The Press Club

By now most people would have heard of The Press Club. The product of Masterchef’s favourite judge, George Calombaris, The Press Club has earned a reputation for providing the finest modern Greek cuisine to Melbourne’s business professionals.

Firstly I have to say that it wasn’t only the food that provided us with an excellent experience at The Press Club. The service – from the maitre’d, sommellier and the waiters was absolutely impeccable. Each person only added to what was to be an incredibly delicious meal.

Shortly after choosing the ‘mini symposium’ (a lunch time degustation menu) we were presented with our first wine selection along side the customary bread basket… which was served with the most amazing selection of olives and oil (seriously, ask for more).

Amongst the five courses were a series of incredibly delicate and complex flavours. Heirloom tomato salad was incredible (…and unusual given that it was served with a feta ice cream) but fabulous none the less.

Without delving into too much detail – The Press Club served excellent fish and amazing beef (cooked perfectly.. with a deep-fried cauliflower crouton that was to-die-for), then culminated the meal with two desserts. They showed off a lot of chef-y skills and are certainly out to impress.

This is a fine dining restaurant so it’s perfect for a special occasion or for that day when you have a spare four hours and are looking to be wowed by what Melbourne has to offer.

The Press Club, 72 Flinders Street, Melbourne, 3000 VIC, (03) 9677 9677

 

Caboose Canteen

After searching (somewhat lazily) around the city for a lunch spot the other day, a friend and I decided to revisit Caboose Canteen, a small eatery in City Square.

Having been impressed by the breakfasts here before, I was again reminded why I love this cafe when I ordered the Steak and Egg sandwich. It came on ciabatta bread with loads of rocket, parmesan cheese and a horseradish tasting mayonnaise inside. Let it also be known that I am very picky about my eggs and this one was perfectly cooked – not too runny/gooey.

My friend ordered a house specialty called the “Caboose Burger” which was ground wagyu beef with tomato relish and salad-y things on a bagel-esque bun. He said “It was the best burger I’ve had in a year.” I’m not one for the patties but if he’s giving it that kind of accolades it must have been alright.

We didn’t book but it seems as though it’s quite a popular spot, so if you’re in the city having a wander like I was the other day, definitely give Caboose a try. It has mains ranging up to $30, but it’s that kind of rustic, flavoursome food that is so much more satisfying than grabbing a burger on the go. If you have a little bit of time up your sleeve, remember this cafe.

Caboose Canteen, 4 City Square, Melbourne 3000 VIC, Ph 03 9663 4448

Café Segovia

I’d been to this cafe twice before, both times being a great place for food, tucked away down an alleyway and flanked by other cafes of it’s kind. This third visit didn’t disappoint. I was ready to eat Payton’s arm by the time we got there, so I was happy to order a meal that several components on it. Now, I am a very big “bacon and eggs” sort of person, and I’ve had a trillion varieties and combinations of these with other breakfasty items. This time, I had the equivalent of the big breakfast. I think it was something like, “Eggs Segovia” or similar. There were hash browns, eggs (with spinach and fetta [uhmayzing]), bacon…everything good you want to eat at 9am Sunday morning. Payton had something similar to a Hollandaise and was also very delectable, considering that it had mostly the same ingredients as mine, just served in a different way. I had a quick peek at the online reviews of this place, and it sounds like it can be a bit of a hit and miss for dinner services. Happily, I can report that in my three times of dining there (all for breakfast), the food, service and atmosphere was wicked. The prices aren’t too cheap, but you get the quality and satisfaction that you pay for.

Cafe Segovia, 33 Block Pl, Melbourne 3000 VIC, Ph 03 9650 2373

La Camera

We’ve been hardpressed to find somewhere that hasn’t served us awesome food, and this was no exception. Payton and I were on our way to see “Love & Other Drugs” at the Jam Factory on Chapel St, and happened upon La Camera just a little way down from the cinema. We were looking for Italian, and we found Italian. It was about 6pm when we arrived (on a Friday night), so I think we were expecting a little more atmosphere. Our fatal flaw here is that we are from Perth, and the regular hours of dinner dining there are from like, 4pm-8pm. Here in Melbourne, people tend to eat a little later, because things are open til  a little later. So apart from the lack of people in the restaurant, the food and the service was exceptional. I had a chicken penne, which boasted a glorious half cream half tomato sauce (with parmesan and mushroom throughout) whilst Payton had what she described as “a seriously amazing” seafood pasta. It had an Italian name though, which I totally can’t remember now, but Payton’s was linguine with mussels, scallops, calamari and prawns. Apparently the white wine sauce was light but extremely tasty. I’m not really a seafood person, so I didn’t try it, but I’ll take her word. Again, price was reasonable. I’m loving the whole “we serve good food and don’t make you pay your leg for it” attitude that these restaurants have. I’d recommend this place for passer-bys on Chapel.

La Camera, 446 Chapel St, South Yarra, VIC, Phone 03 9827 8531

Lindt Chocolat Café

This may or may not have been fantasised about by me for a long time coming (Hint: It’s not “may not”). I am a big chocolate lover, so this was a natural choice for us to visit at some point. There’s a couple of these about Melbourne, but the Lindt cafe on Collins was closer, and when it comes to reaching my food destination quickly, there is no other option. I hadn’t eaten breakfast, so by the 1pm arrival at the cafe, I was close to dying with hunger. Unfortunately, the waiter told me that they’d “sold out” of sandwiches, so all they had left was the two quiches on the menu. Ugh. Seriously? FINE. So I ordered the mushroom, parmesan and thyme quiche, whilst Payton and our partner in food crime Joel ordered a cake and iced chocolate respectively. Payton’s “Wimbledon” cake arrived first, so we oggled over it for a good few minutes before Joel’s magical drink got to the table, followed shortly by my little pastry. Everything tasted incredibly good. Even my quiche surprised me. It wasn’t, however, until I had ordered my Lindt Hot Chocolate Fudge Sundae that I got truly excited. I received a phone call right as my sundae was placed in front of me, so I was put through what I can only describe as torture looking at it for a solid 13 minutes before I was able to pounce. Whipped cream, white chocolate icecream, brownie pieces, chocolate fudge and crunchy caramel were all just like little snippets of heaven in my mouth as I readily devoured the goods. Joel and Payton were allowed occasional spoonfuls, but the majority (99.3% of it) went into ma belleh. I should mention the beautiful decor and surroundings, because the chandelier-esque ornaments hanging from the ceiling truly did make you feel like you were in a classy dining establishment. Well, you were.

Lindt Chocolat Café 271 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, Phone 039667 0900

Soda Rock

Boy oh boy, if you come here you’ll be sure to have a swell time! Mmhmm, that’s right. When you sit in this American style diner, you’ll be wanting to sound like you’re from another era as well. As soon as you walk in and see the life size Elvis statue, you’ll know what I’m talking about. With the classic rock playing and red leather booths beckoning, you won’t know what hit you. Soda Rock is towards the North end of Chapel St, on the corner of Toorak Rd and Chapel St itself. Nothing like shopping up a storm before strolling into Soda Rock for an rock’n'roll-style burger and shake. I had myself a “Big Bopper” burger which is another name for “the lot”, whilst Payton (rather strangely) went for the ham and cheese toastie. I’ll forgive her though, because she (even more strangely) doesn’t like beef patties. But she also hates spaghetti bolognese, so I think she’s trying to be indie and avoid mainstream foods. On the menu, there’s also chilli fries, hot dogs, and a range of flavoured shakes to choose from. The burgers will fill you up rather unexpectedly, because they look small due to their bun size (…I’ll check YOUR bun size…), but they pack a punch full of ingredients in the middle. The patties themselves are incredibly tasty, so for burger enthusiasts, this is a must eat.

Soda Rock, 257 Toorak Rd, South Yarra, VIC, Phone 03 9827 3500

Chimmy’s

Being super resourceful foodies, Payton and I decided that we’d take a look at the I Love Food award winners and pick a breakfast to take our pal from Newcastle (who says ‘pal’…unless you’re referring to like..a pet…). We came across Victoria’s winner in the cafe category and thought, “YES”, so we went. Chimmy’s is located on the super popular Bridge Rd of Richmond, and when we arrived there, we saw that the cafe was just as super popular. Not to say that we didn’t get a seat though, because a lovely boy (he did work there) helped us drag a couple of tables together and find some seats. This cafe had such a cosy and homestyle feel to it, but at the same time you could definitely tell that you were sitting in a well established piece of dining. The menu was awesome; full of interesting food combinations and cool words (I, with all my high school French knowledge, readily announced to anyone who could hear that I could translate the word “pain” into “bread”). Our pal Alex had simple poached eggs on fresh toast (fresh bread too, not just freshly toasted), Payton had a killer hollandaise style eggs with asparagus, and I ate a gloriously large omelette filled with cheddar, ham, mushrooms and tomatoes, titled “The Oldschool Omelette”. Chimmy’s had us eating out of the palm of it’s hand (and off their plates) in no time as we washed down our brekky with hot chocolates and coffees. The prices were totally reasonable (a lot better than Perth prices, I assure you) and were so tempted to get some bakery goods on the way out, but held back as we stared at our full-looking reflections in the glass.

PS: Before I forget to mention it, the tomato chutney that arrived with my omelette was out of this world. It literally came from another planet it was that good. Have some.

Chimmy’s, 342-344 Bridge Rd, Richmond, VIC, Phone 039427 1391