If jungle vibes inside an inner-north warehouse on a Friday evening sounds like your perfect outing, head along to Jungle by Moonlight on December 1. It's the latest indoor plant sale from The Jungle Collective, an Abbotsford nursery that stocks all kinds of weird and wonderful species. They're opening up their warehouse, which isn't usually open to the public, for a night market filled with garden greenery, Christmas gift shopping, food from Smokin Barrys and ice cream. Whether you're after a hanging pot plant, some palms for the garden or a giant Bird of Paradise, chances are you'll find it here. Have a reputation for killing your cacti? Overwatering your ferns? Don't worry — there'll be horticulturalists on site on the night to give you advice and chat through any questions you might have. Here, you can be inspired by the gorgeous green-filled space, and learn to incorporate plants into your home and living spaces, while eating, browsing, getting your Christmas presents out of the way and soaking up some tunes. Best get in quick though — their sales are always popular, so we can only imagine that their first night market will be as well. RSVP via the Facebook event and get there early.
It's safe to say that Deeds Brewing has left quite a mark during its first decade of life. Not only has the craft brewery released close to 200 different creations, but its Glen Iris taproom and kitchen, which launched last year, has become a go-to for beer fans of Melbourne's southeast. And how do you celebrate a tenth birthday when you're a legend of the beer scene? Answer: you go hard. On Saturday, August 20, Deeds is doing exactly that, with a rollicking party taking over its Glen Iris HQ. It'll be held across two sessions (12–5pm and 6–11pm), with the taproom decked out with ten different beer and food stations, inviting guests on a journey of rediscovery as they sip through the brewery's greatest defining drops. Each station will match its hero brew with specially paired bites — think: steak and porter sausage rolls, beef cheeks braised in imperial stout, and dark bourbon chocolate smoked salt marquise. Plus, the Deeds team will be on hand, taking punters on a deep dive into the brewery's history and all the beery magic that's happened along the way. Tickets are $100, which'll get you 10 beers and matched food.
Calling all sleuths of Melbourne — again. If you haven't fulfilled your murder-mystery fix on the big and small screens over the past few years, and if you missed a whodunnit play hailing from the one and only Agatha Christie last time that it came to town, then you'd best make a new date with The Mousetrap. Here are two questions for you to solve before you get there: why is it a big deal when is it coming your way once more? The answers: as well as being penned by Christie, it's the world's longest-running play; and past seasons have proved such a hit — and sellouts — it's playing Frankston Arts Centre from Wednesday, July 31–Saturday, August 3. Initially premiering in London's West End in 1952, The Mousetrap has been treading the boards in the UK ever since, only pausing during to pandemic venue closures. When theatres reopened in Britain, so did the show. Indeed, when it arrived in Australia in 2022, The Mousetrap did so 70 years to the month that it first debuted. Unsurprisingly, that hefty run means that the show has enjoyed the longest stint for any West End production, and for any play anywhere in the world. So far, there's been more than 28,500 London performances. To answer the other obvious question, yes, it's all about an unexpected body. The murder-mystery starts with news of a killing in London — and with seven people snowed in at a guest house in the country. They're strangers, which is classic Christie. When a police sergeant arrives on skis, they're told that the murderer is among them (which, again, is vintage Christie). They all have wild pasts, too, and all those details are spilled as they're interrogated, and also try to work out who among them is the killer. Those guests at Monkswell Manor include a pair of newlyweds who run the house, a spinster, an architect who is handy in the kitchen, a retired Army major, a man who says his car has overturned in a drift, and a jurist. Naturally, there's another death as they're all puzzling it over — and a twist conclusion, which audiences have been requested not to reveal after leaving the theatre for seven decades now. Images: Brian Gleach.
Catherine Deveny is an Australian personality with a lot to say. With massive experience as a journalist, comedian, and public figure, she has debated George Pell, co-founded No Chicks No Excuses and generally kicks ass. Now she's taking on parents. A mother of three, she's be berating the crowd at Pernickety Parents for mollycoddling their kids. So many people are getting old and turning out to be messed up, so we must be doing something wrong. Deveny will make you think about what parents ought to be, as she explains that rearing children is "detrimental, counterproductive and narcissistic". This is the latest instalment of Lunchbox/Soapbox, a program of rants organised by the Wheeler Centre, one of the most entertaining and thought provoking groups in Melbourne. Definitely do not miss this awesome show. BYO lunch.
If sparkling wine puts some extra fizz into your life, then you'll want to drink your way through this Melbourne event. On Saturday, April 20, 2024, the Bubbles Festival is coming to town to celebrate the most effervescent boozy beverages there are. You'll sip, you'll chat, and you'll meet the folks who make and distribute the tipples in question as well. You'll also eat canapes — no one wants to down champagne, prosecco and other sparkling drinks on an empty stomach — while you're sampling and tasting across two hours. At least ten different wines will be on offer, and your $109 ticket also includes a champagne tasting glass to take home with you. The venue: Bells Hotel in South Melbourne. You can take your pick of two sessions: from 12–2pm or 3–5pm on Saturday. If you're feeling like really treating your sparkling-loving self, you can pay an extra $75 for a VIP ticket, which gets you access to a special cuvée tasting before the regular doors open — and two tasting glasses, rather than one.
Since late in 2019, when Disney launched its own streaming platform, fans of its animated classics, beloved hits and many, many super-popular franchises have been able to binge their way through the Mouse House's back catalogue from the comfort of their couch. For a few weeks in January and February 2022, however, movie buffs are being asked to leave their houses to check out a selection of the company's famed titles — all thanks to the pop-up Disney+ Drive-In, which is returning to Melbourne. Yes, a streaming service is running a drive-in. Or, to put it another way, a product designed to get everyone watching on small screens at home is now endeavouring to lure viewers out to watch its flicks on a big screen from their cars. That's a very pandemic-era situation, with Disney+ teaming up with Openair Cinemas to make it happen. The drive-in will arrive back at the Melbourne Showgrounds car park on Friday, January 14, screening films most nights until Thursday, February 24. As for what'll be screening, the Disney+ Drive-In is working through the Mouse House's hits — including the animated version of The Lion King, fellow family-friendly hits Moana and Frozen, Pixar's Ratatouille and Coco, and a sing-along session of The Little Mermaid. Or, you can check out live-action throwback favourites such as Freaky Friday, 10 Things I Hate About You, Pretty Woman, Speed and Romeo + Juliet — or head to the much more recent Jungle Cruise, Cruella and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Popcorn, snacks and drinks will be available onsite — or you can bring your own. It's strictly a no-alcohol affair, though. And, ticket-wise, you'll be paying per car.
Lapalux aka Stuart Howard is from Essex. If you’ve ever watched The Only Way is Essex you will get that this is kind of amazing, sort of like how Iggy Azalea came out of the rolling acres of Mullumbimby in regional NSW. The 25-year-old electronic music prodigy is currently the only British artist to be signed to the LA-based label Brainfeeder, the result of a spontaneous email by Howard that was returned with a personal response from Flying Lotus himself. So I guess Lapalux is kind of like electronic music’s answer to the self made YouTube success story of Justin Bieber? He has the beautiful bone structure and serious swagu to further substantiate the comparison. This Saturday night’s one off show will be supported by local acts Silent Jay, Fugitive and Nam. Image via soundcloud
Missing your regular trips to the cinema? Not only hankering for a big-screen movie, but the snacks that go along with it? You can order some direct to your door — or, if you feel like combining your choc tops and popcorn with a trip out of the house, you can head down to Cinema Nova from 12–3pm on Saturday, May 9. For three hours, the Carlton picture palace is opening its doors to sell ice creams and salty popped kernels of corn — with choc tops on offer for $2 a pop, and popcorn at regular prices. You'll also score a free movie poster with your purchase, although you might want to get in quick as they're only available while stocks last. https://www.facebook.com/CinemaNova/photos/a.302990409758427/3006126462778128/?type=3&theater Cinema Nova will be operating under social-distancing requirements — so you can pick up some snacks and stay safe. You'll only be able to collect your choc tops and popcorn from the candy bar, for takeaway only, with card payments requested. Expect to queue up at social-distancing markers, and to find plenty of hand sanitiser on hand. 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.
If we look back to where we were in our early 20s, it was probably still skiving off our parents' health insurance and taking our washing back home every other weekend because we couldn't afford a washing machine. Charlie Carrington, on the other hand, is casually opening his own South Yarra restaurant, Atlas Dining — and he's only 22. Yep, you read that right. You still haven't bought a washing machine and this kid is opening his own restaurant. And if that wasn't work enough already, Carrington will be doing the cooking too. A trained chef, the 22-year-old has earned his stripes in the kitchens of Vue de Monde and Sydney's Firedoor, as well as a slew of international restaurants. His recent travels around the world is what's led to the decision to not tie Atlas Dining to one cuisine. Instead, it will change with the seasons; every four months the menu will switch to a completely different country of origin, beginning with Vietnamese when the restaurant opens on September 1. Starting with northern Vietnam and honouring dishes from regions like Hanoi and Sapa, the menu will move steadily down the country representing more southern regions as the weather warms up. Carrington picked the Southeast Asian country to kick things off, saying that it felt like a natural fit. "It really worked out well in terms of the fire-cooking we'll be doing," he says. The connection with fire will see him bring techniques he learnt at Firedoor to the plate — and it sounds like tasty, firey things are nigh. "We've got the same grills, raising and lowering grills, all the charcoal stuff, and we have a woodfire oven too," says Carrington. So bring your meat belly along. What comes after Vietnam? Well, he's heading to Israel at the end of the year, so we know what cuisine #2 will be come 2017. Next stop is Korea (North or South not specified, but probably South) and the rest of the trip is as yet unplanned. In the meantime, check out Atlas Dining's Vietnamese fare, continue feeling unaccomplished (we are), and heed his advice for young chefs: go and travel. Definitely words to live by — even if you've never cooked a thing in your life. Atlas Dining opens on Thursday, September 1 and will be open for dinner Tuesday through to Saturday at 133 Commercial Road, South Yarra. For more info and to make a booking, check out their atlasdining.com.au.
Melbourne has scored another sun-drenched waterfront pop-up to add to its collection of summer haunts; this time, it's hugging the banks of the Yarra on Southbank's Sandridge Wharf. With room for 165 punters, Yarra Kitchen & Bar has landed in the space beside beer bar Hopscotch, decked out with garden furniture and wicker armchair pods where you'll happily find yourself whiling away this season's balmy afternoons and nights. Don those sunnies, settle in riverside and get stuck into the impressive lineup of spritzes — maybe the Sicilian-style lemon and jasmine concoction, or a carafe of the blood orange and rosemary number. If seltzers are more your speed, you'll find options from both Fizzer and White Claw, along with local wines, a handful of tap brews, and tinnies from the likes of Stomping Ground and Hawkers. You can match the summery vibe with bites from the raw bar selection, including tuna ceviche tacos and salmon tostadas. Or, snack your way through the likes of crumbed barramundi bao, nori-salted fried chicken, loaded grazing boards and generous Aussie prawn rolls. Plus, it's dog-friendly. BYO four-legged bestie for some waterfront hangs. Yarra Kitchen & Bar is open 12pm–10pm Sunday–Wednesday and 10am–11pm Thursday–Saturday.
Thousands of protesters have filled the streets of Melbourne's CBD today to march in a massive Change the Rules rally with the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). Beginning at Carlton's Victorian Trades Hall on Wednesday, April 10 at 10.30am, protesters are marching along Russell and La Trobe streets before making their way down Swanston Street and Bourke Street finishing around 1.30pm at the State Parliament. As a result, commuters can expect closures down Lygon and Swanston Streets and major disruptions to CBD public transport. Yarra Trams has announced that there will be limited city trams running during the rally, with disruptions and cancellations on lines 3, 5, 16 and 67, and no Route 30 or City Circle trams. Route 86 and 96 are currently terminating at Parliament Station and no trams are running between the Arts Precinct and RMIT University. Passengers are being advised to walk between stops in the CBD and to use the City Loop train where possible. https://twitter.com/yarratrams/status/1115782801486503937 The Change the Rules rally calls on the Federal Government to improve working conditions, job security and ensure workers can keep up with the rising cost of living by increasing the minimum wage. Protesters are also hoping to convince Prime Minister Scott Morrison to call a federal election now. The rally extends across the country, with protests also taking place in Sydney, Canberra and in various sites across Queensland. Today's rally is follows a similar Change the Rules protest that took place last October and saw close to 170,000 people take to the streets. It's also the second rally to take happen in Melbourne's CBD this week, with animal rights protesters blocking intersections on Monday morning to protest the treatment of livestock and promote a new documentary. Head to the PTV website for live public transport updates and to the VicRoads website for live traffic delays and road closure information. Top image: Australian Unions.
Australian specialty coffee brand Toby's Estate has just dropped a new line of single-serve instant coffee bags, aiming to improve the quality of instant coffee — and provide a product for both coffee aficionados and casual drinkers. To get you on board, a pop-up is happening at Southern Cross Station this weekend, where you can get yourself a free sample and enter into the draw to win a year's supply of coffee. The single-serve coffees come in two flavour profiles: 'The Next Frontier', with hints of dark chocolate and toffee; and 'Forbidden Planet', for the more fruity taste of strawberries and milk chocolate. You can give them a try from 9am–1pm — or until Melbourne's coffee lovers drink them all — on Saturday, February 22. In a time when "single use" is a hot topic, it'll be interesting to see how people take to the concept of individually packaged, one-use-only coffees, — even though the bags are 100-percent biodegradable and the outer packaging is made from renewable and compostable materials. Of course, it can't be denied that a cheap and quick coffee option that actually tastes good wouldn't go astray in most office kitchens.
The long weekend is here. And, as Monday is a public holiday, some of your regular spots will be shut. So, if you're on the hunt for a caffeine hit, long lunch or a few more beers, we've put together an extensive list of all the bars, cafes and restaurants that'll be open on Monday, June 10. There is something for everybody on this list, too — from Hanoi Hannah's Vietnamese hawker-style fare to King & Godfree's authentic Italian baked goods and Stomping Ground's craft brews. And if you're looking for further inspiration on how to spend your days off, head this way for our pick of the best long weekend happenings. [caption id="attachment_712460" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sebastian[/caption] RESTAURANTS Agostino, Carlton - noon–late Baby Pizza, Richmond: noon–late Chin Chin, CBD: 11am–11pm Fatto Cantina, CBD: 5pm–late Hanoi Hannah Express Lane, Windsor: 11.30am–10pm Hanoi Hannah Vol. II, Elsternwick: noon–late Hanoi Hannah New Quarter, Richmond: noon–late Hawker Hall, Windsor: noon–late Kong BBQ, Richmond: noon–late Matilda 159 Domain, South Yarra: noon–3pm, 6–10pm Pontoon, St Kilda: noon–late Sebastian, Williamstown: noon–late Stokehouse, St Kilda: noon–late Tipico, Windsor: 5.30–10.30pm Tokyo Tina,Windsor: noon–late [caption id="attachment_699800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Espy by Alex Drewniak.[/caption] BARS The Alehouse Project, Brunswick East: 3pm–midnight Arbory Bar & Eatery, CBD: 7.30am–1am Borsch, Vodka and Tears, Windsor: noon–late The Duke of Wellington, CBD: noon–1am The Espy, St Kilda: noon–late The Exchange Hotel, Port Melbourne: noon–late Fatto Bar, CBD: 4pm–late (with all-day happy hour) Harlow, Richmond: noon–1am Johnny's Green Room, Carlton: noon–late Middle Park Hotel, Middle Park: 4pm–late Newmarket Hotel, St Kilda: 4pm–late Portsea Hotel, Mornington Peninsula: 11am–late Station Hotel, Footscray: noon–late St Giles Wine Bar, Camberwell: noon–10pm Stomping Ground Beer Hall, Collingwood: 11.30am–12am Up in Smoke, Footscray: noon–10pm Village Bell Hotel, St Kilda: 9am–1am [caption id="attachment_671316" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bentwood, Fitzroy by Kate Shanasy[/caption] CAFES Bentwood, Fitzroy: 7.30am–4pm Collective Espresso, Camberwell: 7am–4pm Fergus, Malvern East: 8am–3pm The Foreigner, Ivanhoe: 8.30am–2pm Friends of Mine, Richmond: 7.30am–4pm The Grain Store, CBD: 8am–3pm King & Godfree Deli & Espresso Bar, Carlton: espresso bar 8am–late; deli 9am–8pm Pidapipo, CBD, Carlton and Windsor: noon–11pm Short Round, Thornbury: 8am–3pm Trei Cafe, Glen Waverley: 8.30am–1.30pm Mr Tucci, Glen Iris: 8am–2pm Top image: Hanoi Hannah Vol. 11
What do you get when you combine seriously chiseled muscles, cheeky lace underwear, a few nipples, death defying acts, and more laughs than you’ve had in a while? Oh, how we wish we knew where all your minds went first. But we’ll put you out of your misery. The answer, Absinthe, presented at the Spiegelworld Tent on the Crown Rooftop in Melbourne. Did we mention it’s MA15+? After opening in Las Vegas in 2011 and then hitting the streets of New York, this show has drawn sold-out crowds for four years straight. The modern circus is a constantly rotating door of performers, dancers, singers, burlesque performers, and comedians from all over the world with unique abilities, leaving you with no clue what will come up next. And it’s hosted by the somewhat sleazy Gazillionaire and his weirdly funny sidekick Penny. Word of warning, the things that come out of her mouth are not for the faint-hearted. As the performance is inspired by the booze-soaked cabarets of the late 19th Century, the Spiegelworld tent is the perfect location for the show. The rooftop of Crown, for the night, feels like a secluded and sensual bar — ideal for saucy acts and dirty comedy. Without ruining too many surprises, the show opens with a pile of ten or so chairs and one small man doing handstands on top of it, we move to an almost naked girl and a very large balloon, to fire breathing, to towers of just men who drink shots of absinthe between acts, to girls who swing on a hoop and each other while kissing in the meantime. Don’t be surprised if you gasp, a few times for the sexy, sexy performers and a few times for when you think they're going to fall right in front of your eyes. This show literally keeps you on the edge of your seat, a cliché we wouldn’t use lightly. Mini Melbourne is sponsoring the event, which makes for a very cute Mini to play with on the rooftop, just another weird and wonderful addition to this very memorable show. We do wonder how they got everything up there.
If you're keen to raise a glass for International Women's Day, why not make it a nice pint glass filled with a special collaborative brew crafted in honour of all the women who drink, make and appreciate beer? On Friday, March 8, Blackheart & Sparrows is set to host its third annual froth-filled celebration of women who are making the beer game their own. Held at the Co-Conspirators Brewpub, it'll double as a launch party for the latest release of The Brewer — a collaboration beer made with Co-Conspirators for the occasion. This year's brew is a boldly malty ESB (extra special bitter, otherwise known as an English-style pale ale). Female-identifying beer-lovers and allies are invited along for an afternoon spent sampling the new brew (either by tap or by hand pump), while hearing from key females in the biz at a panel chat led by Blackheart & Sparrows' beer buyer Cherry Murphy. She'll be joined by co-director of Co-Conspirators and co-Vice President of Pink Boots Society Australia, Jacqui Sacco, as well as the President of Pink Boots Society Australia, Sarah Turner, founder of Full Colour Life and co-founder of Two Birds Brewing, Jayne Lewis, and founder and head distiller at Island Gin, Andi Ross. Another women-led business, Basil & Oregano Pizzeria, will also be on hand throughout the evening, pumping out woodfired pizzas. Entry is free to this year's Future Brewer event, but you will need to reserve a spot online.
Whether you're travelling for work, leisure or something in-between, if you're a Sydneysider who has been in Victoria lately — and will still be there after 4pm today, Thursday, May 27 — you've probably been happy to venture further than your own city. But, with the southern state currently experiencing its second lockdown for 2021, the New South Wales Government will require anyone who has visited Victoria from this afternoon to also abide by the same stay-at-home conditions. Yes, you should be feeling a bit of deja vu. Exactly the same thing happened when Brisbane went into lockdown twice earlier in 2021. NSW isn't closing its border to Victoria, but it has put a new isolation requirement in place for anyone in NSW who has been to the state and then enters NSW after the above time. As announced in a NSW Health public health alert released today, if you fall into that category, you're required to isolate under the same conditions that will be in place if you were to stay in Victoria. The rules are the same as during NSW's March 2020 lockdown, which means that you're only allowed to leave the house for select reasons. So, you can only head out for work or education if you can't do that at home, for essential shopping, for exercise in your local area, and for health care or to provide support for a vulnerable person. Victoria's lockdown will come into effect at 11.59pm tonight and run through until the same time on Thursday, June 3. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1397752475097042945 The one exception to NSW's stay-at-home requirement for folks who've been in Victoria: residents in border communities. You'll only need to stay home if you head outside the border region in Victoria after 4pm today — as per the map that's been used for previous bubbles. NSW Health is also advising people in the state against non-essential travel to the Greater Melbourne area at present. If you do travel and then come back to NSW while Victoria is in lockdown, you'll be subject to the above stay-at-home conditions upon your return. Victorian residents are advised not to travel to NSW after lockdown begins, unless they're permitted to do so. As always, the usual general advice regarding hygiene and social distancing applies in NSW, as it has throughout the pandemic. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. For further details about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria, check out the Victorian Department of Health website.
With summer upon us and Christmas on the horizon, it's the perfect time to treat yourself and sort out your sleep. If you're tossing and turning at night it might not just be because of the state of the world, it could be your mattress and pillow as well. Luckily, premium homewares brand Ecosa wants to help you get a good night's sleep. All items on the Ecosa website are 25 percent off from Monday, November 9 to Wednesday, November 11. If you've been complaining about a crook neck, maybe head off to the physio and get yourself fancy new memory foam pillow. The ergonomic pillow boasts an adjustable height, a curved shape that suits side and back sleepers and a compressible foam that supports the natural shape of your head. Plus, two compression bags so you can pack it up and take it with you everywhere. Yep, it's one helluva pillow. If that's not enough, Ecosa also offers free shipping and returns Australia-wide, plus a 100-day free trial period. And, with everything on sale, get in early with some Christmas shopping. Ecosa is your one-stop sleep shop, with luxe bamboo sheets, silk pillowcases, wooden bed base, memory foam mattress and weighted blanket all available at the discounted price. So, you can treat yourself, your friends and your whole family to a better night's sleep. 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.
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.
Rooftop season has arrived and with it comes a brand-new sky-high drinking spot, complete with views across both the bay and the city. This one (sunny, openair space) sits atop the newly revamped Hobsons Bay Hotel — the latest venture from the mind behind Rustica Sourdough, Brenton Lang. Along with partners Drew Gibbs and Matt Cook, Land has transformed the former site of George Calombaris' Hellenic Hotel into a three-storey neighbourhood pub for the bayside suburb of Williamstown. Inside, a dapper fit-out by Fiona Drago gives a warm, elegant nod to the building's past, fusing custom-made tartan carpets, tan leather banquettes and splashes of green. A lofty ground-floor dining room centres around the open kitchen, while one level up, you'll find a private dining space and wraparound balcony overlooking the street. Venture further for the crowning glory: a roomy rooftop deck complete with its own bar and space for up to 100 people. With Head Chef Ben Pigott (formerly Supernormal, Cumulus Inc and Stokehouse) heading up the kitchen, you can expect big things from the venue's offering of polished Aussie pub classics. Heroing an impressive woodfire grill and rotisserie, the kitchen is plating up both a brasserie-style menu and a selection of more casual public bar eats. Hit either for elegant snacks and shares, like the crisp fried artichokes teamed with celery salt and romesco sauce, fish finger sandwiches and, of course, some Rustica sourdough served with cultured butter. [caption id="attachment_794162" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] In the dining room, you'll find yourself sitting down to the likes of a half rotisserie chicken with salsa verde and roast chook sauce, a side of charred heirloom zucchini finished with stracciatella, or one of three premium steak options. That rotisserie is turning out more meaty delights come the weekend — porchetta on Saturdays and roast beef on Sundays — and for dessert, expects treats like the house-made doughnuts with rum custard and pineapple jam. Otherwise, keep it casual and pair a few pints with the likes of a cheeseburger, hot chook roll, or dukkah-roasted cauliflower steak with smoked hummus and fried capers. Brews from Balter and Cricketers Arms star throughout the 11-strong tap list, backed by an expansive selection of vino. Up on the roof, however, it's all about the tap wines and cocktails, including espresso martinis and margaritas to enjoy alongside the view. Find Hobsons Bay Hotel at 28 Ferguson Street, Williamstown. It's open from 12pm–late daily. Images: Kate Shanasy
Melbourne's critically acclaimed dance company Chunky Move are back with the world premiere of an explosive new double bill. A dual commission as part of their annual Next Move development program, which provides financial and creative support to local choreographers, Melanie Lane's REMAKE and Jo Lloyd and Nicola Gunn's Mermermer share a mutual fascination with "the histories embedded in another's body". The former work sees Lane collaborate with ex-Australian Ballet soloist Juliet Burnett in a performance that navigates the space between classical and contemporary forms. The latter, meanwhile, sees a pair of dancers combine physical and verbal conversations in order to ask "if you were one of the last two humans on earth, what would you talk about?" Next Move 2016 kicks off on Thursday, September 8 at Chunky Move Studios.
Melbourne's inner-city booze-making scene is on a serious roll, with an ambitious new brewery, distillery or winery project seemingly announced every week. Next up? The Yarra Valley's Jamsheed Wines has its sights set on the big smoke, revealing plans to open Melbourne's second-ever urban winery. With 16 years under its belt, the label is adding to the family in a big way, taking over a sprawling Preston warehouse to create the ground-breaking Jamsheed Urban Winery. And founder and winemaker Gary Mills is inviting fans to get involved, through a Pozible crowd-funding campaign raising money for the site's finishing touches – including the fit-out, the bar and a disabled access ramp and bathroom. With the opening of the new venue, Jamsheed's production will shift entirely from the Yarra Valley to Preston, offering visitors insight into the whole winemaking process. Once complete, it'll feature a full working winery, a lofty barrel hall and a cellar door tasting bar at its heart. You'll be able to camp out here with a woodfired pizza courtesy of Wolf & Swill, while sampling a few of Jamsheed's finest creations. Expect Jamsheed's full library, alongside tap beers and more vinous treats from some of Victoria's best wine regions. As well as being a fully functional winery, Jamsheed has plans to make its own vermouth, spirits and brandy in the sprawling inner-north warehouse. There's no word yet on when the Jamsheed Urban Winery will open, though we do know it'll be in pretty good company. Abbotsford's Moon Dog is launching its mammoth new brewery in the same suburb later this year, Southbank will soon be home to the state's largest independent gin distillery courtesy of Patient Wolf and Handpicked Wines is opening an urban cellar door of its own within the $800 million 80 Collins Street development. Jamsheed Urban Winery will open at 4 Albert Street, Preston — we'll let you know more when it's announced.
To celebrate truffle season, NOMAD has launched a limited-time brunch menu to celebrate the fancy fungus. Running every Sunday for four weeks from June 12, all dishes are served with approximately two grams of Manjimup black truffle from WA, so you can really itch that seasonal truffle craving. Start with a three-cheese manoush ($25), followed by ham hock hash browns with baked eggs and wood-roasted tomatoes ($19). A smokey date glazed bacon ($22); wood-roasted mushrooms with Jersusalem artichokes and pinenuts ($32); and Long Paddock Driftwood with honeycomb and crudites ($65) serve as lazy grazing nibbles. The brunch banquet is finished with an ice-cream sandwich, featuring olive oil ice cream and pecan cookies ($19). For those looking to make the brunch boozy, there is a range of specialty cocktails available for additional purchase. Think: NOMAD's signature bloody mary ($22), a seasonal bellini ($18), mimosas ($35) and espresso martinis ($22).
Handpicking some of the globe's best new artists for yet another glorious year (their seventh, to be exact), Sugar Mountain has revealed one heck of a 2018 lineup, with UK rapper Joey Bada$$, experimental Berlin-based producer Laurel Halo and Australia's Cut Copy headlining. Returning to Melbourne's Victorian College of the Arts on Saturday, January 20, Sugar Mountain has again balanced international drawcards with local talent this year, from Melbourne's all-female five-piece Beaches to UK producer Actress. Other Aussies converging on Mebourne for the fest include Body Type, Stella Donnelly and Indigenous collective Kardajala Kirridarra. As always though, music isn't the only thing on the menu for Sugar Mountain. There'll also be a load artists on the bill, including a collaboration between American artist and dancer Khalif Diouf and Bangarra Dance Theatre's dancer and choreographer Waangenga Blanco and work by Amrita Hepi and Japanese artists Hiroyasu Tsuri and Jun Inoue. The nosh is yet to be announced, but here's hoping Sugar Mountain's immersive on-site restaurant Sensory will be back. Enough chatskies, here's that lineup you're after. SUGAR MOUNTAIN 2018 LINEUP: Actress (UK) Ara Koufax Beaches Body Type Cut Copy Dan Shake (UK) Eclair Fifi (UK) Fantastic Man Gerd Janson (GER) Honey Dijon (USA) J Hus (UK) Jamila Woods (USA) Joey Bada$$ (USA) Kardajala Kirridarra Laurel Halo (USA) Love Deluxe Project Pablo (CAN) Sevdaliza (NED) Shanti Celeste (UK) Stella Donnelly ARTISTS VIA ALICE featuring Waangenga Blanco x Khalif Diouf (USA) Amrita Hepi x Pasefika Victoria Choir Justin Shoulder x CORIN x Tristan Jalleh Hiroyasu Tsuri (JPN) x Jun Inoue (JPN) Marcus Whale x Athena Thebus Sugar Mountain Festival is happening at Victorian College Of The Arts, Melbourne on Saturday, January 20, 2017. Tickets are $109 each and are on sale now at sugarmountain.com.
While everybody is pretty damn exited about the announcements made this morning for the musical and lighting parts of this year's Vivid Live festival, there were also some amazing announcements made regarding what's in store for Vivid Ideas. Vivid Ideas is the third integral part of the entire Vivid ethos, hosting a program of public and industry events focused on discussion and creative collaboration. Over the 18-day program the newly made-over Museum of Contemporary Arts will become home to the creative hub of Vivid, connecting industry with emerging talent and global leaders in over 100 events, double the creative industry events of the previous three years. This year's program will see the CEOs of Etsy, Threadless and VICE giving keynote talks, as well as appearances from Cory Doctorow, author and co-founder of weblog Boing Boing, and Henry Holland, from the UK fashion label House of Holland. The talks will run alongside major industry events such as Song Summit, X Media Lab, Mumbrella 360 and SPARC Design. Other highlights include a partnership with the Sydney Film Festival, an Etsy microbusiness conference and a celebration of the 25th anniversary of ABC's Rage at CarriageWorks. The public program includes free and ticketed events and goes on sale on Thursday, March 22. Vivid is unique amongst Australia's festivals, and a major celebration of creative industries. This year's instalment of Vivid Ideas looks to reinforce just how vibrant and innovative this city is becoming. Check out the full program here.
It's true in Baz Luhrmann's beloved movie musical Moulin Rouge!, and it's true about the Tony-winning stage version that's wowed Broadway and first hit Melbourne in 2021: the show must go on. Didn't get a chance to see this film-to-theatre spectacular during its initial Victorian run? Don't fancy making the trip to Sydney from late May to see it sing and dance up a storm then? Thankfully, this gorgeous production has locked in its return to Melbourne in 2023. Mark Sunday, August 20, 2023 in your diary — and start snapping up tickets now, because they're already on sale. Heading back to the Regent Theatre, likely after Shakespeare-meets-pop musical & Juliet unleashes its first-ever Australian shows from February, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is currently slinging seats until mid-September. Yes, it's spectacular (spectacular) news. It's so exciting, you're allowed to stomp and cheer, too. Whether the musical will venture elsewhere in-between its Sydney and return Melbourne gigs — Brisbane perhaps? — hasn't yet been revealed, and neither has how long it'll stay in Melbourne the second time around. Once more, Melbourne will stand in for the Montmartre Quarter of Paris — the backdrop for a heady romance between lovestruck young bohemian Christian and performer Satine, star of the legendary titular cabaret. As Luhrmann's award-winning, Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor-starring movie did before it, the stage musical spins their tale, ups, downs, joys, heartbreaks, wins, tragedies and all. Moulin Rouge! The Musical isn't just heavy on star-crossed romance, however. Also like the film it's based on, it comes with a loaded soundtrack that celebrates iconic tunes from across the past five decades. Indeed, Moulin Rouge! The Musical backs up those favourites with even more hit songs that have been released in the two decades since the movie premiered. It has now been six years since, back in 2016 it was first announced that Moulin Rouge! was being turned into a stage musical — and this delight was always going to prove popular. Since then, the lavish production premiered in the US in 2018, then hit Broadway in 2019, and finally made its way Down Under last year — and also became the first-ever Aussie-produced show to win the Tony for Best Musical. Moulin Rouge! The Musical will return to Melbourne's Regent Theatre, at 191 Collins Street, Melbourne from Sunday, August 20, 2023. For further details or to buy tickets, head to the production's website. Images: Michelle Grace Hunder.
This week, your ultimate mid-week pick-me-up comes in the form of free pizza from one of the city's best-loved pizzerias. And it's all thanks to at-home pizza oven company Gozney, which is teaming up with Sydney's Grifter Brewing Co to celebrate doughy rounds for World Pizza Day. To get your mitts on some complimentary pizza, simply head down to Leonardo's Pizza Palace when it opens its doors from 5pm on Thursday, February 9. The Carlton spot is giving away hot, cheesy, full-sized pizzas to the first 50 customers that arrive on the day. You've even got a choice of dining in or getting your freebie packed up to take away. As part of the World Pizza Day festivities, Grifter is also unveiling its new pizza-inspired beer. Named Birra Quattro, the new brew is an Italian-style pilsner that celebrates the shared similarities behind the creation of both pizza and beer. [caption id="attachment_860514" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leonardo's Pizza Palace, by Natalie Jurrjens[/caption] "The inspiration behind Birra Quattro started when my co-founder, Glenn and I started cooking pizzas at home with the Gozney Roccbox. We saw the similarities between pizza and beer, both being made from fermented cereal grains," says Grifter's co-founder Matt King. Leonardo's will also have Birra Quattro available for purchase if you'd like to pair your cheesy meal with a can of the new drop. Rounding out the day's excitement is the chance to win a huge pizza-themed prize pack. If you're served a 'lucky slice', you'll score everything you need for an at-home pizza party — a Gozney portable pizza oven and a slab of Grifter's Birra Quattro. [caption id="attachment_888094" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alana Dimou[/caption]
UPDATE, July 31, 2022: Wash My Soul in the River's Flow is available to stream via Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. A silent hero and a rowdy troublemaker. That's what Ruby Hunter calls Archie Roach, her partner in life and sometimes music, then characterises herself. She offers those words casually, as if she's merely breathing, with an accompanying smile and a glint in her eyes as she talks. They aren't the only thoughts uttered in Wash My Soul in the River's Flow, which intersperses concert and rehearsal clips with chats with Hunter and Roach, plus snippets of biographical details from and recollections about their lives as intertitles, and then majestic footage of the winding Murray River in Ngarrindjeri Country, where Hunter was born, too. Still, even before those two-word descriptions are mentioned, the film shows how they resonate within couple's relationship. Watching their dynamic, which had ebbed and flowed over three-plus decades when the movie's footage was shot in 2004, it's plain to see how these two icons of Australian music are dissimilar in personality and yet intertwine harmoniously. Every relationship is perched upon interlocking personalities: how well they complement each other, where their differences blend seamlessly and how their opposing traits spark challenges in the best possible ways. Every song, too, is a balance of disparate but coordinated pieces. And, every ecosystem on the planet also fits the bill. With Hunter and Roach as its focus, Wash My Soul in the River's Flow contemplates all three — love, music and Country — all through 2004 concert Kura Tungar — Songs from the River. Recorded for the documentary at Melbourne's Hamer Hall, that gig series interlaced additional parts, thanks to a collaboration with Paul Grabowsky's 22-piece Australian Art Orchestra — and the movie that producer-turned-writer/director Philippa Bateman makes of it, and about two Indigenous stars, their experience as members of Australia's Stolen Generations, their ties to Country and their love, is equally, gloriously and mesmerisingly multifaceted. When is a concert film more than a concert film? When it's Wash My Soul in the River's Flow, clearly, which is named for one of Kura Tungar's tracks. Bateman could've just used her recordings of the legendary show, which won the 2005 Helpmann Award for Best Australian Contemporary Concert, and given everyone who wasn't there the chance to enjoy an historic event — and to bask in the now-late Hunter's on-stage glories more than a decade after her 2010 passing — but that was clearly just the starting point for her movie. With Roach as a producer, the documentary presents each of its songs as a combination of five key elements, all weaved together like the feather flower-dotted, brightly coloured headpiece that Hunter wears during the performance. With each tune, the film repeats the pattern but the emotion that comes with it inherently evolves, with the result akin to cycling through the earth's four seasons. First, a title appears on-screen, overlaid across breathtakingly beautiful images of the Murray and its surroundings, and instantly steeping every song in a spectacular place. From there, the Kura Tungar rendition of each tune segues into practice sessions with Grabowsky and the AAO of the same track, plus both text and on-the-couch chatter between Hunter and Roach that speaks to the context of, meaning behind and memories tied to each piece. Hunter's 'Daisy Chains, String Games and Knuckle Bones', which springs from her childhood, gets that treatment. Roach's unforgettable 'Took the Children Away' does, too. 'Down City Streets', as written by Hunter and recorded by Roach, also joins the lineup. The list goes on, and the power that each song possesses alone — which, given the talent and topics involved, is immense — only grows when packaged in such a layered manner. What a story this symphony of tunes and its entwined materials tells, spanning Hunter's recollections about being taken from her family under the guise of a trip to the circus; the coin flip that saw Roach head to South Australia from Mildura after a season spent grape-picking, where he'd meet Hunter when both were teenagers; and Hunter's certainty before that, when she spied Roach on television as a kid, that she'd marry him. The Ngarrindjeri, Kokatha and Pitjantjatjara woman's way with words continues throughout the film, including when she explains how that stroke of fate that brought Roach to Adelaide's People's Palace when they were both homeless adolescents saw her stop "her gambler from his rambling". For the Gunditjmara and Bundjalung man, he shares snippets of his own past alongside his overflowing love for Hunter. Indeed, when he marvels about how she can remember everything in her life, the Murray River's pelicans and the Dreamtime among them, it's a statement of pure and joyous affection. Along the way, Bateman ensures that her documentary tackles a dark chapter of the country's history head on, because it's impossible to relay Hunter and Roach's tales without exploring the nation's Stolen Generations. Her film is a tribute to her subjects and their work first and foremost — a tribute from Roach to Hunter overwhelmingly, too — but the resilience and fortitude that it's taken to weather everything that the government policy sent their way shines just as vividly. Both of Wash My Soul in the River's Flow's main figures are candid although, true to her own self-description, Hunter repeatedly takes the lead. Still, Roach's striking admission that, until the pair met, he thought it was just him and his siblings that'd been forcibly removed from their home, is nothing short of heartbreaking. Also intensely affecting: getting the chance to spend an intimate 90 minutes in Hunter and Roach's company, especially the former, the first Aboriginal woman to be signed to a major record label, following her death; and those awe-inspiring shots of Ngarrindjeri Country, as shot by cinematographer Bonnie Elliott (The Furnace), that keep returning with each soulful song. Combined with the movie's music, plus its dedication to unflinchingly diving into the problematic past, Wash My Soul in the River's Flow becomes a quintessential portrait of Australia. Championing two First Nations icons, their culture and their connection to Country; exploring the injustice they've endured at the hands of the government, and how they've ultimately thrived and healed together and through their talents; and showcasing the art they've made and the land they love — this moving movie couldn't ask for anything more. Letting it wash over you, and its silent hero and rowdy troublemaker with it, is simply inescapable.
If ever there was a genre that demands to be seen in a cinema, it's the western. Wide-open plains that stretch as far as the eye can see, weary journeyers navigating harsh terrain, splashes of lush greenery that offer glimpses of hope: these are images made for the big screen. They're also the kind of visuals Slow West makes its own, from dense scrubland to dusky wooden huts, and from golden fields to inky nighttime scenes. There's no wondering why writer/director John Maclean chose to relay the bulk of his debut feature through its sights, rather than through dialogue. There's no wondering why the film won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, either. Slow West describes both the pace and the direction that Jay (Kodi Smit-McPhee) favours, the 16-year-old Scotsman ambling along upon his arrival in America. The time is 1870, the place is Colorado and his mission is to find his childhood love, Rose (Caren Pistorius), who fled their homeland with her father (Rory McCann) after an unfortunate incident. Jay is driven by emotion and lacking in Wild West wiles, as made clear when lone rider Silas (Michael Fassbender) saves him from certain death at the hands of some unfriendly fellows. It's in his best interests to pay the sharpshooter to remain as his guide — and it's in both of their best interests to avoid the bounty hunter (Ben Mendelsohn) and his posse on their trail. This is Maclean's first stint directing a movie, and what a striking debut it is. As a former musician with the Beta Band, he demonstrates a delicate sense of rhythm, which is quite a feat in a film that's slow by name and by nature. Or, perhaps patient better fits, with the feature never in a rush to reveal its details. Instead, it takes its time to build drama. It lets the interrupting outbursts of both violence and comedy feel like just that. And it allows ample opportunity to enjoy its scenic views, too. Such surges of action include a spectacular general store altercation early on, and the inevitable — but never plodding or routine — big finale. Maclean isn't only talented with his imagery and timing, but with balancing a mood of contemplation with explosive yet artistic displays of gunfire. He shows a similar knack for casting, the small but substantial lineup of actors always impressive. Fassbender's stoic antihero and Smit-McPhee's lovesick teen might not be fleshed out in the script, but they never feel flimsy, thanks to their performances. The same can be said for Mendelsohn, clearly enjoying his recent surge of playing assholes. Yes, the trio fall into the usual western roles — the innocent needing help, the conflicted veteran and the dastardly villain — however, nothing about Slow West could really be described as usual. It's not just its visuals that make the film a stunning example of cinema, or of its genre, though they're always a treat to look at. A wandering western, this is a movie that both embraces and reinvents the expected, as all movies should.
Heralded as the future of blues, Joe Bonammasa brings his fresh style and performance to the Palais Theatre. A fourth generation musician and son of guitar shop owning parents, Joe Bonamassa caught the attention of B.B. King, who described him as “one of a kind”, at age ten. By age twelve he was opening shows for King, and touring with people like Foreigner, Stephen Stills, Joe Cocker and Gregg Allman. Twenty-one years later and Joe Bonamassa is a sell-out sensation in his own right, filling arenas and famous venues like The Royal Abert Hall, and dueting with Eric Clapton. This Thursday Joe Bonamassa will show the sure-to-be-packed Palais Theatre just why he’s Slash’s favourite guitarist, has been awarded a host of awards, and regularly tops the US Billboard charts with his charismatic and mesmerising style, one full of depth and emotional resonance.
As spring does its thing, you won't find a much better setting for weekend lunch than a table overlooking the rolling green vines of Mornington Peninsula wine country. Especially with Avani Wines' new lunch series, which sees chef Harry Mangat (Biji Dining) return to the Red Hill winery for a weekly pop-up feast, joined by a lineup of Melbourne food stars. The Australian-Indian flavours for which Mangat is known will drive the new weekend lunch menus, on offer Saturdays and Sundays from September 3 until the end of December. Plus, there'll be some big-name guests dropping by throughout the series, including IDES' Peter Gunn, Zackary Furst from Bar Liberty, Hope St Radio's Jack Shaw and Ellie Bouhadana, and Charlie Carrington of Atlas Dining fame. Full lineup here. Get excited for four-course shared feasts ($95), starring plates like chana dal and methi roti (whole wheat) matched with cashew cream and masala; Kashmiri-style lamb with pine nuts, pickled currants and smoked capsicum; and yoghurt custard parfait served with burnt ginger marshmallow. Mangat will be foraging ingredients like nasturtium, wattleseed and wild garlic from right there on the property, and of course, Avani will have lots of great pours to pair with the eats. The regular weekend lunches will clock in at $95, with the guest chef dates priced at $120. Images: Parker Blain
Across 2021's cooler months, locations around Australia will transform into winter wonderlands, celebrating the chilly season in all of its frosty glory. From May through until September, The Winter Village is returning after its debut run in Melbourne two years back — with the city's return stop taking place at Skyline Terrace at Federation Square (aka the top of the carpark) from Thursday, May 13–Sunday, August 29. Modelled on your typically picturesque European winter market — and giving Aussies a taste of a winter experience that we don't really have otherwise — The Winter Village comes complete with an ice rink, an igloo village, daily snow showers, and a food and drink lineup. Think of it as your quaint wintery escape in the very heart of Melbourne. Attendees will be able to dust off their skates and hit the ice, and hire a private igloo where you can wine and dine in cosy solace — either with up to five people in a smaller space, or in a six-metre-wide igloo that can cater for 14. Folks spending their time in The Winter Village's igloos will feast on grazing plates of chips, dips, mini pretzels, cured meats, fried chicken bites, mac 'n' cheese croquettes and more, drink their choice of wine or beer, and tuck into a chocolate ice cream sandwich for dessert. That's the $49 package, with the $69 option including espresso martini-flavoured chocolate fudge dipping sauce, berries, brownies, marshmallows, cookies and your choice of an Aperol spritz, espresso martini, wine or beer. Or, get festive over brunch instead — which includes a 45-minute skate session and a meal afterwards for $35. There'll also be pop-up bars and outdoor seating throughout the village, should you be keen on heading along without spending time in an igloo. The latest venture from hospitality group Australian Venue Co, the frozen oasis will be open daily and free to enter — from 11am–10pm Monday–Thursday, 11am–12am Friday, 10am–12am Saturday and 10am–10pm Sunday. That said, ice skating, igloo hire and a couple of winter warming beverages will obviously come at a cost. Top images: Mazloum J.
That delightful period of multiple public holidays that we had in April is already starting to feel like a distant memory. Well, on to the next. The Queen's Birthday long weekend will be here before we know it and we've already found a top-notch fun and furry activity to mark down in your calendar. From Saturday, June 8—Monday, June 10, Healesville Sanctuary will be hosting its Wine & Wildlife event. From 11am–4pm each day, the Sanctuary will showcase local wineries and breweries in its secluded bushland setting, becoming one of the best gourmet destinations in the Yarra Valley (mainly due to its proximity to many, many cute creatures). Chow down on dumplings, loaded potatoes and barbecued meats from pop-up stalls by Sanctuary Harvest. To celebrate this special event, we are giving away a VIP experience at Wine & Wildlife. Your prize will include entry to Wine & Wildlife (including general admission entry to Healesville Sanctuary) for you and three mates. You'll also score four passes to a kangaroo close-up encounter, giving you the chance to personally meet some of Australia's finest native animals. Enter your details below for a chance to win. [competition]719984[/competition]
UPDATE, January 15, 2021: Widows is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Widows begins with images of both passion and peril, contrasting intimacy with anarchy and the everyday with the extreme. Against crisp white sheets in their well-appointed Chicago penthouse, Veronica (Viola Davis) and Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson) embrace. In a van filled with stolen cash, Harry also leads a gang of thieves that are being pursued by the police. Directing his fourth film, Steve McQueen jumps between the two scenes throughout Widows' opening moments, letting blissful domesticity and a chaotic chase clash together. It's an effective juxtaposition for many reasons, including the technical flair on display from McQueen's regular cinematographer Sean Bobbit (On Chesil Beach) and returning editor Joe Walker (Blade Runner 2049). It also couldn't better encapsulate this stunning heist movie. When Harry's job goes wrong, Veronica is left a widow. So are the wives of his accomplices, though mother-of-two Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and Polish transplant Alice (Elizabeth Debicki) don't know each other, let alone Veronica. But this trio of women from different backgrounds has more in common than just their grief. The lives they previously knew explode in the hail of gunfire that claims their husbands, leaving them all struggling to get by. Moreover, they become targets for a local crim turned aspiring politician (Brian Tyree Henry), who needs the $2 million that Harry pilfered to battle his corrupt opponent (Colin Farrell) at the polls. Pierce the veneer of normalcy, and desperation follows. That's Veronica, Linda and Alice's shattered situation in a nutshell, with tough times calling for tough decisions and deeds. To deal with the mess they're now in, the three ladies decide to stage their own heist, using plans left in Harry's secret notebooks. Remaking the 1983 British TV series of the same name, writer-director McQueen teams up with Gone Girl's Gillian Flynn to paint a portrait of women doing what they have to to get by. That the uncaring, unjust and inequitable world has led them to this juncture never escapes attention. Nor does the fact that these ladies — including hairdresser-turned-getaway driver Belle (Cynthia Erivo) — are all too accustomed to society turning them a blind eye. A slick thriller with much to show, just as much to say and plenty of grim, purposeful swagger, Widows achieves what few heist flicks manage. When it comes to the nuts and bolts of the genre, it glides forward with exacting precision and bristling tension. When it comes to giving resilient, enterprising but far-from-perfect women their due — and in a testing situation, too — the film builds complex, capable and compelling characters. And when it comes to making a statement, McQueen and Flynn don't hold back. They're subtle more often than not, knowing that the most potent tool in their arsenal is simply depicting what these ladies are going through. That said, they also know when nuance isn't enough. A moving #BlackLivesMatter moment packs a blunt but powerful punch, for example. In short, Widows is the sum of its parts in the best, smartest and most entertaining possible manner. McQueen's knack for devastating drama, as so exceptionally deployed in Hunger, Shame and 12 Years A Slave, meets Flynn's knack for twisty female-driven tales — and both meet the well-oiled crime plot of Lynda La Plante, who scripted the original television show. The combination gives Widows a layered, lived-in feel that makes its quiet moments of mourning land hard and its action scenes land even harder. 2018's other caper about light-fingered ladies, aka Ocean's 8, this decisively isn't. Men play their part here, in the form of Neeson's criminal mastermind, Farrell and Henry's warring politicos, and Daniel Kaluuya as the latter's vicious enforcer brother. As the title suggests, however, Widows is firmly about women who've had much taken away — and who are fighting to survive the latest blows life has sent their way. The movie's lead actors are all fighting too, putting in career-best work across the board. Like their characters, there's much that connects Davis, Rodriguez and Debicki, who all say as much when they're not speaking as when they're uttering the film's smart dialogue. But perhaps the thing that binds them best is the multifaceted picture of womanhood that they offer. They're fragile and fierce, confident and uncertain, and messy and motivated all at once. Singling out one of their performances is no easy task, although Davis leads the charge. If you encountered her commanding, heartbroken protagonist in real life, you'd likely follow her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbKgqY3Fv9k
The state of Colorado is a land of mind-blowing extremes. In one visit, you can climb rugged mountains, wander through arid desert landscapes, canoe down wild rivers and camp by serene lakes. Meanwhile, in the capital city of Denver, which rests a mile above sea level, you'll find gallons of craft beer, creative chefs, loads of indie artists and a buzzing music scene. Colorado-based singer-songwriter Gregory Alan Isakov, who's currently in Australia, embodies the state's spirit: whenever he's not on the road, he's at home on his farm, growing produce and recording in his custom-built studio. To mark his tour around our homeland, we've come up with a tour for you around his homeland. Here, we take you through all the eats, drinks, sights and sounds for you to discover on a trip to Denver, CO. EAT BREKKIE AT SNOOZE Snooze is all about helping you start your day on a high and fully fuelled. Prepare for upbeat vibes, lots of energy and happy, happy people. Nearly every dish on the menu is made from scratch, according to what local farmers have on the go. So, you never know what to expect. That said, if the pineapple upside-down pancakes are on offer, look no further. Or, if sweet in the AM isn't your thing, opt for the Chili Verde Benedict — a spicy feast of tortillas with green chilli sauce, melted cheese, slow-cooked pulled pork, barbacoa-style beef, poached eggs, green chilli hollandaise, pico de gallo and cotija cheese. EAT FRENCH ONION SOUP DUMPLINGS AT CHOLON At ChoLon, a much-adored restaurant in Denver, two of the world's greatest comfort foods — french onion soup and dumplings — collide. Foodies travel far and wide to sample these delights, which are loaded with gruyere and sweet onion, then steamed to perfection. Their creator is head chef and owner Lon Symensma, who opened ChoLon after working at Buddakan in New York City. If you're still hungry post-dumplings, move onto an array of modern Asian flavours — from crunchy Thai shrimp rolls with umami mayo to diver scallops with fennel puree, wok hay grapes and candied pistachios. EAT POUTINE AT EUCLID HALL Have yourself a classic American tavern experience at Euclid Hall, set in a 19th-century building that formerly housed a bar by an infamous Wild West gangster, Soapy Smith. You'll find it in Denver's Larimer Square historical district. Get started with poutine — fries loaded with all kinds of deliciousness, like duck confit, cheddar curds and black pepper duck gravy or green chilli-braised pork with cheddar curds, cilantro, radish and crema. The house-made sausages are hard to pass by, too. Match your pick with a craft beer or signature cocktail, like the Salty Oboe (whiskey, lemon-ginger shrub, orange bitters and lemon). [caption id="attachment_711888" align="alignnone" width="1920"] RiNo Art District, Nick and Marissa Napoletano[/caption] B-CYCLE YOUR WAY AROUND DENVER'S CREATIVE NEIGHBOURHOODS With all the inspiring natural wonder surrounding the city, Denver is a magnet for artists, designers, makers, writers and musicians. To see their creations at a leisurely pace, grab yourself a Bcycle and go exploring beyond the city centre. Be sure to check out the Art District on Santa Fe, the Golden Triangle creative district near uptown and the Highlands neighbourhood. Meanwhile, in RiNo (River North), you'll find plenty of street art sharing the neighbourhood with independent boutiques, craft breweries and unique eateries. Plan for a full day of wandering and window shopping. DRINK LOCAL BREWS AT WYNKOOP BREWING COMPANY Since a man by the name of Governor Hickenlooper brewed the first pint here in 1988, this downtown pub has been a local favourite. It's also the first brewpub to have opened in Denver since Prohibition wound up way, way back in 1933. Set in a 100-year-old former bank with several bars, including one that used to be a vault,Wynkoop has 30 brews on tap — all of which have been made in Colorado. There's a drop for pretty much everyone here — from those who enjoy a lush, hop-heavy ale (opt for the Mile High pale ale) to those after something creamy and semi-sweet (look to the Cowtown milk stout). If you're keen to get behind the scenes, you can also join a tour Tuesday–Saturday at 3pm and 4pm. DRINK AN AVOCADO DAIQUIRI AT THE FAMILY JONES Opened in 2017, The Family Jones puts a bunch of Denver's best distillers, chefs, bartenders and restaurateurs under one (vaulted) roof. It's a paean to craft spirits, creative cocktails and small plates — splashed with copper, blue velvet and greenery. Watch a master distiller in action, while sipping an avocado daiquiri: a decadent concoction of the distillery's Mo Jones Rum, passionfruit, lime, arbor chilli and avocado. And if you're after even more, tours and tastings, which include a seven-strong flight of house-made spirits, take place every Saturday at midday and 1.30pm. Meanwhile, happy hour is 4pm–6pm daily. DRINK SOUR BEER AT CROOKED STAVE ARTISAN BEER PROJECT After sipping brews at the historic Wynkoop Brewing Company, head over to Crooked Stave a 'modern artisan brewery' that's been on the scene since 2010. Crafting a wide range of wild and sour drops, head brewer Chad Yakobson is all about combining art with science to create complex, boundary-pushing beers bursting with flavours. Two of his secrets are the use of brettanomyces yeast (which gives beers — and some wines — that funky textural taste) and barrel ageing. Visit the taproom in Denver to sample the results — from the American-style IPA, which contains five types of hops (Azacca, Galaxy, Amarillo, Motueka, and Citra) to the Nightmare on Brett Raspberry, a dark sour ale aged in Leopold Brothers whiskey barrels brewed with Washington raspberries. [caption id="attachment_708869" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Denver.[/caption] SEE A CONCERT UNDER THE STARS AT RED ROCKS If you're a live music junkie, chances are Red Rocks Amphitheatre is already on your bucket list. This extraordinary concert venue, which lies around 15 kilometres outside of Denver, is a naturally formed amphitheatre, framed by stunning rock formations. Some say you'll find no better acoustics anywhere in the world. Just a few of the acts to have played legendary concerts here under the stars include The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Depeche Mode and Dave Matthews. If you're not able to see a show, consider taking a guided tour or stopping by for a snack at Ship Rock Grille. HIKE, BIKE OR RIDE IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS Just a two hours' drive north of Denver lies the Rocky Mountain National Park. Its spectacular slopes have attracted hikers, mountaineers, adventurers and horse riders for hundreds of years. There are countless walking trails to conquer — from the short but steep and incredibly scenic Alpine Ridge Trail to the 12-kilometre long Timberline Falls Trial, which takes in Alberta Falls and several pristine mountain lakes. Alternatively, jump on horseback for a guided tour and see the scenery like you're from the Wild West. STROLL THROUGH THE GARDEN OF THE GODS Also within a two hours' drive from Denver is the magical Garden of the Gods. As the name suggests, this rather awe-inspiring place, dotted with 100-metre-high rock formations, looks like it was created by giants. If you're not keen to get too adventurous, soak up the views from the glass-walled cafe or, if the weather's warm, the outdoor terrace. Alternatively, take a hike or join a guided tour — be it by Segway, bike or jeep. Ready to go? Start planning your trip to Denver and wider adventures in the state of Colorado.
Sometimes you need to wait for the things you love. In Hacks, that's true off- and on-screen. It's been two years since the HBO comedy last dropped new episodes, after its first season was one of the best new shows of 2021 and its second one of the best returning series of 2022 — a delay first sparked by star Jean Smart (Babylon) requiring heart surgery, and then by 2023's Hollywood strikes. But this Emmy- and Golden Globe-winner returns better than ever in season three as it charts Smart's Deborah Vance finally getting a shot at a job that she's been waiting her entire career for. After scoring a huge hit with her recent comedy special, which was a product of hiring twentysomething writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, Julia), the Las Vegas mainstay has a new chance at nabbing a late-night hosting gig. Fictional takes on after-dark talk shows are having a moment, thanks to Late Night with the Devil and now Hacks' third season. At times, some in Deborah's orbit might be tempted to borrow the Australian horror movie's title to describe to assisting her pitch for a post-primetime chair. That'd be a harsh comment, but savage humour has always been part of this showbiz comedy about people who tell jokes for a living, which returns via Stan in Australia and TVNZ+ in Aotearoa from Friday, May 3. While Deborah gets roasted in this season, spikiness is Hacks' long-established baseline — and also the armour with which its behind-the-mic lead protects herself from life's and the industry's pain, disappointments and unfairness. Barbs can also be Deborah's love language, as seen in her banter with Ava. When season two ended, their tumultuous professional relationship had come to an end again via Deborah, who let her writer go to find bigger opportunities. A year has now passed when season three kicks off. Ava is a staff writer on a Last Week Tonight with John Oliver-type series in Los Angeles and thriving, but she's also not over being fired. Deborah still sees it as a necessary move, and a push for her protégée to chase her own dreams. Ava feels scorned and betrayed, particularly since she was the catalyst for her mentor ditching the act that she'd been performing at a casino residency for decades, then getting raw and real by sharing stories about being a woman in comedy over that period, reinventing her image in the process. Back in Vanceland (our term, not the show's; Deborah's mansion is sprawling enough to warrant such a name), everything is gleaming without Ava — but Deborah isn't prepared for being a phenomenon. She wants it. She's worked for years for it. It's taken until her 70s to get it. But her presence alone being cause for frenzy, rather than the scrapping she's done to stay in the spotlight, isn't an easy adjustment. She's hardly fond of her new writers (Dream Scenario's Dylan Gelula and Orphan Black: Echoes' Jordan Gavaris), and crowds feeding off her merely standing onstage means that none of her material actually matters. Deborah's life is now unfettered praise and no challenges; as her Estate Manager Josefina (Rose Abdoo, Leo) remarks to her Chief Operating Officer Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins, The Beanie Bubble), the comedian staying up all night rearranging her salt-and-pepper shakers isn't a great sign. Hacks creators Lucia Aniello, Paul W Downs and Jen Statsky — all Broad City alumni, all co-writers, with Aniello also directing and Downs co-starring — were never going to keep Deborah and Ava apart in season three. The reunifying developments: first crossing paths at Just for Laughs in Montreal, then tucking into Tom Cruise's famous coconut cake, then attempting to win Deborah a hosting job that she once almost had and hasn't recovered from losing. With Ava's show on hiatus for three months over summer, she agrees to head back to Vegas to help do whatever it takes. If it sounds like a reversal of season two's finale, that's because it is — instead of Ava being free to pursue her own passions, she's parking them for Deborah's — but codependency has also long been at the heart of this always-astute gem. Although Deborah can't stomach being seen to rely upon someone, Ava has changed her. As for the latter, she can't divorce her own career from the comedy legend. But time away, and also the success of the special that neither could've made without the other, puts them on more-even footing when they reteam. Hacks season three again also explores the other pairings in Deborah's life, including her daughter DJ's (Kaitlin Olson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) festering hurt over her mother's absence in her childhood, and Marcus feeling undervalued and stagnant while running her business empire. Now out on their own, Deborah and Ava's manager Jimmy (Downs, How It Ends) and his assistant Kayla (Megan Stalter, Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain) have their own codependency to grapple with, especially as they work their way through the industry (which is where guest stars such as Blindspotting's Helen Hunt and Knuckles' Christopher Lloyd come in) on Deborah's behalf. Hacks' third season has a comedy roast, where DJ revels in the catharsis of slinging mean words at her mum; a dress from Deborah's treasure trove that Ava describes as "giving Big Bird"; and Mad Men great Christina Hendricks as fellow big-name guest. Its main duo get lost on a hike, navigate a golf trip and weather a chaotic Christmas party. Deborah also admits to feeling the passage of time, as well as the urgency to achieve everything that she's ever wanted ASAP that snowballs with it. The season surveys humour today from high-profile ridicule sessions to cancel culture. It's unsparing about the glass ceiling in late-night TV, as it should be. Along the way, Aniello, Downs and Statsky keep improving their series — and keep proving some of the smartest and funniest writers in the business. Crucially, the pursuit of Deborah's all-time coveted gig takes Hacks into new terrain, ambitiously for the show and the character alike. A sitcom built around an odd couple, the show could've coasted by on its mismatched intergenerational lead twosome. It could've remained a must-see thanks to the excellent performances that the never-better Smart and equally engaging Einbinder bring to their parts, because they're both that magnificent. But while Deborah might've clung to a routine for much of her life, the series hasn't, and it's all the greater for it. If longevity is about taking risks, Hacks makes its latest confident and hilarious claim for a long-haul run. Check out the trailer for Hacks season three below: Hacks season three streams via Stan in Australia and TVNZ+ in New Zealand from Friday, May 3. Read our reviews of season one and season two.
Welcome to the week-long party you need in your life. Lulie Tavern, Abbotsford's go-to rock 'n' roll venue, is turning 10 – and they're celebrating with a stream of events from Monday, March 31 to Sunday, April 6. The highlight will undoubtedly be Lulie's one-night collaboration with BRICO on Tuesday, April 1. Gather on the pub's Moon Fever rooftop for an evening of incredible food, including pork and prawn burgers ($15), devilled eggs ($8) and potato cakes with taramasalata ($10), accompanied by LIMUS wines and live tunes from singer-songwriter Liam McGorry. Other unmissable events include Lulie's attempt at a world record involving Guinness on Monday, March 31 and Locals' Night (which will bring back classics like $12 burgers and $18 jugs) on Wednesday, April 2. Birthday Disco Fun is the theme on Saturday, April 5, while Sunday, April 6 will wrap up with a Family-Friendly Daytime Disco – think local kid DJs, live bands and buckets of all-ages fun. On top of delivering great music and good times, Lulie has long supported the community; from hosting the Wine Relief fundraiser to support bushfire services, to launching Van with a Can, which saw them deliver fresh beers and cocktails to 40-60 households per day during the 2020 lockdowns. The venue's devotion to the people has earned it nominations for Best Metro Venue and Best Metro Festival." As we invested more and grew the music side of things, we realised [Lulie] had become a staple for so many," says Jon-Lee Farrell, who co-owns the pub with Brendan Kennedy. "Now, the mission is to create something everlasting – a place that will be here in ten, twenty, thirty years' time." So, get your friends and family together, or pop in for a solo brew – with daily events to mark the big ten, Lulie, has something for everyone. Party poppers welcome but no party poopers, please.
Before he was navigating innies and outies in stunning new 2022 streaming series Severance, and before he was working for the City of Pawnee in Parks and Recreation as well, Adam Scott popped up on our TV screens in another workplace scenario. His uniform: black pants, a crisp white shirt and a pink bow tie. His gig: serving drinks and slinging hors d'oeuvres as cater waiter Henry Pollard in 2009–10 cult-favourite comedy Party Down. Although its first two seasons only spanned 20 episodes all up, Party Down is one of the very best sitcoms of the 21st century, and proved a must-see right from the get-go. It's the show that Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas started after that also-beloved 00s series was initially cancelled, and came about in a collaboration with writer/producer John Enbom and producer Dan Etheridge — two other former Veronica Mars staff — and none other than Paul Rudd. And, just like Thomas' detective show, Party Down is also making a comeback. Are we having fun yet indeed. If you're instantly giggling at "are we having fun yet", then you saw Party Down's first two seasons. And, you'll know that Scott uttered that phrase more than once — or had it shouted at him. His character, Henry, was an actor famous for saying that line in a TV commercial. But in-between gigs, and because acting wasn't turning out as he planned, Henry was also working for Party Down's titular catering company. Scott made the jump over to Party Down after also appearing in Veronica Mars, as did plenty of his co-stars, including Ken Marino (The Other Two) as the catering outfit's oh-so-eager (but always-bumbling) manager, plus Ryan Hansen (A Million Little Things), Martin Starr (Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities) and a pre-Glee Jane Lynch as fellow waiters. Rounding out their gang of unhappy serving staff the first time around: Lizzy Caplan (Fleishman Is in Trouble), Jennifer Coolidge before she was winning awards for The White Lotus and Scott's Parks and Recreation co-star Megan Mullally. Party Down's long-awaited six-episode third season will start streaming via Stan in Australia from Friday, February 24, and sees most of the cast return — including Scott, Marino, Hansen, Starr, Lynch and Mullally. Caplan had scheduling issues making the also-excellent Fleishman Is in Trouble; however, Jennifer Garner (The Adam Project), Tyrel Jackson Williams (Brockmire) and Zoë Chao (The Afterparty) join the cast instead, plus James Marsden (Dead to Me) in a recurring part. Story-wise, this new 13-years-later go-around sees Marino's Ron Donald still running the Party Down team despite his past big dreams. And, as the trailer makes plain, plenty of other familiar faces are back in the bow ties as well, catering party after party. Hilarity ensues again in this sneak peek, because of course it does. Check out the trailer for Party Down season three below: Party Down's third season will start streaming via Stan from Friday, February 24.
Put a jig in your step and head over to The Quiet Man Irish Pub as they welcome back fan favourites Double Shot Maggie. Once a month, you can catch this quintessential Irish rock band with a high energy punk flavour. Entry is free, leaving you more gold coins for a pub feed and a pint.
Calling all girls who want to longboard: Melbourne longboarding community Sunset Skate Sessions is hosting a free lesson for beginners. The Sunset Skate Sessions are free and run every weekend, but this is a series aimed specifically at women new to the sport. It's never too late to learn — Jesslyn, creator of the events, started skating when she turned 30. "I never, ever thought I would skate as I didn't grow up with the culture or have friends who skated. So when I got my longboard in the USA, I was determined to convert my friends to skate with me and have a more active lifestyle," she says. For some more femme power inspiration, check out icons like Hyojoo Ko in South Korea and Parisienne Cassandra Lemoine tearing up the longboard game. For the next session, bring your own board and meet at the entrance of Luna Park in St Kilda on March 4 from 4pm.
More than 100 publishers and designers will converge on NGV International for the Melbourne Art Book Fair, happening as part of Melbourne Design Week. It's an 11-day festival packed with limited-edition books, prints and magazines – as well as launches, exhibitions, talks and workshops. Drop into Comme des Garçons' store in Somerset Place to see Book Stand, a site-specific collaboration with Perimeter Books featuring a selection of publications, including Dino Simonett's COMME DES GARÇONS PARFUMS 1994-2025. Meanwhile, at CAVES on Swanston Street, you'll find Fusion of Forms, a series of immersive multimedia installations by local artist Xinyuan (Caesar) Li exploring innovations in bilingual typography. Also on the program is Out of Line, the biggest Australian exhibition of the works of New Zealand designer and typographer Catherine Griffiths to date, as well as Troppo Print Studio's Print Panorama Experiment, which invites you to get involved in creating an evolving silk-screen print. And don't miss NEWSSTAND, where you'll limited-edition editorials by cutting-edge thinkers from The Paris End, Long Prawn and Binatang Press. Melbourne Art Book Fair is taking place from Thursday, May 15–Sunday, May 25. Check out the rest of the massive program over here.
Sometimes that creative spark just won't flicker into action. To help you recharge, former creative director and now leading breathwork facilitator Conor Rua is hosting an immersive one-hour event in the rejuvenating surrounds of Fitzroy Gardens' The Conservatory. Presented across two 60-minute sessions at 5.45pm and 7.15pm on Saturday, June 14, Breathe Into Creativity asks participants to lock in away from the desk. You'll spend the next hour engaged in gentle breathwork, creative visualisation and expression-based practices — helping to dissolve inner blocks and provide a powerful reset. "The creative process is not just about producing work — it's about presence. I created this experience to help people slow down and return to that deeper well of inspiration that's always there — under the noise," says Rua. With no prior experience necessary, The Conservatory's tropical blooms and tranquil architecture provide a welcoming space to take a moment for yourself. Following Rua's playful, body-led session, expect to leave with a refreshed nervous system flowing with creative ideas and purpose-driven motivation.
Chicken-devouring people of Melbourne, a Chargrill Charlie's is coming your way. As of Saturday, April 6, Camberwell will be home to Melbourne's first — and Australia's twelfth — incarnation of the 30-year-old Sydney institution. And, to celebrate, the Charlie's team is giving away free food. Get there between midday and 1pm on opening day to score a free quarter barbecue chicken with chips, then make a return between 5pm and 6pm to tuck into half a chook and a salad, also gratis. Merch fans will be happy to know that the store will also be slinging free Chargrilled Charlie's Ts on the day — until sold out. There should be plenty of room — Charlie's is transforming a huge shop in Camberwell Shopping Centre into a huge open-plan space. In keeping with the eatery's usual look, you can expect a modern industrial feel, with recycled timber and splashes of black metal. As well as burgers, chicken and chips, the menu will offer all the other goodness for which Charlie's has become legendary. That includes up to 15 types of salad on any one day, chicken schnitzel, creamed potato, rolls, DIY dinner plates and desserts, including apple pie. The Camberwell store will be only the first of many Melbourne Chargrill Charlie's, so keep an eye on this space for more updates.
A few years back, Casey Jenkins spent 28 days sitting in an art gallery in Darwin, knitting using wool loomed from her vagina. The video of the performance (NSFW, by the way) went viral online, generating thousands of horrified reactions. In Programmed to Reproduce for the Festival of Live Art 2016, the Melbourne-based artist responds to her attackers, creating a brand new knitted work, using wool soaked in her menstrual blood that reflects how people — and particularly women — are treated on the web. Audiences will also be invited to share their own experiences with online harassment, as Jenkins unravels complex notions of identity and judgement in the modern age.
There's nothing like a big, outdoor screen and a sky full of stars to get you feeling all nostalgic. Movie night is on the cards this week — take it alfresco and get your film fix at Coburg Drive-In. This suburban icon is the stuff of old-school movie magic, so load up the car like it's the 1950s and get going. Of course, no film-watching experience is complete without some killer snacks on hand, which means a pre-movie pit-stop at the suburb's ever-popular Half Moon Cafe is a must. Trust us, the Egyptian-style falafels that fly from this kitchen are a revelation. If that fails, the drive-in's on-site retro diner-candy bar is a great option. Images: Brook James.
It's impossible to fit Gippsland on a plate but every year the chefs, brewers and cheesemakers of Victoria give it a red hot crack. Yep, it's that time of year again. The East Gippsland Winter Festival is back for 2023, running from June 9 to July 9 with more artisanal tasting plates than anyone could consume in an average human lifetime. If you haven't attended this one before, bring your appetite. It's an incredible celebration of everything Gippsland — the people, food, produce and communities that make this place special. The event runs for a full month, with activations and lunches popping up all over the region. Some of this year's highlights include the Nicholson Bridge Long Lunch (general release tickets have sold out for this one, but you can still get lucky on the waitlist), ice carving and fire dancing at Metung, a sunrise bathe and breakfast (in old wine barrels, no less), and a special Duck & Pinot Dinner at Northern Ground in Bairnsdale. Special shout out to the FAT Ride, which sounds amazing: 40km of the beautiful Gippsland Rail Trail, with pop-up food, art and tune (FAT) along the way. They're even throwing in post-ride beers and return transfers. You can browse the full program over here. We recommend basing yourself somewhere central, like Bairnsdale or Bruthen, and then strategically filling your diary with delicious events and winery activations. Images: Supplied
By now a familiar face to Aussie bubble tea aficionados, Taiwan-founded chain Chatime boasts over 120 local venues. And these guys aren't mucking around when it comes to options, either. Not only will you find a sprawling lineup of drink styles, but also a hefty selection of mix-ins to jazz up your tea — from classic tapioca balls and popping pearls, to jellies, coconut bits and creamy matcha mousse. Pick your favourites and get busy customising your ultimate blend. There are milky concoctions made on all array of different tea varieties, fruit-infused black and green tea blends, and even a series of sparkling tea fusions for something a little bit fancy. While this store is located on Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn, you can find a Chatime basically within a five-kilometre radius of wherever you are in Melbourne. Without mentioning them all, the chain has stores in the CBD, Brunswick, Sunshine, Broadmeadows, Epping, Doncaster and Glen Waverley.
For a summer sonic treat as refreshing as it is sweet, you can't go past Sorbaes — the family-friendly openair club session born from the mind of DJ and designer Soju Gang. It's back for its third annual outing on Sunday, February 26, helping to wrap up summer with an arvo of dance-friendly tunes as part of Live at the Bowl. Kicking off at 4pm, it'll see Sidney Myer Music Bowl play host to a handpicked lineup of Melbourne music talent. Dance fiends of all ages are invited to bust moves to sounds from artists like Akosia, Brown Suga Princess, DJ Nay Nay, 1300, OJ KUSH and more. [caption id="attachment_890157" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] The Cypher Culture crew will be joining in the fun this time around, popping up with a fresh edition of their freestyle dance battle showcase City Sessions — so expect to see some impressive hip hop moves paired with those live tunes. What's more, $2 from every $20 general admission ticket sold will be donated to the Dhadjowa Foundation, aiding its work supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families whose loved ones have died in custody.
The Laneway Greens family has expanded, with owners Adrian and Luke Cala bringing their sustainable, healthy fare to a second Richmond venue. Following the success of their 12-seat CBD eatery on Flinders Lane, which opened back in 2015, the boys are now taking on Swan Street as they continue their ultimate mission to reconnect diners with the food they're eating. Launching last week, the new all-day canteen boasts a grander space and a beefed-up offering, though the focus remains firmly the same, from top to toe. Built on the notion that quality, seasonal food should be accessible to everyone, the menu heroes ingredients produced transparently, sustainably and with minimal impact on the environment. Ora King, which supplies the restaurant's salmon, is certified by the Global Aquaculture Alliance and has an environmental footprint of less than 0.01 percent, while producers like Mungali Creek Dairy, Slaters Farm rain-fed rice and Keehoes cultured vegetables are part of a local biodynamic farming co-op. Even the store itself mirrors that ethos of sustainability and minimalism, built with locally made, durable materials and designed with a mind to diners coming together over food. An outdoor dining area is coming too — it should be ready to go by November 17. As with the original, the menu runs from supercharged smoothies to bowls, both sweet and savoury — think free-range pork with spring greens and barley, and a stuffed roasted sweet potato loaded with house-made tzatziki and root vegetable slaw. If you often grab your lunch to-go from the CBD store, you'll be happy to know that the Swan Street space has room for 60 diners and, unlike its sister venue, also offers a range of booze, including a tight lineup of on-tap organic wines as sourced by distributor Campbell Burton (The Builders Arms Hotel, City Wine Shop). Beer includes craft brews from Victoria's Mount Peninsula, Queensland's Balter and NZ's Garage Project, and single origin filter coffee by Fitzroy's Industry Beans. Laneway Greens is now open 7am – 10pm Monday to Friday and 8am – 10pm Saturday and Sunday at 89a Swan Street, Richmond. For more information, visit lanewaygreens.com.au.
Father's Day is a holiday that tends to really sneak up on you. One minute you think you have weeks to plan something, the next it's tomorrow and you've completely spaced on getting dad a gift. Dad might be happy with another barbecue set, apron, bottle of whiskey or a voucher for BCF, but if you really want to impress him, we have an idea. There's a good chance your dad isn't a "stuff" guy, he might want some quality time. You could settle for a bike ride or get dinner, but how about something more special? How about a helicopter flight, a rally driving race or a scuba diving session? An adrenaline-packed experience is the kind of quality time dad deserves. That's why we've teamed up with Adrenaline this Father's Day to make it happen with an exclusive giveaway. Fill out the form below, and you'll officially enter the running to win a $500 Adrenaline voucher, plus a GoPro Hero 13 and accessory bundle, so you can take dad on an adventure and capture every minute of it on camera. If all else fails, get dad an Adrenaline gift voucher, it's delivered instantly and valid for up to five years. To put your name into the running, fill out the form below before Sunday, August 31. [competition]1011630[/competition]
Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire are just one week into their second lockdown, after the Victorian Government introduced a new round of Stay at Home Directions for the regions, coming into effect from 11.59pm on Wednesday, July 8. The move came in response to the state's recent spike in COVID-19 cases — it recorded its highest ever new case totals for two consecutive days on July 6 (127) and 7 (191), with daily totals now regularly passing the 200 mark. But, despite the high numbers and the threat of even tougher restrictions if they're not contained, plenty of locals have been flouting the lockdown directives. In a press conference today, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Rick Nugent revealed Victoria Police has issued a whopping 546 fines since these most recent Stage 3 restrictions were introduced last week. Sixty-three of these were handed out in the past 24 hours, as over 5000 spot checks were conducted across the state. Individuals caught breaking the rules restrictions face on-the-spot fines of $1652, while businesses could be fined $9913. Most of the rule-breakers, according to Nugent, are those ignoring lockdown directives to go see family or hang out with mates. A few choice examples of the infringements being handed out including two friends who where driving around playing Pokemon Go, a house party at a short-term rental property in the CBD where 34 fines were issued, and one man who refused to leave a KFC restaurant. Of course, there's also last week's infamous KFC party incident, where an extra large order of fried chicken tipped off police to a birthday gathering at a home in Dandenong. Sixteen guests were caught and $26,000 worth of fines were dished out. "A particular concern for us is the ongoing parties and gatherings, people playing poker, people holding parties," said Nugent. "We're finding people in cupboards, we're finding people in garages — please stop." Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has urged people to adhere to the restrictions, citing the very real possibility of even tougher lockdown measures. "If, however, people do not do the right thing then we will have to move to additional restrictions being put in place and potentially prolong the period where those restrictions are in place," he warned. "Nobody wants that … because of the choices of a few." Stay-at-home orders are currently in place for all of metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire. For more information, head to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
