Make merry this week with Sandi Sieger’s guide to what’s hot and happy(ning). Eat, drink, buy, try, visit, read and be merry.
EAT: Estelle, 243 High Street, Northcote
Scott Pickett’s latest venue, Estelle, is a new bar and restaurant inhabiting the much-loved Estelle Bistro and Estelle by Scott Pickett (ESP) sites.
Collaboratively, Scott Pickett and newly appointed Estelle Head Chef Valentin Barrere (ESP, Vue de Monde, Marque) have crafted a menu in line with contemporary Australian dining, offering lighter snacks and share plates at the bar, and a more substantial offering in the dining room.
Designed by Alexandra Green, the new bar space retains the bones of Estelle Bistro, relaxing them with exposed brick, tones of emerald green marble, floor to ceiling wine racks, banquette seating, tarnished mirrors and two provincial-style internal windows that combine the two previous restaurants.
Estelle is open for lunch from Friday to Sunday from 12pm to 4.30pm and dinner Monday to Thursday 6pm to 10pm; Friday to Saturday 6pm to 12am; Sunday 6pm to 11pm.
More: www.theestelle.com.au
DRINK: Hot In The City – Thornbury’s Summer Gin & Film Festival
Four Pillars have teamed up with Melbourne’s Thornbury Picture House to bring Melburnians Hot In The City this February; a summer gin and film festival. Every Thursday evening until 28 February, a different movie will be on show at Thornbury Picture House, with a Four Pillars cocktail designed to match each film, as well as live music and DJs on site and, of course, Four Pillars signature G&Ts with orange available from the bar.
More: https://www.fourpillarsgin.com.au/meeting/hot-in-the-city/
BUY: Tickets to the Swan Hill Food & Wine Festival
The Swan Hill Food and Wine Festival will be returning this year over the March long weekend – and it’s set to be bigger and better than ever!
One of the biggest food events in regional Victoria, this festival showcases the Swan Hill Region’s best producers, growers and restaurateurs in the town’s iconic Pioneer Settlement.
More: www.swanhillfoodandwine.com.au
TRY: Win Dinner with Frank Camorra and Australian Beef
Frank Camorra has partnered with Australian Beef to showcase his favourite Melbourne local finds and the amazing dishes they are creating with beef. For Frank, nothing beats the incredible meat platter from Super Ling Restaurant, as well as the delicious steak from The Lincoln in Carlton, and the intimacy of his own Spanish bodega, Bar Tini.
I had dinner with Frank last Monday night, hopping from each venue and sampling some incredible beef dishes. And now you can have a chance to do the same.
To enter the competition, you need to private message the Australian Beef facebook page and outline the location of your favourite beef dish in Melbourne, along with a creative explanation (25 words or less) explaining why it’s so great. This promotion only runs until tomorrow February 19, so hop to it! Winners will be announced on February 20 and selected winners will be invited to bring along a guest to attend the exclusive Australian Beef Local Finds Tour.
VISIT: The Food Truck Festival™ Lilydale
A horde of Melbourne’s favourite food trucks will roll into Lilydale this week for the return of The Food Truck Festival™.
From Wednesday 20th until Sunday 24th February 2019, mobile vendors will station themselves at the lush and leafy Melba Park, serving up the best street-food fare on offer including authentic cuisines, contemporary takes, and fusion foods.
The offerings will satisfy cravings of all kind with an eclectic mix of burgers, tacos, curries, seafood and a medley of scrumptious desserts. For those seeking a refreshing tipple, there’ll also be craft beer and a wine bar.
Many of the food trucks on the line-up are firm favourites and include, but not limited to, Billy Van Creamy, Chef Calamari, Curry Up Now, Man I Love Falafel, Manny’s Doughnuts, Naughty Frenchie, Poncho Mexican Street Food, Real O.G Burgers, Schnitty Schnitty Bang Bang, Senor Churro, Those Guys’ Food, U Knead Pizza, Wrap Roll It and Yo India.
This year, The Food Truck Festival™ is taking their offerings to the next level by adding a Fun Zone complete with carnival rides and games, family-friendly entertainment, along with music from bands, buskers and DJ’s to please everyone’s taste.
Entry to the festival is a voluntary gold coin donation with all funds raised going to charity partner FightMND. Dedicated to finding effective treatments, and ultimately a cure, for motor neurone disease, FightMND raises vital funds to put towards research and provide equitable access to equipment for those living with MND.
The Food Truck Festival™ Lilydale
Melba Park – Market St, Lilydale
20th-22nd February: 5pm-10pm
23rd-24th February: 11am-10pm
More: https://thefoodtruckpark.com.au
READ: Lenny and the Ants by Jessica Chapnik Kahn
Lenny and the Ants is a radical new children’s book which inspires young audiences about the simple ways we can all re-approach food waste for a sustainable future.
Lenny and the Ants follows the journey of a hungry Kangaroo who believes he cannot find anything good to eat. The resourceful harvester ants come to the rescue, showing the Kangaroo how to re-invent old food. It also features helpful recipes to try at home to reinvent your every-day food waste.
In Australia, it is estimated that $20 billion a year is spent on wasted food and 5 million tonnes of it becomes landfill. Australia’s leading food rescue charity, OzHarvest, plans to eliminate half the amount of food wasted in Australia by 2030.
Lenny and the Ants is available to buy from the OzHarvest website. Proceeds from the sale of each book will allow OzHarvest to deliver 80 meals to vulnerable Australians.
More: https://events.ozharvest.org/shop/viewitem/lenny—the-ants
