Australia

Brisbane’s become cooler than me


Everyone always digs on Brisbane. Even when I first moved to Australia it was all “it’s too small; everything closes early; there’s nowhere good to eat.” Compare it to likes of Sydney or Melbourne, and yeah, I get it. But guess what haters, at some point since moving away a year and a half ago, Brisbane’s upped its ante.

I always said if I could have the culture of Melbourne coupled with the weather of Brisbane I would be set for life. Now, I’m not going to go as far and say it’s been accomplished but seriously Brisbane, you’re picking up your weight.

On my most recent visit I was blown away at the duck liver parfait served at James Street’s trendy Gerard’s Bar. In fact, I added it on my “best thing ever” list and that was even after devouring truffle salami and mackerel tartare. Could the Brisbane dining scene be creeping in Melbourne’s wake?

And as for Fortitude Valley, the once seedy and still may be but only if you don’t know where to go now that Brisbane is cool, nightlife neighborhood, I didn’t go out ‘in’ the Valley but rather ‘under’ the Valley. Greaser, an American themed bar is housed in the cellar of a 130-year-old heritage building offering craft beers, American imports and a stellar whiskey list on the side of classic hot dogs.

Sure, I was still living in town when the hippest thing was old Queensland cottages being converted into uber-chic bars like Alfred & Constance, Kettle & Tin and Sixes & Sevens – as they all have uber-cool names too, but I hear even ‘hippie-haven’ West End has transformed itself upmarket with some new additions in its pocket.

I think it goes without saying another area where Brisbane hasn’t failed us is the craft beer front. From my old hang The Scratch to Tenerife’s Tippler’s Tap and their recent Southbank prodigy Tomohawk Bar and let’s not forget the micro-brewers Green Beacon and classic Bacchus Brewing, Brisbane is where its at.

What’s still not cool is having to leave an establishment to go find a bathroom somewhere down the street rather then in the bar/restaurant/café, but over time you may just get that right too, Brisbane.

In the meantime, I recognize there’s all the extra stuff that even made Brisbane cool back when I was living there. An awesome music scene, a laid back life style and pristine beaches in an arm’s reach, so yeah Brisbane, maybe you were cool all along.

Read more about my adventures in Brisbane here.

Beer sampling at Bacchus Brewery
Beer events at The Scratch
Local band Ball Park Music
‘Cool’ West End bar, The End

How I accidentally became an AFL fan


Okay I’ll admit. I like AFL.

The revelation came to me last night during the semi-finals of Hawthorn vs. Port Adelaide. My eyes were focused, my pulse was racing and the comments coming from my mouth were volatile. In fact, I never anticipated when entering the dark, unassuming warehouse of Moon Dog Craft Brewery that I would witness a large screen projecting the second most awaited game of the season on its back brick wall. Hipsters don’t like football. But Melbourne hipsters do.

And that’s what I think makes it all more appealing. It’s a game like nothing else; call it football or footy or Aussie Rules. It’s a sport that combines the skills of soccer and rugby with a very visually stimulating set of athletes – tall and lean, toned arms and quick speed.

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My second live AFL game at the MCG

Maybe it’s the fact that Melbourne breeds AFL. There are currently 18 teams in the Australian Football League (AFL), half of which are based in Victoria and around Melbourne. It’s a bit of a religion, and during football season you better know which team you support.

I’ll fess up though, I don’t have a team. Nearly a year and a half living in Melbourne and I just can’t choose. I live in Richmond, yet previously lived with a Geelong supporter, casually dated a guy who went for Essenden, but then again Hawthorn is number one. There was also that one time that I partied with a handful of the boys from the Sydney Swans, my other housemate went for Fremantle, and I used to live in Brisbane so have a soft spot for the Lions even though they aren’t very good. You can now see my predicament.

I can only blame this on the boys. Living with two faithful AFL fanatics for a year seemed to have influenced more than I would have thought. During football season our townhouse became an AFL haven. I didn’t have a choice in the matter. From watching countless matches I learned about goals, handballs and kicks. I could associate names and numbers with those players I deemed as hot and which teams they played for.

What pushed me over the edge was my voluntary entrance into the work tipping (betting) pool that lasted the entire season. I’m proud to say I came in 4th place, which is pretty darn good for a first timer. Because there was potential to win a few hundred bucks, I even surprised myself by checking the scores on my phone over the weekend and ensured I got my bets in on time while traveling overseas.

The best part about the madness of football appreciation in Melbourne is that Richmond, the neighborhood I live in, is where the action takes place. The MCG (Melbourne Cricket Grounds) is the 13th largest stadium in the world, and can host 100,024 people. Because there’s a guaranteed game every weekend during season, along with the fact that all of the pre-game bars are a short walk from my residence, whether I want it or not, I’m surrounded by AFL hype. Plus, the large stadium lights are now an iconic symbol of what I’ll always remember Melbourne by.

Melbourne Skyline

Melbourne Skyline and the MCG from my old rooftop

The biggest game of the year, the Grand Final, is scheduled for this coming Saturday. And while I think it would be an experience of a lifetime to attend, the cost for the ticket is what is dissuading me. At the least, I can rest assured that instead of being turned off by the madness that is Grand Final Day at the MCG in Richmond, I welcome the sport and all that comes along with it.

Everything in the world can be on your way


I’ve always been envious of those who have literally traveled around the world. You too likely know someone daring who’s done it. They buy a ‘round the world’ ticket that entitles them to travel to a pre-specified number of continents, then a specific city on each continent, to be used in one direction over a maximum length of time. This type of ticket offers freedom to those people who have time at a very affordable cost. The benefits to an independent traveler mean that they can ‘generally’ stay for as long as they like, move on when ready, and can decide when and how to make the most of their destinations.

Last month I circumvented the globe. I can assume this counts too, but it wasn’t your typical trip or initially intended to be as such. I reclaimed my old haunts while in London, sipped wine in Paris, explored architecture in Oxford before a 12 hour stint in NYC to grab a pint and a snuggle with old friends. I moved on to Charlotte to celebrate my sisters wedding then relaxed on the beaches outside of Charleston before an afternoon of fine dining over lunch with the ladies back in Manhattan. My long hauls took me from Melbourne to London (via Dubai) to New York then back to Melbourne (via LA) and alas, global circumference.

Sitting on multiple planes (for an entire day at times) during this 3 week whirlwind of a holiday sure gave me a lot of time to think. Here are my 5 biggest reflections while circumventing the globe:

  1. Australia really is really, really far away. But it’s not the distance I took note of, by now I’m used to the flight time. What was more interesting is that for the first time since living here for close to 3.5 years the segregation of Australia to the rest of the world became prevalent. I was clueless that I missed out on major global media scandals, was reminded of diversity walking through the streets of New York and how few Americans I encounter living in Australia compared to the constant sound of a hard ‘R’’ that accompanies the American tourists in central London.
  2. Don’t let jetlag control you; jetlag will control you. Despite a motto of ‘just ignore it and it will go away’, jetlag really is the pits. And whilst I was in and out of cities faster than being able to unpack a bag, there was no time to waste on an extra nap or late sleep in. Once you throw a few wines into the mix your body clock is even more thoroughly confused. If you can ride the jetlag wave, all power to you.
  3. Frequent Flyer Status is holy. In a world where I’ve achieved One World Gold status, which entitles me to the business lounge, free food and alcohol, free Wi-Fi, priority check in, priority baggage and occasional upgrades, flying a non-partner airline is like going back in time. The disappointment, as self-entitled as it may sound, to have to pay for wi-fi while waiting to board a flight or annoyingly wait in a ridiculously long and disorderly queue makes me cringe at the thought. I can at least say I witnessed non-Gold perks during all the flights it took to obtain it in the first place.
  4. Waiting to write drains the intensity. I have pages and pages of notes from my trip encapsulating the emotion I felt when stepping outside Victoria Station for the first time in 8 years to seeing my nephew for the first time in 8 months. Unfortunately, there’s too much to say and sometimes it feels all too late. Next time, I’m writing to you on the go.
  5. The world really is a small place, and quite accessible if you make the opportunity to see it all! It is possible to fly around the world – even if you’re not on a yearlong journey with a backpack strapped to your back. And while I’m still envious of those who take an extensive amount of time off to discover the world in one pre-paid for direction, I’ve also discovered that hopping over to London before my trips to New York, or maybe somewhere else in Europe is quite do-able. I don’t need to wait another 8 years to see the places I love.
Louvre

Catching up with an old friend in the rain outside the Louvre, Paris.

Wine is coming


Heathcote EstateWine is coming…and Bottle Shop Concepts hit the nail on the head once again. I entered St. Kilda Town Hall to the loud instrumentals of the Game of Thrones theme song, was handed my Riedel tasting glass and instantaneous evaluated the landscape of the adventure that lay before me. Game of Rhones, a five-hour journey tasting the wine varieties derived from the Rhones Valley in France.

The 50 or so producers divided to conquer their aptly themed regions of Southern Wilds (Geelong, Strathbogie Ranges, Yarra Valley), Central Lands (Bendigo, Heathcote, Central Victoria, Goulburn Valley, Pyrenees, Grampians, Rutherglen), The North (Canberra District, Hunter Valley), Western Plains (Margaret River, Frankland River, Great Southern), The Vales (Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Coonawarra), and Beyond the Wall (Rhone). There were over 150 wines on tasting from Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault, Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne amongst blends and other surprising varieties.

I sipped from vendors dressed as hedge knights and head-to-toe dire wolf fur, from Elvis the Barossa King to a suit of armor crafted solely from wine boxes, and watched as fans and wine enthusiasts imitated characters Khal Drogo, Daenerys, Jaime Lannister and Robb Stark to name a few.

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Aside from all the eccentrics, the event also allowed me to experiment with new varieties. I had my first Marsanne, Roussanne and GSM, in which the latter I identified as not favorable for my pallet. I learned that Marsanne is classified as the white wine for red wine drinkers, and the Nagambie region is the largest Rhone growing in Australia. My favorite vendor was Michelle from Michelton Wines, who was not only helpful in explaining in great depth about the region and varieties, including their honey toned 2012 Marsanne and 2010 Heathcote Shiraz, but also was the only vendor that I truly enjoyed the whole range from. It was there that I finally recognized that when it comes to Shiraz my preference is heavier, fruit driven and full bodied.

Box Grove Vineyard took quite a unique approach with their Roussanne by offering a range of an aged, Sparking, and Shiraz blend. Although I didn’t love it, they were doing something new in the region and even make verjus, the pressed juice of unfermented grapes. I was kindly informed this is non-alcoholic. Attica, famously the best restaurant in Australia apparently goes through a litre a day. The zesty lime and fruity table additive would make a great salad dressing.

Notable standouts from the day include Thomas Estate Antiquarian Shiraz 2009; Yangarra Estate Vineyard Viognier 2013 and Old Vine Grenache 2012; Mitchell Harris Mataro, Grenache, Shiraz 2011; Fowles Wine The Exception 2013 Late Harvest Viognier and Stone Dweller 2009 Shiraz.

And while last year we drew an affinity to the wine maker from Bay of Fires, this year’s award for cutest vendor goes to the strapping lad from Man O’ War of New Zealand. Luckily for me, I’ll be in town next month to have another try of their Bellerophon 2012 Syrah Viognier.

Man O War

Simply put the event was clever marketing. From prizes for best costume to entertaining Instagram photos with #wineiscoming hashtags, it took the best from our first Bottle Shop Concepts event Pinot Palooza last September and added a theatrical affair. Despite this being the second year running, we commented on the difference in demographic of the two, with more men and groups of friends creating more of a party-like atmosphere at Game of Rhones over it’s sister event that was very girlfriend oriented. Pinot Palooza is back this October and there’s nothing but a ticket purchase standing in my way!

 

Yes Please! An Evening of Beer and Cheese


Shout from the rooftops, it’s Good Beer Week! The much anticipated annual event offers hundreds of food and beer pairings, educational classes, tap take overs and more spread across the city. Without spoiling myself too much I attended Yes Please! An Evening of Beer and Cheese at Mr. Wolf in St. Kilda.

An Evening of Beer and Cheese

I’ll be honest though, I signed up for this event after one too many pints at an Irish pub in South Yarra based on the loose requirements of a cost under $50 and inclusion of cheese. It was advertised as pairing of Italian cheese and beer, and my expectations were low. I know nothing about the craft beer scene in Italy, and despite having an affinity for cheese, it’s strictly superficial. I was even less impressed initially with the 6 pm start, restricting any opportunity for dinner prior, and finally 30 minutes later we got our first sampling. Grouped at high tables seating 8, my friend and I joked with the strangers how the absence of dinner coupled with the aroma of pizza coming from the dining room was a ploy to direct us to eat in the restaurant post event.

But we were wrong. Despite a disorganized introduction from Will Studd, representative from Calendar Cheese, and what appeared to be animosity, although some suspected it was playful banter, with Leonardo Di Vincenzo from Birra Del Borgo, when our first platter was presented to the table we couldn’t believe our eyes. I’m not a fan of sharing at these types of events, portions can often be cheap and you end up politely giving the last piece to a stranger despite secretly wanting it for yourself. This was not the case however, the value for the cost was applauding.

We began with Mauri ‘Bontazola’ Gorgonzola Piccante Pasturo, Italy and Mauri “Bonta della Bonta’ Dolce Pasturo, Italy, both coupled with Birra Del Borgo ‘Reporter’. In simple terms, we tried two gorgonzola’s, the first being harder, more blue with an intensity in the flavour compared to the ‘dolce’ which was softer and smooth. They both were a great accompaniment to the tobacco porter, which we learned basically contained fermented tobacco, dipped into the brew like a giant tea bag to infuse the flavour.

The Mauri ‘Cave Ripened’ Tallegio Pasturo, Italy, is a cheese matured in caves in the Italian Alps, a very rare occurrence and the Mauri family being one of the only ones left doing so. The cool and humid environment allows for bacteria to grow on the outside, making the rind yeasty in flavour but edible once washed. It was so creamy, coupled with the imperial pilsner ‘My Antonia’. I loved the sweet beginning and the bitter aftertaste. This pairing was also my favourite of the day, but it was still a very hard decision. At this stage we reached the half-way point and I was already feeling my stomach stretch. All the sudden I began to regret my snarl remarks about minimal breadsticks at the start and skipping dinner.

Mr Wolf

A special guest appearance from Giorgio Cravero from Cravero cheese had the group educated about parmesan. The Cravero family of the mountains of northern Italy has been producing parmesan since 1855 and is now in its fifth generation. He told us that out of only 370 producers, 90% are just average. This is coming from a cheese predominately consumed only in Italy. While the cheese we tasted was aged 29 months, this is fairly old for a parmesan. Wrapped in foil so it didn’t oxidize, we were instructed to squeeze then taste, although for most of us the cheese was quite dense and resulted in nothing. Giorgio recommended parmesan goes great with a sparkling white wine, but I found the American pale ale, ‘ReAle’, really drinkable with its caramel malts offering a sweetness mixed with a spicy and bitter finish.

Birra Del Borgo Re Ale

We finished with Il Forteto Pecorino Toscano DOP Stagionato Tuscany, Italy coupled with ‘ReAle Extra’, an IPA and Antica Formaggieria Pecorino Romano Lazio, Italy with ‘Hoppy Cat’ Cascadian dark ale.  Pecorino Romano is claimed to be the original cheese, before parmesan. This is because pecorino comes from sheep, and sheep have come before cows. All pecorino’s are made in Sardinia, in southern Italy. They were both big and salty, like a gulp from the ocean with a bit of stink to it and the Hoppy Cat was much lighter in colour than expected, a dark ale rather than a black IPA.

I walked into Mr. Wolf hungry with small expectations in regards to the beer but waddled out with an appreciation for new cheese and hand on the back to Birra Del Borgo who make not only hip labels, but stellar beers.

 

 

 

My Tasmanian Secrets


Tasmania is not in Africa. It’s is not a remote tropical island in Southeast Asia either. If fact, Tasmania is just another state within Australia.

Often the butt of insensitive jokes by many Australians about inbred farmers, backward small town ways and the like, my recent visit was nothing of a joke though. I came purely for the Pinot Noir but left with so much more.

Hobart

A flight from Melbourne to Hobart round-trip cost me less then accommodation for one night in Launceston. It’s cheap and conveniently an hour away. I’m also lucky my friend David has a corporate apartment downtown so that was a gracious offer that made things very easy.

But with less than 48 hours in Hobart we had to narrow down our options and I would highly recommend the below:

Salamanca Place: for a small town, this is where the action happens. An old historic square with cafes, restaurants and bars around the parameter its one of the few areas open late and bound to have some people around, especially when we flew on a Thursday evening. On Saturday mornings the Salamanca Market is one of the most famous in Australia, with over 300 stalls of local crafts, produce, street performers and more. For drink and nosh I recommend Cargo Bar Pizza Lounge and Grape Food and Wine.

Market performers
Salamanca Market
Wood crafts
Made in Tasmania
Criterion salted caramel waffles

Criterion salted caramel waffles

Criterion Street Café: was literally the best breakfast I’ve had in my life. After a friends recommendation to try the caramel salted waffles with vanilla mascarpone I was immediately smitten. We also wanted to try to the corn and green chili fritters since after all, it was breakfast. The service was impeccable, anticipating we wanted the fritters to share at the start and the waffles for dessert; they brought out two separate, huge servings and didn’t even charge extra. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so full, but I would get on a plane right now to eat there again.

Museum of Old and New Art (MONA): This is the place known for being weird. Australians flock to Tasmania to visit the one true modern art gallery in the country. Those who have visited places such as MoMa and the Tate think it’s nothing too different but if you’re in Hobart this is a must visit.

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While you can drive, one of the best parts of the experience is to hop on the Mona Roma, the high-speed ferry that takes about 40 minutes to reach the museum. While not only being an educational ride with commentary about the landscape, the ferry offers decorative artwork, a funky interior of leather stools, a live parrot and even fake sheep as seats (cattle car) in addition to serving Moo Brew and Moorilla Estate wines on board. On the MONA property you could literally spend a whole day in the exhibits alone, everything from a room of TVs singing Madonna acapella to a poo machine, a project simulating the digestive system of the human body. But then there’s the food such as wood fired pizza, local cheese and meat platters and even fine dining; and the drink, like wine tastings from Moorila Estate and beer flights from Boo Brew; and the scenery, overlooking the water, the vineyard and the town in the background. Saturdays they host markets on the lawn, where on occasion are live performers and it’s just a great place to relax in the sun and enjoy chilled out Tasmania.

East Coast

After leaving Hobart we decided to drive up the east coast to make our way north to Launceston. It all happened in just one day and was jam-packed. I definitely recommend spacing it out if you’ve got the time.

Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park: There’s a reason why I love and thoroughly read my in flight magazine. In this instance, without doing so I would not have known to visit and contribute to saving the endangered Tasmanian devils. They’re only found in the wild in Tasmania, so what a once in a lifetime experience. The entrance fee was a bit steep at $33, but knowing the proceeds went toward a good cause made it worth it. The dog like animals, many of which have a contagious facial cancer were interesting to watch, as they are the largest meat-eating marsupial. While in heat they made loud, screeching noises while barring their razor teeth and were quite aggressive during their feeding time, which we got to watch (dead possum, yum). There were some other animals at the park as well such as kangaroos, wallabies, and birds so there is enough wildlife to kill an hour or so to make it worth the visit.

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Port Arthur

Port Arthur

Port Arthur: is a historical site about an hour and half southeast of Hobart that used to house convicts. Not just any convicts, but those that had already committed a crime and their first punishment was to be sent to Australia in the first place. If you committed another, Port Arthur was your likely destiny. The admission fee included a 40 minute guided tour, which was enough to help us understand what we were looking at and where we wanted to spend the remainder of our time while exploring the grounds. Unfortunately, because we had such a long drive ahead of us it meant we didn’t discover much, but even dropping by made for a beautiful drive and an educational experience.

Freycinet National Park: is a beautiful national park on the east coast of Tasmania about 3 hours north from Port Arthur. Our sole purpose was to visit Wineglass Bay, an outlet of Cole’s Bay shaped like a wineglass. Our plan was to drive up the coast, have a hike around the national park, watch the water shimmer against Wineglass Bay and then travel on to Launceston. But we arrived too late. Dusk was starting to set and frankly, Wineglass Bay didn’t look like anything special. The park information center was already closed and we didn’t have a permit to park. We went for about a 5-minute hike, or more specifically it was just a walk to the water’s edge, and decided to call it a day. Luckily the Edge Restaurant at the Edge of the Bay Resort was open for dinner. We figured, at the least enjoying a delicious meal overlooking the bay would make the long travel time worth it before we had to head back into the car to make our way further North. I had the local specialty of the blue eye trevalla coupled with the Freycinet Valley’s own, Gala Estate Riesling.

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No one told us in advance not to drive at night though. I will tell you now, do not drive at night! It was another two hours after we left Cole’s Bay to Launceston and we figured easy enough. But once on the road, winding our way away from the coast inland and north the GPS took us through another national park. Pitch black, there was no one else on the slow, curvy road. I put on my glasses because at that point I had one official duty, to watch the side of the road for animals. Carcass after carcass of dead animal bodies lay splattered on the road ahead of us so we decided to slow down even more, going no more then 40 kilometers while the radio blasted Saturday evening techno music. It was going to be a long 2 hours, and despite our best efforts before we knew it, boom. Regrettably, a huge kangaroo ran into the car from the side. Luckily he hopped away and we are still praying he is okay.

Launceston

I recently discovered that Tasmanians from Hobart and Launceston have a city rivalry. With just a short amount of time in both cities, I’d put my money on Launceston.

Tamar Valley: Pronounced tame-er, out of all the wine valleys in Tasmania we chose to tour this one. Their Pinot Noirs can be described as heavy and earthy, similar to those of Oregon in the Northwest of the US.  I had high hopes and anticipated shipping home cases and cases, but I left with just one bottle in my suitcase (interestingly from the Coal River Valley outside of Hobart). I’m not sure if my disappointment was because I don’t fully understand my own pallet, or simply because I was more surprised to learn and love their dry Rieslings, interesting Fume Blanc’s and mild Sparkling. I even revisited my old friends Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio and learnt in more detail the actual difference of the two.

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We booked a tour with Prestige Leisure Tours, and by luck we were actually the only ones booked in for the day. That meant we could customize the tour to our liking and our number one priority was to visit Bay of Fires, one of our top picks from the Pinot Palooza event we attended back in September.  But first we made a stop a Josef Chromy, the worldwide winner for their 2011 Chardonnay that was obviously, but unfortunately not available for tasting. I did however purchase the 2013 to hold on to in the hopes it will mature just as nicely as I’m told that Chardonnay is Tasmania’s best kept secret.

The favorite of the day was Dalamere Vineyard, a small family owned winery in the Pipers Brook region. We got to sit with the winemaker Fran and chat in detail about their handpicked fruits and it was pleasant to just be in a casual, non-touristy setting. Despite them being known for their excellent sparkling, I left with the most interesting of them all, the 2013 Fume Blanc.

We had lunch at Piper’s Brook Vineyard, but I was less impressed with their larger scale production and average food. We then moved on to Leaning Church, another small, picturesque vineyard with amazing views, but I found none of the wine too memorable. At the least, our fabulous driver Michael was helpful in providing recommendations on how to spend our last 24 hours in Tasmania.

Dickens Cider: offers amazing, locally produced ciders and the cute bar in downtown Launceston was a clear next stop once we returned from the wine tour. This is real cider too, thick, cloudy and only natural sugars, it was a refreshing alternative to the bottled stuff I usually drink on other occasions.

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The owner recommended and made reservations for us at the Black Cow Bistro, one of the town’s best upmarket restaurants offering Tasmania’s finest steak. Oh my, truffle béarnaise sauce on lean Tasmanian beef, despite us being quite a few drinks deep we still enjoyed the deliciousness of it all. We made one last stop off for the night, despite it being a Sunday and stumbled over to St. John Craft Beer. I was so excited to try some different beers offered on their ten or so taps but left frustrated and disappointed. The two brothers who owned the place were quite rude and unhelpful, assuming I would want just an average lager and didn’t offer tastings. It was like pulling teeth before I got handed over the amazing Kooinda Black IPA.

Coal River Valley

It was only 2 hours south down the middle of the state to the quant town of Richmond before we turned off to visit much acclaimed Frogmore Creek Wines. We had a couple of hours to kill before our flight back to Melbourne and I refused to leave without a Pinot Noir, despite the other 3 bottles of white wine in my suitcase. Unfortunately their restaurant was closed so we had a quick tasting, I bought a bottle of the 2012 42 degrees Pinot Noir and we moved on.

Coal Valley Vineyard

Coal Valley Vineyard

Coal Valley Vineyard was just a kilometer or so down the road so we turned off to enjoy an amazing cheese platter and a glass of pinot in the sunshine overlooking the vines. This was the perfect way to close off the vacation. Shortly afterward we made our way over to Barilla Bay Oyster Farm, literally a five-minute drive from the airport to try some fresh oysters before boarding our flight. The restaurant didn’t open until 5 unfortunately, so we got a plate of 12 fresh oysters from the take out counter and sat and enjoyed them on ice with a squeeze of lemon.

The Qantas Lounge in Hobart’s airport is only open until 4 pm fyi, which was really disappointing. We still had some time until our evening flight departed so sat in the airport enjoying one last pinot, Abel’s Tempest Pinot Noir, the same wine we had on our first night in Salamanca to close out the trip in a very Tassie way.

Melbourne Food & Wine, Oh So Fine


The annual Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is happening now. Should I consider these 17 days my new favorite time of year?

Despite involuntary urges to register myself for nearly every fine dining, wine sipping, foodie-mingling experience, I had to restrain myself. Instead, I opted to dabble lightly in the water-themed festivities by attending one free and one paid event.

Nestled in bustling Queensbridge Square (Southbank) and literally on the Yarra River overlooking the city is the Immersery, festival kitchen, bar and rain garden.   In theory, it’s a free event but in reality you won’t leave without being tempted to spend some cash.

The Immersery

The Immersery

The massive pop-up venue has a floating bar featuring live acoustic music, a rainforest and misting rooftop bar serving Victoria’s Seppelt, Coldstream Hills and T’Gallant wine and a tempting menu of dumplings, fine meat selections and vegetarian options crafted by leading chef’s from Melbourne’s top restaurants Silo, Añada & Bomba, Huxtable & Huxtaburger, Borrowed Space, and Tani Eat & Drink. To be honest, after spending $55 on a bottle of Coldstream Hills Chardonnay, $30 on the disappointing meat platter we roamed around to learn a bit more about green living, explored the mist of the rain garden and called it day.

My highlight of the festival however was the King and the Squire five-course degustation held at the Portland Hotel and James Squire Brewhouse last Saturday. I expected pub food and poorly matched beer pairings but left with a stomach full of exquisite deliciousness and ten beers deep.

King Island Tasting Menu, The King and The Squire

King Island Tasting Menu

Sat at long tables the event was a mix of family style sharing and individual serves all paired to the likes of James Squire beers around the theme of King Island, a small island off the coast of Tasmania known for beef, cheese and seafood. General Manager Joe kicked things off with an entertaining introduction of how they conceptualized the King Island theme around Cloud Juice and walked us through each course offering educational tips on the differences between lager and ale, the beer making process and how to pour the perfect pint.

The meal started off with a shooter size serve of gazpacho: seaweed, a hint of chili and quite rich, it was the perfect serving size and ended with a large oyster at the finish. Also, a great paring with the Orchard Crush Apple Cider.

Chilled Gazpacho

The next course was worth the money alone. As Joe finished telling us about Cloud Juice, the purest of rainwater collected on King Island and bottled to the likes of marketing influenced tourists I saw the masterpiece out of the corner of my eye being served to the next table. Huge buckets full of a seafood wonderland served on ice. Whole lobsters, razor clams, mussels, raw oysters, oysters shots, and 5 pepper fried prawns. A bucket served four people and that was overly generous. As I expertly removed the lobster meat from the claw like a seasoned professional in one pull, the experience combined with the taste sent me back to summers at the Jersey Shore.

Seafood Bucket

Our next course, and we’re nearly full at this stage, was a large portion of very rare steak, almost too rare but also so tender. Accompanied by crispy carrots covered in cinnamon, a beautifully sweet parsnip puree and oxtail dumplings exploding with flavor. While others commented the oxtail was unnecessary and too much meat on the plate I agree there could have been a green however the bitterness of the cabbage on the dumpling exterior was a nice balance to the rest of the dish. The Nine Tales Amber Ale was the perfect accompaniment to the red meat.

Eye Fillet

Whether you want desert or not when someone puts a warm chocolate fondant in front of you with fresh mint mango sorbet (the one item not from King Island yet there was no shame in admitting it), it’s impossible to say no. Paired with the Jack of Spades Porter it went handsomely with the chocolate.

King Island Cheese Platter
Mango sorbet and choc fondant

To close the day was a platter of King Island roaring 40’s blue, sharp cheddar and a soft Brie with two last beers.

After thanking the top chef Nick, Joe was more than accurate when he said, “ I think we all know the hero of the day is the cow!” I’m overly impressed with the attention to detail, serving sizes and both value and superiority of the food. Will definitely be attending a future event at the Portland Hotel.

To top it off, as I said, attention to detail, we were all given a quick tour of the brewery, sample menus from the day’s servings, and a bottle of Cloud Juice!

Cloud Juice
The Perfect Pour
James Squire Brewhouse

I crave


The first bite is nearly indescribable. On my fork is a piece of romaine, a crumb of blue cheese, a sliver of apple-wood smoked bacon and the money shot, a morsel of fried chicken doused in buffalo sauce. Mmm, delicious.

It’s not uncommon that I get asked about the food I crave from back home. Typically I just respond that nothing specific comes to mind. But it’s not until I step off the plane onto US soil and get the first grumble in my stomach that I hunger after all the foods, healthy or not, that I don’t have the opportunity to indulge in regularly here in Australia.

I’ve yet to taste the sweet and spicy combination of buffalo sauce, a hot sauce mixed with various spices, vinegar and butter usually poured over fried chicken wings, hence famous Buffalo chicken wings. A big salad with buffalo chicken or chicken wings with a side of celery and blue cheese dip is always a hot item (literally) on my list.

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Then again, no visit to Philly or South Jersey is ever complete without a traditional Philly cheesesteak.  Thinly chopped steak on an Italian roll with provolone or Cheese Whiz, with or without (onions) is the customary way to go.  It’s quite contested who has the best steak in town but if I’m around for just a short time, I’ll take any I can get my hands on. Luckily for me on my last trip home over the holidays I had the pleasure of trying Campos Deli for the first time, voted Best of Philly.

Campo's Cheesesteak

Campo’s Cheesesteak

But no cheesesteak is complete without a Yuengling, my favorite everyday lager and the oldest brewery in America. Plus, you can’t beat the price of a 6-pack for $6 compared to the appalling price of about $18 in Australia for just a mediocre brew.

Additionally, nothing compares to the convenience, quality and sheer volume of Wawa convenience stores. Growing up, there were four Wawa’s in my town and I got accustomed to quality deli sandwiches made to order. Little did I know how rare it was to find such superiority. Nothing beats a Wawa hoagie, South Jersey slang for sub or sandwich on a long roll. I wouldn’t dare walk into a 7Eleven and order food from over the counter. Once you go Wawa there is no going back.

Wawa Hoagie

Wawa Hoagie

And if I could choose to be a kid again I would go to a Wawa and pick up candy that I can only find readily in the US, like Hot Tamales, Red Vines, Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish. I’m lucky that family and friends usually remember this bit and I’m welcomed with at least one of the above.

Swedish Fish

Swedish Fish

I usually split my time between Philly/South Jersey and NYC. The city that never sleeps doesn’t fail to offer a variety of cuisines but when all is said and done, nothing beats a New York pizza slice. Think every topping you can imagine in every combination. Imagine one slice is larger than your face, and all for the price of a few dollars. Even better, you can find a slice on nearly every block at all hours of the day or night.

New York Slice

New York Slice

And while in New York a few weeks back I walked out of the cold and into a deli and just stood there in shock for a moment. I then said out loud, “Wow, look at all of this!” My friend responded, “Are you serious? What? You don’t have deli’s like this in Australia?” How could I have forgotten about the excellence of a NYC deli Panini or bagel smeared with an inch thick splattering of cream cheese. There’s nothing like it anywhere in the world.

New York Deli Panini's

New York Deli Panini’s

On the flipside, Australia has recently put their footprint on Manhattan. It started with one simple store and now it’s grown to many – Pie Face has invaded. The classic Aussie late night snack, the iconic meat pie, is now all over Manhattan. To my pleasant surprise the NYC stores carry classics such as beef and cheese, Thai chicken curry (favorite), and spinach rolls but also add an American twist by offering barbecued pulled pork and Philly cheesesteak pies. My worlds have collided.

New York Loves Pie Face
Pie Face Pies
Pie Face
Sydney lightening storm

All for gold


It happened to me. I had heard horror stories from time and time again but somehow in my arrogant travel-god mindset I thought I could escape it.

It’s 6.55 am. I’m rinsing my morning breath out with tap water from an airport hotel sink. My underwear have been put back on inside out and I just sniffed the armpits of the shirt I wore yesterday and then slept in, to see how bad the damage really is before putting it back on.

On my way to Melbourne Airport I was tense, fearing that I would miss the first leg of my long haul flight. So tense in fact, I was gripping my knee with one hand while the other was balled in a fist; giving my cab driving glaring glances anytime he slowed down or didn’t take the plunge and make a life-threatening pass by another car.  But I made it.

Even worse, I was the second to the last person to board the plane on my second leg outbound to Tokyo. I didn’t even get a chance to make it through to duty free. It was exhausting. Little did I know I’d be sitting on the runway for 2.5 hours while a horrific lightening storm engulfed Sydney. Now I feared being struck by lightening. The plane never took off that evening.

I spent the next hour or so going through immigration in reverse, then wondering why my luggage never appeared on the carrousel. There were 6 of us from Melbourne, none of our luggage made the transfer. It was the lightening’s fault.

We bound together in line to request our airport hotel voucher, along with the passengers of the other 6 flights cancelled that evening. Luckily a lovely Japanese lady bit the bullet and requested we get ours immediately, we didn’t have any luggage after all. Relieved to get a room, we then stood in line for another hour waiting for a taxi. At least I made some new friends out of it.

So here’s the funny thing. I didn’t follow the rules. You know, the standard international traveler rules. I had no clean clothes, no toothbrush or deodorant and by luck managed to sneak my phone charger in last minute otherwise would have been worse off. How could I ignore my own rules?

Flying is such an important part of my life. I have packing down to a science. I own different suitcases and travel bags for every different purpose: overnight duffle, weekend duffle, weekend wheely, work wheely, summer trip wheely backpack, long trip wheely backpack, long trip wheely duffle…I can go on. Ensuring I only pack what I can physically carry, at the same time guaranteeing I have enough outfits to not have to duplicate when possible.

When going through security my eyes scan the lines like a hawk seeing prey. I squirm at children, dodge baby strollers and avoid the elderly at all costs. I can predict the Qantas Lounge’s meals by time of day and day of the week. I know when to eat, sleep, drink, watch, and read to maximize my sleep time.

I have memorized two different frequent flyer numbers by heart. My phone apps are synced to weather in multiple cities, airline check in, currency converters, and offline maps.  My favorite day to fly is the first of the month; it’s when a new inflight magazine becomes available. I want to chat with pilots as often as I’m given the chance.

But at the end of the day I will pay for loyalty. I must admit one of my biggest bucket list items is to become Gold on Qantas. I’m envious of those who board the plane first and those that get to use the special line when going through security.

Despite my pride as the almighty entitled traveler, the tables had turned that day boarding my flight to Japan a few weeks ago. I was lucky that in the end it worked out and I arrived at a similar time to my old college roommate Holly. It made the 1.5-hour journey on the Narita Express to Tokyo, then navigating from Shinjuku Station, the busiest train station in the world, to our hotel a few blocks away a major relief.

As I logged into my Qantas Frequent Flyer account today I was overjoyed at what I saw. As of my hassle-free flight back to Australia on November 30, 2013 I am now officially Gold status!

More on Japan coming soon!

Caulfield Cup 2013

Off to the races: A day of firsts



Caulfield Cup RacebooksMy last memory of horse racing is May 2005 the day before I graduated from Towson University. Attending Preakness in Baltimore wasn’t too dissimilar to my recent racing experience but yet was on a totally different level. Imagine thousands of university students in the center of the racetrack, coolers of beer, portable radios, heat and lots of mud. Think pure debauchery and that was how I spent my last night before becoming a college graduate.

October is Spring Racing Carnival season, with a different horserace event on every Saturday in Melbourne throughout the month. The races are all about high fashion, betting and sipping champagne in the sunshine. When friends invited me to attend the Caulfield Cup, I was overjoyed to attend a big horse race from the other side of the fence. But, finding the perfect outfit was going to be tough. All the different Spring Carnival races attract a different look, and for the Caulfield Cup I was told bright colors are in. And oh, I must wear a fascinator. Yup, one of those crazy hat things just like Kate Middleton!

Caulfield Cup Racing Outfits

On the morning of I was quite self-conscious walking down the main street by myself in my fuchsia wedges and matching fascinator to meet my friends at the event. Luckily, the racetrack is only 10 minutes by train from my house and once on the platform many others in similar frock surrounded me. While waiting for my friends Susan and Henry outside the track I took a rest on the side of a wall to kill time. Luck would it have it, as I stood up to meet them I found myself stuck to the wall by bright blue gum! You’ve got to be kidding me. Dead sober, on the grounds for less then two minutes and my chic racing day outfit was fouled. A passerby suggested I just stick another piece of the dress to the gum to cover it up, and so I did and just carried on – now Googling remedies on how to remove it.

Caulfield Cup Crowd

Once inside the gates it was overwhelming to observe all the crazy outfits, hats and men in suits. We found an open spot on the grass just in front of the track, took our shoes off and lazed about in the sun while sipping on bubbly and making sporadic bets on horses that unfortunately didn’t win. I still have the sunburn to prove it. At least I learnt something new, like how to bet “both ways” and once the booze got flowing amongst the crowd it brought back memories of Preakness; women falling over, young people getting arrested, good old fashion shamelessness.

Wee Kids Ten Year Anniversary GalaWe kept it tame and left before the last race, the official   Caulfield Cup, as we were given complimentary tickets to a charity event that evening. Another first, I was eager at the opportunity to take part in both the silent and live auction. I was outbid on a 2005 bottle of Yerring Station Chardonnay that was starting at only $30 in the silent auction but happily walked away. With charity events comes flowing wine so by the time I learnt all about Wee Kids celebrating their ten-year anniversary, I was inspired to contribute.

Wee Gala Silent Auction

When an 8-bedroom house on Efate in Vanuatu for a week stay was only going for about $1000 I was convinced if we got a big group together it would be an amazing deal. As the cost exceeded $2000 and the auctioneer looked at me and said, “going once, going twice,” I really started to freak. All the sudden my friends weren’t so sure if they were still interested, likely assuming it wouldn’t have gone this far. I breathed a huge sigh of relief once I was outbid and bowed my head slowly to avoid giving any other buying signals. That was close!

We still had one last chance of winning the treasure chest of $1000 with the key that came with our raffle tickets but disappointedly didn’t win. On a high note, the live band was excellent and I was very animated when they begun strumming the first notes to Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’. Then there was the awkward moment in between the chorus when I was the only person queued in to the Jersey Shore tradition of belting out “so good, so good, so good!”

It was an amazing day of firsts: Melbourne racing, fascinator wearing, auction bidding and I’m so grateful to Susan and Henry for inviting me to share the day with them to celebrate Henry’s birthday!

Wee Kids Gala Sparklers

Happy Birthday Henry