Australians, if you thought you had a lot of food delivery options at your fingertips before, consider yourself even more spoilt for choice now. DoorDash, the US's biggest on-demand food platform for door-to-door delivery, has arrived Down Under, taking on Melbourne, Geelong and Sydney in its first expansion outside of North America. Thousands of restaurants are set to jump on board as DoorDash rolls out its platform locally. And yes, that means dinnertime decision-making just got a little more interesting. Which can't be a bad thing, given that stats show a lot of us — two million of us to be exact — use meal delivery services at lease once every three months. Even more so now, with many Australians practising social-distancing or self-isolating in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, DoorDash has introduced no-contact delivery (and will leave your food at the front door) and is waiving delivery fees for a heap of restaurants, so they can generate a little more money in these uncertain times. Big-name restaurant brands available on the delivery service in Melbourne include Betty's Burgers and Nando's, along with a diverse spread of well-loved local eateries like Red Sparrow Pizza, Le Bon Ton, Huxtaburger. In Sydney, you can order from the likes of Grill'd, Restaurant Moon, Huxtaburger, Lukumades, Mr Crackles and Thirsty Bird. The app works much the same as competitors, like UberEats and Deliveroo, though it also has a 'pick-up' and 'group ordering' options — the latter making it a lot easier to coordinate big groups. DoorDash is by no means new to the game. Having launched back in 2013, it now operates in over 4000 cities across all 50 states of the USA and Canada. If you're keen to check out the new service, DoorDash is currently offering free delivery for a heap of restaurants. The DoorDash delivery platform is now available in Melbourne, Geelong and Sydney over at doordash.com. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Been itching to experience Bowral's acclaimed fine diner Biota, but aren't so keen on making the two-hour trek down south? Well, come June, you can sample the goods without putting in the kilometres, because chef and owner James Viles will bring Biota to the big smoke for a four-week residency in Chippendale. Taking over the former Silvereye space within The Old Clare Hotel from June 11 to July 7, it'll be a 'fun and casual' dining experience, built around Viles' trademark commitment to cracking local ingredients. The specially designed five-course menu is inspired by some of the Biota team's favourite places and produce, Australia's finest imagined in dishes like a whole salt and pepper mud crab with wild greens from Far North Queensland. As for the beverage pairing, there'll be signature cocktails made with all-Aussie spirits and a tight but interesting crop of domestic wines, curated by the restaurant's star sommelier Ben Shephard. There's even a beer crafted exclusively for the residency, that's made — believe it or not — from weeds. Expect a few more surprises, too, with a handful of special guests scheduled to make cameo appearances throughout the month. In May, Viles is hitting Far North Queensland for a cooking and camping trip with chef mates like David Moyle (Longsong), Aaron Turner (Igni) and Lennox Hastie (Firedoor) — word is, some of that crew will be swinging by the Chippendale kitchen, adding their own one-night-only dishes to the Biota menu. And if, after that, you're keen to head down to Bowral to check out where it all comes from, book in for one of Biota's 'gather and cook' adventures, where you'll go foraging in the Southern Highlands before eating your finds over a campfire feast. Biota Chippendale will run from June 11 until July 7 on level two of The Old Clare Hotel, Chippendale. It will be open for dinner Wednesday and Thursday, and for lunch and dinner Friday and Saturday. The five-course menu clocks in at $110 per person, with matched beverages for an extra $68 per person. Bookings can be made here.
If you're lucky enough to score tickets to Meredith Music Festival in any year via the event's ballot, one of Australia's best fests awaits no matter the lineup. 2025's roster of acts is characteristically impressive, however. On the bill: TV on the Radio, Atarashii Gakko! and Perfume Genius, for starters, as well as Thee Sacred Souls, Pa Salieu, HAAi, Bar Italia, Colin Hay and Mildlife. And, there's still more where the came from. Folk Bitch Trio, Saya Gray, RONA. and Omar Souleyman are on the lineup, too. So are Dames Brown, Radio Free Alice, Sam Austins RP Boo, Wax'o Paradiso, Florist and Jack J. Add in Drifting Clouds, Dr Sure's Unusual Practice, Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir, Mouseatouille, Brown Spirits and Lazy Susan on MC duties, and expect a jam-packed three days across Friday, December 5–Sunday, December 7, 2025. [caption id="attachment_1017125" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chip Mooney[/caption] How is the fest crew describing this year's event? "One of the best places on earth to spend a weekend, the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre has been natured and nurtured and then natured again, for the singular purpose of hosting the time of your life," organisers advise. So, expect "a permanent and purpose-built underground wunderland that provides optimal conditions for rarefied reverie", as well as to get "lost in music, lost in one another, for three days and two nights of Sup'ed up saucery". [caption id="attachment_1017126" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sumner Dilworth[/caption] Meredith Music Festival 2025 Lineup TV on the Radio Atarashii Gakko! Perfume Genius Thee Sacred Souls Pa Salieu HAAi Bar Italia Colin Hay Mildlife Folk Bitch Trio Saya Gray RONA. Omar Souleyman Dames Brown Radio Free Alice Sam Austins RP Boo Wax'o Paradiso Florist Jack J Drifting Clouds Dr Sure's Unusual Practice Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir Mouseatouille Brown Spirits Lazy Susan Top images: Leah Hulst, Cody Critcheloe.
More fallen eyeballs and dragon's egg desserts to the table pronto, Gastro Park is revisiting its glorious, topical feast. To celebrate (and commiserate) the end of season four of Game of Thrones, head chef and owner of Gastro Park, Grant King, is offering Sydneysiders another chance to acquire their own firsthand experience of the Seven Kingdoms through a specially designed multi-course feast. Having already hosted two Game of Thrones-inspired feasts celebrating previous seasons, the Potts Point restaurant is renowned for its gastronomic playfulness in technique and plating — so you can expect more than a leg of boar and goblet of wine. Gastro Park's first-season equivalent featured 'fallen eyeballs and bleeding stag', 'a soup of crushed skills and raven's feet', and a dessert of 'dragon's egg and liquid gold'. A sneak peek of this year's GoT-inspired menu released on Gastro Park’s Facebook page revealed a mysterious, disturbingly intriguing lineup: While we’re not sure what’s involved in 'The Kill' or how bloody that 'Raw Flesh’ dish intends to be, all we can be certain of is that this feast ain’t for vegetarians. Last year's menu inspired by the Battle of the Blackwater was at capacity, and the previous year's King's Banquet sold out almost instantly and proved to be a raging success. If you'd do anything to get a taste of Westeros, Essos and Qarth or have always wanted to dine like a Lannister, nab your spot at Gastro Park before those limited spots go wanting. Gastro Park's Game of Thrones-inspired feast will take place on Tuesday, June 24. To book (and you should probably get on it right now) call (02) 8068 1017 or shoot an email to info@gastropark.com.au. Here's the images of the 2013 feast, just to get those taste buds going. And yep, the candles were edible. Course 1 (not pictured): Jerusalem artichoke and goats cheese fossils Course 2: Roast veal bone marrow with crostini and parsley salad Course 3: Whole baby fish, smoked roast almonds, barley crackers, wild weed and fresh milk curd Course 4: Fondue of cheese, roast grapes and crackers Course 5: Mulled figs and edible candles with flavours of hibiscus, bolero tea, plum and a letter from the raven Words by Shannon Connellan and Greta Mayr.
Doing your bit for the environment has never looked quite so good as it does with Frank Green's colourful range of reusable cups. The durable containers are not only helping to quash Australia's single-use coffee cup waste problem, they're also super stylish and beautifully designed. And you've got the perfect excuse to add a couple to your collection (or someone else's) with Frank Green's storewide 20 percent off sale this weekend. From Friday, November 27 until Monday, November 30 you'll be able to treat yourself, a friend or your family to a stylish and sustainable cup on the cheap. Frank Green's entire catalogue — apart from sale items and gift cards — is on sale and there's something for everyone. You'll find the core reusable cup and bottle range featuring the brand's recognisable pastel colour palette and in-built tap-to-pay feature, as well as the Sustainable Sips range of tea, coffee and the new ceramic french press. If you're looking for holiday presents for the kids or your nieces and nephews, Frank Green also has a range of Disney and Minions cups and bottles. The pastel yellow Winnie the Pooh cup is so adorable you might end up getting it for yourself. Plus, $1 from every order will be donated to Reforest Now, an organisation that grows and plants trees in subtropical Australia. You'll be saving the planet in more ways than one. [caption id="attachment_792088" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
UPDATE: THURSDAY, JULY 16: The Parking Lot Social has been postponed. No official tickets have been sold for the event. Drive-in cinemas have long been a part of the movie-going landscape, but they've been experiencing a resurgence in popularity due to COVID-19. In fact, the whole drive-in concept is proving a go-to way to keep folks entertained in this time of social distancing, with the idea expanded to live gigs as well. That's just the beginning, it seems. Thanks to The Parking Lot Social, the drive-in premise now encompasses huge parties too. When the new Australian event rolls around the country between July and September, attendees will sit in their cars, sing karaoke (well, 'car-a-oke', as it's being called), dance at a silent disco, play trivia and bingo, and laugh at standup comedy — and watch flicks, see live bands and grab a bite to eat from food trucks as well. Basically, the event mashes up of a whole heap of entertaining pastimes, combining them in one place while complying with physical-distancing measures. Weekend evenings will have an in-car party vibe, while movies will screen late to folks kicking back in their vehicles. Plus, there'll be separate dedicated midweek nights for films and comedy. The brainchild of the folks behind Big Bounce Australia, aka the world's largest inflatable theme park, The Parking Lot Social will also feature two 12-metre-tall big-screens, a huge stage, a 16-metre-tall fire hydrant that shoots rainbows and inflatable gorillas. Exactly where in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra all of the above will be popping up hasn't yet been disclosed; however it'll do so in venues in that can accommodate 250 cars each evening. Ticket costs haven't been announced yet either, nor has the music, movie and comedy lineup. That said, The Parking Lot Social has revealed that it will settle in for multiple nights at every stop, and that it'll also feature an all-ages 'Social Kids' event for families as well. THE PARKING LOT SOCIAL 2020 DATES Sydney — July 9–19 Melbourne — July 23–August 2 Brisbane — August 6–16 Canberra — August 20–30 Adelaide — September 3–13 The Parking Lot Social tours Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra between July 9–September 13. For further information, or to register for early-bird tickets, visit the event's website.
Merivale is currently throwing Beer Oh Beer!, a huge month-long festival celebrating all things beer. The Sydney hospitality giant is dedicating all of September to frosty cans and perfect pours of everyone's favourite golden ale. Highlights of the festival include Dan Hong and Michael Fox's Biru & Yakitori Party and a beer and pizza pool party, but things have just been taken up a notch with Merivale announcing a new week-long happy hour that will be offering nearly half-priced beers at venues across Sydney. Between Monday, September 12 and Sunday, September 18, all Merivale pubs and bars will be taking 49-percent off the price of all schooners of beer bought between 5-7pm. This means that you can enjoy a discounted frothy in the Vic on the Park's beer garden or on the deck at The Newport. Other Merivale venues that will be taking part in the promotion include the newly opened beer garden Backyard at The Alex, as well as Coogee Pavilion, The Grand Hotel, The Royal Bondi, Wynyard Hotel, The Paddington and The Beresford, just to name a few. This isn't the first time Merivale has offered 49-percent off drinks. Last week it celebrated the opening of the new Allianz Stadium — where it is overseeing the food and drink programming — by offering discounted pre-match beverages. And in 2019, the hospo powerhouse discounted all drinks across all of its venues for 31 days. Outside of the schooner promotion, there are plenty of other events and pop-ups taking over Merivale venues throughout September. Every Tuesday during the festival, The Beresford is turning its first-floor room into the Barrel O Laughs comedy club. For $20, comedy fans will be treated to comedy sets from the likes of Dave Hughes, Matt Okine and Al Del Bene, with a schooner of Hahn Super Dry to match. Elsewhere, a beer-based game of shuffleboard will be touring Merivale's venues, the founders of Balter will be hosting a dinner at The Collaroy and Merivale has created its own beer in collaboration with Camperdown's Malt Shovel. Dubbed The Good Tap, the brew will be served at Vic on the Park, The Newport, The Royal, The DOG, Excelsior and Queens Hotel, with proceeds from each pour going to charity. [caption id="attachment_828769" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vic on the Park's beer garden[/caption] Merivale's 49-Percent Off Schooners promotion will be available at all of its bars and pubs from 5–7pm, Monday, September 12–Sunday, September 18. Top Images: Steven Woodburn
Travelling in our own backyard is one of the most sustainable and planet-friendly options we can make when planning a well-deserved getaway. If you're starting to pencil in some strategic long weekends for the latter half of this year, here's one to consider: Port Douglas, a tropical paradise conveniently located just an hour's drive from Cairns. Nestled perfectly between the Great Barrier Reef and the oldest tropical rainforest in the world, Port Douglas offers an alluring long weekend proposition for city travellers looking to put nature at the forefront of their next holiday. Port Douglas is home to a number of sustainable tours, accommodations, and opportunities for conscientious involvement, so here are five ways you can reduce the carbon footprint of your next getaway. [caption id="attachment_913642" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy[/caption] CHOOSE ECO-FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATION Consider camping if you're looking to keep your holiday footprint low. Douglas Shire Council coordinates powered and unpowered camping grounds, along with a range of caravan sites. In order to protect the unique environment, overnight stays are only permitted at licensed caravan parks and camping grounds, so make sure to plan and book ahead. If you're looking for luxury accommodation, The Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort boasts over two hectares of sparkling saltwater pools in Tropical North Queensland. Lagoons on-site include spots with sandy beaches, as well as serene private cabanas nestled on the waterfront. As part of your trip, all Sheraton guests are invited to participate in a conservation activity hosted by Marriott Bonvoy in partnership with Good Travel. The Four Mile Beach cleanup is hosted by a marine biologist, allowing travelers to meaningfully engage with the environment while giving back. [caption id="attachment_888046" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas[/caption] BOOK WITH ECO-CERTIFIED OPERATORS If you are keen to venture further during your stay, there are a variety of eco-friendly and sustainable tour options you can book. Locally-run and eco-certified Back Country Bliss run swimmable tours through the Daintree Rainforest, which includes a snorkel and float tour of Mossman Gorge. As part of the Mossman Gorge Back Country Bliss tour, guests can experience a Welcome to Country and smoke ceremony with a Kuku Yalanji guide. Acknowledging and paying respects to the Traditional Owners of the lands you are visiting is a great way to show deep respect for the place you're visiting. The Kuku Yalanji People are the Traditional Owners of this land. [caption id="attachment_844375" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Sailaway Reef Cruises - Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] CHOOSE EXPERIENCES THAT GIVE BACK Sailaway is a family business running half-day and full-day charters to Great Barrier Reef, including the Low Isles and Mackay Coral Cay on the Outer Reef. The business holds an advanced eco-certification, meaning they're recognised for their work in conserving and protecting the Great Barrier Reef. A qualified marine biologist attends cruises, so you can learn about the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef as the boats go out. The company also donates $20 from every ticket to its reforestation and carbon offsetting. [caption id="attachment_913718" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] LOOK FOR GREENER TOUR OPTIONS If you want to experience Four Mile Beach from a different angle, adventures with a twist can be booked with locally-operated Port Douglas Segway Tours. Segways use electric power to recharge but produce zero emissions and are extremely energy efficient. Cruise along a trail which features the spectacular Four Mile Beach, rainforest paths and sandy flats. [caption id="attachment_913719" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] SUPPORT FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITIES There are lots of ways you can support First Nations communities and creators during your stay in Port Douglas. Booking tours and experiences with First Nations-owned or operated businesses, purchasing locally-created art and wares or attending a Welcome to Country are all meaningful ways you can pay respect to the Traditional Owners of this land. Concrete Playground travelled to Port Douglas as a guest of The Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas. If you want to extend your Queensland getaway, check out our curated Whitsundays packages on CP Trips which includes a four-day stay, snorkel and sail adventure with a day cruise. Top image: Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy.
Luxury Australian hotel chain Crystalbrook has opened its flagship rooftop restaurant on top of its Newcastle outpost, Crystalbrook Kingsley. Roundhouse is the new sky-high eatery perched above the harbour city with a strong focus on hyper-local produce. The newly opened restaurant boasts a modern Australian menu with 80-percent of its produce sourced from within a three-hour drive of the hotel. Local farmers, fisherman and artisans all make up the kitchen's bank of suppliers that come together to form dishes that celebrate the region's great produce. Drop in for a meal and enjoy the panoramic views of Newcastle and its surroundings, with local landmarks like Nobby's Head and the vast wineries of the Hunter Valley visible from the restaurant. Heading up the kitchen is chef Natalie Bolt who has previously worked in United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Thailand. On the menu, you'll find highlights like lamb rack from Pukura Estate served with smoked eggplant and wattleseed pickle, or sustainably caught Paperback market fish, baked whole and served with harissa duck fat potatoes. If you come for breakfast, you'll be treated to a tower of early morning treats and selections from the la carte menu like house-made waffles and breakfast bruschetta. Accompanying the dishes is an extensive wine list that is, of course, hyper-local. The wine on offer showcases the breadth of different wines currently being produced a stone's throw from Newcastle in the Hunter Valley.
Hidden beneath Riley Street Garage, the dimly-lit Busby was initially conceived as a private room for VIPs and regulars, but has now opened its doors to the public Wednesday through Saturday (unless otherwise booked out). It's counted Axl Rose and Cate Blanchett amongst its guests, and the classy, sedate vibe definitely seems more suited to the latter. The design is a nice example of Sydney's current boom in industrial chic, with vintage lamps, exposed pipes, a tiled bar and distressed walls as well as leather banquettes. Advertisements for classic cars can be found on the walls of the foyer, befitting the venue's previous life as a garage for the rich and famous. Sharing a kitchen with its illustrious upstairs neighbour, the focus is on sharing plates and cocktails. The small snack menu includes oysters ($4 each), which come three ways: natural, mignonette and with soy truffle. More raw goodness comes in the form of a flavoursome beef carpaccio ($16) and a neatly presented sashimi plate ($18) with kingfish, salmon, tuna and a miniature bottle of soy sauce. For those with a sweet tooth, the liquid lemon cheesecake ($14) is an absolute must, with elements of crumble and citrus granita adding to the textural variety. And you certainly can't go wrong with a cheese board ($10 each), which might include a farmhouse cheddar or a creamy blue. The cocktail list, however, is the real star here, with highlights including the Conference ($20), which seems to have enough ingredients for two drinks. With bourbon, rye whiskey, cognac, apple brandy, two types of bitters, it's complex but cohesive, with hints of cinnamon, baked apple and toffee amongst others. The Almond Brother ($22) is a fragrant delight with tequila and Amaretto, while the cognac-based Grape Method ($20) is what some might describe as 'masculine' and eminently drinkable. For a sweeter tipple, the Aphrodisiac ($20) blends 666 Vodka with a strawberry aperitif and comes with a shot of Laurent-Perrier Brut on the side, not to mention a cute garnish of miniature toasted marshmallows. They can also whip up classic cocktails on request, and a sugar-rimmed Sidecar is hard to fault. The list of whiskies is particularly strong on Americans, as well as some of the heavy hitters in the Scotch world like Glenmorangie ten-year ($10). The wine list is also diverse, with Australian favourites and new world specialties like an Argentinian Mendoza malbec ($15 glass). Overall, it's a winning touch of low-key glam, ideal for an early evening aperitif, an upmarket nightcap or even just a booze-soaked session of star-spotting.
Online shopping go-to The Iconic has no shortage of sales, but now it has launched a permanent sale in the form of an outlet site. The best part? Discounts start at a whopping 50 percent off. Called The Iconic Outlet and live to shop right now — say goodbye to your plans of a productive Monday at work — the site features heaps of women's, men's and kids' clothes, as well as accessories and shoes, for pocket change. You'll find heels and sandals for under $15, sneakers under $50, tops under $10, dresses under $20, shirts as little as $14 and a whole heap more. All the usual brands are on offer, too, including Nike, Speedo, Tigerlily, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Camilla and Adidas. As well as discounted clothes, The Iconic Outlet is offering a flat-rate delivery fee of $7.95 across Australia and $9.95 across NZ. The site's launch has come at a great time, too, with spring in full swing from tomorrow. So, if you need new bathers, beach shoes, dresses or hats, The Iconic Outlet has got your back. Alternatively, if you're still working from home and those trackies you've been thrashing are looking a little threadbare, you'll find some cheap new ones on the site. The Iconic Outlet website is now live in Australia and NZ. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Queenslanders The Cairos are sitting pretty in the vanguard of a resurgent Brisbane music scene, one populated by bands like Violent Soho, Millions, Ball Park Music and Dune Rats, and revitalised by new music venues like The Triffid, run by Powderfinger’s John Collins. The Cairos might sit at the more conventional, indie pop-rock end of Brisbane’s musical spectrum, but their recent recordings yield deceptively complex pop songwriting, recalling the sophistication that underpins the music of legendary bands like The Cure. Although they’ve previously released two EPs, it took The Cairos six years to release their first full-length album in May this year, Dream of Reason. It's an increasing trend for emerging artists who sign with major labels — in this case mega-brand Universal’s Island Records — but the strategy seems to have paid off for the band, who are treating their Sydney fans to an early Christmas show at the Newtown Social Club. Supported by March of the Real Fly + Smaal Cats.
When a supermoon graced the skies in April, you probably trotted out to your backyard to stare at the heavens. And, you might've nabbed a decent-enough look at the impressive lunar sight. But if you'd like to get a bit closer to the astronomical body during this month's next supermoon — the second and last for 2021 — you now have the option of jumping on a plane. On Wednesday, May 26, Qantas is running a special supermoon flight — and yes, its sole purpose is to let its passengers get a better look at the moon. Not only will the date bring a supermoon, but there'll be a full lunar eclipse as well. That's when the Earth gets between the sun and the moon, covering the latter with its shadow and giving it a reddish hue. If you'd like to take to the skies, rather than just peer up at them, you'll need to be in Sydney. Just one supermoon flight is departing from Sydney Domestic Airport (T3) at 7.30pm, and only just over 100 seats will be available. Passengers will hop onto a B787 Dreamliner, then take a three-hour trip over the city — including Sydney Harbour — complete with a stint cruising above the clouds at 43,000 feet for maximum moon viewing. The lunar eclipse is due to begin at 6.47pm, reach its maximum at 9.18pm and end at 11.49pm, according to Timeanddate.com, so you'll be in the air at the absolute best time. Before departing, you'll also enjoy a cocktail party in the Qantas business lounge from 5.30pm. And, once you're onboard, you'll eat, drink, lock your eyes on the window and listen to CSIRO astronomer Dr Vanessa Moss — who'll be giving a live commentary, and also working with the pilots in advance to design the optimal flight path. Unsurprisingly, tickets for the supermoon flight don't come cheap — starting at $499 for economy, $899 for premium economy and $1499 for business. To offset the environmental impact of taking to the sky purely to get a closer look at the moon, Qantas will offset 100 percent of the flight's carbon emissions. Qantas' supermoon flight will depart Sydney Domestic Airport (T3) at 7.30pm on Wednesday, May 26, with tickets going on sale at 12pm on Tuesday, May 12.
It just got a whole lot harder to pick your weekend yum cha spot, with the newly opened Duck & Rice announcing its own regular breakfast dumpling session. This one, however, is bottomless. The 500-seat Cantonese restaurant sits high on the top of Westfield Sydney in Pitt Street Mall. Opening its doors in June this year, it boasts an expansive outdoor terrace, Asian-inspired cocktails and, now, a very tempting weekend yum cha deal. Running every Saturday and Sunday from September 7, the bottomless yum cha menu will constantly change, but you can expect to catch loads of delicious treats to the tune of roast duck, Szechuan-style cuttlefish, Yangzhou fried rice, garlicky kai lan (chinese broccoli) and a selection of dim sum and desserts. The all-you-can-eat sitting is restricted to one hour, between 11am–3pm each day, and will set you back $50 a pop. To make a booking, head to the Duck & Rice website. Images: Steven Woodburn
Stay tuned. More info coming soon.
First things first: Lady Macbeth isn't about William Shakespeare's famous character. It does, however, bring some of the Bard's best-known words to mind. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," he waxed lyrical in Romeo and Juliet. It's a statement that rings true here, in a film about a woman every bit as calculating, ambitious, disarming and deadly as her notorious namesake. In adapting Nikolai Leskov's 1865 novella Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, first-time feature director William Oldroyd delivers a stunning character study, an unnerving portrait of the female experience in the 19th century, and a tense psychodrama. With playwright turned screenwriter Alice Birch moving the action from the book's Russian setting to Northern England, Lady Macbeth explores the married woes of young Katherine (Florence Pugh), who is wed to the unkindly but wealthy Alexander (Paul Hilton), confined within his family's rural estate and treated like property. As her overbearing father-in-law Boris (Christopher Fairbank) explains, she has been bought and paid for; accordingly, tending to her husband's needs should now be the only reason for Katherine's existence. Exploring the dismal way English women were treated just 150 years ago drives much of the film's first act, as it touches on not only gender but also race and class courtesy of Katherine's black housemaid Anna (Naomi Ackie). Showing how Katherine plans to break free from her restrictive regime underscores everything that follows. When an affair with one of Alexander's handsome groomsmen, Sebastian (Cosmo Jarvis), gives her a glimpse of a different life, she's reluctant to return to the drudgery that comprises her version of normality. In fact, she's reluctant enough to scheme, flout convention, and generally do whatever it takes to regain her independence. If you're familiar with Macbeth, you'll have an idea of the kinds of plots she conjures up. If you're not, let's just say that getting caught in Katherine's way isn't recommended. In other hands, Lady Macbeth might've been more of a bodice-ripper. Constraining undergarments are indeed torn open and tossed aside, a sexual awakening takes place, and passions refuse to be contained. And yet it's the intensity of Katherine's feelings, not only for Sebastian but also for control over her life, that Oldroyd and Birch thrust to the fore. The film is austerely shot and composed; Australian cinematographer Ari Wegner (The Kettering Incident) keeps the visuals largely still, gloomily lit and posed from a distance, allowing the underlying emotions to bubble up against bleak images and a dour atmosphere. Of course, the movie's stylistic restraint serves another purpose. When such a potent figure stalks through almost every frame — as brought to life with such a stunning central performance — dialling back everything around her is an astute choice. And what a force to be reckoned with Pugh turns out to be, so assured that it's hard to believe that Lady Macbeth is only her second big screen role (she previously appeared in The Falling). Then again, perhaps it's apt: this is a tale of a young woman defying expectation to make a bold statement, after all. Either way, no one will forget her in a hurry — the actress, or the character she plays. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQAG253WWZU
Making music can be just as political as personal for some, especially if you're Melbourne trio The Basics. Their 12-year career has seen the band go through its fair share of ups and downs, with 1000 shows locally and abroad and even a three year hiatus from the music scene (seeing frontman Wally De Backer embark on a little ol' solo venture as Goyte). Then, 2014 casually saw The Basics' Tim Heath and Kris Schroeder enter the Victorian political sphere as the Basics Rock'n'Roll Party (BRRP), to many a divided opinion. But stronger than ever with brand new material, The Basics are headed back to the stage, hitting Sydney with two back-to-back shows to launch their brand new EP 'The Lucky Country'. Using music to spread their messages of innovation and education, these boys are going from strength to strength (tackling an election while recording a bunch of stellar tracks at Abbey Road). Supported by fellow Melburnians The Gun Barrel Straights, these gigs promise a high-energy set from the reunited De Backer, Heath and Schroeder.
If there’s one thing Homer Simpson taught us, it’s there is nothing doughnuts can’t do (and that purple is a fruit). We’ve really taken that message on board, hence the population of Sydney absolutely flipping their collective lid over the announcement that Melbourne's Shortstop Donuts is coming to town. Coveted by Melburnians and loved by Instagrammers, Shortstop will be opening their first Sydney store in Barangaroo on April Fool's Day, 2016. No one is more surprised by the insane demand for their doughnuts than they are — there are reams of interstate fans who will take special trips to Melbourne just to stock up on Shortstop in bulk. Owner Anthony Ivey says that while they had always discussed the possibility of expanding outside Melbourne, it never occurred to them how quickly their success would happen. But with flavours like Earl Grey and rose, peanut butter caramel and chocolate, maple walnut and brown butter, and cinnamon, cardamon and sugar, this ain't no regular doughnut shop. Someone even proposed instore yesterday: On the (w)hole, doughnuts are having a huge resurgence in Australia — anyone who's watched the recent doughnut explosion happen in Brisbane will know. Until the last few years, doughnuts were mostly known as 12-pack shrugs from Coles or Dunkin’ Donuts. And as dense and sugary as those bad boys are, our fancy adult tastes now demand a more gourmet doughnut. "Those other places, like Krispy Kreme and Coles, use big machines and their doughnuts are perfect circles and uniform," says Ivey. "And when you look at the ingredient list, it’s really long. We only use a few really high quality ingredients, such as organic milk, cultured butter, quality flour, nutmeg, vanilla bean, a little salt and sugar — that’s it. We make it all fresh from scratch every day and we hand cut our doughnuts, so they’re never going to the perfect shape... they have character.” Shortstop's doughnut ethos was learned at the hands of the masters. Ivey says he wanted to nail the recipe so much he took a 16-day doughnut pilgrimage around America, stopping off at all the important locations and learning secrets from the head chefs therein — in what sounds like possibly the best business trip of all time. So what can we expect from the Barangaroo Shortstop? Market Lane coffee for one, and the same high quality doughnuts Melburnians have come to know and love for another. “Maybe we’ll have a special themed doughnut when Mardi Gras is on too," says Ivey. Prepare yourself, Sydney. Life's about to get considerably sweeter. Shortstop Coffee and Donuts is coming to Barangaroo on April 1, 2016.
Enjoying a glass of wine might come with plenty of medical benefits, but having a tipple isn't typically an exercise-heavy pastime. You sit. You drink. You get up, top up your beverage and repeat. You usually don't walk particularly far, let alone run. Then came the Grapest 5K run, a new series of wine-tasting fun runs that kicked off around Australia in 2017. Asking participants to put in the hard yards before getting some boozy rewards, it was such a hit that it's coming back for yet another round in 2019. How does it work? Grapest consists of two sections. First, you sprint, jog or set forth at whatever pace suits you best, making your way through scenic vineyard surroundings. Then, you walk another kilometre — yes, in addition to the first five, or ten if you're feeling extra energetic — while stopping at tasting stations along the way and sampling the good stuff. The latter part, they're calling a "wine waddle". Don't worry, if you're not up to the active stuff and you're simply keen on wandering and sipping, that's an option (although it does defeat the idea of combining fitness with throwing back drinks). 2019's events are scheduled for February 23 at Crooked River Wines in Wollongong, March 30 at Long Point Vineyard and Art Gallery in Port Macquarie and April 13 at Bunnamagoo Estate Wines in Mudgee — and registrations open on September 30.
Port Macquarie's Festival of the Sun has been running for 15 years, and the boutique summer music festival is still bringing the goods. The lineup for this December has just been released and it looks like it'll be a doozy of a 15th birthday celebration. Vera Blue and Pond will headline the three-day fest, with Winston Surfshirt, Skegss, Tkay Maidza, Angie McMahon, Emily Wurramara and Remi lending their voices too. Didirri, Slowly Slowly and West Thebarton — among others — round out what looks like it'll be a big couple of days of music, with more acts still to be announced in September. The camping festival is also — excitingly — BYO, so you don't need to spend your hard-earned cash on overpriced UDLs. Alongside the lineup of live music, there will also be a heap of food trucks (serving everything from burgers to vegan fare), silent discos and silent comedy. On Thursday, dubbed 'Wabi Sabi Thursday', you'll also encounter a heap of crafty workshops, artist stalls and a glitter bar — to help you kick off the colourful weekend in style. The festival is themed each year, and this year it's the "Roll On Up" edition — looks like it's time to whip out your circus costumes and maybe start practising your stilt walking. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Thursday, August 9. FESTIVAL OF THE SUN 2018 LINEUP Vera Blue Pond Winston Surfshirt Skegss Tkay Maidza Remi Angie McMahon West Thebarton Didirri Slowly Slowly Kwame Emily Wurramara Clowns Boat Show Pist Idiots Good Doogs Clews Jess Locke Body Type Triple One Clypso Halcyon Drive Grace Turner Unearthed
If you're a Queenslander or a Victorian with a trip to Sydney in your future — or vice versa — the pandemic has just interrupted your plans. Yes, again. With the New South Wales capital currently experiencing a new COVID-19 cluster, both its northern and southern neighbour states have declared parts of the city either hotspots or red zones, depending on their respective terminology. And, as a result, both Queensland and Victoria are shutting their borders to seven Sydney Local Government Areas. Victoria announced the news late on Tuesday, June 22, while Queensland did the same today, Wednesday, June 23 — and each state's border closures come into effect at different times, too. In Victoria, the change actually kicked in at 1am this morning. In Queensland, it'll apply from 1am on Thursday, June 24. https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1407302855405363202 Accordingly, folks who've been in the City of Sydney, Waverley, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West and Randwick LGAS will no longer be permitted to enter either Victoria or Queensland, other than in a few circumstances. Victoria is allowing the state's own residents who've been in the identified LGAs, which are now classes as red zones under its traffic light-style permit system, to obtain permits to return home — but they'll then need to quarantine for 14 days. If you're not a Victorian resident and you've been in the seven Sydney regions, you can no longer enter Victoria. In Queensland, residents entering from the seven Sydney hotspots will need to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days — and non-residents will only be allowed to enter if they receive an exception, and will also need to go into hotel quarantine for a fortnight. Plus, everyone will need to complete one of the state's online travel declarations first, after that system was brought back into effect last week. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1407478815853400064 Queensland actually already made a similar move on Saturday, June 19, but limited to Waverley local government area. So, when 1am hits on Thursday, June 24, it'll be joined by the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West and Randwick under the state's hotspot declaration. For more information about southeast Queensland's COVID-19 border restrictions, or about the status of COVID-19 in the state, visit the Qld COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. For more information about COVID-19 in Victoria and the state's current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health website.
Have you been practising your wine twirl? Do you know your tannins from your terroir? No? Well, study up. You'll need to impress the crowd at the biggest wine experience of the Easter weekend: Loose Lips, which is taking place in The Wine Bar at The International on Saturday, April 19, from 2-6pm. Organised by Joel Amos, the man behind DRNKS and Huge Moves, in collaboration with The Wine Bar Group's Director of Food and Drink Alex Kirkwood and Head Sommelier Jacq Turner, Loose Lips is set to showcase 100+ wines from 30 producers with unlimited tastings and a pop-up bottleshop to take home the real deal. Those producers are a mix of international and Australian winemakers, including Brash Higgins, Ephemera Wines, Frankly, This Wine Was Made By Bob, Les Fruits, Meredith by Mem, Pool Wines, Pride of Lunatics, Strange Grapes, Wines of Lebanon, Worlds Apart, Yayoi and many more. It's more than a wine bar takeover. It's a cellar door-level lineup. It's not all sips. Guest chef Mitch Orr (Kiln, Navi) will be on-site to serve pizza slices and signature 'genre-defying' takes on Italian snacks (all perfectly paired, of course). The evening soundtrack will come from a range of DJs, with Ed Loveday and Veda downstairs, and DJ Levins and friends taking to the decks in the upstairs Panorama Bar for the free Loose Lips afterparty.
American historical drama gets so contemporaneous as to become current affairs with Zero Dark Thirty, the film about the CIA's hunt for and killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal, who worked together on the Oscar-winning Hurt Locker, reunite for another epic about a different type of war. It starts in 2001, when two planes hit the World Trade Center, and chilling documentary footage recalls the pain caused that day. Two years later, rookie Maya (Jessica Chastain) is sent to join a specialist team at a CIA black site in Pakistan, where a detainee, following torture and deception, discloses the name Abu Ahmed. Operations come and go for the next eight years, but Maya comes to fixate on that one name, whom she believes to be Bin Laden's right hand. Zero Dark Thirty is stunningly well made, with a controlled level of tension that works on a scale of high to higher. It remains nail-bitingly riveting over two hours and forty minutes. Interestingly, the structure is almost like three films, or at least, a film with three clearly defined acts. Each passing act (complete with the appearance and disappearance of its own high-calibre cast, including Jennifer Ehle, a buff Chris Pratt, Joel Edgerton, and James Gandolfini) reinforces the intensity of Maya's perseverance, her lonely state of being in the right. The film has won widespread acclaim from critics, but from reading the news, you'd think everyone hated it. Many from the American right have criticised the film for its having supposedly improper access to classified documents and glorifying Obama, and many from the left have slammed it for advocating torture. Both stances seem an overreaction. Zero Dark Thirty does depict "enhanced interrogation techniques" — torture, to you and me — happening during the Bush administration, and it also depicts that torture was a favoured tactic of the CIA operatives you get to know here. That's probably accurate. Its attraction to these people in the field is the feeling that they're doing something and of expediting processes when delay can be fatal. The film also shows some of the problems with torture: it yields useful but also false information, and the act is viscerally depraved (even if it's not totally possible for the audience to sympathise with a tortured character whom we only see as dehumanised). The issue isn't that the filmmakers support torture, but that in Zero Dark Thirty, as in The Hurt Locker, they're concerned with hyper-positioning viewers into the perspective of American martial figures. They want you to feel their fear, sacrifice, and bravery — not for a moment the fear, sacrifice, or bravery that could be reflected back at them by the enemy. Many of us prefer to see films that have a different, more challenging purpose, but you can't deny that what Zero Drk Thirty sets out to do, it does excellently. Concrete Playground has 10 in-season double passes to give away to Zero Dark Thirty. To be in the running, make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter and then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EYFhFYoDAo4
If you thought the concept of Christmas gin was cool, you might be pretty excited about this: a Melbourne-born small-batch gin infused with cannabis has just hit the shelves. Distilled in Healesville by The Cannabis Co, local makers of all things cannabis-infused, The Myrcene Hemp Gin is made using one of the main essential oils, or 'terpenes', found in cannabis plants, called myrcene. It's supposedly the world's first cannabis gin made with tyrene. Also found in hops, this little guy can apparently help ease symptoms of inflammation and chronic pain, and is responsible for producing some of those joyful and euphoric effects associated with cannabis. All Cannabis Co products are currently free of psychoactive substances, but, as the company pushes for the legalisation of recreational marijuana use in Australia, it hopes to release products — like gin — with CBD and THC (cannabinoids) in the future. Terpenes, like myrcene, are also known for their specific aromas and flavours, and, in The Myrcene, works a little bit like the botanicals in regular gin. The result is a sip that balances the earthy and the fruity. According to the makers, it has aromas of bubblegum, pine forest, lavender and sage, with hints of cloves and woody spice flavours on the tongue. And it works a treat alongside some tonic and fresh lemon, or a sprig of rosemary. The creators of The Myrcene stepped back in time for their inspiration, looking to the gin-makers of 17th century Britain. Word is, small distillers would often flavour their creations by distilling resins from terpenes they found in the forest. All of The Cannabis Co's hemp products are certified organic and grown here in Australia. The first batch (aptly named batch 420) has already sold out, but if you're keen to get some cannabis gin in your life, you can sign up for pre-sales of the next batch through Alchemy. First image: Letícia Almeida
March kicks off with the return of the annual music festival, the Girrakool Blues Festival. For the seventh year running, this celebration of a genre loved worldwide will bring global big names of blues to The Entrance for a whole weekend. Running from Friday, February 28 to Sunday, March 2, this year's lineup is set to rock as hard as ever. Expect tunes from the likes of Ross Wilson and The Peaceniks, Bondi Cigars, Jesse Redwing, Pete Cornelius, Steve 'West' Western and many more. And although the music ought to be top-notch, you'll also find market stalls, First Nations cultural activities and a family carnival day on Sunday, all in Memorial Park on The Entrance's main road. The best news? Unlike certain other big-name festivals, entry here is free of charge.
The Barossa Valley's wineries, Glenelg's beaches, Whyalla's LED-lit circular pier — whichever South Australian spot takes your fancy, you'll be able to visit it from Tuesday, November 23 if you're double-vaccinated. Today, Tuesday, October 26, SA Premier Steven Marshall announced South Australia's reopening roadmap. And, as well as outlining when the state's residents will be able to have more people over to their homes, it locks in the date that SA will welcome back double-vaxxed travellers from all other Aussie states and territories. The key milestone: reaching the 80-percent double-jabbed threshold among SA inhabitants over the age of 16, which is expected by that mid-November 23 date. There are a few caveats, however. While double-vaccinated Aussies travelling to SA won't have to quarantine in general, that'll change if you're coming from a Local Government Area with local cases and a double-vaxxed rate of less than 80 percent. Also, that November reopening date won't see quarantine scrapped for overseas visitors just yet. Instead, double-jabbed international arrivals will be required to do a seven-day stint, and unvaxxed international arrivals will still quarantine for 14 days. It isn't until SA reaches the 90-percent double-vaccinated mark among all residents aged of 12 that there'll be no quarantine at all for double-jabbed visitors from both interstate and overseas. That's expected to happen before Christmas, Marshall advised. SA's COVID-Ready Plan safely eases restrictions over the coming months and coordinates the health response to manage COVID-19. It's important to continue to get tested for COVID-19 if you have any symptoms, physical distance, wash your hands, and stay home if you are sick. pic.twitter.com/khu0Tbvfkr — SA Health (@SAHealth) October 26, 2021 So, if you're a double-vaxxed Aussie who's hankering for a a wine-fuelled venture into South Australia, you now know when you can pack your bags. SA's news follows similar announcements by the Queensland and Tasmanian governments, meaning that Australians who've had both COVID-19 jabs will soon be able to venture around most of the country again. If you're now eager to start planning an SA getaway, we have suggestions — whether you're eager to hit up Adelaide, or sip and sightsee your way around the Fleurieu Peninsula, the Limestone Coast or the Clare Valley. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in South Australia, and the state's corresponding restrictions, visit its online COVID-19 hub. Top image: d'Arenberg Cube.
What do killer Squid Game dolls, Stranger Things rifts, Jurassic World raptors and very nice Borat statues all have in common? They've all brought pop-culture hits not just to Sydney but to Bondi, albeit temporarily. On the morning of Thursday, December 19, 2024, a towering toy loomed over Bondi Icebergs, accompanied by plenty of red and green outfits — and yes, as part of the latest pop-up celebrating the upcoming return of the South Korean Netflix smash for season two, a game of Red Light, Green Light took place. Ever since the world initially watched Squid Game in 2021, the streaming platform has been obsessed with bringing everyone's favourite South Korean streaming series into real life. First came pop-up stunts. Then arrived reality competition show Squid Game: The Challenge, obviously without a body count. Experiences that let everyone play the show's games without appearing on TV also keep proving part of the IRL fun. As the show's second season approaches, dropping on Boxing Day 2024, Australia has welcomed three Squid Game activations — starting in St Kilda, where 200 pink guards relaxed on the Melbourne suburb's beach to kick things off; then cruising through Sydney harbour; and now at the pool so famous that it recently earned the documentary treatment. The Harbour City is no stranger to Squid Game stunts, or to Young-hee. Three years back, the Red Light, Green Light doll first made its eerie presence known in Sydney. When it took to the water this time around, it did so by ferry with 300 pink guards as an escort to get to Luna Park Sydney for Squid Game: The Experience. And now it has visited another iconic location. At Bondi Icebergs, 50 Squid Game guards were also in attendance, while ten players tried their hand at avoiding Young-hee. And the winner? Steve Bradbury, chalking up another claim to fame.. Come Thursday, December 26, Squid Game will unveil its second batch of episodes — and fans' second-last opportunity to press play. The show will return in 2025, too, with its third season; however, that will be the end of the series. More Squid Game: The Challenge is on the way, however. Squid Game season two streams via Netflix from Thursday, December 26, 2024. Season three will arrive in 2025 — we'll update you when an exact release date for it is announced. Squid Game: The Experience is now on at Luna Park Sydney, 1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point. Head to the venue's website for more information and to buy tickets.
It's nice to escape out of the big city sometimes. Just a hop, skip and a jump (90 minutes) from Sydney, the Pullman Magenta Shores Resort is a worthy way to exit hectic Sydney and get a little quality R&R in. Beachfront and with numerous, luxurious pools, the resort is nestled in between Tuggerah Lake and the sea, so swimming is probably #1 on your holiday priorities list. For those who can drag themselves away from their sunlounger, the resort is the perfect gateway to the New South Wales Central Coast. Around summer, this area is your go-to for outdoor adventures ranging from surfing and paddleboarding to quad biking and ziplining through the treetops. Take your pick from beaches like The Entrance, Bateau Bay, Shelly Beach, Copacabana or Macmaster's, enjoy your cold-drip coffee barefoot in the cafes of Avoca and Terrigal, and breathe in a big gulp of fresh air at Bouddi National Park. So you can further remind yourself that you're out of the city, all rooms at the Pullman Magenta Shores (choose from a studio apartment up to a three-bed villa) have relaxing nature views, just so you can remind yourself that you're out of the city. You can kick back in the Lagoon Pool, the heated lap pool indoors if it's a bit nippy, or even the beach rock pools if you want to go crab-watching. The Resort is also home to the Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club, designed by Ross Watson and 18-holes long to fully occupy your vacation days. You're only allowed on this private green if you're staying at Pullman Magenta Shores, or if you've invested in a pricey membership, so take advantage. If you're tuckered out from the activity time or golf isn't your bag, head to the on-site Vie Spa to pamper yourself in one of their five treatment rooms. Once you're hungry from all the relaxing, head over to the resort's fine-dining Barrett's Restaurant, or Shallows Bar – there's a tasting menu as well as a wood-fired pizza oven and a range of share plates on the menu, so your belly will be just as happy as your relaxed muscles.
Imagine a room filled with pinot noir, with red drops after red drops from wineries around the country poured for your sipping pleasure for hours. If that's your preferred type of vino, it likely sounds like your idea of boozy heaven. There's no need to just dream up the concept, however. Thanks to Pinot Palooza, it already exists, has been doing the rounds in Australia for more than a decade, and has locked in its return for 2024. A guiding principle here: that being spoilt for choice can be overrated when it comes to deciding which wine varieties you feel like at any given moment. So, let this event do the picking for you. Pinot Palooza celebrates exactly the type of vino that's in its name, and makes the sound of a light- to medium-bodied red wine sloshing around a glass its standard soundtrack, including in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne come spring. Expect to hear that noise a whole heap — before the pandemic, the Melbourne-born wine-tasting festival had notched up an estimated 65,000 tickets sold globally. In 2024, Pinot Palooza is hitting up its three east coast stops for a two-day stint in each. While that was first announced back in March, now venues have been confirmed. Across Friday, October 4–Saturday, October 5, Sydneysiders will be clinking glasses at Carriageworks. From Friday, November 15–Saturday, November 16, Brisbanites will get their pinot fix at the Exhibition Building at Brisbane Showgrounds. Then, come Friday, November 22–Saturday, November 23, the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton is the go-to destination in Melbourne. The Pinot Palooza team has also revealed that up to 100 wineries will be taking part in 2024, up from more than 50 winemakers last year, and surveying everything from organic and vegan to biodynamic and low-intervention drops. The full list of producers hasn't been unveiled, but Tasmania's Meadowbank, Oakdene from Geelong, Murdoch Hill and Vinteloper from the Adelaide Hills and New South Wales' M&J Becker are among the names that'll be involved from Australia. New Zealand tipples will be showcased by Two Paddocks, Burn Cottage, Mt Difficulty, Te Whare Ra, Greystone and others. As always, attendees will spend their session swirling and sampling that huge array of pinot noir, and making the most of up pop-up bars and food stalls between drinks. In Brisbane, though, a cheesy time also awaits. While dairy fest Mould has already taken place in the River City in 2024, it's teaming up with Pinot Palooza in October to give the Queensland capital a hybrid Pinot Palooza x Mould fest. Pinot Palooza 2024 Dates and Venues: Friday, October 4–Saturday, October 5: Carriageworks, Eveleigh, Sydney Friday, November 15–Saturday, November 16: Exhibition Building, Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane Friday, November 22–Saturday, November 23: Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton, Melbourne Pinot Palooza will tour Australia's east coast in October–November 2024. For more information, and for tickets, head to the event's website.
Beach days and good weather aren't the only thing summer brings. With the return of music festival season, we're getting wind of Australian tour dates from heaps of cool bands. The latest news is from Okkervil River and Austra, who will be appearing at this year's Perth Festival and other sideshows around the country. Okkervil River Get ready, folk-rock fans, for a little something to spice up your musical repertoire from Okkervil River. The Texan-indie rockers have released their seventh full-length studio album, and you could hear it live this summer when they make their sixth tour of Australia. A nostalgic ode to the days of his New Hampshire-spent youth, The Silver Gymnasium is the autobiographical creation of frontman Will Sheff. Since the band members grew up in the 1980s, it's only fitting that the album stays true to the times with lots of pop influences. You probably wouldn't think of '80s pop and southwestern folk rock as a match, but Okkervil River makes it seem completely natural. Tracks like 'Stay Young' and 'Deep Down the Deep River' could be soundtrack-worthy of cult classics like The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles with their catchy tunes and reflective lyrics. You'll find yourself humming along, fondly (or not so) reminded of the glory days of your high school years. Sydney: 21 February, Oxford Art Factor Melbourne: 22 February, Corner Hotel Perth Festival Tickets available from Handsome Tours. https://youtube.com/watch?v=n7UeGBULQ7Y Austra The Canadian electro-pop group Austra caused a sensation at the 2012 Laneway Festival, with their exhilarating fusion of riveting vocals and electronic synth. That performance was just from their debut album, and since then they've added two new members and dropped a fantastic follow-up album. 2013's Olympia is the perfect combination of indie rock and new wave. Katie Stelmanis, the main songwriter, rings a bell of Florence Welch and London Grammar's Hannah Reid with her operatic voice. Her songwriting talents have shone as well in this second album, which is a beautiful collection of lyrically personal tracks. But perhaps its been her ability to expand the band's range of sounds — which encompasses many dimensions of trance, electro and pop — yet stay true to feeling of their first album that have made Austra so successful. They've recently had a crazy touring schedule, sharing the stage with big-timers such as The xx, Grimes and The Gossip. This summer, Austra will be returning to the country for Perth Festival, and making appearances at sideshows in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Adelaide: 13 Feb, Uni Bar Sydney: 14 Feb, The Standard Melbourne: 15 Feb, Corner Hotel Perth Festival Tickets available from Handsome Tours https://youtube.com/watch?v=ODyWKkDBb4U
UPDATE: MONDAY, AUGUST 17 — Waterloo's Koi pop-up was initially only meant to run for two weeks (until Sunday, August 23), but it has now been extended until October. The Poernomo Brothers have moseyed over to Waterloo this month, bringing their wildly popular dessert bar to the Mastery by Crown Group display centre. KOI Dessert Bar is popping at the site across this weekend and next, serving up its eye-catching wares from Thursday–Sunday until October. Open from 11am–6pm, this collaboration will showcase the obvious: KOI's incredibly pretty desserts. You can expect to tuck into the dessert bar's usual menu, all in a different location. As always proves the case when it comes to the store's appetising bites, fans should probably rush. If you're wondering about the venue, the $500 million Mastery by Crown Group development is set to become Australia's first Japanese-themed residential community. Across 368 apartments in five buildings, it'll also feature a 20-storey tower designed by famed architect Kengo Kuma, as well as a Japanese food precinct that'll serve up ramen, sushi and more. The KOI Dessert Bar Pop-Up is open from 11am–6pm Thursday–Sunday until Sunday, August 23 at the Mastery by Crown Group display centre in Waterloo.
Provided you're not lactose intolerant (or you are, but also a little rebellious), chances are that melted cheese is at the top of your winter (or really, any season) favourite food list. Well, Swissôtel has something to fulfil your ooey gooey cheese dreams well past the cold weather and into the end of the year. The alpine-inspired hotel on Market Street is hosting Swiss fondue for two (or more) every Thursday through Saturday. The team at Swissôtel has developed a fondue based on traditional recipes featuring emmental and gruyere melted together with white wine and garlic and delivered to your table in a warm pot. Upon request, chefs will add other flavours like gorgonzola and even truffle to enhance the dip. Now, cheese connoisseurs will know that the biggest factor to consider with fondue is what bite-sized sides you'll coat with the decadent cheese blend. You'll have your pick of the classics like baguette and vegetables, but Swissôtel is also serving up some next level dip-ins: spiced meatballs, mac 'n' cheese croquettes, cured speck, nashi pear and much more. With copious amounts of savoury tastes, you may need something sweet to balance out the night. Swissôtel is also offering a milk chocolate fondue option with sides like marshmallows, pound cake and strawberries for your dipping pleasure. There's a curated list of beverages, too — with mulled wine, peach schnapps and calvados to name a few — to pair with your fondue for a flavour-filled evening. At $29 per person for cheese fondue and $22 person for the chocolate option, you're in for a cosy date night or crafty dinner with mates. We suggest following the tradition where the person that loses their bread in the pot buys the group drinks. Dip responsibly, friends. Swissôtel Sydney's Swiss Fondue is available from 5.30pm–10pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Bookings are essential. For more info head to the website or make a reservation here.
When the foodie gods close a door, they often open a window. Such is the case with Devon on Danks. After two years of serving up 63° eggs and 8am soft serve sundaes, the beloved Waterloo café, a spinoff of Devon Cafe in Surry Hills, ceased service in mid-September. That's the bad news. The good news is that they've now added a new member to the Devon family, with a new permanent cafe at Barangaroo. Devon's new digs opened this week on the corner of Mercantile Walk and Scotch Row at Sydney's newest foodie Mecca. Of course, it's far from the first big gastronomic get for The Streets of Barangaroo: Anason, Belles Hot Chicken, Banksii, Lotus, Ume Burger, Rabbit Hole and RivaReno are just a few vendors that have started trading there this year. "It's where the big players are going with some great restaurants, and we felt like we are ready to take that next step," said owner Derek Puah. He also said that diners should expect something "a little different" from Devon 3.0. Now before you start fretting, that doesn't mean they'll be ditching their signature menu items. Rather, they're adding a bunch of new strings to their bow, including Asian style tapas and Japanese katsu sandwiches. Plus, to celebrate their opening, they'll be giving away free soft serve today — Tuesday, November 15, until noon. Hop to it. Devon Café is now open on the corner of Mercantile Walk and Scotch Row, Barangaroo. For more info, visit their Facebook page.
As a prodigy of sorts, with his work One and Three Chairs in 1965, Kosuth began a career of questioning the nature of art. He and his peers (the conceptual artists) championed not the formalist aesthetics and craftsmanship of the previous decades, but the notion that the idea behind a work was to be revered. Throughout Europe and North America, Kosuth’s work has served in a series of retrospectives; now, in his first solo show in Australia (may I say, a few decades late), Kosuth will occupy both Anna Schwartz’s gallery space and the cavernous halls of CarriageWorks. The works exhibited serve as a dialogue between the evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin and the survival-of-the fittest perversion of those theories by Friedrich Nietzsche. Darwin’s tree-of-life sketch’s logical conclusion is found in Nietzsche’s famous adage, “creating — as selecting and finishing the selected”. Despite your knowledge of Kosuth, Darwin, or Nietzsche, the cold white neon lights against the pale grey gallery walls will strike you; these are enlightenment thoughts, real light bulb moments.
When you have so many huge musicals to your name, as Andrew Lloyd Webber does, one is always likely to be playing a stage somewhere. That includes in Australia, where the acclaimed composer's The Phantom of the Opera will start its latest stint Down Under in August — to be swiftly followed by Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. While the latest version of Phantom heads our way fresh from proving a huge hit in both the United Kingdom and the United States, this iteration Joseph makes the leap straight from London's West End. It also marks the first time that it's being staged outside of the UK, with seasons in Melbourne and Sydney locked in. Hailing from not only Lloyd Webber, but from lyricist Tim Rice as well, Joseph will enjoy its Australian premiere run at Melbourne's Regent Theatre from Friday, November 11, 2022, before heading to Sydney's Capitol Theatre from Saturday, February 11, 2023. If you live elsewhere in the country, cross your fingers that it adds shows in other capitals to its Aussie run. (No matter where you reside, perhaps cross your fingers that Cats isn't the next big Lloyd Webber musical to prowl across local stages.) Joseph's Aussie seasons will feature all the expected songs, of course — so 'Any Dream Will Do', 'Close Every Door To Me', 'Jacob and Sons', 'There's One More Angel in Heaven' and 'Go Go Go Joseph' will all get a whirl. Leading the cast: Euan Fistrovic Doidge (Saturday Night Fever, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Les Misérables and Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical) as Joseph, plus Australian Idol contestant and singer Paulini as the Narrator. And if you're new to this particular sing-through show — and didn't catch the streamed 2000 adaptation back at the beginning of the pandemic, when Lloyd Webber was screening his hits via YouTube — it does indeed focus on the biblical figure, and was actually the first of Lloyd Webber and Rice's musicals to be performed publicly. That happened back in 1968 at a school concert, of all places, before it started getting more attention after Jesus Chris Superstar became such a success. JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT 2022–23 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: From Friday, November 11, 2022 — Melbourne's Regent Theatre From Saturday, February 11, 2023 — Sydney's Capitol Theatre Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will hit Melbourne's Regent Theatre from Friday, November 11, 2022, before playing Sydney's Capitol Theatre from Saturday, February 11, 2023. For more information or to buy tickets — with the Sydney season on-sale from Friday, July 15 — head to the musical's website.
When it was announced back in 2016 that Moulin Rouge! was being turned into a stage musical, fans around the world thought the same thing in unison: the show must go on. Since then, the lavish production premiered in the US in 2018, then hit Broadway in 2019, and also announced that it'd head Down Under in 2021 — and if you're an Aussie worried about whether the latter would actually happen after 2020's chaos, it looks like the same mantra applies to its planned Melbourne season. Moulin Rouge! The Musical has put out a casting call for auditions in both Melbourne and Sydney in January and February 2021, with working towards June rehearsals and August previews part of its timeline. So, once the second half of next year hits, you could be watching the spectacular show — which is based on Baz Luhrmann's award-winning musical movie, of course — at Melbourne's revamped Regent Theatre. The musical brings to life the famed Belle Époque tale of young composer Christian and his heady romance with Satine, actress and star of the legendary Moulin Rouge cabaret. Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, the film is known for its soundtrack, celebrating iconic tunes from across the past five decades. The stage show carries on the legacy, backing those favourites with even more hit songs that have been released in the 19 years since the movie premiered. And, when Moulin Rouge! The Musical makes its Aussie debut, it'll be doing so in the movie's 20th anniversary year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p68Q1G1A_k4&feature=emb_logo The musical is heading to Melbourne in the hands of production company Global Creatures, along with the Victorian Government. The Government is also a big player behind the Regent's upgrade works, having dropped a cool $14.5 million towards the $19.4 million project. It co-owns the site, along with the City of Melbourne. While Moulin Rouge! The Musical's exact season dates haven't been revealed, you can register for the ticket waitlist via the production's website. Moulin Rouge! The Musical will hit The Regent Theatre, at 191 Collins Street, Melbourne in 2021 — with the show currently working towards an August 2021 kick-off date. To register for the ticket waitlist, head to the production's website. Moulin Rouge! The Musical image: Matthew Murphy.
Given its location on the Sapphire Coast (a six-hour drive south of Sydney or seven-hour trip north of Melbourne), the Wanderer Festival may require a little more travel than the leisurely stroll suggested by its name. But, it promises to deliver an excellent final destination for road trippers seeking a weekend away that's big on tunes, tasty treats and a tonne of cool market stalls. Wanderer Festival is a three-day event held in picturesque Pambula Beach between Friday, 29 September and Sunday, 1 October. This year's genre-diverse lineup of 40+ artists include Ocean Alley, Django Django, The Jungle Giants, Thelma Plum, Spiderbait and UK indie-rock luminaries Gomez. Those looking for more than music will find it in the Wanderer Festival Big Top, which will feature gravity-defying circus cabaret courtesy of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus. Other off-stage activations include craft markets and food stores. The former will be the place to stock up on unique hand-crafted, hand-made or hand-picked goods, while the latter will be packed with a range of stalls that focus on produce from the region and local beer, wine and spirits, as well as culinary delights from around the world. The Wanderer Festival will run from Friday, 29 September and Sunday, 1 October 2023. For the full event program visit their website.
For the first time in over two decades, the Grammy Awards will take place in March this year, after the music industry's night of nights was postponed due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles. The ceremony has been pushed back from its original date of Sunday, January 31, and will now be held on Sunday, March 14 Pacific Time. For Australian viewers looking to tune into the ceremony, the new date to mark in your calendar is Monday, March 15. In a joint statement regarding the postponement from Chair and Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy Harvey Mason Jr, CBS executive Jack Sussman and show producer Ben Winston, the worsening COVID-19 situation in LA was cited as the reason for the postponement. "The deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles, with hospital services being overwhelmed, ICUs having reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have all led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do," reads the statement. The announcement comes after a record 29,464 new COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County were reported in a single day on Saturday, December 26. There are currently 7898 COVID patients currently hospitalised in Los Angeles County. Leading the 2021 list of Grammy nominees is Beyoncé with nine nominations for her song 'Black Parade' and her collaboration with rapper Megan thee Stallion 'Savage (Remix)'. Australians Tame Impala and Flume are nominated for awards in the Best Alternative Music Album and Best Dance Recording categories respectively. Flume previously took out the Best Dance/Electronic Album Award in 2017 for his album Skin, while Tame Impala have been nominated twice previously but have never won. You can find the full list of nominees via the Grammy Awards' website. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCRiUi28UpA The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards have been postponed to Sunday, March 14, 2021 Pacific Time — which is Monday, March 15, 2021 in Australia. For further information, head to the Grammy Awards website. Top images: Grammy Awards, M.Johnson / Flume, Andy Fraser.
With 322 kilometres of harbour shoreline, more than 100 beaches and over 2,500,000 acres of parkland, Sydney is a wonderland for outdoorsy adventures. Over the past few months, the city's hospitality legends have been hard at work opening up new spaces which capitalise on Sydney's stunning surrounds — venues where you can linger over cocktails while staring at the sea, basking in the sunset or soaking up the greenery. And now that the long, balmy evenings are well and truly here, it's time to explore their efforts. To help you plan the perfect al fresco outing, we've put together a list of five of Sydney's latest and greatest outdoor spaces. From a book-stacked nook in the CBD to a fern-filled expanse overlooking the beach, these new hangouts have your summer sessions sorted. Don't let the season pass by without sipping a drink, or two, beneath the sprawling Sydney sky.
Those looking for something meaningful to do on January 26 can head to the Powerhouse Museum, where Indigenous-run social advocacy group We Are Warriors is bringing together a lineup of First Nations musicians, dancers, filmmakers and artists from across the country for a day dubbed Blak Powerhouse. The goal? To share their art and push for action. The free event will feature performances from a stacked lineup of artists ranging from hip hop to dance music. We Are Warrior's founder Nooky will be headlining the night with his new supergroup 3%. The trio sees Nooky link up with Dallas Woods and Angus Field, with the group releasing their debut single 'Our People' (a flip of the Presets classic 'My People') last year. You can also expect sets from other big names including JK-47 and Becca Hatch, alongside Miss Kaninna, RONA, Mi-kaisha and Maanyung. [caption id="attachment_811877" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Powerhouse Up Late, Jordan Munns[/caption] Kicking off the Blak Powerhouse program will be a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony at 5pm, followed by a performance from Muggera Dance. Then at 6pm, there will be a panel on Blak power and excellence. Between sets, you can wander around the museum and discover artworks from Michael Cook and Tjukurpamaru, and the documentary film Through the First from We Are Warriors. We Are Warriors was launched on January 26 in 2022 as an organisation dedicated to celebrating Blak excellence and fostering the next generation of First Nations creatives. In its first year, it delivered a feature presentation at Semi Permanent and launched WAW Fest as part of Vivid Sydney, before hosting the first Blak Powerhouse in 2023. "Last year, we put on Blak Powerhouse, and the sense of Blak joy we created was so overwhelming for me, and I know all the mob who attended felt the same," says Nooky. "There was so much power and resilience in the day, for me, it changed how I felt about January 26. If we can capture that same feeling this time around, in my eyes it's a win." If you can't make it in person, this year's Blak Powerhouse is also being streamed on NITV. Top image: Nikhil Ninan
"Are you making a documentary as well?" Louis Theroux asks the mysterious cameraman who has just appeared outside of his Los Angeles base and started recording his every move. It's a simple question, but it really couldn't sum up My Scientology Movie any better. The British broadcaster isn't all that surprised that he's being followed and filmed —in fact, when he put out an open call on Twitter seeking information for his latest movie, he was warned that it might happen. The organisation established by sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard and long-associated with Tom Cruise isn't known for being fond of scrutiny, after all. Theroux himself adopts a different approach: if you can't film 'em, pretend to join 'em. That could be why the Church of Scientology isn't too pleased about his movie. After Theroux's requests to interview head honchos are either ignored or rejected, and his attempts to gain access to their LA headquarters rebuffed, the filmmaker teams up with disgruntled former church bigwig Mark "Marty" Rathbun and decides to get a little creative. Keen to understand what it's really like to believe in thetans, Xenu, auditing and dianetics, he turns to actors to play current leader David Miscavige and even the couch-jumping Cruise in a series of recreations. What follows is a somewhat humorous, somewhat disturbing chronicle of a journalist pursuing a story while he himself is being pursued, interspersed with approximated scenes featuring the kind of unsettling behaviour that helped inspire Theroux's investigation in the first place. In light of the former, the outlandish nature of the latter won't shock anyone — particularly those who have seen Alex Gibney's recent Scientology expose Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, or even Paul Thomas Anderson's thinly-veiled fictional effort The Master. Not knowing whether to laugh or just stare at the screen with your jaw agape is an understandable reaction — helming docos about everything from evangelist Christians and Indian gurus to neo-Nazis and sex offenders has clearly prepared Theroux well. Here, the veteran filmmaker brings his own unique twist to the re-staging techniques that proved so effective in Joshua Oppenheimer's brutal Indonesian genocide documentary The Act of Killing. But My Scientology Movie is more than just a curio fuelled by curiosity. As strange as they sometimes are, every scene helps build a probing portrait of the psychology behind Scientology. Recollections offered by Rathbun and other Church defectors help, but there's nothing quite like seeing the reality, or at least a recreation of it. Showing rather than telling suits both Theroux and his chosen subject well, and makes for a bizarre, funny and downright fascinating final product.
Think of your favourite major events that have happened across the country — chances are Gill Minervini had something to do with them. The legendary creative director has been behind some of Australia's best festivals and parties. So, when you're wanting to bring some excitement to local communities, Minervini should be your first call. Wanting to encourage Aussies to support small, local businesses that have done it tough this year, American Express did just that. We recently spoke with Minervini about this special partnership — read on to learn about her creative process and the small businesses she loves supporting. [caption id="attachment_762640" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Winter Feast, Dark Mofo by Remi Chauvin[/caption] HER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS It's hard to play favourites when you've been at the helm of many of Australia's best events in the past two-plus decades. Minervini has been involved in Adelaide Festival, Sydney Lunar New Year and Art and About Sydney to name but a few. The ones that she seems most proud of are those that really drove positive change. "I was the first professional festival director that Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras had," Minervini says. This was in the late 80s and early 90s, which Minervini describes as the "golden era". "We were really crashing through some of those political barriers, and I'm very proud of the work I did there," she continues. Another career highlight was the birth of Dark Mofo's Winter Feast, now a beloved highlight of Tasmania's annual winter festival. "It brought together all the things I love: food, music, events, outdoor activations, community," Minervini says. "We didn't know if it would work or not. Clearly, it did." And, of course, one of her career highlights is still to come. In April 2021, Minervini was appointed one of her most exciting roles to date: Festival Director of Vivid Sydney. However, with the festival postponed till 2022, she's yet to make her Vivid debut. "I'm really looking forward to my first Vivid. We're working on programming that now" she tells us. THE SILVER LININGS OF LOCKDOWN It's impossible to discuss a career in the arts right now without acknowledging the big COVID-shaped elephant in the room. The past two years of lockdowns and ever-changing restrictions have decimated an industry already struggling. But, Minervini suggests, there are some silver linings to be found — for herself, for the industry and for audiences. "It's given me a lot more time in the planning and research phase. It's made audiences a lot more grateful in terms of the vast array of live events we have and what it looks like when they're not there," she says. "That sense of anticipation is a positive thing. It's going to take a while to recover, a lot of people have left the industry. But the renaissance is coming." HER CREATIVE PROCESS Minervini's mention of planning piques our curiosity. How does she approach the mammoth task of producing a creative event, be it a big citywide affair or a small activation? Where do you even begin? "It's really about research. It sounds boring but it's the most fascinating part of the job for me," says Minervini. "I always try to pare it back to: what is the story that we want to tell? And, most importantly, who are we trying to tell it to? It's that simple and that complicated. Finding that overriding narrative is really crucial. If you get that right, people will connect with it." Minervini also places a lot of importance on working with community members — from Indigenous leaders to LGBTQIA+ voices — to ensure their stories are central. "I try to make sure I'm as collaborative as I can be and that there's a sense of ownership and a sense of self-determination in terms of working with diverse communities. When you do that, the resulting event has a lot more power," she says. [caption id="attachment_836896" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Handsom[/caption] HER FESTIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH AMERICAN EXPRESS Minervini's creative process was practiced in her recent partnership with American Express. The brand enlisted Minervini to create spectacularly festive installations in the shop windows of Sydney's Collector Store and Art on King and Melbourne's Handsom for two important reasons. The first: to bring a dose of festive joy to local communities. And the second: to encourage Aussies to shop up a storm at small businesses that have done it tough this year. As a small business advocate, Minervini jumped at the opportunity. "It seemed like a match made in heaven," she says. She began by interviewing the business owners to understand their backgrounds, the shops' histories, the communities they operate within and their customers. The creative direction Minervini landed on was 'Great Things Come in Small Packages'. "These shops are small but there are amazing things in them. Things you wouldn't find anywhere else," she says. Designer James Dide then took Minervini's concept and put it into reality. The end result was three vibrant wreaths handmade out of paper through 3D printing — each completely unique and reflective of the shop they represent. "Each of the wreaths has elements of the area that the shop is in and elements of what they sell. For example, Art on King has some real urban elements in the wreath, everything from the local buses that run up King Street to birds of the area and telegraph poles," says Minervini. "Handsom had a really interesting take on what they love at Christmas time and what they sell in the store. The shopkeepers met in Ibiza, so some of the designs of their clothes are really inspired by Spanish summer vibes. So we really picked up on the colours, Spanish fans, stars, candles and florals." Collector Store's wreath is trying to convey the Aussie Christmas experience with florals, cockatoos, Australian natives and cocktail glasses, with Minervini saying it has "a real summery vibe". [caption id="attachment_836146" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Collector Store[/caption] HER FAVOURITE SMALL BUSINESSES Minervini's passion for small business is evident all throughout our chat. She partly attributes this to having come from a family of small business owners (publicans to be precise), but also to the unmatched experience one can expect from a small business. "If we lose those small local shops, we lose the diversity of what's on offer to us," she says. "The three shops that we're doing these installations in are a really good example of the curation of goods that you won't find anywhere else. You get an individualised experience." So, where in Sydney will she be hitting up for her Christmas gift shopping? "I'm a big reader and I love giving books, so I love Better Read Than Dead and Pentimento. And I'll be going to Collector. They have some of the most luxe towels — that's my present to myself," she says. [caption id="attachment_820890" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Casa Mia Osteria by Kitti Gould[/caption] HER SUMMER PLANS After such a busy and tumultuous year, it's safe to assume Minervini deserves a break (hell, we all do). And she has some pretty enviable plans for the next few weeks. "I will be doing a lot of swimming, a lot of reading and a lot of eating," she says. As an inner west local, she mentions a couple of restaurants that she'll be frequenting over this time: much-loved vegan pizzeria Gigi and King Street newcomer Casa Mio Osteria. "It's just brilliant," she says of the latter. She also plans to check out lots of Sydney Festival, which kicks off on January 6, and then "back to work because Vivid will be here very soon". After two long years without Sydney's favourite festival of lights and ideas, we can't wait to see what Minervini has in store for next year's program. Shop Small this festive season and spend at least $100 with a small business. This small action will help inject an additional $2 billion into the sector to help it recover. To learn about American Express and the Shop Small initiative, visit here.
Rumour has it that Valentine was an alcoholic soldier who spent his nights whoring around in bars, wooing a stream of women over the course of his life that would put an aqueduct to shame. However, by the light of day old Valentine needed to be looking his finest in polished military brass, so it was not often that a lady ever awoke to the sight of her nocturnal paramour. Instead she'd spy a single piece of paper, covered in his sugared script; a promise of a future visit and of his undying love. These became known as Valentine's Day Cards. Whether you're tired of recycled lines from drunken lotharios, or indeed you're a Don Juan waiting to get pissed and pick-up, there's no better way to spend St Valentine's Day than to crash the Vanguard in your finest bowties and dresses. Spurred on by the Delta blues rhythms of The Snowdroppers, along with their special guests The Frowning Clouds and Lanie Lane, you'll be in for a real humdinger of a Monday morning. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_m384fQ4yjQ
It's been more than a year since Five Guys, the burger joint with more than 1600 stores to its name across America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, first announced the news that folks Down Under had been waiting to hear. When the popular US-based chain revealed that it was finally launching stores in Australia and New Zealand, it sparked a lot of rumbling stomachs — and, from Monday, September 20, it's following through. That's when Five Guys will open its first Aussie outpost, which'll start serving up burgers, fries, hotdogs, sandwiches and shakes in Penrith. As already announced earlier in 2021, Sydney is the first place Down Under to taste the chain's wares. Due to the city's ongoing lockdown, however, it'll only be open for takeaway for the time being. Live within five kilometres of 123 Mulgoa Road — or within the same Local Government Area, depending on the restrictions in your part of town? Then you'll be able to head in to grab a bite to bring home with you. The temporary pivot to only doing takeaway orders is actually Five Guys' second big pandemic-inspired change. Initially, the brand was set to open its debut store Down Under in Sydney's CBD, but it switched to Penrith due to COVID-19. Overseas, Five Guys has amassed quite the reputation. Even given the number of big-name US burger chains with hefty followings, such as Shake Shack and In-N-Out, it stands out. If you're wondering why, the fact that its made-to-order burgers skew in the classic rather than oversized, jam-packed direction is one good reason. These burgs come with two hand-formed patties on toasted buns, with your choice of free toppings (including pickles, grilled mushrooms and jalapeños). Five Guys also does bacon cheeseburgers that add two strips of bacon and two slices of Kraft American cheese as well. Prefer hotdogs, sandwiches (in veggie, cheese or BLT varieties), hand-cut fries (with or without Cajun spices) and vanilla milkshakes? They're all on the menu as well. Don't go thinking that the latter are boring, though — you can add bacon, bananas, peanut butter, salted caramel and even Oreo pieces to your design-your-own beverage. The cult-favourite chain makes the leap to Australia and New Zealand as part of a master franchise agreement with Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group, aka the folks behind The Meat & Wine Co, Hunter & Barrel, 6 Head, Ribs & Burgers, Italian Street Kitchen and Butcher and the Farmer. Five Guys started back in 1986 in the Washington, DC area and, as anyone with allergies should note, only cooks its fries in peanut oil. Around 20 stores are due to launch in Australia, plus more in NZ — although exactly where else and when Five Guys will be popping up is yet to be revealed. In Sydney, additional sites are currently under consideration, including in the CBD around Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and Broadway. Find Five Guys' first Australian store at 123 Mulgoa Road, Penrith from Monday, September 20 — open from 11am–10pm daily. More eateries in other Australian states — and in New Zealand — are set to follow; we'll update you when more information comes to hand.
If you happen to find yourself in Woollahra on a wintry Sunday afternoon, you now have a choice when it comes to warming up with a roast. On one hand, you might slip into Bistro Moncur and swap $45 for a heartening serve of Dewsbury pork belly, duck fat potatoes and Yorkshire pudding designed by London-born chef Tom Deadman. The menu changes every six weeks, so there are plenty of reasons to return. On the other hand, you could, in the same building, opt for the Woollahra Hotel. Here, $32 will get you a traditional roast. Your plate will come loaded with slow-roasted pork belly, alongside braised red cabbage, glazed carrots and crispy roast potatoes — all lathered in house-made gravy. Red wine is always a good idea with a Sunday roast, and you'll find plenty of drops to choose from on sommelier Mark Blake's list, including many organic, vegan and preservative-free wines. Grab a seat in the shiny public bar, which was polished within an inch of its life during a major reno in 2023, or head for the neon-lit, greenery-splashed courtyard. Either way, you have until September. Bottom image: Anna Kucera
Tacos slathered with salsa. Chips dipped in hot sauce. A sliver of cheese accompanied by a zesty relish. Whatever your favourite food happens to be, it probably tastes better with a condiment — and, like everything from artisanal gin to plants to cocktail ingredients, there's now a curated delivery service dedicated to flavour-adding substances. Meet Condimental, which bundles a heap of pickles, preserves, sauces, seasonings and relishes into a box and brings it to your door. If an image of a boring Christmas hamper just popped into your head, then this service will wipe it away. On the menu is a changing range of limited-release and seasonal items from Australian suppliers, aka the types of condiments that you won't find in any old supermarket. [caption id="attachment_707077" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Condimental's launch box.[/caption] Condimental also leans into the concept of exclusivity — not just via its selection, but courtesy of its limited-run editions. Only 100 boxes are available with each release, and while you can't subscribe to receive a box every time the service starts shipping a new batch, you can sign up to be notified when a new edition becomes available. In other words, if you're keen on watermelon pickle, habañero and oak hot sauce, umami seasoning, fermented tomatillo salsa picante, or bread and butter pickle, then you'll need to get in quick. They're the items on offer in the first delivery, with the launch release costing $65 plus a $15 delivery fee. For more information, visit the Condimental website.
It's no secret that martinis are having a bit of a moment. But if you want to sip one that's genuinely different, you'll want to seek out Haku Vodka. Made from polished Japanese white rice and crafted by the House of Suntory, Haku Vodka is basically everything a martini lover dreams of. This winter, it's being poured at some of the best bars in the country as part of a limited-time experience pairing bespoke Hakumai Martinis with rice-inspired dishes. We're talking Bar Sumi, Icebergs Bondi, The Roosevelt, Prefecture 48, Aster, Island Radio, Letra House, Toko Restaurant and Moku in Sydney. In Melbourne, there's also The Blacksmith Bar, La La Land, Bar 1806, Warabi, Curious, Rossi, Ugly Duckling, Kushiro, Bar Jayda, Le Bar Supper Club, Holy Grail and Yugen Dining to check out. To celebrate, we're giving four lucky winners a $200 voucher each to enjoy the full experience for themselves. To go in the running, just tell us in 25 words or less: What's your ideal martini — and why? For the full details, see the comp form below. T&Cs apply. [competition]1016425[/competition]
Sydney musicians go head-to-head with Sydney community radio and media personalities in one of Sydney's most offensively friendly matches. This Sunday, August 17, the third annual charity AFL match known as the Reclink Community Cup kicks off in the hallowed turf of Marrickville's Henson Park (home ground of the Newtown Jets). As always, the Western Walers (the musos) take on the Sydney Sailors (the media) — and the Sailors have taken out the title two years in a row, so there's Waler hell to pay. Based around a Melbourne event of the same ilk (the Rockdogs play the Megahertz), the Community Cup was originally started in 1993 by Jason Evans when two pubs challenged each other to an AFL match to raise funds for charity. With the Sydney instalment raising funds for Reclink — a kickass charity dedicated to helping people who are experiencing mental illness, disability, homelessness, substance abuse and social and economic hardship — Community Cup isn't merely a weekend muso runaround. Reclink does some pretty top notch work with Australia's most vulnerable and isolated people, introducing sporting and arts programs to those in need through 580 national agencies. Legends. Counting the likes of Brett Kirk, Adam Spencer, Damien Lovelock and Dan Sultan as coaches and players over the years, the annually-held Reclink Community Cup is a surefire Good Time date on the calendar for audiences and players alike. This year's official ambassador is Sydney Swans' Jude Bolton. This year’s team captains are ex-AC/DC legend Mark Evans for the Walers and Adam spencer for the Sailors. Having officially launched a few weeks ago at The Vic on the Park, the whole shebang's run by Reclink, Australia Post, 2ser FM - Real RadioER , FBi Radio, theMusic.com.au, Young Henry's, The Vic, Newtown Social Club and Troy Horse, alongside Marrickville Council and AFL NSW/ACT. Gates open at midday at Henson Park, entry's by gold coin donation and you can bring your pooches — the venue's totally dog-friendly (but smoke free y'all). There's plenty of pre-match day happenings foot as well; head over to Young Henry's Brewery for a pre-game fundraiser on Sunday with every dollar spent on middies and tasting paddles going to Reclink from 5pm to close. Drinking and watching the Sydney music industry play AFL for a bloody good cause? Sounds like a right royal Sunday. Check out the official Community Cup Facebook page for official event news and more pre-match day events.
Sydneysiders are getting an unexpected foodie treat straight from Adelaide's award-winning Africola. The restaurant's executive chef, Duncan Welgemoed, is set to take over Commune Waterloo in partnership with Taylors Wines next week. Dubbed Celsius, the pop-up will run from Wednesday, February 7 through Saturday, February 10 for two sittings each night at 6pm and 8pm. The name comes from the event's focus on temperature and how much it affects the flavour of both the food and wine we consume. Taylors is taking this theme to a rather unusual level by providing each guest with a Flir One thermal device that connects to your smartphone and allows users view the world in, well, temperature. Taylors will likewise pour each wine at its 'ideal' drinking temp, instead of just following the blanket rule of cold whites and room temperature reds. While we're skeptical about the thermal theme, a chance to taste Welgemoed's dishes is well worth the $99 ticket price in our book, especially considering that Africola's set menu — which features African-inspired smoked meats and veggies — normally runs you $110 with booze, not counting the flights down to Adelaide. This ticket will get you a three-course meal paired with wine, along with the use of a Flir One for the evening, if you're into that type of thing. We're more into the African barbecue bit.
After years of anticipation, from the first whispers to watching the plans unfold and the drip-feed of food and drink openings in the precinct, Darling Square's fancy public library is here. It's replaced the old Haymarket Library and is four times its size — meaning there are plenty of nooks for you to relax, study and work in. It takes up two floors of Haymarket's slinky-like inner-city building, made using 20 kilometres of timber. Just looking at the schmick building is a pretty good way to kill time. Head inside though, and you'll see the library has moved well beyond the standard collection of pageturners. Here you'll find more than 30,000 books that are free to borrow, plus millions more digital items, including ebooks, movies, magazines, a large Asian literature collection, retro gaming consoles (including Nintendo, Atari and Sega), and robotic and electronic kits. There are also lounges and desks scattered inside and out, meeting and seminar rooms, a dedicated kids area, workshop spaces and an ideas lab where you can attend free workshops to help you use the 3D printers, laser and dye cutter, soldering irons and more. [caption id="attachment_748258" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of City of Sydney[/caption] If it's been a while since you stepped foot inside a public library, all you need to know is that it's free to sign up and borrow if you're a NSW resident — and you can wander the aisles and enjoy the space even if you're not a member. Plus, should you grow hungry on your next trip there, you'll find plenty of top-notch eateries right below. Darling Square Library is open 10am–7pm, Monday to Friday, and 11am–4pm, Saturday and Sunday. Top Image: Parker Blain
