Mao’s

Its not often that I visit a restaurant and receive too much service. I’m an American, after all. But at Mao’s Restaurant on Brunswick Street, I experienced service so attentive I almost felt like my waitress was the third dinner guest.
Every time my glass was half full (empty?) the waitress was there with the water [...]

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Ikea

I’ve spent at least a total of 24 hours in the Ikea store at Victoria Gardens in the last month and a half. Part of moving to a new city means buying heaps of new stuff that you never realised you’d need but suddenly can’t live without. For example: a whisk. Or a bottle opener. [...]

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Pellegrini’s

Imagine being in a small crowded bar. You wander around squeezing through groups of people to find a stool on the bar to perch on, then shout your order to someone behind the bar, who lifts your drink over the heads of those at the bar to hand it to you. You struggle back [...]

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The 86 Tram

I briefly lived in Preston, and every day I’d spent about 1 ½ hours total on the 86 tram, riding up Smith St and through Northcote. I had a lot of time to contemplate the goings-on and daily tram happenings during my journey, and I’ve seen some pretty ridiculous stuff.
The guy that refused to tell [...]

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La Roche

It’s time to show some love to you guys on the other side of the river. I had dinner last Sunday night at La Roche on Acland Street in St Kilda.
First, it was absolutely packed. There were no free seats, and tables were crammed so close together that I had had neighbors sitting next to [...]

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Sentido Funf

Like so many places in Melbourne, Sentido Funf looks extremely unimpressive from the outside on Gertrude Street near the corner with Smith Street. I’ve walked past the bar at least five times and hardly even noticed it. In fact, it almost looks like an office, with two windows covered by venetian blinds hiding what’s happening [...]

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Little Peninsula

Last night I visited a great little bar in the city called Little Peninsula on Little Lonsdale between Queen and Elizabeth.
It’s great for a Friday night because the place is a crowded and lively and, unlike many city bars, doesn’t suffer from too many suits standing around with their laptop bags looking like they’re preparing [...]

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Toni & Guy

A few months ago a friend of the family got a job at the Toni & Guy salon in Perth. She needed models to practice the cuts she was learning, and being the frugal person I am I volunteered. Hey, discount haircut.
But, I was also oh-so aware of Toni & Guy as the international salon [...]

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The Black Cat

In every city, I need a retreat. A local. A small cozy place I can feel at home in. A place where the baristas know what I mean when I say ‘the usual, thanks.”
I believe I have found mine. The Black Cat is a great little coffee shop which transforms into a bar at night, [...]

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