Gearing up for one last hoorah, celebrated partystarters Yacht Club DJs are hitting the road for their nationwide farewell tour set to be a shindig like no other. Lining up 14 shows in the space of just three months, Ballarat-born pair Gaz Harrison and Guy Chappell will be spinning their way from coast to coast for one final escapade. The past six years have seen these two tackle some seriously epic projects. Regulars in both Sydney and Melbourne, the crew have three stellar appearances at farmland Victoria’s iconic Meredith Music Festival under their belt, after supporting the likes of Haim and Mumford and Sons abroad. From all reports, these guys know how to put on a killer show. Melburnians can nab a slice of 'The Hooroo! Tour' in November at the Corner Hotel. Faithful fans and newcomers alike, it's a mighty fine excuse to dust off those dancing and/or boat shoes.
Clear your calendars, art lovers. Melbourne's largest queer arts and culture bash, the Midsumma Festival has showcased the talents of local creatives from within the city's LGBTIQ community every year since 1988 — and its 2016 program is due to kick off this Sunday, January 17. Running for three straight weeks, the festival will be spread across more than 80 different venues, and will cover everything from visual art and performance to community events and parties. As has become tradition, the festival's centrepiece event will be the annual Pride March along Fitzroy Street in St Kilda. This year, the march will put an emphasis on the fight for marriage equality. Other flagship events include the Midsumma Carnival and T Dance, which will once again kick off the festival with a five-hour lineup of free live music and entertainment in Alexandra Gardens. But there are many more events to get your art-loving self to during Midsumma 2016. Here are our top picks.
This Friday, May 3, the National Gallery of Victoria will reveal its next impressive exhibition, A Fairy Tale in Red Times. Showcasing large-scale and never-before-seen works from Sydney's White Rabbit Gallery's collection, the exhibition will explore questions of identity and personal and cultural memory. Featuring 26 Chinese and Taiwanese artists from across two generations — the first post-Mao generation and a younger generation for whom the Cultural Revolution is ancient history — A Fairy Tale in Red is an examination of the dramatic generational change in Chinese society and culture, and its impact on contemporary art as well as, more generally, today's China. Works include Shi Yong's A Bunch of Happy Fantasies (2009) installation of upside down neon-lit Chinese characters and the eponymous A Fairy Tale in Red Times (2003–07): a collection of vibrant, large-scale photographs by husband and wife duo Shao Yinong and Muchen. Plus, pieces never exhibited before in Australia will be on display, including Zhu Jinshi's large scale immersive installation The Ship of Time (2018) made from 14,000 sheets of xuan paper, 1800 pieces of fine bamboo and 2000 cotton threads; and Mao Tongqiang's Order (2015), a stainless-steel installation shot repeatedly with bullets. [caption id="attachment_718755" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Ship of Time (2018), Zhu Jinshi, courtesy of Tang Contemporary and the artist.[/caption] The exhibition is a collaboration between White Rabbit's founder Judith Neilson and the NGV — and it's the first time the NGV will dedicate and entire exhibition to works from the Sydney gallery. Coinciding with White Rabbit Gallery's tenth anniversary and the release of a new NGV publication The Centre: On Art and Urbanism in China, the exhibition opens this week, and will run from May 3 until October 6. As a bonus, it's also free to enter. A Fairy Tale in Red Times will show at NGV International from May 3–October 6, 2019. Entry is free. Top image: A Bunch of Happy Fantasies (2009), Shi Yong, courtesy of ShanghArt Gallery and the artist.
Step into your local arthouse theatre these days and you'd be hard pressed not to find a regional film festival going on. From established cinematic powerhouses like France, Germany and Japan, to less spotlighted industries such as Poland, Indonesia and Serbia, the sheer amount of world cinema on the cultural calendar means there's almost always an alternative to the latest blockbuster out of Hollywood. As long as you don't mind reading subtitles, that is. In 2014, the line-up is getting that little bit more crowded, with the inaugural edition of a brand new festival highlighting the films from Europe's frozen north. Covering Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the first annual Scandinavian Film Festival is set to put the kvikmynd in kvikmyndahátíð. One area where contemporary Scandinavian cinema really seems to excel is the crime genre. Case in point, the Easy Money trilogy, starring Joel 'RoboCop' Kinnaman as a uni student turned drug runner. All three films will screen at the festival — see them before the scheduled US reboot featuring Zac Efron. From across the bridge in Denmark, meanwhile, comes police thriller The Keeper of Lost Causes, one the highest grossing films at the Danish box office last year. Continuing the dramatic thread, Metalhead, out of Iceland, tells the story of a pre-teen girl who copes with her brother's accidental death by taking on his identity. Sounds a little strange, sure, but the film has drawn rave reviews on the international festival circuit and scored a record-breaking 16 nominations at Iceland's prestigious Edda Awards. Thankfully, despite the region's chilly climate, not everything on the program is so severe. Finland's August Fools is a rom-com set against a Cold War era backdrop, while opening night features the informatively titled Swedish comedy The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. For more information about the Scandinavian Film Festival, visit their website.
Melbourne has been a real pageant queen lately, having now been crowned Miss Most Liveable City for seven years in a row. We've all seen the glossy shots of laneway cafes and Federation Square that we're known for, and it's true that Melbourne looks great under the sun. But locals know that after dark is when Melbourne truly shines. The city's nightlife is the best on offer in Australia at the moment, and with public transport running all night on weekends, you can enjoy it even more. Instead of waiting out surges, jostling for cabs or sharking innocent pedestrians in an attempt to nab a park, jump on a late-night tram, train or bus and own the night. There's so much on offer at all hours of the eve, and we've got some tips to help you get to know the darker side of Melbourne. SUNSET AT THE BEACH Start your night by jumping on the 96 tram and heading to St Kilda beach. Grab an ice cream or pastry along Acland Street (don't worry about eating dessert before dinner — there are no rules tonight) and head to the sand to sit back and watch as the sun goes down and Luna Park lights up. People-watching is the name of the game here, and dusk is the time of day when all the kookiest subjects come out to play. COCKTAILS AND JAPANESE WITH A TWIST When you've brushed all the sand out of your crevices, it's time to eat. Jump on the 5 tram to Chapel Street, get off at stop 32, and wander down Chapel Street as it comes alive for the dinner rush. Head to Mr Miyagi for dinner, a southside favourite. They don't take bookings for groups of five or less, which is excellent news for cocktail lovers. Wait for your table in their adjacent bar, Yukie's, and sample from their experimental cocktail menu — try the salted watermelon martini garnished with Midori-infused faux olives. Once you're installed at Mr Miyagi's, try their signature snack: the salmon nori taco with grilled salmon belly, sushi rice and spicy mayo, all wrapped up in a seaweed case. Excellent fuel for the long night ahead. POST-DINNER ROOFTOP FEATURE Once you're sufficiently stuffed, prepare your bod for a digestive respite. Head to Windsor Station to get the train to Flinders Street Station. From there, jump on a tram heading up Swanston Street (heck yeah, free tram zone), get off at Bourke Street Mall and head to Rooftop Cinema. For the next few months, they'll be running a cinema program on the roof of the Curtin House building. It features a good mix of cult classics, new releases, deckchairs and a killer view of the city — it's the perfect intermission for your late-night antics. POOL, CRAZY MILKSHAKES OR AFTER-HOURS BOWLS Once you've fully digested both film and food, it's time to kick it up a notch. You have a few options. Take the 86 or 96 trams out to Fitzroy and stop in at the Red Triangle Pool Hall on Argyle Street. Play a few games of pool, and to keep it interesting, make it so the loser buys the winner one of Red Triangle's disgustingly indulgent milkshakes. But if you like your balls close to the ground, stay on the tram a little longer and head up to Fitzroy Bowls Club — it stays open until 10pm and is fully licensed. We recommend booking ahead to guarantee your spot. MIDNIGHT CBD BAR HOPPING Once you're deep in the night, jump on the 86 or 96, and head back into the city. From here, you can choose your own adventure depending on how you feel. We recommend Boilermaker House on Lonsdale for excellent craft beer; Heartbreaker on Russell for pizza, dancing and more pool; Siglo on Spring Street for pure class; Gin Palace down Russell Place for quiet, sexy ambience; or New Guernica to get heavy. Or better yet, take advantage of that free tram zone and stop in at them all. LATE NIGHT KARAOKE No late night is complete without a spot of karaoke. If you need privacy to belt out your heartfelt rendition of When Doves Cry (no judgement — we respect your craft), head to KBOX on La Trobe and book yourself a booth. If you know no shame and want the world to hear your siren song, head to Jankara Karaoke. This tiny, weird karaoke bar on Russell Street is always packed full of people who have no business doing karaoke, but who do it anyway and with unbridled enthusiasm. [caption id="attachment_639262" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Anwyn Howarth.[/caption] EVENING'S END EATS When the night is wrapping up, the sun is peeping over the horizon and you're in serious need of a snack, late night food options are abundant in the city. Shujinko on Russell is 24-hours and Stalactites, everyone's favourite late-night souvas slinger, is also open 'round the clock. And if you need a pick me up, Little Bean Blue on Little Collins opens at 6am, ready to caffeinate you so you don't fall asleep on the tram home — that's definitely not a good look. Whatever you're planning for the weekend, whether it's staying out after midnight or up until dawn, the Night Network will take you wherever you need to go — and then get you home again. Lead image: Brook James.
Memory is weird. Sometimes it makes sense and other times it runs in loops, unfinished and unresolved. Memorandum seeks to demonstrate the disconnection between memory and reality, and the strangeness of recollection itself. In this intimate and immersive piece, Kate Hunter explores the weirdness and unreliability of the mind. "I have this ongoing image on my mind from childhood of a number of people — grownups — who have nappies on. So I don’t know what that’s about." The show features Hunter retelling stories varying formats, all the while second guessing the truth of her memory. The topic was actually developed after Hunter spent four years researching cognitive neuroscience for her PHD in Performance Studies. Her performance is strong, her storytelling skills are admirable, and her memories (whether they are accurate or not) are fascinatingly obscure. However among the constantly changing and confusing dialogue, I struggled to find a richer meaning other than 'Goddamn it, why can’t I remember things better?' It would have been good to see a bit more of the scientific side of the concept, or at the very least, a deeper exploration of the concept. Part poetry, part physical theatre, part audio/visual show, Memorandum perhaps tries to cross too many theatre 'to dos' off the list. One that really got me was the microphone capturing Hunter’s breath. Perhaps it was an attempt to remind us of the frailty of the mind, or the life force that drives memory — but really it was just kind of distracting. Plus I hate bodily noises, so... Visually, the piece is beautiful. Hunter crawls through pools of light, stands amidst projections of herself and creates ghoulish shadows across the back wall. There is a particularly striking moment of audiovisual design where words trip down panels of cloth featuring projections of Hunter herself while she recalls yet another unbelievable story from her life. While the production looked good, and the stories were engaging, I didn’t feel particularly challenged by the piece, despite it making a statement I wasn’t sure I understood. However, with such a short work — just under an hour — it was simply a pleasure to be immersed in Hunter’s weird and wonderful mind. Photo credit: Leo Dale.
To the joy of folks who love ice cream but don't consume animal products, tucking into a creamy frozen dessert that's 100-percent vegan is much easier than it used to be. You'll find vegan Magnums, Cornettos and Weiss Bars in your supermarket freezer, vegan choc tops at Event Cinemas in Sydney and Brisbane, vegan ice cream sandwiches at Lord of the Fries around the country, and a selection of vegan sorbets at Gelato Messina — and now you'll find a new vegan lineup at gelato chain Gelatissimo as well. Gelatissimo already has its own vegan sorbet range, spanning flavours such as green apple, lemon, mango, passionfruit, raspberry, strawberry and coconut. Now, it's also scooping up dairy-free gelato. As part of the new selection, two varieties are on offer at present, with a third still to come — and they're the first in the chain's ongoing commitment to providing flavours for all dietary preferences. If you like your frosty desserts with a dash of decadence, you're in luck, with caramel mudcake and triple chocolate flavours on the menu. When you're licking your way through a cup or cone of caramel mudcake vegan gelato, you'll be enjoying vegan caramel gelato combined with caramelised sugar, as well as chunks of vegan caramel mudcake. As for the vegan triple chocolate gelato, it blends West African cocoa, vegan dark chocolate morsels and vegan chocolate sauce, then dusts the whole thing with cocoa powder. Available until Thursday, April 2 — or until stocks last — in all Australian stores, both dairy-free flavours use coconut and soy milk. Just what the third vegan gelato flavour will be, or when it'll be available, hasn't been revealed as yet. Gelatissimo's new vegan range is available from all stores nationwide until Thursday, April 2 — or until stocks last. If you're choosing to go out and support local businesses, have a look at the latest COVID-19 advice and social-distancing guidelines from the Department of Health.
When it comes to street art exhibitions, it really doesn't get any bigger than this. A retrospective of Banksy's work is making its way to Australia, featuring more than 80 of the artist's off-street masterpieces. From October 7 to January 22, The Paddock in Melbourne's Federation Square will play host to The Art of Banksy, a massive collection of pieces by the art world's chief enigma — including the darkly satirical, overtly political work that has turned the stencil-loving artist into such an infamous icon. Endeavouring to take audiences on a journey through Banksy's output and mindset, the exhibition will include the well-known Girl with Balloon, Flag Wall and Laugh Now pieces, as well as three efforts that have never before been displayed to the public. If it sounds epic, that's because it is. The art featured has been sourced from over 40 different private collectors around the world, and comprises the largest showcase of Banksy pieces to ever make its way to our shores. As curated by the artist's former manager Steve Lazarides, the exhibition is also a little controversial. While every piece is original, unique and authentic, The Art of Banksy proudly boasts that the entire show is 100 percent unauthorised. No, Banksy hasn't signed off on the event. As well as displaying Banksy's work in a custom-built enclosure, The Art of Banksy will also shine a light on a range of pieces by well-known and emerging local street artists. Expect to find them on the surrounding external surfaces and the inside walls of the exhibition's own Circle Bar, which will serve craft beers and cocktails. Outside, the Welcome to Thornbury team will corral a heap of food trucks into an area called 'The Railyard'. Plus, on Friday nights and Saturday arvos, DJs will also provide appropriate tunes to suit the occasion. Of course, Melburnians will know that this isn't the mysterious figure's first dalliance with the city. The artist's stencils have popped up around the city previously courtesy of a visit in 2003, though many have been destroyed and damaged in the years since. [competition]591262[/competition]
For local whisky lovers, Christmas has come early, as CBD bar Whisky & Alement cracks open its prized cellar for the public to shop — for the first time in eight years. Featuring a mind-blowing collection of rare and covetable whiskies, this treasure trove is the result of years of careful scouting by owners Brooke Hayman and Julian White. And now it's ripe for the picking, open to the public by request in the lead-up to Christmas. It'll complement the already hefty selection of single malts available from the Whisky & Alement bottle shop, with White on-hand during weekdays offering his expert guidance. The lineup runs to hard-to-find drops, discontinued product and bottles not normally available outside of the distilleries where they were made. Some of the most exciting stuff includes a super rare 2013 Japanese number called Ichiro's Malt Port Pipe, and a 24-year-old single cask iteration from the since demolished North Port distillery in Brechin. Find the ultimate Christmas pressie for the whisky fiend in your life, or treat your own damn self to something a bit special for the festive season. Best get in quick though. Whisky & Alement is open from 4pm every day (except for Saturdays, when it opens at 7pm) at 270 Russell Street, Melbourne. For more information, visit the Facebook page.
After taking two years off, the Chapel Street Precinct Association has decided to bring back its Chapel Champion Awards for 2024, which sees the public vote for their favourite local businesses across a range of categories. But these awards don't just give the winners ultimate bragging rights. The winner of each of the 16 categories also receives a cash and marketing package to the value of a cool $5000. [caption id="attachment_902834" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leonard's House of Love[/caption] The big hospo gongs — for best cafe, bar and restaurant — will be hotly fought over by big and small names in the game, but we've got our eyes on the brand-new top toastie award, which has seen a bunch of venues creating new eats just for the occasion. They've been tasked with making "out-of-the-box toasties that have the X-factor to make people travel from all over Melbourne and possibly Australia to try them out". And by the looks of it, this going to be a hard-fought fight. Windsor cafe Delilah has created an unbelievably spicy tiger bread toastie stacked with chorizo, chimichurri and chilli sauce featuring Carolina Reaper chillies — the second hottest chilli in the world. You've also got Naughty Nancy's Toasted Yorkie, which is basically a whole chicken roast dinner wrapped in a huge Yorkshire pudding and drizzled in gravy because why not, tbh. [caption id="attachment_963772" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Entrecote[/caption] Entrecote has also joined the race by turning its famous steak frites into a baguette toastie, while Kaneffi has made a dessert toastie which sees a croissant stuffed with kaneffi cheese and topped with pistachio sauce, melted chocolate and gold flakes. Caffe e Cucina, Neptune, Rossi Bar, Norman South Yarra, Acai Brothers Prahran, Lasagna Lab, Reverie Cafe, Rustica, Kookaburra's Canteen, OPPEN Cafe and Abacus have also made their own unique toasties that could see them win that $5000 prize. [caption id="attachment_963773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Abacus[/caption] If you've got a favourite local business that you'd like to win an award, be sure to vote online during the first round before 12pm on Wednesday, July 10. Public voting for the finalists in each category then opens on Friday, July 12 and closes at 12pm on Friday, July 26. "We're ecstatic to announce the highly anticipated return of the Chapel Champion Awards to crown the best businesses our iconic strip has on offer," said Chapel Street Precinct Association General Manager Matt Lanigan. "Unlike the soulless shopping centres that litter Australia, Chapel Street prides itself on its individuality and unique assortment of businesses, many of which you can't find anywhere else in the country. "This makes crowning a select few as Chapel Champions so challenging, and with more than 100 new businesses launching since the 2022 awards, this year's competition is expected to be the biggest challenge yet." [caption id="attachment_961410" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Windsor Wine Room[/caption] The full list of categories includes: Best Toasted Sandwich Hair and Beauty Stay and Accommodation Cafe Restaurant Business Service Entertainment Venue Bar Retail Art Gyms and Fitness Health and Wellness Fashion Hidden Gems Customer Service Soul of Chapel [caption id="attachment_736968" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chapel Street Bazaar by Parker Blain.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_945738" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David's Prahran[/caption] [caption id="attachment_920570" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chapel off Chapel[/caption] You can vote in the 2024 Chapel Champion Awards via the Chapel Street Precinct Association's website. Top image: Lamb on Chapel.
Held every two months in the indoor comfort of Brunswick Town Hall, the Sisters' Market special December event aligns perfectly with the silly season and the desire to pamper your loved ones (or yourself) with locally made and ethically sourced creations. Splurge on handmade clothing, well-crafted jewellery and accessories, one-of-kind stationary, soy candles and delightful beauty treats and more. With only 60 stalls, this market has a spot of difference as all stallholders have been hand-picked by siblings Marianna Gentilin and Roberta Parisito to represent the values and philosophies of the homemade market. Unique stalls to watch out for include the buzzing sensation of Marzrian Queen Bee Jewellery who turns dead bees into stunning wearable works of art, and cute illustrations from the award-winning illustrator and author Elise Hurst. Another bonus is that the market is fully decked out with cash and card facilities saving you from pesky dashes to the ATM. Christmas shopping sorted.
Sydney will play host to the best bartenders in the world next year, when the 11th annual Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year Global Final heads Down Under. If you haven't heard of it, the competition pits the best bartenders from over 60 countries against each other. Apart from the main tournament, the competition includes a week-long festival of pop-ups, collaborations and tastings. So, while nothing has been announced just yet, expect Sydney to be buzzing with exciting one-off events come next spring. Launched in 2009, the competition boasts some notable local winners, including Bulletin Place's Tim Philips-Johansson (2012) and, most recently, Lûmé's Orlando Marzo (2018). This year's World Class, held in Glasgow, featured another Aussie finalist: Alex Boon — the lauded bar manager at the Melbourne instalment of The Speakeasy Group's famed Viking-inspired restaurant Mjolner. Bannie Kang of Singapore bar Antidote took out the top gong for 2019. [caption id="attachment_721694" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bulletin Place by Cesar Echeverri[/caption] The competition comes to Sydney at an exciting time, too, with Sydney's lockout laws set to be scrapped in the CBD early next year and the City of Sydney planning to introduce 24-hour trading in the area. The CBD is also home to an exciting lineup of new bars — including Maybe Sammy, Employees Only, Prince of York, Cantina OK! and Double Deuce Lounge — which have all opened in the last twelve months, and join world-class stalwarts like Bulletin Place, The Baxter Inn, The Lobo Plantation and PS40. The 11th annual Diego World Class Bartender of the Year Global Final will take place in Sydney in 2020. For more information and to stay up to date, head to the website. Top image: World Class 2018 winners, Orlando Marzo and Alex Boon.
Just when you thought IKEA had ruined enough relationships with its 'easy-to-follow' 'three-step' 'anyone-can-do-it' DIY furniture, they're now giving punters the opportunity to do it all again over dinner. The Swedish company will next week launch The Dining Club, a pop-up 'DIY' restaurant on London's Shoreditch High Street. If you're thinking a 'DIY restaurant' sounds a little suss — it is. It's like a restaurant in that there will be tables, chairs and food, but less like one in that you have to cook the meal yourself. There will be a sous chef and maître de on-hand to help out though. The whole thing is meant to allow punters to have "an intimate foodie experience in a homely kitchen environment", according to a statement on IKEA's website. Sittings will run for brunch, lunch and dinner, and will feature "a range of modern sharing dishes, including some Scandinavian classics" — which we'll take to mean meatballs will totally be on the menu. The whole experience — including the food, drinks and service — is free of charge but there's only 38 up for grabs in a ballot-like system. Hopeful hosts can register their interest (which includes dreaming up a creative answer to 'who would you invite?') and, if selected by the IKEA gods, can bring along 7-19 friends. Earlier this year IKEA announced it will finally launch an online store for Australian customers — so who knows, maybe a pop-up kitchen will be coming our way too? The Dining Club will run from September 10-25 at 3-10 Shoreditch High Street, London. If you're in London, you can register your interest for a booking at ikeathediningclub.com. Image: Jay Wennington.
Chances are that you've sipped a few brews within the historic Pentridge Prison precinct since Scotland's BrewDog opened the doors to its first Melbourne venue there in November. Well, now you've got an excuse to return to the heritage Coburg site for a spot of wine appreciation, with the launch of its newest drinking destination Olivine. Opening on Friday, April 14, this elegant wine bar marks the latest phase of the precinct's multimillion-dollar redevelopment, having carved out a chic home within the one-time cells of the prison's B Division. Boasting room for 100, Olivine is a dapper affair, complete with its own walk-in cellar door. The iconic bluestone walls lend a moodiness to the space, while a plush fitout by CHADA pulls together pops of turquoise and gold with deep green marble and a splash of velvet. Primed to be a serious wine-sipping destination, it's pouring a lineup of more than 500 bottles assembled by celebrated sommelier Liinaa Berry. The hard-copy list, dubbed The Book of Wine, is a hefty tome that's split handily into chapters, broken up by watercolour illustrations by local artist Elizabeth Nicholls. Olivine's vinous curation spans old-world and new-world styles alike, paying equal respect to emerging talent and established legends, and tripping right across the globe in the process. You'll find small-batch gems, unearth unsung heroes and get acquainted with some stellar international drops. And you'd best be prepared to walk away with some fresh knowledge and a few stories, too. Meanwhile, the bar's pouring a strong crop of craft spirits and a range of signature cocktails to round out the boozy fun. Olivine's food menu ensures some high-quality grazing to match your tipple of choice, running to plates like chicken liver parfait with brown butter tuille, pork fritters sided with a ravigote dressing, and tins of caviar served with smoked cream cheese. Scallop tarts are finished with dried tomato and dotted with a yuzu emulsion, while taramasalata and salmon roe accompany the potato rosti. And of course, you can bank on plenty of expert guidance when it comes to nailing that food and wine pairing. Find Olivine at 1 Pentridge Boulevard, Coburg, from Friday April 14. It'll open daily from 4pm–late.
Don't be fooled by the unchanged name — The Carlton Wine Room's had quite the shake-up, reopening today, Monday, February 26, with new owners, a new look and a revamped offering. At the helm is sommelier Travis Howe (Coda, Tonka) and McConnell group alum Andrew Joy, who's had his eye on the space since his days working across the road at the former Three, One, Two (which used to be in the space where The Town Mouse is now vacating). Now, the pair's stripped things back to create the kind of wine-focused haunt that begs to put on high rotation, with fresh, simple styling, an ever-evolving menu and the easygoing feel of a tried-and-true local. In the kitchen, John Paul Twomey (former head chef at Cutler & Co. and Gilson) is also keeping things simple with a pared-back menu of produce-driven modern Australian fare. It's a regularly changing lineup designed to work a treat alongside a glass or two of vino, from after-work snacking sessions to lazy weekend lunches. Fresh ingredients are the focus here, with a revolving pasta special showing off the best of each week's market haul. As for that wine list, it's a cracker, with a 100-bottle rotation Howe's sourced from all over the world. Throw in the option of BYO each Monday night and you've got yourself the makings of an instant neighbourhood favourite. The latest edition of The Carlton Wine Room opens today — Monday, February 26 — at 172–174 Faraday Street, Carlton. It's open midday till 11pm Thursday to Monday and 4–11pm Wednesday. For more info, visit thecarltonwineroom.com.au. Image: Google Street View.
In February, we announced that Melbourne could soon be home to the world's most sustainable shopping centre. This possibility is now one step closer to a reality as plans for the ground-breaking new shopping centre, and surrounding mixed-use community, have just been approved by council — and construction has, as of today, begun. A highlight of the shopping centre, which is expected to be completed by late 2019, will be a 2000-square-metre rooftop farm and restaurant designed by eco-warrior Joost Bakker (Greenhouse by Joost, Brothl) together with Frasers Property Australia. The rooftop's massive agricultural hub will sit within the complex's 12,700-square-metres of retail and hospitality space, with the urban farm split between greenhouse, external planter box and landscaped growing areas. Some of the sustainable elements Bakker plans to implement include a closed-loop water system, composting capability, and minimal transportation of food and waste. Inside the shopping centre, the sustainability continues with a solar-powered Woolworths, soft plastic recycling facilities and natural refrigerants, which aim to reduce the centre's carbon footprint. The shopping centre and rooftop space will be part of a mixed-used community Burwood Brickworks development — just 15 kilometres south of the Melbourne CBD in a former brickworks site. The development will be made up of 2.5 hectares of open space and parklands, community facilities and 700 homes, which are expected to hit the market as early as spring this year. The design of the wider mixed-use development will also focus on sustainability, using a large solar PV system and an embedded electricity network to target a minimum five-star green rating, with the aim of becoming Australia's first six-star Green Star Design — and to achieve Living Building Challenge accreditation. This accreditation is seriously hard to obtain and means the building must have a net zero carbon footprint, produce more electricity than it consumes, grow agriculture on 20 percent of the site, and prove net water and waste positive. It must also be constructed using non-toxic and recycled materials, and have other social benefits like access to natural daylight and indoor air quality. Once completed in October 2019, the Burwood Brickworks development will join the challenge to determine if it meets the criteria to be considered the world's most sustainable shopping centre. The Burwood Brickworks sustainable shopping centre is expected to be completed by late 2019, with the residential housing following in late 2020.
Craft beer meets cocktails at this very boozy evening at Dingo's Bar in Collingwood. Presented by small-batch subscription service Club Brewing, this one-off event will showcase three specially made beer-based cocktails (they've teased that there might be a "beer spider") made with Club Brewing's limited-edition brews. Ticket-holders will get the chance to sample all three concoctions and will also get access discounted drinks for the rest of the night.
Mary Eats Cake celebrates the timeless tradition of pairing a nice cuppa with some delicious small bites, calling it a "high tea" and making you feel just that little bit fancy. With two teahouses — one in Brunswick and one in Montrose — Mary has hosted countless high teas, and now she's upping the ante by serving them alongside plenty of gin. Running on every Saturday in September at the Montrose venue, and on Friday, August 24, in Brunswick, the gin-fuelled high teas are hosted in collaboration with Aussie-favourite distiller Four Pillars. The Gin High Tea will set you back $65 a head, and includes a gin and tea cocktail on arrival and a full High Tea menu of sweet and savoury treats matched to two more gin cocktails. And, maybe the important news, you'll also have access to unlimited scones. The Gin High Tea will be held on Friday, August 24, at Mary Eats Cake Brunswick and at Mary Eats Cake Montrose every Saturday in September.
Created in 2010 as an alternative to the Melbourne Art Fair, Notfair is returning in November with an impressive 50-artist-strong lineup. The fair, now in its fifth iteration, was founded to link some of the country's most overlooked and unknown artists to gallery directors, critics, curators and art-loving members of the public. So far, it has been an undeniable success; many of the fair's past artists have featured in major exhibitions and gained commercial representation. The fair's original founders, artists Tony Lloyd and Sam Leach and writer Ashley Crawford, have curated this year's event. It features artists working in experimental installation, sculpture, painting and many more forms. Roam through the Windsor warehouse and purchase cutting-edge art — you may even get to rub shoulders with some leading visual artists while you're at it. Notfair runs from November 11–19 and admission is free. See below for opening hours. NOTFAIR 2017 OPENING HOURS Saturday, November 11 — 3–7pm Sunday, November 12 — 12–5pm Wednesday, November 15 — 3–7pm Thursday, November 16 — 3–7pm Friday, November 17 — 4–7pm Saturday, November 18 — 12–6pm Sunday, November 19 — 12–4pm
With catastrophic weather conditions saturating Queensland and New South Wales over the past week, good news has been in very short supply. Enter the team at Sikh Volunteers Australia, which has put in an enormous effort to help folks affected by flooding in northern New South Wales. Their actions can only be described as heartwarming, feel-good, wholesome and just all-round ace. Any other synonym for great, nice, lovely and generous that you can think, it'd fit as well. The charity, which has a mission to provide people in need with free food, is based in Melbourne. But after seeing that its services could be used further north as the devastating weather hit, its members hit the road. Cue a 34-hour drive to serve free, freshly cooked vegetarian meals to flood-affected communities in Lismore — which has been doing it tough after the wet conditions moved through the regional town earlier in the week. Team is serving free meals to flood affected communities in Lismore NSW pic.twitter.com/BsO1HjEaJw — Sikh Volunteers Australia (@AustraliaSikh) March 3, 2022 Originally, the plan was to head to Queensland — so that drive would've been even longer — but, based on community response, the Sikh Volunteers decided that there was more need for their services in Lismore. They arrived yesterday, Wednesday, March 2, and have been dishing up free meals since. Sikh Volunteers Australia's efforts in Lismore follow the organisation's ongoing work in Melbourne, including delivering meals to COVID-19 cases during the recent Omicron wave — and, before that, via 320 dedicated volunteer drivers who did the same during the city's 2021 lockdown from August onwards. That's a huge effort, and the charity aims to expand its work to other parts of the country in the future, too. In Lismore now, Sikh Volunteers Australia has set up at 60 Ross Street, Goonellabah, and is providing free meals to anyone who needs them. For more information about Sikh Volunteers Australia, or to support their work via a donation, head to the organisation's website.
Life became wildly unpredictable and messy for a moment there, but Collingwood's newly opened massage and mindfulness studio might be just what you need to give stress the flick and start the year off strong. In the top levels of a converted Easey Street warehouse, Mary Minas and Freya Berwick have opened the first stage of their wellness hub Sense of Self, with its much-anticipated bathhouse set to launch downstairs in the coming months. The duo is out to flip the script on the usual wellness concept, with an unpretentious offering that's focused on connection, inclusivity and restoration. As Minas says, they're here to "offer a more approachable, no-BS approach to self-care as a practice, rather than a performance". So, put the phone away, get off the 'Gram and give yourself some much-needed attention. Within the new massage and mindfulness studio, this ethos translates to a careful spread of body treatments for relaxation, remediation and pregnancy, backed by a soothing lounge area where naps are not just welcomed, but encouraged. [caption id="attachment_799061" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oli Sansom[/caption] There's a pared back menu of elevated massage treatments, featuring customisable options for the feet, scalp, arms and body. You can treat your post-iso bod to a mix of Swedish massage, aromatherapy and meditation — this service fittingly dubbed The Hiatus — or maybe a deep remedial massage finished with a dry body brush or foot treatment. Outside of face mask restrictions, you can settle into a stimulating gua sha facial, too. The space itself has been transformed into a haven of calm and tranquility, thanks to abundance of creamy hues, lots of soft textiles and massage rooms decked out in natural timbers. Guests are encouraged to take time out and really relax for as long as they need before and after treatments, emerging back into reality at their own pace. And, while there's a tidy retail selection on offer featuring plenty of high-quality Sans Ceuticals products, the owners are adamant to avoid any pushy sales element that might interfere with that relaxation and self-care time. Once the bathhouse opens, Sense of Self's offering will expand to include a Finnish-style sauna, large mineral bath and cold plunge pool. Find Sense of Self at 30–32 Easey Street, Collingwood from 4.30–9pm Wednesday–Friday and 10am–6pm Saturday–Sunday. Images: Oli Sansom
Scienceworks is technically for kids and teenagers — but, in recent times, it's been opening up after hours for some adults-only fun. The next 18+ affair is Party Beyond — which, this time, will be curated with Due West Arts Festival. On Saturday, November 16, attendees can get a hit of adult science along with their glass of adult drinks (suck it, kids). Food and drinks will be available to purchase, and you won't be mulling over whatever you've just learnt — performances by local vocalist Rara Zulu, afrohouse duo Mai and the dance-inducing SHOUSE will be featured throughout the six exhibition spaces. Take a look at the unseen (like gravitational waves) in the Beyond Perception installation while Sui Zen performs her electronic tunes — or party inside the Planetarium with Melbourne musician BATTS, who blends folk rock with sound samples from NASA. Plus, Nuestro Planeta will be spinning everything fromfuture club to grime at the Admissions counter. Image: Museums Victoria/Benjamin Healley.
October is made for weird, wild and wonderful movies filled with shocks and scares. 'Tis Halloween season, after all. So, the world obliges, including on screens big and small — and, in 2023, via the return of Australia's genre film festival Monster Fest, which is dedicated to flicks of the spooky, dark, twisted, offbeat and out-there variety. Monster Fest doesn't always pop up in the month when everyone is worshipping pumpkins and thinking about costumes; however, the timing obviously couldn't be more perfect. As it always does, it'll run long in Melbourne, taking over Cinema Nova from Thursday, October 12–Sunday, October 22. Standouts titles on the 2023 program include Suitable Flesh, which stars Heather Graham (Extrapolations) as a doctor going mad, takes its inspiration from HP Lovecraft and boasts Joe Lynch (Creepshow) behind the lens; The Last Video Store, a horror-comedy set, yes, in one of the last video stores; and Norwegian flick There's Something in the Barn, about a gnome uprising that plagues an American family (including Party Down's Martin Starr) who've relocated to Scandinavia. Or, there's also sci-fi comedy Time Addicts, Australian slasher Bloodmoon getting a 4K restoration 33 years after its OG release and Trim Season's nightmarish trip to a weed farm. When Evil Lurks and its demonic infection will launch the Victorian capital's leg of the fest. From there, that's also where Red Rooms, which recently won Best Feature at the 2023 Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal, joins the program. And, so does the kung fu-filled The Invisible Fright, a 4K restoration of Jim Jarmusch's (The Dead Don't Die) Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and a 30th-anniversary session of ninth Friday the 13th entry Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (screening on the appropriate date, of course). On the doco front, erotic thrillers are thrust into the spotlight in We Kill for Love, Satan Wants You looks back at 80s-era satanic panic and Enter the Clones of Bruce surveys the talents that endeavoured to replicate Bruce Lee after his death. Going all in on Bruceploitation, Monster Fest is also putting on a double of The Dragon Lives Again and Challenge of the Tiger, where Dracula and James Bond are among Bruce's foes.
If you had a birthday sometime during the last few months, it probably didn't quite live up to expectations. Because of COVID-19, we've had (very necessary) restrictions on gatherings, which means that birthday shindig was most likely a little smaller than you'd hoped. To help ease the pain every so slightly, Krispy Kreme has announced it's giving away an extremely excessive number of doughnuts. How many? 350,000, to be exact. On Monday, July 13, Krispy Kreme is giving away a dozen Original Glazed doughnuts to Aussies who celebrated a birthday between March 13 and July 13. To snag yourself 12 signature glazed freebies, head to your closest store in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth. Sydneysiders have ten stores — stretching from Penrith to the CBD — to choose from, while Queenslanders can pick from five different doughnut shops, with the most central in the CBD Myer Centre, and Perthians can head to one of three Krispy Kreme stores. The free doughnuts are not available at BPs, Jesters or 7-Elevens. Because of stay-at-home restrictions in Victoria, the deal is only valid at one of three drive-thru stores: Fawkner, Fountain Gate and Bulleen. You can find out more about those restrictions over here. The 350,000 doughnuts will be spread across all Aussies stores. So, you'll want to get in relatively early if you want to kick off your Monday with a free sweet and doughy treat – and don't forget to bring your ID. If you do miss out, however, Krispy Kreme will be offering buy one dozen, get a dozen free from Wednesday, July 15 till Sunday, July 19. Krispy Kreme's free doughnut giveaway is happening nationwide on Monday, July 13 for those born between March 13 and July 13. To find your closest store and check its opening hours, head to the Krispy Kreme website.
Air out that mouldy tent, start rounding up the GoPros, Falls Festival have quite the epic 2014 lineup on their hands. With Byron now extended to a four-day program, Falls Festival is returning to its three sites (Lorne, Marion Bay and North Byron Parklands) for its annual New Year's Eve hootenanny. So who's on the bill? Returning with a Mercury Prize and a million debut album copies sold under their belt, Leeds foursome Alt-J are sure to be one of the packed sets this year. There'll be ass everywhere with the presence of the unmissable Big Freedia. The sublimely talented SBTRKT is set to play a huge live set (one of Laneway Festival's best sets to memory), while the formidable Jamie XX will keep the basslines well up in grill. Fresh from Glastonbury, George Ezra is set to be one of the festival highlights, with the debut set from the legendary Todd Terje, house monarchs Tensnake, Sydney trio Movement and San Francisco's Tycho sure to send everyone on a synthy, beats-fuelled odyssey. Altanta's favourite 'flower punk' band The Black Lips are in. Confirmed after a leak in Cleo, UK's Glass Animals are confirmed to get sultry. Festival favourites Cold War Kids return with their latest album's material (and a few oldies), while Australia's own ARIA-winners The Temper Trap return to the live circuit with material from their upcoming third record. Rap fans have some gleeful squealing to get to, with Brooklyn's Pro Era whiz Joey Bada$$, Killer Mike and El-P's Fool's Gold super-collab Run the Jewels, Melbourne's own Remi locked in. 'Stolen Dance' fans will have plenty to jig about with the first Australian tour of Milky Chance, Sydney's Bluejuice are playing their last round, London's Wolf Alice are sure to generate some buzz, and Canberran trio SAFIA are also buzzworthy inclusions. There's a few Splendour returns: Britpop-loving Sydney dudes DMAs, newbie hip hop firecracker Tkay Maidza, Sydney dance legends The Presets, electronic whiz kid The Kite String Tangle, returning rock heavyweights Spiderbait, singalong starters Sticky Fingers and Riptider Vance Joy. Falls will also see a kickass 'Boogie Nights' program featuring none other than the ever-kickass hip hop legends Salt n Pepa, Melbourne's best-dressed duo Client Liaison, Sydney partystarter Alison Wonderland and Canada's Badbadnotgood. THE FALLS MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL 2014 LINEUP (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER): ALT-J ASGEIR BIG FREEDIA THE BLACK LIPS BLUEJUICE COLD WAR KIDS DAN SULTAN DMAs EMPIRE OF THE SUN GEORGE EZRA GLASS ANIMALS JAGWAR MA JAMIE XX JOEY BADA$$ JOHN BUTLER TRIO JULIAN CASABLANCAS + THE VOIDZ KIM CHURCHILL THE KITE STRING TANGLE LA ROUX MILKY CHANCE MOVEMENT THE PRESETS REMI RUN THE JEWELS SAFIA SBTRKT SPIDERBAIT STICKY FINGERS THE TEMPER TRAP TENSNAKE TKAY MAIDZA TODD TERJE (live) TYCHO VANCE JOY WOLF ALICE BOOGIE NIGHTS: ALISON WONDERLAND BADBADNOTGOOD CLIENT LIAISON DJ FLETCH DJ WOODY PRESENTS 'HIP HOP IS 40' AV SHOW SALT N PEPA TWERKSHOP COMEDY DAMIEN POWER DANIEL TOWNES HARLEY BREEN LUKE McGREGOR TOMMY DASSALO URZILA CARLSON + MORE Update: Julian Casablancas + The Voidz have unfortunately pulled out of both their Australian tour and Falls appearance due to "unforeseen logistical circumstances". Image: Nigel Drought.
There are some shows that you know you need to see based purely on the name. Assisted Suicide: The Musical is one of them. Written and performed by disability rights campaigner and actor Liz Carr, this "TED talk with showtunes" arrives on our shores following sell-out engagements in the UK, at a time when Victorian state parliament is gearing up for a conscience vote on euthanasia. Carr's toe-tapping production for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival will provide a personal, entertaining perspective on a controversial subject, and may well force a few audience members to confront their own beliefs and prejudices.
MONA's summer festival Mona Foma is returning to Launceston this summer — and so is its airline, Air Mofo. After its debut last year, the 'private airline' will once again be on standby to usher guests from the mainland to Tasmania for the 2020 event in serious style — for free. The catch? You don't just get a seat on the purple and yellow Boeing 737 — you get the whole plane. So you'll have 149 seats to fill with your nearest and dearest, and basically anyone else who's free on the main festival weekend of January 17–19. The plane will leave from either Melbourne or Sydney, and everyone on board will be get free return airfares and a three-day festival pass. It goes without saying, you can expect more than just your average in-flight entertainment on-board. Your flight down south will be filled with all sorts of performances and is promising to be 'suitably lit'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmcAp570GRs&feature=youtu.be To enter, you'll have to do some detective work and pinpoint the Air Mofo plane on this map of Tassie. While clues will start going up on the Mona Foma website from today, you'll have to wait until next Thursday, October 10 to enter. First person to find it wins the trip. Then, they'll have just a month to organise their 149 guests. Air Mofo is once again a collaboration between Mona Foma and Tourism Tasmania, and the prize is valued at a whopping $99,000. The summer arts and music fest will take over Launceston from January 11–19. At the moment, the lineup has DJ and producer Flying Lotus coming in to Launnie from LA and a performance from classical musician Ludovico Einaudi — but the full thing will be announced on Friday, October 18. Three-day festival passes are also on sale now — this year priced at $129 for the weekend. And, if you're looking for other ways to enjoy the festival's new surrounds, check out our weekender's guide to Launceston during Mona Foma. Mona Foma 2020 will take over Launceston, Tasmania from January 11–19. Enter the competition over here.
Weekends love to hog the limelight when it comes to social activities, but we're big advocates of a mid-week hang. Adding a little glamour to a weeknight is a sure-fire way to make the work week go quicker, so this spring, luxe Japanese restaurant Nobu has you covered, tempting you away from the standard 'crawl home at knock-off' routine. For the entire month of September, the restaurant is slinging flutes of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Champagne for $19 plus two snow crab tacos for $15. Yes, for under $40 you will be living your best life and forgetting the fact that it might not even be Wednesday yet. The offer is available daily between 5–9pm, and for extra points, you can also order a whole bottle of Ruinart for $120 if you're feeling particularly flush on payday. Best shared with friends, Champagne and tacos might not be the most traditional of pairings but it'll be your new favourite.
In the leafy green eastern suburbs is the crème de la crème of secondhand clothing markets — with plenty of other bits and bobs to please the general market-goer too. Everyone's budget is catered for here. For a couple of coins you can pick up some snazzy threads with folk shedding their bulging closets, or you could invest in some designer fur jackets. Antique homewares, succulents, heavenly scented soaps and body lotions and even well-thumbed books are all up for grabs to the best haggler. All of which can be enjoyed with the background music of a warbling busker.
Melbourne's annual celebration of all things hoppy is very nearly upon us. Well, sort of. This year's Good Beer Week isn't happening until May — but, as is tradition, the folks behind the festival are tapping a few kegs early for the GBW Gala Showcase. Returning to The Atrium in Federation Square, the 2018 gala will take place over two days — the Friday is already sold out, but there are still tickets to the Thursday session. In addition to giving punters their first official look at the GBW program, the event will be attended by more than 30 local breweries and will feature masterclasses, brewer meet and greets, and plenty to eat and drink. Entry to the Good Beer Week Gala Showcase is $50 and includes a tasting glass and 20 60mL samples from the 100-plus different beers on offer. You'll also get a $10 food voucher to use at vendors.
Fitzroy's Rose St Artists' Market has been teaming up with the Heide Museum of Modern Art for regular instalments of the Heide Makers' Market for almost two years now. And, as 2018 pulls to a close, it's time to make tracks to the museum-market hybrid once more. Taking over the lush surrounds of the gallery's sculpture park, it'll showcase a broad range of handmade goods, across art and design, jewellery and homewares. Visitors will get the chance to chat one-on-one with stall holders, or just saunter through the gallery's grounds with a cup of coffee in hand. If you're looking for something to do that afternoon, the gallery is exhibiting a retrospective on renowned Australian artist Albert Tucker. The display includes books, photographs and archival material from Tucker's personal collection.
After taking over an abandoned hotel in Sydney last year with overgrown flora, creeping vines and moss-covered furnishings, Stoneleigh moves to Melbourne this year, opening the doors of its new project, The Stoneleigh Project. The project invites the public to explore the winemaking and wild fermentation processes and to taste the New Zealand winery's range of Wild Valley wines. Through a series of meticulously designed rooms and installations channelling nature's elements, you'll be met with an immersive walkthrough of New Zealand's Marlborough region where Stoneleigh is produced. You'll also find numerous wine tasting stations, which have been paired with unique, interactive experiences inside each room — feel a river rush by as you enter, interact with bubbles that turn to smoke when touched. All five senses have been considered as the installation introduces visitors to Stoneleigh's world of wild fermentation through natural sites taken from Marlborough, textures from the Stoneleigh riverbeds, sounds of the river lapping at the shore, wafts of Wild Valley sauvignon blanc and, of course, flavours of the winemaker's signature wild fermented wines. Take a look inside. THE RIVERBED WALKWAY Putting you in the heart of a flowing river, the riverbed walkway symbolises the birthplace of Stoneleigh's vineyards, north of the Marlborough region. Today, the vineyards are paved with ancient river stones from the Wairau — New Zealand's longest river. The river snakes through the fertile plains of the region, making it an important, life-giving force at the vineyards. The stones capture the warmth of the sunlight during the day and remain warm during the cold Malborough nights, heating the vines and allowing the grapes to continue ripening. LIGHTSCAPE OF ENERGY As you make your way to the next room, you'll be greeted by a sunny lightscape, drawing on the fuel and energy the sun brings to the Marlborough region and the important role it plays in warming the river stones. You're encouraged to experiment and play with the various mirrors on the floor and walls to make the light bend and refract around the room. You're also prompted to step onto the plinths washed with light. Here you can photograph your own view of the lightscape as the raised sections produce unusual lighting and shadow effects. A LOOK INSIDE PINOT NOIR Acclaimed Berlin artist Susi Sie is the brains behind this particular installation. Creating a fascinating visual piece for the installation, Sie zooms in on Stoneleigh's Wild Valley Pinot Noir and brings to life the textures and complexity that wild fermentation produces. The fermentation process is enlarged under a microscope and displayed as a hypnotic visualisation. THE WILD FERMENTATION ROOM Playfully calling upon the natural wild yeast in Stoneleigh's fermentation process, this room is filled with bubbles — which you're encouraged to pop. When touched, the misty bubbles burst into a cloud, showing just how spontaneous the winemaking process was before modern intervention. The lighting changes colour and the speed and volume of the bubbles will increase or decrease depending on the number of people interacting with the display. A single wall plaque credits the main artist of the room: Nature. THE SECRET DINING ROOM An intriguing part of the installation is the secret dining room hidden behind a one-way mirror, allowing you to see into the space, but not out. Created for special events, the dining room will be transformed into a meeting point of the four elements as we host two exclusive dinners on October 26. Our 'Four Elements' wine tasting and dinner invites 12 of our readers (and their plus ones) to drink and dine with us in an exclusive experience featuring a menu specially curated by head chef Tim Newitt of Collingwood's Project Forty Nine. To snag your seat, enter our competition here. THE WINE BAR Finally, at the culmination of the exhibition, there's a rustic, leafy wine bar: a cellar door experience in which you can sit back with a glass of Wild Valley wild fermented wine and a charcuterie platter. If you're strapped for time, you can purchase a bottle of Stoneleigh to take home and enjoy. Find The Stoneleigh Project at 524 Flinders Street, Melbourne from October 13 until November 5; 4pm - 10pm Monday to Friday and 12pm - 10pm Saturday and Sunday. Images: Chris Middleton.
In partnership with Stoneleigh, we're putting on an exclusive tasting experience that celebrates the four elements of nature in a secret room inside The Stoneleigh Project. Perfectly matched to the Stoneleigh Wild Valley range, the four-course dinner will be an edible exploration of earth, fire, wind and water. Along with experiencing the whole Wild Valley range, you'll indulge in a meal in what might possibly be its most natural form. To really get the most down-to-earth experience possible, we've invited head chef Tim Newitt of Collingwood's recently opened restaurant and wine shop, Project Forty Nine, to create the bespoke menu for us. Newitt is recognised for his respect towards nature and his use of local ingredients and minimal intervention preparation techniques. So he was a natural fit for Stoneleigh, with chief winemaker Jamie Marfell subscribing to a similar philosophy, adopting minimal intervention within the Wild Valley range and only using naturally occurring yeast in the vineyards during fermentation. For the first course, Water, we'll be dishing up kingfish crudo, radish, fennel and decadent avruga caviar, to be paired with the crisp passionfruit and citrus notes of the Wild Valley Sauvignon Blanc. The second course will focus on Earth, featuring Project Forty Nine's Bird's Nest with soil and truffles, matched with the rich red berries and savoury, toasty notes of the Wild Valley Pinot Noir. Fire comes about in the third course, with a serving of torched lamb with chargrilled leeks and volcanic salt taking the stage — paired with the plum, blackberry and cherry oak of the Stoneleigh Rapaura Pinot Noir. And for the final course, Air, guests will sample compressed fruit and meringue with river mint essence, which has been expertly matched to the spicy notes and hints of poached pear found in the Rapaura Pinot Gris. The Four Elements dinner takes place in the secret dining room at The Stoneleigh Project, a walk-through installation vividly depicting the winemaking and fermentation process of the Wild Valley range. Head down there and you'll come across a series of large-scale lightscapes and virtual riverbeds, as well as an entrancing visual piece by acclaimed Berlin artist, Susi Sie, showing a hyper-magnified batch of Pinot Noir to demonstrate the incredible process of fermentation. The dinner will be held on Thursday, October 26. But for those of you who miss out on this unique tasting experience, you'll still be able to try the Wild Valley range at The Stoneleigh Project from October 13 to November 5 at 524 Flinders Street, Melbourne, weeknights 4-10pm and weekends 12-10pm. You can secure your spot here. [competition]640555[/competition]
Don't say that you don't have anything to watch between Friday, March 1–Monday, March 11, or that you've only got the usual couch-viewing options. Queer Screen's Mardi Gras Film Festival is back for 2024, which isn't just wonderful news for Sydney's cinephiles. Thanks to the event's returning online component, it's also ace for folks located outside of the Harbour City. A feast of queer cinema coming to your chosen small screen. As always, the lineup of movies that Sydneysiders can catch at MGFF's in-person sessions is far larger than its online program — but you can still join in from home no matter where in Australia you're located. For cinephiles watching on from the couch, choices include All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White, the Berlinale Teddy Award-winning love story about two men dealing with Nigeria's anti-gay laws; Mexico's All the Silence, centring on a CODA (child of deaf adults) and her girlfriend who is deaf; F.L.Y., which sees two exes living under the same roof during the pandemic; and Mutt, which won Lio Mehiel a Special Jury Award-winner at Sundance for their performance. Or, opt for drama Old Narcissus about getting older in Japan, with a 74-year-old children's author finding connection with a sex worker. You'll also be able to stream several shorts packages online, including sessions dedicated to Asia Pacific, comedy, gay, non-binary and gender diverse, queer horror, queer documentaries, transgender and sapphic films. The My Queer Career short film fest will hop online as well, featuring seven films competing for $16,000-plus in prizes.
Melbourne, you seem to have gone steaking mad. Three Blue Ducks is doing Wednesday Steak Night (with three Black Angus cuts), Dolly at Le Meridien Melbourne is offering its signature take on steak frites at a budget-friendly price, and Bonny in Fitzroy still has $30 wagyu on the menu. Now, Windsor's Latin American restaurant Duke Lane wants to kick off your weekends with a hearty dose of protein. Every Friday, you can swap 35 bucks for a Porterhouse. On the side, you'll get your pick of pepper sauce or chimichurri and a generous serving of fries. Plus, a margarita of your choice — be it classic, coconut or spicy — is included. With all that on board, post-steak bar hopping in Windsor could be very tempting. Hit Tombo Den for sake martinis, Windsor Wine Room for your choice of 23 wines by the glass, and Chaco's for tequila galore.
If you didn't already have it marked down in your diary, Friday, October 25 is St Crispin's Day — the only day of the year set aside to pay homage to Crispin and Crispinian, the patron saints of cobblers. While that might not mean much to you (unless you have a close relationship with your shoemaker), this year the celebrations will be thrown by Collingwood's very own godsend, Saint Crispin. With the restaurant originally a cobbler's workshop, it seems only fitting that Saint Crispin should hold an feast fit for, well, a saint. The elaborate offering will be created by chefs Scott Pickett and Joe Grbac, with pork pot pies, gellied ox tongue, 12-hour cooked lamb shoulder and a whole spit roast suckling pig amongst the offerings. There will also be dessert — Tudor rice pudding — and St Ronan's cider will be flowing throughout the lunch. After a stellar few months and being awarded Restaurant of the Year in the Age Good Food Guide, this could be a good chance to check out Saint Crispin in full swing — suckling pig and all. To book, call Saint Crispin on (03) 9419 2202. A credit card will be required to secure your booking. If you want a speech on hand, this one could be useful.
Australia's most prestigious portrait award is almost upon us for another year, with the paintings vying for the 2021 Archibald Prize just announced. Ahead of anointing the winner on Friday, June 4, 52 portraits have just been shortlisted for the coveted gong — and, for the first time in its now 100-year history, an equal number of male and female artists have made the cut. More of this year's portraits depict women than men, too, although that isn't a first. Among the highlights: Kirsty Neilson's Making Noise, a portrait of Grace Tame — and Oliver Watts' Dorian Gray (Eryn Jean Norville). Other finalists include Matthew Clarke's Del Kathryn Barton is a good listener; Rachel by Thea Anamara Perkins, which depicts the latter's aunt and Jasper Jones filmmaker Rachel Perkins; and Natasha Bieniek's image of actor Rachel Griffiths. Mirra Whale's Repose, which features fellow artist Ben Quilty, has been shortlisted as well — as has Jonathan Dalton's portrait of artist Ramesh Nithiyendran. Kathrin Longhurst's Kate is in the running, and has also taken out the coveted 2021 Archibald Packing Room Prize, which is chosen by the packing room team. The portrait depicts singer and songwriter Kate Ceberano. [caption id="attachment_813770" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Archibald Prize 2021 finalist. Kathrin Longhurst, 'Kate'. Oil on linen, 122 x 122 cm. © the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Jenni Carte.[/caption] Also spanning Sally M Nangala Mulda's Two town camp stories, Eunice Djerrkŋu Yunupiŋu's Me and my sisters, Peter Berner's Stop pouting, you've had your turn and Kim by Kim Leutwyler — all self-portraits — the 52 shortlisted works are all in contention for the Archibald's $100,000 prize. Speculation about who will be awarded the coveted prize — and, more often than not, the Archibald winner itself — usually causes much-heated debate. From 2018's five-time Archibald finalist Yvette Coppersmith's first win to Tony Costa's win with his painting of fellow artist Lindy Lee — the first portrait of an Asian Australian to pick up the prize — it's hard a win to pick. All that's really assured is that it'll be a portrait of a person by an Australian. In 2020, Vincent Namatjira's portrait of Adam Goodes did the honours, and also marked the first the award has gone to an Indigenous artist. [caption id="attachment_813771" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Archibald Prize 2021 finalist. Oliver Watts, 'Dorian Gray (Eryn Jean Norvill)'. Acrylic on canvas, 213.5 x 137.5 cm. © the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Jenni Carte[/caption] Held at Sydney's Art Gallery of NSW every year, the Archibald runs in conjunction with the Wynne and Sulman Prizes — recognising the best landscape painting of Australian scenery or figure sculpture, and the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project, respectively. This year, 2021's winning works and finalists will be on display from Saturday, June 4–Sunday, September 26. And if it feels like all of this just happened recently, that's because 2020's Archibald Prize happened later in the year due to the pandemic. If you don't agree with the judges, you can cast your own vote for People's Choice, which will be announced on Wednesday, September 1. ARCHIBALD PRIZE 2021 DATES Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, NSW — June 4–September 26, 2021 Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, Victoria — October 8–November 21, 2021 Hazelhurst Regional Gallery & Art Centre, Gymea, NSW — December 3–January 16, 2022 Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Maitland, NSW — January 23–March 6, 2022 Cowra Regional Art Gallery, Cowra, NSW — March 18–June 22, 2022 Manning Regional Art Gallery, Taree, NSW — July 8–August 21, 2022 If you can't make it to any of the above dates, you can check out the award winners and finalists of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes on the Art Gallery of NSW website. Top image: Archibald Prize 2021 finalist. Kirsty Neilson, 'Making noise'. Oil on linen, 50.1 x 60.1 cm, © the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins
Entering an Australian supermarket at the moment, you can be forgiven for thinking that you're walking into the set of a post-apocalyptic film. People are everywhere but shelves are bare, with shoppers panic-buying everything from toilet paper and hand sanitiser to pasta and milk. As the COVID-19 situation has evolved over the past few weeks, local supermarket chains have been implementing item limits. They've also set aside dedicated shopping times for the elderly and people with disability as well. But the hoarding keeps happening and everyday staples keep selling out, leading Coles and Woolworths to roll out further caps. Announced today, Wednesday, March 18, both big chains have mandated restrictions on a number of items — in addition to previously revealed limits. At Coles, there's now a two-pack-per-person cap on eggs, sugar, frozen vegetables, frozen desserts, canned tomatoes, pasta, all dry rice regardless of size and liquid soap. And additional limits may be placed on other items on a store-by-store basis, too, so it's best to pay attention to the signage while you're shopping. Over at Woolies, it's limiting such a wide variety of items that it has actually listed what isn't restricted. There are no caps on fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh milk, yoghurts, deli items, seafood, bakery items, canned fish and meat other than mince — or on drinks, baby food, wet dog food, wet cat food, and Easter confectionery and merchandise. If you're after anything else, however, a two-pack-per-person limit applies in general, with some items down to one-pack-per limit. Already in the restricted category at both chains — as anyone who has tried to buy groceries recently well knows — are toilet paper, serviettes, baby wipes, antibacterial wipes and bulk rice over two kilograms, which are down to one pack per person. Tissues, hand sanitiser, dry pasta and flour have all been limited to two packs per person at both companies for days now. And paper towels vary, restricted to one per person at Woolies but two at Coles. Aldi and IGA haven't announced any new limits as yet, although Aldi already has caps on toilet paper (one pack), dry pasta, dry rice, flour, paper towels, tissues and sanitiser (two packs). At IGA, it's a store-by-store decision. "Each store has placed purchase limits on items that are critically low in stock. These limits are being managed on a store by store basis and are increasing day by day," the chain advised in a statement. All four brands have also released a collective plea for consideration, stressing the need to stick to product limits — and reminding shoppers something that should just be a given, aka that hardworking supermarket staff should be treated with courtesy and respect. For more details on Australian supermarket item limits, keep an eye on Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA's websites. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Half-priced airfares have been quite the topic of conversation over the past 24 hours, with the Australian Government announcing a scheme that'll see the country's airlines sell 800,000 flights at the discount rate. That starts in April — but if you're keen on getting away before then, Virgin is doing a flash sale that'll also slash fares by half. Hang on, Virgin? Yes. The same airline that, less than 12 months ago, entered voluntary administration. It has since been sold to US private investment firm Bain Capital, launched a comeback sale in early July and its voluntary administration officially ended on Tuesday, November 17. With so many folks talking about the government's half-price fares, Virgin is capitalising upon the chatter; however, it's only putting this current set of cheap tickets on sale for two hours — from 5–7pm AEDT today, Friday, March 12. These fares don't form part of 800,000, and you'll need to be keen to travel in the next fortnight, with the flights covering trips between Monday, March 15–Sunday, March 28. The discounted economy flights include seat selection and checked baggage. All Virgin-operated routes nationally form part of the sale, with some of the specials on offer including Sydney to Byron Bay for $55, Sydney to the Gold Coast for the same price, Melbourne to Launceston from $64, Brisbane to the Whitsunday Coast from $78 and Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $88 (and vice versa in all cases, naturally). As we are still in the middle of a pandemic, flying is little different to normal. Virgin has introduced a range of safety measures, including hand sanitisation stations, contactless check-in and face masks provided to all passengers. Wearing masks on flights also became mandatory in Australia in January. Virgin's half-price flash sale runs from 5–7pm AEDT today, Friday, March 12 — or until sold out. Find out more about current interstate border restrictions over here.
UPDATE Monday, March 27: Due to unforeseen circumstances, 'Dirty Dancing: The Immersive Cinema Experience' will no longer take place this weekend. For details, see the website. With its latest movie-fuelled event, Immersive Cinema is hoping that you've never felt like this before — and that you love Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey dancing up a storm in a much-adored 1987 romantic drama. The second part is easy. As for the first, you might've actually stepped into this interactive Dirty Dancing experience back in 2019 when it first came to Australia. Who doesn't want to have the time of their life twice, though? For its second Aussie stint, Dirty Dancing: The Immersive Cinema Experience is only heading to Melbourne, taking over the Flemington Racecourse on Saturday, April 1–Sunday, April 2, 2023. If Francis 'Baby' Houseman can take a trip to Kellerman's Mountain House in the Catskills with her family, you can hit up the venue to get whisked away to the next best thing. Here, attendees will get plunged into the world of Dirty Dancing. Taking over the outdoor venue, Dirty Dancing: The Immersive Cinema Experience won't just screen one of Swayze's biggest film roles, but will recreate the world of the popular film. That means that attendees will travel back to 1963 in spirit, check into the flick's setting, and enjoy a day of painting classes, volleyball, croquet, mini golf and — of course — dance lessons. You can probably also expect a stint of carrying watermelons, and definitely a dance showcase. And yes, it all ends with an evening screening of Dirty Dancing on the big screen. You'd be just a fool to believe that's all that's on the agenda. Actors and dancers will roam around like the wind and, food- and drink-wise, Americana-style eats will be available at 12 different dining spots, while seven pop-up bars will sling summery cocktails — all on offer for those with hungry eyes (and stomachs). Also, there'll be a dedicated watermelon stand, plus a picnic area among the rose bushes. You'll also be able to wander through recreations of Kellerman's famous fictional spaces. That includes the staff quarters where Baby Houseman gets her first taste of dirty dancing, as well as the studios where she learns all the steps from and starts swooning over Johnny Castle. Wherever you head, nobody will be putting Baby in a corner. Like the film version of Kellerman's, the event is also an all-ages affair — and everyone is encouraged to dress up like it's the 60s, but appropriate footwear for dancing is a must. Also, because no one had phones back in the 60s, it's a technology-free experience as well. The only screen that matters: the big one showing the movie, of course.
'Madchester' pioneers the Happy Mondays have just announced an Australian tour — the first time that the original lineup of one of the most influential bands of their generation have made it all the way Down Under. Alongside bands like New Order and the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays were key to the development of the Madchester sound that defined the early '90s and revitalised English music, rescuing it from the ignominy of Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran. Fusing traditional pop elements with funk, northern soul and acid house, Happy Mondays were the poster band for the explosion of rave culture in the UK and released two iconic albums — Bummed and Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches — that remain essential listening today. Supporting them will be fellow Madchester icons 808 State for a special DJ set. Formed in Manchester in 1988 by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson, 808 State's first album, Newbuild, is now regarded as a milestone in UK electronica. As the NME observed, "808 State revolutionised a whole genre of music in the late-'80s, inspiring Underworld, Orbital and the Chemical Brothers in the process." Happy Mondays Australian 2013 Tour Dates Wed 5 June – Metropolis, Fremantle - tickets via www.oztix.com.au, www.heatseeker.com.au Thu 6 June – The Palace, Melbourne - tickets via www.ticketek.com.au, www.oztix.com.au Fri 7 June – The Tivoli, Brisbane - tickets via www.ticketek.com.au Mon 10 June - UNSW Roundhouse, Sydney - tickets via www.ticketek.com.au
Penélope Cruz didn't score an Oscar this year for Parallel Mothers. Her husband Javier Bardem didn't win one for Being the Ricardos, either. And, just a couple of years ago, Antonio Banderas also didn't nab a shiny Academy Award for Pain and Glory — but the three acclaimed actors are all winners at the 2022 Spanish Film Festival. The annual cinema showcase spotlights not just Spanish but also Latin American cinema, and it's back for another Aussie tour throughout April and May — hitting up Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Byron Bay. On the bill: 34 movies that hail from both regions, or tie into them in one way or another, including several with Cruz, Bardem and or Banderas at their centre. Kickstarting this year's Spanish Film Festival with the Cruz- and Banderas-starring Official Competition must've been the easiest programming choice in the fest's history. A filmmaking satire, it casts Cruz as a famous director entrusted to bring a Nobel Prize-winning novel about sibling rivalry to the screen, and enlists Banderas as a Hollywood heartthrob. Throw all of that together and it's clearly film festival catnip, as the movie's berths at overseas fests such as Venice, Toronto and San Sebastián have already shown — and it'll enjoy its Australia premiere as the Spanish Film Festival's opening night pick. The aforementioned — and sublime — Parallel Mothers is also on the lineup after releasing in Aussie cinemas earlier this year, if you missed it then. And, so are two Cruz-Bardem collaborations: Jamón Jamón, the pair's first film together, which marks its 30th anniversary in 2022, and 2017's Loving Pablo, which sees Bardem play Pablo Escobar. Of course, the Spanish Film Festival spans plenty of movies that don't star Spanish cinema's best-known acting names, too — with 2022 Goya-winning political drama Maixabel, fellow Goya-recipient Mediterráneo: The Law of the Sea, psychological horror flick The House of Snails, road-movie comedy Carpoolers, and the coming-of-age-focused Once Upon a Time in Euskadi also on the program. Or, there's Girlfriends, about childhood pals reuniting; dramatic thriller The Daughter, which hones in on a pregnant teen; mother-daughter drama Ama; the Himalayas-set Beyond the Summit; and The Cover, about a pop star impersonator. From the Cine Latino strand, ten films hail from the likes of Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic — including rom-com The Big Love Picture, thriller Immersion, the footballer-centric 9 and Goya-winner (yes, another one) Forgotten We'll Be. Plus, the lineup also includes Language Lessons, which is directed by and starring Natalie Morales (The Little Things), and also features Mark Duplass (Bombshell) — with the pair navigating an online setup to play a Spanish teacher and her student. And, there's sessions of the Spanish-language version of Disney's Encanto as well. SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL 2022 DATES: April 19–May 15: Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema, Sydney April 20–May 15: Palace Electric, Canberra April 21–May 15: The Astor Theatre, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Palace Balwyn and Pentridge Cinema, Melbourne April 27–May 18: Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Adelaide April 27–May 18: Palace Raine Square Cinemas, Luna Leederville and Luna on SX., Perth April 28–May 18: Palace Barracks and Palace James Street, Brisbane April 29–May 15: Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay The Spanish Film Festival tours Australia from Tuesday, April 19–Wednesday, May 18. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the festival's website.
Whip out your pens, chuck on your reading glasses and pop that thinking cap on top of your noodle, because the Melbourne Writers Festival is back. Victoria's leading literary event, this year's MWF features more than 350 events, from talks and panels with famous and emerging writers, to social gatherings, book launches, walking tours and more. Standout events on the 2016 festival program include an opening night keynote address from writer and slam poet Maxine Beneba Clarke, a presentation from musician PJ Harvey and photojournalist Seamus Murphy about their travels to Kosovo, Afghanistan and Washington D.C., and a conversation with author and philosopher Damon Young hosted by actor Magda Szubanski. Anyone looking to get a bit of fresh air, meanwhile, can participate in a festival walk, where you'll learn about topics ranging from public sculpture to psychogeography. Alternatively, if sedentary activities are more your thing, ACMI will be screening a number of book-to-film adaptations, including I Am Legend and Never Let Me Go.
Love celebrating holidays — even if they hail from the other side of the world? Or are you a homesick North American looking for something to remind you of home? Then no doubt you're looking forward to US holiday Thanksgiving, which falls on November 25. Lucky for you, Cheers! Spirits From the USA is partnering with leading venues across the nation, helping us Aussies celebrate the day. This week until Sunday, 28 November, select bars in Melbourne will be turning happy hour into 'thanksgiving hour' by offering a range of thanksgiving-themed cocktails for you to cheers over. The brand has collaborated with innovative Australian bartenders to create an exciting cocktail list that showcases classic American spirits such as Angel's Envy Bourbon, Westward Whiskey and Woodford Reserve.. Head on down to Fitzroy's The Catfish for a Cranbourbon Catfizz made with Angel's Envy bourbon, cranberry, lemon and soda. Or, sip a Thanksgiving pie-inspired cocktail, dubbed Just a Slice, created by the bartenders at CBD bar 1806. There are eight more participating venues, including The Elysian Whisky Bar, The Everleigh, Heartbreaker, Ends and Means, Bar Ampere, Beneath Driver Lane, Whisky and Alement, and Que Club. Yep, there's a total of ten much-loved Melbourne bars partaking in the festive day, so you have little excuse to miss it. So, head on down, grab yourself a festive cocktail and cheers to being able to celebrate IRL with mates again. [caption id="attachment_653751" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Beneath Driver Lane[/caption] For more information on Thanksgiving Hour, head to the Cheers! From the USA website. And you can even follow the events on Instagram. Top image: The Elysian Whisky Bar
Let’s clear one thing up immediately: SPECTRE isn't nearly as bad as some critics are making out. We’re mercifully far from the nightmarish hellscape of Die Another Day or the '…...............huh?' of Quantum of Solace. It's just that SPECTRE isn’t quite Skyfall, either. Firstly, though, to the good bits. This film is stunning. Cinematographer and man with a Bond name Hoyte van Hoytema (Interstellar, Her) has crafted something magnificent here, framing every shot to perfection regardless of scale. Credit, too, to director Sam Mendes, who again proves that his dramatic background in no way hampers his ability to shoot thrilling action sequences. On that front, the film’s best is also its first: a five minute ‘uninterrupted’ tracking of Bond through the streets of Mexico during the Día de los Muertos festival. In fact, the whole first half hour of SPECTRE is so tight, its trajectory puts it on track to rival (or even surpass) its predecessor, however it's at that point where unfortunately the cracks also begin to appear. The overall viewing experience of SPECTRE might best be described as one of déjà vu. The story, to its benefit, draws heavily upon the three previous films as both an explanation for Bond’s increasingly tortured temperament and as a through-line tying the whole ‘Craig era’ together. Where things get problematic, though, is when near-identical scenes pop up from those earlier movies. Bond being fitted with an implanted tracking device in his right arm comes straight out of Casino Royale. Bond joining his beautiful French companion in a train's dining car while they discuss why he does what he does — that's Casino too. M having to the defend the 00 program from accusations of redundancy and outdatedness formed much of Judi Dench’s screen time in Skyfall, and the villain’s desert base in SPECTRE looks remarkably like the one from Quantum with a different coat of paint. Even the score by Thomas Newman feels overly familiar, with some sections essentially cut-and-paste jobs from the Skyfall soundtrack (Jellyfish to Hinx, for example). SPECTRE’s strongest scenes are its original ones, and with a reported budget of well over $200 million it’s a crime they weren’t all that way. On the performance front, Craig is reliably stony as Bond, although ‘franchise fatigue' has visibly set in. His dispassionate characterisation often slips into languor in SPECTRE, relinquishing only when opposite Léa Seydoux as his love interest Madeleine. Seydoux is the clear standout, imbuing Madeleine with every ounce of intelligence and mystery the script could provide. As the villain, Christoph Waltz receives a disappointing amount of screen time, and his character lacks much of the menace conveyed by Javier Bardem in Skyfall. Regulars M, Q and Moneypenny all hold their own (played again by Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris), while Andrew Scott of Sherlock fame puts in a nice turn as ‘C’ — the new head of MI5. Again, this is not a bad film. The confusing or absent motivations, plot holes and scene repetition notwithstanding, SPECTRE still offers up all the elements of a classic Bond. Its action scenes are gripping, its wit affords welcome chuckles and its opulence entices. Any film that came after Skyfall was always going to be like opening up birthday socks when you'd already unwrapped the new car: it was destined to disappoint. But if you can remind yourself that socks are still pretty neat too, especially $200 million dollar ones with gorgeous people, places and cars on them, then you’ll find more than enough to like about SPECTRE.
To ring in the year of the ox, dumpling master Din Tai Fung created cute masked ox buns, continuing its annual tradition of welcoming the Lunar New Year with an adorable addition to its menu (see also: its monkey buns from 2016 and pig bao from 2019). But creative dishes aren't just a once-a-year thing here. Now that Easter is almost upon us, the chain is serving up something else to tempt your tastebuds: hot cross bao. Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like — and the bao is only available for a limited time. On the outside, each one looks like a hot cross bun, but they're made with steamed bread. And, you won't find any raisins inside. Instead, they're filled with molten chocolate. The hot cross bao is available at all Din Tai Fung restaurants and food court outlets in Sydney, so you'll want to hit up its World Square, Westfield Chatswood, Westfield Miranda, Westfield Sydney, Broadway Shopping Centre, Gateway Sydney, The Star, Greenwood Plaza and MLC Centre venues. In Melbourne, you have one spot to head to, with the bao on offer at Emporium Melbourne. If you'd rather have them brought to your door, they're also available for delivery in frozen form. If you'd like to stock your freezer and enjoy them once Easter passes, that's an option as well. The only problem we can foresee with this latest hybrid dish? Wanting to devour as many as possible. They'll cost you $5.80 for two in-store, and $8 for three in frozen packs. Hot cross bun bao are available for $5.80 for two at all Din Tai Fung stores. They're also available for delivery, for $8 — plus a $10–20 delivery fee.
It's happened. The humble toastie, like the bagel and burger before it, has finally been Pygmalioned from our dreams into real life. The wondrous food is being championed by hospitality old hats Frank Rusitovski and Dean Trpeski in their new venture set to open later this month: a drive-through container café dedicated to toasties. The cafe — set to open on High Street in Preston on Monday, May 23 — also has the best name we've ever heard: Cheese and Bread. Who doesn't want to start a winter work day with a coffee in hand and cheese oozing out the sides of a fat stacked toastie? The concept (as you may infer from the name) is toasted sandies and speciality coffee. Like the perfect pairing of cheese and bread, the menu is similarly named after famous duos — there's the Bert and Ernie (roast beef, caramelised onions, spinach and house blend cheese), the Batman and Robin (American wagyu patty, crispy beef strip and house blend cheese) and the Mario and Luigi (pesto, roma tomatoes and house blend cheese). For sweet tooths, there's also the Winnie and Tigger, which is filled with Nutella, house blend cheese and sprinkles. We're not so sure about that last one, but hey — we've known stranger pairings than that. The sides menu is not too shabs either, featuring pickled onions and cucumbers, poutine fries (oh yeah) and sujuk sausage. So Preston, get those sandies in your handies — and never drive to work hungry again. Cheese and Bread will open on Monday, May 23 at 518 High Street, Preston. It will be open weekdays from 6am until early afternoon. For more info, check their Instagram.
Across four seasons and 36 episodes of Rick and Morty to date, Rick Sanchez has taken many forms. That's one of the joys of the animated show's multiverse. New universe, new Rick — and new Morty, Beth, Jerry and Summer as well. But while the labcoat-wearing, booze-guzzling mad scientist has been tiny, sported an afro and even been a wasp, one Rick stands out from the crowd. Regular Rick is great, of course; however, Pickle Rick has been an instant favourite since he was first sighted in a trailer for the series' third season. Now, Pickle Rick is taking a new journey — into doughnuts. This isn't the setup for one of the show's new episodes, but a menu item now on offer at Krispy Kreme. Taking inspiration from all things Rick and Morty, the bakery chain has launched a new R&M-themed lineup, including a Pickle Rick doughnut. It's green, obviously. It's filled with green-hued lemon creme and covered with green-coloured white chocolate. And yes, it features a picture of Pickle Rick on top. Because this is the way the news goes, Krispy Kreme's R&M doughnut range also spans Strawberry Smiggles and Simple Rick's Wafer Cookie varieties. Hope you like strawberry — the former is filled with strawberry filling, then covered with mini marshmallows, meringue pieces and confetti, while the latter is dipped in strawberry truffle and topped with a white chocolate wafer disc. There's a Fleeb Juice shake, too, which combines raspberry and vanilla, and tastes nothing like alien excretion (we hope). If you're keen to eat your Rick and Morty-loving feelings in doughnut form, you can find the new range in Krispy Kreme stores across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, the ACT, Western Australia and Auckland until March 16 — and available via UberEats as well. You won't find them at 7-Elevens or BPs, though. Clearly, a szechuan sauce doughnut was too difficult to make. Also, let's admit it — it probably would've tasted awful. If you need something to watch while you're gorging on doughnuts, Pickle Rick has that taken care of below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSqi5s3rfqk Krispy Kreme's Rick and Morty range is available until March 16.
Grammy-nominated New York duo Sofi Tukker have announced they'll be bringing their genre-blurring tunes to Aussie shores, set to take the stage in Sydney and Melbourne next month. Since releasing their debut EP, Soft Animals, early last year, Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern have garnered fans worldwide, snapping up chart spots in more than 20 countries and landing festivals across Europe and North America. The pair's dance-worthy beats draw inspiration from all corners of the globe, resulting in a layering of sound unlike any you've heard before. And the Sofi Tukker live show promises to be every bit as spectacular, starring the duo's own unique instrument, called 'The Book Tree'. Expect a six-foot-tall 'creature', decked out in foliage and hardcover books, each tome engineered to create a different sound when drummed, to compliment that blissful melange of guitar, bass, and bongos. Sofi Tukker plays at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory on February 17 and Melbourne's Howler on February 18. Tickets are available from Moshtix from January 12.
The buzz of January is over and if you need a little motivation to continue with those NYE resolutions, look no further than this activewear sale. Australian clothing company Active Truth is moving warehouses and, to make the move a little easier, is offering 40 percent off sitewide. Active Truth's swimwear and activewear is accessible to beachgoers and gym junkies of all shapes and sizes, with swimsuits, tights, crops, bike shorts and maternity wear all ranging from XS to 3XL. Check out these summery floral tights or this black one-piece swimsuit. As an added bonus, you'll receive free express shipping, so even though we're already more than a week into February, you'll have your new swimsuit at your doorstep before summer ends. Plus, Active Truth is committed to sustainability, supporting the The Seabin Project and making its swimwear from reconstructed recycled fibres, such as discarded fishing nets. If you're keen to snag some new togs, have a look through the catalogue and order before the sale ends at 11.59pm on Sunday, February 14. 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.
