Opening quietly in the even quieter suburb of Mount Waverley, Son of Tucci has been warmly welcomed in the south east of Melbourne. Tucked between the ageing, pasty walls of Hamilton Place, this fresh-faced newbie is refreshingly modern and delightfully different in a precinct that could use a serious makeover. The second Melbourne venture for the Crea Siblings, Son of Tucci pays homage to their grandfather. "His surname was Santuccis," Massimo Crea says. "And he always wanted a son — so that's where it comes from." Fittingly, Massimo's grandparents also used to live in Mount Waverley. And even though they had to start from scratch — the space was previously a retail store — the Creas were determined to open in the area because, according to Massimo, there was nowhere for a younger generation to simply 'hang out' in Mount Waverley. Their clientele seems suspiciously well rounded, despite his sentiment. Between featured concrete walls and exposed brick, you can choose from a range of buttery sweets to go. Seasonal blends by Veneziano are the caffeinated base for your morning latte, with filtered coffee and an eight-hour cold drip also on offer. Order your coffee black (beans are by Small Batch), and you'll receive a card detailing the coffee’s origins. Teas are by specialist brand Larsen & Thompson. If you're planning to linger for longer, Son of Tucci's menu has everything you could possibly need for an extended family brunch. Traditional breakfast fare with contemporary touches rein supreme, like their smashed avo and Sriracha maple glazed bacon ($14), or pancakes with sweet dukkah and poached pear ($15). Nutella fanatics will adore their Nutella shakes ($4.50), while the espresso variety are the perfect caffeinated treat — and with polished concrete floors, the Son of Tucci team are more than ready to wipe up the occasional spill. The typical local cafe, Son of Tucci isn't a game-changer in Melbourne's mammoth cafe scene. But it's certainly a tasty choice for this little south-east suburb.
Trips between Melbourne and Geelong could soon be a whole lot faster — and way less crowded — with the Victorian Government announcing it's kicked off work on a high-speed train between the two cities. It's revealed that planning work and technical investigations on the proposed rail project are set to launch soon, with the infrastructure promised $50 million out of the next Victorian Budget. Currently, the government's looking into a host of different options for the proposed line, including electrification along the existing rail corridor and brand new high-speed rail infrastructure. Also on the cards is a new fleet of trains, which run at speeds between 250 and 300 kilometres per hour. By comparison, the current V/Line Vlocity trains run at a speed of 160 kilometres per hour. It's hoped that the rail will be able to link to airport, via a new Melbourne Airport Link also proposed in the budget. "This vital work will help determine the best way to deliver high-speed rail to Geelong as part of the Melbourne Airport Link," explained Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan. The former Melbourne Metro Rail Authority will now become Rail Projects Victoria, and will oversee this proposed Geelong rail link, as well as both the Metro Tunnel and the $1.7 billion Regional Rail Revival project.
Sports fans, Christmas has arrived — the athletic version that comes around every four years (or, in this case five), that is. Events have begun at this year's delayed Tokyo Olympic Games, the opening ceremony officially kicks things off on Friday, July 23, and two-plus weeks of competition awaits. If you're fond of all of the above, there's really not much that could improve the next fortnight. Actually, one thing could make your Olympics-watching couch sessions even better. We have two words for you: free pizza. They're two of the best words that exist, especially when used together — and they describe exactly what Pizza Hut is offering Aussies during this year's games. In total, the fast food chain will be handing out up to 285,000 freebies. Exactly how many it'll dole out depends on one big thing: how many medals Australian athletes win this year. Pizza Hut will give away a heap of pizzas to celebrate the Olympics' opening and closing ceremonies, as well as a set amount each day during the games as well; however, it's also breaking some additional slices whenever an Aussie stands on the podium. That means you'll have multiple chances to grab a freebie. First up, there'll be 5000 up for grabs from 4pm on Friday, July 23 to celebrate the opening ceremony. Between Saturday, July 24–Saturday, August 7, another 1000 will be given away daily at 4pm as well. On Sunday, August 8, for the closing ceremony, Pizza Hut will bust out another 5000 at 4pm, too. And, whenever an Aussie wins a medal, it'll add 1000 more free pizzas to its giveaway at 4pm the next day for each gold we take home, another 500 for each silver and another 200 for every bronze. To score your 'za without spending a cent, you'll need to head to Pizza Hut's 'pizzas for podiums' website at 4pm each day. Unsurprisingly, you'll want to get in quick as it's a first in, first served affair. You can only enter twice per day — and, if you win, you'll be sent a voucher code for a large pizza with a pan base. You'll be able to choose from super supreme, barbecue meatlovers, pepperoni lovers, Hawaiian and cheese lovers, and you'll need to redeem before Tuesday, August 31 via a pick-up order. One entrant will also win a year's worth of free pizza — well, Pizza Hut's idea of a year's worth, with one free pizza on offer for 52 weeks — if you need any extra motivation to enter. Pizza Hut will be giving away free pizzas from Friday, July 23–Sunday, August 8 during the Tokyo Olympic Games. For further information, head to the chain's website.
More than 50 Australian music acts will perform by the shore this February 12 when St Kilda Festival returns for another year. A regular feature on the suburb's cultural calendar for three decades and counting, this summer celebration of music, culture and food is all going down on a (hopefully) sunny Sunday on the St Kilda foreshore. The free fun begins just after 11am and runs well into the night. The Smith Street Band, Emma Louise, Drapht, Indigenous musician Archie Roach, Ainslie Wills and Daryl Braithwaite are just a few of the acts you can expect to see across a total of seven separate stages, stretching from Catani Gardens to the south end of Acland Street. In addition to the music, the festival will host a tonne of extra events and activities, ranging from bubble soccer and beach netball to aerial silks classes Bollywood dance workshops and a Latin street carnival. There's a lot going on — for more information, visit their website. Images: Jim Lee.
Fixation Brewing Co, the Byron Bay brewery that's a joint venture between Tom Delmont and the Stone & Wood Group, is responsible for some pretty tasty brews. Well, one type of brew specifically: India Pale Ales. Brewing hoppy IPAs is the company's calling card — and its fixation, if you may — and now it has opened a hoppy tasting room right here in Collingwood. Smith Street is home to The Incubator, a tasting room for the IPA-dedicated brewery. A bar and brewery all rolled into one, it's creating and serving up a slew of IPAs — including some of its signature brews, and some Melbourne exclusives. Two new ones you can taste are The 86 IPA and the Easey Street IPA, poured straight from the tanks. The brewery bar isn't just good turf for those who want to drink, though, it's also the right place to be to learn about the brewing process, and IPAs in general. With the tanks right up close to where you'll be sitting having a tipple, be assured that any questions you might have – what is an IPA? What are hops? How does beer get made? What's in the vat? – are going to be answered by those IPA-obsessed folk in the know. No kitchen, but bringing in your own food or UberEats-ing is a go, so your stomach won't be going unlined.
Amongst the many large-scale events that've cancelled or postponed in the wake of COVID-19, is perhaps the one we could all use the most right now — the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. With the government banning non-essential mass gatherings of over 500 people, and, today, indoor gatherings over 100, the huge annual laugh-fest was one of the first to be axed from the 2020 calendar. But if it's some chuckles you're after, fear not, because some of Australia's best-loved comedians, many of which were slated to perform at MICF, are coming soon to a streaming device near you. And even those bunkering down at home in a state of enforced self-isolation, or voluntary social-distancing, get to enjoy this little lineup as well. Hitting screens from next month is Amazon Prime's new special series of stand-up shows from ten big-name Aussie comics. Two specials will be released each week from Friday, April 10, including Tom Gleeson's sell-out show Joy, Zoë Coombs Marr with Bossy Bottom, Judith Lucy, Anne Edmonds and Tommy Little. Lano & Woodley, Celia Pacquola, Tom Walker, Dilruk Jayasinha and Alice Fraser are also on the bill, promising to inject a bit of sunshine into your socially distanced life. The comedy specials were all filmed last year at Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre and are set to stream worldwide. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz3dmDUeydw The ten new comedy specials hit Amazon Prime Video from Friday, April 10.
I scream, you scream, we've all been screaming for ice cream — and, this February, once again, our prayers have been answered. The annual Ice Cream Festival is back, and this year it's taking place at three of Victoria's chocolateries and ice creameries: in the, along the Great Ocean Road and on the Mornington Peninsula. You may want to prepare the smelling salts, because each venue will be trotting out 12 new flavours a day between Wednesday, February 10–Sunday, February 21. For 12 days. That's 144 unique flavours all up — including scoops like parmesan and olive oil, siracha pretzels, watermelon and feta, Turkish delight pavlova, charcoal cherry ripe, spiced negroni and yuzu whisky sour. For $20 you can book into a tasting session that covers 12 of the day's flavours at once, or you can just rampage around the place like a deranged, hungry Pac-Man and try to taste 'em all at $4.80 a pop (or $6.80 for a double scoop). You can also go beyond ice cream, if you so please, and taste ice cream-topped pizzas, waffle ice cream sandwiches and giant OTT sundaes. What's more, each of the venues — in Yarra Glen, Bellbrae and Flinders — each have lovely grounds for you to lay around in and enjoy. The view may well be lost on you as you slide into a sugar-induced happiness coma, but that's okay. They aren't inventing all those flavours for you to not try them. The Ice Cream Festival will take place at three venues: Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery at 35 Old Healesville Road, Yarra Glen; Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery at 1200 Great Ocean Road, Bellbrae; and Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie and Ice creamery at 45 Cook Street, Flinders.
Sometimes, you just need to let go of the present and dive into a big dose of nostalgia. And if you spent any of your childhood grooving through the 90s, you're about to enjoy some serious retro goodness when Ego Expo brings the Throwback Lounge to the District Docklands precinct this month. Running every Friday to Sunday from Friday, August 5–Sunday, 28, this time-tripping affair is paying homage to the best bits of the 90s, with nostalgic eats, vintage games and more old-school pop culture references than you can shake a Discman at. Star of the show is the cereal bar, stocked with over 30 varieties of brekkie cereal from across the globe. An all-you-can-eat cereal session will set you back $39, and you can add toppings such as syrups, Nutella, marshmallows, fruit, crushed Oreaos and fairy floss for an extra fee. Other classic 90s eats include the likes of spaghetti jaffles, Pop-Tarts and Hot Pockets. Tinnies come courtesy of Urban Alley, alongside seltzers by 5PM. In between snacks, you can get your kicks with a few rounds of Playstation, Wii and Nintendo Switch, as well as iconic arcade favourites like Daytona, Street Fighter and Mario Kart, plus a stack of 90s board games. There's also a retail fashion pop-up dedicated to emerging designers, if you're in the market for some new threads. What's more, there's a program of themed happenings to sink your teeth into while the Throwback Lounge is in town — think: a celebrity e-games live-stream (Friday, August 26), a sneaker paint-and-sip session (Saturday, August 13), and even a mini music fest (Saturday, August 27). Entry to the Throwback Lounge is free, but you're encouraged to register online. There's also separate ticketing for the programmed events.
Do you reckon the best kind of dogs are the edible ones that come stuffed in a roll and drizzled with mustard? Or perhaps you like the furry sausage-shaped ones with short legs and waggly tails? Either way, you'll find yourself in hot dog heaven at Welcome to Thornbury this Saturday, March 19. The food truck park is hosting a Hot Dog Festival, dedicated simultaneously to cute sausage dogs and snags in bread. Head along from 12pm with your dachshund (or other doggo) in tow, and enjoy a festive day out feasting on all sorts of clever hot dog-inspired creations from the day's lineup of food vendors. At 3pm, there'll be a competition to scout and crown Melbourne's longest sausage dog — so if you've got a stretchy four-legged pal of your own, enter them online now. And at 4pm, you can put your own years of training to the test in the hot dog eating competition (hoomans only, sorry Rover). You'll need to apply online for that as well. As always, the bar will be serving a swag of tap brews, wines and cocktails to see you through the day. [caption id="attachment_626788" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Welcome to Thornbury[/caption]
Halloween: love it or hate it, there's no doubt it's growing in popularity here Down Under. And after two years spent on our couches, we'll be damned if we don't use any holiday as an excuse for a celebration. When you're at uni, throwing on a half-assed costume and heading to some sticky beer-soaked party seems like the height of a good time. But if you're reading this you're probably in the over-25 set and would way rather relax on your couch solo than freeze your tail off at a random party in some Reject Shop number — or even worse, watch your friends' kids run around on a sugar high. So we're here to help. We've teamed up with the devilish minds at Devil's Vine to pen a guide to getting into the spirit of things this Halloween — think delicious dining options, movie marathons and costumes guaranteed to impress. [caption id="attachment_873494" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image credit: Chester Newling.[/caption] HOST A SPOOKY (YET SOPHISTICATED) HALLOWEEN SOIREE Sipping beer out of plastic cups is out — sipping a juicy red at a dinner party with friends is in. Luckily we've got just the ticket: a Devil's Vine wine-soaked Halloween dinner party. We've taken care of the menu, decorations and entertainment options, so head on over to our Halloween guide to get the skinny. HOLD THE ULTIMATE HORROR MOVIE MARATHON Remember those days of staying up all night watching horror flicks with your friends at sleepovers? To get into the Halloween spirit this year, you're going to be holding a version of that with an adult twist. (No, not like that — get your minds out of the gutter). It's all about providing the ultimate in comfort, snacks and wines. One easy way to get your guests into the spirit is to give each of them the task of bringing a Halloween-themed platter. Some of our go-tos are a charcuterie board with 'mouldy' cheese, a platter of pumpkin-spiced treats, or one with only trick-or-treat-worthy lollies and sweets. Drinks-wise, it's all about the vino, and lots of it. Our pick is a Devil's Vine red — it's juicy but not overly sweet, so extremely easy to drink. Pour your cab sauv, merlot, shiraz or red blend into goblet-sized glasses and kick back to watch your flick. [caption id="attachment_859412" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in Disney's live-action HOCUS POCUS 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] For your movie option, we'd recommend opting for something camp and scarily hilarious — this is about bringing the Halloween spirit, not scaring yourselves so silly that your friends are unable to go home alone. Some of our faves include What We Do in the Shadows, Beetlejuice, Shaun of the Dead, The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, The Cabin in the Woods , the OG Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, Ready or Not, Tucker & Dale Versus Evil, The Lost Boys and Hocus Pocus (which you can also follow up with the just-released and long-awaited sequel). Being in your comfy 'fits and stuffing yourselves silly also presents the perfect opportunity to tell some "scary" stories of your own over your glass of red — less of the ghost persuasion, though, and more about your mate's recent Tinder nightmare or horrifying mother-in-law tales. And hey, if someone brings out the ouija board, we're not responsible. GOING TO A PARTY? CHOOSE YOUR COSTUME WISELY So your mate convinced you to attend that Halloween party. Maybe the person they're keen to date will be there, or they heard from a friend of a friend it's going to "go off". Hey, we get it — we're pushing thirty but we're not dead yet. But if you're going to do Halloween at our age, you're going to do it right. The days of just throwing on a $5 pair of cat ears are over — you are an adult and will spend money on your costume accordingly. Just like any party, the best part is getting ready, so invite your friends over, pour yourself a glass of Devil's Vine wine and get to work. We've put together some of our favourite costume options to spark some inspo: Barbiecore Be inspired by Tash's incredible dance outfit in the last season of Love Island UK, or Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on skates in Malibu. Think bright pink lycra, big hair, bold lips and chunky dad sneakers. Bridgerton-inspired Regency 'fits Thanks to shows like Bridgerton and The Great, costume shops are absolutely heaving with Regency-inspired pieces these days. Perfect for solo costumes and couples 'fits alike, these ones make it look like you've made a lot of effort while you've actually got it together with minimal fuss. Marilyn Monroe One of the most notable actresses of recent generations is really going through another present-day moment, thanks to Kim Kardashian's Met Gala look and that questionable Netflix movie Blonde. She had so many iconic looks over her time that it's hard to nail one down — but we think if you're looking to give the sequinned treatment, get a nude tight slip like this one and cover it in glitter. Or, opt for a white dress like this one and find the nearest grate. Clueless suits Thanks to Gen Z's ongoing fascination with all things 90s (or what those of a certain age refer to as our childhood), thrift shops are bursting with oversized blazers and mini skirts these days. And if you're attending a Halloween party with a gal pal, you could do much worse than a costume inspired by one of the 90s most enduring duos by donning matching Clueless-inspired 'fits. Find a good checked number in a pale shade and die it yellow — or opt for a navy number if you're more a Dionne than a Cher. Beetlejuice and Lydia Thrift an old black suit, paint some white stripes down it and give your hair a temporary (and very important) spray of white hair paint — job done. For Lydia, either hunt down a red ball gown — or find acres of tulle and get to work with scissors and thread. This Halloween, make a date with Devil's Vine. Available for RRP$11.99 per bottle at Dan Murphy's and RRP$14.99 at per bottle at BWS, head online or in-store to check it out.
Barbers of Brunswick doesn't do things by halves. Many barbershops offer clients a tipple with their trim, and though this spot does that too, it also has a dedicated space out the back that doubles as a lounge bar. There are worse places to wait for your appointment, that's for sure. When your name is called, you'll settle in to one of the vintage barbers chairs, get your hair washed in one of the brushed concrete basins and have a chat to your friendly barber as they get to work. More importantly, Barbers of Brunswick is passionate about ensuring their patrons feel good both in and out of the chair. And we're not just talking about giving them a sexy haircut that'll make them feel good about themselves — although it does that, too. But it also puts its money where its mouth is by supporting a number of charitable organisations, including Movember, Encompass Care Vic and Beyond Blue, via financial donations and volunteering.
When you're looking to embellish your space with something a touch more interesting than Millennial grey or Gen Z green, a shop like Fred Home is a rare treasure. Yet to date, this purveyor of luxury soft furnishings and creative homewares has only catered to demand through online offerings and occasional pop-ups. However, the budding brand has just opened its first permanent home in Armadale, a suitably upmarket locale for its carefully curated, limited-edition goods gathered from around the globe. Inviting guests to experience the tactile quality of its cushions, table linen, ceramics, candles and curious treasures, it gives each product's craftsmanship the chance to truly sing. Founded by Julianne Robilliard in 2023, Fred Home showcases her decade-plus experience working in interior design, creating custom and bespoke textiles for clients and projects. Meanwhile, Robilliard has worked alongside some of Europe's most prestigious fabric houses, ensuring the store's collection rises above most. That means French velvets, metallic spun silks, Spanish boucles and Italian pile linens, all shaped into objet d'art spanning tablecloths, napkins and sophisticated baguette bags, for times when a tote just won't do. Working closely with highly skilled artisans and suppliers, each product balances practicality with beauty, making for a richly personalised interior. At the same time, Robilliard sources striking homewares from respected designers, including INI CERAMIQUE, a Bourgogne-based studio crafting minimalist wabi-sabi ceramics, and Patrizia Italiano, a Sicilian ceramist inspired by the Aeolian Sea. Likely not found anywhere else in town, this tight selection is bound to add a unique talking point to your abode. Now with its own space to call home, expect Fred Home to become a go-to destination for design-lovers seeking playful products. "I look forward to bringing special brands and artists on board to complement the Fred story, and collaborating with those who seek to push the boundaries and share our love of proportion, form, colour and texture," said Robilliard following the brand's launch. Fred Home is now open at Shop 2, The Kings Arcade, Armadale. Head to the website for more information.
Plenty changes over the course of ten years. If you're living in a post-apocalyptic world populated by zombies, however, that mightn't necessarily be the case. Arriving a decade after the first film, Zombieland: Double Tap returns to the decimated America inhabited by Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), with the quartet still trying to survive among the ravenous undead — and getting comfortable in a desolated White House in the process. It's a case of same main cast, same director (Ruben Fleischer, who also helmed last year's Venom) and same basic premise for the long-awaited sequel. In the just-released first trailer for the film, the gang have also picked up a few new skills, and then cross paths with a few new survivors. But, story-wise, the follow-up is saving the bulk of its surprises for the full flick, which hits cinemas this October. Among the newcomers, Rosario Dawson plays Nevada, Zoey Deutch (Set It Up) pops up as Madison and Avan Jogia (Now Apocalypse) joins as Berkeley, while Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley) show up as virtual doppelgangers for Tallahassee and Columbus. If you're after more excitement, both monster trucks and combine harvesters feature as weapons, Harrelson dons an Elvis costume and a Santa suit, and fireworks prove a great way to distract zombies. Watch the first trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlW9yhUKlkQ Zombieland: Double Tap releases in Australian cinemas on October 17.
UPDATE, December 23, 2021: The Lost Daughter released in select Australian cinemas on Thursday, December 16, and will be available to stream via Netflix on Friday, December 31. Watching Olivia Colman play a complicated woman is like staring at the ocean: it's never the same twice, even just for a second; it couldn't be more unpredictable, no matter how comfortable it appears; and all that surface texture bobs, floats, swells, gleams and glides atop leagues of unseen complexity. That's always been true of the British actor's absolute best performances, which could fill any body of water with their power and resonance. It's there in her acidic work in The Favourite, which won her an Oscar, and also in The Crown's more reserved turn as a different English monarch. It flowed through the devastating Tyrannosaur, which perhaps first truly showed the world exactly what Colman could do — and has marked her Academy Award-nominated supporting part in The Father, plus TV standouts Peep Show, Broadchurch, The Night Manager and Fleabag. It's fitting, then, that The Lost Daughter tasks Colman with glaring at the sea, and doing so both intently and often. A necessity of the narrative, as penned on the page by My Brilliant Friend's Elena Ferrante and adapted for the screen by actor-turned-filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, it's a touch that washes through the movie with extra force due to its star. Colman plays comparative literature professor Leda, who fills much of her time peering at the ocean as she summers on a Greek island — and also people-watching thanks to the loud, entitled Queens family that keep invading her chosen patch of sand. While both gazing at the waves and taking in the onshore domestic dramas, Leda sees her own ebbs, flows, thorns and flaws reflected back. Vacationing alone, Leda isn't on a getaway as much as she's escaping — not actively, but because that's her default mode. She's never willing to stray far from her work, shuffling through papers as she sunbathes and flirtatious young resort manager Will (Paul Mescal, Normal People) moves her lounger to keep her in the shade; however, as flashbacks show, the urge to flee all markers of apparent normalcy has long gushed in her veins. Leda tells anyone who asks that she has two daughters (Bianca is 25 and Martha is 23, she frequently offers), but they're heard via phone calls rather than seen as adults. She's prickly when mum-to-be Callie (Dagmara Domińczyk, Succession), of those noisy interlopers, asks if her extended group can take over Leda's beach umbrella. But in Nina (Dakota Johnson, The Nowhere Inn), the raven-haired mother of frequently screaming toddler Elena (debutant Athena Martin Anderson), she spies more of herself than she's been willing to confront for decades. The Lost Daughter's title references an incident one sunny day when Elena disappears as Callie, Nina and company — the latter's shady husband Toni (Oliver Jackson-Cohen, The Invisible Man) as well — idle by the water's edge. The Americans react with distress, but Leda calmly strides forth amid the chaos, all while battling memories of being a young mum (Jessie Buckley, I'm Thinking of Ending Things) searching for her own absent child. Indeed, loss and escape are serpentine concepts here, winding through Leda's past, her affinity for the clearly unhappy Nina and the second wave of mayhem that erupts when Elena's beloved doll also goes missing. The concept of trouble in paradise proves just as layered, infecting idylls scenic and, in pondering the supposed bliss that we're all told motherhood brings, societally enforced. The idea that bringing life into the world isn't the existence-defining triumph of femininity it's sugar-coated as doesn't simply sit at the heart of Ferrante's novel and Gyllenhaal's debut stint behind the lens — from the instant that Colman is seen collapsing on the pebble-strewn shoreline in the picture's opening, it laps over The Lost Daughter's every moment. Leda is a woman haunted by everything having kids has brought, as well as guilt-stricken by all that's followed, and this bold and affecting movie confronts that rocky truth. It's the filmic antithesis to keeping calm and carrying on, or relishing the rewards while disregarding the sacrifices, whether Leda is trying to retain a sense of self in the feature's journeys backwards, grappling with the gnawing consequences of her choices and the parallels in Nina's exasperation, or obsessing over dolls, those symbols of maternity routinely given to girls at birth. For any director, this is audacious and intricate terrain, but Gyllenhaal is as exceptional and daring a filmmaker as she is a performer. As her own impressive acting career demonstrates, complete with knotty and slippery turns in Secretary, Sherrybaby, The Kindergarten Teacher and The Deuce, she could've played Leda and just as phenomenal a film would've likely resulted. Her decision to enlist Colman doesn't only spring from humility, though, but from spying what we all notice whenever the star graces any screen. One of Colman's extraordinary skills is her knack for ensuring that her characters could swim in any direction and, whatever swings and lurches they take, it always feels like the most natural development there is. She's a master not just of complicated women, but of conveying the innate and relentless state of being complicated. Daughters get lost, mothers struggle, prickly exchanges pepper the picturesque setting — Leda isn't afraid to voice her displeasure to Callie and her relatives, or to teens ruining a trip to the local cinema, and she's positively awkward with Lyle (Ed Harris, Westworld), the caretaker of her holiday apartment — but so much of The Lost Daughter's tension rushes from Colman's performance. From Buckley's, too, with the movie's two Ledas echoing each other — the woman she once was and the one she becomes — with precision and synergy that's too shrewd and naturalistic to resemble mere mimicry. It's also telling that Gyllenhaal has cinematographer Hélène Louvart (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) lens the film like a volatile memory, probing closeups, lingering details and slight but inescapable jitteriness all included, while the jazzy score by Dickon Hinchliffe (The Third Day) skews towards the melodic. Everything about Leda's experiences has been stressful rather than peaceful, but the prevailing view of being a mum keeps trying to tell the world otherwise — and both the character and the film refuse to accept those false platitudes. The Lost Daughter releases in select Melbourne cinemas on Thursday, December 16, and will be available to stream via Netflix on Friday, December 31.
The Fork Festival is back for its third year, which means you can once again dine out for up to 50 percent off. Think of it as the proverbial carrot luring you out of the house. The online reservation platform's foodie affair kicked off on Monday, February 15 and is running right up till Sunday, March 28. The offer is a blessing for those feeling a little light in pocket after Christmas, NYE and Valentine's Day. To snag a discounted meal, you just need to make a reservation through The Fork website or app for one of the participating eateries for breakfast, lunch or dinner. So, where can you go? There are hundreds of great venues coming to the party, including Melbourne's Osteria 20, Lezzet, Don Taco, Temple Brewing Co and Maccaroni Trattoria. You might want to revisit an old favourite or you could get a little adventurous and road-test somewhere new. Either way, there's ample time to squeeze in a fair few discount feasts before the festival wraps up. If you're on the other side of the bar — that is, you're a venue owner — you can jump on the booking platform's bandwagon by signing up over here. You can try it out for just the duration of the festival and, thanks to the popularity of the event, you'll hopefully see a bunch of new customers come through the door. Then, if you want, you can stop taking bookings anytime after it wraps up. The Fork Festival runs from Monday, February 15–Sunday, March 28. Check out the full list of participating restaurants on The Fork's website. If you're a restaurant owner — and keen to jump on the booking platform bandwagon — head over here.
The festival retreat of 2013 continues, with the Big Day Out announcing that their second Sydney event on Monday, January 27, will be cancelled and merged with the show on January 26. "Perhaps we were a bit ambitious expanding to two dates in Sydney for this year’s Big Day Out," promotor Ken West said in a statement. The Big Day Out has held two Sydney shows in three previous years, depending on the pulling power of its headliners. Ticketholders for the Monday event are automatically able to use their ticket on Sunday. Alternatively, they can get a refund until October 30, 2013, or exchange it for a Big Day Out in any other city. It all comes just a week and a half after the cancellation of Harvest. At the time, promoter AJ Maddah put poor Harvest ticket sales down to the lure of the 2014 Big Day Out lineup, but in light of this new information, it seems the competing festival can't have pinched that many of Harvest's followers. The 2014 Big Day Out lineup sort of lived up to the hype. Organisers spoke of their excitement at landing three "white whales", and the top of the ticket is pretty monumental. Pearl Jam is a classic choice for BDO headliner, Arcade Fire a welcome return visitor to the main stage, Blur a seriously impressive 'get' — and Snoop's good-natured, laaiiiiidbaaack style a nice counterpoint to the snarling grunge and indie-rock mania. For more information or to exchange your ticket, visit the Big Day Out website. By the Concrete Playground team.
For the second year in a row, one of Australia's filmmaking icons has joined the Sydney Film Festival's program: George Miller, the director responsible for all things Mad Max and Furiosa. In 2024, he hit the Harbour City festival to chat about his work, including the dystopian saga that he has gifted Aussie cinema, but his 2025 discussion will span further. Not only is Miller taking to the stage, but he'll be joined by Hideo Kojima. One is the man responsible not just for a big Australian movie franchise, but for the big Australian movie franchise. He's also followed a pig in the city, made penguins dance, gotten witchy and granted wishes, too. The other is the creator of both the DEATH STRANDING and Metal Gear Solid video-game series, and heads to Sydney just before DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH releases at the end of June. This is a world-exclusive in-conversation session, taking place on Saturday, June 14 at Sydney Town Hall's Centennial Hall — so consider it one of the ace ways to help see out this year's cinema celebration, which runs from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15. Miller and Kojima will not only dig into how they each approach their fields, plus their respective visionary approaches, but also explore how movies and video games overlap, alongside cinematic storytelling in gaming. Greats in their own rights, the duo are also recent collaborators — Miller portrays himself in the Australia-set DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH. "This is a rare and exciting meeting of two creative minds who have reshaped their respective industries. Kojima and Miller's shared love of cinema and storytelling will make for an unforgettable conversation at this year's festival," said SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley, announcing the fest's latest addition. On the fest's guest list, Miller and Kojima are joined by Free Solo filmmaker Jimmy Chin, Together director Michael Shanks, music icon Warren Ellis and plenty more — so along with putting 201 movies on your must-watch list, it's adding a heap of must-see talents to your June as well. The George Miller and Hideo Kojima in-conversation session is happening on Saturday, June 14 at Sydney Town Hall. Sydney Film Festival 2025 takes place from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website. Read our interview with George Miller, Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth about Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,.
There's always a good reason to put off that big trip. But if those cringe quotes and sappy videos that make the rounds on social media have taught us anything, it's that we should make every moment count. Don't save that annual leave and that holiday fund for 'one day'. Take advantage of your wanderlust now and treat yourself to an entirely unexpected, over-the-top adventure to somewhere brand new now. We bet you deserve it. From a romantic helicopter flight that wouldn't be out of place on an episode of a certain reality dating show or fine dining under desert skies, a trip to Central Australia is just what the doctor ordered. We've teamed up with Tourism Central Australia to give you the most outrageously decadent itinerary Central Australia has to offer. Because why not? You only live once, so live once. Want to plan your very own adventure to the Red Centre? Take a look at our handy trip builder to start building your custom itinerary now.
Melbourne sourdough bakery and cafe chain Rustica has just opened the doors of its fifth location in the beachside burb of Brighton. When it comes to baked goods, punters can expect all the Rustica classics — buttery flaky croissants, Portuguese custard tarts, maple glazed crullers and a heap of other seasonal sweet and savoury pastries. The sourdough loaves will also be just as good as those you've had from the CBD shop (or any of the other locations scattered across the city) because they're all made in the flagship South Yarra store. But this haunt is also big on the brunch game. The kitchen team in Brighton, led by Head Chefs Sidney Tor and Sam Tacussel, will serve up a few familiar brekkie dishes alongside some new creations made to work with the coastal location — that means light and zesty flavours throughout. The lobster and prawn eggs benny is a truly luxurious way to get your day started, as is the lemon curd french toast. Pair it all with some coffee from the First Love Coffee crew, choosing to either dine in or it take out for a stroll towards Brighton's famed beaches. The 125-seat space is serving coastal cafe realness thanks to architect Fiona Drago, who's collaborated with the Rustica team for quite some time. For this venture, she's decked out the space with light timber furniture, earthy and pastel hues and stacks of other natural finishes. A few outdoor tables out on the corner of Hampton Street and Pine Street are also ideal for Brighton people watching when the sun's out. Rustica Brighton is open from 7am-4pm, Monday–Friday, and from 8am–4pm on weekends. For more details, visit the venue's website.
UPDATE: May 10, 2020: Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. Here's one of those sentences you never expect to see yourself writing: Hobbs & Shaw makes The Fate of the Furious look like gritty realism. Think about that for a moment. That film ended with a crew of street-racers-turned-international-super-spies being pursued by both Russian separatists and a remote-control driven nuclear submarine across an icy Siberian tundra...in Lamborghinis. And it still offered more realism and nuance than this spin-off. How is that even possible? It's better not to ask. Hobbs & Shaw is an offering that might finally have pushed things too far in a franchise defined by its ability to stretch things (plot, stunts, singlets and micro-shorts) to seemingly impossible levels. Escalation has always been the name of the game for the Fast & Furious franchise, the filmmakers forever seeking new and inventive ways of delivering essentially the same story. Like Mission: Impossible crossed with The Italian Job, each instalment sees our ragtag crew of racers tasked with pulling off ludicrous heists with fast cars and fancy driving. The villains grew larger and more megalomaniacal (from rival street racers to drug cartel bosses and Dr Evil-esque world destroyers), the cars gained enormous value (from a 1999 Nissan Skyline to the US$2 million Nissan IDx NISMO) and the cast began to approach Avengers levels of celebrity. Two of those additions were Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw. Both entered the franchise as pseudo-villains, only to then be drawn into the "family" by its patriarch Dom, played by the ever-growling Vin Diesel. As Hobbs and Shaw's popularity grew, a spin-off seemed inevitable. But whilst the demand was undoubtedly there, the delivery falls well short of expectations. This movie feels like the output of an AI that was fed the data set of the franchise but was incapable of identifying its humanity (and, dare we say, heart). Yes, it features insane stunts, amazing vehicles and unceasing bromance, but none of it ever gels. In particular, the supposed friction between the two leads lacks all substance, especially since The Fate of the Furious already saw them mostly resolve their differences and become buddies. Thrust together here and told to work together like the Russian and American agents from The Man from U.N.C.L.E, Hobbs and Shaw must track down Shaw's sister (The Crown's Vanessa Kirby) after she infects herself with a deadly virus to keep it from falling into the villain's hands (played this time around by Idris Elba). Borrowing heavily, then, from Mission: Impossible 2, the story sees the trio fight against time to extract the virus before it takes hold and wipes out most of humanity. Why? Remember, we asked you not to ask questions. Ever. Because you see, very little stands up to scrutiny. Why do Hobbs and Shaw actually hate each other? Unclear. Why are they tasked with this job when the agencies that recruit them are far better equipped and motivated? Unclear. Why is Hobbs able to pull a Blackhawk helicopter down from the sky when only moments earlier he and four other fully-laden cars weren't able to do it? Jeez, get off my back already. And sure, this is a series that not only invites you to suspend belief, but actively requires you to do so. Until now, audiences have willingly obliged. Here, though, it's one step too far. The heroes and villains are invulnerable, the plot is beffudling and logic has straight up Nos'd itself into the atmosphere. It's a pity, because there's so much to like about Johnson and Statham in these roles, especially when they work as a willing duo defined by their differences rather than simply bickering with forced (and unbearably unfunny) insults. Ultimately, Hobbs & Shaw may not have killed off the franchise, but it's certainly done it no favours. It's also a perfect example of the risk of branching too far from a clearly winning formula. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b736ZM_KfEk
For tequila fans, February 22 is extra cause to raise a glass of something salt-rimmed and zesty — and that's because it's International Margarita Day. But if you really want to lean into the agave-based festivities, venture on up to Eureka 89 to join Herradura's Linus Schaxmann and Andrew Cripps for a sky-high tequila dinner on Tuesday, February 21. The duo is dropping by the 89th-floor restaurant to show off their spirit's complexity and versatility, alongside a carefully matched four-course feast by Head Chef Renee Martillano. Complementing the different notes of Herradura's range, you'll find plates like a kingfish ceviche paired with caviar that's marinated in tequila, and smoked beef short rib elevated with a gutsy jalapeno salsa verde. Meanwhile, the evening's drinks list will showcase numerous pours from the tequila brand's stable, some served straight and others featured in signature cocktails. We're sure that includes a margarita or two somewhere along the way. A spot at the dinner comes in at $195, which includes your four courses and all paired drinks. [caption id="attachment_888961" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Linus Schaxmann and Andrew Cripps[/caption] Images: Eugene Hyland.
When The Many Saints of Newark ends, will it cut suddenly to black? Will Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing' somehow get a spin, even though the film is set in the 60s and 70s? How much ziti will be served throughout the course of the feature? And, how many overt and obvious links to The Sopranos will pop up? These are some of the questions you might have if you're a fan of one of the best TV shows ever made, you're excited about big-screen prequel The Many Saints of Newark, and if you woke up this morning and got yourself a hankering for a sneak peek at the latter. Fourteen years after HBO's hit mobster drama wrapped up its TV run, creator David Chase has penned this jump back to Tony Soprano's formative years. Yes, it's obviously one of the most-anticipated flicks of the year. The Many Saints of Newark hops into Soprano's story when he's a teen in the titular New Jersey city — a place under the sway of the DiMeo crime family, struggling with race relations and about to be caught up in the race riots of 1967. Young Anthony plans to go to college, but he also has a strong relationship with his uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola, The Art of Self-Defense). And, to answer the question that's just sprang into your head, Dickie is indeed the father of series regular Christopher Moltisanti. Anthony's connection to his uncle Dickie will have a huge impact on his life, and sway his path to becoming the panic attack-suffering, hot-tempered mob boss that The Sopranos followed for six seasons between 1999–2007. Family is a huge part of the film, as it was in the influential drama before it — and as as both the initial glimpse and just-dropped second trailer for The Many Saints of Newark both show. That's true not just in the narrative, however, but also in the casting. If young Anthony Soprano looks familiar, that's because he's played by Michael Gandolfini (The Deuce, Cherry) — son of the late, great James Gandolfini. Enlisting the younger Gandolfini leaves a significant imprint, even just from the trailers. Watching these clips, it's impossible to imagine this movie being made without him stepping into his dad's shoes. The Sopranos aficionados can also look forward to spending time with a few familiar characters other than Young Anthony — including Corey Stoll (The Report) as Uncle Junior, Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) as Anthony's mother Livia, and Billy Magnussen (Made for Love) and John Magaro (First Cow) as his future righthand men Paulie Walnuts and Silvio Dante. And, Leslie Odom Jr (One Night in Miami) and Jon Bernthal (Those Who Wish Me Dead) also co-star, while seeing Ray Liotta (Marriage Story) jump back into the gangster genre immediately conjures up memories of Goodfellas, the Martin Scorsese classic that also charted the rise of a young man within the mob. Check out the latest trailer for The Many Saints of Newark below: The Many Saints of Newark releases in Australian cinemas on November 4.
Your Christmas dessert game is already looking super strong this year, whether you like the sound of Piccolina's decadent gelato cake, Messina's OTT trifle or perhaps a liquid sugar rush courtesy of Four Pillars' cult Christmas pudding gin. But wait — there's more. The good folk at Black Star Pastry have entered the ring with their own festive creation — a limited-edition layered number dubbed First Snow. It's the brand's first foray into Christmas treats in a few years and it's hitting all the right notes. Inspired by the idea of a snow-capped white Christmas, the cake boasts layers of milk sponge, white chocolate and elderflower cream, spliced with a Griottine (boozy macerated cherries) compote and set atop a base of roasted wafer. A snowfall of white chocolate tops it all off, along with a forest scene featuring hand-carved chocolate 'pine cones', fresh cherries, fondant snowflakes and white chocolate ice shards. If you're craving a white Christmas, this should certainly hit the spot. They're whipping up First Snow in two different sizes, depending on how big (and hungry) your Christmas crew is — the four-portion serve clocks in at $48, while the ten-portion is $92. And given how Black Star's creations usually land, you'll probably want to be quick to secure one. Pre-orders open on Monday, December 5, with pick-ups available from all Melbourne and Sydney stores between Thursday, December 22–Saturday, December 24. [caption id="attachment_872534" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Black Star St Kilda[/caption] You can pre-order Black Star's First Snow cake online from December 5. Collection is available from all of the brand's Aussie stores — Newtown, Sydney CBD, Rosebery, Moore Park, Chadstone and St Kilda.
The clever clogs at The Lifted Brow have pulled together another excellent edition for your reading pleasure, and because of this, we must party. For those of you yet to pick up this literary gem, The Lifted Brow is a quarterly journal that publishes literature, visual art, and many other things that fit in the spaces between. Their authors and artists herald from both from Australia and abroad, and digital versions as well as print editions are available to suit your reading preferences. On this celebratory occasion, there'll be music from DJ Giles Simon and friends, and projections curated by Katie Parrish and Marc Pearson to set the aural and visual mood. We’re also lucky to have readings from contributors to this issue, the ever-talented Briohny Doyle and Zora Sanders. Copies of TLB27 will be available for purchase, drinks will be available for drinking, and entry into the event, hosted at Grey Gardens, will cost you zero dollars.
As played as an unrelenting force by Mia Goth (Infinity Pool), even when slasher killers have other plans, Maxine Minx was always going to go big and never go home. To wrap up the horror trilogy with the ambitious actor at its centre (when Goth hasn't also been playing Pearl, its other protagonist, as both an elderly and a younger woman), MaXXXine shoots for the stars as well, including in shifting to new surroundings. Gone is the New Zealand-standing-in-for-Texas production base of X and its prequel Pearl. Absent is the claustrophobic feel of mainly making one spot the franchise's location, whether it was taking place in the 70s in its first entry or in the 1910s in its second. This Los Angeles-set leap to 1985 sparkles with the same scorching drive and determination as its titular figure — and Minx, Goth, writer/director Ti West (Them) and MaXXXine alike won't accept a life, or a swansong instalment in one of the best sagas in the genre in the 2020s, that they do not deserve. From its debut with 2022's X, which turned a porn shoot in a remote farmhouse into a bloody stalking ground, West's big-screen series has always understood that sex and violence so often intersect in the arena that it's paying tribute to: moving pictures. X, Pearl and now MaXXXine also see how censors and the pearl-clutching equate one with the other. Equally, these pictures glean how a woman with a libidinous appetite — or simply the craving to succeed and the unwillingness to settle — can be deemed a larger threat to morality than a murderer. They also spy what a battle it too frequently is for women to chart their own path free of society's expectations, no matter their aspirations. West not only continues splattering these ideas through MaXXXine, but layering them, plus stacking his latest unpackings of them with X and Pearl. The true target in his current sights, however: what it just might cost to make it in a realm as ruthless and ravenous as stardom. The wannabe adult-film performer of X circa 1979 is now the hottest name in skin flicks six years later, a status that matches the sleazy gleam that West and cinematographer Eliot Rockett — who also returns from X and Pearl, and lensed the filmmaker's The House of the Devil, Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever and The Innkeepers before that — afford everything in sight in her new Hollywood life. Minx's existence and career is glowing, but she wants it to shine far and wide beyond porn's shadows, not to mention brighter. Only mainstream stardom will do, albeit with her attempts to break into legit on-camera work squeezed between her usual shoots and doing nights at a peep show. She's certain that she'll get there, though. After striding out of an audition early in the movie, Minx tells the long parade of other actors lining to be seen not to bother trying to walk in her footsteps. That quest to secure the lead in The Puritan 2, which British filmmaker Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown) is directing, is a helluva early character-defining moment — and moment in general. It's also cannily juxtaposed with a glimpse of Maxine's pre-X background, when she was a kid (Charley Rowan McCain, SWAT) in the 50s that Pearl cribbed its style and cinematic influences from, as seen on a TV set as black-and-white home-movie footage. Not giving up has been her mantra for decades, West makes plain. As Bender looks on with a steely stare, 80s-era Maxine performs her monologue with not just precision but conviction that's clearly been forged since her youngest days. She snaps into it instantly, summons tears just as commandingly, then switches back to her regular self as quickly. Digging into trauma is that easy for her. So is agreeing to the next audition request: baring her breasts. Booking the gig makes Minx a kindred spirit to Bender, in a way: both see MaXXXine's film within a film as a springboard to broader credibility, which is no straightforward task given the period or industry. But The Puritan 2's lead is also a woman haunted, though not in the soul-shaking sense, as X established isn't in this character's wheelhouse. Rather, her past keeps making its presence felt, especially via shady private detective John Labat (Kevin Bacon, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F) and his mysterious employer, who know what Maxine did a few years prior to last summer. Additional torment comes via mounting deaths around her, which are chalked up by some to the Night Stalker — aka Richard Ramirez, the IRL serial killer who terrorised mid-80s LA — yet not by persistent detectives Williams (Michelle Monaghan, The Family Plan) and Torres (Bobby Cannavale, Bupkis). Also backdropped by the real-life campaign against purportedly inappropriate pop culture, such as the Parents Music Resource Center's "Filthy Fifteen" songs (tracks by Prince, Madonna, AC/DC, Cyndi Lauper, Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard all featured), MaXXXine might involve a realm that's all about money shots, but it's a neon-lit movie to scour while savouring the moment, not to watch waiting for the climax. That's no knock on the picture's finale, which knows how to deliver. Instead, it's recognition that West is having fun overall, and in slipping in nods to the film's predecessors, getting meta with his casting and riffing with screen history — all smartly and entertainingly. Putting Bacon, who is visibly having a ball, in an 80s-set horror flick while also winking to Footloose is the franchise's second-best use of talent since choosing Goth as its centre. Literally wandering around Tinseltown's past on the Universal lot, including the slasher ground zero that is the Bates Motel set, brings mood, meaning and more musings. The latter also gets a-layering itself, operating as an acknowledgement of how the work of Brian De Palma, whose four-decades-back releases Dressed to Kill and Body Double are clearly influences here, itself owed a debt to Alfred Hitchcock. For even more company for Goth, West finds space for Giancarlo Esposito (The Boys) as Maxine's agent and lawyer, Lily Collins (Emily in Paris) as a fellow actor, Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) as an FX artist, and Halsey (Americana) and Moses Sumney (The Idol) as friends, too. With its roster of talent, MaXXXine also goes big. Still, it knows its star. Goth is the sun in this franchise, to be accurate, whether she's busting balls — which isn't a metaphor on every occasion — or stopping at nothing to be in the world that she so deeply and feverishly covets. There's wit, insight, gore, and both horror and cinema affection galore across X, Pearl and MaXXXine, and West gives it his all, but Goth's efforts over and over have sent this saga soaring. No viewer can doubt that as Maxine here and in X, as Pearl in X and the character's own eponymous flick, and as Mia after prior parts in Nymphomaniac: Vol II, A Cure for Wellness, Suspiria, High Life and Emma, that she would ever tolerate a single thing that she doesn't feel that she's earned and is entitled to.
With seven bars in the one venue, Ms Collins is where you go when you're trying to wrangle a large, undefined group of people and you have one thing on your mind: dancing. It's also where you go when you want to show off. For bottle service to your booth, Dom Perignon, Moet Hennessy and Veuve Clicquot are all top of the drinks menu — ready for that champagne-popping moment in the middle of the club — and, as you're probably ordering a magnum, you get the full mini fireworks treatment, too. For snacks, everything's a lot more affordable — tempura soft shell crab sliders, southern fried chicken ribs and peri peri chicken bao are $12 each, as they know you're not here to feast. But if you're bringing more than four mates, there are after-work drinks and food packages to make splitting the bill that bit easier. Though events have been hit and miss, Ms Collins is also where you'll go to see big-name musicians and entertainers — Kevin Hart, Jaden Smith and Mos Def, have all performed there, for example. And, for the cheap and cheerful, it has free bachata and salsa dance classes on Thursday nights as part of its Latin-themed program.
NGV International has just dropped the new Friday Nights lineup, and, this year, it's taken a jazzier route. In an effort to link the music with the art on display during the NGV's huge new Masterworks from MoMA exhibition (which kicks off on June 8), this season's programming will focus on the sounds of New York City. Expect lots of jazz, gospel hip hop and funk from a stream of international and local musicians each Friday night from June 15 until October 5. Australia's Remi, local group Cookin' on Three Burners and Zimbabwean R&B musician Thando are just a few of the names on the winter/spring roster, which will be rounded out with a performance from Brooklyn-cased jazz trumpeter Mourice Brown. Throw after-dark gallery access and killer food and beverage options into the mix, and the cold winter nights suddenly look a lot more appealing. NGV FRIDAY NIGHTS 2018 LINEUP June 15 — Cookin' On 3 Burners with Stella Angelico June 22 — Barney McAll: Hearing the Blood June 29 — Joe Chindamo and Zoë Black July 6 — Joe Chindamo and Julie O'Hara July 13 — Sweet Sweet Spirit: Barney McAll Interprets Doris Akers July 20 — Andrea Keller's Five Below July 27 — Joe Chindamo Trio and special guest August 3 — thando August 10 — Barney McAll: Non-Compliance Trio August 17 — Transients Trio #1 August 24 — Transients Trio #2 August 31 — The Senegambian Jazz Band September 7 — Chris McNulty September 14 — Linda Oh and Fabian Almazan September 21 — Speedball September 28 — Remi October 5 — Maurice Brown
It was only a matter of time before Australia's penchant for themed brunches spawned an all-out, fairytale-inspired breakfast feast. And you'll have the chance to partake — and channel your inner Ariel, Mulan or, even, Simba — when a huge (unofficial) Disney-themed bottomless brunch and sing-along party rocks into town for the first time ever. There's no word yet on where or when this shindig‚ dubbed The Magical Brunch, is going down, but we do know that it's heading to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — and costumes are definitely encouraged, so you'd best start hunting for your best Elsa gown or Cruella de Vil two-tone wig. Prince, princesses and singing candelabras will sit down to an afternoon brunch feast "served fairytale-style" — we're hoping for something similar to Belle's 'Be Our Guest' feast in Beauty and the Beast — along with two hours of unlimited Champagne, beer or mimosas. Word is there'll be themed entertainment and a Cinderella-worthy dance floor for post-brunch twirling, too. Best dust off the DVD collection and start singing, and dancing, to those classic tunes. Tickets are apparently limited, so head over to the Magical Brunch website and sign up now for the chance to be involved.
If trams are a part of your everyday commute, the concept might have lost its shine a bit. But get ready to rekindle the romance because there's a Yarra Valley getaway where you can spend the night in your very own, very comfy, refurbished 1930s-era tram. You'll find The Oaks located on two leafy acres in Lilydale, right at the doorstep of Yarra Valley wine country. The property boasts three accommodation options, including two quaint heritage-style cottages, but there's no denying the star of the show is Doris. She's an 86-year-old W Class Melbourne tram that's been carefully restored by her new owners and transformed into a cosy suite with space to sleep up to four. The fitout is cheerfully retro, with chequered floor and vintage furniture pieces, and vinyl tram seats in place of a couch. The two double bedrooms sit at either end in their own carriage compartments, while the outdoor deck areas have been designed to look like Doris has just cruised into the tram stop. She's held firmly onto her roots, too, decked out with plenty of yellow and green trimmings, and with her handles, poles and sliding doors kept intact. The tram's even sporting a fresh exterior paint job, resplendent in glossy green and yellow. Of course, guests won't be stuck dealing with 1930s-era mod-cons — the stay features all the usual luxuries, including air-con, heating, a full bathroom with proper shower and toilet, a TV, a kitchen and even an outdoor fire pit. Find Doris at The Oaks Lilydale Accommodation, 500 Maroondah Highway, Lilydale. Prices start from $450 per night for four guests. After more unique stays? Check out our roundup of extraordinary escapes around Australia.
This year's Good Food Month lineup offers loads of great excuses for taking a long, lazy lunch, but if you're in the mood for Turkish food, look no further than Yagiz. On Friday, June 18, and Friday, June 25, the warm and vibrant South Yarra restaurant is serving up a special lunch menu showcasing chef-owner Murat Ovaz's signature modern spin on authentic Turkish cuisine. Take a couple of hours out of your day and duck in here for a three-course feed. The full lunch lineup is being kept under wraps for now, though you can expect to be impressed — Yagiz's regular menu features such creations as confit duck cigars, fried mussels with tarama, brussels sprouts done with pomegranate molasses and dukkah, and a 12-hour braised lamb shoulder complemented by cacik (Turkish yoghurt) and kipfler potatoes. The menu clocks in at $45 for your entree, main and dessert, plus a glass of Turkish wine. [caption id="attachment_815875" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arianna Leggiero[/caption]
Just because you're not surrounded by actual family for the festive season, doesn't mean you can't have the next best thing. Like, say, a big ol' party with some adoptive fam, at Lucky Coq's orphan's Christmas celebration on December 24. The Southside party spot is opening its doors to Melbourne revellers, with a Yuletide shindig that'll run from 4pm until late, taking over the venue's sunny courtyard. And you'll be glad to know there won't be a single dry turkey or bad carol. [caption id="attachment_756091" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jake Roden[/caption] Instead, you're in for a dazzling DJ lineup, featuring sounds from the likes of Matt Bates, Nayzi, Morbs and Tom Leese, with a back-to-back set from Tommy G and Mark Sewell. A festive slew of drinks specials includes $5 tinnies of Mountain Goat Lager and $20 Pimms jugs, and when the usual Lucky Hour rocks in from 4–7pm, there'll also be $6 basics, schooners and wine to have you feeling extra merry. Lucky Coq's usual menu of $5 pizzas rounds out the fun. Images: Jake Roden
UPDATE: JULY 31, 2018 — You can stop bulk-buying chocolate bars, 50,000 more golden tickets to Charlie And the Chocolate Factory have just been released. And you can buy them right here. Two show dates have been added in January and the season has been extended to May 31, 2019. If you'd like to catch Willy Wonka and his orange-hued friends on the stage, we suggest moving quickly. Everyone's favourite 'candy man' is hitting Aussie shores next January, with the announcement that Sydney's Capitol Theatre will play host to the smash-hit musical production of Charlie And the Chocolate Factory. Roald Dahl's classic sugar-dusted tale is being brought to life in its Australian debut by a collaboration between theatre producers John Frost, Craig Donnell, Langley Park Productions, Neal Street Productions and Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures. Following the worldwide popularity of both the original book and the 1971 Gene Wilder film of the same name, the musical has been confirmed a sweet success internationally, scoring rave reviews during its stint on Broadway last year. With original songs like The Candy Man and I've Got a Golden Ticket featured alongside new tunes from the songwriters of Hairspray, this confection of a show promises to lure audiences of all ages into, shall we say, a land of pure imagination. It's directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien, with music by Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Marc Shaiman, lyrics courtesy of Grammy and Tony Award winners Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, and choreography by Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Sydney season will kick off on January 8, 2019, with performances running on Tuesday to Sunday. Tickets for the first month of shows are now on sale at charliethemusical.com.au. Top image: Joan Marcus, the original Broadway cast 2017.
Everyday has created a Bushfire Relief Blend (available online and in all stores) of coffee with 100 percent of proceeds from sales going to the Victoria Bushfire Disaster Appeal, Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities, Wildlife Victoria and WIRES. You can check out more bushfire relief fundraising events happening around Melbourne over here. Everyday Coffee has long been doling out great coffee in Collingwood and, thankfully, you can now get your hands on its beans in the CBD, too. The cafe's second outpost is located on Little Collins Street with a sleek, understated and effortlessly cool fit-out. Bags of Everyday's beans are available for sale and coffee bits and bobs line the walls if you need to stock up your coffee cupboard at home. The cafe is mostly frequented by office workers slipping out for take aways, but there is a bench seat along the window if you want to sip your coffee in-house (and get your fill of its free sparkling water). Treats come from sister bakery All Are Welcome — you might find babkas, ham-filled croissants, carrot cakes and rhubarb tarts if you're lucky. Images: Abigail Varney. Appears in: The Best Coffee Shops in Melbourne's CBD
She's one of the grand dames of Melbourne's cultural scene, having hosted countless big-name artists and theatre stars over the decades; not to mention all the audiences that have packed her seats for shows of all genres during that time. Now, Arts Centre Melbourne is set to score her next facelift, as part of the Victorian Government's $1.7-billion Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation project. Much of the works will be focused beneath the iconic spire, breathing new life into the precinct's Theatres Building and its heritage State Theatre, which was opened in 1984. The upgrades will help keep everything in top shape and kicking on strong for future cultural visitors. "Arts Centre Melbourne is a much-loved institution and destination, with a rich history and legacy," explained Arts Centre Melbourne CEO Karen Quinlan AM. "These upgrades to the Theatres Building are a major step forward in our reimagining, to ensure we are fit-for-purpose for presenters and audiences alike for the next 40 years." The theatre itself is set to score new seating, flooring and state-of-the-art lighting, as well as improvements to the sound system. Its current air-con situation will also be given a boost to help ensure audiences remain cool as cucumbers through the summer months. Accessibility is another major focus of the project, which involve building new lifts and adding more wheelchair positions, giving those patrons seating options on all three levels for the first time ever. What's more, mobility-impaired audience members can look forward to having a choice of seating rows with extra space between them, which'll make it easier to move around. The building is also getting two new hospitality venues, as well as a suite of back-of-house upgrades, such as a huge new rehearsal space and an enlarged loading dock. Head contractor for the project, Lendlease, has already started initial works, with the final product to be unveiled at some stage in 2027. [caption id="attachment_898732" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Charlie Kinross[/caption] The upgrades to Arts Centre Melbourne's Theatres Building are part of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation and are set to be completed in 2027. You can find out more over at the website.
The third of a series of civil disobedience projects aimed at changing the perception of expected public behavior has landed in Madrid in the form of a takeover of street ads throughout populated areas of the city. The Madrid Street Advertising Takeover (MaSAT) was launched by the Public Ad Campaign, an organisation that strives to change how humans interact with their environment. At 5:30 am on March 30, four teams of 16 volunteers traversed the city of Madrid to the Cemusa bus shelters to replace over 106 advertisements with posters of sentimental messages, sent in from individuals from all over the world, in order to protest the rise of the advertising monopoly that has consumed city life. Each text-based ad cover-up was meant to show city-dwellers what positive things could be done with public space. Inspirational messages like "In love we trust" and "Cash has ruined everything around me" were plastered on bus stops over street ads. It took about an hour for the project to be completed, but only around five hours for the posters to be taken down. This rebellious act, however short-lived, showed the world the possibilities for a better public environment. Our world doesn't have to be cluttered with billboards for BMWs or flyers for fancy restaurants, the advertising world has only become a monopoly because we've let it. [via Wooster Collective]
There's nothing like a tidy payday cash injection to leave you feeling flush and with the urge to splurge. And what better way to treat your hard-working self, than with a big ol' fancy-pants feast? After all, you've got to balance out the stints of cheap eats and Mi Goreng somehow. Well, to see you through the fruitful times, we've teamed up with American Express to bring you a lineup of some of the city's most splurge-worthy restaurants — venues where you can make it rain and eat like royalty, without burning through your entire pay cheque in one sitting. Not only will these culinary hot spots fill your belly and excite your tastebuds — as well as add to your collection of Amex points — they're also guaranteed to make you feel special, kind of like you've finally made something of your life. Let the feasting begin. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
Summer may be done and dusted, but spritz season is kicking on strong at Richmond's Baby Pizza. In fact, the venue's serving up daily aperitivo specials to see you happily sipping through winter. From 4–6pm each day, Baby is slinging its latest seasonal spritz that's made with gin, raspberry, vanilla, strawberry shrub and prosecco, for just $9.50 a pop. Otherwise, part with $6.50 for a Peroni Rossa, $7.50 for a glass of red and $9.50 for a classic Aperol Spritz. What's more, Baby Pizza is giving away a free snack with every aperitivo. But if you're feeling extra peckish, the restaurant's usual dishes are also available during this time, from woodfired pizzas and fresh pasta, to its long selection of antipasti. The deal is only available for walk-ins, so be sure to get in as close to the start time as possible. Top image: Destination Melbourne.
Cinephiles, picnic-lovers and everyone in between, rejoice — the annual combination of movies, outdoor eating and park hangouts that is Moonlight Cinema is back for another round. After locking in their dates back in September, Australia's biggest outdoor cinema has confirmed their full 2026-17 summer program — and it's a goodie. Kicking off on the first day of summer (how fitting) in Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens, this year's setup boasts all the regular features that make this one of the country's most popular summer events. Big screen shimmering beneath the stars? Check. Food trucks serving the ultimate movie munchies? Check. Letting super-organised patrons BYO their own snacks? Check. A huge lineup of new releases and cult classics? You betcha. Expect all the big summer releases, like sci-fi thriller Passengers, the much-anticipated La La Land with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, and Lion, based on the true story of Saroo Brierley who found his birth mother in India via Google Earth after 25 years of separation. Naturally, they'll also be playing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (which was released today) as well as the yet-to-be-released Star Wars: Rogue One and game-turned-film Assassins Creed. As always, they'll also throw in a few cult favourites — this year it's Grease and Back to the Future — and some Doggie Nights, which will kick off with The Secret Life of Pets. Of course, heading to Moonlight isn't just about the movies shown, as fun as getting a sneak peek of upcoming flicks or sharing the joyous glow of watching iconic favourites on a big screen is. It's also about the experience, which is why you're allowed to start getting excited without knowing which films you'll be watching — and why you should be blocking out December through to April in your calendar. Tickets are on sale now. UPDATE JANUARY 17, 2017: Moonlight Cinema have just announced their February program, which includes new new releases such as the much anticipated T2 Trainspotting, Australian book adaptation Jasper Jones, Cannes favourite Loving, and Hidden Figures, which tells the story of three brilliant African-American women at NASA. You can buy tickets for Feb here. UPDATE FEBRUARY 15, 2017: Moonlight Cinema have now announced their March program, which includes awaited Japanese manga adaptation Ghost in the Shell starring Scarlett Johansson, the live-action remake of Beauty and The Beast starring Emma Watson, haunting thriller A Cure for Wellness, WW2 Bill Nighy jaunt Their Finest, plus Aussie films like the sequel to the worldwide success A Few Best Men, A Few Less Men. Plus, cult films like Point Break and Ferris Bueller's Day Off roll out on Thursdays. Tickets for March are available here.
Life has been pretty quickly returning to Fitzroy's well-loved neighbourhood local, Builders Arms Hotel. But for quiz fiends and food nerds, the real fun kicks off this Wednesday, February 24, with the much-anticipated return of the pub's legendary trivia night. Working a bit of hump day fun into one Wednesday a month, the series is once again helmed by famously irreverent foodie and host of Triple R's Sunday Eat It program, Cam Smith. Each month, contestants will find themselves engaging in a fierce battle of the facts, with three rounds of questions covering topics from booze and food, to art, culture and even Fitzroy itself. Prepare your senses for a few bonus interactive rounds as well — blind tastings may even be on the cards. Last series, champion teams enjoyed prizes like wine magnums, gourmet meat trays from nearby Meatsmith, loaded food hampers and vouchers to the bistro. To fuel all that brain work, trivia-goers can take advantage of the kitchen's British-accented bistro menu — think, sophisticated cheeseburgers and a fish pie — and that full bar offering, with table service available during play. Images: Harvard Wang.
Now you're spending a little more time in your home, you may as well pick up a new skill. Always wanted to know how to shake a martini that would impress James Bond? What about learning some handy tricks in the kitchen for the dinner party you're planning when this is all over? Well, Sydney bar and vegetarian diner Golden Gully is letting you level-up from the comfort of your living room. If you're keen to take your boozy drinks from the humble G&T to a whiskey sour or manhattan, join bartenders Rachael and Danny over video chat for a one-hour class, which will show you how to mix up whatever you've got lying in your liquor cabinet. So, you can put that shot of Midori down now. Prefer to learn how to be a whiz in the kitchen? Golden Gully's chef Emma Evans (ex-Alibi) will help you turn water into wine — well more like mi goreng into pad see ew, which is still a mean feat. You'll join her for an hour via video chat to go through a recipe and cook up something tasty, even using the most mundane ingredients in your panty. Each class costs $60 and will not only see you through self-isolation, but also are life skills you should probably have under your belt anyway. To purchase a class, head here. And once that's done, message Golden Gully on Instagram to arrange a time and date. Images: Trent van der Jagt
The Melbourne International Jazz Festival knows how to perfect the art of headliners. It also knows how to make the most of a jazz-fuelled spring night under the stars at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Fresh from welcoming Chaka Khan to the openair venue in 2023 for an Australian-exclusive show, as joined by Nile Rodgers & Chic, the Victorian fest has announced fellow icon Herbie Hancock as its big name for 2024. Hancock will help kick off this year's MIJF, which runs from Friday, October 18–Sunday, October 27 and will announce the rest of its lineup in August. The 14-time Grammy-winning legend will play Jazz at the Bowl, making the event's third year particularly memorable. This is the man whose career includes playing in the Miles Davis Quintet in the 60s, winning an Oscar in the 80s for Best Original Score for Round Midnight, and giving the world compositions such as 'Cantaloupe Island' and 'Chameleon' — and 'Rockit', too — after all. Joining Hancock at Jazz at the Bowl are fellow American musician Marcus Miller — who has also worked with Davis; boasts playing on albums by Hancock, Khan, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Frank Sinatra and more; and is making his first trip Down Under — plus Noongar artist Bumpy. In excellent news for folks who won't be in Melbourne on Saturday, October 19, when 2024's Jazz at the Bowl will take place, Hancock has also announced a string of Aussie dates. Before and after hitting up MIJF, he'll play the Sydney Opera House, Canberra Theatre, QPAC Concert Hall in Brisbane, Festival Theatre in Adelaide and Perth's Concert Hall. "Having Herbie Hancock and Marcus Miller perform on the same evening at the iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl is nothing short of extraordinary," said Melbourne International Jazz Festival Artistic Director Michael Tortoni. "These two icons have shaped the soundscape of modern music in profound ways. Bringing them together in such a historic venue underscores the significance of Jazz at the Bowl and offers our audience a unique experience. It's a celebration of iconoclastic excellence that will resonate for years to come." Herbie Hancock Australian Tour 2024: Friday, October 11–Saturday, October 12 — Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, Sydney Monday, October 14 — Canberra Theatre, Canberra Thursday, October 17 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane Saturday, October 19 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Sunday, October 20 — Festival Theatre, Adelaide Tuesday, October 22 — Concert Hall, Perth [caption id="attachment_964817" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Georgia Mein[/caption] Herbie Hancock's tour of Australia will take place across October. Head to the tour ticketing website for further details, and for ticket presales from 9am on Wednesday, July 10, then general sales from 9am on Thursday, July 11. The 2024 Melbourne International Jazz Festival runs from Friday, October 18–Sunday, October 27 at venues around Melbourne. Head to the festival's website for further details, and for tickets for Herbie Hancock from 1pm on Tuesday, July 9.
Rallies and marches take place every January 26, not only addressing concerns about the date of Australia's national celebration, but also protesting the ongoing discrimination that has been faced by Indigenous Australians since white settlement — a topic that covers a large number of issues. In 2021, events will take place all around the country; however, heading along in-person isn't the only way to take part. In Brisbane, a rally and march will be held from 10am AEST, starting at Queens Gardens on the corner of George and Elizabeth streets in the CBD. But if you're not able to attend, you can stream it from home. There are a number of reasons why you mightn't be able to make it physically, whether you're avoiding large gatherings during the pandemic — the march and rally is asking attendees to wear masks and abide by social distancing, though — or you're located out of town. So, watching along is as simple as heading to Get Up!'s Facebook page from 9.50am AEST/ 10.50am AEDT, with the whole event streaming live.
When it comes to classic comfort food with a distinctly Aussie accent, the humble hot pie is at the head of the pack. With saucy filling wrapped in a neat package of flaky, buttery pastry — what's not to love? The pie is a versatile little beauty, just as happy being hoofed down alongside a lively footy match, as it is being scoffed barefoot after a session at the beach — a true-blue Aussie favourite. Luckily, this city of ours is dishing up some beautiful renditions of the beloved flaky treat from award-winning chunky steak bakery pies, to less traditional creations boasting innovative, chef-inspired fillings. And we've rounded up some of the standouts. Stock up on napkins, lock in your sauce strategy and check out our pick of Melbourne's best pies. [caption id="attachment_623231" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Annika Kafcaloudis[/caption] THE PIE SHOP, BRUNSWICK EAST The Brunswick East iteration of Pope Joan might be no longer, but sibling and former next-door neighbour The Pie Shop is very much alive and kicking. Another brainchild of renowned chef Matt Wilkinson (Crofter, Montalto), the store is slinging a tidy curation of crisp, golden goodies every Friday and Saturday, with both piping hot pies and heat-at-home varieties available. Signature small serves include The Brian — a blend of mushroom and gruyere, the Shazza — starring cauliflower, leek and cheddar, and a shepherd's pie dubbed The Steve. Or, challenge yourself by thinking a little bigger and grab one of the family-serve pies, filled with the likes of chunky beef and vegetable, or rich lamb casserole. PIE THIEF, FOOTSCRAY This unconventional pie shop is one of the darlings of Melbourne's west, loved for its friendly vibe, nostalgic touches and rotating menu chock full of innovative eats. Since launching in 2019, Pie Thief has been sating those pie cravings with restaurant-y signatures like the chunky steak (braised in a stout made by fellow Footscray locals Hop Nation), the Thai red chicken curry, and plant-based varieties such as a vegan spaghetti bolognese and the barbecue jackfruit with jalapeno. There's also a rotating Pie of The Week special to tempt you, though we trust you'll find it hard to leave without at least one serve of the legendary lasagne pie — a monster layered with bolognese, bechamel and pasta. COUNTRY COB BAKERY, SPRINGVALE, BORONIA AND KYNETON When a bakery consistently reigns supreme at the revered Australia's Best Pie Competition, earning multiple awards each year, you know it's got the goods. Now with three outposts, Country Cob Bakery is slinging a menu of famously good pies, ranging from traditional bakeshop favourites to inventive new-school creations. Prepare to be spoilt for choice, with numerous vegetarian options, an array of seafood-filled pastries — lobster pie, anyone? — and plenty of different chicken pie varieties. If you're after something meaty, keep things simple with the champion pepper beef pie, or go for a more gourmet combination, like caramelised pork and pepper, rich lamb ragu or chilli beef con carne. Tasting packs are also available if you simply can't decide. [caption id="attachment_809698" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] A1 BAKERY, BRUNSWICK Worlds apart from the traditional Aussie Four'N Twenty, A1 Bakery's beloved baked goods are a celebration of Lebanese flavours through and through. The family-run bakeshop and grocer is renowned for its authentic Middle Eastern eats, serving up pastry-induced happiness since 1992. Here on Sydney Road, the 'pie' takes many different forms, though crisp, golden pastry and generous, flavour-packed fillings are always a given. Try the boat-shaped pie creation loaded with shanklish cheese, tomato and herbs, a dense spinach triangle crammed with cheese or perhaps one of the plump crescent pies sporting a lush cheesy centre. [caption id="attachment_824902" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Karon Photography[/caption] WONDER PIES, COLLINGWOOD AND BULLEEN With legendary chef Raymond Capaldi at the helm, local pie business Wonder Pies certainly has some chops. Capaldi works to the motto, 'you should be able to eat a pie whilst riding a bike', so expect some very good house-made pastry engineered with great structural integrity. Current menu highlights include a chunky beef with cheese and pepper, the butter tandoori chicken pie, a dense lasagne hybrid and an indulgent mac 'n cheese variety. What's more, each pie is finished with a silky double French glaze for extra flavour points. The kitchen is whipping up both small pies and family-sized beauts, along with the quintessential three-bite party pie, and there are plenty of multi-packs on offer. NORTHCOTE BAKESHOP, NORTHCOTE Stunning sourdough loaves, traditional French croissants and some standout breakfast rolls have cemented Northcote Bakeshop's status as a leader of the Northside's baked goods game. But pie-lovers will also find themselves in excellent hands here, thanks to a short but stellar lineup of savoury pastry delights. Right now, you can sink your teeth into a tarragon chicken number, finished with confit garlic and leek. Or, go meat-free with the potato and leek pie starring spring vegetables and salsa verde. Both come in solo serves teamed with a thick house-made relish, plus there's a signature beef and lamb sausage roll if you're feeling especially peckish. PURE PIE, DOCKLANDS From individual pastries you can polish off in a few bites, through to hefty family-sized pies that'll feed four with leftovers, Pure Pie has pretty much all levels of pie craving covered. The Docklands-based bakery is whipping up a sizeable array of sweet and savoury baked goods for just about every palate, with both freezer packs and ready-to-eat varieties on offer. On the current menu, you'll find options like slow-braised beef with cheddar and Guinness, a mild butter chicken concoction, the chicken and mushroom blend finished with a hit of tarragon, and a breakfast-inspired chilli bean, spinach and feta pie. If you can't make it in-store, order online for home delivery or catch Pure Pie at your local weekend market. FATTO A MANO, FITZROY It's only fair to warn you that a visit to this Fitzroy bakery will likely see you leaving with a bunch more goodies than you originally had on your shopping list. Fatto a Mano's counter is forever brimming with a tasty array of homemade treats from cakes, tarts and loaves, to freshly-baked muffins, and giant slices of the famed house pizza. Among them, you'll find a rotation of rustic solo-serve hot pies, with popular savoury fillings including the likes of an aromatic chicken curry, organic beef, and the mushroom with spinach and haloumi. Vegan options abound and there's even a range of gluten-free pies, topped with crispy shredded potato. RICHMOND PIE SHOP, RICHMOND It should come as no surprise that Richmond Pie Shop specialises in baked goods of the round, pastry-based variety. And they're premium specimens, too. Should you find yourself in Melbourne's inner-east and in search of a hot pie fix, consider yourself spoilt for choice with this bakery's extensive menu. Classic options include the likes of a cheesy beef and bacon, an Aussie-style beef and a potato-topped shepherd's pie. Or, you can step things up a notch with one of the gourmet creations — perhaps the lamb and rosemary, a Thai chicken number, or the veg-friendly cauliflower and leek pie. There's even a party pie for the snack fiends among you, priced at an easy $2 a pop. HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Fitzroy bakery Babka is serving up a tidy selection of simple, yet satisfying pies, with home-style fillings starring chicken, lamb and beef. Handmade hot pies are a passion at Keith's Pies in Richmond, where you'll find fillings like chunky steak and pepper, creamy chicken and mushroom, and even a bacon-infused brekkie blend. There's only one pie on Falco's standard menu, but it's an absolute ripper, featuring all the flavours of the famed Rockwell & Sons burger wrapped into house-made pastry. Magnum Pi is doing handcrafted pies available for delivery across Melbourne, with crafty fillings like chicken moussaka and green mac 'n cheese. Mornington Peninsula pie-slinger Johnny Ripe is best known for its sugar-dusted apple creations, but also makes a cracking savoury family pie. Top Image: Pie Thief's legendary lasagne pie.
You answer a knock at the door, thinking you’ll find a familiar face only to be met with an impromptu party. Sure, that doesn’t sound too bad — but when your expected visitor is a teenager you met in a train station the day before, arriving with his hustler friends in tow, it doesn’t sound too good, either. This is where mild-mannered, middle-aged Daniel (Olivier Rabourdin) finds himself in Eastern Boys — and where cinema finds one of its most striking scenes in years. Shy-looking Ukrainian immigrant Marek (Kirill Emelyanov) arrives at Daniel’s apartment after accepting money for sex, his pals barging in, stealing stuff and trashing the place. Unravelling against an electronic soundtrack, it’s a sight that’s both unsettling and unforgettable. The movie takes its time in showing every detail of the home invasion, not only forcing Daniel to linger, but making the audience do the same. Prepare to feel stunned and awkward. Prepare to keep watching, too, and not just taking in the visuals and following the storyline. Eastern Boys is a film of observation, making you look close and then closer, and then even closer again. You’d best be scrutinising everything you can see, from the long shots of Paris's crowded Gare du Nord and the dialogue-free glances that fill the feature’s first frames. The movie demands that you gaze from afar while trying to delve beneath the surface, which is also what it offers in its complicated character studies. Never going where anyone might predict, this isn’t a tale about trouble and revenge, but a film that’s part love story, part thriller — and neither of those sticks with convention or worries about leaps in logic. Chapters signal shifts in the story, involving Daniel, Marek and Boss (Daniil Vorobyov), the volatile but charming Russian leader of the pack, as well. Power, survival, identity, affection and belonging are all wrapped up in a movie equally personal and topical. It manages to combine the attempts of men trying to carve out a different life however they can with a broader contemplation of class and immigration, and it does so with moments of horror, hope and heartbreak. Anyone familiar with French TV series The Returned will know the kind of style writer/director/editor Robin Campillo’s favours in only his second effort as a filmmaker: slow-moving, atmospheric, precise and always showing rather than telling. Here, it’s an ideal fit for a narrative that doesn’t try to justify what is going on but instead wants viewers to witness the actions, reactions, interactions and transactions that make up its reality and draw their own conclusions. Kudos also must go to his excellent cast for their naturalistic performances, specifically veteran Rabourdin and relative newcomers Emelyanov and Vorobyov. Making a movie feel intense, involving and intimate at the same time isn’t easy, but they ensure we’re always watching. Not that you have a choice — with a tale this simultaneously tense and tender, just try to look away.
The first phase of Gippsland's new destination winery spot will be unveiled this Friday, March 31, encompassing a restaurant with a focus on seasonality, newly renovated accommodation and a cellar door. The Carrajung Estate team have taken over as custodians of Tom's Cap winery, which will reopen this week with a makeover across its hefty 40 hectares of land. Carrajung Estate's ambitious Modern Australian restaurant is helmed by head chef Patrick Haney (Opera Bar, The Growers) and boasts a menu fuelled by locally-grown ingredients. Contemporary dishes are driven by sustainable and ethical sourcing practices, including seasonal heirloom vegetables, pasture-raised meat and Gippsland cheeses. "With an emphasis on seasonality and sustainability, our dishes feature fresh ingredients sourced directly from nearby farms that celebrate the natural beauty and culinary richness of Gippsland. Through our food, we want to share these growers' stories," co-founder Ivy Huang says. Entrees run to the likes of garlic bay bugs with black butter and king prawns with lime and chilli jam, while larger plates include a duck breast with twice-baked parsnip, blackberries and jus. Ricotta gnocchi comes laden with snow peas, goat's cheese and tendrils, while a beef short rib served with crispy onions and celeriac croquette is set to be a favourite among guests. Gippsland cheeses, blackberry tart taten and a pear cake with saffron mousse rounds out the current menu. Carrajung Estate's first-ever wine release will also coincide with the restaurant opening, with wine tasting at the onsite cellar door open for guests to peruse the winery's selection of shiraz, chardonnay, sauv blanc and more. Venture further and you'll find the first of five onsite accommodation offerings, dubbed The Nest. A luxuriously appointed interior includes an outdoor bath, a traditional wood fireplace and a comprehensive kitchen. All five cabins are expected to be completed by the summer of 2023/2024. Carrajung Estate's restaurant and cellar door will open on Friday, March 31 at 322 Lays Road, Willung South, Victoria. The restaurant is open for lunch Friday–Sunday, 11am-2.30pm and dinner Thursday–Sunday 11am-3pm. The cellar door is open by appointment via the website. The Nest will be open for bookings via the Carrrajung Estate website from April 7.
Ivan Pavlov was a Nobel Prize winning Russian physiologist who studied the digestion of dogs in the 1800s. The name Pavlov's Duck, however, is completely random — Pavlov never owned a duck. Randomness aside, the name is intriguing enough to attract customers inside this Smith Street cafe. And Pavlov's Duck is set to put casual Sri Lankan fusion meals on the Melbourne map. From the moment you walk through the monster glass door, the establishment's eclecticism is thrust upon you. Exposed brick walls surround sporadically placed wooden ducks. The cafe has tossed out boring sugar caddies and serves sugar out of wooden coconuts — another subtle way of paying homage to Sri Lanka. Its coffee however is not from Sri Lanka, as the beans come from Padre Coffee (Daddy's Girl blend). What separates Pavlov's Duck from other brunch spots is its impressive integration of South-Asian ingredients and spices. But be prepared — the food is hefty. Chillies and poached plums give a rich twist to what would be ordinary dishes. The cafe has managed to twist a regular croissant into what is called the 'Lankan Frenchy': a croissant filled with coconut, chilli, parsley and a boiled egg ($11). For those who go out for breakfast but secretly feel like lunch, the 'Pol' roti ($16) is perfect, with homemade coconut roti, spiced red lentils, onion relish and a boiled egg. Nothing screams innovation louder than the specials. The blueberry French toast with bacon crumb mascarpone, lychees and chocolate three ways ($17) gives a new name to the timeworn classic. And yes, it works. If it's diversity you're after, the pumpkin and chia seed pancakes with lentil salad, coconut sambol (a relish made of desiccated coconut and chillies), chorizo and pickled chilli ($18) may be the one for you. After a year of trading, the cafe have extended their hours into the evening; on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, they're serving up a tight menu of Sri Lankan snacks and meal. Head in after 4pm and you'll find traditional thosai (dosa) with sambar and green sambol ($15.50), roti and hoppers, which are bowl-shaped crepes filled with egg and dahl and other delicious things ($15.50). Pavlov's Duck also has desserts lined up for post-meal sugar craving. Raw white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake ($7) and a salted caramel slice ($6.50) are two sweethearts on the menu. Parents, the chocolate crackles ($3.80) made with buckinis (activated buckwheat) are a healthy dessert option for the kids. The best part? All of these are gluten-free, sugar-free and organic. So you can be cheeky at Pavlov's — but not too cheeky.
Love art, or just need a hefty tome to decorate your coffee table? Either way, the Melbourne Art Book Fair has you covered. Following on from the considerable success of the last two year's events, the third edition of this literary luau will see more than 200 publishers take over the Great Hall at NGV International, showcasing art books, independent zines, limited edition prints and more. The fair begins on Thursday, March 16 with ticketed event the day-long International Typography Symposium, featuring a litany of local and international contemporary design practitioners. The main event will then kick off the following day with a ticketed Friday evening preview, complete with live music, food and a pop-up bar. What follows will be two straight days of workshops, book clubs, talks and book launches — all up there are 50 events. For the complete program visit ngvartbookfair.com. Images: Wayne Taylor.
New season, new you, right? Those planning on a spot of springtime self-improvement will find plenty of gems among The School of Life's (TSOL) just-dropped spring term program — and what better way to yank yourself off the couch and out of hibernation mode? The global organisation is on a long-running mission to help people lead more fulfilled lives, offering a jam-packed seasonal program of classes, courses, workshops and events aimed at boosting self-knowledge. And the Melbourne chapter has not only unveiled its new season schedule, but it's celebrating with a brand-new home, moving from its former CBD digs to a stately, historic mansion in the heart of St Kilda. Designed by renowned Australian architect Albert Purchas over 160 years ago, The White House will now house TSOL's classroom, acting as a breeding ground for some fresh perspectives and blossoming self-awareness. The thought of studying philosophy in the mansion is giving us some serious Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters vibes. [caption id="attachment_738600" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The School of Life[/caption] TSOL's latest program is all about blowing away those winter cobwebs and re-energising those emotional intelligence levels for the rest of the year — a personal spring clean, if you like. Classes cover topics including How to Identify Your Career Potential, How to Find Love and How to Be Confident, while a series of full-day workshops will teach you about things like Making Relationships Work (November 9) or The Serious Business of Playfulness (September 21). You might fancy boosting your business smarts with dedicated workshops on the likes of Leadership (October 11) and Adaptability (November 8), or jump right into TSOL's five-day springtime intensive, taking an enlightening journey through all areas of emotional intelligence. Those keen to dabble in some big ideas might also be tempted by the spring edition of Philosophy Salon – this time, a two-hour exploration of Plato. The School of Life Melbourne's Spring Term classes will mostly be held at The White House, 11 Princes Street, St Kilda. The Spring School Intensive will take place back at the former site, at 669 Bourke Street, Melbourne. You can catch the full program and snap up tickets here. Classes range from $60–80, full-day workshops from $180–220 and the Spring School Intensive $1008–1260.
