Short Bites: Score a free drink at Melbourne Cocktail Festival
The city’s bar scene will be back with a vengeance for Melbourne Cocktail Festival, as the latest restaurant opens at 80 Collins. Dan Stock with the latest food news.
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What’s the only thing better than having a drink again in one of Melbourne’s world-class bars? Why a free drink, of course.
As part of the Melbourne Cocktail Festival next week, the first 1000 people to register for the festival’s bar safari – where more than 20 venues across Melbourne will offer a bespoke festival cocktail for $15 – will have their first drink on the house.
It’s just one of a host of reasons to get out and about next week, with such events as a cocktail masterclass at 1806, a progressive gimlet flight at Gimlet, and a tropical team-up featuring drinks from Black Pearl and snacks from Bar Liberty highlights of the second annual MCF.
MCF founder Michael Bascetta says the festival aims to celebrate – and help rejuvenate – Melbourne’s incredible, punch-above-weight bar and drinks scene.
“At MCF, we seek to celebrate the diversity, talent and night-life culture of our great city and know that we will rebound with resilience and continue to show the world how incredible this city and its makers are,” he says.
The closing party on April 18 is set to be a Sunday session with style at Port Melbourne’s Starward distillery.
Whisky and CAPI cocktails paired with a three-course lunch by Charley Snadden Wilson from The Moon with accompanying smooth dunes from DJ duo Wax’o Paridiso, it’s the ultimate lux long lunch.
The Melbourne Cocktail Festival runs from April 12-18 at various venues.
THE NEXT ADDITION TO 80 COLLINS
The doors have opened to the next addition to the hot hospitality 80 Collins precinct with the Next Hotel welcoming its first guests, and its restaurant, La Madonna, welcoming its first diners.
Sharing kitchen pass duties are Daniel Natoli (Rina’s, Neptune) and Adrian Li (Rina’s, Tokyo Tina, Saigon Sally) who are sending out such snacks as grilled ox tongue skewers and clams casino before larger plates including fig carpaccio with gorgonzola, and compressed tomato stuffed with stracciatella, along with a couple of pastas (cavatelli with king prawns; pappardelle ragu), porchetta with peach and a $100 bistecca.
A striking barrel room, filled with casks ageing spirits, is being looked after by spirits master Phil Smithers, while restaurant manager Dom Getson (Dandelion, Neptune) has created a wine list with a focus on small scale local producers.
Li says having worked together for many years in many different restaurants, he and Natoli bring complementary skills to the kitchen.
“We just cook together instinctively now and spark creativity in each other,” he says.
La Madonna, level 3 Next Hotel at 80 Collins, entry via 103 Lt Collins St.
FIRST PRESS
The first olives are coming off the trees this week at Boundary Bend for Cobram Estate’s multiaward-winning range of olive oils, but it’s its First Harvest extra virgin olive oil, pressed from the best of the best olives within four hours of picking, that professional chefs and home cooks alike look forward to most each year. Chief oil maker Leandro Ravetti says: “The 2021 olive growing season has been one of our best. The result is a truly great Australian extra virgin olive oil.”
COOL AND CREAMY
Schulz organic dairy farm has relaunched its Timboon cheesery farmgate cafe. Helmed by master patissier Hila Perry, Schulz Organic Creamery & Café offers pastries and light lunches featuring Schulz organic dairy products and other Great Ocean Road products. The cafe is open 10am-4pm daily at 23 Ford and Fells Rd, Timboon.
FAMILY FUN
Head to the Burwood Brickworks on Sunday for a day of fun. The rooftop urban farm, acre, will host acreLand, featuring farm tours, face painting, food stalls, activities for the kids and much more.
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Ready-made meal giant Lite n’ Easy has sacked or redeployed more than 60 staff after closing two major call centres in Melbourne and Brisbane.
Sober is sexy: Penfolds owner uncorks $15m no-alc wine push
Anyone for a mid-strength Shiraz, mango Rosé or passionfruit prosecco? The owner of wine icon Penfolds has launched a new range of no and low-alcohol wine made out of the Barossa.