Lucini Pasta cafe

Old Macaroni Factory |Est 1859 |
and Lucini's Historic Pasta Cafe
64 Main Road Hepburn Springs
Victoria 3461 AUSTRALIA
http://www.macaronifactory.com.au/lucinis-pasta-cafe.htm

Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday for lunch (12-3pm) and dinner (from 6pm)

Bookings recommended on (03) 5348 4345 Mob 0404 123 153

Zucchini, Anchovies and Mushroom cream Linguini

Relics from the past in their dining area.

From the road

Rosemary Balls in Minestrone

Vesuvio Spaghetti (Vegetarian)

A rustic and true to our stereotype of a quaint Italian Village dwelling. Lucini definitely have all of that. Housed in the oldest Italian building in Australia, it is a perfect place to have a plate of pasta. Its history is also a rich one.

When we were there yesterday we shared a Rosemary ball Minestrone and had a plate of pasta each for mains. The soup was wholesome, fresh and the rosemary balls were fragrant and pretty. Th combination was very beautiful experience with fresh crusty bread on the side. My mains was called Vesuvio Spaghetti (not for the faint-hearted!) after the Vesuvius Volcano in Italy, due to its chilli hot gravy that sends your tummy rumbling in ecstasy! I chose it, as I am a lover of chilli and this really drums to my beat. Chillies and tomatoes being pulp and made into beautiful sauce. Debs had a Zuchinni, Anchovies and Mushroom cream Linguini. As she described, she never thought anchovies would taste this beautiful. It was sweet and also soft at the same time.

To top the beautiful wholesome home-cooked meal by Italian ladies in cute villagey headscarf, they lit up the fireplace so that we can eat in warmth and let us wonder around the idyllic Italian compound. Later, we also learned about the fresco tours they have on Saturdays for $10. I think I might go back to that one of these days.

UPSIDE
1) Beautiful home cooked simple wholesome Italian
2) Featured in Cheap Eats
3) Friendly staff of 6th Generation original Italians of that house
4) Ample parking on roadside
5) Ample dining areas
6) Pretty place

DOWNSIDE
1) 75kms from Melbourne- Its in Hepburn Springs
2) Opened only 3 days a week


Rate:
Price-medium- reasonable pricing
Food- 5/5
Service- 4/5
Ambiance- Italian village
Accessibility- 3/5

Broadsheet Cafe-The Premises, Melbourne

Broadsheet Cafe-The Premises
24 Crossley Street, Melbourne

As we continue our blog journey of indulgence with Melbourne's Food and Wine festival, I bring you today, a blurb about the temporary 'Broadsheet' cafe with special appearances of THE PREMISES.

Background: Broadsheet is actually a news/publishing company that champions everything Melbourne; from food to art to design and very very hip stuff. You can find them online and sometimes in print. This year, to celebrate the festival, Broadsheet decided to bring Melbournians a temporary little hole in a wall amongst dumpsters and cool retailers on Crossley St, to enjoy sinful caffeine from a variety of Coffee connoisseurs and Baristas from around the vicinity.

Day 5, we celebrate the coffee making skills of a cafe from the burbs' of Kensington called The Premises. I came in about a little before noon and the place is already packed with Everyone. The deco is simple: a nice big community table, a few variable chairs and stools with the machine at the end of the space. Coffee starts at $3.80 and are chic-ly contained in special takeaway cups with the Broadsheet logo and the 'cafe of the day' branding. I was also impressed by the nice little coffee coasters that are available to rest your paper cup on.

The coffee served today is very exotic, I cannot really remember the full details but I saw a 'TORAJA' brew in it which reminds me of coffins inserted in limestones mountains and cannibals of that region of Borneo. Taste was strong with a tinge of bitterness, maybe a reflection of the rawness of where it came from. The beans were happily supplied by Seven Seas, a local Coffee Roaster around the corner from the city.

I am excited of this project. Its like an installation for beverage. Do check Broadsheet cafe when you are in the city. Coffee technicians change daily so it will always be a surprise.

Broadsheet Cafe Operator Schedule

Fri 4 - Seven Seeds
Sat 5 - Five Senses
Sun 6 - Dead Man Espresso
Mon 7 - Market Lane
Tue 8 - The Premises
Wed 9 - Seven Seeds
Thu 10 - Five Senses
Fri 11 - Proud Mary
Sat 12 - Dead Man Espresso
Sun 13 - Proud Mary
Mon 14 - Market Lane

A Sparkling Feast & French Market at Dominique Portet , Coldstream

Dominique Portet
870 Maroondah Highway
Coldstream

http://www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au/event/1701

AS part of the Food an Wine festival, I decided to drive 70km out of the city to the Yarra Valley Shire to surround myself with Frenchy stuffs. Its still in its infant stage of a big event. I was expecting Cheese and Bread but none were there. It was more wine tasting, Crepes, French Limonade in jars, Sausages, and a few French looking stuffs. It can be seen as a disappointment as I brought 2 more friends with me and they were surprised how small scale it is. I do not mind the scale of it somehow but truly enjoy the scenery.

Dominique Portet is located in the middle of the Yarra Valley amongst the many vineyards of that region. One can be definitely be overwhelmed by the beauty of the surroundings of plantations, mountains and blue skies on a good day.

There, I ate some Macaroons, Smoked Salmon on bread, Limonade and one of the yummiest bag of fresh expensive caramelised macadamias. All brought from many Victorians small gourmet related businesses. Good way to find things closer to your home.

There were also free wine tasting for anyone interested in buying some home.Apparently very good bourgeois wine!

The festival of food and wine is happening allover Victoria for the next couple of weeks, I suggest anyone here to go search for a good event to enjoy and eat. On the way back we also decided to stop in Warburton and bought some homemade Strawberry and Plum jam off the roadside. :P

Upcoming Food Festivals in March, Melbourne

Melbourne is passionate about her food. Very much so that there are always small or big scale food festival all year round. Their variety and numbers have significantly grow with the discovery of different exotic food culture of new migrants of Australia.This is what makes me excited living in this city. There is never a dull moment in my historiography of consumption.

This March, a new festival arrives and this one excites me to the bones!


SBS Food Journey Festival
The Royal Exhibition Building
Carlton Gardens
4 - 6 March 2011
http://www.foodjourney.com.au/

Opening Hours:
Friday
10:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday/Sunday
10:00am - 5:00pm

'Food is intricately linked to who we are. In a multicultural melting pot which is Australia, food represents where we have come from and how Australia has developed as a nation today.

SBS has a commitment to telling the story behind the food. This food festival will bring to life and showcase the expertise and knowledge of the SBS food talent whilst highlighting how Australia's food is some of the world's best.'
- An extract from their website.




And also the mother of all food fest here, the annual and exciting programs of:


Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
http://www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au
4-14 March 2011
Happening at venues allover Melbourne.

Each year, the Festival unveils a world-class program of more than 250 events over two weeks – a true expression of Melbourne’s infamous love of food and wine that captures the attention of food-lovers in their hundreds of thousands.

Entering its 19th year, the Festival’s prestigious reputation attracts the world’s biggest culinary and wine personalities to its door to participate in a program that also showcases Victoria’s own celebrated chefs, restaurateurs, winemakers, sommeliers, producers and artisans.

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is when Victoria’s love of food and wine comes alive, join in.
- An extract from their website.

Lastly, every summer, The Queen Victoria Market in the corner of Elizabeth and Victoria street hold the infamous SUZUKI NIGHT MARKET'. This means that every Wednesday evening, bands , and food stalls operated till late to quench the thirst and hunger of food lovers. This local market is very fun too. There are also craft and goodies stalls for you to browse and buy.



Every Wednesday until 2nd March
5.30pm to 10.00pm
Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne.
Pedestrian entry from corner Queen & Therry Streets & Peel Street
FREE ENTRY
Parking: The rate is a flat fee of $6.00 from 5.00pm to 10.30pm.
*** Yes, you can find HALAL food here. :)






I HEART FOOD. :)