It’s time to fire up your barbecues and perfect your spice rub recipe, because Melbourne is about to host their second Barbecue Festival. The one-day event — which made its debut at the Queen Vic Market last year — will feature free classes and demonstrations, more barbecued meat than you can poke a skewer at, live entertainment and, of course, the great barbecue cook-off. The cook-off is sanctioned by the too-legit-to-quit Kansas City Barbeque Society, and the winner will go on to compete at the world championships in the U.S., as well receive as a sweet cash prize and — most importantly — unrivalled barbecue glory. We spoke to festival director Matt Vitale about the festival, the different styles of American barbecue, and got all the pro tips on how to barbecue like a boss. MEET THE EXPERT: MATT VITALE Matt had always been an avid backyard barbecue cook, and a few years ago he decided to try his luck at the big time by entering a barbecue competition for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Matt teamed up with his wife and they won — sending them to the World Championships of barbecuing, held at the Jack Daniel’s distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. "It was an amazing experience, and unexpected," he says. "I met a bunch of great people from the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS), which is the largest organisation of barbecue enthusiasts in the world, and the organising body for this sport — it is a sport in the States.” The KCBS wanted to sanction a contest to Australia, and with Matt's assistance the first Yaks Barbecue Festival was brought to Melbourne. Now, it's back for a second year, with the festival also being held in Sydney for the first time. THE FOUR TYPES OF AMERICAN BARBECUE According to Matt, there are four different regional styles of barbecue in the U.S. Texas barbecue is mostly beef-focussed; the rubs are a lot simpler, mostly salt and pepper, with not much sauce that is usually served on the side. In Memphis, they generally favour a dry rub on their ribs, and again sauce is usually on the side. North and South Carolina have more of a focus on pork where the sauce is more vinegary with a bit of chili thrown in for good measure. But it's Kansas City, Matt says, that takes the best elements from all of the regions. "They're really well known for their beef brisket and burnt ends, which are these cubes of meat taken from the point end of the brisket. They’re also known for their ribs with rich, tomato, sticky sauce, which I think a lot of people really associate American barbecue with. That’s what Kansas City barbecue is really famous for.” [caption id="attachment_555155" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Dollar Photo Club[/caption] HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT BBQ CHOOK Kansas-style barbecue may be well known for their trademark tomato-based sauce, but sometimes it's worth knowing how to perfect the basics before you go slathering on a sticky sauce left, right and centre. One never-fail barbecue recipe that Matt is happy to divulge is his cherrywood-smoked chicken. "Smoked chicken is an achievable dish to do," he says. "A lot of these things you need to cook for a long period of time, but chicken you can get done in a couple of hours." So how do we recreate this magic for ourselves? First, grab a split chicken from a good butcher or poultry and game supplier, as getting it split makes it easier to cook. You're going to need a smoker for this recipe — a very worthy investment if you're serious about your meat. Fire it up to a bit over 100 degrees celsius, and put some wood chunks in there. Matt recommends cherrywood because it's easily available in Australia. Cook the chook for about an hour and a half breast-side down, then turn it over, baste it with olive oil, and leave it for another 30 minutes. Unlike beef brisket, which can take 10-12 hours, this takes a little over two hours and you're ready to eat. Matt recommends pairing this with fresh vegetables cooked over charcoal, such as charred corn, sliced eggplant and asparagus, as they get nice and caramelised. Drink of choice? Beer, of course — either a Fat Yak or a Lazy Yak goes perfectly with any barbecue. PRO TIPS FOR BBQ NOOBS While a lot of Australians love to consume barbecued goods, not all of us are as talented at making it as we are eating it. Matt recommends starting with a solid fuel BBQ to get the most out of your meat. "Gas BBQs are great, but there's so much more that you can do on a solid fuel BBQ. Cooking with wood and charcoal, you'll always get a better result.” Another piece of advice Matt leaves us with is to not be afraid to just give it a go: “sometimes you’ll get it right, other times you’ll get it wrong, but the more you practice, the more you'll get it right." The Yaks Melbourne Barbecue Festival is happening on Saturday, February 6 at Flemington Racecourse. For more information, check out the event. Top image: Dollar Photo Club
The team behind quintessential Melbourne cafes Top Paddock and The Kettle Black have finally cut the ribbon on their long-awaited new venue. Located at the Southern Cross end of Little Bourke Street, Higher Ground has been in the works for well over a year, and after a technical fault that further delayed the opening last week, they finally opened their doors to the public this morning, Monday, July 4. And boy is it a beauty. The huge, high-ceilinged 160-seat venue sits on the corner of Little Bourke and Spencer Streets in a former warehouse. The interior is impressive to say the least; a palette of exposed brick and green marble is spread across a multi-level space, which includes a raised area, an open kitchen, and a large mezzanine that holds couches, tables and its own bar. This is what it looks like: A photo posted by Concrete Playground Melbourne (@concreteplaygroundmelbourne) on Jul 3, 2016 at 9:11pm PDT The venue is serving up the same kickass cafe fare that its two siblings are known for, with the all-day menu including the likes of avo on toast, spiced cauliflower scrambled eggs and semolina porridge with cherry, umeshu, shiso and plum. The famous Top Paddock ricotta hotcake has made the menu too. But they'll also be departing from the usual formula by staying open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. If you come by after dark, expect some pretty well-priced dinner dishes, like cured kingfish, ricotta gnocchi, lamb ribs and half a chook with truffle and lemon. When we visited today, the eatery was already running like a well-oiled ship, even on their first day of service. Unsurprisingly, it seems these hospo legends have done it again and elevated Melbourne's cafe scene to — dare we say it — higher ground. Higher Ground is now open at 650 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. They're open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week, and dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. For more info, visit higherground.com.au. Words: Tom Clift and Lauren Vadnjal. Images: Tim Grey.
Thought Friday Nights at the NGV ended with summer? Nup. They're back. Complementing the new Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, Degas: A New Vision, the gallery is inviting visitors to enjoy a jam-packed late-night program complete with food, booze, talks and live performances. The 13-week program will run the length of the exhibition, kicking off on opening night this Friday, June 24 with headliner Clare Bowditch. Other musical guests on the program include The Grates, Augie March, Mick Harvey, The Goon Sax and Kid Congo, amongst others. In addition to the music lineup, other Friday night activities include talks on the Degas exhibition, performances by a jazz quartet and drinks and snacks in the Great Hall. All in all, it should make for many top-notch Fridays at the gallery.
Melbourne's Gracie Greco feels like Greece. It's airy and bright, the furnishings are wooden and worn, whicker baskets act as chandeliers lending a soft orange glow late in the evening, and the room is always full of laughter, boisterous conversation and plenty of hugs and back-slapping. The two brothers who opened the restaurant grew up around the family business, which taught them to have a passion for food and hospitality. It was always their dream to open a restaurant together, and luckily for the people of Camberwell and all of Melbourne generally, they've gone and done it. The cuisine here has a special focus on the sea and everything is chargrilled or spit-roasted. To start with, look towards the caviar dip with pita bread, some marinated olives in fennel oil, grilled haloumi with honey and toasted sesame along with some eggplant dip and tzatziki. Moving on to the small plates, which are designed to be shared, order a plate of chargrilled octopus with lemon and oregano, some spicy, shallow fried school prawns, Hellenic croquettes with potato, fish and tarama aioli and a bowl of traditionally cooked whitebait. Pair them with a Cypriot gran salad of grains, nuts and pulses with yoghurt dressing. A bowl of lamb or chicken gyros completes the starters. For mains, highlights include the moussaka, a traditional beef, eggplant and potato bake; a gemista with peppers stuffed with beef, rice and seasonal vegetables; barbecue grilled calamari; char grilled king prawns or the fish of the day. If you've left room for dessert we're impressed, so treat yourself with a baklava, a custard filo or some Greek doughnuts. When it comes to wine, it's got an approachable and well-curated list, with Aussie, Greek and French drops intermixed. There's the obligatory list of ouzu, too, as well as beers and cocktails, including a few classics, such as negronis, cosmos and mojitos. Gracie Greco is clearly focusing on the classics, doing them to the book. It's not reimagining the cuisine. It's not trying to be fine dining, either. And there's absolutely no need to when you're working with Greek dishes and drinks that have been perfected over centuries. If it ain't broke.
Listen up: Listen Out is back for its 11th year and, after first announcing its dates and venues, it isn't slouching on the lineup front. The just-dropped bill for the touring festival boasts 21 Savage, Skepta, Tyla and Flo Milli among its hip hop and R&B names. On the electronic side, John Summit and Sub Focus feature. Yes, the list goes on from there. Fans of 21 Savage, Tyla and Flo Milli — and of Teezo Touchdown, Jessie Reyez and Jazzy, too — should be especially excited. When they each take to Listen Out's stages this spring for the fest's 2024 trip around Australia, they'll be hitting the country for the first time. Among their company, Lil Tjay, Lithe, Folamour, The Blessed Madonna, Cassian and Disco Lines are just some of the fellow acts that'll have festivalgoers in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth dancing. With Groovin the Moo announcing its dates then cancelling, and Splendour in the Grass sadly doing the same, everyone's plans for 2024 have been missing a few music festivals. But Listen Out is aiming to buck the trend, locking in its return for September and October. Adelaide's Listen In is also taking place this year, and has similarly just unveiled its lineup. 2023's fest was Listen Out's most successful in terms of ticket sales ever, and the crew behind it are hoping to continue that trajectory. Something that might help: turning the fest into a 16-plus event, age-wise, which is a first for 2024. As the roster of names on the lineup demonstrates, the festival's focus is staying true to its niche, filling its stages on electronic and hip hop artists — both international and local talents, too. Four stops are on the Listen Out agenda: Caribbean Gardens in Melbourne, HBF Arena in Perth, RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane and Centennial Park in Sydney. If you've been worried about missing the NRL final in Sydney and the AFL final in Perth thanks to Listen Out's dates, the fest has news there: at both legs, there'll be screens showing the football. Listen In, the condensed version of the fest with a smaller lineup, is headed to Ellis Park in Adelaide. It'll feature 21 Savage, Folamour, Jessie Reyez, John Summit, Lil Tjay, A Little Sound, Skepta and Theodore Kittens. Listen Out and Listen In 2024 Lineups: Listen Out: 21 Savage Skepta Lil Tjay Tyla Flo Milli Jessie Reyez Teezo Touchdown Lithe John Summit Sub Focus Folamour The Blessed Madonna Cassian Disco Lines Jazzy Koven Conducta A Little Sound Ben Gerrans AK Sports Foura B2B Tom Santa Miss Kaninna Djanaba Soju Gang Melbourne: Yo! Mafia Sixten Kelly T J-OK Perth: Sammythesinner Janeethevirgin Dr Pepper Bodie Brisbane: Trance Mums Jacob Tompkins Mikalah Watego Melanin Mami Sydney: Dayzzi Malfunkt x Banno Bodego Collective Bella Backe Listen In: 21 Savage Folamour Jessie Reyez John Summit Lil Tjay A Little Sound Skepta Theodore Kittens Triple J Unearthed winners + more [caption id="attachment_957218" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] Listen Out and Listen In Australian 2024 Dates: Friday, September 27 — Listen Out Melbourne, Caribbean Gardens, Wurundjeri Land / Melbourne Saturday, September 28 — Listen Out Perth, HBF Arena, Mooro Country / Joondalup Sunday, September 29 — Listen In Adelaide, Ellis Park / Tampawardli (Park 24), Kaurna Country / Adelaide Saturday, October 5 — Listen Out Brisbane, Brisbane Showgrounds, Meanjin / Brisbane Sunday, October 6 — Listen Out Sydney, Centennial Park, Gadigal Country [caption id="attachment_957226" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957221" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Venn[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957224" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957228" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Warr[/caption] Listen Out and Listen In's 2024 season tours Australia in spring 2024. For more information — and for tickets from midday local time in each city on Thursday, June 6 — head to the festival website. Top image: Sam Venn.
It's going to be a battle of bird and Budapest this year at the Academy Awards; the nominations for 2015 have been unveiled this morning. However, the nominations have been met with fierce criticism for a lack of diversity. The big guns at the front of the game: Richard Linklater's Boyhood nabbed six noms as did Clint Eastwood's American Sniper, but right out in front Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman each clocked up nine nominations each. Everyone's talking about the snub to Selma; the Martin Luther King Jr.-focused film missed out on nominations for lead actor David Oyelowo and director Ava DuVernay. Bradley Cooper's nomination for Best Actor in Clint Eastwood's American Sniper was another surprise, a nomination omitted from the Golden Globes. There's a few more Easter eggs in there; Jennifer Anniston missed out on a Best Actress nomination for Cake, the spot instead going to Two Days, One Night's Marion Cotillard. Guardians of the Galaxy is nominated for Best Makeup Design (#iamgroot). Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (one of 2014's most talked-about films that was tipped to possibly miss out) nabbed five nominations including Best Original Score. And Studio Ghibli's The Tale of Princess Kaguya nabbed a Best Animation nom, despite terrible box office figures and the closure of Ghibli's feature film department. And The Lonely Island's Andy Samberg was nominated for Best Original Song for The Lego Movie's Everything is Awesome'. So there's that. There's significant debate over the diversity of the Oscar nominations this year, observations that the Academy have been taking great pains to change over the years. It's been brought up by social media that all 20 of the nominated actors are white, leading to the trending Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. The Selma snubs have been constantly referenced. The dominance of white Academy voters was also pinpointed by this infographic; 94 percent of voters are white and 77 percent of these are male — black and latino voters made up just 2 percent each. Needless to say, debates are swirling webwide. All will be analysed, prodded, celebrated and scorned on February 22. AND THE NOMINEES ARE: Best Picture American Sniper Birdman Boyhood The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Selma The Theory of Everything Whiplash Best Actor Steve Carell, Foxcatcher Bradley Cooper, American Sniper Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game Michael Keaton, Birdman Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything Best Actress Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything Julianne Moore, Still Alice Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl Reese Witherspoon, Wild Best Supporting Actor Robert Duvall, The Judge Ethan Hawke, Boyhood Edward Norton, Birdman Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher J. K. Simmons, Whiplash Best Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette, Boyhood Laura Dern, Wild Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game Emma Stone, Birdman Meryl Streep, Into the Woods Best Cinematography Birdman The Grand Budapest Hotel Ida Mr. Turner Unbroken Best Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman Richard Linklater, Boyhood Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game Best Original Screenplay Boyhood Birdman Foxcatcher The Grand Budapest Hotel Nightcrawler Best Adapted Screenplay American Sniper The Imitation Game Inherent Vice The Theory of Everything Whiplash Best Foreign Language Film Ida, Poland Leviathan, Russia Tangerines, Estonia Timbuktu, Mauritania Wild Tales, Argentina Best Makeup and Hairstyling Foxcatcher The Grand Budapest Hotel Guardians of the Galaxy Best Original Score The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Interstellar Mr. Turner The Theory of Everything Best Costume Design The Grand Budapest Hotel Inherent Vice Into the Woods Maleficent Mr. Turner Best Documentary Feature Citizenfour Finding Vivian Maier Last Days in Vietnam Salt of the Earth Virunga Best Documentary Short Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 Joanna Our Curse The Reaper White Earth Best Film Editing American Sniper Boyhood The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Whiplash Best Animated Feature Big Hero 6 The Boxtrolls How to Train Your Dragon 2 Song of the Sea The Tale of Princess Kaguya Best Original Song “Lost Stars,” Begin Again “Grateful,” Beyond the Lights “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me “Everything is Awesome,” The Lego Movie “Glory,” Selma Best Production Design The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Interstellar Into the Woods Mr. Turner Best Animated Short Film The Bigger Picture The Dam Keeper Feast Me and My Moulton A Single Life Best Live-Action Short Film Aya Boogaloo and Graham Butter Lamp Paraveneh The Phone Call Best Sound Editing American Sniper Birdman The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Interstellar Unbroken Best Sound Mixing American Sniper Birdman Interstellar Unbroken Whiplash Best Visual Effects Captain America: The Winter Soldier Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Guardians of the Galaxy Interstellar X-Men: Days of Future Past
Kath and Kim's Kel Knight might be the ultimate sausage creator to many, but there are plenty of local butchers who give the purveyor of fine meats a run for his money. And the Builders Arms Hotel brings a few of them together every year when it hosts its epic Sausage Festival. For its 11th iteration, the pub's Andrew McConnell-run kitchen will be pumping out five specialty sausage dishes from Friday, June 21–Sunday, June 30 — made by butchers local to the Gertrude Street watering hole, with many produced by Troy Wheeler and his team at Meatsmith. Get around a classic merguez sausage served with three fresh oysters and mignonette sauce ($22), a layered mortadella sandwich in a milk bun and finished with salted butter ($14), spicy Thai sausages with green nam jim ($23), a blood sausage loaf topped with a fried egg and relish ($24) and an epic choucroute garnie that includes a heap of sauerkraut topped with smoked frankfurters, lyonnaise sausages and pork belly ($36). Each of the dishes also comes with a suggested wine, beer or cocktail pairing for those looking to take it all to the next level. Plus, if you rock up on Wednesday, June 26, you can join the Builders Arms' special sausage-themed trivia. Snag the win by showing off some of the most obscure sausage facts you know, all while chowing down on some less-than-classic bangers.
Independent artist-run record label Two Bright Lakes have been releasing exceptional, gamechanging music for the last eight years. Sadly TBL are calling it a day, but thankfully they'll continue to release music through a new venture, affectionately dubbed Little Lakes Records. To celebrate the end of an era, Two Bright Lakes are throwing one huge final bash at Schoolhouse Studios. Both current talent and TBL alumni will be performing on the night, with Kid Sam putting in an extra special performance. There'll also be troubadour extraordinaire Brendan Welch, the divine dance moves of Collarbones, and utterly gorgeous Melbourne group The Harpoons. The fun doesn’t end there, as Seagull, Nick Huggins, Hello Satellites and of course, Two Bright Lakes DJs, will celebrate eight glorious years of independent music. If you're a music fan, a TBL fan, or just a lover of damning the man with independent art, this is your party. Image: Two Bright Lakes.
Healthy eating may be about to get a whole lot simpler, with the launch of Melbourne's first About Life supermarket. Opening in Port Melbourne at the end of April, the store will mark the first inroads into Victoria for the natural and organic grocery chain, which has been operating in Sydney since 1996. The Bay Street store will offer an extensive range of groceries, including fresh local produce and free range meat, dairy, deli and baked goods, plus eco-friendly health and beauty items ranging from toothpaste to body butter. Their Private Label range will feature a number of premium products, including dips, salads and various ready-made meals. The store will also boast an About Life Cafe, selling superfood meals and salads alongside organic and fair-trade coffee, therapeutic herbal teas, and a number of juices and smoothies. There'll also be a self-serve food bar with hot and cold meals on rotation. Standouts include the beetroot quinoa risotto, the turmeric mustard pork, and About Life's signature raw lasagna. Everything on the menu will be pre-approved by an in-house nutritionist. In related news, they have an in-house nutritionist! "The 'new healthy' is a journey of — it is about having a broad perspective of diet; whole foods, clean eating and locally produced food," said About Life COO Vladia Cobrdova. "While we consider wellness innovations from superfoods to raw, our core focus is on sustainable, ethical, locally sourced produce and a balanced diet." About Life will open at 120 Bay Street, Port Melbourne on Saturday April 30. For more information visit www.aboutlife.com.au.
Melbourne's favourite controversial stage practitioners, Malthouse Theatre, have announced an intriguing, weird and broad 2017 program. Malthouse are known for pushing boundaries with their next-level productions but this year is particularly saucy with a big international quotient. They've announced that 13 productions will make up the 2017 program, featuring a mix of Aussie and international talent. Some of the highlights include the spine-tingling The Black Rider, by Matthew Lutton and Tom Waits. The Black Rider is based on the German folk tale of the freischutz, a marksman in contract with the devil for bullets that always hit their mark, and stars Kanen Breen, Paul Capsis and cabaret dynamo Meow Meow (otherwise known as Melissa Madden Gray). We also like the look of Wild Bore, created, directed and starring Zoe Coombs Marr, Ursula Martinez and Adrienne Truscott (so much talent in one play — bring the smelling salts, we're overwhelmed). They aim to turn the tides on critics and criticism they've received over the course of their illustrious careers and give it right back in their characteristically sassy and off-centre way. The Homosexuals, or Faggots, is another not to be missed — it's self-described as "[swerving] across the road like a drunken driver to create a howlingly funny hour of blistering satire". Written by funny man and one-half of theatre group Sisters Grimm Declan Greene and directed by Griffin Theatre's artistic director Lee Lewis, the play explores hypocrisy and political correctness from the point of view of two married gay men. The rest of the jam-packed program includes an exploration of the psychological effects of China's one child policy directed by Wang Chong, an unapologetically furious critique of language, behaviour and feminism written by Alice Birch, and the story of an up-and-coming country music star and her tumultuous road trip love affair by siblings John and Margaret Harvey. Hold on to your butts. Check out Malthouse Theatre's entire 2017 program at their website.
After last week dropping a couple of new tracks from his forthcoming album Starboy, The Weeknd again has fans hopping with excitement, announcing the locations for four new pop-up stores around the world. The Canadian musician took to Twitter to reveal the locations of four more Starboy merch pop-ups: Tokyo, Toronto, Berlin and our very own Melbourne. They follow a round of stores that popped up in Miami, LA, New York, and London earlier this month. SEE YOU IN TORONTO pic.twitter.com/kF42jdlQXn — The Weeknd (@theweeknd) November 21, 2016 The Australian outpost will pop up in Melbourne Central this weekend, from November 25-27. Of course, if this retail venture proves to be anywhere near as insanely popular as Kanye's Pablo pop-ups, you'd best start lining up now. Find The Weeknd's Australian pop-up shop from November 25-27 at shop 239, level 2, Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, 211 La Trobe Street, Melbourne. It will be open from 10am - 8pm on Friday, 10am - 6pm on Saturday and noon - 6pm on Sunday.
Get food from your favourite restaurant delivered right to your door, courtesy of a premium restaurant delivery service that has just touched down in Melbourne. Suppertime is an online platform with its own fleet of drivers that partners with local restaurants and takes care of home delivery on their behalf. Now excuse us while we delete the Dominos app from our phone. Online takeout services are by no means a new idea, but where Suppertime differs from its competitors such as Menulog or Delivery Hero is that it only partners with restaurants that don't already offer home delivery, using their own drivers to pick up the food from the restaurant and deposit it into your waiting arms. They've been operating in Sydney for some time now, and have already set up partnerships with several dozen Melbourne eateries, including +39 Pizzeria, Nieuw Amsterdam, Thailander, Mr. Big Stuff, Afghan Valley and Mamak. "Melbourne is considered the foodie-hub of Australia," said co-founder Nathan Besser in a statement that accompanied the Melbourne launch. "With so many delicious feeds to be had across this diverse city, launching Suppertime locally is an exciting move for our brand ... We’re continuing to add new partners daily and we’re hoping to further expand our footprint as the business develops a following." For the time being, Suppertime only delivers to the Melbourne CBD, but there are plans to expand into the surrounding suburbs in the near future. To browse the full list of available restaurants, visit the Suppertime website.
Getting out of the house just got a little bit easier as the sunny spring months have finally returned. To welcome back the much needed warmth and clear blue skies, we've got another selection of contemporary art exhibitions that are full of energy and creativity. September sees a host of inspired visual delights on display as the National Gallery of Victoria presents the luminous collage works of living legend Gareth Sansom, the TarraWarra Museum of Art brings together local and international artists who explore our connection to history, and Junior Space ponders the place of tropical plants. With an abundance of art to choose from, this month's exhibitions blossom with excitement and imagination.
Between work, family and maintaining an impeccable (but relatable) online presence, life can sometimes get away from us. We tend to romanticise going interstate, going overseas, heading out to the country for a weekend without looking closer to home for new experiences. But the city you call home might surprise you if you let it. Melbourne is a melting pot of cultures, a final destination for so many creative enterprises and we're #blessed (not even sarcastically) with world class restaurants on every corner. These foodie experiences might cost a small fortune, but, when you think about it, they're cheaper than a weekend away — and the best (and most delicious) way to find luxury in this fine city of ours. We've partnered with Grey Goose, one of the most luxurious brands of vodka you can get, to bring you the best luxury experiences in your city, start ticking these foodie experiences (and paired cocktails) off. OMAKASE AT MINAMISHIMA If you're prepared to pay big bucks (and willing to never again be able to eat shopping mall sushi rolls with satisfaction), the omakase selection at Miniamishima is for you. Omakase means chef's choice so you'll be in the very capable (and diligent) hands of chef Koichi Minamishima while he serves up an incredible 15 courses of Melbourne's best sushi. Cocktail to try: Keep it simple, let the Japanese flavours come through and try a Grey Goose Vodka on the rocks. THE 16-COURSE DEGUSTATION AT LÛMÉ Lûmé is an establishment that needs no introduction. If you haven't considered a Lûmé degustation to celebrate a special occasion, hand over those dollar bills and do so now — you won't regret it. You can choose between three degustation options ranging from 4 courses to 16, but the big daddy here is The Road, a 14 to 16-course journey through culinary enlightenment. It'll set you back $170 per person (and another $120 each for bevs) — but you'll then be able to let the experts take you on a journey that's part artistic, part culinary and fully life changing. Cocktail to try: A pre-dinner Dirty Martini — made with vodka, vermouth and muddled olives. A THREE-COURSE MEAL AT THE TOWN MOUSE The Town Mouse inhabits a dark little corner of Carlton away from the hustle and bustle of Lygon Street, but within the chic, tiled interior is a warm venue bursting with character. The protein-heavy menu can cater to you whether you're just feeling peckish or grappling with the hunger of a bear — but we recommend going the whole hog with three courses. The wine list is perfectly matched as well and the dessert menu in itself is worth a trip — as are the oysters with Chardonnay sorbet. Cocktail to try: A simple Gimlet — made with vodka and lime juice. PRIVATE DINING AT SAKE Sake offers a banquet-style dining experience in their Hamer Hall restaurant, overlooking the Yarra. The set menu will walk you through the Japanese classics for which Sake is renowned, plus a few more you might not be game enough to try if given the choice. Expect the freshest seafood alongside umami flavours galore. Cocktail to try: Sake's Japanese Ice Tea — vodka, Umeshu, Monin peach syrup, ginger, fresh mint and soda served over ice. THE SEVEN-COURSE TASTING MENU AT ESTELLE BY SCOTT PICKETT The menu at Scott Pickett's fine dining room of Estelle is Australian in more ways than one. The seven-course tasting menu — which features smoked wallaby alongside a medley of Aussie seafood — is served up simply but packs in big flavour. The northside restaurant is beautifully (and monochromatically) decorated to tick all your luxury dining experience boxes. Cocktail to try: Estelle's Capnophobia — made with vodka, single-malt whisky and bitters. SIT AT THE CHEF'S TABLE AT DINNER BY HESTON A visit to Dinner by Heston is a visit you will remember for a long time. The menu of Blumenthal's Crown restaurant is inspired by classic British gastronomy, so while it's not exactly vegetarian-friendly, it certainly is educational as it walks you through a history of dinner and dessert dishes. You can dine à la carte or spend your entire pay cheque on a seat at the chef's table, where Executive Chef Ashley Palmer-Watts will serve up your food himself and you'll get your own personal sommelier. It's perhaps a little less luxurious than dining at The Fat Duck, but that doesn't make it any less worthy of a visit. Cocktail to try: Dinner by Heston's Bloody Mary — made with Worcestershire Sauce-infused vodka, horseradish, clear broth, pepper distillate, tomato consommé and celery oil. THE TASTING MENU AT NORA When you step into your Nora degustation, discard any preconceived notions you have about Thai food. Chef and owner Sarin Rojanametin's approach to cooking and degustations are refreshingly playful, taking you on a journey through his childhood favourites. He describes the Nora experience as "punch in the face, dance in the mouth flavours of Thailand", so you know you're set for a wild ride. Cocktail to try: Mint Julep made with mint, sugar, lemon, soda and vodka. THE SET MENU AT IDES Peter Gunn's new project Ides started as a pop-up and only transitioned to a permanent venue in Collingwood earlier this year. The ethos behind Ides is experimentation. On Sundays, you can get right into the spirit with their experimental rotating tasting menu or go for the more traditional six-course offering throughout the week. It's well-priced luxury at $110. Cocktail to try: A Grey Goose Dry Martini — made with vodka, vermouth, orange bitters and lemon zest. THE DEGUSTATION AT CUTLER & CO. Cutler & Co. is an understated but must-do Melbourne dining experience. The elegant hole-in-the-wall on Gertrude Street serves up some decadent dishes (that look more like art than food, mind you) alongside a well-paired drinks menu. It's $150 for six courses, and another $80-130 for matched bevs. And make sure you stop by their sister venue, Marion, next door for a post-feast digestive. Cocktail to try: Cutler & Co.'s The Black Drum Martini — made with vodka, Vermut Negre, orange, cucumber, olive and brine. THE TASTING MENU AT VUE DE MONDE Okay, this one's an obvious one. But if your idea of luxury equates to eating some of the city's finest food by one of the city's best chefs atop the city's highest buildings, then Vue de Monde will tick all the boxes. Located on the 55th floor, the restaurant is the epitome of fine dining in Melbourne — and dishes like one above are just the start. The tasting menu costs a small fortune at $230-275 per person, but takes you on a dazzling journey that will brilliantly blind you to anything but the food in front of you (including, hopefully, the bill at the end of the night). Cocktail to try: Lui Bar's Vodka Pour Over for a pre-dinner drink. It's vodka, 5 senses coffee and a hint of white chocolate served ice cold.
Not a day goes by that we’re not thankful for the resurgence of American-style cuisine and this day is no different. Please join us in welcoming the newest family member into the fold, The Hot Chicken Project, which opened this month in Geelong. The Hot Chicken Project (hint: it specialises in hot chicken) is the brainchild of award-winning chef Aaron Turner and inspired by the fiery palate of Nashville-style cooking. Turner recently returned from a stint in the US and we’ve no doubt he’s brought back with him a recipe of secret herbs and spices that will send the Colonel bankrupt. Pairing this hot, hot chicken with cool, cool wine, we can't help but notice the unmistakable similarity to Belle's Hot Chicken and Bar Clarine here. The Hot Chicken Project operates under the banner of 'Chicken for the People' (hello, yes, we’re the People, can we have some chicken yet?) and is open Tuesday through Sunday. The menu is plain and simple with half a dozen mains, including various pieces of hot chicken, fish sandwiches, both a tofu and a chicken burger, each with a side of white bread and pickle (it’s so damn homey we’re drooling).Their heat gauge, which starts at 'Southern' and peaks at 'Evil Chicken', has us intrigued and slightly terrified. Also… what is a hand pie? If it is, as it sounds, a pie that goes in your hand, then our lives are about to change irrevocably for the better. God bless chicken and god bless America. Via Good Food. Hit up The Hot Chicken Project at 84a Little Malop Street, Geelong. Open Tuesday to Thursday 3–10pm, Friday to Saturday 12–10pm, Sunday 11am – 4pm. Image: The Hot Chicken Project.
More than 1500 silver bicycle frames have been installed in the foyer of the National Gallery of Victoria, in the lead up to the feverishly anticipated Andy Warhol / Ai Weiwei exhibition, which is set to open next week. It's the latest iteration of Ai's Forever Bicycles, an ongoing project that dates back to 2003, and offers a towering visual metaphor for social and political change in the artist's native China. 'Forever' bicycles are a popular brand of mass produced Chinese bicycles that Ai himself desired as a child. Now, he has more than a thousand. Connected together, the frames create a giant, three-dimensional arch more than nine metres high, which the outspoken artist has called "a moving abstract shape that symbolises the way in which the social environment in China is changing." The enormous installation is one of 300 works that will make up the exhibition, which opens to the public on Friday December 11. Among them will be a number of new commissions by Ai, including a work that consists of hundreds of delicate porcelain flowers, as well as a room-scale installation featuring portraits of Australian human rights activists. He will also be creating a large scale work out of Lego, using bricks donated from all around the world after Lego turned down a bulk order by the artist on the grounds that it "cannot approve the use of Legos for political works." Ai is expected to visit Australia this week for the opening of the exhibition. The artist, who has long been critical of the Chinese government, had been barred from travelling abroad since being imprisoned by the authorities in 2011, but had his passport returned to him earlier this year. The Andy Warhol / Ai Weiwei exhibition runs from December 11 until April 24. For more information, visit the NGV website.
Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, but Taylor Swift just took a massive step up in our book after coming to the rescue of a Sydney theatre production, who were told they wouldn't be allowed to use one of the pop star's songs just days before their opening night. Opening today, Belvoir Theatre Company's Seventeen stars veteran Australian actors Peter Carroll, Maggie Dence, John Godden, Genevieve Lemon, Barry Otto and Anna Volska as a group of seventeen year olds on their last day of school. The play was meant to include a scene where the cast dance to Swift's 2014 hit 'Shake It Off,' but those plans were apparently scuppered on Friday after they were denied the right to use the song. In a last-ditch effort, director Anna-Louise Sarks took to twitter and petitioned Swift directly. Hey @taylorswift13 I'm a big fan and I'm facing an artistic emergency I hope you can help with 1/7 #greygrey4taytay — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 .@taylorswift13 I'm a theatre director from Sydney, and we have a big show opening tomorrow night @belvoirst 2/7 #greygrey4taytay — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 .@taylorswift13 It's about the last day of school - only the 17yrolds are all played by 70yrolds 3/7 #greygrey4taytay pic.twitter.com/t3i1JPdZn2 — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 . @taylorswift13 (including Barry Otto from Strictly Ballroom which maybe you've seen) http://t.co/cBOHzj4vdp #greygrey4taytay — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 .@taylorswift13 there's this great moment where they Shake It Off, and they know all the words and have amazing moves 5/7 #greygrey4taytay — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 .@taylorswift13 But we've just at the last minute been told we can't have the rights to the song! 6/7 #greygrey4taytay — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 .@taylorswift13 Is there anything at all you can do?!! Thanks for reading! 7/7 #greygrey4taytay pic.twitter.com/pdL1TW1Bv9 — Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015 She also sent tweets to Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman and former federal arts minister Tony Burke in the hopes that they could help her get in touch. A number of celebrities, including Tim Minchin and Orange Is the New Black star Yael Stone also got on board, and before long the hashtag #greygrey4taytay was trending around Australia. Then, yesterday afternoon, the pop star with over 61 million followers responded. Permission granted, @BelvoirSt. Good luck with your opening night :) — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 4, 2015 Yes! The reaction from the cast and crew was understandably ecstatic. BuzzFeed Australia was on hand when the news came through, and later tweeted the following Vine. "WE LOVE YOU TAYLOR!" We were on hand as @taylorswift13 granted @BelvoirSt its wish http://t.co/L0szMLegFV https://t.co/QuD1aS1Kiy — BuzzFeed Australia (@BuzzFeedOz) August 4, 2015 Anyone who has ever said a bad word about Taylor Swift and/or twitter should be eating a massive slice of humble pie right now. Now let the players play. Seventeen is at Belvoir Street Theatre from August 5 – September 13. For more information, visit their website. Via BuzzFeed Australia.
It's been nearly a year since we first got word that Chin Chin's Chris Lucas would be opening a three-storey Japanese restaurant on Flinders Lane, and several months since we learnt that he'd recruited Korean chef K. S. Moon. Now, with just a few days left until service begins, the Lucas Group has finally revealed what diners can expect from their latest venture — and from the looks of things, it'll be well worth the wait. Located on Flinders Lane just across the street from Supernormal, Kisumé will open for the first time on Monday, May 15. There's a lot going on, but here's the configuration. The restaurant will take over the entire basement level, while a sushi bar will occupy ground floor with a different menu. The second storey — dubbed Kuro Kisumé — is where things get a little more intimate. This floor features a Chablis bar that heroes the so-named Chardonnay from northwest Burgundy alongside the Kisumé Winewall (which they've apparently trademarked) — it has four separate glass cabinets devoted to Chablis, Pinot Noir, Riesling and a mix of sake and Japanese whisky. From mid-June Kuro Kisumé will also play host to The Table, an omakase-style dining experience that can accommodate just a dozen people at a time, and a pair of private dining rooms fitted with artworks from Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki and Australia's Polly Borland.. Inspired by classic Japanese design, the interior of the restaurant is minimalist in nature, featuring timber flooring, grey leather and matte brass complemented by dusty pink curtains. But what about the food? Standout dishes on the Kisumé menu include steamed king crab gyoza with quail egg and bonito vinaigrette, crispy wagyu truffles with miso and mozzarella, foie gras and beef tenderloin with yakiniku soy, and seared yellowfin tuna tataki with wasabi tofu and chilli yuzu ponzu. The sushi bar also promises an array of specialty rolls and sashimi, such as Alaskan king crab with spring onion, flying fish roe and soy paper. The restaurant (basement): The sushi bar (ground floor): The Chablis bar (level one): The table (level one): The Winewall (level one): Kisumé is located at 175 Flinders Lane, Melbourne and will open for dinner only from Monday, May 15. From Monday, May 22 onwards, they will be open from 11am until late, seven days a week. For more information or to book a table, visit kisume.com.au.
See the other articles in our Wine Lover's Weekenders series. With its rugged scenery, lush waterfalls and cool climate wines, the Southern Highlands is like the Blue Mountains and the Hunter Valley combined, but without the crowds. One reason it's still a bit of a secret is that, for a wine region, it's young. "Official status" was only granted in 1999. However, the oldest winery in the area, Joadja, was set up back in the 1980s. And since then, more than 60 vineyards and 16 wineries have joined it. At an altitude of more than 600 metres, the area specialises in cool climate varieties, like pinot noir and riesling. Here's your guide to wining your way through a weekend in the Southern Highlands. DRINK For consistently cracking boutique wines, head to Tertini (Kells Creek Rd, Mittagong; (02) 4878 5213; 10am-5pm Thu-Mon or by appointment), which has been winning awards since dropping its first bottle ten years ago (the 2005 riesling). Unassuming yet skilled wine maker Jonathan Holgate is committed to old-fashioned processes. That means hand pruning, hand picking and low cropping. He produces in small batches and experiments with alternative varieties, such as arneis and lagrein. Meanwhile, at the majestic Centennial Vineyards (252 Centennial Rd, Bowral; (02) 4861 8722; 10am-5pm daily), on the outskirts of Bowral, the cellar door affords dazzling panoramas over 80 acres of vineyards, where chardonnay, riesling and pinot noir as well as exotic varieties like albariño, pinot meunier and tempranillo grow. At 760 metres above sea level, the fruit ripens gradually and is all the richer for it. To linger over the views, stay for a meal at the onsite restaurant. Further south, near the historic, haunted town of Berrima, there's Joadja (cnr Greenhills and Joadja Roads, Berrima; (02) 4878 5236). A self-guided tour takes you through the winery and gardens, where you're welcome to picnic, or, in cold weather, stay inside sampling wine next to the wood fire. Other wineries to visit include Artemis, the home of Sun Shack Cider (46 Sir Charles Moses Lane, Mittagong; (02) 48721311; 10am-4pm Mon-Fri; 10am-5pm Sat-Sun and public holidays); McVitty (434 Wombeyan Caves Rd, Mittagong; (02) 4878 5044; 10am-5pm weekends); Eling Forest (12587 Hume Highway, Sutton Forest; (02) 4878 9499; 10:30am-4:30pm daily); and St Maur (Old Argyle Rd, Exeter; (02) 4883 4401; 10:30am-4:30pm Thu-Mon). For the official Southern Highlands wine trail map, visit the Southern Highlands Wine website. EAT There are two hatted restaurants in the Southern Highlands. Biota (18 Kangaloon Rd, Bowral; (02) 4862 2005; lunch Fri-Mon; dinner daily), awarded Regional Restaurant of the Year in 2014 and 2015, has two. The focus is on local produce, grown in the restaurant's onsite kitchen garden and combined in creative ways. If you don't want to sit down to a full meal, try the rather unusual bar menu, featuring dishes like smoked South Coast oyster with nasturtium, and pork parts with citrus caramel. Then there's the one-hatted Eschalot (24 Old Hume Highway, Berrima; (02) 4877 1977; lunch Thurs-Sun; dinner Wed-Sun), housed in an atmospheric sandstone heritage building. Alternatively, to mix some reading with your dining, try Bendooley Estate (3020 Old Hume Highway, Berrima; (02) 4877 2235; lunch daily), where you can wander through the Berkelouw Book Barn and visit another cellar door. Or go for some excellent Italian at the family-owned Onesta Cucina (5 Boolwey St, Bowral; (02) 4861 6620; lunch Thu-Sat; dinner Mon-Sat). STAY The Highlands' rich-and-famous experience (a la Nicole Kidman, Jimmy Barnes and Peter Garrett, all of whom own estates in the area) is on offer at the five star Milton Park Country House Hotel and Spa. Set on 300 acres of hilltop woodland, it comes with the works: a grand mansion, world-famous landscaped gardens, deluxe rooms with four-poster beds, marble bathrooms, a spa and, of course, helicopter and limo transfers. For a stay less grandiose yet still luxurious, historic and charming, there's the 170-year-old Fitzroy Inn (1 Ferguson Crescent, Mittagong; (02) 4872 3457). Meanwhile, Biota is home to some relaxed, contemporary rooms, from where you can access the restaurant's 3 acres of grounds, complete with duck pond. DO Possibly the most fun way to see the Southern Highlands is from the back of a shiny red Boom Trike, with Highland Trike Tours (0412 555 757 or 0419 461 106) Choose a ready-made tour or design your own, incorporating as many wineries as you can handle. To move at a slower pace — while seeing some of the region's best scenery — hire a bicycle at Ye Olde Bicycle Shoppe (11 Church Street, Bundanoon; (02) 4883 6043; 8.30am–4pm Sun–Fri; 8:30am-5pm Sat). From there, an easygoing, 12 kilometre circuit visits 12 lookouts, as well as waterfalls and swimming holes. Your weekend art fix can be had at the Milk Factory Gallery (33 Station St, Bowral; (02) 4862 1077; 10am-5pm daily). This enormous, airy space with its 7 metre high ceilings incorporates a variety of rooms and a dynamic contemporary exhibition program. For design, pop into the Sturt Gallery (cnr Range Rd and Waverley Parade, Mittagong; (02) 4860 2083; 10am-5pm daily), which was established in 1941 and is the oldest craft and design centre in Australia. The grounds are beautiful and an onsite cafe is open Wednesday to Sunday.
Sleeping under the stars on holiday is a romantic notion of old, taking us back to the days of our ancestors and bringing us closer to nature — that is, until nature finds its way into your campsite and rummages through all of your Tim Tams. Hotels and resorts around the world are finding creative ways to bring the open-air to you in style, allowing guests to embrace their surroundings in pure luxury. If you love glamping, you're going to go nuts for these five-starry retreats. [caption id="attachment_582573" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Atelier für Sonderaufgaben.[/caption] THE ONLY STAR IS YOU WHERE IN THE WORLD: Swiss Alps, Switzerland WHAT IT WILL COST: $310AUD per night Making headlines for the last couple of weeks, this brand new hotel in the Swiss Alps lets travellers experience a roofless, door-less and even wall-less night's stay — the luxury double bed is all that makes up this hotel 'room'. Be prepared to really immerse yourself in your surroundings, since the great outdoors will act as your bathroom and shower. This project comes as the antithesis to Null Stern Hotels' 2008 project, Zero Star Hotel, which was built in a nuclear bunker. THE LOISABA STARBEDS WHERE IN THE WORLD: Loisaba Conservancy, Kenya WHAT IT WILL COST: $300AUD per night Among Loisaba Conservancy's 56,000 acres of wildlife lies their Starbeds — handcrafted, four-poster beds which are wheeled onto raised wooden platforms. These are built into the rock face and offer unrestricted views of the African night sky, as well as the illusion of being suspended in mid-air. The communal area includes brass-fitted bathrooms, wooden decks and dining rooms, all overlooking the Kiboko Waterhole which is frequented by hippos and other wildlife. AMANGIRI WHERE IN THE WORLD: Canyon Point, Utah WHAT IT WILL COST: $3000AUD per night Open-air hotels don't get more glamorous, or pricier, than Amangiri. The 600-acres of protected desert is approximately two hours from the Grand Canyon. The resort is built into the rock-face for maximum exclusivity, with each suite offering indoor and outdoor sleeping arrangements. Travelling with friends? The four-bedroom mesa home includes a 15-metre private pool, fireplace, underfloor heating and personal bar, and will cost you a cool $12K per night. CABRIOLET ROOM WHERE IN THE WORLD: L'Albereta Resort, Italy WHAT IT WILL COST: $550 AUD per night If you're looking for romantic star gazing, nothing beats the Cabriolet room at L'Albereta, where a push of a button reveals a retractable roof and the gorgeous Italian night sky beyond. The plush canopy bed is only out-luxed by the marble-clad bathroom, which includes a hydro-massage tub. The views aren't limited to the stars, either — the balcony faces the resort's vineyards, as well as Lake Iseo. VIEW WITH A ROOM WHERE IN THE WORLD: Bangkok, Thailand WHAT IT WILL COST: $285 per night Bangkok Tree House is an eco-conscious, 12-room boutique located on the island of Bang Krachao, just outside the smog of Bangkok. The hotel takes us back to the basics, allowing visitors to sleep in a seven-metre-high, bamboo floored treehouse which is open to both the sky and surrounding mangroves. The showers are heated by the sun, and free homemade fruit ice cream is available 24/7. In this case, living out your childhood will also do some good — the hotel removes one kilogram of rubbish from the nearby Chao Phraya River with every booking made, having removed over 3000 kilograms of trash to date.
It's Australia's longest and biggest international film festival, spanning 18 days and 358 titles, and it's quite the cinephile endurance test. Yes, we're talking about the annual Melbourne International Film Festival — the place where scampering rodents, a deadly game of picking family favourites, making fun of Jared Leto and giant faces pasted across historic French buildings all came together. David Lynch waxing lyrical about a tortoise, teenage terrorists roaming around a department store and not your usual type of superhero flick all made an appearance too. They're just some of the standout moments from this year's program, the ones that stuck with our film critics Sarah Ward and Tom Clift after they stepped out of the festival's cinemas (and, most likely, just before they stepped into another one). Thanks to bleak Russian dramas, mind-bending time loop trickery and harrowing real-life retellings, there's more where they came from — including our rundown of the best, strangest and most surprising movies of MIFF 2017. (And if you're wondering why Call Me By Your Name, Good Time, Ali's Wedding, A Fantastic Woman, Brigsby Bear and The Square didn't make our MIFF picks, that's because we saw and loved them at the Sydney Film Festival. These are ten newbies.) BEST https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQFdGfwChtw THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER Greek weird wave pioneer Yorgos Lanthimos follows up his first English-language feature The Lobster with this equally bizarre offering — an uneasy, unpredictable, darkly funny moral thriller that will make viewers laugh and then feel awful for doing so. Colin Farrell stars as a cardiologist with skeletons in his closet, who is forced to make an impossible decision after his family finds itself plagued by a mysterious affliction. Make no mistake: the stilted line delivery, not just from Farrell but also Nicole Kidman as his wife, is very much by design. Lanthimos' films are designed to make you feel unsettled, and none have done it better than this one. — Tom Clift https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9chFxUNB7o NOCTURAMA If consumerism and nihilism often sit side by side, then so do anarchy and apathy — in Nocturama's view of the world, at least. Indeed, if writer/director Bertrand Bonello achieves one thing with his mesmerising and provocative film, it's forcing the viewer to question, well, everything. With a simply stunning command of his visceral visuals and unnerving mood, he charts the actions of seemingly ordinary Parisian students who care about everything and nothing, who want to improve the world around them and see it all burn, and who are driven to act in a devastating way and then happily frolic through their department store hideaway. Here, painstaking tracking shots through the streets, the most unexpected use of 'Whip My Hair' you're ever likely to come across and a calculated kick of a final act all come together to make for a movie that won't be forgotten easily. — Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KLLkj84GAo LUCKY As well as being the best thing to reach screens this year, Twin Peaks has gifted viewers with the joys of plenty of Harry Dean Stanton and David Lynch. Don't worry, there's more where that came from, and it's just as wonderful. The veterans — one a 91-year-old actor with 199 credits on his resume, the other the inimitable filmmaker who has directed him five times — join forces again in Lucky, which thrusts the former to the fore as a small-town loner forced to face his mortality. The landscape of Stanton's face pairs perfectly with the arid dessert surroundings, while his specific brand of cantankerous charm finds its match in Lynch (who acts, rather than directs) as his monologue-spouting, tortoise-loving pal. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLegoO4NdD8 LOVELESS Dissecting a society infected by oppressive politics, Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev captures modern life in his homeland in bleak slices, whether exploring brothers reunited with their absent father in The Return, a woman forced to do whatever it takes for family in Elena, or a family taking on a corrupt mayor in Leviathan. Stark and stunning from start to finish, Loveless is no different. Here, a squabbling couple on the brink of divorce discover that their largely neglected 12-year-old son has gone missing — and there's no one like Zvyagintsev at taking an already tense and heartbreaking situation into formally composed, emotionally brutal, absolutely astonishing territory. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFVDyWBBiuA LET THE SUNSHINE IN Love and loneliness are two sides of the same coin in Claire Denis' light but insightful Let the Sunshine In, which finds empathetic comedy in the romantic escapades of Juliette Binoche's newly divorced 50-something artist. A sophisticated and seductive look at the ups and downs of dating and desire it may be, but as the film flits through a series of affairs, it's never afraid to reveal both the disarming delights and devastating lows of putting yourself out there. Laughs follow, and so does a smart, spirited and soulful exploration of affection and intimacy — as driven by Binoche's enigmatic candour — that cuts deep. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvWwnZeUHeI ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL You wouldn't have thought that a film set in the shadow of the global recession would make you root for a bank. And yet, that's exactly what viewers will find themselves doing during Abacus: Small Enough to Jail. The latest film from Hoop Dreams director Steve James, this compelling documentary follows the legal struggles of the only financial institution to be charged by the US Government in the wake of the GFC. But it wasn't a giant multinational. Rather, New York prosecutors went after, a small, family-owned bank with deep connections to the Chinese immigrant community. Abacus interrogates questions of responsibility, scapegoating and prejudice, while doubling as a thrilling courtroom drama. — TC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fybwL9tY9qY FACES PLACES If everyone in the world looked at strangers in the same manner as Belgian-born filmmaker and French New Wave icon Agnes Varda, we'd be living in a much, much happier and kinder society. The almost 90-year-old's empathy, enthusiasm and understanding drives Faces Places in two ways: in the photographs that she takes with street artist JR, and in the film that chronicles their snapping — which is then followed by printing out giant versions of their pics, and plastering them on the walls of rustic, historic buildings. In fact, her attitude towers over the film in the same way her artworks loom over villagers below, and the impact is just as enchanting. Accordingly, love, life, creativity, connection, accepting others and acknowledging that nothing is permanent are all a part of this charming documentary. Oh, and goats as well. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw1NwnFXaVk THAT'S NOT ME Some of the best comedies find their laughs from relatable drama. And, while we all haven't watched our twin sister live out our wildest dreams of becoming a successful actor (and date Jared Leto), we have seen hopes and wishes fall by the wayside, taken leaps of faith that haven't paid out, and had to redefine our idea of a happy ending. That's the tale of low-budget Aussie comedy That's Not Me, the first feature from writer/director Gregory Erdstein and writer/star Alice Foulcher, and an earnest, astute, insightful and thoroughly amusing exploration of making it, faking it and the fact that life usually exists somewhere in between. — SW THE WEIRDEST https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-EMPii8TCQ RAT FILM There are few movies out there like Rat Film. Plenty of other animals have clucked, purred, barked, splashed and scurried their way through cute critter-focused documentaries, but not in this fashion. Trust us. Taking on the creatures humanity usually kills rather than celebrates, director Theo Anthony wanders from filming a rat trapped in his own rubbish bin, to exploring society's ways of dealing with rodents, to stepping from their prevalence on Baltimore's streets to a whole host of class, racial and economic divisions — and throwing more than a few existential musings in as well. It sometimes comes across as disjointed, but it's never less than fascinating and illuminating, complete with Werner Herzog-like observations as narration. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXB0DK3upGY THE ENDLESS On paper, The Endless might sound like the sum of its intriguing but far from unusual parts, with creepy cults, temporal trickery and sibling struggles all fairly common film fodder. On the screen, however, the latest film from director/actor duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead proves anything but standard. In fact, it's the kind of sci-fi/horror flick that will floor you with its ingenuity, make you want to watch it again immediately afterwards, and inspire you to check out the filmmaker's first effort, Resolution. Imaginative, enthralling, astute with its aesthetics and atmosphere, and insightful in contemplating both human and supernatural drama, this account of two brothers returning to the close-knit camp they used to call home is the whole weird and wonderful package. — SW THE MOST UNEXPECTED https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc7m7lpSbkE DEATH IN THE TERMINAL On October 18, 2015, a gun-toting terrorist stepped inside a bus terminal in the Southern Israeli city of Beersheba. 18 minutes later, three people were dead as the authorities reacted, people on the ground turned into an angry mob and blood soon smeared white surfaces. Watching these events unfold through security video and mobile phone footage is as unsettling as it sounds, with to-camera chats from people who were there helping to fill in the gaps. Directors Tali Shemesh and Asaf Sudry immerse viewers in a situation that's both horrifying and harrowing — not to mention confrontingly revealing about human nature in times of extreme crisis, as well as in the current international political climate. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H8AK4FtLQ8 JUPITER'S MOON Religious allegory meets arthouse flick meets action movie meets cry for compassion in Jupiter's Moon, a strange, vaguely satirical, occasionally stunning film about a Syrian refugee who is shot by a twitchy border cop only to discover he can fly. Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó has crafted an incredible-looking piece of work, full of breathtaking long takes that recall Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men (as does some of the subject matter). Not everything about the movie is a success — it's fairly heavy-handed, and runs more than a smidge too long. But went it works, it soars. — TC By Sarah Ward and Tom Clift.
American communications company ViaSat has teamed up with aerospace manufacturer Boeing on a project that will bring high-speed internet to some of the remotest places on earth. The two companies announced plans this week to build a trio of satellites whose capacity will dwarf those of the existing satellite network, and have the potential to help billions of new users get online. The three ViaSat-3 satellites are each expected to have network capacities of 1 terabyte (1,000 gigabytes) per second, more than double that of the world's current 400-strong satellite network combined. The satellites will be capable of delivering service of more than 100 megabits per second to parts of the world too isolated for hardwired internet service, and will also allow for better internet services on airplanes, ships and offshore oil and gas platforms. "The innovations in the ViaSat-3 system do what until now has been impossible in the telecommunications industry – combining enormous network capacity with global coverage, and dynamic flexibility to allocate resources according to geographic demand," read a statement from ViaSat chairman and CEO Mark Dankberg. The first two ViaSat-3 satellites are expected to go into orbit in 2019 and will provide service to the Americas and Europe, the Middle East and Africa, respectively. The launch date for the third satellite, which will service Asia, has yet to be announced. Via Fast Company. Image via Dollar Photo Club.
One big ol’ picnic party is coming to the Mornington Peninsula, with a day-long luncheon filled with great food, wine and music this Sunday, March 29. The Peninsula Picnic will see tasting plates and dishes from some of Melbourne’s best chefs roaming Mornington Racecourse, including The European’s Ian Curley, Terminus at Flinders Hotel’s Pierre Khodja, and Pope Joan’s Matt Wilkinson. But the local culinary wizards are fronting up too — so you can match autumnal nosh with peninsula wines from vineyards such as Terre, Montalto, Circe and Crittenden Estate. But perhaps you're keen to get picnicking early, or want to learn the secrets behind those peninsula nosh offerings? We've coerced the kitchens of Montalto and Terre into handing over their specially created recipes for Peninsula Picnic, so you can make your own delectable picnic food at home. Some of them might seem a bit tricky, but you'll get there. Consider it a culinary challenge. They've even paired a playlist for each cook-up. And if it doesn't all go to plan, at least there'll be plenty of wine. MONTALTO ENTREE Tomato tart with main ridge goat cheese Serves 4 200g of homemade or good quality store-bought butter puff pastry 1kg pulp heirloom tomatoes 250g main ridge goat chevre 80g sugar 80ml red wine vinegar 4 cloves of garlic 10 sprigs of thyme 2 bay leaves olive oil salt and pepper Preheat oven to 130 degrees. Cut tomatoes into halves and remove seeds. Place tomatoes in a bowl and toss with salt, pepper, chopped thyme and sliced garlic, then cover and place in fridge. Heat sugar in a pan over a medium flame until sugar is dissolved and starts to turn golden caramel, then take the pan off the heat and pour in the vinegar. Return back to the heat and stir until all combined. Add your caramel to tomatoes then place on baking tray place in oven for 1.5 to 2 hours. When tomatoes are cooked, grab a baking dish and olive oil the bottom. Place tomatoes on the bottom, arranging them close together. Discard any thyme stalks or big pieces of garlic. Set aside until cool. This can be done up to a day ahead and left in the fridge. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Cut puff pastry to cover tomatoes and then bake in oven till pastry has risen and turned golden brown and 15 to 20 min, let cool for about 5 min then turn out onto a plate crumb over goats cheese and garnish with fresh garden roquette. MAIN Cocotte of free range chicken with cider tarragon jus and autumn vegetables Serves 4 2 x 1kg free range chickens or 1 1.6kg chicken Cider and tarragon jus: 200g unsalted butter 1 bunch French tarragon — picked and chopped 750ml good quality apple cider 30 ml sherry vinegar 500ml veal glaze 200ml chicken stock 1 tsp tarragon mustard 1 carrot 1 celery 1 onion 1 head garlic 1/2 bunch thyme Autumn vegetables: 100g green beans 12 baby carrots 12 baby turnips 6 baby leeks (cut in half lengthways) 12 baby squash 12 baby zucchini Salt To prep the chicken: Remove the breasts from the bone. Remove leg and thigh, remove knuckle from leg then separate leg and thigh at the joint. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Season pieces with salt, then in a hot cocotte, brown off leg and thigh. Once golden, add breast, brown skin side down. Place in oven with 2 crushed garlic cloves and half a bunch of thyme for 8-10 minutes (or until just cooked). Remove, add nob of butter and cover set aside. Important note: chicken is to be cooked after the jus is made. To prep jus: Chop remaining bones into small pieces. Place into hot pan with small amount of oil. Cook until browned and remove excess fat. Place 50g butter into pan and brown until nutty. Add chopped onion, carrot, celery and 2 crushed cloves of garlic, and lightly brown. Deglaze with apple cider, reduce by half. Add tarragon stalks and quarter bunch of thyme, add veal glaze and chicken stock, reduce by half. When reduced, strain through fine sieve and set aside. Before serving bring sauce to boil and add tarragon mustard, sherry vinegar and freshly chopped tarragon. To prep vegetables: Cook each vegetable separately in salted boiling water and warm through with a nob of butter and a splash of jus before serving. To serve: Serve chicken in cocotte, garnish with vegetables and pour over jus. Serve with a side of baby chat potatoes with fresh parsley. DESSERT Lemon and blackcurrant gratin chiboust with green apple sorbet Italienne meringue: 12g sugar 25g glucose 50g water 185g egg whites Cream powder mixture: 60g Flour 30g Corn flour 10g Rice flour 190g lemon juice 125g double cream 7 egg yolks 5 gelatin leaves Blackcurrant jam: 500g blackcurrants 100g sugar 50g water Apple sorbet: 500g Granny Smith apples 90g glucose powder 250g sugar 400ml water 10g sorbet stabiliser mix To prep jam: Put all ingredients in a pot. Cook till you've got a jam consistency. To make cream mixture: Bring cream and lemon juice to the boil. Whisk eggs, sugar and cream powder together. Pour hot cream and lemon juice into egg mix, make into paste, return to pot and cook out until thick. Soak gelatin and add to cream pat mixture, then place mix into large bowl, cover with clear wrap and let cool. To prep Italian meringue: Mix water, glucose and sugar together and bring to 121 degrees. Whisk egg whites in mixer till soft peak and slowly add the hot sugar. Whisk till cool. Fold egg whites into cream, pat mix and fill moulds halfway. Add blackcurrant jam and then fill the rest of the moulds. To make apple sorbet: Mix and boil glucose, water, sugar and stabiliser. Let cool. Blend apples together, then pass through strain and churn. Wine suggestion: late harvest Riesling. MONTALTO'S PLAYLIST Montalto from PeninsularPicnic on 8tracks Radio. TERRE ENTREE Barbecued whole garfish with heirloom tomato, white anchovy and parsley salad To prep garfish: Ensure cleaned well — wipe out belly cavity with paper towel. Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt, especially in the belly cavity. Barbecue over high heat until just cooked through. To prep tomato salad: Chop tomatoes roughly. Tear flat leaf parsley. Cut anchovy fillets in half. Toss together in large bowl with sherry vinegar, sea salt and olive oil. MAIN Slow roasted lamb shoulder with minted yoghurt To prep lamb shoulder: If there's a bone, you'll get better flavour, but if the bone's out that's ok — it's just a shorter cooking time. Trim any large pieces of sinew. Cut a shallow cris-cross pattern into lamb to allow marinade to better infuse. To prep marinade: 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses 2 tbsp ground cumin 2 sprigs finely chopped rosemary 2 cloves garlic, grated 80ml canola oil Sea salt Combine marinade ingredients with a whisk and massage into lamb. Marinate overnight, or at least three hours prior to cooking. Preheat oven to 240 degrees. Place on roasting rack and place in oven for 20 mins. Turn oven down to 120 degrees and continue to roast till meat is falling off the bone (roughly three hours). The outside should be dark and caramelised, but the flesh should still be moist and tender. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest at least 20 minutes before serving. To prep carrots: If the carrots are very young and fresh — don’t peel them — just give them a good wash to remove any dirt (especially around the tops) To prep dressing: 150g honey 150 whole almonds – roughly chopped 100ml cider vinegar 40ml orange blossom water 150ml extra virgin olive oil 1/2 green chilli — deseeded and finely sliced Combine almonds and honey in heavy based pan over a gentle heat. Cook until the honey is lightly caramelised and the almonds are toasted (roughly 5 minutes stirring constantly). Add the cider vinegar, the orange blossom and the chilli and stir to combine. Allow to cool before seasoning with salt and pepper and then add the olive oil. To prep freekeh: Soak 150g freekeh in 400ml cold water for an hour before cooking. Bring to boil and then gently simmer adding more water as needed. Season towards the end of the cooking process. Cook until al dente and then drain and place on a tray to cool in the fridge. Place the carrots in generously salted cold water and slowly bring to the boil. When the carrots are al dente, remove from water and while warm, toss in the honey dressing. Mix the freekeh with the remaining honey dressing. Place carrots on top and garnish with torn coriander to serve. To prep minted yoghurt: 200ml natural yoghurt 1 lebanese cucumber, diced Mint leaves — chopped Combine ingredients with a good pinch of salt. Allow flavours to mellow at least 1 hour before serving. DESSERT Apple, rhubarb and blackberry pie To make sweet pastry: 250g unsalted butter, softened 250g pure icing sugar, sifted Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 1 egg 60ml milk 500g plain flour, sifted Beat butter, zest and icing sugar until pale. Add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition until well amalgamated. Add milk and finally flour, beating until combined, do not overwork the pastry. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1-2 hours, or overnight. Roll pastry to 3mm thickness, cut in circles and place in pie tins or on baking tray lined with parchment. Fill as desired, cover with pastry or lattice strips, or alternatively pull the edges of the pastry roughly to centre for a more rustic pie. Sprinkle pastry generously with demerara sugar and bake in a preheated oven at 200° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Dust with icing sugar if desired when cold. Left over dough can be refrigerated for one week or frozen for two months — tart filling can be frozen for two months. To make tart filling, roast rhubarb and apple: 1 bunch rhubarb 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled 200g brown sugar Juice and rind of 1 orange 200g blackberries Slice rhubarb and apples into batons and toss with juice, rind and brown sugar until sugar dissolved. Spread onto parchment paper and bake 160° until just tender, approximately 20-25 minutes. When cool mix with blackberries. If fruit mixture is too wet strain off excess liquid. Serve with clotted cream, mascarpone or good quality vanilla bean ice cream. TERRE'S PLAYLIST: Terre from PeninsularPicnic on 8tracks Radio. Peninsula Picnic is happening this Sunday, March 29 at Mornington Racecourse. More info over here. Words by Hannah Valmadre and Shannon Connellan. Recipes by Montalto and Terre.
Cinephiles, picnic-lovers and everyone in between, rejoice — the annual combination of movies, outdoor eating and park hangouts that is Moonlight Cinema is back for another round of film-watching fun. Kicking off their 2016-17 season on the first day of summer (when else?), Australia's biggest outdoor cinema returns with all the elements you know and love. Big screen shimmering beneath the stars? Check. Food trucks serving the ultimate movie munchies? Check. Letting super-organised patrons BYO their own snacks? Check. A huge lineup of new releases and cult classics? We'll confirm that when the 2016-17 film program is announced in the coming weeks. Of course, heading to Moonlight isn't just about the movies shown, as fun as getting a sneak peek of upcoming flicks or sharing the joyous glow of watching iconic favourites like Dirty Dancing and Top Gun on a big screen is. It's also about the experience, which is why you're allowed to start getting excited without knowing which films you'll be watching — and why you should be blocking out December through to April in your calendar. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2016-17 DATES: Sydney: December 1 – April 2 (Belvedere Amphitheatre in Centennial Park) Adelaide: December 1 – February 19 (Botanic Park) Brisbane: December 3 – March 5 (New Farm Park at Brisbane Powerhouse) Perth: December 3 – April 2 (Kings Park and Botanic Garden) Melbourne: Dates and venue TBC Moonlight Cinema's 2016-17 season starts screening around the country from December 1. For more information and bookings, visit their website.
We thought we'd ceased to be wowed by 3D printing. Then this newbie shows up. A brand new printer introduced at the 2015 TED conference in Vancouver, Carbon3D takes 3D printing to the next level — pulling a brand new object out of a pool of goo. If you're thinking it sounds like something out of Terminator 2, Carbon3D CEO and co-founder Joseph DeSimone and his team were were indeed inspired by the straight-up terrifying T2 T-1000 robot. Oh god. Pulling printed items from photosensitive resin, Carbon3D doesn't use the regular, snail-like layering technique we've seen in 3D printers up until now. Instead, the Carbon3D uses light and oxygen to 'print' from resin. The printer shines a light on the resin, causing it to harden, while oxygen causes the resin to liquefy and become malleable to the printer's design. Apparently the printer makes objects up to 100 times faster than your regular 3D printer, with no frayed edges, no rough surfaces, only smooth 3D printed swag. Watch the video here: Yep, the creepy, creepy '90s-predicted future is nigh. Via Quartz. Image: Carbon3D.
There was a time in the not-so-distant past when snacking in the city returned a very low success rate. A time when lunch breaks meant toasted focaccias, a $6 curry don with a gratuitous piece of broccoli (love you Don Dons) and a 90% chance of sushi rolls. It was a time when coeliacs stuck to rice cakes, and fruit salad was the only raw thing on any menu — a time pre-health food, pre-Paleo, pre-Emporium cafe court. Maybe it was a more innocent time. Who knows. But in 2016 you can get acai bowls in takeaway containers, Brazilian cheese rolls made out of a mysterious Brazilian vegetable flour, almond milk that's been squeezed that morning and everything you've ever eaten 'cooked' now comes in raw form. Of course, Mr Burger is still on the agenda. As is a peanut butter shake or a 3pm nip to Short Stop for a cruller. But for the days you're still feeling virtuous, it's nice to be able to grab something sans sugar — something that's actually going to fulfil some of your daily nutrient requirements. Whether you're on your lunch break or just passing through, here are five places you can drop into for something raw, gluten free and good for you.
The CBD's historic Waterside Hotel has entered a new phase of life, relaunching last week at the hands of prominent pub group Sand Hill Road, who are behind the relaunches of Melbourne's Garden State, Prahran and Bridge hotels. Building on the bones of the impressive three-storey building, the new owners have reimagined the pub as a multifaceted drinking and dining destination that nods to the past. A considered array of antiques, art and furniture sourced from across Europe lends plenty of personality. This place is huge and houses five separate spaces. Gracing the largest of the ground floor spaces is the Ale House, a sprawling public bar where the focus is on crafty American beers. It sits alongside the Doghouse, a US-inspired dive bar slinging hot dogs, tinnies and bottled cocktails, and an old-world dining space dubbed the Chophouse. In the kitchen here, Head Chef Stuart Munro (ex-QT Melbourne, Cumulus Inc. and the now-closed Merricote) is delivering a tidy selection of seafood, vegetarian plates and quality meat cuts, including a 1.2-kilogram Rangers Valley black onyx Angus tomahawk that feeds four. One floor up, the Bubblehouse features a dedicated cocktail and Champagne lounge, with a drinks selection curated by Kevin Peters — he a former Eau De Vie bar manager and responsible for that stellar cocktail lineup at Garden State Hotel. The Waterside's crowning glory is a rooftop bar known simply as the Roof, boasting sprawling CBD views and serving a streamlined version of the menus offered below. That corner of the city is a little bereft of quality drinking dens, so the pub's bars are sure to get some serious uptake. The Waterside Hotel sits on the corner of Flinders and King streets, Melbourne, and is open daily. For more info, visit watersidehotel.com.au. Images: Brook James.
We're only just now wrapping things up for this summer, but already the NGV has us anticipating the next one with its most ambitious exhibition yet. Descending on the gallery this December, and then every three years after that, the NGV Triennial series will present a smorgasbord of art and design, plucked from all corners of the globe and representing established artists, emerging talent, and plenty else in between. Each blockbuster lineup will highlight the ever-blurring lines between art, fashion, architecture, design, and performance. Kicking off with a bang, plans for this year's inaugural event are nothing short of grand, with the NGV announcing the free exhibition will take over all four levels of the gallery and host exciting works by over 60 artists and designers. But where it's really upping the ante is in the audience experience, with visitors invited to present their own ideas through cross-platform content, and the exhibition's participatory works designed to engage like never before. Legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, best known for her obsessive patterning and vibrant representations of the infinite, will invite glimpses into the artist's mind with a work titled Flower obsession. Created especially for the NGV Triennial, the interactive exhibition will have visitors unleashing some creativity of their own, as they help plaster a furnished space with an array of colourful flower stickers and three-dimensional blooms. Kusuma joins other international names like Germany's Timo Nasseri and Canada's Sascha Braunig, alongside an Aussie billing that includes the likes of Ben Quilty, Louisa Bufardeci, and Tom Crago. There'll be an installation from Chinese haute couture fashion guru Guo Pei, designer of Rihanna's canary-yellow Met Ball gown, and an epic display of 100 oversized human skulls created by Australian artist Ron Mueck. Chemist and odour theorist Sissel Tolaas will create the 'scent of Melbourne' exclusively for the Triennial. And Alexandra Kehayoglou will be creating one of her monumentally-sized, lushly illustrated carpets, spanning over eight-metres-long. UPDATE JANUARY 19, 2018: From January 19–28, the gallery will stay open from 6pm till midnight with DJs, dance tours, talks and a pop-up Japanese restaurant as part of its ten-day Triennial Extra program. Image: NGV/Sean Fennessey.
One of the most hyped films of the year, soon-to-be-released action thriller Baby Driver has received outlandishly large attention for its defining soundtrack. Written and directed by Edgar Wright (Ant-Man, Shaun of the Dead), the film follows Baby (Ansel Elgort), a young, best-in-the-business getaway driver who moves in time with his own personal soundtrack. Soon enough, Baby finds himself coerced into working for a kingpin crime boss (Kevin Spacey) and meeting the girl of his dreams (Lily James, Downton Abbey) — two paths that can't exist separately for long. Considered a 'jukebox musical' action film, Wright choreographs action scenes to the film's lauded soundtrack. After premiering at SXSW in Austin, Texas back in March, the film earned the prestigious SXSW Audience Award and a 100 percent critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is said to be the breakout lead role for Elgort (Divergent series, The Fault in our Stars), and, apart from Spacey and James, the cast also includes Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx, along with Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, Fury, The Accountant) and Mexican actress Eiza González. [competition]626810[/competition] Images: Wilson Webb. © 2017 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
When last year's Dark MOFO program dropped, House of Mirrors immediately rocketed to the top of everyone's must-do list. Created by Australian installation artists Christian Wagstaff and Keith Courtney, it's exactly what it sounds like: a walkthrough space filled with reflective surfaces that will not only strands you in a maze of your own image, but turns your likeness into a kaleidoscope. Since then, the installation has made its way to Brisbane and Sydney for a stint at January's Sydney Festival. And now, eager Melburnians will soon get the chance to wander through the disorienting, perception-altering, panic-inducing, optical illusion-based labyrinth for themselves. From April 7–30, the mirror maze will take over Rosalind Park adjacent to Bendigo Art Gallery for three weeks of reflective roaming, with the modern, minimalist twist on the fairground classic featuring 40 tonnes of steel and 15 tonnes of mirrors — and no added gimmicks, no special effects, no special lighting, no soundtrack or soundscape. It'll be the first time House of Mirrors has come to Victoria — and with Bendigo less than a two-hour drive (or train ride) away, it's an easy one to do on a day trip. The installation will be open each day from 2–9pm and tickets are $10 on the door.
Inspired by the theme of 'step into the light', the major commission of this year's Melbourne Fringe is a breathtaking city-wide laser installation from audio-visual artist Robin Fox. Invisible from some angles and impossible to miss from others, powerful beams of light will connect iconic buildings across the Yarra, while an electronic soundscape captures the ephemeral beauty of the city after dark. Start your journey at Princes Bridge on St Kilda Road and then see where the light takes you along the river. Fox's other work, White Beam, which will light up Prahran's Grattan Gardens, likewise shapes up as a major festival highlight.
It's no surprise that many of us are looking to upgrade our home comfort level at the moment. Aussie furniture brand Koala is keen to help you do just that with its end-of-financial-year sale, where you can nab major discounts on Koala's bedroom range, sofas and even its brand new desk built for WFH. That sturdy desk is made in Ballarat from hand-sanded timber, is easy to assemble and designed specifically with home office use in mind. During the sale, you'll get ten percent off this WFH lifesaver (which brings it down to $360). Other living room products on sale include 25 percent off the two-seater sofa, bookshelf (in three different sizes) and television unit, as well as 15 percent off the three-seater sofa and sofa bed. If it's the bedroom you're looking to elevate, you can also score 15 percent off the award-winning Koala Mattress, the Koala bed base, the gel-infused memory foam pillow and the incredibly silky sheets. The mattress, for the uninitiated, feels a little like memory foam and latex, but without the sink factor. All products come with free four-hour delivery (to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) and a 120-night trial — though, it might be hard to give any of these up after four-months of pure comfort. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
First there was camping, but nature is icky and the hard ground is no Posturepedic. Then there was glamping, which is certainly a step up but still requires you to be outside with only a thin velour track pant and tasteful white canopy between you and the bugs. But now, thankfully, there's a way to get the best parts of camping (good company and fire-cooked food) without having to leave the city or wear ugly hiking shoes and unflattering shorts. Hunter and Barrel is the new dining concept hitting Sydney and Melbourne. With a menu focused on coal-roasted meats and seasonal vegetables, big barbecued skewers, sharing boards, stews, soups, pies, and generally hearty fare, H&B delivers the sensory experience of camping without the inconvenience of actually, y'know, camping. Think warm, hearty dishes such as slow-roasted beef rib, seafood and pork belly cooked over the restaurant's coal grill (hot tip: order The Hunter's Feast), washed down with your classic craft beer or barrel-aged wine. Although contemporary horror films have taught us to fear the foreboding idea of a remote cabin (thanks Evil Dead and Cabin in the Woods), the primal part of our psyche still longs to get back to nature. Bradley Michael, the CEO of Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group who own Hunter and Barrel, told Good Food the venue had a “sexy camping, hunter’s cabin feel.” The décor at Hunter and Barrel, designed by ODO, features big rocks and rustic pipes — and your drink comes delivered by a suspended wall covered with barrels. Hunter and Barrel is now open at Eastland Town Square, Shop R04, 171-175 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood. Via Good Food.
Traditional gardening takes time, effort and a propensity for getting your hands dirty. Saving you on every count, a team of art students from the University of Maribor in Slovenia have developed a CNC (computerised numerical control) machine that lets you print your own garden and pot plants, because art. And because environmental awareness. And because seeing grass grow from a mud outline of your own face is peak eerie. Called PrintGREEN, the printer pipes out a mixture of soil, water and grass seed onto a felt-covered sponge surface in sophisticated shapes — think typography, intricate mandala-like designs and yes, even human faces. For extra cool factor, it can also print along the z-axis, forming three-dimensional mud pots that sprout their own grass. [embed]https://vimeo.com/68193572[/embed] The world needs more greenery. Leaving aside the fact that if we don’t have enough of it life on Earth will literally collapse, studies have shown that trees are nature’s valium and an extra ten on every block can actually calm us down. And they're pretty. PrintGREEN is so far just an art piece, but it’s not the first venture 3D printing has made into the horticultural realm. Thanks to the wonders of technology, you can print your own grow box valve, your own urban farm, and your own hanging window garden. (That last one is also designed by a college student, this time from Philadelphia University. Kids these days.) This kind of technology has been touted as the future of manufacturing. See 3D-printed clothes, 3D-printed furniture and this 3D-printed 80s Knight Rider car. Sigh. We get these little glimpses into the future and it’s scary but beautiful. Via Mentalfloss.
Bone up on your cooking or bust out your best freestyle dance moves, at Melbourne's new pop-up creative hub. Located in the Docklands adjacent to Library on the Dock, the Knowledge Market is being sold as a cross between Ted X and the School of Life – a community learning space that'll play host to workshops and adult education classes on everything from corporate team building to hula hooping. "Open to everyone, the Knowledge Market has been curated with a compelling range of events and experiences designed for the whole Docklands community, with programmed activity during the week, on weekends and at night," reads a mission statement on the Knowledge Market homepage. "With an emphasis on peer-to-peer learning and collaboration, the Knowledge Market provides an engine room for cross-industry cooperation, ideas sharing and greater community connectivity." The pop-up will host workshops by professionals and creatives across a variety of disciplines, including food, art, dance and technology, as well as personal and professional development. Events currently on offer include a six week meditation course and nightly hula hoop exercise classes. For more information about the Knowledge Market visit their website.
After almost two decades in the political wilderness (and also briefly prison), ultra-conservative politician Pauline Hanson has once again been elected to the Australian Federal Parliament. Thanks a bunch, Queensland. While we can't say we're looking forward to having Hanson back in the public arena, we think we may have at least found a bit of a silver lining to the whole shemozzle, in the form of a new Pauline Hanson-styled poutine at Belleville in the Melbourne CBD. Fittingly inspired by the flavours of her less-than favourite meal, the Halal Snack Pack, the 'Pauline Hanson' consists of beer battered chips topped with cheese, chilli sauce, mint yoghurt and rotisserie lamb. According to a post on Belleville's Facebook page, the dish will be available from this week until it finishes with a Royal Commission. So there you go. At least now you've got something delicious to eat as you watch the country collapse around your ears. Democracy, hurrah!
When your last festival screened 48 films to 168,000 people around Australia, what comes next? It's a problem many events wish they had, however, in their 28th year, the Alliance Française French Film Festival is on the case. With the massive celebration of Gallic cinema continuing to draw huge crowds, the beloved annual festival is offering up more of the same. The lineup has changed, of course, but the eclectic nature audiences have come to expect of the event is back. Kicking off on March 7 in Sydney before touring to Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Parramatta and Casula until April 9, the 2017 program begins and ends with a bang — or, with two very different journeys. In pole position at the start of the fest sits The Odyssey, an adventure-filled biopic focused on famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, and co-starring Audrey Tautou as Cousteau's wife Simone. Then, after running through the bulk of its 45-film selection, the fest comes to a close with maternal comedy A Bun in the Oven, featuring The Bélier Family's Karin Viard as an unexpectedly expectant 49-year old. In between, the AFFFF delivers on two fronts: stars and a vibrant array of big screen stories. There's plenty of both. The former includes 2017 Oscar-nominees Isabelle Huppert and Natalie Portman, with Huppert showing up twice — playing a woman with a secret past in the rom-com Souvenir, and a philosophy professor in Things to Come — and Portman joining forces with Lily-Rose Depp (yes, Johnny's daughter) in Planetarium. Depp also stars with French singer-actress Soko in The Dancer, while Marion Cotillard does double duty too in romance From the Land of the Moon and the Xavier Dolan-directed family drama It's Only the End of the World. Inglourious Basterds actress Mélanie Laurent co-directs environmental doco Tomorrow, the great Gérard Depardieu takes a road trip in Saint Amour, and one of the last roles played by Amour's Emmanuelle Riva, as an elderly aunt in Lost in Paris, also features. Elsewhere, the 2017 fest tells the tale of the first popular Afro-Cuban artist of the French stage in Monsieur Chocolate starring The Intouchables' Omar Sy opposite James Thierrée (aka Charlie Chaplin's grandson), examines the real-life circumstances surrounding a pregnant nun in The Innocents, dives into coming-of-age affections with Being 17 and gets ghostly with the haunting Daguerrotype. Or, viewers can catch Juliette Binoche at her most slapstick in farcical detective effort Slack Bay, and enjoy the kind of moral dilemmas the Dardenne brothers explore so well in The Unknown Girl. Looking back as well as forwards, a two-movie retrospective steps into the court of Versailles courtesy of the Marie Antoinette-centric Farewell, My Queen and music drama Mozart's Sister. Plus, if all of the above isn't enough for the most eager film buffs, dedicated cinephiles can take A Journey Through French Cinema for 191 minutes of movie history. The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from March 7, screening at Sydney's Chauvel Cinema, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace from March 7 to 30; Melbourne's Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from March 8 to 30, and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from March 16 to April 9. For more information, visit the festival website.
It goes without saying, Melbourne's characteristically buzzing cultural ecosystem has thrived this year, with the city's most innovative, forward-thinking residents taking bold risks in their field. Some get up earlier than most, Melbourne's cafe crowd, who continue to cultivate compelling coffee breaks and brunches for locals, building neighbourhood day-to-night warehouse spaces, championing local producers and making an art of vegan nosh. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Melbourne to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new cafes, opened in 2016, have been nominated for Best New Cafe in Concrete Playground's Best of 2016 Awards. Vote for your favourite.
How'd you like to work alongside some of the most creative minds in Melbourne? Well, you may soon get the chance, thanks to a brand new initiative from the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. The publicly funded exhibition space and cinema today announced the launch of ACMI X, a collaborative work space in the Southbank Arts Precinct. The 60 seat, 2000sqm office space will be the new home of ACMI's team of curators, programmers, producers and administrators, and will also house the Melbourne offices of the National Film and Sound Archive. The remainder of the space will be available for long and short term hire by members of the creative industries, such as tech start-ups, filmmakers, artists, writers, web developers and graphic designers. "ACMI X is an exciting new model that rethinks the role our major cultural institutions play in our creative ecosystem," said Martin Foley, State Minister for Creative Industries. "It addresses one of the most critical needs of our creative industries sector – access to affordable accommodation – breaks down existing barriers, and creates new opportunities for cross-pollination and collaboration." "ACMI X will not only leverage our resources back into the creative sector – and bring the energy and ideas of practitioners directly into our daily practice – but will actively foster collaboration between the creative industries," added ACMI director and CEO Katrina Sedgwick. ACMI X was designed by award-winning architects Six Degrees, with amenities including high speed internet, meeting rooms, a multipurpose events space, a cafe and kitchen hub, bicycle parking and discounted car parking and – perhaps most importantly – access to games consoles and retro arcade machines. The space will be open for business in April, but you can lodge membership applications now. For more information, visit acmi.net.au/acmi-x.
As far as Victorian cities go, Melbourne's long held the food capital crown with its laneway bars, innovative cafes and Chef's Table-starring suburban restaurants alike consistently offering up some of the best coffee, cocktails and chow this side of the equator. But now, the culinary throne is being strongly contested by in recent years by a wildcard entrant: Geelong. We've said it before and we'll say it again: Geelong is the place to go for unique, high quality grub. Some of the best chefs, brewers and baristas in Australia are joining the ranks of the Geelong foodie community, not only for the fresh produce (and cheaper rent), but because of the underlying, undeniable buzz about the place. Chomp your way through this handy guide to some of the tastiest destinations in Australia's newest foodie hub of Geelong. GEELONG CELLAR DOOR Sitting pretty on Little Malop Street, Geelong Cellar Door is relatively new in town (they only opened couple of months ago) but this slick little bar has already amassed a loyal following. And it's no wonder — the place is a g-darn delight. The interior is warmly-lit, intimate and cosy, with a working fireplace, plenty of seating and an impressive catalogue of wine showcasing the region's talented wineries and breweries. Their vast wine selection lines the walls like the booziest library in the world, for all tastes and budgets. You can choose to drink by the glass or buy from their retail list and pay a reasonable corkage. Feeling peckish? Vino is served alongside a tight menu of charcuterie boards piled with fresh fruit, creamy cheeses and quality deli meats. Sit yourself at the bar with your new favourite varietal and a cheeky cheese plate — they say the 'Le Grande' platter is for sharing, but we'll happily miss the memo. 97-99 Little Malop Street, Geelong WHITE RABBIT BREWERY The holy source of one of our favourite breweries, White Rabbit, lives in Geelong and you'd be a fool to miss it while you're in town. While the crew originally set up shop in Healesville, they've since gravitated to Geelong, opening a highly impressive brewery and Barrel Hall — open to the public. As well as learning about the brewing process and sampling White Rabbit's Belgian-inspired ales fresh from the brewery, you can also enjoy a rich, seasonal menu perfectly paired with a complementary brews. Trust us, on a winter's day, there's nothing more hearty than a beef bourguignon ($19) matched with White Rabbit Dark Ale and followed up with a cheeky raspberry and choc tartlet ($3.5) by the brewery's crackling fire. Because beer, meat and cheese are naturally delicious bedfellows, White Rabbit specialise in the humble, age old crowdpleaser, the Ploughman's Board. You can build your own plate with handpicked cheeses and meats from across Australia, served up in an Instagram-worthy heap with baguettes, waters, condiments and pickled vegetables. Want to take something home? Visit the on-site providore, stocked with local delights (and, of course, ale). 221 Swanston Street, South Geelong THE HOT CHICKEN PROJECT When you settle into a cosy table at the Hot Chicken Project on Little Malop Street, prepare to stay a while. Not only will you enjoy the best fried chicken of your life (more on that in a minute) but the venue has a great atmosphere on a Saturday night — in fact it's one of the best spots in town. But on to the food. The project belongs to Aaron Turner, the legend who conceptualised Melbourne's Belle's Hot Chicken, and his cooking technique comes from the motherland of fried chicken: the deep American south. Choose between crispy chicken skin (covered in spice and drizzled in honey), spicy chicken tenders, crunchy wings, creamy 'slaw, shoestring fries covered in juicy pickles, flavoursome turnip greens, all dunked in blue cheese or ranch sauce. Or, heck, don't choose and try it all — you won't regret it. As seen with BHC and the sadly now-closed Bar Clarine, this chicken comes paired with wine. The fruity, experimental wine list is designed to pair beautifully with the salty crunch of the fried mains, so don't overthink it (although you can never go wrong with a glass by Domaine Lucci). 84A Little Malop Street, Geelong [caption id="attachment_582798" align="alignnone" width="1280"] @kayceejai[/caption] ARMAGEDDON CAKE There's something oddly comforting about a place that only makes one thing — they know what they're doing and you know you're in for a good time. Armageddon Cake (only a convenient hop, skip and jump away from the Hot Chicken Project) specialises in cake — the kind of warm, gooey, rich cakes that taste homemade because they bloody well were. Hefty cake slices (reminiscent of Bruce Bogtrotter's punishment serving) are served up with cream and your choice of raspberry sauce, butterscotch sauce, lemon curd or chocolate ganache (or a little bit of each). The interior is cosy, eclectically decorated and the perfect spot to decompress after a solid weekend of feasting. Enjoy. Top image: White Rabbit.
Leaving the safety net of university life can be daunting. Taxes, health insurance, budgeting and eating greens are all tricky requirements of adulting, not to mention trying to get a job ("Graduate position, minimum two years of experience required..." what is this madness?). But fear not, there is hope. We've profiled five young go-getters who hit the ground running after uni and achieved their success through unconventional means. They did it and you can too (stop that, yes you can). [caption id="attachment_562120" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: @sedgebeswick.[/caption] SEDGE BESWICK, 26, GLOBAL SENIOR SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMUNITY MANAGER AT ASOS For most of us, using social media is just that a social activity. For others it’s a way of life and a strategic marketing tool; when wielded properly can elevate a start-up and polish a personal brand no matter how small. Sedge Beswick is one such social media maven and part of a young generation of digital natives that are coming up through volunteer positions and internships to absolutely kill it at the media game for big companies. That playful tone you adore on ASOS social media? That’s Beswick. And while managing the global social media for ASOS, she’s also racked up a neat little 11k on her personal Instagram, written a book about using Twitter strategically and designed a line of t-shirts emblazoned with social media slogans. She’s literally #killingit. BECKY SUI ZHEN, 31, MUSICIAN Sui Zhen is one of the many monikers of Melbourne-based musician Becky Sui Zhen who has risen through the ranks of the music scene to be hailed as a 'social media musician' due to her pristine and eye catching artistic vision. She’s put in the hard yards over the years, studying graphic design and Japanese, winning grants, releasing EPs in Japan and doing overseas residencies and all while playing prolifically around Australia. She also produces and edits the iconic film clips for Sui Zhen and has collaborated with artist and photographer Phebe Schmidt. She’s poised to take over the world in 2016 following the late-2015 release her first Australian LP ‘Secretly Susan’. The LP caught the attention of FADER who clocked her as one of 25 international artists to watch and she’s supported Toro Y Moi in Melbourne on his 2016 Aussie tour. We imagine 2016 is only going to get better for this kawaii gem. GERMAINE STATIA, JAMAL OULEL + AYOUB AOURAGH, 23, 25 + 24, FOUNDERS AND DEVELOPERS AT REFUGEE HERO When the Syrian refugee crisis peaked in 2015, Dutch trio Germaine Statia, Jamal Oulel, and Ayoub Aouragh, responded with a contemporary and altruistic solution. Refugee Hero, hailed as the Airbnb for refugees, is a platform that allows people to offer their spare room up to refugees who have just arrived in their country. “We want to give back humanity to mankind,” says Statia. The service is 100 percent free and mobile-friendly. It allows individuals or institutions to offer help and shelter whether or not their government is pro-refugee. The team hopes the service can one day expand to cover all elements of resettling, from applying for passports to finding a new school for children and is a shining example of how modern technology can be used for good in the face of adversity. EMMA MULHOLLAND, 27, DESIGNER There’s something about Emma Mulholland that Australia is crazy for. The young designer hit the ground running after graduating from TAFE in 2010 and hasn’t stopped since. Her latest project, a collaboration with iconic Aussie label Mambo, proves that in a few short years, she’s explored, honed in on and defined exactly what makes her work so popular. The garish '80s and '90s themed prints and icons of our childhood combined with a(h)ctivewear references hit the nostalgia nail right on the head and the collection has resonated with Aussie kidults who grew up wearing bike shorts and climbing trees. Far away from the catwalks of Paris and Milan, Australia often struggles to define itself outside of a European reference and it’s no easy feat to export a uniquely Australian line, but Mulholland has done so with aplomb, straight outta TAFE. [caption id="attachment_562121" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Image: @louislazarus.[/caption] LUKE HAMPSHIRE AND ALEXANDER ROBINSON, 28 AND 32, AVIATION ENTERPRENEURS AT AIRLY In January, the Australian aviation scene had a sorely need shake up. Two young guns, 28-year-old Luke Hampshire and 32-year-old Alexander Robinson announced their airline company Airly which completely turns air travel on its head. Airly members pay a fee of $2550 (minimum) per month to fly as much as they like on the company’s private jets which operate between Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney. For frequent fliers, the minimum waiting time and luxury service is a tasty drawcard. Hampshire, a former Air Force pilot, recognised a gap in the marketplace and despite the pair’s youth, turned an insight into an industry shake-up and paved the way for more options and versatility in air travel. Top image: Sedge Beswick.
First an app, now virtual reality. Icelandic queen of raising the bar Bjork has announced plans to pair her newest video with virtual reality headset, Oculus Rift. Working with longtime collaborator and director Andrew Thomas Huang, Bjork has made her new video for 'Stonemilker' — from latest (and leaked) release Vulnicura — available to view through the headset. If Bjork's bookshelf of previous videos is anything to go by, this is going to be one wild world to explore with the Rift. Bjork is no stranger to harnessing new forms of technology to complement her work. The singer released a special app in conjunction with her 2013 album Biophilia. Bjork's upcoming retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art, opening March 8, is sure to contain some pretty interactive elements with predictably mind-blowing technology. So why Oculus Rift, why now? In a recent interview with Fast Company, Bjork chatted about the OR endeavour, explaining apps are "punk", Oculus Rift takes things next level. "It can’t just be working with the gadget for the sake of the gadget. But also it’s about budgets," Bjork told FC. "You can do apps cheaply. Apps was kind of punk, actually. It was like starting a punk band again. Filming for Oculus Rift is not." So, will you be able to watch Bjork's new video on the Rift? Business Insider predicts Oculus Rifts will be available to consumers in 2015, and Oculus VR CEO, Brendan Iribe, told Dublin's Web Summit 2014 that a consumer-version of the company’s Rift VR headset is "close"; so you could be forking out your salary for one in mere months. Release dates for the 'Stonemilker' video are yet to be announced. Via The Verge.
Despite being in the grips of one very chilly winter, Melbourne is getting a new gelateria. Johnny Di Francesco, the genius behind 400 Gradi, is branching out into sweet, sweet Italian iced confection and opening a gelateria. When the man who won the 2014 World Pizza Championship sets his sights to gelato, you know it’s going to be good. Di Francesco will open a standalone gelateria dubbed Zero Gradi on Lygon Street in Brunswick East in the summer, alongside a new 400 Gradi chapter in Essendon with a dedicated gelato counter. Both venues aim to bring yet more traditional Italian classics to greedy Aussie mouths, so Gelato Messina had better watch out. According to Di Francesco, this will be gelato done the traditional way — ‘panna’ — which means it's served with whipped cream on top, just in case you need some more indulgence (what a world we live in). The aim of the game with Zero Gradi is freshness. The new gelateria intends to be known, like the rest of the Gradi family, for making its product fresh in store daily and will be whipping up your classic, staple gelato flavours as well as organic and seasonal options. Via Good Food. Find Zero Gradi at Shop 1, 93-97 Lygon Street, East Brunswick, opening this summer. 400 Gradi's Essendon chapter details TBC.
Stalactites is a late-night Melbourne institution that's been owned and operated by the same Greek family since 1978. It is, by legend, the occasional sight of a physical brawl over tables (chairs were thrown in 2014 during an altercation). This, we think, must mean that people over there are serious about their food and where they sit at Stalactites — indeed, 2am gyros is something to be serious about. And while we almost always go for the lamb gyros when visiting, this Melbourne Greek restaurant has stacks more to offer diners in the CBD. For one, there's an extensive menu of dips and breads, meat platters, seafood and specials like moussaka and cabbage rolls to tuck into. Be sure to also order some saganaki while you're at it — you don't need to be drunk to enjoy this huge fried wedge of cheese. And while Stalactites might have a reputation for late-night eats, that's not the only reason why diners head here. The generous portions, kid-friendly meals and proximity to the theatre district also make it a fine spot to drop by for a pre-theatre meal. And come game day, you'll likely see the place flooded with footy fans before and after the match. To top that off, Stalactites also recently introduced an extensive range of gluten-free options — and new cooking and serving processes — that have been certified by Coeliac Australia. That means that everything from the pita bread and souvas to the chips and grilled meats can be done gluten-free. Whatever reason you're heading to Stalactites, everyone in your party is going to find something they'll love on the menu.
If ever there's been a time to put aside the man/woman/child breakdown of gift-giving, it's surely Christmas 2015. After a year spent contemplating gender fluidity, superhero marketing and man buns, it makes sense to celebrate the season by just giving beautiful things to beautiful people and enjoying the resulting beauty explosion. Need some help pulling that off? Try putting a bow on one of our suggestions — they're only the best, most innovative and most lust-worthy products we've seen this year. FOR THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE WHO DO EVERYTHING WITH STYLE The Beach People roundie Oh, you didn't get the memo? Beach towels are round now. Round, oversized, luxurious and very giftable. Freed from being a mere drying implement, the roundie is a picnic rug, beach blanket and ultimate Instagram prop. There's a few of these around but our faves come from Australian company The Beach People, where they retail for $110. O Six Hundred flat pack kayak For the one you truly love, there's this $2200 Australian-designed kayak that you assemble from flat pack, much like your Ikea bookcase. Unlike your Ikea bookcase, it's also tough and light (10kg, so any solo voyager can lift it above their head), perfect for taking out on Sydney Harbour whenever the mood may strike. Get it from Sorry Thanks I Love You. ChaBottle from Life of Cha For your friend who loves to tote their own tea or infused water (love you lemon, cucumber and mint), or who seems like they might want to start, there's the ChaBottle. Its 2-in-1 infuser can be used for tea, coffee and fruit drinks. $50 from Life of Cha. Stonemen briefs When you need a gift that says, "your pants contain the world", there's Stonemen briefs. With graphic prints including mountainscapes, skylines and the universe, they're the most epic smalls around. Also available in women's styles, with prices starting at $40 from Etsy. Forbes & Ike salt basin and pepper mill The kitchen benchtop has rarely known such beauty as this Melbourne-crafted pepper grinder. It's hand-poured concrete, New Zealand beech timber and brass, and it's a flinch-worthy $250 from Sorry Thanks I Love You. Sunnylife watermelon beach ball All anyone will see is your giftee blithely throwing around a half watermelon with apparent superhero strength. Only you will know the inflatable truth. For this privilege, you're looking at just $18.95 from Sunnylife. FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GADGETS WITH ALL THE ZEAL OF A CHILD Chromecast Audio The gadget junkie in your life is likely to be all over Chromecast for TV. But do they have the dongle equivalent for audio? Possibly not. Chromecast Audio was released this October and allows you to stream music over Wi-Fi to any speaker in your house. So nice, and just $49 from Google. BB-8 droid by Sphero Just. Look. At. Him. Who wouldn't want to pull the wrapping off this little face on December 25 (aka eight days after The Force Awakens comes out)? Playable through a variety of apps and programmed to "patrol autonomously" when left on its own, the miniature BB-8 is the fun toy/baby robot/substitute pet perfect for all ages. Look at him in action here and buy for US$150 ($205) from Sphero. The Keyboard Waffle Iron You know life is good when you come down to breakfast and are greeted with this syrupy sight. And, since the Keyboard Waffle Iron includes both keyboard and kitchen gadget elements, the tech lover in your life is sure to appreciate this. US$85 ($116) from thekeyboardwaffleiron.com. Moto 360 smartwatch The smartwatch is the wearable of the moment, and it'll be on a whole lot more wrists after Christmas. Different strokes for different folks, but the Moto 360 is a good option when you weigh up nice styling vs old functionality (telling the time) vs new functionality (notifications, battery life etc). Prices start at US$299 ($408) at Motorola. Flic wireless smart button For the person who has everything, get them one little button that lets them do three things faster. Flic can be programmed to play music, make calls, snooze an alarm, turn on lights, share a location, order pizza and a bunch more stuff, all at a light touch. An addictive bit of life-hacking, it's US$34 ($46) from flic.io. FOR THE CULTURE LOVERS WITH AN IMPRESSIVELY CONSTANT FINGER ON THE PULSE The Gramovox Floating Record Player Marry me, Gramovox floating record player. That's what your giftee will say upon opening this package, containing the turntable that took Kickstarter by storm earlier this year. It's the perfect fusion of state-of-the-art technology and aesthetics, and it's US$400 ($555) in walnut or maple from the Gramovox website. Whimsical Miranda July pillowcases Words and phrases on home decor can be hit and miss, but when those words and phrases are filmmaker/artist/writer/All About Women speaker Miranda July's, they're all hit. These wistful pillowcases make the perfect addition to any literati's bedding. $105 from Third Drawer Down. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari with Eric Klinenberg Odds are at least one of your circle is obsessed with Aziz Ansari's insightful Netflix series, Master of None. What they might not have heard of is Modern Romance, the well-reviewed screed on relationship trends he's whipped up with sociologist Eric Klinenberg. Get it in hardcover for $39.75 from Booktopia. Twilight concert tickets The pretty, pretty sights of Twilight of Taronga and Melbourne Zoo Twilights return in 2016 with the likes of Courtney Barnett, Violent Femmes and Jose Gonzalez. Give a loved one the gift of beautiful music, starlit picnics and baby animals. Tickets from $50 at Twilight at Taronga and Melbourne Zoo. FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FOOD ARE THE MEANING OF LIFE A personally tailored spirit by Archie Rose Sydney's distillery bar Archie Rose impressed us a dozen times over this year — and one of those times was with their brilliant idea of a tailored spirits range. That means you can pick up to 3–5 botanicals (think: river mint, dorrigo pepperleaf, blood lime) and the name on the label. Prices are $84 for vodka, $89 for gin or (*gulp*) $2000+ for whisky. So we hope your friend likes white spirits. It's all happening on the Archie Rose website. Bespoke chocolate bar from Chocolab Yet another, perhaps more conventional (but never unwanted) thing to customise. With Chocolab chocolate, you can chuck in confectionary like Nerds, spices like chilli, fruit like freeze-dried acai, biscuits, nuts — almost any foodstuffs your giftee has at some point professed a fondness for. Prices start at $6.75 at ChocoLab. The Great Australian Cookbook Give your friend the gift of cooking you dinner with this epic book compiling recipes and stories from chefs like Neil Perry, Dan Hong, Kylie Kwong and Anna Polyviou. Diverse as it is, the book also includes this country's legendary farmers and producers — as well as Australia’s original cookbook queen, Margaret Fulton. Get it discounted to $42.50 at Booktopia. A subscription to wine-by-the-glass tasting service Secret Bottle By delivering their wines by the glass (in sleek screw-top vials), Secret Bottle lets its subscribers experience a wide range of Australian varietals and get to know what they like. Sign your giftee up as a founding member and they'll get a bunch of bonus gifts along with their subscription, which starts at $24.95/month from Secret Bottle. Sprout coloured pencils Honour your giftee's love of adult colouring in and fresh produce with these pencils that grow into herbs. They just plant them once they've worn down to stubs. €16.95 ($23) from Sprout World. Top image: Dollar Photo Club.
Stub out those ciggies. The State Government today announced that Victoria will join the rest of the country in banning smoking in outdoor dining areas. The ban is set to come into effect in August 2017, and will affect cafes, restaurants, beer gardens and any other outdoor venue where food is served. "We know that smoking kills, and we know that second-hand smoke puts the health of non-smokers at risk," Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy told The Age. "These new bans will ensure all Victorians can enjoy a meal outside with their family and friends." She also said that the decision to hold off the ban until 2017 was to give businesses "enough time to prepare for these changes." Under the new laws, smokers who light up in outdoor dining venues could face on the spot fines of $152, with a maximum penalty of $758. Victoria is currently the only state not to enforce such a ban, after NSW introduced similar laws earlier in the year. The changes are part of a concerted crackdown on public smoking by the Andrews Government, who in April introduced bans on smoking near the entrances of many public buildings, including schools, hospitals, courthouses and police stations. Smoking is also banned at train stations and raised platform tram stops and within ten metres of playgrounds, skate parks and under 18s sporting venues, while the Melbourne City Council already enforces a smoking ban in a number of laneways in the CBD. Current figures show that approximately 4000 Victorians die from smoking related illnesses each year. Via The Age. Image: Dollar Photo Club
When the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards descended on Australia earlier in the year, we were lucky enough to not only have the world's best chefs on our shores, but also the world's best sommeliers. Over April, Wine Australia took 50 talented wine professionals on a tour of our best wine bars, restaurants and wine regions — starting in Sydney before moving on to Melbourne and visiting bars including Embla and Bar Liberty, then stopping to experience wine regions in Victoria, Tasmania, Canberra, South Australia and Western Australia. For one of their first stops at Newtown's Continental Deli, established wine writer Mike Bennie took the sommeliers on a wine-tasting journey. We couldn't lose an opportunity to get all patriotic, so we asked them for their thoughts on Australian wine. A pattern appeared in their answers: Australia, once known only to produce bulk, heavy wine varieties like Chardonnay and Shiraz, is going through a renaissance of sorts. A new generation of winemakers are jumping in and producing unique vintages with a true expression of the Australian terroir. All that small-batch, natural wine you've been hearing about is finally garnering the interest it deserves from international sorts. Sitting at the table was Alessandro Perricone of Copenhagen's relaxed, fine dining establishment Relae, Heidi Nam Knudsen, a wine buyer who works closely with Yotam Ottolenghi in the UK, Fahara Zamorano, head sommelier at Curtis Stone's restaurant Gwen in Los Angeles, Ambrose Chiang, of Australia's own Momofuku Seiobo, and Hiroshi Ishida, a multi award-winning sommelier from L'aube (an established restaurant in Tokyo with little online presence). Over the morning, each of them tasted around ten different Australian wines — they remained controlled and professional at all times, but make no mistake, they were drunk. [caption id="attachment_619886" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fahara Zamorano.[/caption] What did you know about the Australian wine industry before coming to Australia? Alessandro Perricone: I knew little. While working in Italy at the beginning of my career, I came across some famous Australian brands which, in my opinion, speak more for themselves rather than talking about a territory. Now in Copenhagen, some of the new-generation winemakers are getting more and more popular, but my knowledge was quite confused before I arrived. Hiroshi Ishida: I know quite a lot about Australian wine as I've visited before. Australian wine is really diverse, it honestly offers the A-to-Z. I am more familiar with established regions such as the Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, Barossa, Clare Valley and Margaret River. These are all sophisticated and sustainable wine growing regions, with well-known large wineries that we are familiar with in Japan. Fahara Zamorano: My knowledge about the Australian wine industry was limited to the wines I had been shown in the US. I do have the privilege to taste some beautiful Aussie wines in California, but the selection is quite limited in comparison to everything that's happening in Australia right now. Heidi Nam Knudsen: To be honest I didn't know a lot. I stopped paying attention a few years back because I felt that all the wines I tried were too big and heavy. It was all about Shiraz and Chardonnay, but without much terroir-driven personality. Only recently did I start taking notice again, when I tried the wines from a new generation of winemakers in the Adelaide Hills. [caption id="attachment_619884" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hiroshi Ishida.[/caption] How has your perception of Australian wine changed? Ambrose Chiang: This program has shown me how physically big Australia is — Portugal to Poland is almost as far as Perth to Sydney. Imagine the different micro and macro-climates! The Australian wine industry has seen tremendous growth in the past decade. From internationally recognised as a single wine region for big, bold, alcoholic Shiraz and cloying, toasted Chardonnay, to establishing a country with a diverse range of terroirs which produce wines not only reflective of place, but good farming, skilled winemaking and dedication toward quality wines. FZ: My perception changed immensely, I was extremely surprised in the best possible way to find a renaissance happening in Australian wine right now. The energy is contagious, the collaboration between winemakers within regions is inspiring, and the unification of the country to elevate the world's perception of Australian wine is just a wonderful thing to witness. AP: Yes! I certainly went deeper regarding some territories. I see a change in style with the last vintages and in general a much better approach to winemaking with less intervention. Different to what my thoughts of Australian wines were. Many of the wines in Australia have a hard time talking about a terroir, as the approach to agriculture and viticulture is wrong, but this new wave of producers makes me hope for a better future. HI: On this trip to Australia I felt dynamism. There is much more diversity in the styles that winemakers are crafting, from conventional to funky. It's obvious there is some great talent within the new generation. There are new, emerging regions and I saw a lot of potential. [caption id="attachment_619905" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alessandro Perricone.[/caption] Describe Australian wine in one sentence. AP: Australian wine is a total lack of rules and pure freedom. It can easily turn into something marvellous, or just as easily, into a mess! FZ: Renaissance. HNK: There's more history to Australian wine than one might think, and judging from what I've seen on this trip there's a big, bright future ahead of it. I guess the biggest difference is that Australia is such a large country and almost every climate and soil type can be found. That means Australia can produce all of the major wine types from red, white, fortified to sparkling wines. AC: I believe that it's almost impossible to describe Australian wine in one sentence. Our freedom of viticulture and vilification and the dedication of so many producers, along with the multiplicity of terroirs, drives us to be one of the most diverse and innovative wine industries in the world. [caption id="attachment_619888" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Heidi Nam Knudsen.[/caption] What were you looking forward to seeing the most, and did it live up to your expectations? HI: I wanted to see the potential in new regions and explore the Victorian High Country and Tasmania. Absolutely, this trip lived up to more than I expected. All the sparkling wine from Tasmania was fantastic. We tried sparkling wines from House of Arras, Josef Chromy, Pipers Brook. FZ: I was very excited to visit Tasmania because not much of their wine makes it out of Australia (thanks Melbourne and Sydney). The little exposure I had prior to this trip left me wanting more. Tasmania lived up to and surpassed my expectations. For such a young wine growing region, there's some serious talent that's 'put all their eggs in that one basket' as we say in America. That alone is an indication of the potential of the region. Now they just need to make more juice so we can get some too! HNK: I was really excited about visiting Adelaide Hills and visit some of the vineyards there. On my last day I went to Manon Farm up in Forest Range. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. Spending time with Tim and Monique on their beautiful farm was very special indeed and their approach to farming really inspired me. [caption id="attachment_619907" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ambrose Chiang.[/caption] What was the most notable wine you've tasted, or thing you've seen on the tour? FZ: The wine that left me speechless was Henschke Hill of Grace. There's a lot of high end/expensive wines out there and I've been fortunate enough to taste many, but not many have the soul that wine has. Every vintage I tasted, from 1986 to current vintage was absolutely stunning. That kind of depth is only developed with the wisdom of time and those vines have attained it and pass it along in their fruit. It's hard to describe in technical notes. Like I said, it left me speechless. AC: Out of the 1000-plus wines tasted, the most notable wines were 2014 Si Vintners Halcyon Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Yarra Yerring Chardonnay and 1996 Henschke 'Hill of Grace' Shiraz. They were wines that displayed incredible flavour. One of the best trips in the program was visiting Western Australia. The sunset at the White Elephant Cafe was out of this world. What are you taking back home? AP: The passion of the people, organisers and winemakers who worked so hard and beautifully showed me their jobs, their produce and their land. I'm taking home Australia, as it deeply touched my heart. I will start importing some of the young and small producers I met during my trip. I look forward to coming back to Australia. FZ: Love. HI: I'll be taking a huge amount home. I use Australian wine very often in wine pairings in my restaurant, and I'd really like to showcase more Australian wine so Japanese diners can recognise its diversity. HNK: The energy and excitement of the new generation of winemakers in the Adelaide Hills and Basket Range and the outstanding quality of food on display everywhere we went. Celebrate Australian wine by attending Aussie Wine Month over May — there are events and tasting opportunities happening across the country. Images: Kimberley Low.
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.
The inevitable robot uprising is one step closer to becoming a reality, with the launch of Domino's first ever pizza delivery drone. The store-to-door aerial pizza man was unveiled this week in Auckland, where it will be rolled out across New Zealand in the coming months. According to Domino's, the drones will be used as a delivery method alongside the existing fleet of human couriers (well, until they outlive their usefulness) and will be "fully integrated into online ordering and GPS systems". They've developed the technology with U.S. drone developers Flirtey, who last month helped 7-Eleven deliver their first slurpee by drone. Expect the drones to make short distance deliveries in fine weather, because the last thing we need is pizza falling from the sky. …actually, scratch that. That sounds excellent. Of course, this isn't the first time that Domino's has invested in robotics. In March of this year they gave life to DRU, a robotic delivery unit capable of extinguishing the human race by the time your pizza is cold. Sure, he looks adorable, but we're pretty sure that beneath that Apple store exterior lies the unfeeling cybernetic heart of a Terminator. Then again, maybe we're over-reacting. Maybe all he wants to do is to deliver us a pizza and garlic bread and be done with it.
It's mid-August, so you should probably start getting your New Year's Eve plans in order. Victorian NYE festival Beyond the Valley has revealed the lineup for its celebrated four-day festival in Lardner Park, Victoria and it's pretty bloody good, so could be a solid option. At five festivals old, starting out in 2014, Beyond the Valley has become a regular fixture on the Victorian New Year's circuit. And, once again, it has managed to secure a rather colossal lineup. Chart-topping American rapper Tyler, The Creator, will heading to Australia — for the first time since releasing his highly lauded album IGOR — as will the ARIA Award-winning three piece, Rüfüs Du Sol. Joining them will be techno and house legend Green Velvet, gold masked German DJ duo Claptone, British rapper Skepta and genre-blending producer Honey Dijon. From the local contingent are Hayden James — fresh off the back of dropping his latest album Between Us — alt-pop group Cub Sport, dance floor regulars Bag Raiders and soulful singer Meg Mac. Beyond the Valley will once again take over Lardner Park, Warragul, Victoria from December 28 to January 1. Anyway, here's what you came for: BEYOND THE VALLEY 2019 LINEUP Tyler, The Creator Rüfüs Du Sol 16BL Bag Raiders CC:Disco! Chris Lake Claptone Confidence Man Cub Sport Dena Amy Denis Suita DJ Seinfeld Dom Dolla Floating Points Green Velvet Hayden James Heidi Hobo Johnson and the Lovemakers Honey Dijon I Know Leopard Jordan Brando Kettama Lastlings Late Nite Tuff Guy Lion Babe London Topaz Made in Paris Mallrat Matt Corby Meg Mac Methyl Ethel Motez Noir Owl Eyes Patrice Bäumel Rebuke Sama Set Mo Shoreline Mafia Skepta Snakehips The Veronicas
