A little Melbourne recap

So. I’m so behind this whole year - my backlog of photos is atrocious. This is is me doing a quick sift through the hundreds of photos I’ve taken this year to share some of my favourite things

Gluten free acai Super Bowl at Shanklin cafe, with puppies at the table next door who are so hopeful we might give them something. And delicious scrambled eggs - Brad’s been backing off the baked eggs more recently and getting more into a chilli scramble and I feel like everyone’s been lifting their golden scramble game. It’s great!

Moscato granita and sumptuous charcuterie boards at Innocent Bystander. Perfect for when that summer weather starts sneaking back in! I adore the new space, it’s so spacious and chilled out. I imagine even when it’s full it’s not going to feel anywhere near as claustrophobic as it had a tendency to before!

We are just so terribly spoilt in Melbourne to have so many great gelaterias. I was chatting with someone from Sydney who said their only option was Messina, whilst we’ve got Pidapipo, Piccolina, Spring Street Grocer and a bit newer on to the scene Lavezzi Gelato. Oh my goodness guys, get your lips all over this stuff, the nutty flavours in particular are so strong and rich, and I’m so into it.

Considering my office moved from South Melbourne to Hardware Lane in March - it took me way too long to get into Miznon and discover just how good simple vegetables can be. Miznon’s whole roasted cauliflower is magic, and just the way I love it. A light coating of oil, falling apart tender and sweet. The golden bag of brisket isn’t bad either!

I really need to do a full post on this meal still! I was thinking we should save Vue de Monde for our 10 year anniversary, but was really keen to go, so Brad said we could go for our eight year dating anniversary, as in the year’s coming we would then be celebrating our wedding anniversary instead. The meal of course, was exceptional, and not like anything we’d had before but man, if I could just go up and order the chocolate souffle alone? Once a month at least - so rich, so chocolatey, with that dollop of espresso ice-cream to cut through the richness. It was perfection even on a 30 degree day.

In Capi’s gorgeous headquarters, joining Sophie Cookes on one of her 10 dinners to celebrate 10 years in the catering gig, has to be one of my favourite invitations this year. Each of the dinners she featured a different ingredient, and I was there on fish night. The crumbed King George whiting sandwich with anchovy mayo is forever etched in my mind as a perfect sandwich. Sophie is also just one of the most lovely hosts, who just exudes warmth, laughter and rich conversation, making for such a gorgeous evening.

I’ve recently been finding myself heading back to cafes I’ve visited before, rather than seeking out new places to go. Loved Northcote STN’s broadbean falafel with pomegranate tabbouleh, red cabbage spiced cauliflower, red cabbage, rainbow beets, almonds and a blood orange and coriander dressing. So much flavour. So much veggie. So much happy.

Bomba’s new rooftop is fabulous, bigger than ever, but also covered, so it’s good for all seasons - but what’s really exciting are their bikini sandwiches. In particular the Joselito 35 month Iberico jamon, with black truffle and mahon. Oh lord have mercy.

I’m loving the low key Italian resurgence Melbourne seems to be experiencing at the moment. I was fortunate enough to be invited to Pentolina, where my mum and I sat at the bar, with a direct view into the flambe action in the kitchen, and ate our body weight in homemade pasta. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the bolognese, my favourite of the night was the conchiglie salsiccia - pork and fennel sausage with crispy cauliflower and rosemary. All the flavours! Also reckon the prosciutto melone is going to be just the thing to start off many a summery night soon too.

I love it when friend’s make recommendations. It really doesn’t happen that often. Brothers Keeper is a cosy little cafe in Kooyong that’s never been on my radar, but once it was introduced to Brad and I by one of his friends, we’ve been back twice since (which hardly ever happens)! Delicious cauliflower tempura, with white quinoa, baby beetroot, pickled shallots, tomato, radish and generous smear of hummus around the bowl is one of the most delicious vegetable brunch dishes I’ve had recently.

Shanklin Cafe

500 Toronga Road

Hawthorn East VIC

Innocent Bystander

316-334 Maroondah Hwy

Healesville 3777

Lavezzi Gelato

334 Lygon Street

Carlton 3053

Miznon

59 Hardware Lane

Melbourne 3000

Vue de Monde

Rialto Towers, 525 Collins St

Melbourne 3000

Northcote STN

382 High St

Northcote 3070

Bomba

103 Lonsdale Street

Melbourne 3000

Pentolina

2/377 Little Collins Street

Melbourne 3000

Brothers Keeper

481 Glenferrie Rd

Kooyong 3144

Tipo 00

There’s just something about Italian food, that makes it the perfect girlfriend catch up food. I’ve always found my guy friends and I will catch up over Asian, but for the girls? It’s always Italian.

However Emily and my visit to Tipo 00, was surprisingly the first time we had ever caught up for Italian, which is a bit surprisingly especially considering her love for the cuisine (although I guess we both eat just about everything though…)

Although Tipo 00 would have usually just sat low on my list, to be visited some other time, as it came highly recommended by a few friends, it wasn’t hard to convince me to check it out a bit sooner. 

Located on Little Bourke Street, Tipo 00 is an intimate and cosy space, the aromas from the open kitchen you welcoming you the second you step in through the door. Service is friendly and relaxed from the get go, easing you into the evening. 

Although Tipo 00 is a pasta bar, the menu offers much more with starters such as grilled ox tongue, or calamari, although we instead opt for some polenta fritta to start, golden, crunchy with a touch of rosemary. 

Although a braised baby goat dish is a tempting main, especially on a lightly drizzly Melbourne night, Emily and I opt for dishes from the pasta and risotto section of the menu. Gnocchi di patate for Em with braised duck, with porcini mushrooms and pecorino pepato. Fluffy, pillowy bites, rich and warming. The balance is lovely, the gnocchi nicely flavoured by the braised duck, but not overwhelmed by it. 

I choose the risotto special, a squid ink risotto with whitebait and salmon roe. You would think that black would be quite an off-putting colour, but Tipo 00 has made it quite beautiful, with the lightly fried whitebait and salmon roe making it look like some abstract piece of art. I loved the ‘just done’ texture of the risotto, and the contrasting texture of the whitebait. The salty bursts from the salmon roe was also a fun little surprise as well. 

The comfortably filling portions of pasta mean there’s definitely just enough room for dessert, where we went one classic, a pannacotta with honey, almond and berries, and one contemporary, the ‘Torta del giorno’ of the day, which consisted of a peanut butter mousse, chocolate ice-cream and sponge cake (amongst other things).

The pannacotta is just the thing for finishing the night on if you need something refreshing, the berries were so juicy and lovely and the texture of the pannacotta itself so immensely smooth.

As always though, the peanut butter and chocolate combo is much more my thing, and although it sounds rich and heavy, it wasn’t at all. The peanut butter mousse was light as air, more of a foam. Just enough to satiate a big sweet tooth, just like mine, but not weigh down the tummy after a pasta meal. 

Tipo 00 certainly lived up to expectations for me, providing a casual dining space, with well executed, contemporary, but also very familiar flavours. An easy choice for a lazy date night, or like us, a catch up with the girls (and a couple glasses of vino). 

Tipo 00

361 Little Bourke Street

Melbourne