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Parramatta is going off. Always the 'inland city' as a sister to Sydney, its growth means it is fast becoming a haven for foodies. From great sandwiches to new restaurants, Parramatta is the gift that keeps on giving. The Lobbyist is a very chic cafe, from Ibby Moubadder and the team from Nour and Henrietta's in Surry Hills. This growing group seem to be adding something new every week - with LillyMu and Cuckoo Callay in Surry Hills and sister venue Cuckoo Callay in Newtown

I don't know about you but I was blessed with two Grannies who could cook dessert. Big Nana was a pastry cook for decades, while little Nana made jams and puddings and pot roasts like nobody I know. Maybe I am romanticising but I always loved being around them when they were making desserts. Sadly my dear departed Mum was not so much a whizz in the kitchen. Food was a function rather than a pleasure. I suspect I was very spoiled because there was always a pudding around - s

Now that the P word seems to be less prevalent in the day to day, it's exciting to be out eating and drinking and loving the industry which gives us life. This means a number of things for us. Firstly it's hard to think that just 12 months ago, our industry was at the edge of disaster - and sadly for some, disaster hit. Recovery has been incredibly hard, challenges have been seismic in their magnitude, and far too many of our friends have succumbed. Borders are set to open

There is something to be said for having your Sunday roast prepared for you by a couple of uber talented chefs who are going to take you on a culinary journey through their combined cultural heritage. We were invited to sample the launch of this idea at La Madonna at Melbourne's Next Hotel While it was a gifted lunch, so we are not reviewing, but we do want to share the idea that you can spend $65 a person on a generous 3 course lunch, with carafe's of Pinot Grigio or Pinot

A cold, rainy Spring Friday evening is often non conducive to visiting a brewery and experiencing all that it has to offer. Unseasonal weather aside, a visit to The Nest is a must for craft beer lovers. We are glad we braved the conditions. There's something about the venue I couldn't put my finger on. The tasting space, come bar, come eating house is an interesting mix and exactly what I want to find in a brew house. We did wander out to check out the possibility of sitting

When you mention the name Stefano di Pieri, immediately you conjure an image of a jovial Italian man tossing things about in a pan on the banks of the Murray River, in Mildura. It's no longer the case - Stefano's is his only by name now. He is still a presence, known and loved by many, but the cafe that bears his name carries on a tradition of hospitality - for the most part. My two experiences could not have been more starkly different from a service point of view. The fir

Ten years ago, Chez Dre was at the top of its game, and you couldn't get a table for love or money on a Saturday morning. Stephen Sam and Andrea Reiss transformed a South Melbourne laneway warehouse into a sweet and savoury heaven. With outdoor additions and constantly evolving their menu and style, it had been quite a few years since this cumbersome frame had darkened their door. So it was with joy we nabbed a table as walk ins on a Saturday and were promptly seated in the

Calling Potts Point home for the past six years, Bloody Mary's is known for that ubiquitous concoction of spiced tomato juice, celery salt, tabasco, worcestershire and enough vodka to cure any post lockdown hangover. The Bloody Mary's Gazebo is a likeable tribute to this legendary drink, a small bar with a a good mix of hangover-friendly food, something a little more fancy and a whole raft of variations on the classic cocktail, made with their thick and pulpy housemade tomat

As people have flocked to live in regional Victoria, it stands to reason there is also a growth of good dining spots going to continue to pop up in these major regional towns. Masons of Bendigo was a good long step ahead. Sonia and Nick Anthony set up shop back in 2012 in the heart of Queen Street in the Bendigo CBD. Almost a decade on, they are still going strong, despite lockdowns and the challenges of COVID. The food at Masons is always stunning to look at and is not shor

Fair to say, there is a hell of a lot of excitement in the Scoffer team about the emergence from what has been a very long winter. Granted we are heading out of lockdowns across the Eastern seaboard fatter, somewhat pickled and in a slight fog of caution - especially with the idea that we may actually have to stop day drinking and start wearing pants. A quick canvas of the team at Scoffer HQ has provided some very interesting answers. Most involve going somewhere - anywhere

Melbourne's Arbory Afloat, the place to see and be seen every summer since 2016, is reopening Tuesday October 26, with all the relevant social distancing and government regulations in place. The floating pontoon - part bar, eatery and weekend session venue, has had inspirational styles in past years from Miami Vice, the French Riviera and California's Palm Springs. This year, the inspiration is the Turquoise Coast, also called the Turkish Riviera, running along the SW coast o

Seems there is a bit going on in Freo - and we are excited. We recently had a look at Jetty Bar & Eats which opened in July '21. Just up the road at the Warders Cottages Hotel, in Henderson Street in Fremantle, is Emily Taylor, a large cavernous space for up to 400 guests. Named for a spice ship wrecked off the Freo coast in the early 1800's, Emily Taylor is a bar and restaurant with a decidedly modern inspiration using local produce, done very well. It's a mix of industrial

Not all cheeses are created equal, as I assume we all know. Some take many years to mature and ripen while others can be made quickly and with little intervention. Ricotta, for example, can be made in your home kitchen with little more than some good full fat milk, a bit of citric acid or white/apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt. A sieve and a clean towel and you are pretty much done. Now, we are all picnicking like it is 1912, and given it is one of the few things we c

The Venzin Group - who are behind Woolloongabba's Pawpaw Cafe, Darvella Patisserie and Monocle Coffee seem to have the inner southside of Brisbane sewn up with their latest venue, Melrose in Oxford Street in Bulimba, at the same entrance to Darvella. Reminiscent of the beach clubs of Seminyak and some Thai islands, this 110 seat rooftop bar and diner is a melange of pan Asian goodness, headed up by former Longrain Melbourne chef Arte Assavakavinvong with a number of his forme

Annoyingly, I cannot get the song from my head, and wanted to go somewhere with Creole Lady Marmalaaaaade. Voulez vous coucher avec moi and all of that. (Do you want to sleep with me is the literal translation, for those playing at home). Lady Marmalade occupies a corner spot in an old building which was once a National Bank in the early days of Brisbane's life, before becoming a canary and bird hospital, and a record store. Now, it's one of our favourite stops in Brisbane,

Gathering a group at Hutong Dumpling House in Market Lane in Melbourne feels like an eternity ago, but it isn't that long ago between one lockdown and another. It's always great fun, made even more so by the chap looking after us who had that rock star kind of service going on. Two parts efficient, one part cheeky and the other part hilarious. Hutong has long been part of Melbourne's heart and soul - not at the top end of the food chain but solid, uncomplicated and serving

Geelong has an uber hip cultural spot in and around Little Malop, Ryrie and James Streets, and among it are some happening dining spots. As a major regional centre and an ever expanding population out of capital cities like Melbourne, it was way past time this happened. Geelong has an evolving food and cultural scene, and there is some really cool food happening and exciting venues popping up in this corner of the city. It has become the foodies hub for sure. So it's really

Atticus, the philosopher who was kicking about a couple thousand years ago, said "The right muse will inspire truths over imagination" I would counter that Troy Rhoades Brown and his team at Muse in Pokolbin, in New South Wales' Hunter Valley have used imagination to bring you truth, or at least authenticity, integrity and for lack of a better word, a passion for local Hunter Valley produce creating a menu that both honours and respects that produce. Troy has had a very linea

Johnno Harris and Craig Mitchell are two blokes you want to have a beer with, or indeed, a glass of Mitchell Harris wine. Sourcing grapes from various vineyards located around Ballarat, in Macedon, Pyrenees and Ballarat regions, and with their wine bar in Doveton Street in Ballarat, they're forging a great future and making some most excellent plonk. The wine bar is a great place to sell it, and if their team, led by Taylor are any example then they aint going anywhere soo

Hervey Bay is a hidden gem. The gateway to the seasonal whale playground and Fraser Island and with stunning beaches to the north and the south, it is a bit of a hidden little paradise, or at least parts of it are. It's a place we visit frequently, just a few hours north of Brisbane by car and is a quick getaway for a night or a weekend, flying into the Sunshine Coast and hiring a car, or fly direct to Hervey Bay airport. Dan and Steph's is our go to every time for a late bre