If you're a sweet tooth with an appreciation for premium, and you live in Melbourne, then I assume you are well and truly familiar with Burch & Purchese. Ian (Burch) & Darren (Purchese), a pair of tres tres talented Poms with serious culinary pedigrees, have worked together for a number of years. Under the B&P label they have taken the architecture of sweets, and the idea of what a dessert could be, to new design heights. Infusions and reductions, clays and crumbs make their way into intense flavoured jellies, jams, slabs and sorbets which, when combined, create some seriously sensational sweets. Customised cakes for all sorts of celebrations are a speciality. Well respected Australian chef Cath Claringbold (& wife of Darren), manages the front of house (and a zillion other things). Cath is the perfect hostess. She will have you stop by and sniff/taste/touch all sorts of wonderful textures and sometimes unexpected flavours to devise a cake that reflects you and your occasion. I don't think I am doing them justice ... really just go and taste it for yourself (the Hendricks Gin Marshmallow, the freeze dried Raspberry & Choc Eclair, the Avocado Mint Cucumber Apple Yoghurt & Lime number that was sublime, the gingerbread and ... really I could go on for hours) Burch & Purchese, 647 Chapel St South Yarra (opposite the Como Hotel).
B&P takes the cake
They’ve got the local market cornered
The corner store cafe in Toowong is where the locals queue for a casual weekend brekkie. You can lob up in your lycra or go all out and pop on some lippy before you down that latte. It's as cute as a button and it has its own veggie patch for the kids (and kitchen brigade) to explore. Tanya Lea is pictured here with her camera. She is a very good person to know. Tan is the queen of organisation and systems and can sort an office into shape in no time (or wardrobe, kitchen, garage etc). She has just launched a new blog ... www.declutterhome.com.au ... and has done a great job for me on various 'sorting and systems' projects over the past 2 years so I thought I'd share her services with you. Tan is based in Melbourne, the Corner Store Cafe is at 113 Sylvan Road Toowong Brisbane.
Beautifully sliced
My very first post gave the POD nod to Baker D. Chirico's pop up in Crossley Lane. Never one to disappoint, Daniel's newbie on Faraday St in Carlton is a beautifully executed, contemporary showcase for those seeking a dose of daily bread (and other yummy goodies) without the need for a take away coffee (yes, it is just a bread shop - thank goodness for that - and Brunetti is just a few paces away for the caffeine fix). I assumed it was inspired by one of those slatted bread boards with crumb tray thingy (which apparently it was). March Studio has taken that inspiration and delivered the best thing since sliced bread.
Meet ‘Mini Fu’
Regular readers will have noticed a distinct lack of stories over the past few months. Firstly may I say there is only so much a single white woman can do in a day (yes, I've been more than busy with work to say the least and some things just have to go on the back burner). Fortunately I have found a fab new POD person to help out. With Charmaine's assistance the blog should be well and truly back on the boil!
2 cute / v. clever
Little people made from tape tell you which door you need to disappear behind (love the fragile tape for the female loos - hilarious). So many retailers/restaurateurs seem to scrimp on the bathrooms. Not so at Venn where a lovely bathroom awaits when you push open the door.
Boat loads of bounty
Ah what a joy it is to discover a brilliant foodie destination. It's definitely upper end (a quick squizz around the car park suggests driving a BMW is mandatory ... but really I think you could roll up on a bicycle and fit right in). Fresh seafood, a bakery and florist sit nicely alongside an abundance of fresh produce. I thought the deli counter was a stand out, likewise the salt brick beef display (personally tagged beef being aged for birthdays and anniversary gifts - v. impressive - in all my travels I had not seen that before!). The Boatshed was a deliciously memorable destination that almost made me wish I lived in Perth.
Pop the kettle on…
The new Tea Too on Chapel Street is rather dramatic. Love the chandelier made from Turkish tea glasses and striking mosaics.
A cut above the rest
My gorgeous foodie friends in the West (Perth) and I seem to connect over steak. As fortune would have it, last year our paths crossed in Florence (Italy) and we all drooled together over a succulent Bistecca Florentina at Trattoria Mario, an authentic worker's bar/bistro (located just off the main square at San Lorenzo Market) which has been there for half a century or more. A few months ago we got together again, this time in a butcher shop where quality and simplicity sit very nicely with the steaks and seasonal vegetables. Just like the Trattoria, Torre has also been around for more than half a century and somehow I managed to get a tour of the cool room / back of house without asking (just like I did at Mario's)! I can't explain why, but this just seems to happen without me asking (and as it is happening the talking bubble over my head generally reads like this... "WTF?" "It's happening again" "This is hilarious" "I love this blogging caper!"). How could I resist David's smile and super friendly personality? If that doesn't win you over the product will - it's quality all the way. Torre Butchers, Northbridge, Perth.
Chinese Restaurant Syndrome
Ms G has more personality than you can poke a chopstick at and food with bucket loads of flavour (and a fair amount of attitude thrown in for good measure). Some weeks ago now I took a super speedy trip to Sydney for the Fine Food expo and was treated to dinner at this Asian outpost (well for the Merivale Group I guess it's an outpost ... Victoria St Potts Point is not the CBD where they tend to dominate the dining real estate and keep the Sydney social scene on its toes). First up there is the brilliant branding - loved the menu and biz card design (soz, it was too dark to get a pic so you will have to go see for yourself) and the in-your-face artwork (the pop fluoro 621 is the E number for monosodium glutamate and the joke behind the name - darn how clever is that). Mini banh mi rolls, twice-cooked pork belly and grilled corn on the cob was washed down with a v. good wine list. Desserts are hilarious although I was slightly dubious (an exploded jam donut had me thinking wtf? ... but I'm somewhat easily influenced and our 'smooth-yet-subtle-I'm-all-over-this-game' waiter talked us into what turned out to be a sweet sensory sensation). Chefs Dan Hong and Jowett Yu have taken iconic Asian street dishes and served them with premium chilli sauces and zesty dipping mayos with no 621 in sight. It's friendly, fast and loads of fun. Ms G 155 Victoria Street Potts Point Sydney.
Get yourself some new threads
Monster Threads (a collective for indie illustrators to sell their wares) has opened a bright new store at The Galleries in Sydney. Compared to their Causeway Lane closet in Melbourne this one offers a lot more space to peruse the product. A super friendly young man was being most helpful behind the counter (I liked that so much I made a purchase to kick start my Christmas shopping - lordy it really is that time of year again). You can find them on street level at The Galleries, 500 George St Sydney.
