Melbourne Patron

Oh look, another burger joint in Melbourne. *yawn* Wait - what's that you say? On a rooftop? Oh okay, that's kinda cool... In TRAIN CARRIAGES on a rooftop? Wha-- whaaaaaaa??! Only in Collingwood would this kind of place exist and would people make a special effort to go there. Like I did, one Saturday afternoon, oh months ago now, but I'm guessing not too much has changed since my visit. Inventively named for the street it's on, Easey's  (48 Easey Street, Collingwood) is hard to miss on approach. Three train carriages jut out from atop a rooftop. Oh hai. Trouble is, to get to them, you have to climb about a million stairs. Or maybe I'm just lazy. (Note: You can totally eat burgers on the ground level, too. But why would you go to this place and NOT go to the train carriages on the rooftop?!) (Another note: There is a lift. But either it wasn't working or I didn't/couldn't use it for some other reason on the day of my visit. Or maybe I w...

When Smith Street had just become a local area for me, I used to walk past Cavallero and think about how I 'must try that place soon'. But as everyone knows, Smith Street (and surrounds) is not short of venues, and I must have been busy checking out all the others first, because before I knew it, Cavallero had closed and I had missed my chance. Apparently it had been struggling. Who then, would dare to take on the site, and what would they make of it? Smith Street is a prime location, but it's also full of competition. This would have to be good. Enter Scott Pickett ( Estelle Bistro ) and Joe Grbac ( The Press Club ). Two chefs who used to work together at London's fancy-pants The Square (which boasts not one, but two Michelin stars ), they joined forces to open a brand new venue as both business partners and co-head chefs. The result:  Saint Crispin (300 Smith Street, Collingwood). Named for the patron saint of shoemakers, Saint Crispin acknowledges its site...

It sounded cool. Pizza - which, as everyone knows, can be amazing when done properly - in a favourite old haunt of mine in Collingwood, just one block down from Smith St, with fluoro lights and even a disco ball, to boot. But there were a few things about Lazerpig Pizza Parlour (9-11 Peel St, Collingwood) that just didn't sit right with me. Occupying the site that used to house a great (albeit quiet) little pub, the Star , halfway down the notorious Peel St, Lazerpig is in a fairly accessible Collingwood spot. Its corner entrance is clearly marked by a fluorescent flying pig overhead. I'm yet to find a good explanation of the restaurant name (possibly something to do with gaming?!) - but it's certainly memorable. Lazerpig is the newest venture of the Grace Darling crew, which I found surprising, because I thought the Grace Darling was a fairly classic operation, and I didn't get the impression Lazerpig was being run very well, when I was there. Service was ...

Want Melbourne Patron blog posts delivered straight to your inbox? Click on the "Subscribe" button at the top of this page and follow the simple instructions. Magic! I am a sucker for a good steak, and lately, what with moving house and all the extra expenses that incurs, I've been on the lookout for great pub specials such as steak nights. I've been keeping a list on my phone of some of the deals I've found at venues around my home and work (mostly in the CBD, Fitzroy/Collingwood, Richmond/Abbotsford, South Yarra/Prahran/Windsor, South Melbourne) - and there are lots, so please note I haven't tried them all.  Several of my friends have asked me to send them a copy of the list - so I figure this way, I can share it with everybody who might be interested! PLEASE NOTE: This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the pub specials in Melbourne (there are many websites for that already!), nor is it necessarily current. I will do my best to keep it up-to-dat...