Flaws

Since moving out of home I have considered myself very lucky with the company I keep. So just when I began to think that the transition stage from one group of housemates to another was over... I find out the worst news possible.

My new 'roomies' are everything I could want them to be, minus one (incredibly significant) flaw-They don’t like tea.

Sad face. Breeza I miss you.

Night after night, I hope and pray they will accept my invitation to a midnight tea party. Alas, constant rejection.

I must admit, I am slightly confused... who doesn’t like tea? Are they aliens? What do they drink?

It is hot and it’s delicious- it is like a giant hug from your favourite teddy bear. It is the penultimate experience before the land of nod.

I will endeavour to change my housemates ways... but in the meantime, looks like I have to invite nanna dearest over again.

Food- Banff

Banff-

145 Fitzroy Street. St Kilda








Yet another biased review. I love love love this place. Get the gist?

I have been here several times, with several different people and each time I get lost in the buzz that is Banff.

Several conversations regarding the ambience and interior/layout of this venue have left me feverishly defending everything that is right about this venue.

Why do I love Banff so much?

1. It is busy. The vibe is constantly upbeat. There wont be any awkward silences here.
2.The food is quick, not to mention amazing.
3.The crowd is diverse. From young to old, trendy to so uncool, everyone comes to Banff.
4.It is dirt-cheap.

It is almost too hard to take in all the details of Banff because of its constant flow of customers. For those who are too absorbed in the food heres a quick glimpse as to the ins and outs of this quirky addition to Fitzroy Street.

-Your wine is served in a latte glass- so couth.
-The lamp bases are made out of wine bottles
-There are no menus, just giant blackboards proclaiming a plethora of delicious meal choices.

The Food at Banff cannot be flawed. Pasta is served in mini frying pans; salads are fresh and the pizzas amazing.

I’m sorry Lucky Coq; I have moved on- to bigger and better things; to Banff.

Don’t go past #6 the bolognaise pizza. A romance made in heaven, these two meals were meant to be together.

Make sure you leave room for dessert; banana, toffee, chocolate and cream calzone is the perfect end to the night.

Banff has an extremely casual and comfortable vibe in which you can rock up to and feel at ease almost instantly. It’s the perfect spot for a weekday dinner, an afternoon Chai or a weekend date night. You might have to wait for a table but it is definitely worth it.

I'm thinking I have to head over to the real Banff in Canada. If it’s anything like this bar/cafe, I will never leave.

Date Rate: A must for first 1st, 2nd, 3rd and forever after outings.
Hangover Happy: you can drink whilst you eat!
Coffee cure: the food rates first.
Price: More than Lucky coq- understandably.

Food- Tyranny of Distance

Tyranny of Distance

147 Union Street, Windsor

A mysterious and inviting exterior makes Tyranny of Distance a cafe that you must venture into.

This place can only be described as an industrial, Mexican themed garage. Seriously.

Recommended by a friend I was most intrigued by the name. This place is an old lube garage- if that makes sense. Refurbished with old couches straight from your grandparent’s lounge, brightly painted walls and scattered pot plants, Tyranny of Distance is a rubix cube of themes. The walls are exposed brick and galvanised steel all coming together in an open plan almost like a verandah.

The staff members at Tyranny join those who see the appeal of a male-based workforce. Young and good looking is now apparently a criterion- and I am not complaining.

Whilst the food here is not the most amazing I have had, it is reasonably priced and the servings are huge. It is a simple menu, which lacks the creativity of foreign ingredients found at other cafes.

Individual to their cafe is the use of flat bread for their eggs, toast, dips etc. A good idea in thought but not the best in practice. Sometimes you just want multigrain!

This place appeals to me because of the interior and setting. You can relax on the sofas or in one of the side rooms for hours and no one else would know your there. It’s a great place to meet a group of friends and hang out.

It is also open for dinner and by the looks of their tapas menu, would be a great spot to hit with friends before a night out.

Date rate: a wicked place to chill out

Hangover Happy: The bacon may send you backwards

Coffee cure: won’t make top ten, but will give you your fix.

Price: ya ya

Falling in Love

Can you bottle emotion?
Mecca can.

Sweet.Innocent.Consuming.

In love.

Normally make up branded or celebrity perfumes; whilst offering a cheaper alternative, lose their appeal as their scent does not stay with us long enough to warrant prolonged usage. We keep jumping from one scent to another in the quest to find the bottle that describes our very being to a 't'.

This is one product I would recommend to anyone. If you don't like the smell, you obviously have not been in love.

It is consuming; sweet and comforting. You will want to cuddle the person wearing it and never let go.

Flowers

Flower Mee

43 Durrant St
Brighton, VIC 3186




Did 21st century men lose the memo that flowers are still in?

Memo # 9,9999999
Flowers are in. We love them. Buy them for us. Please.

There are many simple pleasures in life, flowers being one of them. A woman who shares this thought is Kathryn Weichmann, who runs Flower mee from her home in Brighton.

This is not your average florist, and within moments of stepping inside this shop you will realise why.

A collaboration of shabby chic/hoarders-kitsch and some of the most strange but beautiful flora you will see, Kathryn has taken floristry to a whole new level.

I won’t go anywhere else for flowers, and I know I won’t be disappointed with my purchase. For an extremely reasonable price, you will leave with more than just a posy.

Attention to detail is incredible as Kathryn handcrafts her own bouquet wrapping from twigs and dried reefs. Each Bouquet is tailored to your request. All you have to do is tell her about the person you are buying for and she will create something magical.

Kathryn herself is half the reason to make this trip. She is kooky, eccentric and downright weird. But I love her. Probe her enough and you will end up having conversations about plastic surgery, drug use and the sanctity of marriage.

A gift from Flower mee will mend a broken heart, neutralise an angry girlfriend, lift your status quo and put a smile on anyone’s face.

I promise you a million brownie points will come your way.

Food- 7 Grams

7 Grams-

505 Church Street Richmond.

Richmond is predominantly occupied by the corporate world and their office spaces, with various insertions of outrageous furniture and design stores.

Every now and then however, pops up a special café that attracts all the business savvy and art deco workers alike.

7 Grams is one of these special cafes that I would always drive past on my way to Pearl café, but never venture into.

Thanks to a friend who works close by, weekly breakfast meetings at ungodly hours meant that sampling new breakfast spots is now an easy adventure.

7 Grams is owned and operated by the Haralambopoulos brothers' and is named from the measure of coffee traditionally used to extract the perfect espresso.

Perfect might just be an understatement, as my coffee was right in every way possible: Temperature, texture and taste. I hadn’t heard of Veneziano Coffee's Estate blend but it was exactly what I needed to get me out of my early morning catatonic state.

My breakfast of a scrambled egg with Haloumi cheese and avocado was incredibly delicious and with my whole breakfast totalling less than $15, I was one happy camper.

Whilst 7 Grams lacks the aesthetic appeal and edgy interior of other café’s its service is quick and its food and coffee of the highest quality.

Maybe it was my 6am wakeup that made me appreciate the food when it arrived so much more…but 7 Grams has made a favourable impression on my palate.

Date rate: For your office crush; amazing!

Coffee cure: The awards speak for themselves.

Hung over happy: It will be the best part of 9-5pm

Price: Bingo!

Fame

Lady GaGa is the new Madonna.

I am making the call.

Whilst being a big fan of her music I have always been sceptical to whom this woman is; her persona seems completely outrageous and her outfits even more intriguing. I cant comprehend how she manages to keep this act going, let alone create such a cult following in this short amount of time since she first pumped out ‘Just Dance’ in 2008.

Combining electro-pop, dance and disco, Lady GaGa has released hit after hit and regardless of whether you love or loathe her music you must admit her tracks are hard to get out of your head.
Lady Gaga’s Melbourne concert; Monster Ball was a spectacular event. Any prejudiced I had virtually shuffled, skipped and shimmied out the door as she wowed the audience and won their hearts over.
Constantly praising the audience, Lady Gaga made her performance personal and interactive.

“You need to know no other singer will love their fans as much as I love you.”

Swearing, insinuating drug use and inappropriate body language made the event even more amazing.
It was not until Miss Gaga belted out ‘Brown eyes’ that I appreciated this talented musician for all that she is. Playing the Piano like a musical veteran, Gaga captivated the audience for over ten minutes with this one particular ballad, something not many artists could do.

At the young age of 23, this chick can sing. Very. Well.

I wish I could say this was money well spent, but another freebie thanks to Mother Dearest made this night a little sweeter.

Lady you are crazy, and it seems the world is going gaga for you.