter selections. Hitting the right balance of richness and winter warmth. Considering that we had both picked reasonably safe main options, the braised cabbage offered a little quirky twist to the meal. Although, it was a ridiculously large serve. Very few people need to eat that much cabbage in one sitting.

With mains from $32+ and wines starting in the same region, there is the potential to rack up quite a tab. It might not be suitable for a casual mid-week meal, considering that we went out with seeking a little romance and something with a few frills on the side, St Jude's was a good choice. I felt well looked after, and was willing to pay the not so small cheque.

I would recommend St Judes and offer 16/20 on this occasion.

The Builders Arms- Fitzroy

211 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

For a foodie like myself, there is nothing more exciting than finding a restaurant which offers a menu so interesting and diverse, you simply must return to try as many dishes as you possibly can. And it doesn't hurt either if the dining room itself is so tripped out that you feel as if you have gone down the rabbit hole and entered some weird Alice in Wonderland like hemisphere. With chicken/rooster portraits lining the walls, my bird phobic friend would only be seated facing away from them. This dining room is really a shining example of how exceptional decor can heighten the dining experience.

This was my first and quite long standing impression of the Builders Arms. I literally dragged along every willing and sometimes unwilling dining partner I knew to taste the wonderful Middle Eastern inspired cuisine. As you could understand, after such a high rotation, it was time to give the old gal a break and expand my tastings. So it had been a while.

So it was Friday night, dinner was to be had somewhere, and the Builders Arms was thrown in as a suggestion. Sounded like a good idea, and the others didn't need convincing. Maybe we needed a booking? You can imagine my surprise to arrive to an empty dining room at 7pm. My first impression was, do they still serve food here? Hang on, there are menus on the tables. Something had changed....table service out, pub menu in, pay at the counter.

I can only imagine that the hospitality industry may have suffered many blows in the past year, and obviously Chefs move on, but seriously, has it come to this?

While the food was not terrible, in fact, my fellow diners report good things about the Atlantic Salmon on New Potatoes and the Pork Belly on Mash, my choice of Scotch Fillet with Salsa Verde and roast tomatoes really lacked any inspiration. And was overdone.

Along with the inspiration, the chook portraits are gone. Maybe this isn't the kind of place one goes to the be wowed anymore? Maybe I just chose the wrong dish.

In all honesty, I can only rate this at 12/20. The service was non existent, I could smell the waiters body odor, the menu was a down grade and the music was terrible. No. I would not like a side of Kate Bush with my steak. Thank you. The restaurant felt like a place where people scoff down a burger before hitting the bar. Oh well. Se La Vi.