Melbourne Patron

Long overdue for a catch-up, my chef-ex-housemate and I met for dinner one cold evening in July. Naturally, being interested in food, he's a good one to take to new restaurants, and I'd heard The Town Mouse (312 Drummond Street, Carlton - in the old Embrasse site) described as a cool little local. Cool, indeed, it is - a far more modern, schmick affair than the comfy, chilled-out "local" I'd envisaged. It didn't match my expectations, but that's not to say it wasn't pretty excellent. I arrived early and waited for a bit under a heater out the front. The fairy lights overhead added a magical touch (but then, I'm a sucker for pretty lights) - as did the gold lettering of the restaurant's signage. Through the window, I could check out the goings-on inside: it seemed very clean, bright, and not overly busy, but it was early yet. By the time we left, it had filled up completely. A central bar in a strange, rounded, sort of kidney s...

Equal parts vague, kitsch and regal in name, Rice Queen has been a staple of the inner north for years. Previously, it operated chiefly as the fun, cheap food option on the way up to Panama Bar on Smith Street. In its new(ish) home at 389 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy (which used to house St Jude's Cellars), it has undergone both a facelift and a personality shift, and seems to have settled into its ruling role comfortably. Spruiked as an "Oriental Diner & Bar", I must say I prefer Rice Queen as a bar. I remember enjoying the food more at its Smith Street site. It was tastier, better value and more soulful. Now, whilst still tasty, it seems overpriced and trying too hard. Side note:  I do realise I use several phrases repeatedly (as well as far too many adverbs and extraneous information in general) - and "trying too hard" is undoubtedly one of them. How can FOOD try too hard, you ask? Isn't it inanimate, and therefore incapable of any kind of ac...

On the Sunday of a long weekend in Adelaide's CBD, there's not much open. And when you're a caffeine addict like me, that is a terrible, terrible thing. Fortunately (well, unfortunately for her), my little sister has been privvy to my state when I have not been caffeinated in a timely manner before. So she used that clever technomalogical thingy called Googler or iCall or something to locate a cafe within walking distance for our breakfast and all-important caffeination. It was called Jam The Bistro  (112-114 Wright Street, Adelaide), and it was very nice. Being on holiday, we figured we deserved alcohol at breakfast time, so we had a Bellini each (prosecco with peach juice). Bellini-licious The coffee was made on a pretty red Ruggero, and was also served up all pretty-like: We both had the same thing for breakfast: a beautifully-presented concoction of smoked salmon bruschetta with poached eggs, goats curd and beetroot jam. As well as the fac...