Melbourne, you asked for it (sort of), and the Victorian government are delivering it (maybe). We're getting five new train stations. In unexpectedly great news, the state government has committed to funding the long-debated Melbourne Metro Rail project in this year's budget, which includes two new tunnels and five underground train stations. These new stations, should the project go ahead, will be located in Parkville, Arden Street, CBD North, CBD South and the Domain and create a new path into the city that doesn't rely on (but connects to) the City Loop. The idea is that it will ease congestion in the City Loop and allow more trains to be getting in and out of the city. It will hopefully help with that peak hour sardines in a carriage issue too. Here's what it will look like: Pretty cool, huh? But as we know, a budget proposal does not a train station make; it's still yet to be seen whether the budget passes in parliament unscathed. However, things are looking promising. The Federal government has just promised to sling Victoria some funds for the project (thanks boys) and this morning Premier Daniels Andrews tweeted the first artist's impression of the Parkville station. It looks super slick (check out all those yo pros making their way in the world, bless). Here's your exclusive first look at what the Metro Tunnel station at Parkville will look like. #springst pic.twitter.com/ZTs0D6jeGF — Daniel Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) May 11, 2016 Notice the big sneeze guards protecting the train? Not only will they prevent winter snot getting on train windows, but are also designed to organise passenger flow and prevent accidents. All train stations will feature the guards and — the most exciting news of all — trains will apparently run every two to three minutes, potentially leaving so much more time for activities. It doesn't completely solve the Melbourne east-west transport black hole, but it would sure help. Via The Age. Image: Global Panorama via Flickr.
Consider yourself quite the origami expert? Can you assemble an IKEA wardrobe with your eyes closed? Do cardboard boxes flood you with happy memories of making forts as a kid? Get excited, this guy has literally just manufactured a super sturdy bike — made entirely out of cardboard. The kicker? It costs roughly the same as your lunch to make — a minuscule $10 per vehicle. This cycling enthusiast/marketing genius is one Izbar Gafni of Cardboard Technologies, who's really putting the cycling into recycling. He cites his interest in cardboard utility developing as stemming from the invention of a working canoe made from the humble cardboard. After speaking to not one, but three engineers, Gafni was told it was impossible to apply this logic to a useable cardboard bicycle. Ignoring this advice, he pedalled on (sorry) and created the first eco-friendly, operative cardboard bike. How does one essentially craft a functional bike out of cardboard? Quite easily, according to Gafni. Using cardboard of varying degrees of thickness, he folds the cardboard on itself to increase thickness and durability — making it strong enough that it can actually support the average human weight (and then some). After he's fashioned the cardboard to the ideal shape and dimensions, Gafni applies resin to resist rain and other weather conditions and applies a coat of paint. For those who aren't content with mere feet pedaling, there's also the option of purchasing an attachable electric motor. Here's the building process if you don't believe us: It's an idea that avoids the pesky rusting of steel bikes. Riding on this cardboard contraption has taken recycling to the next level — all those discarded shoe boxes, all of those boxes used to move house, transformed into a mode of transport that does not harm the environment. For people who live in areas with high bike thievery rates, despair no more; the bike is so cheap it's probably not worth the energy deployed trying to steal it. The bike is not without its resistors — critics have asked why Gafni doesn't account for the manpower that has contributed to manufacturing process, only advocating the $10 worth of material used to make it. Questions of efficiency have been brought up, as the amount of time and manpower dedicated to the manufacturing of the bike being deemed as unnecessary. Qualified bike experts have also questioned if the single speed setting of the bike would be useful at all in difficult terrain. The bike has featured on the streets of New York as part of the bike sharing implementation. It's not quite on the market yet, but Gafni has indicated that it will retail for around $60 – 90. Via Inhabitat.
Ever wanted to try your hand at those insane Gelato Messina laboratory cakes but haven't really know where the hell to start? Want to make your own Messina cake right at home, to create your own personal cake filled with the creamy goo of the gods? Well, gird thy loins Messina fans, your favourite iced confection wizards have just released a gelato cake cookbook. Founder Nick Palumbo and head chef Donato Toce have knocked up a sexy little creation named Gelato Messina: The Creative Department which features recipes for a collection of their gelato cakes. Messina have built a reputation for their cakes, not only because they’re crammed full of that quality gelato we know and love, but also because they look incredible and a little unreal. The Dr Evil’s Magic Mushroom cake, Hazelnut Zucotto or the Black Forest are our picks for the ‘Cakes most like to make us cry with delight and not share with anyone’ category. And yes, we know ours will probably end up looking like an inside-out duck when it’s done but heck, we’ve simply got to try it. If you’re looking for the recipe for the standard gelato, you can also check out the 2014 cookbook Gelato Messina: The Recipes which details instructions on how to make those beloved foundation flavours, such as dulce de leche, pear and rhubarb, poached figs in marsala and salted caramel and white chocolate. For your own personal information, we’ll add some advice on how to best consume the resultant gelato: tape a serving spoon to each hand and don’t stop them whirring until you’ve hoovered up all the gelato in range. Grab your copy of Gelato Messina: The Creative Department from today, at all bookstores who know what's what or from the Book Depository.
Mere months after Neil Perry brought his acclaimed Burger Project to the CBD, another beloved Sydney burger joint is on its way to Melbourne. Chur Burger is the brainchild of chef Warren Turnbull, who's been satisfying burger cravings in Sydney and Brisbane for years. Now, after some delay, he's firing up the grill in our neck of the woods under the — and needless to say, we can't bloody wait. Opening Monday August 22 on Swan Street in Richmond under the watch of Turnbull's business partner Johnny Moukachar, the menu at Chur Burger Melbourne will be much the same as it is in Sydney. Think mouthwatering burgers including signature lamb and pulled pork options, as well as a particularly tasty number made with beef, blue cheese and onion rings. They also happen to make one hell of a milkshake — and like all our favourite burger joints, they're more than happy to throw in a little booze. A photo posted by Chur Burger Melbourne (@churburgermelbourne) on Aug 20, 2016 at 1:59am PDT Technically, this isn't Chur Burger's first foray into the Melbourne market. Turnbull actually shared his recipes with publican David Carney when the latter took over management of Hotel Kew late last year – although they've since been removed from the menu. Moukachar tells Concrete Playground there are "a few other Melbourne venues in the works," and earmarked Eastland Shopping Centre as one potential location. We also heard rumblings about another scheme out in Chadstone, where Chur Burger recently put out a job call for crew members as part of a collaboration with Hoyts Cinemas. Burger and a movie? Don't mind if we do. Other plans include the first Chur Burger food truck which will service "festivals and the beach", and a pair of international stores in Saudi Arabia – the first of which Moukachar says should open in January next year. Chur Burger will open at 176 Swan Street, Richmond on August 22. For more info, visit their Instagram.
Melbourne artist Louise Hearman has won the Archibald Prize for her strike portrait of Australian comedian Barry Humphries. The award was bestowed today by the Art Gallery of New South Wales' board of trustees, with Hearman, a first time finalist, beating out 50 other finalists including Natasha Bieniek, Wendy Whiteley and Carla Fletcher to claim the $10,000 prize. "There was much deliberation and many worthwhile Archibald contenders, but Louise Hearman's portrait took centre-stage in the end," said board of trustees vice-president Mark Nelson. "It stood out as a portrait that truly captured the spirit of the sitter – she has caught Barry's sardonic smile brilliantly." Hearman's portrait, titled simply Barry, marks the sixth time that Humphries has sat for the Archibald – the first was back in 1969, when he was painted by artist John Brack as his iconic character Dame Edna Everage (below). "I'm the happiest girl in the world right now!" said Hearman. "Winning the Archibald is an extraordinary, extraordinary thing for an artist, but the best thing about the Archibald Prize really, is that it gets all artists in the public eye. Today is the one day each year artists eclipse sportsmen in the news!" Also announced were the finalists for the Wynne and Sulman Prizes. The former was awarded to family members Tjungkara Ken, Yaritji Young, Freda Brady, Maringka Tunkin and Sandra Ken for their mural Seven Sisters, while the latter went to Esther Stewart for her painting Flatland Dreaming. The results mark the first time that all three awards have been won by female artists, with AGNSW director Michael Brand remarking that "the success of Louise Hearman, the Ken Sisters and Esther Stewart will be celebrated not just at the Art Gallery of New South Wales today but right around the country." All the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman finalists will be on display at AGNSW from July 16 until October 9.
We don't know what you got out of your last road trip, but odds are it wasn't a 432-page cookbook profiling 100 food heroes and shot through with gush-worthy photography. Acclaimed food writers Helen Greenwood and Melissa Leong are different that way. After six months on the road with a production crew, they've emerged with The Great Australian Cookbook, a document that features recipes from leading chefs like Neil Perry, Dan Hong, Kylie Kwong and Anna Polyviou but also from farmers and producers such as Tathra Oysters, Bruny Island Food and the Pyengana Dairy Company — as well as Australia's original cookbook queen, Margaret Fulton. And how do you visually communicate this breadth of Australiana so the book might be judged by its cover? With a specially commissioned illustration from Mambo artist Reg Mombassa, of course. Topping off this love fest, royalties from the book will go to OzHarvest, the Australian charity distributing unwanted food to people in need. It's a pretty special project, one that meant figuring out what constituted Aussie cuisine in the first place — the modern version, not just sausage rolls and prawns on the barbie. For Greenwood and Leong, former collaborators on The Good Food Shopping Guide, it was a natural progression of their work in recent years. After the success of The Great New Zealand Cookbook, the pair were approached to do the same for Australia. They jumped at the chance. "We loved the idea of a cookbook that reaches into many regions of Australia, showcases many different kinds of cooks and presents a snapshot of how Australians eat today," says Helen. It was also an opportunity to present a contemporary and inclusive picture of Australian cuisine. "Australia has a great reputation overseas for its food," she says. "If we have any problem representing Australian cuisine, it’s that we struggle to define it." The pair set out to speak with foodies both familiar and lesser known. Considering the successes of Australia's produce and cooking on the international food scene, whittling down the 100 contributors to include was not easy. "We had to cover a lot of ground [in the road trip] ... and had to ask ourselves a lot of questions," says Helen. "Have we represented the regions and the cities? Have we covered the country and the coast? Do we have classic Aussie dishes? Do we have people who reflect our Indigenous and migrant heritage? Do we have the legends and emerging talents of food? When we’d answered these questions, we’d check and check again, and fine-tune it some more." The end result marries the recipes with personal reflections from each chef and photos taken in their private homes and gardens. While the co-editors are reluctant to name an all-out favourite recipe in the book, their personal highlights include superstar Aussie chefs like David Moyle (Tasmania's Franklin and Peppermint Bay), Nick Holloway (far north Queensland's Nu Nu Restaurant) and Scott Huggins and Emma McCaskill (South Australia's Magill Estate, the home of Penfolds). But Helen is quick to point out The Great Australian Cookbook is not just about chefs. "This book is about Australians who grow, harvest, cook and eat food for a living — chefs, cooks, bakers, fishers, farmers and more," she says. "It’s a snapshot of Australian food culture today." It's also a personal document in some ways, reflecting Helen and Melissa's years of gustatory discovery. "A lot of my first-time experiences as a food writer are in this book. The first time I tasted Jim Mendolia’s sardines and was transported back to a glorious holiday on a beach in Portugal," evokes Helen. "My first visit to Darwin when I ate at Jimmy Shu’s Hanuman restaurant and experienced his fusion Asian cooking ... My experience of being on the receiving end of a fork loaded with great food, and meeting the people who’ve grown or cooked or sold that great food, has shaped The Great Australian Cookbook." The Great Australian Cookbook is published by PQ Blackwell and distributed by The Five Mile Press. It's in bookstores now for RRP$49.95. Get a taste of what's inside by trying out this spring roll recipe from Angie and Dan Hong. ANGIE AND DAN HONG'S VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS Makes: 60 | Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 20–30 mins | Skill Level: 2 (Moderate) FILLING INGREDIENTS 500g minced pork neck 1/2 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped 1/2 cup of each of the following, all shredded: -wood ear mushrooms -shiitake mushrooms -carrot? -onion -mung bean thread ?(1cm lengths, softened in cold water) METHOD In a mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients with the seasonings and mix thoroughly. Carefully pour hot water into a shallow, wide dish along with the soy sauce. Stir to combine. Take a rice paper wrapper and quickly immerse it in the hot water, then place on a clean, dry plate. Spoon a tablespoon of the mixture into the centre of the rice paper in a sausage shape. Fold the top and bottom ends in, then roll the rice paper up like a cigar. Set aside and repeat until all of the mixture has been used up. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot until it reaches 180°C. In small batches, fry the spring rolls for 7–10 minutes or until the outside is crisp and golden. Drain onto paper towel and serve hot with your favourite dipping sauce. Images by Lottie Hedley Photography.
Somewhere in Los Angeles right now, there’s a pretty good chance that Johnny Depp is getting fitted for an elephant costume. Proving once again that nothing in Hollywood is sacred, Walt Disney Pictures has recently revealed that they’re working on a live action Dumbo remake, with director Tim Burton at the helm. For those of you who didn’t have a childhood, the original Dumbo tells the story of a young circus elephant whose oversized ears made him the subject of ridicule, until it was revealed that they allowed him to fly. Released in 1941 (really), the film was a major hit for the then-fledgling animation studio, and is regularly listed amongst the greatest animated movies of all time. The Burton version will be the latest in a string of Disney reboots, a trend that, fittingly enough, began when Burton’s own Alice in Wonderland grossed more than US$1 billion at the worldwide box office. Since then, the House of the Mouse has scoured its own back catalogue for properties to exploit, with recent releases like Maleficent and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice paving the way for further films including upcoming remakes of Cinderella, The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast. While we’re pretty sceptical about the idea of a new Dumbo film, we have to admit that if the movie has to happen, the man who made Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice isn’t necessarily the worst choice. Although his recent track record has been somewhat hit-and-miss, Burton certainly knows how to put an interesting spin on otherwise child-friendly material. And let’s not forget that the original cartoon contains some pretty out there stuff, including this amazing scene when Dumbo gets hammered and hallucinates dancing pink elephants. We're also interested to see what Elfman does with Dumbo's long-recognised and controversial racial stereotyping. No news yet on a release date or casting, although we’re willing to bet money that Danny Elfman will work on the score. Burton's most recent film, Big Eyes, hits theatres on March 19. Via WSJ.
Things got feisty and fearless at the Opera House when the fourth All About Women Festival took over on Sunday, March 6. Leading the prodigious, 30-speaker-strong program? None other than the inimitable Miranda July, Sleater Kinney's Carrie Brownstein, and Orange Is the New Black memoir author Piper Kerman — not to mention one of the best Women of Letters events we've ever been to. Sleater Kinney and Portlandia's legendary Brownstein talked about her October-released book Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl — before Sleater Kinney melted faces the same night at the Opera House. And Anne-Marie Slaughter, who worked as the director of policy planning at the US State Department when Hillary Clinton was running the show, argued that we can't have it all — well, at least not all at once, anyway. Emma Jane, Ruby Hamad, Michelle Arrow and Charlotte Wood unpacked 'The Women We Love to Hate', while Masha Gessen, Crystal Lameman, Mallory Ortberg, Ann Sherry, Anne- Marie Slaughter and Jenny Brockie attempted to change the world overnight. Didn't get a chance to head along to All About Women? You're in luck. Sydney Opera House's Ideas at the House team just released a whole bunch of free podcasts from the day via iTunes. We reckon you should start with 'The Boys Club' if you want to hear total boss Van Badham slam the gender dynamic in the Australian theatre industry and contemporary culture. Phwoar. Download Sydney Opera House's All About Women 2016 podcasts on iTunes for free here. Images: Yaya Stempler and Prudence Upton. By Jasmine Crittenden and Shannon Connellan.
You're at a dinner party. Chats are going strong, your drunk uncle at Thanksgiving has been deconstructed, Australia's latest novelty dessert trend raved about. Then someone brings out a new bottle of red. "Pinot noir?" your host casually offers. Sweat beads form, hearts race, eyes shift. Without warning, the pop culture fiends in the room explode. "CAVIAR." "MID-SIZED CAR." "SMOKE A CIGAR." "MYANMAR." The Kimmy Schmidt fans in the house have been unveiled — and if you're one of those, we've got some solid news for you. Ready? Tituss Burgess, well known as Kimmy's roommate Titus Andromedon in the highly popular series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, stole hearts worldwide with his unforgettable masterpiece of an "ode to black penis", 'Peeno Noir'. Now, Burgess is releasing his own pinot noir, an actual wine called Pinot by Tituss. Announced on Instagram this week, Pinot by Tituss will sell for US$24.99 a bottle online. Unfortunately they're only shipping to the US so far, but if you have American mates who could send it over, you can preorder the pinot noir and smoke a cigar right now. The bottles will be shipped after March 14. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt returns on April 15, and if you're drinking anything else, au revoir. Via Refinery29.
How good at Pictionary would Grimes be? Would Mac Demarco's sketches found in an art gallery? How would Future Islands go in a life drawing class? Sydney's FBi Radio intended to find out, by inviting a list of over 30 musicians to try their hand at a handdrawn masterpiece. Bringing back their wildly successful 'Brush With Fame' art auction, FBi asked a serious banquet of bands, rappers, ARIA-nominees, folksters, singers and beatmakers to create drawings on canvas especially for the station, ready for auction from Thursday 10 March (9pm AEDT) until Sunday 20 March (9pm AEDT). All proceeds raise funds for the independent, not-for-profit, top notch station. Kudos to FBi for one of the best group show lineups around, y'ready? You (YOU) can own a handdrawn work by these guys. FULL ARTIST LIST: Alabama Shakes Albert Hammond Jr (The Strokes) Alison Wonderland Benjamin Booker Best Coast Cosmo’s Midnight Courtney Barnett DIIV Django Django Dune Rats Elliphant & MØ Future Islands Grimes Hot Chip The Internet Little Simz Mac Demarco Matt Huynh Metz Neneh Cherry Parquet Courts Perfect Pussy Perfume Genius Peter Bibby Purity Ring The Rubens Run The Jewels* Rustie Thundercat Total Giovanni TV On The Radio Tycho Vic Mensa * Two individual canvases by Killer Mike and El-P respectively, sold together All works are on display over here. The auction will run on eBay from Thursday 10 March (9pm AEDT) until Sunday 20 March (9pm AEDT). Each piece comes complete with a Certificate of Authenticity from FBi. Here's a couple of our favourites in the bunch, that you'll have to furiously outbid us on.
Thirty Eight Chairs has something especially comforting to it. It may be the warm bread that lands on your table straight after ordering, or the five types of pasta on the menu. Or it might have something to do with the hospitable waitstaff who take their time to entertain their guests, as opposed to plonking plates onto tables and leaving faster than you can say grazie. The team here are experienced, having dished out Italian food in South Yarra for years already. Constantly flying out of the corner of the restaurant are salumi boards piled with cured meats such as a 24-month aged prosciutto di Parma and porchetta arrosto — that is, roasted, rolled suckling pig. These all make for great grazing, but we suggest you visit for dinner for a complete course of its Italian cuisine. Pasta remains the frontrunner at Thirty Eight Chairs — it calls itself a pasta bar, so it's unsurprisingly the dish works its way onto most diners' dockets. The pappardelle duck ragu in Napoli sauce remains a crowd favourite for good reason. The monstrous wine list can be a little overwhelming, so we urge you to put your faith in the waitstaff, who are extremely well-versed with what wine will best accompany your food. The Gibele (a Moscato) from Sicilian winery Duca di Castelmonte matches almost anything — dry and aromatic, yet soft. And if you find a slither of room in that stomach for dessert, we suggest Thirty Eight Chairs's tiramisu, that achieves the perfect amount of sweetness, instead of being drowned in coffee. The volume of the space makes for a fantastic dining experience, hosting "about 38" chairs inside a high-ceilinged room. It's refreshing to feel comfortable, and not suffocated by dozens of tables in a space that simply can't take them. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Pasta in Melbourne for 2023
The essence of Venice has made its way to Melbourne in the form of delicious small snacks at bars and restaurants across the city. These bite-sized delicacies are known as cicchetti (chi-ket-tee, FYI), a popular dish found in the Italian canal city. The idea is you fill your tummy up throughout an evening of sipping good wine by steadily indulging in many, many of these bar snacks — which, most of the time, only cost a a couple of dollars each. So where exactly can you eat like a Venetian in Melbourne, you ask? Glad you asked. From cuttlefish arancini to pork and veal meatballs and crostini topped with all the good stuff, we've rounded up the best places for you to eat one cicchetto or many cicchetti. You can either spend your evening at any of these bars and restaurants, or bar hop them and nibble your way across the city. You can say grazie to us later.
Swish Japanese joint Sake is launching a pint-size spinoff specialising in build-your-own bowls. Opening this week on Bourke Street in the CBD, Sake Jr. will offer rice, noodle, salad and bao bun-based bowls, along with breakfast options, 'grab and go' items, smoothies, coffee, kombucha and beer. Open 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 8pm on Saturday, Sake Jr. sells itself on a healthy menu that is "honest, sustainable, affordable and convenient — and absolutely packed with flavour." For example, workers blazing through the CBD at breakfast time grab an acai, seasonal fruit or berry and yuzu muesli bowl, and wash it down with a cold press juice or smoothie. Later in the day, you can make your own lunch. Just choose a base (like mix greens, udon noodle sticks or brown rice), decide on a protein (be it grilled chicken, popcorn shrimp, wagyu beef or tofu and shiitake), chuck in some veggies (such as wakame seaweed, steamed edamame, charred corn with garlic shots or crispy Brussels sprouts) and your choice of sauce and garnish. Voila! Further beverage options include nut milk, craft beer, house wine on tap, and sake (of course) by the glass. And if you're not sold on the idea, why not try it for free? To mark their grand opening, the first 500 people through the door after 11am today (Wednesday, September 14), will receive a complimentary bowl. You can also swing past again on Thursday from 7am when the first 100 customers get a free coffee and porridge bowl, and again on Friday after 5pm, when another 100 customers get a free bowl and beer. Find Sake Jr. at 555 Bourke Street, Melbourne. For more information visit www.sakejr.com.au.
We already know that Brian Jonestown Massacre and Robert Henke Lumière II will be heading to the sixth Melbourne Music Week, happening 13-20 November. But the rest of the epic programme remained a secret until its official announcement on Tuesday, October 6. Here’s what we’ve learned. For a start, the MMW will be taking over Melbourne’s Former Royal Women’s Hospital for one highly ambitious, music-laced labyrinth. Twelve of the hospital’s forgotten, underground rooms, including its disused basement, are set to host hidden one-off performances. Titled Swell, the event will feature sets by Gypsy & The Cat, Monolake (Germany), Banoffee, Eric Duncan aka Dr Drunks (USA), Public Opinion Six, PVT, Kenton Slash Demon (Denmark), The Harpoons, Cobblestone Jazz (Canada), DZ Deathrays and many others. Meanwhile, in the open air, the hospital grounds will be transformed into a beer garden and food truck zone. Every day, from 1-2pm, there’ll be live ‘Lunch Box Sessions’, with DJs taking care of evening shenanigans between 5pm and 8pm. Scheduled artists include Rat & Co DJs, Edd Fisher, Jim Lawrie, Ella Thompson, Woodes and others. Then, when Saturday, November 14 rolls around, it’ll be time to dust off your roller skates for the Roller Jam and Mz Rizk’s Block Party. On Sunday, November 15, CC:Disco will be dropping in for an arvo DJ set. While the hospital is rocking out, fourteen local venues will team up with local musicians for Live Music Safari, presented by Jack Daniel’s Future Legends. Over the course of the week, more than 50 Melbourne-based acts will be making appearances across the city, including Mesa Cosa, Oddisee, Quarter Street, Terrible Truths, Sleep D, Dan White, Friendships, Kylie Auldist and Wax’o Paradiso. And Self Made is making a comeback. It’s a series of independently-created events, held in unusual places and hosted by Levi’s. A city church will turn into a stage for all-female acts and an interactive art installation. Old Melbourne Gaol’s courtyard will host a two-stage dance party starring emerging artists. Mop and Glow will celebrate the footwork dance scene. Plus there’ll be The Great MMW Bike Ride, New Orleans Street Party, Brunch Gigs and A Club Called Trish. The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) is on board again, with a bunch of live performances combining music with film. Both The Orbweavers and New Zealand’s smooth-singing Liam Finn are promised. A stack of other collaborations, blending music with film, art, design and food will take place in various locations, including ACCA, MPavilion, Docklands Library, The Hellenic Museum and Rooftop Cinema. But it’s not all singing and dancing. The business side of music will be taken care of with a two-day industry conference, produced in conjunction with Face The Music, where musicians and music industry workers can advance their knowledge and careers through workshops, keynote presentations and networking opportunities. It’s happening on November 13 and 14. Melbourne Music Week runs November 13-20. Head to the MMW website for more info and tickets.
Melbourne's woolly weather might have caused a bit of cancellation chaos this weekend, but it sure didn't put a dampener on the first stage of the city's newest public art project. Instead, it was all systems go for the Upper West Side Street Art Precinct, as six of Melbourne's celebrated artists braved the rain to work their magic on the walls of the power station at the corner of Little Bourke and Spencer streets. The project's been helmed by Juddy Roller — the same street art collective behind iconic installations like the large-scale silo art works in Brim, Rupanyup and Kimba, and the well-loved Fitzroy Faces mural — in partnership with the developers of the CBD's Upper West Side, Far East Consortium, and Powercor. They've pulled together local legends Adnate, Sofles, Fintan Magee, Dvate, Smug and Rone to create six new large-scale murals, in an attempt to breathe new life into a once drab pocket of the CBD. The artists wrapped up their live painting on Sunday night with a closing party, complete with DJ sets and food trucks. You can pop by and see the artworks whenever you like.
The Melbourne Central eatery, Son in Law, is the perfect destination for a cheap and cheerful Thai fix while enjoying a day out in Melbourne's CBD. Located in the shopping center, this isn't the kind of place that takes bookings — rather it's more a grab and go destination with a few tables located inside. The menu features several baos including a vegan selection of fake duck, chicken, or plain tofu. The pork belly bao is a hit as is the Peking duck and soft shell crab with iceberg lettuce, green curry and pickled carrot. And while the above dishes are served in your classic white fluffy boa buns, Son in Law takes it a step further with other offerings. Grab fried chicken burgers (vegan options are also available) sandwiched between brightly coloured cartoon buns. Head here to eat Hello Kitty or another adorable fluffy creation for lunch. These adorable eats come in several sweet forms too — including Thai milk tea, coconut and Nutella with banana. But it isn't all about the buns at Son in Law. It also offers rice dishes including fried or grilled chicken served with a selection of sauces and fresh cucumber as well as a soft shell crab option in a green curry. The fried chicken ribs even give KFC a run for its money, boasting dressings such as spicy, cheese, BBQ or a classic Tom Yum. This is not your average Thai restaurant in Melbourne. Such care and love is given to the space's design, the colourful and creative boa buns and the great tasting food. Be sure to pop down next time you're in the city, even if it is just to look at the cabinet full of edible cartoon characters. Appears in: The Best Thai Restaurants in Melbourne for 2023
Australia is well known for having some of the best dining in the world. Melbourne is a city where people happily spend an entire weekend rambling from restaurant to restaurant; from café to cocktail, on the hunt for a new favourite. And in Sydney, whether your tastes run to Frankie's Pizza or are more on the Quay side of things, you'll find bountiful opportunity to explore this foodie mecca. It doesn't matter if you're in a major capital or dining at a hidden local gem, Aussie restaurants and cafes consistently turn out incredibly fresh, vibrant and exciting tucker — inspired by access to some of the finest meats, poultry, seafood and vegetables in the world. We have two restaurants among the Top 100 Restaurants in the world (tip your hats Attica; Brae) and Aussie coffee champ Sasa Sestic scooped the World Barista Championships in 2015. With such a heady mix of talent hailing from Australia, it makes sense that the rest of the world would want a slice of our home-grown cuisine and expertise. We've partnered with Expedia to take a jaunt around the world and explore some Australian-owned restaurants in far-flung locales. Perhaps they'll inspire your next trip — they're definitely worthy of one. HARDWARE SOCIÉTÉ, PARIS The much beloved breakfast and brunch spot of 120 Hardware Lane, Melbourne, opened up shop in Paris recently and has been providing homesick ex-pats and Parisians alike with their petit-déjeuner since late 2016. You can get your 64-degree eggs with delights like ham hock (18€) or über decadent lobster (20€) and enjoy a genuine Melbourne Padre latte to sip as you dine. Aussie visitors to Paris looking for a little taste of home, and Parisians looking for a slice of Melbourne breakfast culture, will both find what they're looking for here. 10 rue Lamarck, 75018, Paris GERALD'S BAR, SAN SEBASTIAN Melbourne's long-beloved Carlton fave for wine lovers and good-time seekers has a new location. And while it's got that same Gerald's charm it's basically on the other side of the world; 17,195km away in San Sebastián, Spain. If it weren't for the fact that we have the original right here in Melbourne (thank the gods), we'd be on a plane right now for some of that exceptional wine and unbeatable Gerald's atmosphere. Eponymous proprietor, Gerald Diffey, took over an existing restaurant space in 2014 and gave it the Gerald's flourish. Now you can dine on mountain cheeses while sipping a curated list of local and international drops. If you're in San Sebastián it's a must-do. Calle del Ángel, 10, 20003 San Sebastián RUBY'S, NEW YORK CITY Visitors to Ruby's in NYC will be greeted by many things – tastes, smells, sights – but the first thing that may greet you on sighting Ruby's is a queue to get in the door. This decidedly bijoux eatery is so damn popular that people have no qualms about lining up just to take a seat inside. Enjoy nostalgic burgers like the Coogee ($12.50) with mushroom, romesco, cress, zucchini and goat's cheese; or tuck into the Whaleys ($13.50) and enjoy a classic Aussie burger complete with beetroot, pineapple and fried egg. Don't fancy a burger? No problem – order off the breakfast menu before 1pm on weekdays and 4pm on weekends. The breakfast bowl is particularly good. If you're homesick and abroad or just want to tuck into a seriously good meal in NYC, you'll find it at Ruby's. 219 Mulberry St # A, New York DA MARIA, BALI Undoubtedly set to be one of the hottest places to see and be seen in Bali, Da Maria is the latest venture for Sydney restaurateur Maurice Terzini. He's behind Sydney classic, Icebergs, and is set to provide Bali dwellers and visitors alike with North Bondi Italian food (the website says they're bringing the Amalfi Coast to Bali) in a luxe Canggu locale. The venue has only just flung open its doors, and the tasteful interior and stunning luxe layout makes for the perfect spot to get a little bit fancy at dinner. Or, dance and drink the night away with DJs every evening from 10pm. If you're hungry at night they've got you covered with their delectable lava-oven baked pizzas available til late. Jalan Petitenget No. 170, Kerobokan Kelod, Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali CHINESE TUXEDO, NEW YORK CITY Aussies Eddy Buckingham and Jeff Lam set about with a single goal in mind: to modernise Chinese dining in NYC. Their pretty spectacular venue is housed in an ex-Chinese opera house and offers its diners a broad menu which has been carefully designed to tick all the boxes. There are traditional regional Chinese dishes on offer, creatively interspersed with exciting salads and flavoursome noodle dishes. They look set to make their mark on an exciting space, with the hope being that they'll be the go-to for high-end Chinese dining in NYC. Buckingham and Lam say that at Chinese Tuxedo the food speaks for them, so if you're in New York City we recommend you go and listen. 5 Doyers St, New York, NY PARAMOUNT COFFEE PROJECT, LOS ANGELES This industrial-chic Sydney café spread its wings to LA recently, opening up a similarly bright and airy cafe in the style of its Surry Hills sister venue, in late 2015. Los Angeles diners choose from a range of 'things on toast': soft scram ($11), avocado ($12) or local burrata ($14) – to name but a few; or other ubiquitous Aussie breakfast staples. Milkshakes run from the standard (vanilla malt, $7) to the downright awesome/weird (vegemite and butterscotch, $7) and you can rest assured that the hot drinks menu is just as impressive as the food. Discerning coffee drinkers have a veritable slew of Australian brews and other hot and cold options on offer. 456 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles ST ALI, JAKARTA The much-beloved Melbourne coffee spot and all-round brunch star, St Ali, recently exploded into Jakarta and has been making diners happy with their Melbourne-style menu. Feast on the smoked salmon omelette with a cup of their delightful coffee, or tempt yourself with a matcha chai parfait as part of your 'clean eating' kick. It won't last long when there are treats like fried chicken and slaw on offer as well, but you can try. Next time you're in the Indonesian capital be sure to pop by for a coffee at St Ali's new venue – in partnership with Indonesia's Common Grounds Roastery – to get a look in at this stunning spot. RT.6/RW.7, Karet Kuningan, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta THE APOLLO, TOKYO Greek food and Japan aren't usually two things that would spring to your mind at the same time. But then, you were probably thinking of The Apollo — the contemporary Greek restaurant that opened in Ginza in the middle of 2016 — weren't you? The star of Sydney's modern Greek scene, The Apollo, has landed bringing the same beloved, succulent, smoky flavours of Greek cooking to the heart of Tokyo. Choose from lemony pan-fried saganaki, or dine on meltingly tender ten-hour slow-cooked Aussie lamb. Best to book — this is a popular spot with ex-pats and locals alike. Japan, 〒104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo, Ginza FRATELLI PARADISO, TOKYO One of Sydney's most beloved haunts for fine Italian food is getting a new venue mid next year in a very special location: Tokyo. Owner Giovanni Paradiso decided on Japan as the spot for his expansion after exploring the idea of another venue in Sydney or Melbourne and realising that Japan ticked all the boxes. His new 90-seat venue is on track to open its doors in late April 2017. Toshi Nakayasu will helm the kitchen as head chef and will be offering familiar Italian classics as well as special local dishes too. The wine will be sourced from around the world and will be heavily based on natural wines, something that Paradiso is especially excited about. Keep an eye out for this one. HO LEE FOOK, HONG KONG Taiwan-born chef Jowett Yu has created one heck of a Hong Kong must-visit with his modern Chinese, Elgin Street restaurant in Central, Ho Lee Fook (say it out loud, you got it). Owned and operated by the team at Black Sheep Restaurants, the name literally translates to "good fortune for your mouth" and is inspired by old school Hong Kong cha chaan tengs (tea restaurants) and late night Chinatown haunts in 1960s New York. Yu's known in Australia for his Tetsuya's training and for co-opening Sydney restaurants Mr Wong and Ms.G's with Eric Koh and Dan Hong. You won't have trouble missing this highly publicised spot — just look for one of the most Instagrammed walls in the city, a clinquant assembly of waving cats. Just try and keep tipsy passersby away from this selfie trap. Downstairs, in his dimly lit, Chinese street art-adorned basement, Yu weaves contemporary Chinese magic through street food staples like French toast (Yu hides peanut butter in his version, and casually serves it with condensed milk ), prawn toast done okonomiyaki-style, and roast wagyu short ribs with jalapeño purée. But it's the roast goose that has foodies aflutter at HLF — order that bad boy 48 hours in advance. 1 Elgin St, Central, Hong Kong Become an Expedia+ member and book your food holiday in the January summer sale— you'll have access to prices that others don't see. By Laura Dawson and Shannon Connellan.
Melbourne, we get it. You're a bunch of kidults who refuse to grow up and you can't get enough of slides. First there was the Slidestreet that toured the country in 2015. Then we were graced with Slide Melbourne on Lawsdowne Street in East Melbourne, followed by Slide the Square in Federation Square. Finally, Slide the City took us through to summer 2016. But if you thought you could go even one calendar season without hurtling down a half pipe, think again. The Eureka Skydeck have announced their winter project – a four-metre-high ice slide that'll see you slithering alongside Southbank's waterfront for 40 whole metres like a high velocity seal in a beanie. The chute is opening from June 25 to July 17 and tickets can be bought on the day. Best of all, you won't need to come dressed in your ski lodge best (although you totally can and should), as regular clothes are fine for ice sliding. The winter slide is more reasonably priced than we've come to expect from the summer slides, with three slides only setting you back $10. And when you're done dominating the slide, you can avail yourself of the food truck park to satiate you winter hunger pangs. Ahh winter, we don't know what the Starks are on about, you're not so bad after all. Ice Slide will be open daily from June 25 to July 17, 10am till late.
This Easter weekend marks the end of an era for one of Melbourne’s most beloved institutions. After 75 years of constant operation, the iconic Astor Theatre will finally close its doors. And true to form, they’re going out in style. After a traditional Good Friday screening of the classic biblical epic Ben-Hur, the cinema will celebrate its final weekend with the crown jewel in its catalogue: a rare 70mm film print of 2001: A Space Odyssey. One of the most visually astounding movies ever made, it’s the sort of film that everyone should see on the big screen at least once – and the only fitting way to bid The Astor farewell.
Hey Dad! Steve! Over here! Two of your favourites are playing Bluesfest this year! Let's go! Bluesfest Byron Bay's 2017 lineup came from somewhere back in our long ago, with two big mum and dad-friendly superstars being added to the lineup this morning: The Doobie Brothers and Santana. One of Australia's best festivals, the five-day Easter long weekend event has played to its core audience with their latest lineup additions. First up, the legend himself, groundbreaking, Grammy-nabbing, Afro-Latin-blues-rock fusion king, nay, sultan Santana is coming to melt faces and throw down elongated solos like the melodic monarch he is. Expect 'Black Magic Woman'. Then, takin' it to the streets of Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, California's harmonising head honchos The Doobie Brothers will make their triumphant return to Bluesfest. The Doobies have some serious fans at Bluesfest — do not try and push in front of them. This big ol' announcement comes just a week after Bluesfest added superstar Mary J. Blige to already heaving lineup. THE THIRD 2017 BLUESFEST ARTIST ANNOUNCEMENT: Santana The Doobie Brothers 2017 ARTISTS ALREADY ANNOUNCED: Zac Brown Band Patti Smith and her band perform Horses Mary J. Blige The Lumineers Buddy Guy (exclusive) Bonnie Raitt Mavis Staples (exclusive) Billy Bragg Jethro Tull Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue Rickie Lee Jones Gregory Porter Snarky Puppy St. Paul and the Broken Bones Corinne Bailey Rae Michael Kiwanuka Nahko and Medicene for the People Gallant Beth Hart (exclusive) Laura Mvula Andrew Bird Booker T. presents The Stax Records Review Roy Ayers Joan Osborne Turin Brakes The Strumbellas Jake Shimabukuro Dumpstaphunk The Suffers Nikki Hill Irish Mythen Bluesfest returns to Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm just outside of Byron Bay over the Easter long weekend (April 13-17, 2017). More info on the Bluesfest website. Image: Andy Fraser.
Proving that causing the internet to lose its mind by delivering adorable puppies to offices around Australia is simply not enough for them, Uber has moved yet another step closer to total world domination. The ridesharing service will launch UberEATS in Melbourne today, Tuesday, April 19 at 11am. Because who needs multiple apps when you can use one for just about everything? Melbourne is the first city in Australia to be bestowed the food delivery platform, and only the third in the world. It basically allows restaurants to get their food delivered to customers between 11am and 10pm by a wide access of ever-available drivers — much like (and in direct competition to) other food delivery apps like Foodora/Suppertime, Deliveroo and Menulog. The list of Melbourne restaurants exceeds 80, including the likes of Supernormal, Gazi, Pidapipo and Jimmy Grants. Oh, and delivery will be free for the launch. So you only have to pay the cost of your Jimmy Grants feta-covered oregano chips, and not a cent more. UberEATS launched in select US cities last year, allowing users to order lunch or dinner from an ever-shifting menu that includes options from a number of different restaurants. UberX is still technically illegal in Victoria, although that hasn't stopped the service's meteoric success. Assuming UberEATS proves a hit in Melbourne, it's safe to assume it may expand to further cities in the future. You can download the UberEATS app here from 11am. For all the details, visit ubereats.com/melbourne. Updated: April 19, 2016.
Spring has sprung, and for Melburnians this means two things: the weather is about to get even more unpredictable, and the prettiest part of the year is upon us. Serious natural beauty is here (hello magnolia, hello oriental plum blossom) and even though we get teased by the other Aussie capitals for our European climate, we also get some serious seasonal blooms. The best way to see the full glory of spring is to get out of the city and go for a bushwalk. You wont regret it: Australian endemic flora is (*Chris Traeger voice*) literally the most beautiful on the planet. Here are our tips for the best hikes to spy wildflowers. [caption id="attachment_636608" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image via Wikimedia.[/caption] THE GRAMPIANS NATIONAL PARK There are lots of hikes to choose from when you reach the Grampians, and at this time of year, they'll all be awash with flowers and lichen and lush heather. The Mackenzie Falls Trail is a good one to start with — a glorious, cool hike down the falls and alongside the river framed with foliage. Alternatively, try the easy trail that leads to the Balconies. It'll take you through some thick bush with many varieties of wildflowers growing onto the path before you arrive at the stunning views. If you're after something a bit different, head to the Gulgurn Manja Shelter. It's an ancient Indigenous cave art site and the winding path that leads to the sacred place is covered in desert varieties of wildflower. GREAT OTWAY NATIONAL PARK The Great Otway National Park is huge, and spreads across many and varied landscapes. But in spring, the windswept heaths that run between shore and forest are alive with wildflowers. The park is worth a trip in its own right, but make sure you park your picnic rug amongst the flora while you can. There are over 80 types of orchids in the Anglesea heath region alone, so when they say 'sea of colour', they really mean it. LANGWARRIN FLORA AND FAUNA RESERVE If you want to stay a little closer to home, head down the Peninsula to Langwarrin. You'll find the well-maintained nature reserve there comes alive in spring with native wildflowers. Easy, meandering walking trails criss-cross throughout the land which lets you see a lot more varieties than some of the more structured hikes. You'll see lots of weird and wonderful lichen, moss and fungi as well as the blooming orchids and native wildflowers. Just don't forget to bring your own water and decent shoes — it's not a tough walk by any measure, but it can get boggy. LAKE MOUNTAIN The wildflowers on show at Lake Mountain — a snowy peak, just past Healesville — are unlike any of the wildflowers featured on this list. The alpine environment (clocking in at more than 1400 metres above sea level) creates an entirely different kind of wildflower that flood the mountain with fragrance during spring and summer. And with over 40 kilometres of walking trails, you'll see a lot of unique species. To give you an idea of what you're in for, check out this bizarre and charming bushwalking video from one of the lodges on the mountain. Even in spring and summer, the mountain is a bit chillier than most, so be sure to bring a raincoat for extra warmth. Top image: Rexness via Flickr.
Fans of Roald Dahl who find themselves in London are in for a gloriumptious surprise. To mark the release of Steven Spielberg's adaptation of The BFG, giant six foot dream jars are popping up around the city, filled with the hopes and aspirations of famous human beans. The jars will appear at iconic landmarks around the British capital, from Trafalgar Square to St. Paul's Cathedral to the Tower of London. Inside, you'll find the childhood dreams of prominent artists and celebrities, including director Steven Spielberg, paralympian David Weir, Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams and The BFG illustrator Quentin Blake. The jars will be on display from July 8 until August 31, after which time they'll be sold at auction. Proceeds from the sale will go to Save the Children and Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, which provides specialist nurses to seriously ill children. "I'm excited to join The BFG Dream Jar Trail so we can all share our dreams together," said Spielberg. "The best part of this project is its support of the valuable work that Save the Children does in giving kids across the world their own chances to dream big." For more information about The BFG Dream Jar Trail, go here. The BFG hits cinemas on June 30. https://youtu.be/VG5MtenlP-A
Just when you thought ordering pizza couldn’t possibly require any less effort, the brilliant bastards at Domino's Pizza have gone and changed the game. Starting May 20, the US pizza chain will roll out a tweet-to-order system, removing the hassle of having to dial a phone or download a mobile app once and for all. No, this isn't a joke. Under the new system, regular customers will be able to tweet Pizza emojis at the @Dominos account, after which they can just sit back, relax and wait for their family-size BBQ meat lovers with extra cheese and hot dog-stuffed crusts to arrive. No word on whether they’ve yet developed a system that prevents you from having to get off the couch to answer the door, but surely that can’t be far away. We’re still waiting on exact details of how this emoji-based ordering system will work, or how Domino’s knows where to actually send it once it’s been made. Giving out your address via Twitter doesn’t seem like the greatest idea; although maybe that’s just the price you pay for not wanting to talk to a fellow human being. Not to mention, y'know, ordering pizza from Domino's in the first place. Domino's haven't announced plans to expand the system beyond the United States, which means for the time being we're stuck using the call function on our telephones like a bunch of neanderthals. Via Gizmodo.
When every new year starts, we all have our favourite ongoing shows. They're the series that have already earned both a place in our hearts and a permanent spot on our viewing schedules — and, each time they come back with new episodes, we eagerly look forward to spending time with again. In 2019, think Game of Thrones, The Handmaid's Tale and Big Little Lies, plus Stranger Things, Mindhunter, Wellington Paranormal and Rick and Morty too. They're the known quantities and the established heavy hitters; however each and every year also serves up a whole heap of new programs to enjoy as well. This year's slate of newcomers didn't disappoint, whether you're a fan of absurdist comedies, quirky Australian dramas or US spin-offs of existing favourites. Grim recreations of real-life events, thought-provoking police procedurals and mind-bending animation also made an appearance. They're the new favourites — the shows that, now you know that they exist, you'll either be awaiting new episodes (if they're ongoing) or revisiting again (if they're a one-off affair). With 2019 coming to a close, here's our rundown of the new TV series that top the pile for the year. An added bonus: they're all available to stream. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uWCNHQgfnc UNDONE It's co-created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, tells its tale through vivid animation, grapples with mental illness and saddles its protagonist with an existential crisis; however, Undone is worlds away from BoJack Horseman. That's not a criticism of the talking horse comedy, but a reflection of how firmly Bob-Waksberg and Kate Purdy's series charts it own path and makes its own imprint. Rendered using exceptionally fluid and expressive rotoscoped animation that often flows into surreal territory, and anchored by impressive voice work by Rosa Salazar (Alita: Battle Angel) and Bob Odenkirk, the series spends its time with the struggling Alma — who, after a near-fatal car accident, starts experiencing time and her memories differently. Inventive, smart, funny, tender, gorgeous to look at and always devastatingly astute, it's a worthy addition to the growing canon of great shows pondering the meaning of life of late, such as The Good Place, Russian Doll, Forever and Maniac. The first season of Undone is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9APLXM9Ei8 CHERNOBYL When it comes to sheer horror of the bone-chilling kind, not to mention the kind of soul-crushing dismay that can only stem from the bleakest of tales, nothing compares to Chernobyl. The five-part show explores the aftermath of the 1986 nuclear disaster, which saw the reactor inside the Ukrainian facility explode. The fallout, unsurprisingly, was catastrophic, with the incident considered the worst nuclear power plant accident in history as well one of the worst man-made events ever. While the dramatisation begins with the fiery explosion, it's what happens next that earns the show's focus — the initial salvage attempts by workers condemned to suffer and die just for doing their jobs; the arrogant cover-ups, including by stubborn plant supervisors who refuse to believe what's happened; the clean-up and rescue missions, sacrificing more lives to the incident; and the inevitable investigation. Every aspect of the series is detailed, thorough, and even more relentless and unnerving than you'd expect given the real-life situation, with creator and writer Craig Mazin drawing upon meticulous research, interviews with nuclear scientists, chats with former Soviet residents and first-person accounts from those who were there. All five episodes of Chernobyl are available to stream on Foxtel. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTIkUzkbzQk UNBELIEVABLE Content warning: sexual assault Based on real-life crimes, and instantly becoming one of the most talked-about shows of the year, Unbelievable steps inside a series of rape cases between 2008–11. When Washington teenager Marie Adler (Booksmart's Kaitlyn Dever) reports her sexual assault to the police, authority figures begin to question her story almost from the outset — not just law enforcement, but two of her ex-foster mothers. She's forced to sign a statement saying that she made a false report; however, over in Colorado, detectives Karen Duvall (Merritt Wever) and Grace Rasmussen (Toni Collette) are on the trail of similar attacks. More than just the latest true-crime tale to hit the screen, the series explores the mistrust experienced by female victims of violent crimes, serving up a powerful account of weathering, surviving and investigating multiple horrors. It also features exceptional performances from its three leads, with Dever in heartbreaking form as a girl shattered by her ordeal, Wever in empathetic and thoughtful mode, and Collette proving a force to be reckoned with. All eight episodes of Unbelievable are available to stream on Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrZkGgoVSFk I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE WITH TIM ROBINSON You don't even need two hours to get through all six episodes of this sketch comedy show but, once you're done, you'll wish that it went for at least twice as long. Social awkwardness is satirised with absurd precision in I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, and the results are as offbeat and hilarious as a house completely filled with Garfield items and furniture (trust us). If he seems familiar, Robinson was the star of Detroiters and also spent a couple of seasons on Saturday Night Live. He has plenty of recognisable co-stars on his new show, which he also wrote and produced — talents such as Will Forte, Steven Yeun, Tim Heidecker and Vanessa Bayer. And, like fellow ace new 2019 comedy PEN15, the series boasts some big names off-screen too, with The Lonely Island (aka Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone) its executive producers. It's also another of this year's big debutants that's coming back for a second season. The entire first season I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson is available to stream on Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUeDkU7HyTs THE OTHER TWO You're in your 20s, trying to make it in New York and struggling to chase your dreams. The only thing that's making you feel better is the knowledge that your sibling is doing the exact same thing. Then your kid brother comes up with a throwaway pop hit, adopts the stage name ChaseDreams and becomes a YouTube sensation — and the world's next Justin Bieber. That's the premise of sitcom The Other Two, which follows struggling actor Cary (Drew Tarver) and his ex-dancer sister Brooke (Helene York) as they come to terms with their new situation. Also starring Molly Shannon, Ken Marino and Wanda Sykes, the show's ten-episode first season is constantly hilarious and acerbically perceptive, especially when it comes to today's celebrity-obsessed, influencer-heavy society. An instant classic, thankfully it's due to come back for a second season. The first season of The Other Two is available to stream on iTunes and Google Play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHcKoAMGGvY RUSSIAN DOLL Netflix and smart existential laughs continued to go hand-in-hand with Russian Doll, with the streaming platform once again tasking one its protagonists with wondering what this whole life business is all about. Here, however, New Yorker Nadia (Natasha Lyonne, Orange Is the New Black) is forced to relive her 36th birthday shindig over and over again. And while getting stuck at a celebration in your own honour will sound like a literal party to most folks, that's not Nadia's path. Co-created and co-written by Lyonne, Amy Poehler and filmmaker Leslye Headland (Bachelorette, Sleeping with Other People), this eight-episode show takes its misanthropic lead character through all kinds of twists and turns, examining fate, logic, life's loops and wading through limbo in a clever and compelling way. This is a dark, heartfelt, uproariously humorous and inventive series all at once, and, although the do-over premise has become a well-established trope on both the big and small screens, Russian Doll never feels like it's relying on a gimmick. Unsurprisingly, Netflix has renewed it for a second season. The entire first season of Russian Doll is available to stream on Netflix. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfBbSwX6kEk WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS A bunch of vampires. One share house. Ample undead hijinks. It worked swimmingly in 2005 short film What We Do In the Shadows. Next, it worked hilariously in 2014 mockumentary movie What We Do In the Shadows. And it works mighty fine in TV spinoff that's also called What We Do In the Shadows, too. Adapted for television by original creators and stars Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi (with the first episode written by the former and directed by the latter), this Staten Island-set version focuses on a new set of vamps and new supernatural problems, and the laughs keep coming. Unsurprisingly, Matt Berry's English bloodsucker Laszlo is a highlight, but this is a great ensemble effort, complete with ace turns from Kayvan Novak as Ottoman Empire-era soldier Nandor the Relentless, Natasia Demetriou as Romani vamp Nadja, Mark Proksch as 'energy vampire' Colin Robinson and Lady Bird's Beanie Feldstein as a live-action role-play fan who falls in with the undead crowd. Also keep an eye out for some absolutely killer high-profile cameos — and for more episodes next year. The entire first season of What We Do In the Shadows is available to stream on Foxtel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU9SVg5i0WA ON BECOMING A GOD IN CENTRAL FLORIDA The American Dream — aka the idea that any US citizen can achieve all the success they've ever hoped for if they just toil hard enough — gets a very darkly funny spin in On Becoming a God in Central Florida. Anchored by a fantastic Kirsten Dunst, the show focuses on Krystal Stubbs, who works at a water park, earns minimum wage and has a baby that she often takes to her job. She's also immersed in a cult-like pyramid scheme. Founders American Merchandise sells household products, pushes its sales people beyond their limits and wraps up its mania in patriotism, with Krystal becoming involved through her husband Travis (Alexander Skarsgård). He's as devoted to the multi-level marketing cause as anyone can get, so the series charts the Stubbs' path after their fortunes take a turn. Set in the early 90s and sporting pitch-perfect costuming and production design, the show was originally planned as a TV project for The Lobster and The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos — and while the Greek filmmaker is no longer involved, it's easy to see how this savvy satirical comedy would fit into his wheelhouse. The first five episodes of On Becoming a God in Central Florida are available to stream on SBS On Demand. Episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays afterwards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs_0_fG9-CQ LAMBS OF GOD On a remote island that's difficult to access, in a dilapidated convent that time seems to have forgotten, three women (Essie Davis, Ann Dowd and Jessica Barden) remain true to their faith by adhering to their routines and rituals. Then, an uncaring priest (Sam Reid) arrives with a message: their home is due to be sold off by the Catholic Church, for profit, and turned into a luxury hotel for the wealthy. More than just a fight against gentrification and corruption, the plight of Lambs of God's three nuns spans mysteries, murder, divine beliefs and otherworldly deeds, all based on the novel of the same name by Australian author Marele Day. Directed by Ali's Wedding's Jeffrey Walker and lensed by acclaimed Australian cinematographer Don McAlpine, the four-part mini-series proves a lush and twisty gothic drama — aka the best kind — that takes aim at both gender and class inequality. All four episodes of Lambs of God is available to stream on Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSOo4_7Pccg YEARS AND YEARS If Black Mirror weaved its dystopian visions of the future into an ongoing narrative, rather than doled out its horror stories in standalone instalments, it might look like Years and Years. Focusing on the Lyons family — which spans Muriel (Anne Reid), her grandchildren Edith (Jessica Hynes), Stephen (Rory Kinnear), Daniel (Russell Tovey) and Rosie (Ruth Madeley), plus their partners and children — the six-part British drama ponders their lives from 2019 onwards. So, all of the usual events happen, such as births, deaths and marriages. Here, they're all filtered through the possible political and technological landscape that could await us all, with wars, embeddable technology, climate change, the gig economy and nationalist politics (with Emma Thompson playing an increasingly popular Pauline Hanson-style politician) all part of the story. Created by Russell T. Davies (Queer as Folk and Doctor Who), Years and Years isn't just a must-watch portrait of what may come, but a smartly written, engagingly performed and absolutely fascinating series that's purposefully designed to intrigue, and to stress viewers out about the current and future state of the world. All six episodes of Years and Years are available to stream on SBS On Demand. Looking for more viewing highlights? Check out our list of film and TV streaming recommendations, which is updated monthly.
Sandra Oh taking on co-hosting duties with Andy Samberg and taking home a trophy of her own. Maya Rudolph proposing to Amy Poehler. Olivia Colman proving a worldwide treasure yet again. Christian Bale not only reminding everyone that he's British, but thanking Satan in his acceptance speech. They're just some of the highlights of this year's Golden Globes, and the list only continues. Carol Burnett and Jeff Bridges picked up lifetime achievement awards, and Regina King vowed to only work on productions that achieve gender parity for the next two years. Elsewhere, Willem Dafoe got a flu shot, and Jim Carrey was forced to move from the film to the TV section now that he's made the leap to the small screen in Kidding. That's the ceremony side of proceedings. When it comes to the Globes' winners, plenty of 2018's blockbusters took home awards — Bohemian Rhapsody snagged the big one, Best Motion Picture — Drama, beating out A Star Is Born (which was nonetheless awarded Best Original Song — Motion Picture for the banger 'Shallow'). The forthcoming Green Book also got a movie accolade, and comedies The Marvellous Mrs Maisel and The Kominsky Method won out in the television realm. But now that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association have made anointed their best flicks and shows productions of 2018, we've chosen our top picks of their picks. Some you'll find at the cinema or on your streaming platform of choice right now. Some are coming soon. All of them should be added to your must-watch list. MOVIE MUST-SEES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp_i7cnOgbQ ROMA With Roma, Gravity's Alfonso Cuarón makes his most personal effort yet, with this tale of a Mexican housekeeper partly drawn from his own upbringing. That said, the filmmaker's gorgeously shot black-and-white feature doesn't just feel like a window into the 70s neighbourhood where he grew up, or an intimate account of the political reality of the time. Rather, it feels like a personal story for everyone that the world doesn't usually see. One of the best efforts of 2018, this stunner also benefits from a quietly expressive lead performance from Yalitza Aparicio, who puts in her first ever on-screen performance. The empathetic star deserves the same kind of free-flowing acclaim that writer/director/cinematographer Cuarón has been getting — although Cuarón thoroughly deserves his accolades as well. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language, Best Director — Motion Picture (Alfonso Cuarón). Nominated: Best Screenplay — Motion Picture (Alfonso Cuarón). Now streaming on Netflix — read our review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbfIIGRfRJg SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE "We're in an alternate universe," said writer/producer Phil Lord as he accepted Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse's award. Whichever world we're in, thankfully it includes this enthralling animated feature. Into the Spider-Verse is the perfect antidote for anyone suffering from spider-fatigue — aka a condition we've all been experiencing after seeing three different actors become the web-slinger over the past two decades. With kaleidoscopic visuals that look strikingly cinematic while nodding to Spidey's comic book days, the film doesn't just focus on the antics of Brooklyn high-schooler Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) after he's bitten by a radioactive arachnid. This smart, heartfelt coming-of-age effort lets audiences enjoy many, many spider-folk, including Peter Porker, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, and Peni Parker and her mechanical offsider SP//dr. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Animated. In cinemas now — read our review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYb-wkehT1g THE FAVOURITE An awards season favourite, this period drama might've only picked up one gong at the Globes, but it's certain to keep featuring as the BAFTAs and Oscars roll around. It's such a delicious, comedic take on genre that's often anything but those two things — although when The Lobster's Yorgos Lanthimos tries his hand at British regal history, that's probably to be expected. Best actress in a drama recipient Olivia Colman steps into the shoes of real-life English monarch Queen Anne, while Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone also dazzle as the women vying for her attention and affection. In her acceptance speech, Colman made it clear just how much fun she had making the movie, and it shows in every frame of the finished product. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (Olivia Colman). Nominated: Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture (Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone), Best Screenplay — Motion Picture (Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara). In cinemas now — read our review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfxerpiKGsk THE WIFE It happens every year. Sometimes it's an actor, sometimes it's someone working behind the lens — but whoever it is, they're not only earning acclaim for their latest great effort, but for their great career in general. Consider it a body of work award or a catch-up trophy, rewarding a talent who hasn't perhaps received the recognition that they've always deserved. In 2019, Glenn Close fits the bill with The Wife, where she plays the woman who's always stood behind her successful author husband. Still, hers truly a fantastic performance and one deserving of glistening accolades, all in a movie that couldn't be more timely thematically. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama (Glenn Close). Now available on DVD and Google Play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8qbq6Z6HYk IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK Two years after Moonlight's Oscar win over La La Land, Barry Jenkins returns with another intimate and affecting film. This time around, the supremely talented writer/director adapts James Baldwin's novel If Beale Street Could Talk — and if you've seen the documentary I Am Not Your Negro, which also found its basis in Baldwin's work, then you know you're in for a complex and passionate effort. Narrative-wise, the romantic drama follows couple Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James). It's the 70s, and they're expecting their first child when Fonny is falsely accused of rape. As he did with Moonlight, Baldwin excels not only in his emotional and visual storytelling, but in bringing together an exceptional cast, including Globe winner Regina King as Tish's mother. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture (Regina King). Nominated: Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Screenplay — Motion Picture (Barry Jenkins). In Australian cinemas February 14, New Zealand cinemas March 7. SMALL SCREEN BINGES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLfLU6-9lxY BODYGUARD There's no shortage of British TV shows about cops, politics and both, but that doesn't mean that they're all alike. In fact, there's nothing standard or routine about this recent addition to the fold. In Bodyguard, Game of Thrones' Richard Madden is a post traumatic stress-afflicted ex-soldier turned police protection officer — and one who's assigned to guard a controversial politician (Keeley Hawes) that he strong disagrees with. As well as proving gripping and tense from start to finish, this six-part psychological thriller shows that newly-minted Globe winner Madden boasts talents far, far beyond attending GoT's infamous Red Wedding. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama (Richard Madden). Nominated: Best Television Series — Drama. Now streaming on Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MBjBavIC9U KILLING EVE This year's ceremony belonged to Sandra Oh, and that really shouldn't come as a surprise. Three decades after her first screen appearances, the hard-working actor has turned in the standout performance of her incredibly consistent career in Killing Eve, and she has been duly rewarded for it. Playing the titular MI5 officer, Oh immerses herself in a role that segues from bored spy to determined obsessive as she tracks the path of an alluring international assassin (Jodie Comer). Developed by Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge based on the Codename Villanelle novellas by Luke Jennings, the end result is a thrillingly twisty espionage effort that never does what you expect. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Drama (Sandra Oh). Nominated: Best Television Series — Drama. Now streaming on ABC iView in Australia and TVNZ in New Zealand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggDTJc470Co A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL Last time that Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw worked on the same project, it was in one of the most delightful films of this decade — and in a heartwarming family affair too. Now, the duo have leapt from Paddington 2's charms to a political controversy, or from one extreme to another. The pair take on the roles of British Member of Parliament Jeremy Thorpe and his ex-lover Norman Scott, and if you're unaware of the very English real-life scandal that arose in the late 70s, the details are best discovered by watching. Based on a true-crime novel of the same name, the three-part effort also benefits from excellent writing and direction, the former from Queer as Folk and Doctor Who's Russell T Davies and the latter from High Fidelity and The Queen's Stephen Frears. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Ben Whishaw). Nominated: Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Hugh Grant). Screening on Foxtel in Australia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8T__5EjhYs ESCAPE AT DANNEMORA If you've missed seeing Ben Stiller on your screens of late, that's because he's been busy stepping behind the camera. The actor's directorial credits already include Reality Bites, Tropic Thunder and the Zoolander flicks, but now he's added TV show Escape at Dannemora to his resume. Starring Golden Globe-winner Patricia Arquette alongside Benicio del Toro and Paul Dano, the limited series does what so many crime-focused efforts do, finding its basis in a tale that can only be true. Back in 2015 in upstate New York, two convicted murderers made a daring escape from prison, as assisted by a female employee — and how and why the whole situation came about fuels the program's seven episodes. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Patricia Arquette). Nominated: Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Now streaming on Stan in Australia, and screening on SOHO in New Zealand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s64PUUHD6UQ SHARP OBJECTS When it comes to big names, Sharp Objects has plenty. Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson star, Big Little Lies' Jean-Marc Vallée directs and the whole project is based on a book by Gone Girl's Gillian Flynn. When it comes to big-impact thrills, this four-part series also ticks all of the boxes. Indeed, the show's main performers are as exceptional as they've both always been — which is no easy feat given both Adams and Clarkson's careers. The former plays a troubled crime reporter chasing a story that takes her back to her home town, while the latter plays her socialite mother. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Patricia Clarkson). Nominated: Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Amy Adams). Now streaming on Foxtel Now in Australia, and NEON in New Zealand.
In case you were lacking in things to furiously rant about at the pub later, let's fill you in on the newest, stupidest, frankly concerning health fad skulking into reality. Are you ready? It's called Fat Water. Yep, fat-infused water. Created by founder of Bulletproof Coffee (yep, the coffee that uses butter instead of milk) Dave Asprey, Fat Water isn't just adding a scoop o' lard to your Mount Franklin. According to Grub Street, Asprey is assuring us all that the bottles function instead as an energy booster without a sugar crash, mixing two grams of coconut oil (which is apparently about a tenth of your daily saturated fat) with regular water. So, you guessed it, it's basically oily water. Taste testers likened it to liquid soap. So how the heck is this healthy? Apparently the coconut oil enhances what's known as thermogenesis — a big ol' scientific word for the process of burning fat. The water apparently burns energy and also has an appetite-suppression effect, which quite honestly rings a few warning bells. Sounds like your one-way ticket to intensifying an eating disorder, frankly. Whether or not Fat Water takes off remains to be seen — but with the cheeky $9 million Silicon Valley bandwagon-jumpers poured into Bulletproof Coffee, and the desperate measures people will take to get some form of unattainable 'bikini body', this could be a scarily popular item. Fat Water is now available in the US only, exclusive to Dave Asprey's Bulletproof cafes and a few LA health stores. And stay there. Via Grub Street.
Heads up, Mother's Day is just around the corner. You can frantically message your siblings later, there's pressie planning afoot, and we've found quite the showstopper for your dear ol' Mumsie this year thanks to Gelato Messina. Never one to miss an opportunity to experiment with new ways to inhale gelato, Messina have been cooking up quite the delicate novelty dessert for Mum: a Italian-inspired chocolate box of gelato-filled nibbles. These brownie point-winners launched in 2015 and revamped in 2016, and are sure to bring it home again this year. Each box comes with eight handmade, handpainted chocolate and gelato bon bons — best enjoyed with opera blaring in the background, with a strong, black cup of coffee and a shoulder massage. Go on, your mum put up with you through puberty, you owe her one massage. So which crazy tell-your-friends flavours have Messina come up with for their bitty bon bons? There's four in total, each more decadent than the last. Ready? There's fraise des bois sorbet, champagne gel, champagne soaked sponge in a white chocolate shell. Shut up. There's Messina's famous salted caramel gelato, caramel ganache and caramel crunch in a caramel chocolate shell. Yep. There's milk chocolate gelato, passionfruit puree and chocolate sponge all wedged into a tiny milk chocolate shell. Huh? How about pistachio gelato, rose jelly and vanilla sponge encased in a white chocolate shell? NUP. If you can find us something that says 'perfect Mother's Day gift' better than fragrant bloody rose jelly and vanilla sponge cake crammed into a fragile little choc-house, we'll eat this empty bon bon box. The Messina gelato bon bon boxes are going for $45 a box, available to order from May 3. They're available for collection from Tramsheds, Darlinghurst, Rosebery, Miranda and Parramatta in Sydney, Fitzroy and Windsor in Melbourne, and South Brisbane's new store.
What would you do if you were a little less freaked out by consequences? Would you talk to more new people, fear a bit less, dance a little more like FKA Twigs, quit your desk job and start that business you've always wanted to give a red hot go? Some sparkling young Australians are already flinging their inhibitions into a ziplock bag and seizing this little ol' life with both hands. Concrete Playground has teamed up with the Jameson crew to give you a sneak peek into the lives of bold characters who took a big chance on themselves. They've gone out on a limb and rewritten their path, encapsulating 'Sine Metu', the Jameson family motto which translates to 'without fear' — getting outside your comfort zone and trying something new. After all, we only get one shot at this. Take notes. Dreaming big is easy. Following through on that dream — that's where the hard work begins. Junky Comics' owner Vlada Edirippulige knows this, but a year after opening her own store, she wouldn't have it any other way. Also known as illustrator Junky and as a member of local band Major Leagues, her commitment to boosting Brisbane's arts scene shows just what can happen when you embody 'Sine Metu', set your mind to something and throw caution to the wind. As a result, not only does she get to hang out in her ideal bookshop all day, Vlada also celebrates artists and work that isn't available elsewhere, she helps make the city the place she wants it to be and nurtures fellow creative Brisbanites through Junky's growing events program. DON'T OVERTHINK IT, JUST DO IT Anyone fresh out of university knows the feeling of spending three years studying, graduating with a shiny piece of paper, and then facing a wave of uncertainty about the future. In 2012, that was Vlada, who boasted a music degree, a hankering for creativity, and an avid interest in comics and art in general. At that time, she came to a realisation. "A lot of the work I was interested in, a lot of the female writers and artists that I was following online — it was tough to find their stuff physically in Brisbane." Enter Junky Comics — or, the first seeds of an idea that would sprout into the vibrant addition to West End's Vulture Street the city now knows and loves. "I was buying a lot of stuff online, and I had a lot of friends who were doing the same. And I also had a bunch of really talented female friends that were doing incredible things. I thought that it was time that there was a place in Brisbane that could house all that kind of stuff. And I thought that I'd just give it a crack," she continues. Armed with a little 'Sine Metu' attitude, Vlada jumped into action, first testing the waters with an online store. Its success bolstered her confidence, and the bricks-and-mortar business was born. Many people in her situation would've spent months and even years deliberating and preparing; however Vlada is honest about her thought processes, or lack thereof. "Not a lot of thought went into it. I was just like, 'I'm just going to do it.' It was very much a leap of faith, but I thought I should just give it a go while I hadn't settled down to do anything yet." EMBRACE YOUR COMMUNITY Vlada's own tastes might've provided her initial motivation, but her faith in Brisbane as a place that should have a store like Junky was also a strong driving force. It's a situation everyone can relate to; all Brisbanites have watched their fair share of friends head to Sydney and Melbourne to chase their dreams, but that wasn't the path Vlada wanted to follow. "I have a really strong belief in Brisbane as a place and as an artistic community," she says. "I think it gets a bit of a bad rap sometimes. I think that we've got so much blank space that we can fill in with music and art." Given the buzz Junky has generated since it launched in April 2015, her customers clearly agree, enabling Vlada to run her own store in her hometown. "That's the dream, right?" she says. "I think in order for Brisbane to be put on the map like Sydney and Melbourne , we need to really cultivate that community that's here. There are so many people doing [great things], and it is exciting to be a part of it." PAY IT FORWARD Indeed, selling great comics and books to the citizens of Brisbane isn't Vlada's only passion or Junky's sole purpose, as anyone who has caught an exhibition, been to a book launch or indulged their own artistic side within the store's walls knows. More than just a shopfront, Junky has become a gallery, hangout space and all-round hive of activity. That's all by design — and it's just the beginning, with expanding the calendar of events being part of Vlada's future plans. "I really want to focus on doing gallery stuff, because it is really fun to tack someone's art on the walls and have them super excited about it — and be able to invite all their pals and celebrate each other's work," she points out. And, in the process, Vlada is not only helping Junky fulfil its potential; she's also doing her bit to assist other creative folks follow in her footsteps. "I think that's where a lot of the joy comes from; seeing people talk about producing something, then producing something, putting on a show and getting all their pals to come in and experience it with them." KEEP YOUR CHIN UP (AND LISTEN TO BEYONCÉ IF IT'S DOWN) Of course, opening her own store from scratch and building Junky into the thriving hub it is today wasn't all smooth sailing, even if it appears that way on the outside. Junky might be gearing up to celebrate its first birthday in April, all while filling its shelves with eclectic wares and playing host to everything from art shows to zine launches, but, like everyone, Vlada has her good days and her bad. So how does she weather those ups and downs, and what advice does she have for anyone keen to rewrite their own path? "The thing I wish I had thought of or knew when I'd started is just don't be knocked down or persuaded that you're anything less than you think you are by anybody," Vlada says. "When you start something, you're already feeling super vulnerable. The way I did it was just by listening to a lot of Beyoncé — but you've got to have something that you can look at or think about every day that reminds you why you're doing it, and that you can do it. Because there's going to be shitty days, and days where you're like 'oh man, this is not worth it'. But then you'll have the really great days that even it out." Want to experience a little bit of 'Sine Metu' yourself? Thanks to Jameson and The Rewriters, one extremely fortunate Concrete Playground reader (and their even more fortunate mate) will get the chance to 'fear less' and go on a big ol' adventure to Ireland. In addition to two return flights departing from your choice of Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, this epic giveaway comes with five night's accommodation and $500 spending money you can use to paint the Emerald Isle red. ENTER HERE. For more about how 'Sine Metu' influenced John Jameson's journey visit Jameson's website.
Say what you will about American eating habits, but they sure know a thing or two about barbecue. When it comes to Kevin Bludso, it's practically in his blood. A third-generation pit master originally from Compton, Texas, Bludso is one of the most renowned barbecue chefs the United States has to offer, with his restaurant Bludso's BBQ declared the best in America by CNN, Fox News and The New York Times. Now, he's bringing that Southern-style cooking to Melbourne's Crown Casino. We're already drooling. According to Good Food, scouts from the casino complex tried barbecue from all over Texas, before convincing Bludso, who operates restaurants in Compton and Hollywood, to bring his talents to Australia. Set to open on Tuesday November 10, San Antone by Bludso's BBQ will seat 187 people and serve genuine Texas-style barbecue, slow cooked over handpicked woods and natural charcoal in enormous Ole Hickory smokers. The smoke pit section of the menu includes pulled pork, beef brisket and whole BBQ chickens, as well as a share plate that combines all of the above plus beef hot links, mac and cheese, coleslaw and Southern greens. We're pretty sure the greens make it healthy. There's also a bit of a Mexican influence, with tacos, nachos, quesadilla and ceviche, plus sides like ranch baked beans and fried green tomatoes. Assuming you haven't sunk into an irreversible meat coma, your dessert options include traditional American favourites such as peach cobbler and sweet potato pie. The drinks list, meanwhile, features a number of American beers including Budweiser, Miller Draft and Pabst Blue Ribbon, as well as signature cocktails such as the Jalapeno Margarita (jalapeno infused tequila, cucumber, lime juice, agave nectar and ciltrano salt) and the Rusty Boots (bourbon, bitters and burnt orange and vanilla syrup). They've also got a healthy selection of tequila, bourbon, whiskey and moonshine (yes, moonshine). Hell, even their non-alcoholic options, including the lime spider and the root beer float, come with the option of a vodka or rye whiskey spike. San Antone by Bludso's BBQ is located on Level One of Crown Casino. For more information, visit their website. Via Good Food. Image via Bludso's Bar-&-Que.
As many films do, The Space Between begins with a series of influential events that shake up an otherwise stagnant life. When his stint in New York came to an unplanned end through a family tragedy, Marco (Flavio Parenti) returned to his home town of Udine in Northern Italy, gave up on his dream of being a chef and carved out a routine existence — and just as he has somewhat accepted his fate, more hardship strikes. But at the same time, he meets Olivia (Maeve Dermody), an Australian in the country wading through her own family and career matters. A connection forms as the two try to find their path forward. The film's narrative isn't just an interesting story worth spending 98 minutes watching — it's also somewhat based on reality. In fact, The Space Between is partially inspired by the day that Melbourne-based writer-director Ruth Borgobello met her husband Davide Giusto (who also serves as one of movie's producers), and the bond they forged as he coped with his real-life grief. In turning the tale into a film (her first feature, no less), Borgobello has not only transported parts of her life to the big screen, but has also crafted the first-ever Australian-Italian co-production in the process. While the former feat has personal significance, the latter is no lesser of an achievement; indeed, a filmmaking treaty between the two countries was signed back in 1993. Just how did Borgobello draw from such intimate experiences? And how did she manage to make history with her debut feature? With The Space Between currently touring Australia as part of the Italian Film Festival, we chatted with the filmmaker about finding inspiration in Italy, working through trauma and turning an aspect of your life into a feature film. ON LETTING REALITY INSPIRE THE NARRATIVE "I met my husband the day he lost someone very important to him unexpectedly. We'd sort of already had this plan to spend a couple of weeks together, because he's a good friend of my cousin in Italy, and he was planning to come to Australia, and he had his visa ready. And so, in spite of this loss and grief he was going through, we spent a couple of weeks together, and I guess that always stayed with me as a very transformational moment for both of us. We were in our early 20s, so it kind of throws everything into question and makes you think very carefully about the life path that you want to choose when something like that happens. You tend to think you're quite invincible when you're that age, I think. Years later I kind of was developing another project focused more on a migration story of my family and my father, but I guess just spending time in Italy and thinking about that moment, I was sort of quite inspired and pushed to do something a bit more personal as my first film. And talking about contemporary Italy within that as well. So, it was inspired by that moment — but the actual characters and the journey that they go on is very fictional, and very, much more connected to Italy today than back in that time." ON DRAWING FROM EXPERIENCED GRIEF AND TRAUMA "When I set out to write this script, I was sort of basing it on my husband's experience of losing someone close to him — and I had never lost someone, especially not a close friend in the way that he had. So I tried to get inside his head, I guess, and his grieving process. And then also working with my co-writer who had lost his father when he was quite young, so he had gone through that. But then, strangely, in the journey of writing it — and it was something that really kind of terrified me when it happened — my best friend actually was in an accident, a very unexpected accident, and was in a coma for a few weeks hovering between life and death. Luckily now she's fine, she's got through it, but I guess it strangely sort of brought me very close to that experience, which can be quite challenging because when it happens to you — you don't know if you can actually go there to bring it into the script. But, I tried to write during that period just to tune into the emotion of it all. I guess with the grief, I think the lesson that came for us that was very powerful — it was that he left...but then someone else arrived in that moment that would be very important and play a similar role, I guess, in Davide, my husband's, life. Just that sort of interesting thing that someone leaves and someone else arrives, and I guess to trust in life sometimes that it will bring you support in those kind of moments, and then opportunity to maybe grow and evolve." ON MAKING THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN-ITALIAN CO-PRODUCTION "It's just enormous, and I think it's not just sort of all the relationships and paperwork and trying to make the two governments sort of work — or their rules — really work together. Also, then you've got to translate everything and every time it changes you've got to re-translate it. So it is an enormous amount of work. I guess, at the end of the day, it's just kind of willingness and determination to make it work. And we sort of sensed that if we could make it work, then there would be a lot of positivity that would come out of that — obviously for the film, but also creating future possibilities between the two countries. So it's worth it. When you know you're going to make history, it's worth it to persevere. And we had a lot of willingness from Italy and the Italian government too, that really supported us in wanting to make it work, so that helps." ON SETTING HER FILM IN ITALY — AND FINDING THE RIGHT LOCATIONS "We spent years of research looking at locations that are not the typical tourist locations. They're not the places you could open a book and find out where they are — they're all sort of quite hidden and you have to know people who know people. So it took a lot to find those places that would really serve the psychology and the narrative of Marco's journey, and with Olivia. So I spent time myself there in Italy, living for periods of six months or so, just to also really get to know the people and the place. And trying to perceive the current climate of today, and what's going on, and the relationship between the environment and this sort of crisis as well, which I always found quite contradictory because there's so much beauty and inspiration in what's been created in the past, but it feels very stagnant in the present. So it was about sort of being able to marry those two together." ON HER TIES WITH ITALY "I've got two projects that I'm working on, and both are connected with Italy again. One of them is also sort of connected to climate change, and I really want to do a sort of original creative story around that, kind of featuring nature as a main character — and it's positive, not fear-driven. So that's something that I'm heavily researching at the moment. And then another film, perhaps with Italy dealing with refugees and what's happening at the moment in Europe with that crisis, through quite a courageous character who goes out on a limb to help the refugees. So sort of inspired by a true story that we've come across. I think we've learnt so much, so it will make the next one easier. I'm sure it will always be challenging, but it feels like there's a clear path now." The Space Between is currently screening at the Italian Film Festival, which tours Australia until October 19. Check out our top five picks of the festival.
Fine-dining Nordic restaurant Freyja (one of the best restaurants in Melbourne) has invited the Executive Chef of the three Michelin-starred restaurant Les Prés d'Eugénie to join the team in the kitchen for an incredible dining experience across three nights only. From Thursday, February 8–to Saturday, February 10, Freyja's Jae Bang and Les Prés d'Eugénie's Hugo Souchet will serve up a six-course degustation unlike anything Melbourne typically has on offer. These chefs are some of the very best in the world, and to have them work together here in Melbourne is a proper treat. The 4 Hands Dinner will set folks back a hefty $350 per person but it is set to include some hard-to-find, high-end produce from all over the globe. [caption id="attachment_938039" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arianna Leggiero[/caption] For one, Oscietra and Beluga caviar will feature strongly throughout the six-course menu as the event is sponsored by the ultra-luxurious Sturia Caviar. Beyond that, all we know about the menu so far is that the duo will recreate some of Les Prés d'Eugénie's famous flame-grilled dishes, reimagined with Freyja's distinct contemporary Nordic culinary stylings. There'll also be an option to add wine pairings to the experience for those looking to really treat themselves. Either think of the 4 Hands Dinner at Freyja as an early Valentine's Day date night or simply head over with your crew of gourmand friends who deeply appreciate fine food.
Yarraville's favourite gelateria, Gigi's Gelato, is celebrating international Best Friends Day (June 8) with a sweet treat: free scoops for you and a mate. All you have to do is bring your best friend or a confused stranger you recently met on the street into the store on Thursday, June 8. The free scoops will be running all night from 7pm (while tubs last, at least). And speaking of the tubs in question, co-owners Luigi 'Gigi' Pozzoli and Sue Yong will be slinging crowd favourites like salted caramel, peanut butter, stracciatella and Oreo. "Gelato is sweeter when it's shared with someone special – after all, food is a love language," Sue says. "Italians eat gelato all year round and we want to encourage Melburnians to do the same." If you haven't heard of Gigi's before, it popped up in Yarraville in 2022, and quickly became a local favourite. The store recently celebrated its first birthday in March. It's a family business, and the name of the game here is traditional, artisan, Italian gelato. Just like Nonna used to make. "Gelato brings people together," Sue says, "and as a family business we want our customers to know we value the importance of friendship." Now the big question: who are you going to take? Images: Supplied
Finally, coveted New York fashion label rag & bone has landed in Australia. Now open in Melbourne's CBD shopping district, The Strand, the US brand has unveiled a characteristically minimalist, 1150 square feet space. Haven't stumbled upon it yet? Take a look. Features include a glass façade and interiors decked out in rag & bone's signature industrial style with exposed ceilings and concrete floors. Endeavouring to become a true Melburnian, the brand has also collaborated with local Australian designers to include unique fixtures in the space, like custom tube pendant lighting, brass shelving and walnut detailing. To complete this highly visually satisfying space, the label will host media installations in-store, kicking off with the SS17 campaign film playing throughout. Among the modern industrial look of the new store, rag & bone's women's ready-to-wear, /JEAN, accessories and footwear collections sit, ready to tempt your wallet with tailored silk shirts, satiny slip dresses, wide-neck and off-the-shoulder knits and plenty of denim. Australia, it's time to inject some New York style into your wardrobes. Find the new rag & bone shop at 320 Elizabeth Street, Shop T21 in The Strand.
Melbourne's Sandridge Bridge could be in for a makeover in the style of New York's High Line. A proposal backed by Lord Mayor Robert Doyle would see the 178-metre pedestrian bridge transformed into a lush aerial garden, providing a green walkway across the Yarra connecting Southbank and Flinders Street Station. However, the plan will rely on funding from the State Government — so don’t start planning your picnic just yet. "The bridge at the moment is a beautiful structure, but it's not at all pleasant to walk across," Doyle told The Age. "Imagine if we gave it a treatment like the famous High Line in New York, which would make it a green bridge and something very pleasant to link the north and the south of our city." Under current plans, the Sandridge Bridge would be widened to accommodate trees and other plants. According to The Age, Doyle is currently attempting to secure funding from both the council and the Andrews governments, although he concedes that he is unsure of the amount of money that will be needed. The bridge would have to be reinforced to support the weight of the garden – not to mention the additional foot-traffic it would presumably draw in. Originally part of the Port Melbourne rail line, the Sandridge Bridge was reopened as a footbridge back in 2006. Plans for a refurbishment were put on hold when Premier Andrews ditched the $1 billion Flinders Street Station redesign proposed by his predecessor Denis Napthine. In February, Andrews allocated $100 million to restoration work on the station, sparking new hope for the bridge project as well. Located on the west side of Manhattan, the High Line Garden saw a disused section of the raised railway line converted into a green aerial walkway. It now attracts more than 5 million visitors a year, and is credited with helping to breathe new life into the surrounding area. Via The Age. Images: Wikimedia Commons, Trav Nikov Studio.
A much-loved winter wine festival is back for 2024, with The Shortest Lunch kicking off on the winter solstice across Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23. If you haven't heard of this one before, it's basically two jam-packed days of wine tasting, live music, incredible food and beautiful scenery, spread across nine family-owned wineries in the Yarra Valley. We're talking smaller, boutique names like Billanook Estate, Steels Gate Boat O'Craigo and Sutherland Estate. You can grab tickets for $35 for a single day, or $50 for the weekend, for access to tastings and small plates at any of the wineries on the lineup. Most of the venues are also dog-friendly too, so fur babies are more than welcome. In terms of food, there's plenty to choose from. With a backdrop of crackling wood fires and rolling Yarra Valley views, you can tuck into freshly baked calzones, ploughman's platters, hot apple pies, hearty pastas, and plenty of kid-friendly dishes. As with the wine, the food is a showcase of the best of the region, and no dish is priced over $25. To make things a little more fun for the kids (and competitive adults), the Shortest Lunch crew has created three wine-themed quests (with the help of an escape-room architect), so you can hunt for clues at the different wineries and potentially win a special prize. On top of that, Tokar Estate has even got a free petting zoo for the little ones.
Anyone who has ever held a nine-to-five office job will have at some point wanted nothing more than to crawl under their desk and take a nap. We find it tends to happen at around three in the afternoon — once the rush from our lunchtime coffee has subsided, but quittin' time is still a ways away. Lucky for all of us, there's a new workspace on the market designed to accommodate our every dozy desire. Created by Greek design firm NL Studios, the '1.6 S.M. of Life' (doesn't that just roll off the tongue?) is a desk with its own in built-in sleep pod that seems perfect for a quick on-the-job power nap. Made from solid wood, metal and white leather, the prototype includes a slide-out top and removable side panels, allowing you to easily transform it from desk to bed and back again. According to an interview with A' Design Awards and Competition, designer Athanasia Leivaditou came up with the idea after seeing her graduate school classmates sleeping on chairs during late night study sessions. "The main concept was to comment [on] the fact that our lives are shrinking in order to fit into the confined space of our office," she said. Of course, just because such a product exists doesn't mean your boss will be too keen on you taking an afternoon siesta. On the other hand, studies are increasingly showing that a lack of sleep and energy can lead to major drops in productivity in the workplace — and many companies including Google and Facebook already have sleeping pods where exhausted employees can recharge. Now, if you'll excuse us... Via Refinery29.
Fresh air. Food trucks waiting to fill your hungry stomach. Live music. Outdoor cinema. Sounds like summer in Australia, doesn't? Add in aerial circus, medieval performance fighting and Mexican wrestling, too, and it also sounds like Melbourne's new four-day arts and food truck festival. Taking over Coburg's Velodrome from January 26-29, 2017, the rather descriptively named Velodrome Food Truck Festival promises all of the above and more. And the best part? Not only can you bring your pet pooch, but the whole event is free. Each of the four days of the festival will cram in a lineup of food trucks, several bars selling beers and craft cocktails and an outdoor cinema screening a film each night. Expect a sideshow circus, roaming talent, workshops, visual art installations, a market stall village, eating competitions and more than 30 food trucks, including Messina, Beatbox Kitchen, Taco Truck, Mr Burger, Pierogi Pierogi and Poke Time. "We're dubbing it 'the Glastonbury' of food truck festivals. It's a mixed bag of performance and entertainment," said Velodrome events director, Chris Mitchell. He's one of guiding hands behind the drive to turn the site into a cultural event precinct — and given that, with his partner Gareth Holt, he also helped turn Chapel Street venue Red Bennies into an internationally renowned arts intuition, he certainly knows what he's doing.
Grief can take any number of forms. Yet the same isn't necessarily true of funerals. While coming together with friends and family is a vital part of celebrating a lost loved one, the trappings that surround this process – the hearse, the funeral home, the traditional overpriced coffin – can often seem a little impersonal. It's for this reason that The House has us so intrigued. Co-founded by Kylee Stevens, Morna Seres and Christian Wills, all of whom share a background in design and the arts, this new Sydney-based funeral service is offering an alternative to the industry standard, allowing for a truly personal celebration of a person's life. "We service memory artistically through curated reflection, music, light, sound, performance, food and ritual held within our exclusive venues," reads a mission statement on the company website. "Whether it is a large affair, or a simple gathering of friends and family, The House provides the opportunity to say goodbye in a compelling, cultural and modern manner." "Our way of working with clients doesn't really exist in the industry," Stevens told Concrete Playground. "I believe there's space for tradition, particularly in a moment of grief...but if someone doesn't want something traditional, what are their options?" While The House has only been operating since the tail end of March, Stevens sees a world of "infinite possibilities." Their first service, for example, was held in a gallery, and featured a room full of suspended images and incorporated poetry written by the deceased. Friends and family were also invited to be involved in the planning and installation stages, which in turn became another way for them to process their grief. "I think each family will be quite different, said Stevens. "Some will want to come forward and work [with us], and some won't. It's our role to navigate that." Despite their ambitious and personalised approach, the cost of a funeral at The House is in line with industry standards. "We talk about substituting costs within the traditional framework," explains Stevens. "You can spend $3500 to $6500 on a coffin. Making a more ecologically friendly, better designed choice, you can go as low as $550. So you can substitute out existing cost structures that a traditional model offers, and replace them with things that are more memorable." For more information about The House, visit their website at www.thehouse.global.
First, the bad news. The Hi-Fi, as patrons in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane currently know and love, is no more. The saga that started with the company behind all three locations going into administration back in February will see the familiar name disappear. But the good news? You don't need to mourn the loss of another music venue. Boasting new owners as well as new management, the Hi-Fi is changing its name. Fans of live bands and casually excellent nights out can now head to Max Watt's. The new moniker comes from Max Watt's Operating Pty Ltd, the knight in shining armour that swooped in to stop the three music-scene mainstays from permanently closing their doors. In a new business model, bookings for future gigs and all online marketing activities will be handled by The Venue Collective. The experienced team already manages the music lineups for Melbourne's the Corner, 170 Russell, Northcote Social Club, and Shebeen, Sydney's Newtown Social Club and Brisbane's Woolly Mammoth. It might take some time to get used to calling the Hi-Fi something different, but it's a better outcome than looked likely just over a month ago. Rebranding will take place on site over the next few weeks, and in terms of shows, it's business as usual. Now, music lovers can breathe a sigh of relief. Via The Music.
When it comes to Italian food in Melbourne, we're spoilt for choice. Our city has some of the best Italian food outside of the motherland itself — some restaurants are serving classic pasta, others are branching out with regional ingredients (wild boar ragu), and one is serving the best margherita pizza in the world. We've teamed up with Disaronno to celebrate Italian culture and bring you this list of the best Italian dishes in Melbourne. A classic Italian cocktail is the perfect accompaniment to an Italian meal, so toast to Disaronno Sour Hour by mixing 50ml of Disaronno (an amaretto-flavoured, Italian liqueur) with lots of ice, 25ml of lemon juice, 5ml of sugar syrup and an egg white (if desired) before digging in to one of Melbourne's best dishes. Buon appetito. TRATTORIA EMILIA: TAGLIATELLE ALLA BOLOGNESE Trattoria Emilia is the closest thing Melbourne is going to get to a Northern Italian trattoria, a casual eatery that is just a step under a restaurant. A trattoria is not as elaborate as a traditional Italian restaurant, but the food is never compromised and continues to speak volumes. Trattoria Emilia's dishes are made up of ingredients hailing from one of the most food famous regions in Italy – the north-eastern goldmine known as Emilia Romagna. One of the restaurant's most delicious dishes is its glorious ribbons of freshly made tagliatelle, livened by a decadent Bolognese and topped with cheese. TIPO 00: SQUID INK TAGLIOLINI AL NERO WITH SQUID AND BOTTARGA Tipo 00 is a true Melburnian gem that serves up some of the city's best Italian food. The menu depends on season, meaning it rotates regularly. A dish that has withstood the test of time is the squid ink tagliolini (a narrower version of tagliatelle) with squid and bottarga (cured fish roe). Tipo 00 proves the old, Italian culinary philosophy is that all it takes is three or four key ingredients to make an incredible meal. This minimalism is also reflected in the restaurant's physical space; slick chocolate timber furniture, marble counters and cool paint tones that make the dining experiences that much better. BAR DI STASIO: TRE GNOCCHI ALLA ROMANA (THREE ROMAN GNOCCHI AND WILD BOAR RAGU) Iconic institution Bar di Stasio (adjacent to Cafe Di Stasio) has been delivering quality Italian dishes since its birth. The restaurant's charismatic, old-school, marble-flushed Italian charm is exactly where you want to be seated while indulging in some Italian classics. One such classic is the restaurant's Roman gnocchi and wild boar ragu. What's the difference between Roman gnocchi and regular gnocchi? Think the Roman Empire — large and powerful, which explains why there are only three pieces in the dish. It tastes just as decadent as it sounds and looks, bursting with flavour thanks to some well-treated boar. TIPO 00: CARAMELISED PEACH, BUTTER BISCUIT AND LIME MOUSSE We told you Tipo 00 was great. Also serving up the sweeter side of life, after your pasta, risotto or fish you should definitely order the restaurant's brilliantly composed caramelised peach butter biscuit and lime mousse dessert. It honours the legendary Italian combination of fruit and nut, is sweet enough for dessert-fiends, yet not too rich for those of us who don't possess a sweet tooth. Even if you don't think you can handle dessert, this is too good to pass up. Believe. [caption id="attachment_510228" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: 400 Gradi.[/caption] 400 GRADI: MARGHERITA PIZZA You know this already, but Johnny Di Francesco of 400 Gradi clutched the title of 'Best Pizza Margherita' at the World Pizza Championships held in Parma, Italy in 2014. Melburnians couldn't believe it at first, that an Australian took out this monstrous award. From there, mamma mia. 400 Gradi's reservations shot through the roof as Melbourne foodies curiously flocked to indulge in Di Francesco's too-good-to-stop-eating Margherita pizza. The pizza base is exactly what you wish it to be — generous in elasticity, a perfect thickness, all while not overbearing the toppings of Napoletana sauce, melted balls of mozzarella, fresh basil, olive oil and a touch of salt. All of the ingredients sing as loudly as each other, as a soprano in an Italian opera. Visit Disaronno and mix yourself up a Disaronno Sour — it's the perfect accompaniment to a classic Italian meal. Images: Brook James.
There’s a brand new venue in Melbourne’s boutique cinema landscape. Or, to put it more accurately, a very old venue is about to make its return. More than a century after it first opened as a 1600-seat single screen picture palace, and more than 60 years since it ceased operation, the historic Glenferrie Theatre is set to be reborn. Now named The Lido, the resurrected cinema building is located almost directly opposite the exit to Glenferrie Station in Hawthorn — and while you'd never know it from the street, it still boasts many of its original fittings, like stained glass windows, two marble staircases and an intricately decorated ceiling. Combine that with state-of-the-art technical facilities across nine screens — including one on the rooftop — plus a host of food and beverage options in both the theatre foyer and the adjoining Glen Arcade, and it’s clear that owner Eddie Tamir wants every visitor to feel a genuine sense of occasion. “The shared experience of a cinema is something that people fundamentally want,” says Tamir. A self-described "sucker" for old cinema buildings, Tamir and his partner, Lindy, previously restored The Classic in Elsternwick and The Cameo in Belgrave, and also founded the Jewish International Film Festival. To him, the experience of going to the movies is a social one, something akin to “sitting around a bonfire singing songs”. In order to foster that sense of community, the films at The Lido will cover a wide range of tastes. There’ll be commercial releases alongside indie, arthouse and critically acclaimed foreign films, as well as a number of more eclectic titles. For example, their opening slate includes blockbuster Chinese film Hollywood Adventures, Punjabi language musical Sardaar Ji, and Israeli black comedy Zero Motivation. They’ll also be hosting a program of Friday night cult films presented by Monster Pictures, beginning with the Melbourne premiere of The Human Centipede 3. “There’s no kind of snobbery at any level,” says Tamir, going on to describe the lineup as “one big interesting soup”. Pushing the idea of community even further, Tamir collaborated with filmmaker Clayton Jacobson on a project called 8K Radius, with Jacobson shooting and editing eight four-minute documentaries about different individuals living within 8 kilometres of the cinema. The films will premiere at The Lido on July 23 and then screen individually ahead of regular film sessions over the course of the following months. “Rarely does a cinema show something unique,” says Tamir. “So we’ve gone that extra mile and produced product for the screen.” In an age when film exhibitors have to compete not only with rival cinemas but alternative distribution models like Netflix (not to mention online piracy), Tamir highlights the importance of providing a point of difference, a necessity that extends well beyond the programming. “It’s about trying to broaden the entertainment experience of what a cinema can offer,” he explains, pointing to both the rooftop screen and a hidden jazz room as areas where The Lido stands apart. Another big tick in the cinema's favour is the unique food and drink offering. The Glen Arcade is home to a number of retailers, including the recently opened Yo-Chi and Huxtaburger, both of which will no doubt draw in business to the theatre — and vice versa. Then there’s the generous Lido bar, which in addition to classics like popcorn and homemade choc tops will serve up toasties, gourmet cheeses, dumplings and edamame, plus beer on tap and a selection of Victorian wines. “I think we’re the only cinema, maybe in the world, but definitely in Australia, to my knowledge, that only uses recycled popcorn boxes and recycled drink cups,” Tamir adds proudly. The Lido is located at 1/675 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn and is set to open on Thursday, June 25, with $5 tickets all day. For more information visit the Lido Cinemas website.
Step into one of Australia's most iconic modern horror stories. To mark the launch of their new six-part Wolf Creek miniseries, streaming service Stan is opening a pair of roadhouse pop-up bars in Sydney and Melbourne. Sounds... fun? Maybe our April Fools' joke about that Making a Murderer bar wasn't as ridiculous as it seemed at the time. Opening in Federation Square from May 5-8 and Martin Place from May 11-14, the pop-ups were designed with the aid of the show's set designers, and promise to deliver a "fully immersive" experience. That last part may read as a little unsettling to anyone who has seen the original movie — or, y'know, knows anything about the actual murders that inspired it. But we guess you have to give them credit for really committing to the theme. The bars will serve limited edition beers by Two Birds Brewing, Mick's Bitter and Eve-ning Ale, along with non-alcoholic drinks and an outback-inspired menu. Those who attend on opening night will also get the chance to meet with the stars of the show, including John Jarratt, aka Mick Taylor — if you're game. Visit the Wolf Creek Roadhouse Bar in Federation Square, Melbourne from May 5-8 and Martin Place, Sydney from May 11-14. All six episodes of Wolf Creek will premiere on Stan on May 12.
Turn your Hilver into a Klimpen in just three easy steps. Homeware giant IKEA are officially developing their own ‘hackable’ furniture, monetising a concept their customers have already been embracing for years. Announced at IKEA’s second annual Democratic Design Day at company HQ in Sweden, the official IKEA hack kit will allow shoppers to alter their furniture at will. Customisable items would be marked as such in the store, with ideas for various hacks listed online. From there, customers can purchase a hack kit and voila, your desk chair is suddenly a six-piece outdoor lounge. Well, not quite. But you'll be able to change things up a little. The concept behind IKEA hacking is certainly nothing new. Plenty of customers have tried mashing different IKEA items together over the years, treating the products like the oversized Lego kits that they’ve always vaguely resembled. This Italian company, for example, has come up with some genuinely amazing designs. In the past, IKEA haven’t taken too kindly to people straying from the instructions. They even threatened legal action against the fan-run blog IkeaHackers.net, although they eventually backed down in the wake of widespread public backlash. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6XeDShIFbQ&t=0m10s From both a business and public relations perspective, it certainly seems to make a lot more sense for IKEA to embrace this trend. That being said, the fact that these would be official products, complete with instructions, does kind of take away some of the fun. That you’d have to pay for the hack kits doesn’t really help things either. IKEA haven’t actually moved past the initial design phase yet, so no word on when the hack kits will become available — if they become available at all. They’re also considering an official swap program, wherein you can trade in your old IKEA furniture and get credit towards new pieces. And yea, the circle of life continues. Via Gizmodo. Image: Teste Di Legno.
It's hard to think of a wrong way to prepare the humble chicken — but of all the various methods, frying might be our favourite. Juicy pieces of poultry, coated in flour, salt, herbs and spices, cooked piping hot and served with tangy sauce and a cold glass of James Squire: it doesn't get much better than that. We Melburnians are spoiled for choice when it comes to this particular bird — in fact the hardest thing about putting together this list was trying not to drool over the pictures. From classic culinary contenders to some lesser-known gems, here are the best fried chicken joints Melbourne foodies should flock to. GAMI Forefather to Melbourne's Korean Fried Chicken craze, the Gami chain is now pumping out poultry at four locations (three in the CBD and one in St Kilda). While there's a small invitation of dumplings and side dishes, it's important to stay focused and keep that stomach space free for the real reason you came: fried bird bits. Honestly, there's not a great deal of decision making that needs to happen here; you either want your chicken with bones or boneless, with or without sauce. As for beer, you can get it on tap, in jugs or — our preference — in a mini keg that sits on the edge of your table. It's also advisable to request extra napkins. You'll thank us later on this one, when the sticky sweet-soy-garlic sauce drips from your fingers to your elbows, and you begin to regret the fact you brought a Tinder date along. Shop G, 535 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne (and various other locations); (03) 9670 3232; www.gamichicken.com.au DA RIN If all three of the city Gami venues are at capacity (and they often are), give newcomer Da Rin a shot. They recently entered the gauntlet by offering a similar fried chicken menu (available with or without bones, in original, sweet and spicy, and honey and garlic flavours), but stepped up the competition by throwing in a few wildcard menu contenders. Get adventurous with the dakmoraejip (a stir fry of veggies and spicy chicken giblets) or the egg tang (a savoury egg custard made with pengi mushrooms. It's better than it sounds on paper, promise). 169 Bourke Street, Melbourne; (03) 9639 0721 BELLE'S HOT CHICKEN If you're one of many seeking out the best battered chook in the city, it's hard to go past Belle's Hot Chicken, where their sole focus is just that. Chose your cut of meat (wings, tenders or dark meat), your spice level (mild, medium, hot, really hot or 'really fucking hot') and your favourite side (like coleslaw, potato salad or mac and cheese). It all comes with complimentary pickles and a slice of bread to soak up the oozing spices. This is Fitzroy's take on Nashville comfort-eating, and it's damn, damn good. 150 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy; (03) 9077 0788; www.belleshotchicken.com ROCKWELL & SONS Advance bookings are essential if you want in on Rockwell & Sons' popular fried chicken night, which only happens on Wednesday evenings. It's often booked out weeks in advance. testament not only to Melbourne's affection for a food craze but to the restaurant's ongoing success (this is no pop-up operation — they've been going strong for years). Order your bird at least three days ahead, because preparation starts early in the week with a slow-brine process, after which the poultry is slathered in buttermilk and gently tickled/served with whatever traditional accompaniments are being offered that day (such as coleslaw, mac and cheese or biscuits). 288 Smith Street, Collingwood; (03) 8415 0700; www.rockwellandsons.com.au CHICK-IN Chick-In serves similarly sticky, crowdpleasing fried favourites to Gami, albeit among more contemporary settings (rather than canteen-style decor, they've gone with a look that more closely resembles a Fitzroy single origin cafe). While the fried chicken itself is similar to that of its competitor, a major point of difference lies in the Korean-Western fusion-style accompaniments like kimchi fries, as well as the single serve, non-sharing options which cater to solo lunchtime diners during the middle-of-the-day trough-feed. Assuming you're in no hurry to return to work, try knocking back one of their soju mojitos, or relax with a bottle of One Fifty Lashes. G23/620 Collins Street, Melbourne; (03) 9973 6244; www.facebook.com/chickinmelbourne LEONARD'S HOUSE OF LOVE You'd be forgiven for thinking that Chapel Street was a rather long way away while spending some time in Leonard's House of Love. Leonard's vibe is log cabin-meets-houseparty, with an American-style menu jam packed full of poultry. You can grab original or spicy tenders, popcorn chicken, a southern fried chicken burger or a chicken and gravy roll. Even the sides are chook-based, with charcoal chicken fries and charcoal chicken nachos both totally legitimate options. 3 Wilson Street, South Yarra; 0428 066 778; www.facebook.com/leonardshouseoflove KODIAK CLUB It's said that Kodiak serve the most authentic American buffalo wings in Melbourne. Whether this is a factual claim is inconsequential — you should come here to eat, not to argue. It's an all-round pleaser of a plate, containing just enough heat to satisfy fans of vinegary hot sauce without isolating those with a lesser-trained heat palate. Order by the dozen (forget the small serve, trust us on this); your wings will arrive with wads of napkins, wet wipes, blue cheese sauce and a few stumps of celery sticks that are intended purely for garnish, not for filling up on. Don't make that rookie mistake. 272 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy; (03) 9417 3733; www.kodiakclub.com.au HOT STAR Setting up dispensaries at several hole-in-the-wall city shopfronts, the Hot Star chicken franchise comes co-located with those takeaway tea shops that always have offensive queues sprawling outside them, blocking peak hour Swanston Street foot traffic. But one can overlook such tiny faults in return for a fillet of fried chicken as big as a human head. Nobody knows what part of the bird comes shaped this way, nor do they understand exactly what goes into that addictive, crunchy coating. But after a bite, you'll probably decide it's best not to ask questions and just run with it. 231 Swanston Street, Melbourne; www.hotstarchicken.com.au FRYING COLOURS According to its website, Frying Colours is a 'Korean Eating Place', presumably for chicken you put in your mouth using your hands. But it's more than that — the restaurant's menu extends further than other Korean chicken joints that specialise in throwing just one type of animal into the deep fryer, offering a full grill service as well as traditional bibimbap, bulgogi, hotpots and dumpling dishes. A whole chook will cost $32, which seems like about the average market rate for Korean Fried Chicken in Melbourne's current economic climate. The meat is miraculously moist without succumbing to sogginess — but if you need further lubrication, the BYO policy will hold you in good stead. 520 Macaulay Road, Kensington; (03) 9939 9679; www.fryingcolours.com.au FRIED AND TASTY Sometimes, a name says it all. The birds at Fried and Tasty are just that: fried and tasty. The acronym F.A.T is probably fairly appropriate as well, given how often we chow down at this Brunswick East chicken coop. In addition to boned chunks, tenders and BBQ wings, Fried and Tasty have a whole host of different chicken burgers and a yummy selection of sides. To be honest though, if you're not ordering buttermilk waffles with chicken, vanilla ice cream and Canadian maple syrup, you're probably doing it wrong. 360 Lygon Street, Brunswick East; (03) 8560 3328; www.friedandtasty.com JUANITA PEACHES Juanita is certainly not your standard lass, with a logo that resembles the sort of tattoo you might acquire from a trip you don't remember to Surfer's Paradise. But all in all, she's got the goods, and she's worth trying. With a small menu on offer, the fried chicken — crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle — definitely tops the list of things to order at this establishment. The burros were a little on the dry side but still tasty, and with a lick of hot sauce, all ills are remedied. All the usual sides are at the party too, including chips and a zingy slaw to cut through that chicken grease. 12 Edward Street, Brunswick; (03) 8060 6664; www.facebook.com/juanitapeaches Words by Veronica Fil, Laura Dawson, Tagen Davies and Tom Clift.
Prepare yourself for a serious case of food envy. After months of hype and speculation surrounding the menu, Noma Australia is officially open for business, and it looks totally out of this world. Popping up for a ten-week residency at Sydney Harbour's new Barangaroo precinct, Noma Australia sees head chef Rene Redzepi and his world-renowned team working exclusively with local ingredients. The menu includes Kakadu plum, pepperberry, wattleseed and kangaroo, along with a vast assortment of Australian seafood. "On my many trips around Australia I’ve seen a larder that is so foreign to me," says Redzepi. "Foraging for abalone, eating fresh muntries, nibbling on pepperberries and cracking open a bunya nut — these experiences are so wild compared to what we're used to in Europe." Redzepi has also been influenced by local cooking techniques. "Spending time with indigenous communities in places like Arnhem Land have left the biggest impact on me and the Noma team," he said. "For instance, seeing the use of fire as the main way of cooking ingredients inspired us. Most of what we’re cooking at Noma Australia will be cooked over fire." Standout dishes on the Noma Australia menu include dried scallop and lantana flower pie, abalone schnitzel with bush condiments, a seafood platter of pippies, sea bounty mussels, strawberry clam, flame cockles, oysters and crocodile fat, and — the icing on the cake — a lamington made with rum, dried milk and tamarind. Oof. [caption id="attachment_557122" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Wild seasonal berries flavoured with gubinge[/caption] [caption id="attachment_557123" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Unripe macadamia and spanner crab[/caption] [caption id="attachment_557124" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Rum lamington[/caption] Now for the bad news: bookings for Noma Australia have long been snapped up, despite costing a whopping $485 a head. Still, we can dream. Noma Australia will be serving lunch and dinner at the Barangaroo pop-up until April 2. If you're optimistic, you can put your name on the waiting list at noma.dk/australia. Images: Jason Loucas
Since opening in 2016, Sydney Road's Very Good Falafel has become a firm neighbourhood favourite. The Brunswick spot more than lives up to its moniker, serving up some of the best falafel in town. It's a simple, relaxed space borne of an incredibly successful food truck that demanded a permanent site. The menu is straightforward and very inclusive — all bar one of the menu items are suitable for vegans. The falafel is, obviously, the star of the show here, and is served in either a pita or a plate with dips, salads and sides. There's definitely a veggie focus here, with a daily rotating selection of salads showcasing fresh, seasonal produce. It has a cookbook too, which features over 52 recipes gained from ten experience, including salads, falafels, chips and dips. Images: Madz Rehorek
The Vegie Bar has been kicking around for almost thirty years. The all-vegetarian restaurant was ahead of its time when it opened three decades ago, and is all the more in-vogue now. Monday through Sunday, lines of people will put their name down and wait for a table — sometimes a pokey communal one — just to get a feed. The open plan warehouse-style room is filled with exposed brick, wooden tables and a whole lot of history. With a pinboard listing rooms for rent on one wall and a separate room with a liquor licence, this venue is a Brunswick Street institution. As you weave your way through the menu, you'll find everything is vegetarian, a lot is vegan, and gluten free options are plentiful. More recently, raw dishes have been added to the already vast lineup. Start with the classic veggie spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce or the vegan chicken bao with crispy chilli oil and Asian herbs. Mains are broken down into wraps and burgers, salads, pizzas and other main dishes. The vegan beef rendang serves up succulent vegan beef with onion, capsicum, carrot and potato, while the Mexican burrito is packed full of beans, baby spinach and Spanish onions. This bad boy has been on the Vegie Bar menu for almost the entire 30 years, too. Desserts are rather impressive. There is a rotating assortment of cakes from a gluten and dairy free chocolate mud cake, to baked berry cheesecake to raw macaroons. How they make it all taste so damn good is a mystery, but we're happy to just enjoy the goods. When it comes to the drink list, Vegie Bar has anything from the super juice of beetroot, spinach, carrot and cucumber and smoothies, to a bottle of organic German Riesling from Gunderloch. Vegie Bar is the kind of place where any lifestyle can be catered for, but no one will impose one on you. You don't have to be vegan or be a champion of the raw food movement to enjoy your dhal or a big fat piece of vegan chocolate cake. Appears in: The Best Vegan Restaurants in Melbourne for 2023
