This trip to LA, USA was taken pre Covid. Just wanted to create a little escapism for the many in lock-down around the world.
USA trip – Part 1 – Los Angeles – Hollywood baby!
Duck delight with Philippe Mouchel
Philippe is a French gem owned and run by celebrity chef Philippe Mouchel. It was a no brainer for La Chaine des Rotisseurs, Victoria to choose this wonderful French restaurant to hold their AGM and dinner. Having trained with Paul Bocuse, Philippe worked for him in Japan and Melbourne running his operations. Then he set... Continue Reading →
Worlds longest lunch – Melbourne is back!
Set-in Treasury Gardens, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival finally returns — after a lengthy set-back due to pandemic restrictions it was wonderful to participate in this superb annual event. This year celebrity chefs Philippe Mouchel, Jacques Raymond and Stephanie Alexander took a course each and created something inspirational. Kicking off with Philippe Mouchel’s Beetroot-cured king... Continue Reading →
New Rhone Producers Dinner.
Fabulous dinner hosted by Darren Harris of Grand Millesime introducing 18 new Rhone producers wines.
Mexican heaven at Mamasita
One of my favourite cuisines is Mexican. For those that know me I am always on the search for the perfect Margarita and interesting Mexican delights.Having been spoiled by dear friends Barbara and Guy (Barbara being Mexican) not only the fun of eating Mexican but being introduced to beautiful hospitality by Mexicans and of course... Continue Reading →
Exploring the Coonawarra Wine Region in two days.
You might read the title of this article and think how is this possible with so much to see and do. This however is my selection of my hot list of where to go and what to do in a short period of time — without feeling too rushed but maximising on your time. For... Continue Reading →
Spotlight on Chef Daniel Hiltbrunner
A long-standing jury member of international culinary competitions, Swiss-born Daniel Hiltbrunner has had an extraordinary globe trotting career.
Affordable Art Fair Melbourne 2019
When this art exhibition publicises affordable they mean it. With a cap of AUD12,000 there is something for everyone's budget.
Champagne the good and the excellent!
Black Events coordinated a superb Champagne experience in Melbourne as part of the Australian roadshow for Tyson Stelzer. So how much Champagne can you drink?
Dumpling lovers read on for what’s hot in Melbourne.
Australia's food capital Melbourne offers up exciting dumplings that are certainly NOT what one would expect. Previously you could only search for dumplings in Chinatown, but this is not the case now. There are so many creative Asian restaurants here that it is difficult to choose what to select, so on this occasion I have... Continue Reading →
Celebrating Bastille Day 2019
The Victorian Bailliage of La Chaine des Rotisseurs held a beautiful Bastille Day dinner for members in the Mission to Seafarers iconic heritage building. The menu was full of French favourites accompanied by delicious wines.
The Power of Social Media
HOW TO HARNESS SOCIAL MEDIA? Enticing others to ‘join’ the conversation.’ Vlogging is one easy way to start with a short one minute video, posted daily on Instagram, soon you will build followers. If you should go down this route – remember the camera can be your friend or your enemy – keep it short,... Continue Reading →
Hidden Bars in Melbourne
Through car parks, up stairs and down lanes. Melbourne CBD has so much to offer.
Summer 2019 is Hot Hot Hot!
Things to do in Melbourne, Adelaide and Tasmania over the HOT summer.
Following The Snow!
If you love skiing as I take a look into my best resorts for skiing this year. Looking forward to hearing where you like to ski.
Heathcote Wine & Food Festival 2018
Whilst at a recent festival in Heathcote I was drawn to the quality of Australian wines and the outstanding knowledge of the wine makers, their interaction with not only their marketing streams but also the consumer is good and these wine makers care about what they create and how. At the festival I interviewed a... Continue Reading →
Fun Festivals, Music & More in Melbourne 2018 – 1st Qtr
What's fun to do in Melbourne in 2018. My picks in Feb through to May.
Popping the cork with winemakers in the King Valley.
La Dolce Vita Prosecco Festival is a must in the King Valley. Enjoy popping a few corks and visiting lots of wineries. Talks, sampling and more...
Riding easy on a Harley Trike around Sydney
On a recent jaunt to Sydney having revisited some of our favourite haunts around Circular Quay and the Rocks, we decided not to be phased by the rain and enjoy more of Sydneys landscape, so we decided to bite the bullet and go for a trip on a Harley Davidson and what a great decision... Continue Reading →
Breathtaking Philip Island, Victoria
Just two hours out of Melbourne you can get back to nature and pack in a lot in a long weekend. Some of the things you can do are visit the Penguin Parades, Philip Island Koala Conservation Centre do Cliff Walks, Boat trips see the Seals, Highland Cattle, Wallabies, or sample some yummy wine in the Wineries.
Give in to your cravings
Dieting shouldn’t be endurance or survival of the fittest. We all lose weight at our own speed, however when we are inspired we can all do so much more. Inspiration is a wonderful thing to move forward with our lives. It will be interesting to hear from my virtual friends to learn how your diets... Continue Reading →
Feeling slimmer already! Here’s how
Ok here we are on my day 3 and your day 1. I have already lost over 1 kilo (3 ½ ibs) and I feel inspired and trust I can inspire you. With a little tenacity we can all enjoy being our ‘better’ self. My tummy is already looking less domed and I am feeling... Continue Reading →
Matteos Pignatelli superb degustation created for La Chaine des Rotisseurs
Our specially designed degustation was not only varied but there were definitely some of my favourites, which I encountered whilst tantalizing my tastebuds on this superb Asian fusion journey. Chef Brendan McQueen (ex Ezard) did it again his blend of Japanese / Asian fusion gave a superb twist on what would have been classic dishes.... Continue Reading →
Out & About in the City –Don Pasquale Opera
This opera was stupendous, funny and very entertaining, and the actors who played the leads were superb. In particular the four key characters that held my attention with their superb acting and voices were: Don Pasquale played by Conal Coad, Norina played by Rachelle Durkin and the clever Dr Malatesta played by Samuel Dundas and... Continue Reading →
Secret bars in Melbourne that are a must…
Did you know underneath Elizabeth Street pedestrian bridge there is a gorgeous bar under the bridge, which is TERRIFIC! It is called Ponyfish Island. The tables are in demand so hover near a table to grab one when it is vacated. It is a lovely place to chill out and watch the sunset or just... Continue Reading →
Things to do in July in Melbourne
My selection is the following: 1. Alternative: Melbourne Magic Festival July 9-12: Northcote Town Hall - Dan Sperry - The Anti-Conjuro Live in Magicshow : Check out: http://www.seatadvisor.com 2. Open House Melbourne: July 26 - 27: Check out: www.thatsmelbourne.com.au 3. Les Misérables: Her Majesty's Theatre running throughout July 4. The Age Run Melbourne: July 27: Check... Continue Reading →
Problems with your Apple Products?
Book an appointment online for any of your apple products. They have something called Open Training and you can spend an hour. Available for One to One members only but you do get excellent attention and assistance with whatever project you are working on.
Melbourne Lane-ways are awesome!
Recently I did a guided tour of the Melbourne lane-ways. The superb guide from CAE (Centre for Adult Education) (check-out http://www.cae.edu.au) was an exceptional historian. She added a lot of interesting tit-bits that held our attention. We flipped between yesteryear and present day, all the while learning from a historical perspective of the developments within... Continue Reading →
Woodland House: another of Melbourne’s culinary treasures!
This week I dined at a lovely venue with its high ceilings and stunning large chandeliers. From the moment we arrived we were struck by the opulence of this discreet haven located in Prahran. This mansion house previously belonged to the legendary Jacques Reymond. After his 27 extraordinary years he passed the restaurant on to... Continue Reading →
Ride to Conquer Cancer
October 25-26 The weekend route is from Albert Park to Mornington - overnight - return the following day approx 200km. It is good to get involved whether you are a rider, sponsor, supporter or assisting as crew. Please get involved : The Ride to Conquer Cancer & The Weekend to End Women’s Cancers Benefiting Peter... Continue Reading →
Things to do in Melbourne in July
My best picks Paint the town Red: More than 45 iconic heritage buildings in Melbourne CBD will be lit up in shades of red. From the 18-25 July. From 6pm onwards – the fireworks on the 18th will be taking part. Superb Docklands Fireworks every Friday from 7pm for 10mins of superb fun at the... Continue Reading →
Something to smile about??? Oh yes we can!
We all need a break on dentistry living in Australia it can be very expensive...so thanks to 'smile' we now can 🙂 For my blog users if you use the following promo code: MR9026678 it will give you 60% off your second year when you become a member. Some good samaritans at smile.com.au is Australia's first... Continue Reading →
The Ride to Conquer Cancer & The Weekend to End Women’s Cancers
As some of my friends and family have cancer this is something that I hold dear. This October The Ride to Conquer Cancer & The Weekend to End Women's Cancer occurs. Do check out their website: www.conquercancer.org.au | www.endcancer.org.au The proceeds will Benefit Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre If you would like to be involved then do call: 1300... Continue Reading →
Winter Night Market (Luna1878)
I've just heard that MasterChef filmed an episode recently at the Queen Victoria Night Market. This is normally held every Wednesday evening during summer. It will however resume on July 9 - August 27 for a chilly winter market, do check out: http://www.qvm.com.au It is called the Luna1878 due to 1878 being the year that... Continue Reading →
Autumn Top Tips
Eat produce in season. Currently the root vegetables such as artichokes, carrots, parsnips and fennel are in season. There are still a few pine mushrooms to be had and mandarins, melons, apples and lots of nuts are still in abundance. There are many produce markets but I love shopping at the Victoria and South... Continue Reading →
Carlton Wine Room shows its Autumn Colours
Dining out in Carlton is lots of fun! Every opportunity to attend one of Jay’s themed dinners is always an occasion and his recent Autumn Oasis Dinner was no exception. From the leaves cascading from the tables to the leaf strewn floor the mezzanine level had been dressed full of autumn promise. Initially during the... Continue Reading →
Papa Goose
Recently I was lucky enough to be accepted to join The Wine and Food Society of Victoria Inc. This is a quite passionate society full of members that are able to bring their knowledge to the table (literally). The society’s premise is to showcase extraordinary wines that have been hand picked from their cellar to... Continue Reading →
Berowra Waters Inn, NSW, Australia
Berowra Waters Inn located on the banks of the Hawkesbury River was a picturesque location for the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs nine course dégustation luncheon. Many of the ingredients were organic and bio-dynamic, maintaining the ‘green’ ethos designed by Chef Dietmar Sawyere. From the moment we set off in our luxury coach from Circular Quay we... Continue Reading →
Update June 2012 – From Sydney
Hi all, Well another month has gone by and we are still living in ‘The Rocks’, Sydney – not too shabby an address so we are enjoying it -(even though it’s temporary). We love it here watching the boats cruise by - our highlight is when the P&O ferry ties up below us, it is... Continue Reading →
Day of the Dead themes at Mejico – Melbourne
So why is it that some Mexican restaurants highlight 'Dia de Muertos'? Well the Day of the Dead is a national holiday at the beginning of November in Mexico. In ancient Mexican cultures it is a time of celebration - the good and evil were not separated and everything is part of a cycle, and... Continue Reading →
Sorrento is the Australian Hamptons
Kicking back in the Peninsula is definitely the place to be for a long weekend. Many escape the hustle and bustle of busy city life and have getaway homesteads in either Sorrento or Portsea. To own a millionaire’s dream home or even a yacht anchored out in the harbour may not be achieveable on your... Continue Reading →
