Will I ever get to the bottom of Melbourne’s funkiness? Probably not. Clearly CJ and I will never be able to return to Perth. There’s just too much going on: too many restaurants and cafés to visit, too many shops with notices in the window insisting I enter. Like Gertrude St in Collingwood/Fitzroy. I’ve only just discovered the joy that is Gertrude Street. Take Industria for example. It sells ex-industrial furniture, old medical equipment and vintage medical models and diagrams, chemistry equipment, vintage maps and even vintage clothing, jewellery and accessories. Um, Perth doesn’t have shops like this.
You can even get a decent decaf from Arcadia on Gertrude St (although I hear Birdman Eating are good too), and that’s saying something. A decent decaf is ridiculously hard to find. The best by a long shot is from Cornershop in Yarraville, who do THE best soy decaf (with the almighty Bon Soy as the soy milk du jour) ever. My other great love in Yarraville (apart from The Sun cinema and Plump of course), is the newly opened Green Collective, an awesome shop that sells second-hand designer label clothes for $25 and under and a great collection of fair trade and green products. They have free fruit in the store that people from the neighbourhood bring in, and they’re basically a pretty awesome bunch of people. If you pay them a visit soon you can grab some grapefruit from our tree that’s been exploding with fruit in our yard for the past month!
Our other great love so far is Balzari in Carlton whose Chestnut Cjalsons with montasio cheese filled pasta with sage and muscatel burro cotto (cooked butter) is so good it just about makes you cry. Go there. Eat it. Now.
Next weekend we’re off to explore Northcote… without the wallet methinks.
café
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9 Comments
September 22, 2009 at 11:26 am
Can you believe I’ve lived in Australia for 42 years and I have never been to Melbourne, Simonne? I am very sedentary. Where is that post on the bum exercises again?
September 22, 2009 at 11:43 am
Yes actually, I can believe, because when we moved here it the was first time I’d ever been here and I was the ripe old age of 35.
(And it’s good to see you found the bum post, but I do worry about you doing all the exercises sitting down, m’dear.)
You have NO excuses not to come to Melbourne for a visit now! Please some and see Maxine and me!
September 22, 2009 at 11:56 am
That could well be the review that tips my belongings through the straw and into the elephants hole, Simonne, though I am still suspicious about the ‘decent decaf’ claim. :{
September 23, 2009 at 11:25 am
I assume that means you might want to come here? Not familiar with this elephant hole expression. Made me think of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXEfZ82-JG4
Or even this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjjjjjj/582396461/
September 22, 2009 at 9:13 pm
I’ve been in that place as well… Industria, is it called? I spent half an hour walking around, (it’s pretty big) trying to work out what kind of a store it actually was. They’ve got a vast collection of maps and text books from rural Australia 1930’s and all kinds of bizarre things. I’ve lived in Melbourne my whole life and I know there’s so many great little discoveries, but I often just dwell within my St Kilda/Elwood village. You make me feel like exploring again Simonne. You also make me hungry.
September 23, 2009 at 11:28 am
Industria is big and bizarre. I had another look in my lunch break today; it’s also very expensive (except for the vintage clothes).
It’s so common that we stick to our own favourite little nooks and hang-outs, isn’t it? I haven’t been to Elwood village yet, will have to add it to my list.
Go exploring, go, my son! And partake of delicious morsels along the way.
September 23, 2009 at 9:00 am
That last thing, that thing with the butter, I want that RIGHT NOW.
I love moving for exactly that excitement of discovery. It’s been a while since we last upped stakes… but we’re making ourselves get out and explore Sydney more.
BTW, I have a strange love of odd bits of medical equipment. I have no idea why. Whenever I find a store that sells it, I get quite excited. I haven’t given in to this fascination so far, but that store sounds like the perfect place to send me over the edge…
September 23, 2009 at 11:30 am
Yes, you’d love it. Definitely one of the best dishes I’ve ever had anywhere.
I’m sure Sydney would take as long I think it’s going to take me to explore Melbourne! Have fun!
You’d so love Industria given your penchant for medical things! Come and visit me and we’ll go shopping and buy weird stuff!
September 24, 2009 at 11:43 am
[...] by Simonne Michelle-Wells re-reaction to my reaction to melbourne funk. Let history show that Simonne remains, to my mind, an [...]