A new pasta bar has come to occupy 214 St Georges Road and without any identifying storefront name save for the ‘good times’ sign emblazoned on the yellow façade of the building, the pasta bar is aptly known as Good Times.
Manned by Matt Piccone of Pellegrini’s fame, after his 19 years as a barista there, and his partner Julia Piccone, Pentolina has some serious Pugliese chops underpinning it.
Postmistress is great at catering to various dietary requirements – two of the pasta dishes were naturally gluten-free and pizzas came with the option of gluten-free bases.
Nearly every cuisine has its own form of dumplings, and I love each and every one of them – from the Nepalese momo, the Chinese jiaozi and the Japanese gyoza to the French quenelles and the Polish pierogi.
It’s news to no one who lives West of the city centre that Sapa Hills churns out incredible Vietnamese food, but if you, like me, aren’t as acquainted with Footscray’s finest food establishments, please head there immediately and order the ‘Sapa Hills special fried rice’.
I don’t usually venture outside my locale on weekends, preferring instead to visit places that I can reach either by foot or tram, but Shanklin Cafe’s invitation to try their fare was too good to pass up.
Long-time readers of Whatever Floats Your Bloat will know about my predilection for mock meat.
Umberto is the ideal place to celebrate a milestone if you’re not into stiff restaurants and contrived food – the dishes are honest and down-to-earth, the restaurant is charming and comfortable, and the waitstaff are pleasant to a fault.
Espresso Alley is a cutesy local on a somewhat deserted strip in Northcote that I’m glad exists because it means grocery shopping can be fun every once in a while.
We walked around the main high street of Yarraville, which had a busy and festive feel to it despite the cold, until we eventually settled on Cornershop – a cosy and inviting restaurant bathed in warm yellow light and clad in timber joinery, yet not so packed that we couldn’t get a seat.
Whatever Floats Your Bloat 