Melbourne Patron

Saturday brunch [noun]: Re-caffeination and hefty dose of egg-based sustenance following a traditionally large Friday night out. Performed alone or with the support and company of equally hungover friends. I'd wanted to try Gas Eatery (253 Coventry Street, South Melbourne) for brunch the last few times I'd been to South Melbourne Market. Always waylaid by other plans or further shopping, it never seemed to happen. So when a friend suggested a group recovery Saturday brunch on Melbourne's south side, I suggested Gas. It was a lovely sunny day, full of Vitamin E and other such hangover benefits, so we were lucky to get a spot outside, thankfully under umbrellas. According to a handwritten sign perched on our table, the outdoor furniture was for sale and on loan from Pomegranate, the homewares store next door. Brightly painted, metal-based chairs and tables (apparently made in France), they added a happy touch to proceedings, but begged the question from more than o...

I could make a pun here about how at 99 Problems  (31 Johnston Street, Collingwood), the bar ain't one, or something equally bad. But I won't. It's a bit overdone, don't you think? The odd thing, for a place with such a punchy name, is how understated it is. Not far from the corner of Smith and Johnston Streets, in the 'hood of the illustrious Tote, 99 Problems lies among an unassuming strip of Collingwood. There are lots of unusual places nearby - ranging from African, Czech and Greek food to quirky stores spruiking bicycles, retro eyewear, and mannequins - and although many are full or on their way, there is a quiet buzz about the area, as though a parade of hipsters has just passed through, leaving behind only the ultra-committed and genuinely non-caring cool. Hiding under an awning labelled with something else, it can be easy to overlook the brown-gold lettering on the window that identifies the bar. But once you know it's opposite Jim's Greek, i...