Melbourne Patron

(As seen in GRAM magazine) 25 March 2014 saw the opening of Proud Mary owner Nolan Hirte's second venture, this time on Brunswick Street:  Stagger Lee's . Not quite open for two weeks yet, this place is already ridiculously busy, and has had the gossip mills churning for months - so it already has a lot to live up to. Its location, 276 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy (corner of Victoria Street, a hop-skip-and-jump south of the prominent Johnston Street intersection), has already won half the battle for the venture. Guaranteed foot traffic, some outdoor seating, a nice amount of natural light, proximity to all the action of Brunswick Street, and a window bench for people-watching ensure the place is set for the levels of popularity everyone expects it to enjoy. Although there are many cafes to choose from along Brunswick Street, most are overpriced and lacklustre in standards, catering more for the shopping lunch crowd or afternoon-latte-sipping hipsters. Not many do a rip...

There's a lot of hype about Hammer & Tong 412 (Rear 412 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy), as there usually is about most new decent cafes, particularly ones so close to the hub of Fitzroy. In some cases, it's all hot air; in others, completely justified. In the case of Hammer & Tong, it is a mix of both. Housed in the former premises of The Brix (a short-lived bistro with a reputation for quality), Hammer & Tong's owners Dennis Ferreira and Simon Ward did little to change the fit-out, so impressed were they by its design. Their website describes the look as "light filled", "stylish" and its "own take on vintage-industrial chic". It is definitely more industrial than vintage. It's all hard surfaces and slate grey, in a long, narrow space with a cool but light and airy feel. I didn't find it particularly warm and cosy, but stylish it certainly is. I didn't witness too much in the way of "vintage" i...

My little sister had just arrived in town from Sydney with two friends, and I wanted to have a girly gasbag over dinner whilst showing them somewhere 'Melbourne' and funky. I picked Belle's Diner  (150 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy), which has been open for maybe a year (in the old Dante's site) and been quite a hit so far. It's slipped right in with Melbourne's 'Americana' craze: burgers, ribs, fried chicken, French fries... basically kitsch comfort food. But rather than overdoing the retro, Belle's Diner is very clean and fresh - a modern take on the prototypical diner. Located right in the guts of the ever-cool Gertrude Street, slowly building into an empire of awesome, it was going to be pretty difficult for Belle's to fail. We arrived at 7pm-ish on a 39-degree day, and it was surprisingly easy to grab a booth. But after five minutes there, we realised why: no (or poor) air con! Ohhhh. Nevertheless, we were seated and had wine and food wai...