Episode 9: Food special
This week's episode of Postcards covers every kind of food you can imagine, from coffee to chocolate, five-star dining to a regional general store and, as always, we find somewhere to stay if you are just too full to make it home!
Castlemaine
Everyone loves a good cup of coffee in the morning, whether it's a flat white, café latte, long black, short black, espresso, double espresso or cappuccino. There's always a new fad when it comes to coffee and right now the latest craze is in Castlemaine at Coffee Basics, a micro roastery and coffee house dispensing some 350 cups of coffee a day. The Sharf family has been in the coffee caper for over 50 years and since opening their Castlemaine doors in 2003 Edmund and his wife Elna have been serving their faithful customers great coffee with authentic Viennese food.
If you're looking for a unique cup and saucer to hold your coffee you've got to stop by the Restorers Barn. If you can't find it here you'll never find it anywhere. Home to every knick knack you could imagine, the Restorers Barn is a place where tradesmen and home handymen cheerfully rub shoulders to marvel at the treasures of years gone by. Stocking everything from kitchenware to glassware, this 10,000 square foot building is full to the brim with wall-to-wall treasures.
Coffee Basics
1 Halford Street, Castlemaine
Ph: 03 5470 6270
www.coffeebasics.com
The Restorers Barn
129-133 Mostyn Street, Castlemaine
Ph: 03 5470 5669
www.restorersbarn.com.au
Phillip Island Chocolate Factory
The Phillip Island Chocolate Factory is a Willy Wonka-wonderland and you don't even need a golden ticket to get in. Panny Letchumanan is Phillip Island's own Willy Wonka. He has created his own chocolate universe where a little too much chocolate is just about right. Only the very finest Belgian couverture is used to make over 200 different types of hand made-chocolates.
But Panny hasn't stopped there. He has created an interactive exhibit called Panny's Amazing World of Chocolate. It took four people almost three weeks to create the mural of Dame Edna, which is made up of 12,000 pieces of chocolate. It's just as well that it's behind glass or there would be a few pieces missing. You'll also find a life-size chocolate statue of David, a chocolate village that took three months to build and a waterfall made from 400 litres of chocolate. Entry to Panny's Amazing World of Chocolate costs $12 for adults and $8 for kids, and it's open seven days a week.
Phillip Island Chocolate Factory
930 Phillip Island Road, Newhaven
Ph: 03 5956 6600
www.phillipislandchocolatefactory.com.au
The Briars Park
With its peaceful bay beaches and colourful beach boxes, Mount Martha's relaxed charm has made it one of the Peninsula's most enduring and popular resort towns. Recently there's been a bit of a rebirth, with the development of the new Martha Cove marina, while the area's historical sites have been well preserved and are not to be missed.
Just up the road from the marina you'll find The Briars Park, one of the first farms in the area that features an original 1840s homestead. The Briars' spacious grounds include a wetland sanctuary, a woodland trail and a 96-hectare wildlife reserve, although it's what's kept inside the house that's sure to delight. The Briars houses a world-renowned collection of Napoleonic memorabilia from St Helena, the island where Napoleon was exiled, and includes a lock of his hair, furniture and his guitar. And while his wife Josephine was never with him on the island of St Helena, her memory lives on at the Briars. Josephine's restaurant is housed in what was the Briars barn, and pies baked daily are part of a crowd-pleasing menu that has something for everyone.
The Briars Park
450 Nepean Highway, Mount Martha
Ph: 03 5974 3686
www.mornpen.vic.gov.au
Josephine's Restaurant
450 Nepean Highway, Mount Martha
Ph: 03 5974 1104
www.josephines.morningtonpeninsula.com.au
Wye River
For a long time the Wye River General store was just somewhere to stop and stretch the legs, but a recent transformation has turned it into one of the most popular eateries on the coast. If you're looking for some breaky, lunch or dinner there's a great menu with plenty to choose from, while the open fire means this place is going to be very popular over the winter months. Besides having a reputation for serving the best coffee on the coast, they also do a Sunday BBQ to keep all the city folk from heading back to the big smoke too early.
Just on top of the hill around the corner from the general store you'll find a place that's making waves of its own. Wildside is a four- bedroom, three-bathroom beach house that has everything, including enough room for eight people. Every level of the house has views of the rugged coast, making it the perfect place to relax. The rooftop deck with its outdoor kitchen and spa definitely takes the cake.
Great Ocean Road Holidays
Ph: 03 5289 4233
www.greatoceanroadholidays.com.au
Wye River General Store
Great Ocean Road, Wye River
Ph: 03 5289 0247
Great Hyatt
Now 22 years old, Melbourne's Grand Hyatt has just undergone a $45 million makeover. The spectacular new lobby includes a stunning glass bead chandelier by Australian lighting designer David Singer, and the Ruco Bar offers fine wines and an intimate atmosphere. There's also the new-look guest rooms (to be completed later this year), and the restaurant, Collins Kitchen, serves a la carte-style breakfast, lunch and dinner. The emphasis is on 'fresh-is-best', with a deli section and other options including a Chinese barbeque.
If all this isn't enough and you want to heighten your tastebuds further, there are two more spots to try within the Grand Hyatt complex: the MoMo restaurant and the Spice Market bar. The Spice Market takes inspiration from the ancient silk route and has been exquisitely furbished to reflect this famous journey from Asia Minor through to the Far East. The restaurant MoMo is in the same complex and Suzie meets executive chef Greg Malouf to sample some of his Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine.
Grand Hyatt Melbourne
123 Collins Street, city
Ph: 03 9657 1234
www.melbourne.grand.hyatt.com
Spice Market
Beaney Lane, city
Ph: 03 9660 3777
www.spicemarket.net.au
MoMo
Lower Plaza Level, 123 Collins Street, city
Ph: 03 9650 0660
www.momorestaurant.com.au
What's on
Melbourne International Jazz Festival
Jazz enthusiasts can enjoy a breathtaking line-up of acclaimed artists at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, starting next Sunday.
When: 26 April to 3 May 2009
More: Ph 03 9001 1388 or visit www.melbournejazz.com
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
If you haven't already seen a show, its time for a laugh with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, on at various locations around town.
When: 1 - 26 April 2009
More: Ph 03 9245 3700 or visit www.comedyfestival.com.au
German Film Festival
For a cultural fix of a different kind check out the Festival of German Film, on at selected Palace cinemas.
Where: Palace Como and Kino Palace Cinemas
When: 16 - 26 April 2009
More: 03 9827 7533 or visit www.goethe.de/australia
