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The Alehouse Project, Brunswick East

Paul

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24 February 2013

The Alehouse Project is a bar in Brunswick East that sells a carefully selected choice of craft beers from both Australian brewers and from around the world. If you haven’t been to the area for a while, you might remember that the space was formerly the Comfortable Chair. Let me assure you, the Alehouse bears little resemblance to the bar of old, with owners Andy Tynan and Alex Summers having given the place a complete overhaul, creating one of Melbourne’s best craft beer venues in the process.

The space is quite open, and the guys have done great things with what is a small venue.

There are other bars who have more extensive collections of beer, yes, however often these bars follow the mantra of quantity over quality – claims of having over 200 beers from around the world are made for example, but many of those beers are either unavailable, or quite mainstream and nothing special. At the Alehouse, every beer on offer is there for a reason.

The selection is not static either. Each time I’ve been to the Alehouse there’s always something new to try. This is no small feat given that I’m there once a week for the great quiz night that they have on Wednesdays at 7:30pm. Hosted by Ivan from Funky Bunch Trivia, the quiz is great fun, very interactive, and tests a broad range of knowledge. If that’s not enough to convince you, there’s also a $75 bar voucher on offer for the winner and a round of drinks for the team that comes second last.

Generally you’ll find either Alex or Scott behind the bar, and it’s clear to see that these guys are passionate about good beer. They are always up for a chat and more than happy to tell you what’s going on with every single beer that’s on offer.

Special mention needs to go to the recently installed hand pump too. I hadn’t had a proper real ale since leaving the UK over a year ago, and was very happy to see that not only was there a real ale attached to the hand pump, but that it was locally brewed too!

To show you the variety of the beers on offer, here is a list of what is currently on tap.

Pipsqueak Apple Cider, WA
Southern Bay Lager, Vic
Little Creatures Pale Ale, Vic
Moo Brew Heffeweizen, Tas
Red Duck Amber Ale, Vic
Mornington Peninsula Sorachi Kolsch, Vic
Dark Horse Raspberry Fruit Ale, USA
Bridgeport Hop Tzar Imperial IPA, USA
Feral Hop Hog IPA, WA
Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA, USA
Epic Coffee & Fig Imperial Stout, NZ
MOA Methode Pilsner, NZ

The selection of bottled beers is equally impressive. On Wednesday I tried the Nøgne Ø Hystrix IPA, a craft beer from Norway which contained rye, oats, kaffir lime and tangerine juice. I also tried the Brew Dog Punk IPA from Scotland, which contained hints of tropical fruit and caramel.

The other week, there was the “Scarlet Sour” on tap from nearby Temple Brewery, which is a Berliner Weisse flushed through a bed of hibiscus flowers and fermented with cranberries. Another favourite of mine which has just come off the taps is the Maledetta Saison from Italy’s Birra del Borgo which had an intense citrus and flowery nose. A limited release beer, it’s no longer available and the fact that the Alehouse has beers like this on tap is a wonderful thing indeed.

The vibe is really relaxed and friendly and there’s always a good crowd in there, but it’s never too crowded (the reason it looks empty in the photos is because I got in early before the quiz midweek). There’s an arcade machine at the back with all the old games like Pac Man and Space Invaders on it, and a great little beer garden too.

I wasn’t eating on the night that I took these photos, but the Alehouse has a solid selection of Gastropub meals on offer. Highlights include the lamb salad, antipasto board and charcuterie board. A new chef started just this week, and will be revamping the menu. Originally from the UK and having worked at Melbourne’s Pei Modern, things have the potential to get very interesting on the food front soon.

The Alehouse also sells wine and spirits for those of you that aren’t fans of beer.

It’s always nice when a place like the Alehouse comes along, where the owners have a real passion for what they do, and the focus is on encouraging customers to discover new things. If you’re in the area (or even if you’re not) and you appreciate quality beer, the Alehouse is certainly worth checking out. Quality beer, quality food, great service and a real “local” vibe.

The Alehouse Project

98 – 100 Lygon St
Brunswick East
Victoria 3057
Australia

Telephone: (03) 9387 1218
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.thealehouseproject.com.au

Open
Tue – Fri: 3pm to late
Sat – Sun: 12pm to late

The Real Downton Abbey: Highclere Castle

Paul

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20 February 2013

2

Downton Abbey, the hugely popular ITV British period drama is set in a fictional Yorkshire country estate called Downton Abbey. The real Downton Abbey is actually Highclere Castle in Hampshire, which is where exterior shots of the Abbey and most of the interior shots are filmed.

I visited Highclere Castle a few months before the Downton Abbey first aired, and I had no idea about it at all. I was staying in nearby Newbury, as a base to explore the area and have dinner at the Marco Pierre-White owned restaurant “The Yew Tree” (which was excellent by the way). It was only when I was coming home one day, about a year later, that I noticed several advertisements at Earl’s Court Underground Station advertising the DVD release of Season 1 of “Downton Abbey”. I thought to myself “wait a second, I’ve been there!”, as I noticed the instantly recognisable Highclere Castle in the background.

Unfortunately, interior photography is forbidden at Highclere Castle, so I am only able to provide you with photos of the exterior and the grounds of the real Downton Abbey.

One of the many interesting facts about Highclere Castle is that it’s not technically a castle, but rather a house.

There is evidence that a house of some description stood on this site since the 8th century. Since 1679, Highclere has been home to the Carnarvon family, and it is this family who were involved in transforming Highclere into the building that stands today.

Up until 1839, Highclere was a classical mansion however the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon wanted something in the Jacobethan style, so commissioned Sir Charles Barry to remodel the house, after he had finished working on the Houses of Parliament in London.

Barry was a huge fan of the Renaissance revival movement of the time, and called his remodelling “Anglo-Italian”. The Earl was not a fan of this style, so Barry’s final design was more Jacobethan as the Earl had wanted, but with Renaissance influences – most noticeably the towers and the exterior strap-work designs.

Work on the interior of the castle was completed in 1878 by supervised by Thomas Allom, one of Barry’s colleagues (Barry had died in 1860).

The grounds were rebuilt much earlier, between 1774-1777, and in fact an entire village was relocated in the process.

In the early 20th century, Highclere started to house a large selection of Egyptian artefacts and was quite popular with the English aristocracy.

During the First World War, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon, Lady Almina, turned the Castle into a hospital, and patients began to arrive from Flanders in September 1914. The Countess herself became a nurse during this time and helped to treat the wounded.

Between the two World Wars, in 1922, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon and a co-explorer discovered King Tut’s tomb, which brought much attention to Highclere.

During the Second World War, the Castle briefly became a home for evacuee children from north London.

The actual tour itself is very worthwhile. You get to walk through many beautiful grand rooms, including the Bedrooms, Saloon, State Dining Room, Library, Music Room, Drawing Room and Smoking room. Each room is opulently decorated and there is lots of information on hand about what you are seeing, as well as employees walking about who can provide you with more information.

The area that I found most interesting was the Kitchen and the Servant’s Quarters. It was almost as if there was an entire society of servants living under the Castle, completely in charge of making sure that everything ran smoothly. Reading about the whole system of servitude in the castle was both fascinating and shocking.

The gardens might be more beautiful during the spring and summer, but they have a great, atmosphere about them in the colder months too.

There is a cafe on site, and in addition to the usual snacks and lunch options, there is offered a traditional English morning/afternoon tea of scones, cream, jam and tea. It was very tasty, and the first time I’d ever had a traditional English morning tea.

Travel, Memory And The Passage Of Time

Opinion

Paul

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18 February 2013

0

Since returning to Australia, I’ve slowly been getting through the back catalogue of photos that I took during my travels in 2011, and blogging about those travels. Something that I have thought about quite often is the question of how my posts about my 2011 travels might differ being made in 2013 compared to if they had been made in 2011, by reason of my ability to recall each trip.

That is, how has each post been affected by memory and the passage of time?

“Decay Theory” proposes that memory fades due to the mere passage of time. “Interference Theory” on the other hand, proposes that memory fades due to successive interfering events. There is evidence to support both theories, and the actuality of what happens probably with a combination of the two. What is not in dispute though, is that we do forget things. Time passes, the present moves to the forefront of our minds, and the past is pushed back.

A few days ago on Twitter, someone I follow retweeted a tweet by Holly Branson (Richard Branson’s Daughter). This got me thinking about Virgin, and a job interview that I had at Virgin’s head office in ?, London a few years back …and there it was, the question mark.

What was the area in which the office was located? It was in Hammersmith, the spot and associated road connected Shepherd’s Bush Road to Hammersmith Road. When I used to walk home from work, I’d sometimes cut through here as an alternate route, perhaps once a week. What was it called though?

When I was living in London, it would have been at the top of my mind, available for recollection without any effort, yet here I was straining my mind, determined not to look it up on the Internet. After a few minutes, and a nice shower to wake me up, it suddenly came to me – Brook Green! I was quite happy that I’d been able to finally remember the name without resorting to any other sources, but was also saddened by the fact that my memories of London were slipping. Something that was a part of weekly life less than 2 years ago was now just a memory, not important enough for my mind to give priority to.

What does this say then, about the content of the posts that I am making in 2013 about travels that occurred in 2011? Am I forgetting to post about certain interesting things? Are any of my words and recollections unintentionally incorrect? By contrast, are my posts more focused because my mind has let the “fluff” disappear and only the relevant information and experiences remain? Is the content better because instead of being clouded by the immediate excitement of the experience, I am recalling these adventures with the benefit of hindsight?

Memory has been proven time and time again to be a very imperfect, fallible thing. Most of the “forgetting” that occurs in our brains actually occurs immediately after the event. Memory is highly prone to suggestion and other distorting influences. In fact there is strong evidence to suggest that about 25% of individuals can be easily induced to remember events that never happened to them – false memories that feel completely real.

Memory is a fascinating area of research, and one that has really exploded since the 1990s and continues to be an area of great focus for cognitive psychologists today. Exploring this any further would be far outside the scope of this post, but needless to say the more one reads about the mind, and the “shifting sands” that are the landscapes of our memories, the more one questions just how accurate their memory is – certainly so in the context of writing travel blog updates in 2013 that relate to 2011 travels!

Think of examples that you might have encountered yourself? Have you found yourself amongst a group of friends, sharing a story, when one of you recalled a “fact” which not everyone who was present at the event is convinced occurred, or occurred in the manner being described? Have you found someone incorporating an event that occurred while traveling on one occasion into a completely unrelated instance of travel – knowing that they are wrong but they are completely oblivious to it?

Scary isn’t it?

What then, is the best way for me to ensure that what I’m writing is accurate? To ensure that what I’m telling you on this blog is the complete truth? Keep a diary as both a place where things that have been forgotten can be recalled, and where things that have been recalled can be checked. This is something that I’ve never done before, but will certainly start to do on my travels going forward.

It is clear that if I had blogged about some of my 2011 travels in 2011, the content and structure of the posts would have been very different to what it is in 2013. In some ways, blog posts made as close in time to the event are the best blog posts, but in other ways, blog posts can also benefit from the passage of time, certainly if the majority of forgetting occurs only moments after the event takes place.

Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in the middle? Keeping a diary to ensure factual accuracy, and allowing the passage of a few weeks so that the excitement of the experience can be tempered with some hindsight and reassessment?

There’s certainly no correct answer to this, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it in the comments section below. I think it’s certainly a topic that would benefit from some further insightful brainstorming.

Oh and by the way, I never got the job at Virgin. Overqualified they said!

Liebster Award Nomination

Paul

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17 February 2013

2

The Liebster awards are an interesting idea. There is no prize, there is no official body, and there are no commercial interests behind the scenes. How they started, nobody knows.

What they are is a way for new bloggers to discover other new blogs and get to know everyone else out there in the community. I think it’s a great idea. Since I’ve started blogging properly, I’ve been amazed at how the whole travel blogger community works. Although I’ve come across exceptions to this, generally speaking it’s just a bunch of like-minded people sharing their experiences and giving each other advice. Much more useful and informative than any travel guide book could ever be!

When you are nominated you are meant to:
1. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
2. Answer 11 questions given by the person who nominated you.
3. Nominate 11 new bloggers to pass on the fun (these should be new blogs with less than 200 followers, however I’ve selected ones I follow with less than 1,000 followers simply because I don’t have 11 with less than 200 followers to nominate yet).
4. Write 11 questions for those bloggers to answer.

My blog was nominated by Diana at Diana Meets The Locals, a Canadian traveller who has a style of travel that I love – namely seeing the cities she visits through the eyes of the locals. Thanks for the nomination Diana. It’s always encouraging to know that there are people out there who are actually reading this thing I’m dedicating so much time to and enjoying it 🙂

Now without further ado…

Random Facts About Myself

I’m a sucker for punishment. 8 years at university studying Law and Commerce, and I decided to take my legal training further and qualify as a lawyer this year, even though I have no interest working in the law.
My favorite city in the world is fluid, and can be Hong Kong, London or New York depending on the day.
I felt more at home living in London then I ever did living in my hometown of Perth.
I partially broke away from the daily grind and moved towards a life of travel, but was pulled back by circumstances. Currently I’m in the process of working towards the perfect balance of life/travel integration.
I get bored and distracted very easily. I need to be constantly challenged in order to be focused. In fact, I’m supposed to be writing an essay right now.
I’m getting married in May this year.
I’m a chocoholic.
I’m a perfectionist.
I like avocado in cheeseburgers.
I seem to have amassed quite a collection of cookbooks, more than one person should ever need or want.
Despite being Australian, I don’t like hot weather and am “meh” when it comes to the beach. Don’t get me wrong, I can certainly appreciate the beauty of a great beach and the freshness of the air, but I’m not obsessed by it.

Questions from Diana

What’s your earliest travel memory? My earliest travel memory is when I was quite young, still in primary school, and my parents, myself and my brother (I only had one sibling back in those days – the other two were yet to come along), would drive 2 hours south of Perth to a town called Bunbury. It’s a small city, and we’d always stay at the same hotel. I thought it was so cool having the hotel pool and breakfast with the little cereal packets and conveyor belt toaster.
What’s the most difficult language you’ve tried to speak and why? The most difficult language I’ve tried to speak is Hungarian. Firstly, it’s a language of its own and has no relation to any other language on this planet. Secondly, I’d already been travelling for a while, learning new languages every few weeks and by the time I got to Hungary and saw how different it all was (and the fact that I was only going to spend 3 days there) I admitted defeat. Somewhere along the line however, for reasons I cannot even fathom, I picked up how to say “gopher” in Hungarian!
If you had to pick – would you rather have comfortable shoes on your travels or a discount on all your transportation costs? Comfortable shoes. I am the kind of traveller who can spend an entire day wandering aimlessly through a city on foot. I need my feet to be at the top of their game.
Which country do you honestly have zero interest in visiting? Would it be a cop-out to say none? I would honestly visit anywhere at least once, just to see what was on offer. Some of the most insightful experiences come from doing things that we may not have ever thought we would have wanted to do.
What’s your favourite travel magazine? I know Monocle magazine isn’t a dedicated travel mag as such, but there’s always a heap of travel and international type articles in there. Generally aimed at people with a lot more money than me, but always a great read.
What topic in the travel blogging genre is your favourite to write about? Food. I really enjoy discovering great food places and trying new things to eat, and I think it’s no coincidence that these have been the most popular posts on my blog.
Do you think you could travel for 5 years without stopping? Could I? Yes. Would I want to? Probably not – I’d want to have a break every now and then to get my mind straight and chill out. Of course I suppose if the breaks are small and not necessarily in one’s hometown, then perhaps they form part of the travel?
What’s your best tip for meeting the locals? Eat and drink with them. Good food and conversation is a unifying force the world over.
Do you have any new tips or tricks for keeping your valuables safe on the road? Bring as little as possible!
Do any certain scents or smells bring back memories of past travels for you? When I walk past certain South East Asian restaurants, I sometimes get a whiff of something that transports me right back to Singapore or Hong Kong.
Where are you going on your next adventure? Vietnam for 2 weeks in May. Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hanoi. I’m very excited.

Questions For My Nominees

What is your most visited city in the world?
Given the option, train or plane?
How much pre planning do you do before arriving at your destination?
What is the most unusual thing on your travel bucket-list?
What is the best meal you have ever eaten (can be on holidays or at home)?
Are you a morning or a night-time person?
Which do you prefer? Group or solo travel?
What is the most uncharacteristic thing you’ve done while travelling that put you out of your comfort zone?
Does home still feel like home to you?
What was the first experience that really made you realise that there was a whole world out there that you wanted to explore?
What is the most “touristy” thing that you’ve done/seen that genuinely impressed you?

My Nominees

Megan Hogarth @PegsontheLine
Victoria Milner @milnerguide
Kristy Carlson @KristyJCarlson
Alana Morgan @alana_morgan
Globetrotting Canuck @globetrotcanuck
Lori Louise Miles @Lori_LMUKevents
Tamarisk @TamariskRTW
Susan @TravelWithSuze
Veve Kristanti @Ekrist
Nicole Durbin @njdurbin
Suzanne H @cooktraveleat

So You Want To Travel – Part 2, Passports & Visas

Travel

Paul

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13 February 2013

4

Now that you’ve made the decision to travel, and have your plan, what’s next? Some of the things I say here might sound obvious, but they are all essential.

Firstly, make sure your passport is up-to-date. By this, I don’t just mean a passport that has not yet expired, but a passport that has sufficient time on it to allow you to travel. Some countries won’t let you in unless you have at least a certain amount of time left on your passport. For example to enter Thailand, you need a passport that has at least 6 months of validity. To enter Turkey, you need at a passport that has at least 6 months of validity, and 3 months from the expected date of departure. If you know what country you are going to be travelling to, then make sure you have what you need. If not, 6 months of validity is a good starting point.

This leads on to the issue of visa requirements. Depending on the nation that has issued the passport you are travelling on, there will be different requirements as to whether or not you need an entry visa, how long the visa will be valid for, what restrictions it places on you etc. A lot of countries have visa waiver programs which means that if your country has entered into a visa waiver agreement with a country that you want to visit, you won’t need a visa (note that this doesn’t mean that you can stay indefinitely – there will almost always be a 30, 60, 90 day maximum stay limit for those entering a country for the purposes of leisure).

Some countries will let you get your visa upon arrival, and some will require you to go to the embassy in your home country before you travel, or apply online. Make sure you do your research. There are certainly circumstances where you can chance it (for example, fellow blogger Nate from Yomadic arrived in Iran with no visa, and was able to sort things out and enter) however you might not always be so lucky (I had another friend who didn’t get his visa for the Ukraine arranged before arrival and he was not allowed into the country). If you can avoid leaving it up to pot luck and how nice the customs officer on duty that day is, you should.

You also need to be aware of any other entry requirements that a country might have. For example when travelling to the United States, citizens of countries that have a visa waiver agreement with the United States are still required to be electronically authorised to travel (get an ESTA) on the internet before they travel. Essentially, it’s a small administrative fee that the US Government is charging visitors so that they can pay for all those new full body scanners they bought. You never know when a country might introduce something like this so it’s always wise to check.

One final thing to be aware of, is that if you intend to travel to 2 countries that aren’t exactly the best of friends, you might have hassles getting into one of the countries if the customs officer looks at your passport and sees that you have visited the other country; for example entering the United States after having visited Iran. What some governments offer (for example the Australian Government) is the ability to be issued with a second passport. You can then avoid the hassles by travelling to the different counties on different passports. You won’t be issued with a second passport without good reason – look at the rules/legislation and see if your situation fits the requirements.

Do you have any tips or experiences on this matter to share?

Split: Fresh Food Paradise

Paul

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10 February 2013

2

The food in Split is amazing. Mediterranean dishes, with a focus on fresh, seasonal, local ingredients is what you can expect when you visit.

Throughout my time in Split, the one common theme was on simplicity, and letting the ingredients really shine through. The only seasoning in many instances was extra virgin olive oil and salt.

There is a lot more to food in Croatia than what I will be covering here today. This post is all about the simple, fresh stuff, and a few tips on where to eat in Split.

Of all the places that my fiancée and I ate at, there was one that really stood out – so much in fact that we had 3 meals there.

Konoba (which means restaurant) Matejuska is a little hole in the wall seafood restaurant with a few tables and no menu. Each morning whatever is fresh at the market is selected and the waiter brings out a plate of fresh, raw seafood, containing the options for that day.

On our first visit we chose a serve of the tuna fillet a whole hake steak and a third fish I can not recollect the name of. A traditional salad and fresh bread are provided as standard.

On the second night we tried the sea bass. We also asked if there was squid available. Unfortunately, there was no none but the chef made us a black ink cuttlefish risotto which was sublime.

On the third night we got fried whitebait and small prawns which you could eat whole. The serving of it in the brown paper was a neat touch. We also had scampi, which were amazing.

There was still no squid on the menu on this night. The waiter knew that we were coming back and told us that they had gone to the market that morning but all the squid looked like it had been caught previously to that day, and that they would not serve anything that they could guarantee was caught that morning.

The meals were all very inexpensive, especially considering the quality of the food. One of the best restaurants in Split in my opinion and highly recommended. Here is a link to their website, which is in English.

Still on the topic of seafood, these guys would set up just outside of the fish market in the city centre and start grilling squid and sardines late in the afternoon. Served on bread, with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, they were the perfect late afternoon snack.

You can’t really tell in the photo below, but the guy on the grill may or may not have been Steve Buscemi. The resemblance was uncanny.

Split’s fish market is open from 8am – 10am and is where all the fisherman come each morning to display the day’s catch. It’s gets quite loud and hectic inside, and the atmosphere is great. It’s worth visiting just to observe the daily ritual. These photos were taken as the market was closing, hence why it doesn’t look so busy.

Beyond seafood, Split also has a great daily market with all kinds of produce and other bits and pieces for sale. The produce here was really good and it’s not just a tourist market. It was full of locals doing their daily shopping.

The daily market is located in the city centre near the ferry wharf and bus terminal.

Do you have any recommendations of places to eat in Split, or any dining tales to share? If so I’d love to hear about them below in the comments section.

30 Rock, Not Just A TV Show

Paul

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7 February 2013

2

The final episode of 30 Rock aired on NBC last week, and with it, we say goodbye to a treasure-trove of witty (and not so witty) comedy and subtle (and not so subtle) pop culture references. 7 seasons and 137 episodes certainly wasn’t a bad effort for a show that, despite its critical acclaim and awards, never rated that well and certainly never aimed for the mainstream. Kudos goes to NBC for sticking with it, a rarity in the world of US network television these days (FX’s Louie being another notable exception).

30 Rock the television show might have ended, relegated to the land of late night reruns, however the skyscraper that lent its nickname to the show – The General Electric (“GE”) Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza (“30 Rock”) remains very much alive.

30 Rock is part of the Rockefeller Center, which is a complex of 19 art deco commercial buildings covering 22 acres between 48^th and 51^st street, spanning the area between 5^th and 6^th avenue in New York City. The Rockefeller Center is a truly mind-blowing complex and when I saw it for the first time; I can say that the oft overused word, awesome, was appropriate in its literal sense – it truly does inspire awe.

Completed in 1933, 30 Rock is the centrepiece of the Rockefeller Center at 70 stories tall (266 m). The building has for a long time been referred to as 30 Rock, however it was officially called the RCA Building until 1998, when GE took over RCA. One of 30 Rock’s claims to fame is that it is the headquarters of NBC, and home to most of NBC’s New York studios. The Rockefeller family’s offices are on the 54-56^th floors.

The famous photo of workers having lunch while sitting on a steel beam without safety harnesses “Lunch atop a skyscraper”, taken by Charles C. Ebbets in 1932 was taken during the construction of 30 Rock. At the front of the Plaza, on the sidewalk are street vendors selling food and other goods.

I had never actually seen 30 Rock when I visited the building. The reason for visiting (apart from the fact that the Rockefeller Plaza with 30 Rock as the centrepiece, is pretty hard to miss when walking along that part of 5^th avenue) is because I knew it from many movies. In 1936, the lower promenade had an ice skating rink installed, and it has been used in scenes for countless movies over the years. It’s one of those places that, even though you’ve never been before, seems very familiar.

It also didn’t hurt that Lego’s flagship store and Nintendo World are located here too!

The Rockefeller Plaza is full of public art, the largest and most impressive piece being the Statue of Atlas which was installed at the front of the centre in 1937.

The other famous building that is part of the Rockefeller Center is Radio City Music Hall. Completed in 1932, it was originally used to showcase movies and stage shows, but since 1979 has been used by touring performers and for special events, such as the Grammys and Tony Awards.

Whether you’re a fan of 30 Rock the television show, 30 Rock the building, or both, I hope you enjoyed my mini tour of the Rockefeller Plaza, and maybe learned something new.

Do you have any interesting 30 Rock facts you’d like to share below? I’m an information sponge, and would love to hear what you have to say about both the television show and the building.

Melbourne Meets Williamsburg: 10 Minutes In Fitzroy

Paul

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6 February 2013

2

Fitzroy is Melbourne’s first and smallest suburb (or neighbourhood or borough, as suburbs are called in some cities around the world), and is where Melbourne meets Williamsburg. Yes, Fitzroy is the hipster heartland of Melbourne.

Melbourne is full of very distinct neighbourhoods, each offering up something to appeal to someone. Fitzroy was a run down, former industrial suburb full of social housing blocks and drug fuelled violence, Fitzroy has completely transformed over the past decade to become “the spot” for the trendy Melburnian who want a bit of grit-lite in their lives. The suburb has already gentrified to a large extent, with property values being high enough to make buying in the area out of the reach of the very artists and creative types that kicked off the area’s resurgence in the first place.

Former grungy bars, with the occasional fight, have now become expensive restaurants serving amazing food that those living in the council blocks across the road could never hope to afford. A recent article in one of Melbourne’s newspapers, The Age, even stated that the government is considering knocking down the council towers and replacing them with something “nicer” and more diverse – i.e. less social housing and more retail space for boutiques and cafes.

The gentrification of Fitzroy therefore shows non signs of abating. Some would argue that the suburb has been ruined, others would argue that it’s only getting better. Is Fitzroy, today, a great suburb to visit and hang out in? Yes. There’s great food, great bars, great little shops, and a great vibe. Was it better before? I don’t know. Will it be better or worse in the future? Who knows.

My fiancée needed to grab some supplies for the wedding invitation she is making, so we stopped in Brunswick Street, which is in the heart of Fitzroy, for about 10 minutes. I will take a more focused look at Fitzroy in a future post, but for enjoy my 10 minute tour of the suburb.

I wanted to take more photos of people, and Fitzroy generally offers up plenty of opportunities to take photos of all sorts of characters. Unfortunately, at 11 am on a weekday, the streets were rather quiet. One thing that Melbourne unfortunately lacks outside of the CBD is that constant transient tourist population that keeps areas such as this really alive outside of standard recreational hours.

One of the many famous Melbourne trams that buzz around the city and its inner suburbs.

It wouldn’t be a hipster heartland without the ubiquitous fixie. These bikes are all over the place in Fitzroy.

There are lots of little popup cafes and markets dotted down the side streets of Fitzroy.

There are also lots of laneways, strewn with a combination of amazing street art and not so amazing tagging. Most are safe, some are not.

Split: Winding Venetian Stone Laneways

Paul

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4 February 2013

2

Split is a town that I thoroughly enjoyed visiting. I never had any real great desire to visit Croatia, however my fiancée’s grandmother is from Split and it’s one of her favourite cities. I’m always up for a new adventure, even to somewhere I’ve never given much attention to visiting, so off we went.

Split is everything that one thinks about when thinking about a Mediterranean city. Beautiful weather, beautiful beaches, vibrant, chilled town that parties (in a chilled out way of course) at night, fresh seafood, and plenty of opportunities to relax.

I spent a few days here, and could have easily spend a few more, chilling out and doing nothing.

Split is also one of the oldest cities on the Dalmatian coast, and the second largest city in Croatia. “Modern” Split is just over 1,700 years old counting from the construction of Roman Emperor’s Diocletian’s Palace in AD 305, however there has been settlement here since at least the 6th century BC (evidence of a Greek settlement from this time has been found).

There is a heavy Venetian influence throughout the UNESCO listed historical centre of Split’s Old Town, and the stone laneways, which open up into grand plazas are a wonder to explore.

Along with the historical sights, there are lots of little boutiques, cafes, restaurants and bars to discover. Some obvious to the naked eye, some hidden down smaller lane ways and side paths.

The whole town is very busy in the summer, with a great influx of tourists but unlike most places that I’ve been to in Europe, the tourists add to the vibe in a positive way. I think it’s because there’s nothing “touristy” to do as such. Everyone’s there just to chill out and it shows.

This was set up for, I don’t think any particular reason other than to practice. There was a wedding nearby but it didn’t look like this was set up for the specifically. Regardless, everyone who decided to sit and watch was treated to a free classical music concert. The music fit the location perfectly.

Split’s Old Town rewards those who look for more than the obvious. One strong word od advice is to look up. You’ll see whole other aspects of the city.

These motorised carts seem to be one of the most popular ways for people to delivery things to and from the various businesses in the Split’s Old Town.

Albert St Food & Wine, Brunswick

Paul

-

3 February 2013

0

Albert St Food & Wine Brunswick is a restaurant in Melbourne that was recently awarded one hat in the Age Good Food Guide 2013 (the first restaurant in Brunswick to receive a hat). Housed in a former bank building, the interior is modern and minimalist – timber floors, white walls, and a high ceiling.

The food is modern Mediterranean, and is focused on local, seasonal ingredients. As such, the menu does change. The executive chef, Philippa Sibley, is famous for her dessert and pastries (her previous roles include stints at Harvey’s in London and the 3 Michelin starred La Cote Saint Jacques in Paris).

All of the food at Albert St is great, however Sibley’s experience with desserts is plain to see, and they are without a doubt the highlight of the menu.

The wine and beer list includes a focused collection from, France, Italy, Spain and Australia.

There is also a small section to the side of the main bar area that sells a selection of produce and wine.

Service is attentive and friendly, and the vibe is very casual and unpretentious. This was my 3^rd visit, and I am sure I will be back again.

The butter that comes with bread at the start of the meal has been dubbed ” Pip’s whip”, and is a Belgian butter, tinted green from the basil that’s been blended with olive oil and emulsified through it. It’s a subtle touch, and provides something different from the usual. In fact, “Pip’s whip” provides a good summary of what the food at Albert St is all about – familiar, but with subtle, unexpected twists.

Charcuterie board “A variety of Fuet anis, guanciale, morcon, proscuitto, salchichon, salami all with grissini, house made watermelon rind pickle, giardiniera” ($20)

Very simple and tasty. You know what you’re going to get. The rind pickle had quite an unexpected flavour to it.

Heirloom gazpacho, spanner crab, avocado, olive oil sorbet ($20)

This was my favourite dish of the day. The flavours were so fresh and the colours so vibrant. The dish screamed “summer” and the olive oil sorbet just added that extra layer of subtlety to it.

Portuguese sardines, caper, currant dressing, pinenuts ($16)

I’m not generally a fan of sardines, however they were not over-salted as is often the case and tasted really good.

Green beans, red wine onions, almonds, goats curd ($12)

This simple side provided the biggest surprise for me. I can generally leave or take beans, however these beans, while not raw, were very crispy, in a good way. I really enjoyed them.

Pizza – Albert St special – roasted peppers, pork & fennel sausage, smoked mozzarella ($18)

This pizza was great. The sausage was the definite highlight, with a beautiful taste and texture and a very subtle taste of aniseed.

Meyer Lemon Tart ($16)

While not as fancy looking as some of the other desserts, the Meyer Lemon Tart is Albert St’s signature dessert, so I thought it was about time that I gave it a try. It might look basic, but it’s unlike any tart you’ve ever had. The filling has the texture of a very light custard, and is not overpoweringly sweet, but perfectly balanced. The base has a very airy, light quality to it and was completely unexpected. It was definitely the right choice to end the meal.

Albert St Food & Wine

Corner of Albert St & 382 Sydney Rd
Brunswick
Victoria 3056
Australia

Telephone: (03) 8354 6600
Fax: (03) 8354 6611
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.albertst.com.au

Open
Tue – Fri: Lunch & dinner, 12pm to late
Sat – Sun: Breakfast, lunch & dinner 9am to late

Bookings can be made, but it’s not essential.

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Albert St Food & Wine, Brunswick

Charcuterie board “A variety of Fuet anis, guanciale, morcon, proscuitto, salchichon, salami all with grissini, house made watermelon rind pickle, giardiniera” ($20)

Heirloom gazpacho, spanner crab, avocado, olive oil sorbet ($20)

Portuguese sardines, caper, currant dressing, pinenuts ($16)

Green beans, red wine onions, almonds, goats curd ($12)

Pizza – Albert St special – roasted peppers, pork & fennel sausage, smoked mozzarella ($18)

Meyer Lemon Tart ($16)

Albert St Food & Wine

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