If it feels like there’s a new place opening daily in Melbourne, you’re just about right. And, despite everything, 2012 was a busy year on the hospitality scene. The Americas dominated many new openings, from NYC-style delis to Mexican tacquerias. Meanwhile, chefs took up smoking in a big way – along with curing and pickling too.
But diners had to be either well organised or super spontaneous to catch a bite. No Bookings became the new restaurant mantra and if your party of five wasn’t all queued up by six, well, as they say in the Big Apple: fuhggedaboutit. Hustling for a table didn’t stop at dinner with popular brunch joints just as pumping.
New Gourmet Melbourne profiles 52 of the best gastronomic start-ups from the past year, as well as some reinvented favourites and long-awaited sequels. Take tequila flights without a parachute at Touché Hombre, go roti mad at Mamak or let Virginia Plain ply you with Negronis, vintage vinyl and nouveau bistro compositions. Still hungry? Jump on the bun bandwagon at Wonderbao, eat sustainably at Silo or demolish some key lime pie at Belle’s Diner.
‘While there’s no shortage of information on new places out there,’ says publisher Michelle Matthews, ‘sorting through it can be a chore. New Gourmet Melbourne cuts straight to the chase. It’s also a snapshot of where Melbourne is at right now as a leading foodie destination. The city has long had a strong European and Asian flavor but the influences are getting even more global as customers get more adventurous and restaurateurs keep looking for the next big thing.’
New Gourmet Melbourne deck of cards are available from all good bookshops, online at www.readings.com.au for the same price since 2003 RRP$9.95 or download the app from iTunes for $2.99.
