Bar Luca's new concept restaurant launched in Newtown over the weekend and, going by what we saw, it was a raging success. Curious punters quickly filled the small, black and white-styled space to create their own burgers and bowls, and left satisfied with their indulgent, self-designed dishes. The 'create-your-own meal' restaurant model — which comes from Bar Luca owners Sarah and James Robbins — is not like their four other burger bars. It's called Loaded By BL and they've moved away from the rigid wall menu and towards something a little more flexible and extensive. Of course, you can still order a burger, but the new menu offers seven other bases on which to pile your toppings, including tater tots, hand-cut sweet potatoes, chili con carne, hot dogs and fried mozzarella cheese patties. Then there are the extras — think popcorn chicken, fried haloumi, shoestring fries, kimchi and even peanut butter. There is literally something for everyone here. In total, over 70 ingredients and toppings can be married together to create your ideal meal, so if you struggle from indecision the whole process is probably going to give you a major headache. "So far there's been some really weird and epic combinations, with plenty of laughs in the kitchen when they come through," says Sarah Robbins. "But the concept is working great — often people get excited and over-add hacks." There are 20 sauces to spice up your Frankenstein-esque creation, including chipotle, aioli, salsa verde and BL's famous burger sauce. Robbins plans to bring in weekly specials shakes and alcoholic drinks in the coming months. The concept had been planned for a while and the couple snapped up their ideal location on Missenden Road (which was once home to Jack's Newtown, another burger joint) as soon as they saw it was available. "When we saw the site was vacant we jumped on it and contacted the building managers before it was listed for lease," says Robbins. "We knew it was the perfect spot. We love Newtown and live local — it just all felt right." Loaded by BL is now open at 170 Missenden Road, Newtown. For more info, visit loadedbybl.com.au. Images: Kimberley Low.
This year marks a big milestone for Orange FOOD Week — the celebrated foodie festival is turning a quarter of a century old. As one of the biggest, tastiest events on the New South Wales calendar, Orange FOOD Week hasn't just proven itself with sell-out events, but with the test of time as well. And for 2016, more than 90 events will take place across ten days this April, celebrating the Orange District’s local growers, farmers, foragers, winemakers, chefs, restaurants and cafes. Perhaps the most epic part of the program is the FOOD train, which will leave Sydney Central Station for Orange on Friday, April 15, taking travellers on a weekend-long journey filled with tasting menus, outdoor lunches and brewery tours. Other highlights include the 100 Mile Dinner in Molong, served under the stars on the village green (April 11) and FORAGE on April 16, a 3.6-kilometre stroll through vineyards and paddocks with wine tasting and snacks made with local produce along the way. Other events not to miss are the Sunday Producer’s Market in Cook Park, where local produce will be turned into breakfasts and brunches on the spot (April 17), and the much-loved opening night, which will take the form of a night market at Robertson Park (April 8). In addition to the signature events that sell out every year, there are a whole slew of satellite events hosted by local restaurants, cafes, caterers and cellar doors. These include hunting for truffles, dining in an orchard, cider tastings and many a delicious dinner.
For a fourth consecutive year, the team behind the Emerging Writers' Festival will host an online festival aimed at digital writers in Australia and around the world. The Digital Writers' Festival will bring together more than 120 storytellers to explore the future of writing in the digital era. Over 11 days, there will be live-streamed events focusing on new forms, content trends and digital literacy, as well as seminars, panel discussions and interactive projects. The festival is designed to foster new relationships between writers and connect likeminded individuals from all over the world. Learn to pitch stories, watch an editor in action, discover self-publishing or even explore writing for games. Plus, in an effort to transcend geographical boundaries, the entire festival will be broadcast on the website, but city-dwellers will also be able to attend a select few events in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane. The IRL events include: The Future of Storytelling — Tuesday, October 24 (Melbourne) Mapping Ecologies of the Digital — Saturday, October 28 (Perth) West Meets West — Tuesday, October 31 (Melbourne and Sydney) QUT Lit Salon — Wednesday, November 1 (Brisbane) Inside the Publishing House — Thursday, November 2 (Sydney)
Hot fried chicken has been walking out the door down at Barangaroo since Belles Hot Chicken set up their wildly popular pop-up in November 2015. Apparently serving up over 1000 kilograms of chicken weekly (you fiends), Belles is ready to make things permanent with Sydney, opening the doors on a 130-seat eatery in South Barangaroo. Seemingly all grown up (sorta), Belles operates as a restaurant now instead of a canteen counter, developed by OLA Architects (responsible for Melbourne's Bomba) and co-owners Morgan McGlone and Miranda Campbell. Think table service, space for larger groups, an expanded menu and Belles' infamous bedfellow: Australian natural wines. Not keen for a sit-down meal? You'll still be able to order takeaway from a separate, dedicated window. McGlone and Campbell gave Sydney but a taste of their coveted Melbourne menu at the pop-up, and now they've expanded the menu to include their hot chicken sandwich and hot fish sandwich. You might have already snacked on Belles' fried Portobello mushrooms, crinkle cut chips, three bean salad, and you've probably dug into a personal serving of their signature chicken wings, lovingly laden with different levels of spiciness: southern, medium, hot, really hot, or really f**kin hot (and don't forget All The Sauces, from peach barbecue sauce to the Mississippi Comeback). Expect drumsticks, tenders, red cabbage slaw and mac 'n' cheese too — even $20 chicken and waffles for lunch on weekends. Picked the really f**kin hot wings? Put out the fire with a glass of natural wine, something Belles has championed since opening in Melbourne (they even opened their own natural wine bar, Bar Clarine, which has sadly now closed). Belles' permanent digs won't be the only Sydney opening for the crew this year, with another eatery set to open at Harold Park Tramsheds in October. Find Belles Hot Chicken is located at Shop 5, 33 Barangaroo Ave, Wulugul Walk, Barangaroo. Open Monday to Saturday 12pm to 11pm and Sunday 12pm to 10pm. Images: Nikki To.
Whether you're heading to the cinema with friends or curling up on the couch with your significant other, a night watching movies remains a fantastic source of entertainment, enjoyment and escapism. Sitting in the dark, switching your mind away from your regular worries and slipping into another world — if you're catching the right flick, few things can top it. Cinema-wise, 2018 has thrown up plenty of films that tick all of the above boxes — and now we're just past the halfway mark, it's time to look back. Maybe you missed one of this year's hits when it was in theatres. Perhaps it's still showing and you haven't made it yet. Or, there could be a few gems that just slipped your attention. Of course, there's always the ace movies you saw, loved and want to see again. Whichever category fits, here's 12 films from 2018 that you you need to catch up on. Head to the cinema and grab a choc top or organise your streaming queue and cook up some popcorn, as we've sorted out your viewing for the near future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQH3jqetJoY THE SHAPE OF WATER What our critic said: A sea of perfectly assembled elements, The Shape of Water truly feels like a film that no one else could have made. Working from a script co-written with Vanessa Taylor (Divergent), director Guillermo del Toro is operating at the top of his game, and his fingerprints can be seen in every exquisitely detailed image. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKbjnLpxv70 FACES PLACES What our critic said: If everyone looked at strangers in the same way as French New Wave icon Agnes Varda (Cléo from 5 to 7, Vagabond), the world would be a much kinder place. Roaming through small yet lively villages, Varda makes new memories while reminiscing about older ones — about love, work, times passed, friends lost and past moments immortalised in earlier photos. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCYB28iknIM PHANTOM THREAD What our critic said: Every textile metaphor you can think of applies to Phantom Thread. It's a film that's carefully woven from the fabric of human urges, teeming with hidden layers and positively bursting at the seams with emotional detail. It's also one made by the finest possible craftspeople, with Anderson and his three stars fashioning the cinematic equivalent of haute couture. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzgTHyEv5Ng LADY BIRD What our critic said: As impressive a list of plaudits as Lady Bird has amassed, they pale in comparison to the movie itself. While it can seem like high school coming-of-age films are more common than actual high schoolers, Greta Gerwig gets everything right with her entry into the genre. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJHex4ZitgA A FANTASTIC WOMAN What our critic said: It can't be overstated how wonderful it is to see transgender representation on the big screen (no offence Eddie Redmayne, but this is how it should be). Vega's performance as Marina feels authentic, in no small part because it is authentic. Every movement, every delivery is subtle, considered and real. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNtLIcyjsnI GAME NIGHT What our critic said: At its best, Game Night is laugh out loud funny, subverting some classic comedy tropes and delivering scores of killer one-liners. It's probably one of the better Hollywood black comedies we've seen in the last few years, and ultimately entertains enough to justify the price of admission. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqy27Bk0Vw0 A QUIET PLACE What our critic said: John Krasinski's stripped-back use of sound reflects his entire approach, crafting a masterfully sparse movie from start to finish — and a downright masterful one too. Forget questions about why the monsters are there and where everyone else is: they couldn't matter less in this taut, fast-paced thriller, and they shouldn't even cross your mind. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9iVra2kdD4 TULLY What our critic said: Tully's motherhood scenario inspires rich performances from a particularly raw Charlize Theron and a suitably sparkling Mackenzie Davis — the former committed to conveying the hardships of maternity in all of its unglamorous glory, the latter calm and kind as Tully brings Marlo back from the brink of desperation. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4_79dnJeNU BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE) What our critic said: Set to a soundtrack that flits from electronic beats to sorrowful piano, to the pleading chants of ACT UP taking to the streets, what emerges is a movie that's both intimate and expansive. Just as BPM's first scenes leave a definite imprint, so does the cumulative effect of its 143 minutes, weaving personal tales into a sprawling snapshot of a real-life movement. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3__y-uPwbe8 HEREDITARY What our critic said: Ari Aster plagues the movie's protagonists with weird occurrences, including strange words etched into walls, odd flashes of light, upsetting strangers and alarming seances. He is making a horror film, after all. But more than that, the writer-director doubles down on tragedy, stretches the characters' emotional limits and heightens their psychological strain, Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEnRNIvEKu8 UPGRADE What our critic said: Bone-crunching, blood-splattered revenge is a dish best-served with an AI sidekick in Upgrade. Although the concept might sound more tired than wired on paper, it makes for a sharp, sleek and savage wander into genre territory. Read the full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6o5WPcCgT0 FOXTROT What our critic said: Foxtrot asks the audience to stare at its main cast harder than most films; to feel their aching hearts, to dive into their despairing minds, and to experience their unshakeable sorrow. Writer-director Samuel Maoz doesn't just call upon his actors to attract attention, though, but ensures that every meticulous shot reflects the characters' internal states. Read the full review.
Ever wanted to work directly with the world's most recognised performance artist? Here's your chance. Kaldor Public Art Projects are looking for project facilitators to lend a hand for their upcoming escapade, Marina Abramovic: In Residence, in which the controversial artist brings new and existing performance works to Pier 2/3 in Walsh Bay. Yep, Marina Abramovic wants you for her Sydney army. Over June 22 June to July 5 (with three full days of personal Abramovic training from June 15 - 17, alongside collaborator Lynsey Peisinger), you'll be part of the Gallery Team, present in Abramovic's installations with the artist herself, helping guests with guided interactions in the works, coordinating visitors amd supporting Abramovic to deliver one kickass exhibition all-round. Keen? Let's see if you've got the goods. According to Kaldor Projects, "Applicants should have an interest in long-durational performance art and be comfortable interacting with the public. Performance experience is not required but is welcomed. The role requires the ability maintain focus for long periods; people with long-durational practices, such as dance, meditation, sports and yoga, are encouraged to apply." You'll also need to be over 18, and experience interacting with an audience and engaging with the public is preferred. Got that CV ready? If you're interested in applying, you'll need to submit a short biography by Monday, April 13 April "detailing your artistic practice, professional experience or interests that relate to the requirements of the role" to project30@kaldorartprojects.org.au. For more info on Abramovic's Sydney project, click here. For more info on the facilitator role, click here.
Aussie craft beer lovers might be feeling it in their livers this week. They've just gone through two weeks of craft beer glory around the country, starting with from Melbourne's Good Beer Week and the Australian International Beer Awards and culminating in the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular, the epic two-day beer festival held in both Melbourne and Sydney. A record number of 27,600 people attended the events, which showcased over 400 types of local craft beers and ciders. That's a lot of tasting notes. And since it all started to get a bit hazy by the end, we've put together a list of the best, weirdest and most controversial new Australian beers we discovered at GABS 2016. Let's just hope these make it to market. THE BEST BACCHUS BREWING CO. (QLD) Festival beer: Peanut Brittle Gose The Queensland brewery was a clear favourite of the festival, taking home the GABS People's Choice Award for Best Festival Beer in both Melbourne and Sydney. The Gose style originated in 14th century Germany, but their version is not sour and salty like the classic — it packs a peanut butter and caramel toffee punch. This creative and delicious combo made for a true standout. WAYWARD BREWING CO. (NSW) Festival beer: Funky Pineapple Hand Grenade Brett IPA Fans were calling this drop the second best beer of GABS — and for good reason. The beer bursts with tropical pineapple, mango, peach and citrus, making it a great homage to the warmer weather. This is not to say it's a simple one to make, though. Fermenting with 100 percent funky Brettanomyces yeast, the beer has a distinct flavour which is balanced by a silky finish. HOP NATION BREWING CO. (VIC) Festival beer: The Kalash Russian imperial stout Despite the brewery's name, Hop Nation didn't win us over with a hoppy beer this year. Instead, they went the Russian imperial route, and The Kalash is just so damn good. Aged in oak puncheons for five months, the beer has bitter chocolate, coffee and toffee notes that are perfect for this winter chill. The smooth, roasted finish might fool your tastebuds, but the 10 percent alcohol value catches up fast. AKASHA BREWING CO. (NSW) Festival beer: Iago's Revenge black IPA Since opening in Sydney last year, Akasha always seems to be on Australian craft beer watch lists. This dark brew is Akasha's hoppiest yet, while still holding to its roasted malt backbone. Rested on American oak and whisky barrels, the IPA gives off citrus, pine and resin aroma — and at a massive 9.8 percent, this complex beer will just as readily knock you on your ass as well as your nose. THE WEIRDEST COLONIAL BREWING COMPANY (WA) Festival beer: Project #21 - The Reuben Sandwich rye IPA A collaboration with fellow West Australians West Winds Gin, Colonial Brewing refers to this one as "an iconic sandwich in one hand, a martini in the other". It's a complex — and weird — concept for a beer. Brewed using gin botanicals, the beer is spicy, fruity and a bit tart. And while we didn't get much of the Reuben flavour off it, it sure did make us hungry for one. BATCH BREWING COMPANY (NSW) Festival beer: Marrickville Pork Roll Described as a "spice, herb or vegetable beer", Batch went all-out with the ingredients on this one — coriander, chilli, cucumbers and carrots all went into the brew, as did pork broth and a citrusy hop called Sorachi Ace. Fashioned after a bánh mí thit in Sydney's inner west, there's no denying the pork roll flavours. But, nonetheless, it's still a really tasty, well made beer. PRICKLY MOSES (VIC) Festival beer: Faulty Towers basil IPA Better known for their ace ciders, Prickly Moses gave patrons an unexpected dose of herb this year. There is no doubt that fresh basil went into the brew, as it hits you both on the nose and palate — a bi-product of it being used both in the mash and during fermentation. Hoppy, bold and herbal, this beer really works and is one of our favourite wackier brews. THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL 7 CENT BREWERY (VIC) Festival beer: Belly Button Beer If you're hoping this isn't what it sounds like, stop reading here. The beer was fermented using yeast found hiding out in the brewer's belly button — for how long we do not know (nor do we want to know). Belly Button Beer received global curiosity and disgust well before its appearance at GABS, and most couldn't help but give it a try. It's a weird one — the kind of funk orange zest and coriander seeds can not disguise. DOCTOR'S ORDERS BREWING (NSW) Festival beer: Mutagenic Cephalopod Gose The name alone means you simply must try this one, and the ingredients are a truly bizarre combination. Infused with seaweed, smoked mushroom salt, chipotle oil and — wait for it — squid ink, we're not sure how the brewers dreamt this one up. The beer is tart and also tinged green in colour — making it a seaweed green, squid ink beer. Despite the controversy, many still thoroughly enjoyed the brew and the novelty behind it. SHENANIGANS BREWING (NSW) Festival beer: Sabotage oatmeal stout Nothing polarises quite like a chilli beer — folks either love them or absolutely hate them. In Shenanigans' case, the divide was evenly split. While we personally loved it, a lot of patrons had a hard time with the chilli, either claiming it was way too spicy or that they couldn't taste it at all. Brewed with organic coconut sugar, cacao and coffee beans, and then aged on bourbon oak, the controversial chocolate jolokia ghost chilli was unforgivable to some and praised by others. HONOURABLE MENTIONS We have to give a big shout out to Bucket Boys and Stockade Brewing Co., whose beers absolutely killed it. We're expecting to see big things from both of these brewers in 2016. Want to know more? Check out the complete list of the Festival Beers
Cyclists, you'd better have your ID on you at all times next year, the NSW Government has some harsh new rules in play. Rolling out on March 1, 2016, a brand new set of laws for cyclists will hit the road, and will mean a few big changes for all the bikers amongst you. Primarily, it will mean an increase in the cost of fines. Currently in NSW, most cycling offences rack up a $71 fine. Under the new laws, riding without a helmet will incur a hefty $319 fine, running a red light will incur a whopping $425 fine — the same amount for 'riding dangerously' and failure to stop at a pedestrian light. And don't even think about hitching a ride, it's $319 for holding onto a moving vehicle. But the new laws aren't just focused on road rules. From March 1, 2016, all NSW cyclists must carry photo identification at all times — so all those fine notices are sent to the right address, we assume. The fine for not carrying photo ID? A cheeky $106, the same as drivers — with a 12 month grace period from March 2016. Casual riders will be pleased to know the government considered and rejected a bike licensing and registration system, so that’s one good thing. And another win for riders, as we’ve seen introduced in other states, a compulsory minimum distance of one metre between cyclists, cars and pedestrians will be introduced — 1.5 metres when travelling faster than 60km/h. Drivers will risk a penalty of two demerit points and a $319 fine — so back the hell up. So why the main focus on pesky, eco-friendly, space-saving cyclists instead of drivers with the new legislation? The NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay, instigator of the cycling package, isn’t giving much away. Perhaps the big problem in the government's eyes is that cyclists aren’t paying enough money to use a vehicle — the reforms are primarily fine hikes, and fear of a $400+ dollar fine sure is a good motivator for safe driving, apparently. The scheme has been criticised for its blatant revenue raising agenda, failure to improve safety for cyclists and that the mandatory identification rule will discourage cycling. We'll see how this one pans out next year. Via SMH. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
After you've wandered the laneways, marvelled at the MCA facade and Instagrammed every last installation, one of our favourite, favourite parts of Vivid Sydney is making our way to the annual Studio parties taking over the depths of Sydney Opera House. And this year, things have truly gone up a serious notch. The Studio has been taken over by the expert party purveyors at Red Bull Music Academy for a five-day explosion of the best dance and electronic acts around. That's right, FIVE back-to-back underground parties this year — and one is free. To kick things off, there's a free opening night party, featuring Onra, Dreems (live debut), The Goods, Sui et Sui and Physique. Sydney beats collective Mad Racket returns the following night, breaking a three-year absence with a nod to their formative roots from their days in the '90s at the Marrickville Bowling Club. Bringing back the crew's first ever international guest Matthew Herbert, expect classic dance tracks and appearances from Jimmi James, Zootie, Ken Cloud and Simon Caldwell. Goodgod's Minceteria! promises much New York-style voguing as Goodgod Small Club and House of Mince team up with House of Ladosha and Melbourne's funky junk duo Zanzibar Chanel to morph The Studio into a dungeon-like ballroom. Longtime Studio party throwers Astral People have invited Robert Owens, Amir Alexander, Ben Fester and Preacha to provide the deep house rhythms and dance party anthems. And last but not least, hip-hop/electro-fusion label Elefant Traks have invited Joyride, L-Fresh The LION, Jateehazard, DJ MK-1, Adit and Dggz to round out the RBMA roulette for this year. RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY VIVID STUDIO PARTIES: RBMA Free Opening Night Party feat. Onra / Dreems (Live Debut) / The Goods / Sui Et Sui / Physique 22 May, 9pm - Free (with registration) Mad Racket feat. Herbert (Live) / Zootie / Jimmi James / Ken Cloud / Simon Caldwell 23 May, 9pm - $40 Goodgod Minceteria! feat. House of Ladosha / Zanzibar Chanel / Victoria Kim / Sle Feat. Bhenji R? / Ariane / Kato 29 May, 9pm - $40 Astral People feat. Robert Owens (Fingers, Inc.) / Amir Alexander / Ben Fester / Preacha 30 May, 9pm - $40 Elefant Traks feat. Joyride / L-Fresh The LION / Jayteehazard / DJ MK-1 / Adit / Dggz 31 May, 6pm - $30
On September 10, Sydney will be the stage for a huge public rally through the city streets, flying rainbow flags to demand marriage equality, campaign for a 'Yes' vote and support all LGBTI+ Australians. Get in there. The date marks the first weekend after the High Court decides to either implement the government's (unnecessary, expensive and undeniably hurtful) postal plebiscite, or send the decision back to parliament. Support group Community Action Against Homophobia is running the rally, urging Australians to campaign for a 'Yes' vote, either by postal or parliamentary vote. With the majority of Australians (a whopping two-thirds) supporting marriage equality, the rally should be stacked. Wear rainbow. Be loud.
An exploration of an exiled poet. The Australian premiere of legendary filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky's latest feature. An effort that's being called Peru's first bona fide horror movie. They're just three of the films in the freshly unveiled, first-ever Cine Latino Film Festival lineup, as Australia's first national fest dedicated to showcasing the best in Latin American cinema prepares to tour the country in August. While the complete program features more than 30 movies from Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Guatemala and Puerto Rico, there's a reason that the first of the flicks mentioned above, the Pablo Larraín-directed, Gael García Bernal-starring Neruda, has been plucked straight from Cannes to open the festival. The last time the filmmaker and actor worked together, the excellent No was the end result, so expect another insightful look at Chilean politics from their second collaboration. Jodorowsky's Endless Poetry should rank among the festival's just-as-eagerly-anticipated titles, especially by fans of the director's '70s cult classics El Topo and The Holy Mountain and his most recent effort The Dance of Reality — or anyone who marvelled at what could've been when they watched the entertaining documentary Jodorowsky's Dune. And while The Womb doesn't come with quite the same pedigree, it does boast a chilling storyline involving one of the horror genre's favourite topics: motherhood. Elsewhere, a chronicle of the pop star known as the 'Mexican Madonna', an insight into current state of a formerly luxurious Havana hotel, and more than a couple of soccer-themed efforts all feature among the feast of Spanish and Portuguese-language fare, as do Peruvian road movie Solos and Venezuelan beauty queen black comedy 3 Beauties. Just perusing the program is enough to make you want to jump on a plane for Latin America, however for those who can't enjoy an overseas holiday at the moment, immersing yourself in the films of the region really is the next best thing. The Cine Latino Film Festival screens at Sydney's Palace Norton Street and Verona from August 9 to 24, Brisbane's Palace Centro and Barracks from August 11 to 24, and Melbourne's Palace Como and Westgarth from August 17 to 31. For more information, visit the festival website.
It might be France's fourth biggest city, but Toulouse isn't yet a firm fixture on the tourist trail. Unless you're an aviation fanatic, that is — all Airbus A380s are born here, so Biggles fans drop by to tour what's surely one of the world's biggest assembly lines. But what's less known about Toulouse is that it's a mecca for creatives. For decades now, artists have been pouncing on abandoned buildings and reclaiming them for art's sake. Among the epic proportions of an ex-slaughterhouse, you'll find a 78-year-old stage curtain painted by Picasso. Along the curved walls of an 18th century water tower, explore France's first photography gallery. In an ex-clothing factory, discover the latest from emerging artists. To these eclectic spaces, a busy festival calendar brings wave after wave of international art invasions, dance spectaculars, electronica marathons and world music parties. In fact, locals dub Toulouse the 'festival capital' of France. Nestled into a bend on the Garonne River, which begins in the Pyrenees and flows into the Atlantic at Bordeaux, Toulouse, like Paris, is organised according to its banks. On the right, winding, cobbled alleyways lead to the famous pink brick of the Capitole. The left is quieter, but it's where some of the most interesting galleries and imaginative uses of public space are found. ART-ING If there's one way to redeem a slaughterhouse, it's surely through devotion to acts of creativity. Les Abattoirs (76 Allées Charles-de-Fitte; +33 (0)5 34 51 10 60) swapped the butcher's knife in favour of the paintbrush back in 2000. Its enormous, airy space now hosts 4000 modern and contemporary artworks (Picasso's curtain included). I stroll in to find myself eye-to-eye with Franz Gertsch's freakishly realistic, close-up portraits and impossibly translucent coastlines. Hung just centimetres from the floor and backdropped by monumental archways, his works couldn't find a more dramatic setting. A mezzanine level allows viewing from every conceivable angle. Les Abattoirs is one stop along a 12-point walk taking in both riverbanks. It also covers Centre de L'Affiche, a graphic art museum; the crumbling remains of Toulouse's 16th century city walls; the 12th century Hôtel Dieu Saint Jacques, one-time shelter for orphans, paupers and pilgrims; and the Fine Arts Museum. Peeling off the Pont Neuf onto the right bank, I'm soon drawn into a maze of secretive backstreets. Since July 2013, vehicles have been banished from the centre, in just one of Toulouse's many pedestrian-friendly and green-inspired initiatives. 2010 saw the world's first experiments with 'pavement power'. This propensity for forward-thinking is evident even among the gothic cloisters of the Musée des Augustins (21, Rue de Metz; +33 (0)5 61 22 21 82). An ex-convent, it was seized in 1793 by French Revolutionaries, who transformed it into one of France's first public galleries. Today, 4000 works span the 11th century to the early 1900s. Their display is, however, in no way trapped by cold reverence to tradition, with fresh interventions frequently transplanting centuries-old artworks into the present. Right now, the Romanesque sculpture collection has been reimagined as a bright, pendant-lit, stylised garden by Cuban artist Jorge Pardo. Commissioned for the 2014 Toulouse International Art Festival, it's on show until 2016. Other galleries worth more than a peep include Alain Daudet (contemporary), exp rm'n tl and concept (up-and-coming contemporary), Le Chateau d'Eau (photography), NEXT (pop art) and Fondation d'Entreprise Espace Ecureuil Pour L'Art Contemporain (art inspired by everyday life). If you're keen to visit several, invest in a Pass Tourisme, which gives you a bunch of freebies and discounts. EATING & DRINKING Like most places in France, Toulouse is fiercely proud of its regional produce. At least 13 food markets are in operation, the majority within 15 minutes' walk of the Capitole. I head straight for the biggest: Marché Victor Hugo. At first, I think I might well have the wrong address. From the outside, it's a multi-storey carpark that must have reared its concrete head sometime in the 1970s. Inside, however, I discover a pastoral labyrinth of pastries, dairy, meats, fruit, vegetables and wine, brought in by growers and producers from all over the region. A couple of cheeses in hand, I pause for a sneaky mid-morning wine tasting. Then it's up to the first-floor restaurants for lunch, where the chefs source their produce in the early morning from downstairs. Such focus on the best of ingredients continues in Toulouse's numerous wine bars and eateries. Situated between two wine regions — the South West (or Sud-Ouest) and the Languedoc-Roussillon — the city is a meeting point for both. Legendary brandy-producing area Armagnac is also nearby. To taste your way across a huge range without breaking the bank, drop into No. 5 Wine Bar (5 Rue de la Bourse; +33 (0)5 61 38 44 51). I stumble across it by accident while wandering among a bunch of arty, independent shops around Rue de la Bourse. With a 'tasting card' in hand, visitors can help themselves to the wines on offer, sampling as much — or as little — of each as they like, without having to invest in entire glasses. The 36-bottle selection changes every night. Other excellent bars include L'Oenotilus (Boulevard Griffoul Dorval; +33 (0)5 62 16 39 47), which occupies a converted 1927 barge beneath the leafy trees of the Canal du Midi, and the quirky Au Père Louis (45 Rue des Tourneurs; +33 (0)5 61 21 33 45), established 1889, where you can quaff at the original, zinc-covered bar. Definitely try the quinquina, a fortified wine zinged up with cinchona bark and herbs. Also worth checking out are the laneways around Rue Castellane and Rue de L'industrie (800 metres east of the centre), where funky, grungy holes-in-the-wall serve up affordable, internationally diverse eats. SLEEPING Just around the corner from Rue de L'Industrie is a boutique hotel by the name of St. Claire (29, Place Nicholas Bachelier; +33 (0)5 34 405 888; contact@stclairehotel.com). Welcoming, airy and light, it feels more like a country home than a city hotel. I take a room on the third floor, with district views. Rustic cane and wooden furnishings are in line with classic French aesthetics, but, the concierge tells me, they've been arranged according to the principles of feng shui, which is why the whole place feels so unusually tranquil. Breakfast is a generous selection of pastries, cereals, fruit and yoghurt served in a cute downstairs café. For a slicker, more grown-up option, there's the Citiz Hotel (18 Allées Jean Jaurès; +33 (0)5 61 11 18 18; contact@citizhotel.fr). Situated on the edge of the town centre, it's close to major attractions and is housed in a beautiful, heritage-listed building. Inside, though, interiors have been swished up with a cool, contemporary revamp. Spacious rooms are decorated in sleek chocolates and creams, and splashed with mauve lighting, to particularly spectacular effect in the bathrooms. In the morning, a generous breakfast buffet takes over the downstairs dining room, where large bay windows afford views of the city rolling into action. OUT-OF-TOWN ADVENTURING The Pyrenees, the Mediterranean and the Haute Languedoc are all within two-hours' travel time of Toulouse. Theoretically, you could throw snowballs and swim in the sea between dawn and dusk. I catch a train east, to Mazamet, a market town in the foothills of Montagne Noire (or Black Mountain), where I meet Angus Longstaff — Aussie-turned-French citizen who's spent his life chef-ing, travelling, wining and dining, and now runs tours around South West France. Tell him where you'd like to go and what you'd like to do and he'll organise it — whether you're looking for obscure mountain villages, truffle-foraging expeditions, off-the-beaten-track markets, home-cooked lunches with French families or wineries. Passengers can design their own adventure or choose from a bunch of one-day itineraries. "I just spent the week driving around an Australian couple, who are looking at buying a chateau. You can buy an entire castle in France for less than the price of some Australian houses," he laughs. Angus is easygoing and fun-to-be-around. Whether you're interested in buying real estate, what makes one French wine region different from another, the latest headlines hitting Australian news or Heston Blumenthal's most recent move, he's up for a chat. Our morning starts with a visit to a tranquil, centuries-old village, where there's not another tourist to be seen. We watch a traditional instrument maker at work and chat to a local seamstress whose shop is filled with striking blue-purple clothes, made with dye derived from the area's renowned violets. Then, we head to the home of a local winemaker and her four sons, who serve us a long lunch around their sunny kitchen table, accompanied by wines made from grapes grown, harvested and stomped in the vineyard just outside. In the afternoon, we wind our way to heritage-listed Carcassonne, a medieval, fortified city that's home to 53 towers, stunning panoramic views and a really, really good chocolate shop. At sundown, Angus drops me back in Mazamet, at La Villa de Mazamet. Built in 1934, it was originally a family home, but following a mid-2000s renovation, is now a lush bed and breakfast run by Peter Friend and Mark Barber, from England. "For us, it's a passion," Mark tells me. "It's what I've always wanted to do. I feel lucky to be here and to be able to share it with other people." Peter is a self-trained chef, who cooks four-course meals for guests in the evenings, while Mark is a wine expert. The villa is surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens, a pool and, in the former wine cellar, a private, underground spa. "Mazamet is a popular choice with Australians," Mark says. "I think it's because they like getting to destinations that are a bit away from the beaten track." Jasmine Crittenden travelled as a guest of Toulouse Tourisme, St. Claire Hotel, Citiz Hotel, Fine Wine Tours and La Villa de Mazamet.
In huge art news, the National Gallery of Victoria has announced that a massive exhibition will be hitting our shores in June 2018, coming direct to us from New York's Museum of Modern Art. Over 150 works from some of the most renowned modernist artists, sculptors, photographers, furniture designers, graphic designers and illustrators will be shipped over for the exhibition, named Masterworks from MoMA (literal and direct, we likey), showing exclusively at the NGV. The exhibition will run from June 8 – October 7 2018 and feature pieces from seminal artists, including Paul Cézanne, Salvador Dalí, Marcel Duchamp, Edward Hopper, Jeff Koons, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Lyubov Popova, Mark Rothko and Vincent van Gogh. It's a big deal for the Australian art scene, as we often miss out on international blockbusters like this due to the logistics and cost of transporting priceless art halfway around the world. But not this time. So which works are coming? In goes without saying MoMA has a world-famous collection of works to select from including Dali's The Persistence of Memory (arguably his most well-known piece), Pollock's infamously divisive drip painting Number 1A, Mondrian's controversial Compositions series and Vincent Van Gogh's outrageously famous The Starry Night. It's not clear exactly which pieces will travel with the exhibition but with this catalogue, expect masterpieces. While 2018 is a distant dream right now, but modernist art lovers can get their fill this winter at the NGV's epic Degas exhibition, which starts on June 24. Masterworks from MoMA will show at the NGV International, ground level, from June 8 - October 7 2018. Image: Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory, WikiArt.
Have you ever wanted to be the very best, like no one ever was, a Pokémon master in real life? Stop lying, because the answer is obviously GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY. Well now you can, thanks to Pokémon Go, a new augmented reality mobile game that lets you capture and train virtual Pokémon right here in the real world. Out now in Australia on Android and iOS devices, the game uses your smartphone's camera and sensors to 'detect' when wild Pokémon are near. You'll find different Pokémon depending on where you are — for example, you're more likely to encounter a water-type Pokémon near a body of water. You can join teams, trade Pokémon with other players, and battle for control of gyms. You can also visit notable locations around your city, such as public monuments, where you can stock up on PokéBalls and other necessary items. In addition to the app, Nintendo have also developed the Pokémon Go Plus, a small device that can be worn on your wrist and lets you play the game without having to look at your phone. Which is probably a good idea, since the last thing you want to do when battling a wild Charizard is accidentally walk in front of a bus. Pokémon Go is free to play, although there are in-app purchases available. Of course the most important piece of information is that the game only includes the original 150 Pokémon, making this the perfect time to bust out the following: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMk8wuw7nek
Prancing through fields laced with the charm of provincial France? Casual summer weekendery. Returning for its fifth year, the ever-popular So Frenchy So Chic in the Park is waltzing back to Melbourne's Werribee Park Mansion and Sydney's St John's College for an entire afternoon of French-inspired niceties — think gourmet picnic hampers, tortes and terrines, offensively good wine, furious outdoor chess, casual gypsy beats. So Frenchy hinges around a solid lineup of eclectic artists you may be yet to meet. There's Moroccan-born folk-blues artist Hindi Zahra, who's been described as a North-African Patti Smith and likened to a modern day Billie Holiday, lounge pop '70s-like diva duo Aurélie Saada and Sylvie Hoarau, aka Brigitte, and talented chanteuse Lou Doillon makes her highly anticipated So Frenchy debut. Last, but in no way, shape or form least, Balkan-electro collective Soviet Suprem bring their light punk, Bolshoi gypsy beats, hip hop and OTT iron curtain theatrics to get everyone up off their picnic rugs and dancing the blazes out of that lawn. If you're not the most organised of picnickers, So Frenchy is putting on the works again with their beloved picnic boxes and cheese plates from Bright Young Things and Simmone Logue. Filled with crusty baguettes, salad jardinière and petite four chocolate ganache tarts, the picnic boxes are one to preorder if you don't want to miss out. But So Frenchy won't let you go hungry; there'll be a huge banquet of seafood, crepes, macaroons and ice cream available on the day. And of course, there'll be plenty of Laurent Perrier Champagne, French beer, Provence rosé, Bordeaux reds and whites, and special cocktails at the SFSC vintage caravan. Don your best floral-headband-and-sundress-combo and gear up for un merveilleux après-midi. SO FRENCHY SO CHIC IN THE PARK 2016: Sunday, January 10 — Werribee Park, Melbourne Saturday, January 16 — St John's College, Sydney Tickets via Ticketmaster and SFSC, on sale from 9am, Wednesday, September 23 to Monday, September 28 or until sold out. Earlybird tickets $69, standard $89, on the door $99.
Last February, we lost our collective shit over these adorable little souls. Now, because it's spring and dreams can come true, dumpling monarchs Din Tai Fung have gone ahead and brought back those cute, cute little morsels — the sweet lamb buns are back. Available from throughout Sydney and Melbourne from September 26 – November 30, Din Tai Fung's sweet little buns are limited edition, Instagrammable goodness. Just LOOK AT THEM. They're called 'Baa Buns' because sometimes life just gets it right. Good news, you don't have to connect the dots between the lamb inside and out of the bun — they're desserty little blighters. Baa buns come steamed-to-order with a formidable filling of molten dark chocolate and taro, $3.80 each. The little edible lambies will be available in Sydney at World Square, Central Park, Westfield Chatswood, Westfield Miranda, and in Melbourne at their Emporium chapter. There'll be limited quantities at each venue, available daily. But if you visit on the same day as us, we take no prisoners. Din Tai Fung's limited edition spring sweet lamb buns are available from throughout Sydney and Melbourne from September 26 – November 30 (not available at Din Tai Fung cafe court venues).
A real life Willy Wonka is on his way to Melbourne. Catalan designer Martí Guixé has made a name for himself at the intersection of food, art and design, with works ranging from flavoured postage stamps to breathable cuisine. Now the so-called father of food design will present his first major Australian exhibition at NGV International, in the form of a colourful, custom-designed kitchen designed to teach kids and families about their attitudes to what they eat. Running from mid-June until mid-September, the free interactive exhibition, entitled Fake Food Park: Martí Guixé for Kids, will consist of "hands-on activities and digital design challenges" that encourage visitors to "sprout new ideas for food concepts and flavours" — and create their very own 'Fake Food Park' menu. The exhibition will also feature a selection of Guixé's drawings and illustrations as well as his famous fruit-and-vegetable wallpaper, which has previously been featured in galleries including MoMA, Design Museum London and the National Art Centre Tokyo. "We are delighted to bring the ground-breaking ideas of Martí Guixé to the NGV Kids exhibition space," said NGV director Tony Ellwood. "Guixé is a pioneer in his field; designing, innovating and challenging notions of how we eat in often whimsical and surprising ways... Fake Food Park will ask budding young designers to think about the future of food and reconsider familiar food items, from inventing snacks which can be eaten underwater to drawing novel combinations of everyday ingredients." Find Fake Food Park at NGV International from June 11. For more information visit the NGV website.
Masters of block colour boardies, brewers of insanely good coffee and actual surfing enthusiasts Saturdays NYC are finally opening their very first Australian flagship store — in Bondi, where else? Until now, Saturdays NYC has only been available at stores like Incu around the country. Saturdays started their empire in 2009, selling boards, wetsuits, art and other lifestyle accessories in SoHo. Their wooden-floored Crosby Street digs became New York's go-to downtown surf shop, evolving into the coffee bar-fronted menswear Mecca it is today. After opening another NYC venture in the West Village in 2012, the crew expanded to Tokyo, Kobe, Nagoya and Osaka (featuring Saturday's first foray into cafe food). Opening in December, the Bondi store will continue the tried and true Saturdays store-and-cafe formula, one that's sure to flourish in the beachside suburb. Sitting on Gould Street, the fitout is inspired by Saturdays NYC's Japan stores, inspired by surf shops of the '50s and '60s with a minimalist finish — we're talking breezy, light-filled spaces with blonde wooden floors and detailing. Like their international chapters, there'll be a coffee bar up front brewing up Surry Hills' own Artificer beans (a Sydney alternative to their signature Saturday blend, which New Yorkers will cross Manhattan for). And what will you be spending all your Saturday pocket money on? Saturdays specialise in weekend-y essentials, from bright boardies to printed cotton tees, sunglasses to wetsuits, surfing coffee table books to Mr. Zog's Sex Wax — not mention their own magazine. It's basically beachwear and accessories for people that can't always get to the beach — bringing a little Saturday into the boring, boring, suit-wearing workweek. Importantly (for Bondi especially), Saturdays NYC aren't just a brand that talks the surfwear talk, they also actually want you to get in the damn waves (just down the road). There'll be a unique range of surfboards to buy from both local and international shapers. Saturdays NYC will open on Gould Street, Bondi early December.
Every present you buy at this event will go straight to helping a puppy. Yeah, you're already making plans for this one aren't you. This December, a pop-up shop has made itself comfortable in Martin Place, selling Christmas gifts for the sole purpose of raising money to train Guide Dog puppies. It takes $35,000 to train one Guide Dog, so every little bit helps. Open every day, 11.30am to 2.30pm, this pop-up shop is the perfect place to shop for the pooch-lovers in your life. Maybe you'll even get to pat one if you're lucky.
While Reykjavik is praised for its "ability to make the most of an inhospitable climate", Auckland for its "unbelievably friendly folk", Budapest for "music... not just concerts, but in the streets, on the radio, and in cafés," and "wonderful pubs filled with laughter", Sydney has taken out the top spot as the friendliest city in the world. Run as a Reader’s Choice award by Condé Nast Traveler and focused on how a visitor feels in each city, the Friendliest and Unfriendliest City in the World poll asks readers to submit reviews of each city with a focus on the overall warm fuzzies generated by their experience. “Everything from location (no one likes an airport city) and political perception (everyone watches the news) to size and basic language barriers can make a destination unattractive to tourists and be a factor in their evaluation of a place’s ‘friendliness’," according to CN. Sydney's been praised for its people skills, regardless of what you might see on George Street any day of the week. "Such friendly people," enthused one voting reader. "So much so that after we met an Australian woman on our flight there, she offered to pick us up at our hotel and spent a whole day showing us her favourite parts of the city." Sydney earned snaps for the Bridgeclimb, the Cruise Like a Local Sydney Harbour boat tour, and Bonza Bike Tours got a big ol' high five as "a great way to see some of the lesser-known sights." Overall, readers found simply "nothing to not like" in Sydney, although importantly, all mentioned experiences are tourist-focused. Last year's friendliest winners were tied: Melbourne and Auckland. Sydney came in at number five; tied with Dublin, who just narrowly missed out on the top spot this year. Of course, Sydney was supremely modest about it. Ha! IN YOUR FACE @dubcitycouncil!! We're the friendliest city in the world! http://t.co/T1WgOPUVu7 via @CNTraveler pic.twitter.com/9rIafVZ59o — City of Sydney (@cityofsydney) August 18, 2015 Australia and New Zealand have done pretty nicely on worldwide city rankings of late — the Great Barrier Reef nabbed #2 on Lonely Planet's Ultimate Travelist and Melbourne ranked #1 Most Liveable City on the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) liveability survey. So Sydney's apparently the friendliest, Melbourne's the most liveable, what do you reckon? CONDE NAST'S 2015 FRIENDLIEST CITIES IN THE WORLD: 10. Reykjavik, Iceland 9. Auckland, New Zealand 8. Budapest, Hungary 7. Kyoto, Japan 6. Edinburgh, Scotland 5. Bruges, Belgium 4. Kraków, Poland 3. Queenstown, New Zealand 2. Dublin, Ireland 1. Sydney, Australia But what of the jerks? The Unfriendliest Cities in the World side of things is a little hairier, with no Australian or New Zealand cities making the cut for another year. Up high. Cannes was dissed for being expensive and "bloated simply by the prestige of its famed film festival," while Jakarta was called "dirty and congested," despite gaining praise for its food.” Moscow got a bad wrap for "dour, unfriendly people" and "deplorable traffic", while Nairobi was flagged as "dangerous and volatile". But Caracas, Venezuela took out the top unfriendly spot as a place of "rampant crime, a scarcity of basic necessities, and a poor quality of life." CONDE NAST'S 2015 UNFRIENDLIEST CITIES IN THE WORLD: 10. Cannes, France 9. Jakarta, Indonesia 8. Moscow, Russia 7. Cairo, Egypt 6. New Delhi, India 5. Nairobi, Kenya 4. Guatemala City, Guatemala 3. Guangzhou, China 2. Casablanca, Morocco 1. Caracas, Venezuela Via Condé Nast Traveler. Image: Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel.
Sydney is home to some serious local distillers and we're finally getting an event that pays homage to this growing craft. Indie Tasting exclusively features independently-made spirits and this year it is open to the public for the first time. On Sunday, September 18, Frankie's Pizza will host both local and international makers of craft spirits in a day of talking, learning and, of course, boozing. The event will see 120 boutique spirits on offer from 40 suppliers. Young Henrys will of course represent, showcasing their Nightsweat Moonshine and Noble Cut Gin, as will Marrickville talent Poor Toms Gin. On the international side of things, six distilleries from North Carolina are trekking their spirits to Sydney, many of which are making their Australian debut. Ticketholders should keep an eye out for Covington's yam vodka, one of the stranger sounding on the list. Each ticket will include six free masterclasses, which include a journey through mezcal, a rum tasting and a class called 'Here's what you should ask a craft distiller'. Indie Tasting is being held as part of Sydney Bar Week 2016, so this tasting is just a highlight of what drinks may come mid-September.
It's a good time to be a Sydney pavilion, with the highly-publicised revamp of the Coogee Pav and the recent sale of the Manly Pav. Now, the 90-year-old Bondi Pavilion is up for a $10 million revamp, announced by Waverley Council. And if you're a kickass heritage architect, they’re currently looking for expressions of interest to redesign the whole thing. Whoever scores the role will have quite the job on their hands. On a positive and more self-serving note, this means picking out clothes for the most visible building sticking out of Sydney's most iconic and Instagrammed beach. That's exposure. But not only is the Pavilion one of Sydney’s most famous buildings, it's also a huge hub for the local arts scene, numerous community events and several commercial enterprises. Think The Bucket List and the Rock Surfers Theatre Company, for a start. The good news is that the Council’s brief calls for an "internal reconfiguration to ensure the building remains a vibrant mix of community, cultural and commercial uses." At the same time, the appointed architect is asked to prioritise the Pavilion’s "heritage fabric", renewing its shabby aspects without losing its sense of history; turning the courtyards into public social areas, possibly with the addition of native gardens and public art; and fancying up the Campbell Parade entrance, which used to be the primary entrance back in the day. "The Bondi Pavilion has such an amazing history and heritage," says Mayor Sally Betts. "[It] is central to Australian beach culture and it's a key part of Bondi community life." In previous incarnations, the building has served as a Turkish bath house and a dance hall — so here's hoping. The epic makeover is expected to take up to ten years, beginning in 2017. It forms part of the Council’s Bondi Park, Beach and Pavilion Plan of Management, which was finalised in 2014, in collaboration with community input. "As soon as we have the plans, we will go back to our community for them to have input again," Cr Betts told the ABC.
He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake. Christmas horror movies aren't a widespread genre, with holidaying folks ditching titles like 2010's Rare Exports (in which a homicidal Santa Claus was unearthed in an archaeological dig) and 1974's Black Christmas (college dorm slasher, set at Christmas) and preferring to pick up Home Alone for the hundredth time or anything starring Tim Allen. But this year, Christmas movies take a turn for the hilariously terrifying. Krampus is your unlikely new Christmas nightmare, directed by Michael Dougherty (who gained a cult following for his 2007 holiday horror film Trick 'r Treat). Set for release December 3, the film stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette and David Koechner as your regular family holed up, snowed in and arguing over shitty turkey at Christmas time. But when they lose their Christmas spirit, a scary-as-shit Christmas spirit, Krampus, decides to pay the family a visit — the ancient hoofed, horned antithesis to jolly ol' Saint Nick. Go on, give it a watch. You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry.
If you've ever tried to buy art, you'll know that it can often be an inaccessible, intimidating process where you can get so overwhelmed that you don't end up buying anything at all. That won't happen at The Other Art Fair. The London-founded contemporary art fair, running over four days at COMMUNE in Waterloo from October 27-30, is specifically designed to bridge the gap between artist and collector, making it easier for artists to sell their work, and for you to buy it. Returning to Sydney for its second year, the fair will feature over 100 contemporary artists all chosen on merit over experience. Last year's fair challenged artistic practice with live street art and 3D printing demonstrations. This year, there will be a surprise tattoo competition, the chance to participate in creating a wall mural, and workshops with The School of Life and Work-Shop among food from Three Blue Ducks and Black Pantry and a bar hosted by Young Henrys, Urban Winery with Archie Rose. Expect music, workshops, and contemporary art that will challenge your expectations (and eventually fill your living room). Plus, this year the fair is presented by Saatchi Art, which means that all the works showcased will be added to the Saatchi Art online gallery — at the moment, it features over 500,000 works from across the world so it's a pretty big deal. We're psyched on the whole program, so we picked out four things to focus our attention on — at least to start with. Plus, we've got 25 double passes to give away. You can enter at the bottom. 1. MAKE S'MORES WITH BLACK PANTRY Food is art too. Marshmallow makers Black Pantry will make an appearance at the fair, serving specialty handcrafted marshmallows alongside a toasting station, so you can create your very own art in the form of a delicious s'more. The Northern Beaches shop is famous for its rosewater flavoured marshmallow. They use the highest quality ingredients, making their marshmallows as soft as a cloud and unlike any marshmallow you've ever tasted. [caption id="attachment_595164" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Uprisings, Kozyndan.[/caption] 2. GET A SURPRISE TATTOO FROM RHYS GORDON Rhys Gordon of Sydney tattoo studio Little Tokyo will be tattooing four people — one for each day of the fair — as part of a very cool competition. The artwork will be created by LA-based husband and wife artists Kozyndan, and then be tattooed by Rhys onto the body of the winners. The catch? They won't know what the image is, or where on their body it will go. Gordon is famous for interpreting traditional Japanese tattoo design on his clients, often covering their bodies with hypnotic patterns and prints. [caption id="attachment_584363" align="alignnone" width="1279"] Mark Collis[/caption] 3. BUY SOME ART Buy art directly from the talented artists who will be exhibit at the fair. Both seasoned exhibitors and emerging artists — including some who have never exhibited their work before in Sydney — will be on show, all chosen by a high profile selection committee which included the likes of artist Ben Quilty and art dealer Roslyn Oxley. Buying direct from the artists often means the work will be a little cheaper (and it's a nicer experience all-round). Our pick of artists to look out for are conceptual artist Cathyann Coady, painter of the beautiful Pool seres Jordy Hewitt, collagist Mona Forghani, photographer Nick Akins and Indigenous artist Bianca Beetson. 4. LEARN UP AT A WORKSHOP The fair is promising to have a stellar music lineup running throughout, which will not only feature DJs, but immersive experiences that fuse music and visual art. Workshops and talks on the state of contemporary art will also be held throughout the weekend, with The School of Life running guided tours and Work-Shop covering off watercolour brush lettering, gin blending (with Archie Rose) and perfume making classes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 5. PAINT A MURAL WITH CHOCOLATE EINSTEIN Chocolate Einstein is an Australian/Chilean artist who paints colourful murals on canvas and on the street (this one is on Cleveland St, Surry Hills). On the opening night of the fair, he will paint a black outline of a mural. Guests will then be invited to choose a colour out of a hat and participate in creating the art by painting a section of the artwork under their own creative direction. Or you could just watch a real-time live artwork being created (and maybe watch people mess it up). [competition]595971[/competition] The Other Art Fair runs October 27-30 at COMMUNE, 901 Bourke Street, Waterloo. Tickets cost $18.36-28.88 here. For more info, visit The Other Art Fair website.
Žalec, Slovenia just jumped right to the top of the list of our must-visit holiday destinations. Located roughly an hour outside of the capital of Ljubljana, the small town of just under 5000 people is known for its natural wonders including an underground waterfall, and historical sites such as an ancient Roman necropolis. And yet we kind of suspect these attractions will be somewhat overshadowed by the local government's latest plans to bring tourists to the area: Europe's first ever public beer fountain. The €340,000 fountain, which currently has no set completion date, will reportedly spout a variety of Slovenian beers. For six euros, visitors will be able to try three 300mL samples, served in a commemorative mug. The project was apparently inspired by a drinkable mineral water fountain in the nearby town of Rogaska Slatina (whose own local government members must be kicking themselves for not having thought of this clear improvement first). The fountain did face some opposition from people who thought that taxpayer money could be put to better use. Thankfully, common sense prevailed, and a motion to cancel the project was defeated in a two-to-one vote last week. Democracy wins again! Via Fox News. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
The coveted Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year Award has helped launch the careers of some of Sydney's finest. This years Young Chef's Dinner is set to be the best yet. Previous winners Mark Best (Marque – 1995), Hamish Ingham (Bar H – 2004), Daniel Puskas (Sixpenny – 2006), Phil Wood (Rockpool on Bridge – 2007), Dan Hong (Mr Wong – 2008), Mitch Orr (ACME – 2010) and Lauren Eldridge (Marque – 2015) will be cooking every course. If that doesn't make you just a little bit emotional, we don't know what will. For bookings call (02) 9252 1888. This event is one of our top ten picks of Good Food Month 2015. Check out the other nine.
Time is running out for those of you us who are yet to organise a present for Father's Day. Yes, you could go with socks, but that's kind of a cliché, and frankly he might be getting sick of all those Bunning's Warehouse gift cards. Instead, why not treat your Dad to the kind of classy gift he deserves, in the form of a limited edition ice cream cigar from the team at Gelato Messina. Let's see your stingy siblings do better than that. Available from Monday at select Messina locations, the Juan Hernandez Big Smoke package is named after Messina's head chefs Nelson Hernandez and Juan Camelo. Each box contains four hand rolled ice cream cigars in two extravagant flavours. The Sugar Daddy is full of salted caramel and orange gelato plus whisky cream and maple syrup honeycomb, while Fidel's Fatty consists of chocolate gelato, rum anglaise and coconut biscuit. The 'smokes' are wrapped in chocolate paper, and should make for a truly spectacular Father's Day gift – assuming you can resist devouring them yourself. Of course, you can always tell your Dad the box was only meant to contain three cigars. Not that we'd ever suggest anything so sneaky. Messina has only produced a limited number of these sweetened stogies, and as with everything they make you can expect them to sell out fast – especially if people order multiples which, full disclosure, we might be planning on doing ourselves. Each box of four costs $39 and is available from Messina's Darlinghurst, Miranda, Parramatta and Rosebery stores in Sydney, as well as Fitzroy in Melbourne and Coolangatta in Queensland. You can reserve yours online starting Monday, to ensure that you don't miss out.
The Fat Duck may have migrated back to the UK, but Heston Blumenthal isn't finished with us by a long shot. The celebrity chef and collector of Michelin stars revealed in July that the old Fat Duck site at Melbourne's Crown Casino would be reinvented as Dinner, an offshoot of his London restaurant of the same name. The venue is set to open on October 20, but don't bother marking your calendar just yet. Within hours of priority booking opening on Thursday, the first few weeks of service had already been locked up. According to Good Food, the priority booking option is currently only available to people who unsuccessfully attempted to secure a table at Fat Duck last year. That's about 75,000 potential diners, so don't be surprised if the rest of us are waiting for a table for quite some time. Dinner is yet to confirm when bookings will be open to the general public, although Good Food believes it will be around September 17. Like its English counterpart, the menu at Dinner in Melbourne is supposedly inspired by "the fanciful dramatic dishes of the Royal courts of King Henry VII," offering modern interpretations of historical British cuisine. Dishes may include powdered duck breast with smoked confit fennel, spiced blood pudding and umbles; Earl Grey Tea cured salmon with lemon salad, gentleman’s relish, wood sorrel and smoked roe; as well as Heston's notorious 'meat fruit,' comprised of chicken liver parfait within a mandarin jelly skin. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal opens on October 20 at Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank. Open for lunch Friday and Saturday, and dinner daily. For updated booking information, keep an eye on www.dinnerbyheston.com.au. Via Good Food.
If you're the sort of person who already has a hard time heaving yourself out of bed each morning, best look away now. The aesthetically gifted comfort connoisseurs at luxury lifestyle and homewares label In Bed have today opened the doors to their first bricks-and-mortar store. And, yep, it's the embodiment of those dreamy photos you've swooned over on the brand's online store and journal. The 80-square-metre Paddington flagship store has been imagined with the help of interiors experts We Are Triibe, using natural timbers and warm tones to create a home-like space that's stylish, comfy and downright aspirational. A mix of custom furniture and designs from Made by Morgan and Hay help bring the Sydney-based label's curation to life, including a specially commissioned camphor laurel dining table from Exit Eighty Six, which you'll probably want to take home along with the rest of your haul. In Bed's full range of kitchen, bath, bedding and home textiles products will be on show here, alongside a selection of pieces from brands like Wingnut & Co, Tara Burke, Henry Wilson and Walk in the Park. Keep your eyes peeled for a range of exclusive products and in-store events in the future, too. "We wanted to create a unique retail experience that brings the ideas and personality behind In Bed to life," explained the label's founder and director Pip Vassett. "We're excited to really connect with our customers in person". In Bed's flagship store is now open at 72B Oxford Street, Paddington. For more info, visit inbedstore.com.
Holy. Crap. We thought it was a big ol' publicity farce. No way, man. There ain't no Lexus hoverboard, that's just delicious social media bait for the Young People. But nay, Marty McFly's futuristic skateboard is an actual, physical thing, really made by Lexus and frothed over worldwide. A concept made famous by Robert Zemeckis’s 1989 Back to the Future II, the 'Slide' hoverboard has been realised by the Lexus team. Lexus first put out teasers for the hoverboard back on June 23, making everyone angry they’d even get our hopes up like that. But today, August 5, they've released their model 'publicly' — although you can only skate at their custom-built skate park in Barcelona. Yep, there's the switch. This isn't the first time hoverboards have been bandied about in reality. The Hendo Hoverboard's Kickstarter campaign promised to send out $10,000 hoverboards this spring. How did Lexus make it work? According to CNET, lots and lots of magnets. Well, it’s a little more complicated than that, involving supercooled superconductors, but essentially, magnets. Lexus have built this anti-gravity device into a deck (this was the tricky part, finding a way to cheaply make such a seriously epic device teeny), so you can skim across water without breaking a sweat. So yeah, you can't buy one yet. And when you finally can, you'll only be able to skate at Lexus's custom-built Barcelona skate park. But we're hopeful. Watch pro skateboarder Ross McGouran spin some McFly moves on the Lexus hoverboard here, with all the sexy, sexy liquid nitrogen you could ask for. Via CNET and Quartz.
Potts Point is quickly turning into the place to open a restaurant in 2017. In the last month we've seen wine bar Dear Sainte Éloise and cafe Joseph Hyde open in the suburb, plus the news that Gastro Park will be replaced by new venture Antipodean and that Paper Bird, an all-day eatery from the Moon Park team, will open in July. And now, we introduce Fountain, a new cafe doing breakfast and lunch seven days a week. As you might've guessed, it is named after King Cross' famous water feature — you'll find the eatery directly opposite the fountain on Darlinghurst Road. It's a cafe, serving up straightforward brekkies and brunches. There are sweet corn fritters, the Fountain duck fat hash with bacon, avo and an egg, and crème brûlée French toast, which comes with caramelised banana, toffee, berries and clotted cream. Meanwhile, the coffee's a special house blend and the cold-pressed juices are delivered (on bicycle) by local Simon Says. The lunch menu covers bar snacks, including salt cod croquettes and beer-battered zucchini flowers, as well as more substantial dishes, like the wild mushroom risotto with enoki, shiitake and oyster mushies, and black truffle emulsion and pecorino. ACME&Co took care of the design and it's a careful, impressive take on the art deco era, right down to the lamps. On sunny days, claim a seat outdoors overlooking Macleay Street and the fountain. Come spring, Fountain will also be a wine bar by night. You'll be able to take your pick of local or international drops or go for a sneaky cocktail, such as the Old Fashion at the Fountain or the smoked Negroni. Fountain is now open seven days a week from 7am till 6pm at 18 Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point. Come September, it will open 7am till late. For more info, visit fountainpottspoint.com.au.
Australia has been responsible for many important inventions. The black box flight recorder. The ultrasound machine. Even the electric drill. Yet one Aussie contraption towers above the rest. We’re talking, of course, about the goon bag. A simple silver sack in a durable cardboard exoskeleton, for decades this unsung alcohol container been a symbol of our fair country’s greatest attributes: innovation, inclusiveness and fiscal responsibility, as well as our overwhelming desire to get pissed as quickly as humanly possible. In celebration of this national icon, The Lord Gladstone Hotel in Chippendale, Sydney is hosting its very own goon bag festival. Boxfest: A Festival of the Goon Bag kicks off at 2pm on Sunday, July 5, and will feature top vintages from such box wine all-stars as Yalumba, Stanley and Berri Estates. There will also be food available throughout the day, including a killer selection of cheese and cabanossi plates. Classic. This being a classy affair, you’ll obviously want to pair your food and drink appropriately. For brie we recommend a nice chardonnay, while sauvignon blanc goes best with a gruyere. And of course we don't have to tell you that, to guarantee that traditional heady sensation, the goon should be consumed straight from the bag. Music will be handled by Money for Nothing DJs, who’ll make sure that you’ve got something fun to stumble around the dance floor to as the afternoon wears on. And before you assume that this whole event is just one big excuse to get sloshed, we should point out that money raised from tasting tokens throughout the day will be donated to charity. So basically the more goon you inhale, the better you are as a person. If that’s not a philosophy to live your life by, then we don’t know what is. Boxfest: A Festival of the Goon Bag kicks off at 2pm on Sunday, July 5 at the Lord Gladstone Hotel, 115 Regent Street, Chippendale. Via The Brag. Image: 8 Tracks.
You already know them, you already love them — and you've already had a religious experience while eating them. So it will delight you to hear that Grumpy Donuts (makers of the above God-like alluded-to doughnuts) is opening an IRL store later this month. Best hit the gym now while your face isn't full of fried dough and bacon bits. It was inevitable that the Sydney doughnut geniuses would eventually put down some roots because their delivery system has been going gangbusters for the last year and a half. Their new store will open at an as-yet-unconfirmed Camperdown address later this month with an in-store barista brewing coffee to counteract the sugar crash of your inevitable hedonistic doughnut spree. If you're acquainted with Grumpy's creations, you'll be happy to know their regular flavours — like original glazed, buttered toast, sour patch jam and dark choc mint — will be available along with weekly changing specials. Currently, Grumpy only deliver their decadent creations on Thursdays and Fridays (and occasionally head up a stall when the Flour Market is in town), but the store will be open for longer trading hours, meaning no day of the week is safe from a maple bacon doughnut attack. But you'll have to get in quick because the teeny store will only seat nine lucky customers at a time. Watch this space for an opening date and address. While you wait, plan your TGIF doughnut order. Will it be s'mores or choc Oreo peanut butter? The hardest choice of all. Grumpy Donuts will open later this month in Camperdown. For more details as they're announced, keep an eye on their Facebook page. Images: Alana Dimou.
Scientifically, the only way to watch the entire Academy Awards sober and survive is if you actually win one on the night. For everyone else, there's booze. Presenting our best shot at a Best Original Screenplay: Concrete Playground's 2016 Oscar Drinking Game. Remember to always drink responsibly and don't forget to thank your fellow nominees. One Sip Jack Nicholson wears sunglasses. Harrison Ford wears an earring. Diane Keaton wears gloves. Jennifer Lawrence does something adorably "real". Three drinks if she trips and falls. Leo’s date is his mother. Host Chris Rock makes three or more jokes about the Oscars’ diversity problem. A non-human presents an award. Three drinks if it’s Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2 or BB-8. Winner thanks God or Jesus. Winner pays tribute to their "extraordinary" fellow nominees. Winner is played off by the orchestra. Winner describes their film as "important". Winner describes their film’s director as "a genius" and/or "visionary". Kate Winslet talks on the red carpet about how happy she is for her "best friend" Leo. Two Sips Chris Rock dresses up as the other black storm-trooper. Sylvester Stallone wins for Best Supporting Actor in Creed and delivers his speech using only the ‘A’ and ‘O’ vowels. Chris Rock asks if Meryl Streep wouldn’t mind giving Kanye a few of her Oscars to melt down and pay off some of his debt. Winner describes their film’s director as "a high-functioning sociopath". Travolta jokes that Scientology documentary Going Clear was "the best comedy of the year". Tom Cruise and Will Smith laugh heartily. Paul Haggis does not. Ryan Reynolds arrives dressed as Deadpool, just so no one forgets he’s finally had a hit. Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson perform a scene from Ex Machina dressed as Poe Dameron and General Hux. You’ve actually heard of one of the nominees for Documentary Short Subject or Foreign Language Film. Three Sips Bryan Cranston wins Best Actor for Trumbo. Pulls face mask off to reveal he’s actually Dalton Trumbo. Chris Rock explains how he thought The Big Short was just a Tom Cruise biopic. Joaquin Phoenix comes dressed as a 19th century blacksmith. Winner thanks Allah or Mohammed. Jennifer Jason Leigh begins her acceptance speech with "REMEMBER ME!?" and then cackles maniacally until she’s forcibly removed from the stage. Kate Winslet’s accent changes markedly throughout her acceptance speech in a nod to her performance in Steve Jobs. Having scored acclaim for his last two roles as a cosmologist with a motor neurone disease and a transgender artist, Eddie Redmayne asks if anyone wants to cast him as an electrician or a plumber. Ridley Scott and/or Harrison Ford offers a plausible reason for making a sequel to Bladerunner that doesn’t include the words "pay cheque". You’ve actually seen one of the nominees for Documentary Short Subject or Foreign Language Film. Finish Your Drink DiCaprio declines to accept his award. God appears and says he can only claim credit for the Best Sound Editing winner. The performance of 'Earned It' from Fifty Shades of Grey features five minutes of graphic S&M on stage. Winner for Spotlight thanks the Catholic Church "for making all of this possible". Peter Jackson announces plans to turn his valet parking receipt into an epic nine hour trilogy. Chris Rock doesn’t mention the Oscars’ diversity problem but performs a song and dance number in white face.
Whether you're on a date, catching up with your friends, or just looking for a way to kill a few hours on a Tuesday night, there are few modern indulgences that beat settling into a dark cinema and letting your worries escape you as you slip into another world. Spies, superheroes, lovers, musicians, presidents, dictators, robbers and cops: you'll encounter them all as the lights go down and the projector begins to whir. There's plenty afoot a the pictures this month, so we're here to give you a little bit of help with choosing tonight's movie. See you at the candy bar. ALIEN: COVENANT "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair." The fingerprints of Shelley's timeless poem Ozymandias are all over Ridley Scott's latest foray into the Alien franchise. Perhaps more so than he intended. While the inexorable decline of leaders and their empires forms the central theme of Alien: Covenant, it also feels neatly appropriate for a franchise in dire need of an original idea. Read our full review. SNATCHED When Amy Schumer starred in Trainwreck back in 2015, audiences may have felt a sense of niggling deja vu. If you'd watched Inside Amy Schumer or any of her standup shows, you knew exactly the kind of character you were getting — not that that was a big problem, necessarily, since seeing the comedian and actress take her usual persona to the big screen was part of the appeal. But even the funniest folks can only coast on the same material for so long. Read our full review. https://youtu.be/AHEl7Pji0f8 GET OUT What's so great about Get Out is how it defies easy categorisation. It's smart and oh-so-timely in the way that it highlights what it's like to be black in "post-racial" America. It's also genuinely unsettling and tense in an edge-of-your-seat manner, and never stops making viewers question what it is they're seeing. Last but not least, it's frequently hilarious, which given the director's background shouldn't come as a surprise. Add all of that together, and you're gifted one of the most assured, astute, entertaining and intelligent horror movies to creep out cinemas in years. Read our full review. https://youtu.be/elM9HxIlDnQ THINGS TO COME In Things to Come, writer-director Mia Hansen-Løve's sensitive observational style lends itself to lingering on the details — to building a picture from the smallest elements, rather than the broadest strokes. It's what makes Isabelle Huppert such a perfect fit for the lead character, and it's also what makes the filmmaker's patient approach so rewarding. Every close-up of Huppert's face tells a story. Every handheld camera movement does as well. They're small, unobtrusive and delicate ways of painting an involving portrait of life going on, and of all the things that will come. Read our full review. https://youtu.be/8Ibf46kh2Ec THE ZOOKEPER'S WIFE There's much about The Zookeeper's Wife that follows the expected path. Whale Rider director Niki Caro brings the non-fiction book of the same name to the screen with handsome images and a solemn tone. There are grim scenes of cruelty and carnage, although the darkest deeds are alluded to rather than shown. The movie charts acts of hidden resistance that saved lives, and paints its otherwise ordinary protagonists as extraordinary heroes. Not unlike the recent Their Finest, it also provides an unmistakably female-aligned view of war, from the nurturing urge that sees Antonina shelter as many escapees as she can, to the clear threat of sexual violence that lingers every time Brühl's villainous character makes his intentions known. Read our full review. https://youtu.be/wPJpLfKG1AI PORK PIE Back in 1981, Goodbye Pork Pie saw a ragtag bunch of misfits careen across the country's two islands in a tiny yellow vehicle. Driving into remake territory with a newer model, Pork Pie takes the idea out for another spin. Writer-director Matt Murphy boasts a significant connection to the original — it was helmed by his father Geoff Murphy, and Matt was part of the crew. It shouldn't be surprising then that the remake focuses on two things that made the first outing memorable: stunts and humour. In terms of the former, prepare for a standout dash through Wellington that happens to involve a coffin, and cars and trains colliding (but not in the way you might expect). As for the latter, it's more warm smiles and light chuckles than belly laughs. The gags are mostly conventional, but then that's Pork Pie to a tee: affable, enjoyable, but not quite as freewheeling and frenetic as it thinks. Read our full review. https://youtu.be/oDD3I0uOlqY FREE FIRE How entertaining you find pitch-black action comedy Free Fire will largely depend on how much you can laugh at people getting killed and/or maimed. Although considerably less nasty than some of Wheatley's earlier films such as Sightseers and A Field in England, this is still a decidedly dark affair. It's probably for the best that it only runs for an hour and a half. You can only go so long with a concept like this before the laughs are replaced with a sense of unease that's not anywhere near as fun. Read our review.
It's been 14 years since Derek Zoolander turned left and saved the Malaysian prime minister. But the ridiculously good looking male model made his comeback on Tuesday at Paris Fashion Week, taking a powerful stroll down the catwalk at the end of the Valentino AW15 show —thus dramatically announcing the long-awaited Zoolander sequel for February 2016. Bringin' that Blue Steel to the Fashion Week stage, Ben Stiller reconnected with his old pal Owen Wilson to send Zoolander and still-hot-right-now Hansel down the catwalk to the Human League's 'Don't You Want Me'. Hansel even dropped his cape. Hansel. So hot right now. Hansel. DOES THIS VALENTINO FINALE MEAN ZOOLANDER 2 IS COMING!?!?!?!?!?!? A video posted by Man Repeller (@manrepeller) on Mar 10, 2015 at 7:05am PDT But why male models? Paramount Pictures confirmed the publicity stunt on Twitter, announcing the release date for Zoolander 2 as February 12, 2016 — that goes for Australia too. Time to throw back an Orange Mocha Frappucino and enjoy this little blast from the past in the meantime. Via TIME.
After months of anticipation, the revival of Chippendale's Old Clare Hotel has at long last been completed. Spearheaded by Singapore-based hotel and restaurant entrepreneur Loh Lik Peng of Unlisted Collection, the revamped watering hole as boutique hotel on Kensington Street is finally open for business — and from what we can tell, it looks pretty bloody spectacular. Reborn from the (metaphorical) ashes of the historic (and dearly beloved) Clare Hotel and adjoining Carlton United Brewery Administrative Building, the newly-opened hotel boasts 62 rooms and suites featuring high ceilings, heritage timber panelling and exposed brick walls, furnished with PSLAB pendant lighting, vintage furniture and cushions 'inspired by Australian flora and fauna'. Further hotel amenities include a rooftop pool and bar, private gym and a heritage meeting space, as well as a day spa expected to launch early next year. Guests can also take advantage of custom-made bicycles to explore the surrounding neighbourhood, or simply relax at the indoor bar near reception and enjoy the honest-to-god bespoke scent created by local perfumed candlers Maison Balzac. That being said, the biggest drawcard might be The Old Clare's three new high-end restaurants. Automata, the first solo venture from Momofuku Seiobo sous chef Clayton Wells, opened earlier this week, with a rotating five-course menu laden with such extravagances as storm clam with rosemary dashi, cream and dulse, and partridge with witlof, burnt apple and caper. Noma alumnus Sam Miller, meanwhile, will open Silvereye on September 22, offering short and long seasonal tasting menus featuring young coconut and mud crab, pumpkin with pomello, leeks with pig feet and white beer, and a plum and coffee tart. Last but not least, there's the Kensington Street Social, by Michelin-starred globetrotter Jason Atherton. No word on their launch date or menu as of this writing, although based on the competition, we have to assume they'll be bringing their A-game. The Old Clare Hotel is now open and taking bookings at 1 Kensington Street, Chippendale. For more information visit the website
Taco King at The George Hotel may be no more, with the Waterloo pub recently reopening under the direction of new operators, but the Taco King himself Toby Wilson is pressing on with a new tortilla venture: Ricos Tacos. The Taco King is dead, long live the Taco King. So far, Ricos Tacos has popped up for two days at the Grifter Brewing Co, and set up a (slightly more permanent) shop in the car park of Gelato Messina's Rosebery HQ as well. Now, Wilson is heading over to Rocker in North Bondi for the eatery's next venture — and taking over the menu for a taco Tuesday collaboration. From 4.30pm each Tuesday between November 24–December 15, Wilson will be serving up a bespoke range of dishes, turning Rocker into a once-a-week taqueria. You'll be able to tuck into kingfish ceviche, avocado, citrus, soy and sesame tostadas ($7), or opt for chicken chipotle and tomato tacos ($6). Among other options, there'll also be tempura mushroom tacos and Ensenada-style fish tacos, too. And, for dessert, you can expect churros topped with lemon zest, chamomile sugar and dulce de leche ($9). Rocker will also be pouring frozen margaritas, Arquitecto tequila, Estrella beers and other cocktails, should you need something to wash your tacos down with. Bookings aren't necessary, but they are recommended — and you'll have an hour-long slot to munch away. If you didn't try Wilson's tacos at The George, you may've encountered them at the various guises of Ghostboy Cantina (including at Dixon House and inside Tio's Cerveceria). Missed those, too? We suggest you make a beeline to North Bondi come Tuesday. [caption id="attachment_635514" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Katje Ford[/caption]
Forget about the mouldy old sandwich you’ve got sitting in the communal office fridge. Today only, ride sharing service Uber and food charity OzHarvest have teamed up with some of the best chefs and restaurants in the country, and will be delivering gourmet lunches right to your office door. Starting at noon today, hungry Uber users in the Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Gold Coast CBDs will be able to log into the app and request a lunch box. The meal will cost you just $12, and will be delivered to you by an Uber driver. Better yet, your money will go straight to OzHarvest in order to help them feed impoverished Australians. Uber has already donated $10,000, which will be used to fund 20,000 meals. So what does your money get you? Sydneysiders will chow down on a corned beef burger from Neil Perry’s Burger Project, while Brisbanites can enjoy a Reuben Sandwich from Matt Moran’s ARIA, and Melburnians get stuck in to a George Calombaris mix plate that includes mini spanakopita from Hellenic Republic, flat bread from Gazi, grain salad with chicken from Mastic and petit fours from The Press Club. Neil Perry pops up again in Perth with a Reuben from his Rockpool Bar & Grill, whereas Adelaide gets a Jock Zonfrillo vegetarian option of fire pit pumpkin with goats curd, spiced macadamias and crispy salt bush. Last but not least, diners on the Gold Coast can choose between slow-braised beef brisket with pearl barley and garden salsa, or roast butternut squash, capsicum, zucchini, pearl barley & sun dried tomato pesto — both courtesy of Dennis Duncanson’s Paradox Coffee Roasters. You’ll have to get in quick though. There are just 200 meals available in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and even less in Perth, Adelaide and on the Gold Coast. The promotion runs until 2pm, but odds are they’ll sell out long before. To order your lunch, log into your Uber app starting from 12pm today and put in a request. For more info, go here. If you’d like to donate directly to OzHarvest, visit www.ozharvest.org. Image: George Calombaris' Grain Salad.
Aussies are usually hard-pressed persuading overseas visitors to sample anything more than a smidgen of our beloved Vegemite. But that's far from the case with Heston Blumenthal and Dinner by Heston group executive chef Ashley Palmer-Watts, two Brits who are so taken by the iconic yeasty spread that they've made it the star of their latest ambitious dessert, a dinky di-ce cream which will launch this Australia Day. Dinner by Heston's 15-month-old Melbourne outpost has seen the chef duo spending significant time on Australian soil and, with both fascinated by the cult product, a Vegemite dessert was always on the cards. "I had never really eaten Vegemite until I came to Australia," explains Palmer-Watts. "Heston was intrigued by the flavour immediately and pretty insistent for some time that we explore a dessert dish based on the spread." Blumenthal and Palmer-Watts have been in development mode these past six months, exploring the spread's unique (and polarising) flavours and translating them into a sweet concoction that's both worthy of the Dinner by Heston menu and respectful of Vegemite's long heritage. And it seems they've hit the nail on the head, the dessert already passing muster with the brand's Category Manager, Tania Trapla. "To have their innovative take on our famous Australian spread was truly remarkable," she says. "They've managed to take Vegemite to another dimension." While the dessert's being dubbed 'Vegemite Ice Cream', it's not exactly what it sounds like, instead featuring a riot of textures and tastes — teaming sourdough crumble base, verjuice curd, and barley chocolate ganache, with the ice cream element perched right in the middle. There'll even be a drizzle of decadent caramel sauce, poured from a Vegemite jar at the table. Now that's 'Modern Australian' cuisine. The dish will be unveiled as part of Palmer-Watts' special Australia Day lunch on January 26, alongside a raft of other innovative, Australian-inspired bites and cocktails. Read our review of Dinner by Heston.
If you've been one of those savvy, savvy Opal users, who's been rollerblading between light rail stops, to 'Opal mine' and rack up your weekly cap on the cheap, we're afraid your halcyon days are over. Up until today, Opal (albeit pretty much accidentally) enabled one of the sweetest public transport deals on the planet. Once you'd used your Opal card to take eight paid trips — of any distance and cost, but at least an hour between each 'trip' — you'd then enjoy free travel for the rest of the week. One of the most common methods for taking advantage of this was spending a couple of hours on a Monday, tapping on and off between Pyrmont Bay and The Star light rail stops. They're only 200 metres apart and a one-way journey between the two sets you back only $2.10 (or $1.05 for students). So, for 15 bucks, you could ride trains, buses and ferries to your heart's content until the following Monday. Back in September 2014, then transport minister Gladys Berejiklian acknowledged — and encouraged — such cheeky behaviours. "I want people to beat the system," she told SMH. "I want people to find the savings because they are there to be had." But the NSW Government has now changed its tune. On Monday, March 21, current transport minister Andrew Constance announced that the meaning of a 'journey' or 'trip' on Opal has been redefined — and can now include up to seven transfers. So, where the aforementioned Pyrmont Bay-The Star stunt could be achieved in two hours, it'll now take as many as five. So, theoretically, you could still make it happen, but not without some serious dedication — and plenty of hours to spare. Via The Age. Image: Beau Giles.
Heads up, Mother's Day is just around the corner. Yep, you can pucker up on our tootsies later. But there's pressie planning afoot, and we've found quite the showstopper for your dear ol' Mumsie this year thanks to Gelato Messina. Never one to miss an opportunity to experiment with new ways to inhale gelato, Messina have been cooking up quite the delicate novelty dessert for Mum: a Italian-inspired chocolate box of gelato-filled nibbles. These brownie point-winners launched in 2015, and are sure to bring it home again this year. Each box comes with nine handmade chocolate and gelato bon bons; best enjoyed with opera blaring in the background, with a strong, black cup of coffee and a shoulder massage. Go on, your mum put up with you through puberty, you owe her one massage. So which crazy tell-your-friends flavours have Messina come up with for their bitty bon bons? There's five in total, each more decadent than the last. Ready? There's orange custard gelato, Baileys and caramel milk chocolate fudge in a dark chocolate shell with ruby pearl dust. Shut up. There's gianduia gelato with caramelised banana and lime sable in a milk chocolate shell with gold dust and hazelnut praline. Huh? How about blood peach and marsala sorbet with pistachio ganache in a dark chocolate shell rolled in crushed pistachios? NUP. Or cream cheese gelato with blueberry gel, almond crunch in a white chocolate shell and wrapped in gold foil. If you can find us something that says 'perfect Mother's Day gift' better than cream cheese gelato covered in gold, we'll eat this empty bon bon box. The Messina chocolate and gelato bon bon boxes are going for $35 a box, available to order now. They're available for collection from May 5-8 from Rosebery, Darlinghurst, Bondi, Miranda and Parramatta stores in Sydney, as well as the Fitzroy and Windsor stores.
Here at Concrete Playground, we travel a lot. And because we travel a lot, we have a lot of handy little tips that can take going on an aeroplane from a chore to a delightful, exciting experience that you go through before heading off on the holiday of a lifetime. After extensive research, we're proud to say that none of these travel hacks are as simple or obvious as roll your clothes in your suitcase. In partnership with Expedia, here are ten tips to make your travel process easier this summer. We're going on holiday. 1. PICK AN AIRLINE AND STICK WITH IT If you finally find an airline that has comfortable seats, suitable prices and good service — stick with it. Most airlines have their own frequent flyer program, which despite any preconceptions you might have, are actually really easy to join and get rewards from. Flying with the same airline every time makes your flight choice easier, and even when you're booking through online travel agents you can still enter your frequent flyer number. It might cost you a little more to fly Qantas, but the extra money you fork out will end up in your pocket (in the form of business class flights, members only prices and free upgrades). Virgin Australia use Velocity, and Qantas have their own Frequent Flyer program. 2. CLEAR YOUR BROWSER COOKIE HISTORY IF YOU'VE BEEN FLIGHT HUNTING The incognito window is your best friend. Often if you're returning to a website every day to check the price of the same flight, the company knows and can potentially adjust prices accordingly so you hit that 'buy now' button. Maybe you procrastinate on booking and the next day go back to your flight and find it has gone through a significant price rise. At that point you're likely to book before it gets any more expensive. Nice one, corporations. Combat this by opening an incognito window and hiding your cookies. Sometimes cookies can work in your favour (by saving your shopping cart, sending through deals to flights you've searched for), but they can potentially be used for evil too. Best be safe and clear your browser history. 3. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, THINK AHEAD AND AVOID BAGGAGE FEES For reasons unknown to us and the rest of world, most Australian airlines now have a measly 7kg cabin baggage allowance. That's barely enough for a laptop, phone, charger(s), bottle of water and change of clothes. It's true that airlines don't always weigh your carry on before you get on the plane, but they MIGHT. Which means you could be charged $60 for packing that extra pair of shoes you didn't really need. Be smart and pack light. If you know you have more than 7kg, check in a bag. On most airlines it costs about $20, and it will save you the stress of pleading with airline attendants and crying at the terminal. Virgin and Qantas included checked bags in the ticket price, which in peak times is often worth the extra money. Travel with a duffle bag rather than a suitcase — heavy roller bags will do you no favours. 4. SEAT CHOICE TACTICS When choosing your seat on the plane, don't choose the empty row. Instead, choose the row that has one other person in it, because the next person that comes along won't want to squeeze between the two of you, will they? Another tactic is to wait with your seat selection until the very last minute (before check-in closes), then you'll easily be able to see what's been taken and what's still available. For shorter flights, sitting at the front of the plane means you'll likely get off the plane 10-15 minutes earlier. [caption id="attachment_580107" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Levi Morsy.[/caption] 5. BOOK AT THE RIGHT TIME The best time to book an international flight is four to six months before you fly — that's when the airlines have a better idea of how quickly, or slowly, a flight will start to sell out. For domestic tickets, book between one to two months. Travel on off days and seasons, typically Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. Red eyes, the New Year period and flights that leave just after work are a no-go. Keep an eye out for sales — the best ones happen around Boxing Day, January and the mid-year period. 6. AND IN THE RIGHT PLACE Everyone hates booking fees. This unexpected surprise is particularly bad when booking direct through airlines — there's often a booking fee of up to $14.95 just for using your credit card. Avoid this by simply using a debit card instead, or booking through an online travel agent (like Expedia) that doesn't charge booking fees. If you're organised enough, book your flights and accommodation at the same time and you'll often get special deals so you can save yourself a bunch of money. 7. ALL THE REWARDS PROGRAMS It seems like every airline and website is trying to make you sign up to their own loyalty program. As annoying as email spam can be, if you're a frequent traveler (or daydreamer) these programs are often worth it. You'll often get members only flights, VIP hotel bookings, double frequent flyer points and the ability to pay with your rewards points. That means potentially free flights and accommodation, and access to the best deals as soon as they become available. The more you use the same website, the more rewards you'll accumulate. So just like we mentioned above about airlines — stick to the same website. 8. THINK BEFORE YOU BOOK Nothing is more disheartening to a holiday than being slammed by unnecessary airline fees. Changing the time, or name on your ticket can attract a fee up $175 per ticket in Australia. Put more thought into that ticket you're about to buy — are you sure this is exactly when you want to fly? If you're unsure about dates but need to book, look into travel insurance. It's the only thing that will save you in this situation. Put a few dollars aside for a good policy that covers you for change fees and you'll be sort of sorted. 9. DO YOUR RESEARCH AND PRICE MATCH Most airlines, booking websites and online travel agents have some form of price matching function which can often be of great benefit to you and your wallet. Do some hunting around for flights, accomodation and packages on different websites, and then do some hunting around for price match policies. Jetstar use Price Beat Guarantee — they'll beat the price of any flight on the same day within the same time frame by ten per cent. Expedia will price match hotels and packages (flights and hotels booked together), and you'll get a $50 voucher for the trouble. 10. CREDIT CARDS CAN ENABLE YOUR TRAVEL HABITS If you've been brave enough to get yourself a credit card, you may as well get one that really helps you out and saves you some money when it comes time to travel. Most credit cards come with benefits, but some come with travel specific benefits — like travel insurance and special deals that practically pay for the annual fee attached to it. The American Express Explorer card partners with Qantas. It's a little pricier ($395 annual fee), but you get $400 travel credit to spend on the American Express travel website, travel insurance and smart phone screen repair insurance included. Virgin Australia have their own credit card and you get a $129 voucher every year, and the 28 Degrees credit card is particularly good for international travel (no fees on overseas purchases). If you're a regular traveller, the annual fee on a travel credit card pays for itself. Become an Expedia+ member and book your summer holiday in the January sale — you'll have access to prices that others don't see.
It has been four years since Alaska first made a splash in Sydney’s art scene. From humble beginnings, the lonely janitor’s office in Kings Cross car park has transformed into one of the city's most adventurous galleries, facilitating a diverse range of multidisciplinary art practices. That’s why this month’s group show, filled with Alaska all-stars, will double as birthday celebration. The exhibition is drawn from artists working in Alaska Studios, which opened in partnership with The City of Sydney earlier this year to provide subsidised studio spaces for emerging artists. It will feature Biljana Jancic, Daniel Mudie Cunningham, Elliott Bryce Foulkes, Kate Scardifield, Marian Tubbs, Nell, Phil James, Samuel Hodge and Tara Marynowsky.
From Stripes to Ghostbusters to Groundhog Day to Zombieland, Bill Murray has been entertaining us for decades. He’s also apparently the world’s greatest party crasher, although whether half those stories are true we’ll probably never know. Murray’s most recent role is as the titular character in St. Vincent, a comedy about a bitter old New Yorker who becomes the reluctant babysitter to his 11-year-old next-door neighbour. It may sound a little cutesy, but it’s actually one of our favourite films of the summer. In fact we like it so much that we’re presenting a screening of it at Ben & Jerry’s Openair Cinema. So head down to Bondi on Friday, February 6, to celebrate everybody’s favourite movie curmudgeon. Gates open at 6pm. There'll also be a live set by local DJ MK-1, and because it’s a Friday, everyone above the legal drinking age gets a complimentary Aperol Spritz.
Not sure if you're aware of this, but we're actually in the middle of the Olympic Games. True story. Rio 2016 has been stirring affair so far, full of incredible wins, heartbreaking losses and one incredibly well-lubricated Tongan. https://twitter.com/Deadspin/status/761740659577544704 But in addition to the incredible sporting prowess on display, we're also seen the competitors rocking a whole bunch of wearable tech — on the field, during training and while hanging out around the Olympic village. Below, we've put together a list of our five favourite innovations, to help us all get in shape ahead of Tokyo 2020. SOLOS SMART EYEWEAR Google Glass may have proved a bit of a bust, but the US national cycling team made us of similar technology in the lead-up to this year's games. This lightweight pair of sunnies features a tiny display screen that allows cyclists to keep track of their speed, heart rate and the distance left in the race. They're not actually permitted in races as of yet, but the good news is that the public can preorder a pair of their own. Who knows, this could actually be the things that finally motivates you to leave the car in the garage and try cycling to work instead. INFRARED LIGHT THERAPY Utilised by U.S. athletes to help treat joint and muscle concerns, the LumiWave Infrared Light Therapy Device flat out sounds like something out of science fiction. Made up of eight small pods, each of which contains 200 infrared LEDs, the device can be placed or strapped on a part of the body in order to provide short-term pain relief. Insanity. The device has already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and can be preordered online this very second. HALO SPORTS HEADPHONES Listening to music while working out is pretty common, but in future you might want to swap your iPhone buds for a pair of these. Created by Halo Neuroscience, these headphones send pulses of energy into the wearer's brain in order to stimulate motor neurons. The benefit? According to the designers, accelerated strength and increased skill acquisition. Yes, these headphones actually (supposedly) make you stronger, and Olympians from the US to Sierra Leone have been giving them a go. The headphones are already commercially available, although according to the Halo website they're currently out of stock. Netherlands beach volleyball women playing in full skins-type suits.Way more sun safe&comfy too I'd think. #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/Nj3M7pYDYa — Bri (@briiilliant) August 10, 2016 UNDER ARMOUR SPACE AGE UNIFORMS Dudebros on the internet chucked a big old tizzy during the women's beach volleyball after the Dutch pair team walked out not in bikinis but in neck-to-ankle bodysuits. Turns out there was a very good reason behind this decision – aside from not wanting to be objectified by random dickheads, of course. The Dutch pair were two of more than 200 athletes at the games this year – in sports from rugby to gymnastics – to be outfitted by Under Armour, in uniforms that use NASA spacesuit technology that help keep body temperature in check. VISA PAYMENT RING While not everyone gets to go home with a medal, at least 300 athletes were sporting sweet new rings. As part of their continued push into wearable payment technology, VISA designed prototype payment rings, which could be used to make purchases on any NFC-enabled payment terminal with the flick of the wrist (or fist bump). VISA also produced payment wristbands and watches, but only the rings let you run around like you're a member of the Planeteers, which is obviously half the fun.
You might've missed out on a Splendour in the Grass ticket in yesterday's ticketing tornado, but that doesn't mean the show's over. This morning, ten Splendour artists announced sideshows in cities around Australia. For a start, Sigur Ros will be touring the Australian debut of their show, An Evening with Sigur Ros. There's no support act, which means you're in for two sets, covering material old and new. Catch the Icelandic trio at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion on Tuesday, July 25 and Melbourne's Margaret Court Arena on Thursday, July 27. Meanwhile, Two Door Cinema Club will be hitting Australian capitals with their third studio album, Gameshow, recorded in Kopanga Canyon, California with producer Jacknife Lee. Get a dose of their electro-indie-pop at Metro City, Perth, on Wednesday, July 19; Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, on Friday, July 21; and Festival Hall, Melbourne, on Tuesday, July 25. Supporting them will be triple j favourites Last Dinosaurs and The Creases. To catch HAIM outside of Splendour, you'll have to get yourself to Sydney's Enmore Theatre on Thursday, July 20 — it's the only show they're doing. Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana scored a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist for their 2013 release, Days Are Gone, and have been working on their hotly anticipated follow-up. 23-year-old English singer-songwriter George Ezra is returning to Australia after selling out his 2015 tour here. His debut album, Wanted on Voyage, sold three million copies and, yes, you can expect to hear hits 'Budapest' and 'Blame It On Me'. Ezra will be at Sydney's Enmore Theatre on Tuesday, July 18 and Melbourne's Forum Theatre on Wednesday, July 19. Another songwriter to catch is Sweden's Tove Lo. She's been writing hits — for both herself and others — for more than ten years and inspired one million album sales in the process. Her latest album Lady Wood is best known for single 'Cool Girl'. She's also lent her pen and ear to a bunch of chart toppers, including Flume's 'Say It', Coldplay's 'Fun' and Broods' 'Freak of Nature'. See Tove Lo in Sydney at the Metro Theatre on Wednesday, July 26 and in Melbourne at the Prince Bandroom on Friday, July 28. English blues man Rag 'n' Bone (Rory Graham), who mixes the blues tradition with hip hop and beats, will be making his Aussie debut at Splendour, before setting off for Sydney's Metro Theatre on Friday, July 21 and Melbourne's 170 Russell on Monday, July 24. Meanwhile, Maggie Rogers, discovered by Pharrell Williams at an NYU masterclass last year, will be playing her headline shows at the Corner Hotel, Melbourne, on Sunday, July 23 and the Factory Theatre, Sydney on Tuesday, July 25. Her debut EP, Light is Fading, is out now and its single 'Alaska' has racked up 31 million views on YouTube. LA-based songwriter Bishop Briggs, known for her gritty vocals and unique songwriting, will be at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory on Thursday, July 20 and Melbourne's Howler on Friday, July 21, while rock 'n' roll duo The Lemon Twigs will be landing in Australia after appearances at Coachella and Glastonbury, to play the Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, on Saturday, July 22 and The Curtin, Melbourne, on Tuesday, July 21. Finally, catch LANY from LA, whose track 'ILYSB' won hearts and minds online, at Max Watts, Melbourne on Friday, July 21 and Metro Theatre, Sydney, on Saturday, July 22.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Sydney is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to celebrate the landmark 40th anniversary of their iconic small cars, and in turn, help you celebrate the little things that bring that sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Sydney. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine. This week, join the circus at Fitness Playground, perform an art heist and enter 221B Baker Street and into the world of Sherlock Holmes. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the next few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
Two of life’s greatest pleasures are joining forces, thanks to the ever-publicity stunt savvy crew at Ben & Jerry’s. Not content with their dominion over the world of iced confectionery, the company have just announced a partnership with New Belgium Brewing Company to develop an ice cream flavoured beer. Continuing the company’s long tradition of absurdly decadent flavours, the name of the brew has been announced as Salted Caramel Brownie Brown Ale. Details are still relatively scarce (and we're still unsure whether this taste sensation will taste of dreams or outright devilry), although we do know that the drink will contain 6.3 percent alcohol and is set to be released in the United States in the latter half of the year. No word yet on whether it’ll make the journey to Australia, although we’re definitely keeping our fingers crossed in weird, weird curiosity. While it may be a while until we get ice cream flavoured beer, take some comfort in the fact that beer flavoured ice cream is already totally a thing. Molecular ice creamery Nitrogenie released a Pale Ale Caramel flavour in time for last year’s Oktoberfest Brisbane, while Gelato Messina previously produced a VB sorbet for Australia Day. And now Young Henrys are making ANZAC biscuit flavoured beer, we can't really complain. According to The Huffington Post, the partnership between Ben & Jerry’s and New Belgium will benefit Protect Our Winters, an environmental organisation committed to combating climate change. A spokesperson for New Belgium said that the collaboration will “raise awareness around issues we are passionate about, and that the results will be delicious.” This isn’t the first time that Ben & Jerry’s have toyed with mind-altering substances, with the company previously floating the idea of a marijuana-infused ice cream flavour in territories where recreational cannabis use is legal. Via The Huffington Post.
