Oh...Olio

I must have walked through the very beautiful Block Arcade and on to Block Place hundreds and hundreds of times in the past twenty years or so...how is it that I never even noticed Olio Cucina e Trattoria @ 32 Block Place?  Just shows how sadly lacking my observation skills are!  But next time I stroll through Block Place I'm going to stop, look around and grab a coffee or meal at Olio....

I love the red geraniums, brightly painted stair rails and the use of colanders and tomato tins as lightshades! Goes to show that great style doesn't have to cost the earth.

[Images from Georgeous]

Sarti

I've bookmarked Sarti - a contemporary Italian restaurant @ Russell Place in the city. The next big night out (and these are very few and far between when you have a young child) I'm going  to suggest a meal at this gorgeous restaurant. A friend who frequents restaurants on a very regular basis, visits Italy every year and has very high standards when it comes to Italian food has recommended that I eat here, so I can only imagine that it must be very good.  With the fashionable bright yellow awning over the front door, the restaurant looks lovely even from the street...

And it has a great logo to boot...

I wonder if the food is just as lovely as the decor...

The outdoor terrace looks like a great spot to spend a Summer afternoon or evening dining with friends...

The writing on the wall is a great feature too...

(Images: Sarti Restaurant)

Breakfast Out Bookmarked

Being a gal that loves eating breakfast out on the weekends (and weekdays too once every blue moon when I have the time), Idon't know how I've lived in Melbourne so long without knowing about the fabulous website Breakfast Out.  The site features very hip, happening Melbourne cafes that do wonderful breakfasts and great coffee. What's even better is that they divide the cafes up according to their locale - CBD, East, West, South and North.  I've made it my own personal mission to try every single breakfast place in the South and East sections (that's vaguely my neighbourhood).  So to start, here are some of my favourites both in town and out of town...

First up I'm going to pay a visit to Porgie and Mr Jones a.s.a.p...

And then maybe next on the agenda will be Mart 130 - it's located at a defunct tram stop/building in Middle Part. The name's pretty nifty too - it's tram spelt backwards, plus the old tram stop number 130.  Anyway, having friends in the area, I have it from a very reliable source that they have great food & coffee at Mart 130...

And I'd really like to visit Von Haus too if I ever find myself in the city for breakfast.  Really, I'd just love to visit this cafe to check out those gorgeous rustic walls first hand...

And while I'm in the city I think I'd have to pay a visit to the Brother Baba Budan cafe just to sneak a peek at all these chairs hanging from the ceiling. Pretty amazing huh...

Moving on right along, there are a few cafes in the Healesville/Yarra Valley region (about an hour's drive from Melbourne) that I'd like to visit too...

Harvest Cafe in Healesville - I love the communal table and overhead ladder strung with glass bottles and sweet little flowers...

I think the wall colour at the Belle Vedere creates a really wonderful ambience...

And finally, the Sweetwater Cafe located at the Chateau Yering winery in the Yarra Valley. I've actually been here for lunch, but that's no reason that I can't go back and sample their breakfast menu too...

You can check out Breakfast Out's selection of Melbourne and Sydney breakfast cafes/restaurants right here.

And last but not least...don't forget to leave a comment on my 200th post so you can go into the draw for the very gorgeous 'Madison Living' book I have as a giveaway.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend filled with lots of good friends, fine food and great times!

(Images: Breakfast Out)

Maison Ladurée New York

image: nyeater.com

For its first venture in the United States, Maison Ladurée (founded in 1862) has chosen 864 Madison Avenue in New York City to house its myriad sweets, teas and signature macarons. Ladurée is credited with inventing the modern macaron some 60 years ago when they had the inspiration to sandwich two of the classic almond cookies with a delicious filling. My favorites are Pistache and Citron. Soho store to follow in Spring 2012.

Navy Beach Montauk

Seafood & Chips
image: navybeach.com

We had dinner twice this week at Navy Beach in Montauk. The Scallops, Salmon and Ceviches are instant favorites or go for the Seafood and Chips if you have a large appetite. Go before sunset to skip stones on the calm bay.

Navy Beach dinner outfit: I wore an All Saints tee with Uniqlo White jeans and Havaianas Silver flip flops.

I took home a signature Navy Beach tank. Navy Beach website here.

The Lobster Roll AKA LUNCH

Charmingly referred to as LUNCH, due to the large sign, this true beach restaurant was the first in the area to serve lobster rolls. LUNCH also features all the fried food one would expect from a seafood shack. Take a drive just passed Amagansett and you're there.

Sunset at The Beacon

A traditional treat in the East End is sunset dining at The Beacon, located in historic Sag Harbor Village. The clouds obscured our view, but the great food and convivial atmosphere more than made up for it.

The Beacon website here.

Place: Manly

Gourmet Traveller's recent 'Insider's Guide to Manly' definitely put Manly on my 'must do' list the next time I visit Sydney. Here's why:

Some swanky shopping at Mr and Mrs Smith:

And more goodies at Neck of the Woods:

Coffee seated here at Three Beans:

Dining with a great view at Manly Pavilion:

Do you have any Manly favourites?

[Images: Gourmet Traveller]

Ladies Who Lunch: Bergdorf Goodman

Had a fantastic lunch date with a girlfriend at BG Restaurant at Bergdorf Goodman. It certainly lives up to its reputation as a place for Ladies Who Lunch and the intimate salon setting is perfect for catching up with a close friend. The design by Kelly Wearstler makes it a favorite spot in NYC. More pics here.

Eat: Golden Fields

Chef Andrew O'Connell's new asian eatery, Golden Fields, @ 157 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda - a simple well-thought through decor and inspired asian cuisine:

[All images from Golden Fields]

Restaurant: Boire

I'm suffering from wanderlust. I would love to visit Paris again. Not going to happen this year. Instead, I'll have to visit Boire to get a Parisienne 'fix'. Boire reminds of the small French bistros in the back streets of Paris...so, I'm going to try and squeeze in a visit to Boire @ 92 Smith Street, Collingwood. Peasant French food, French wines, relaxed atmosphere...

Oh, and they don't take bookings, you just have to roll up and hope that you can score a table.

[Image: Boire]

L'Agrume Paris

image: bonjourparis.com

We saved the best for last. Chef Frank Marchesi-Grandi, formerly of the Plaza Athenée, is a one man show in the open kitchen of L'Agrume, preparing every delicious moment of the five course prix fixe for the bargain price of €35. The poached John Dory was divine. Every dish was remarkable, including, yet again two fabulous desserts. The always smiling hostess, above with the chef, more than makes up for the drab decor.

L'Agrume, 15, rue des Fosses Saint-Marcel in the 5th.

Le Chateaubriand Paris

image: hotels-paris-rive-gauche.com


image: foodsnobblog.com

Our first night out in Paris we were fortunate enough to finally get to Le Chateaubriand in the 11th. This unassuming casual restaurant belies the fact that the food is extraordinary and very reasonably priced. Every part of the 5 course prix fixe was incredibly delicious and interesting. I especially loved the sardine with cherries. You even get two desserts. And of course the staff is rakishly handsome. Highly recommended.

Monday shop post: Pomegranate

Hello, if anyone is still out there, I'm back blogging once again. Work, life, family and all the other things that go along with this have taken up quite a bit of time lately, and to be honest I really haven't felt that inspired to blog. Just haven't known what to blog about. But I need to get my blogging 'mojo' back again, so here I am back and trying to put up a post or two. I vow to be more regular & consistent in my blogging from now on.  So without further ado, here's one of my Monday morning Melbourne shop posts...

Pomegranate is a gorgeous decor shop that I often pop in to whenever I am in the South Melbourne area - there's always plenty of eye candy in this little shop situated in Coventry Street, South Melbourne and it's hard to walk away without a trinket or two.

One of my favourite things to do is to have lunch with my girlfriend Alex at Gas (a great middle eastern / meditteranean inspired eatery) just a couple of doors down from Pomegranate...

...and then have a browse in the homewares stores in Coventry Street - there are quite a few lovely home-related shops in this street that's right around the corner from the South Melbourne Market. And, if you're visiting Melbourne, it's just a short tram ride from the city centre. Here are just a few pics of the lovely homewares at Pomegranate:

There's lots more information about Pomegranate's shop and interior decoration services on their site and plenty more gorgeous images too.

[Images: 1 - Pomegranate; 2 - Breakfast Out; 3 - The Age; 4-11 - Pomegranate]