Melbourne Patron

I went there for the breakfast, but ended up trying the lunch. Late last year, Mighty Boy Eatery (59-61 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy) was all the rage, having taken opened on a prime corner location on the ever-popular Gertrude Street. Usually keen on brunch, I was initially dubious at the idea of South-East Asian inspired breakfast food. But then my sister visited from interstate, and I like to take visitors to new and interesting places. So we checked out Mighty Boy for a late brunch one weekday. Unfortunately, after a sleep-in, we were *too* late! Breakfast was no longer being served by 12.30pm, so lunch was our only option. I had been eyeing off the haloumi sandwich, and there were no other cheesy options on the menu for lunch to satisfy my craving. Pulled lamb shoulder roti wrap The lunch options available were all Vietnamese/Thai style (noodles, salads, roti wraps and rice paper rolls) and, appealingly, very affordable - a stark contrast to next-door neighbours, ...

Some might call it inner-city wank, but to me, the Gertrude Street Projection Festival , held annually for a week or two in winter, is what Melbourne is all about. Now in its seventh year, I have been to the Festival almost every year since landing in "Melbs" 5.534 years ago (yes, I actually just figured out that amount of time to three decimal points), and although it is often a bloody freezing foray down Gertrude Street, it is always enjoyable. Fitzroy and Collingwood are about as cool as you can get in Melbourne, suburb-wise (and yes, I'm biased): homes to hipsters-y students, young professionals, and alternative families (massive generalisations of course, but then, I am actually generalising here), 'typical' Melbourne fashions plus up-and-coming designers, food trends, bicycles, music venues, pubs, restaurants, cafes and bars galore, galleries and loads of street art, iconic tram lines, and some of the oldest (and therefore, grungiest) buildings to ...

It has long been my belief that everybody should be granted a holiday on their birthday. (Sadly, this is yet to pass as national law.) Likewise, if you are single on Valentine's Day, you should go out - if you're a girl, with the girls; if you're a boy, on a boy's night. Things are much more fun that way, and you still get to partake in the specials and menus designed by bars and restaurants specifically for the day. And so it was, that on a glow-inducing, ultra-steamy Valentine's Day in 2013, a poss é  of nine fabulous Melbourne gals rocked up to Casa Ciuccio (15 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy) for cocktails and a sumptuous feast in celebration of our awesomeness. Casa Ciuccio (meaning 'donkey house') is a sibling of the lovely Bar Lourinhã  on Lt Collins Street - one of my first forays into Melbourne's laneway dining scene and also into Mediterranean, tapas-style share food. Ciuccio opened quietly in early 2012 to a positive reception, particularly by n...