The Best Things to Do at Melbourne Good Food Month 2015
The ultimate spring feast.
The Best Things to Do at Melbourne Good Food Month 2015
The ultimate spring feast.
It's no secret that we Melburnians love our good food, so you can only imagine the culinary delights in store for us throughout November, as The Age plates up its annual Good Food Month. From wallet-friendly eats and drinks to illuminating degustation dinners, here's our festival hit list.
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Smith Street eatery, Son in Law, is your destination for a cheap and cheerful Thai fix throughout Good Food Month. Head in on one of six specified nights to feast on the kitchen’s authentic fare on the cheap. A $20 note will get you one small plate, one large and a serve of rice, plus for an extra $7, they’ll mix you a punchy Mae Khong Sour cocktail. Make a booking by calling (03) 9410 0399.
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Make the most of that glorious spring sunshine, with a Sunday session of a different kind. On November 29, Richmond’s National Hotel will be transformed into a tropical oasis, as the pub serves up a Jamaican celebration to top them all. Soak up some rays as you enjoy jerk chicken, reggae tunes and an abundance of rum-infused cocktails. Entry is free, so take your friends and make a day of it.
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A must for all craft-beer aficionados, this year’s Great Victorian Beer SpecTAPular takes place at the Local Taphouse. Held on Saturday 14 November, the festival is your chance to get stuck into 40 different beers from breweries across Victoria, including the likes of Hawkers, Boatrocker and Mornington Peninsula. The kitchen will round out the offerings, serving up an exclusive menu built around local produce. Entry is by gold coin donation, with all proceeds heading straight to charity.
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The Lincoln Hotel is taking a stand against food wastage and giving leftovers a makeover for this special ‘Rescued’ charity dinner. On both Wednesday 11 and 25 of November, they’ll be serving up a clever four-course meal crafted from imperfect produce, along with mystery wines, and beers made from leftover ingredients. With proceeds going to FareShare, each $75 ticket will feed 110 Victorians in need and you might just start to change the way you look at food.
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If you’re yet to get some Alpaca on your fork, then folks, this is your chance. The good people of South America have been celebrating this versatile protein for centuries, and Peruvian restaurant Pastuso will show you what all the fuss is about during their six-course, head-to-tail alpaca dinner. On Monday 23 November, feast on the likes of succulent, slow-cooked short ribs and braised shoulder meat with carrot and cumin puree, all washed down with matching wines.
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Once again, Smith Street’s Po’ Boy Quarter champions the finger lickin’ fare of Louisiana. This time, however, they’ll be shining a light on absinthe, delving into the role this notorious spirit has played in the southern state over the last 200 years. You can expect a degustation dinner that’s every bit as enlightening as it is delish, featuring Cajun and Creole cuisine, Louisiana craft beers and absinthe in all number of incarnations. The $62 ticket includes drinks, so snap one up now by phoning (03) 9419 2130.
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Once again, noodle fever takes over Birrarung Marr, for the buzzing Night Noodle Markets. Running from November 12-29, the event is set to smash the success of previous years, featuring three bars and a whopping 56 of your favourite food purveyors. Take a culinary flight through Asia, sampling the dumpling mastery of Din Tai Fung, BBQ magic from The Lucas Group’s Kong, Delhi Streets’ modern Indian treats, and those fluffy Wonderbao delights. But be sure to save some room for a trip to the Lady Carolina pop-up, where international big gun, Diego Munoz from Astrid y Gaston, delivers his innovative take on Peruvian-Japanese fusion fare.
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You’ve probably had your fair share of Messina’s innovative ice-cream delights, but have you sampled the equally imaginative soft serve treats from New York’s Big Gay Ice Cream? If not, prepare to be wowed, as these two ice-cream dream-teams come together for an evening of awesome. You’ll be able to get your mitts on each crew’s new book (at a special price), as well as enjoying drinks, getting down to tunes by CC:Disco and of course, tucking into an abundance of pimped-out ice-cream creations.
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This two-day event is the ultimate sweet-tooth heaven, featuring a line-up of masterclass presentations from top local and international sugar maestros. Get the lowdown from the likes of dessert wizards, Pierre Roelofs and Philippa Sibley, the soft-serve masters behind USA’s Big Gay Ice Cream, and Sydney’s Katherine Sabbath. The $20 ticket gets you into all masterclass sessions, a glass of Redbank Emily Brut Cuvée and entry to the Sweetfest marketplace: a magical spot where you can load up on take-home sweet treats, or enjoy cocktails and grown up spiders at the bar.
