EARL ate Eating with Jack

So I've hinted at it ages ago but just not actually gotten around to telling you how it actually is...

I've been eaten, swallowed whole.

By EARL Canteen my new business.

Three weeks ago PDC (well actually Simon my husband and, yes still my 'permanent-dining-companion') and I opened our first business. Its called EARL Canteen and its located at 500 Bourke St, Melbounre, actually the cute courtyard that is behind 500 Bourke, looking out onto Little Bourke.

We have spent the last year and a half working on many, many business plans and this one, at this site, actually stuck finally. And now we have a baby called EARL, a big time consuming, energy sucking and constantly screaming for attention baby.

Hence I've had a bit on, actually a bloody lot; even freelancing as a food stylist and doing the odd restaurant shift has never seen me be this busy.

Even my twitter account, has been starved of content to feed the EARL twitter account. I hope you continue to follow my foodie travels through a different tag for now; I still eat, dine out and constantly think about food, just for now its echoing from within EARLs hungry, time consuming tummy.

Ciao for now x

Melbourne Dining Hotspots

I may have temporarily fallen off the blogging bandwagon but I definitely haven't stopped my favourite past time, eating out.

After the excitement of hearing Pim Té of the inspirational Chez Pim would be visiting Melbourne as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival I decided I better actually get to it and write down out my Melbourne Must Visit List.

The list is formed with savvy internationals in mind but no doubt savvy Melbourne-ites will find it just as useful.

So here it is: (with links to the official website, where possible)

Restaurants

Attica -Ben Shewry is at one with his internationally acclaimed food, a kiwi that cooks from his heart, yet uses techniques to marvel, oh and a great guy to boot

Cumulus Inc/Cutler & Co -You can't eat in Melbourne without visiting one of Andrew McConnells restaurants, I love the relaxed nature of the bar overlooking the kitchen at Cumulus but Cutler is where the pure McConnell innovation is at

Rumi/Gigibaba -Lebanese/Turkish. Vividly fresh Middle Eastern flavours at both sites, usually packed to the rafters so arrive early

Pearl/Ezard -Modern Australian cuisine; frenchy techniques, lots of Asian produce and flourishes Melbourne icon restaurants

Circa, the Prince -a recent luxe refurbishment and a roof top kitchen garden make Circa feel like a new, yet strangely very familiar old favourite restaurant

Giuseppi, Arnaldo and Sons -Maurice Terzini's Melbourne outpost (home-post?) and the perfect moody spot especially for a late meal or snack (website is nearly useless, try my posts)

Hellenic Republic -its too hard to pick from the huge casual Greek menu, so have the trapeze menu and save reading the translations but make sure to ask for the lamb from the courtyard spit

MoVida (a bar stool at the original, Next Door as a second choice) -Modern tapas and Spanish wine, consistently buzzy and in high demand for good reason

Stokehouse -its a shame Melbourne doesn't have a nicer beach but once you're sitting upstairs at Stoke looking at the water-filled horizon it will not matter much. Slick service and food, and a beachy dining room thats getting a substantial overhaul come winter

Gills Diner -casual share friendly food that has meticulously been made in house, an eclectic winelist and passionate friendly manager that looks after regulars with extra TLC

Rockpool Bar and Grill -many of Australias best here; probably the best available aged meat in Australia, seafood direct from the fishermen and an unrivalled winelist. Its a fast paced grill thats used as a special occasion place for many or a spot for a cheeky wagyu burger for many others

Dainty Sichuan -Like sichuan numb lips? Go to Dainty, enough said.

Coffee

MarketLane -roasts in house, espresso, pour-over, clover

Brother Baba Budan -espresso, clover

Seven Seeds -espresso, clover

Wall Two 80 -espresso (and my thinking place)

Outpost by St Ali -all of the coffee gadgets!

Breakfast

Deadman Espresso -coffee good enough to join the list above and an interesting menu too

European -inside or outside very Melbournian

St Ali -as per Deadman Espresso, and just around the corner as well

Cafe Vue, St Kilda Rd -you could go to the Shannon Bennett's fancy restaurant or get the plush without the fuss

Bars

City Wine Shop -afternoon glass of something interesting

Supper Club and Siglo -late night (early morning?) institution

1806/De Raum -molecular cocktails

Izakaya Den/Coda -smart subterranean bars and even smarter snacks

Foodie Shopping

Baker D Chirico -organic sourdough breads and pastries

Melbourne Farmers Market -changing location, at Gasworks, South Melbourne the weekend of the 20th March

Prahran Market -I host Hidden Gems Tours on Thursdays and Saturdays

La Latteria -Mozzarella Lab. Go!

Essential Ingredient/Simon Johnson -Australias answer to Fauchon

Casa Iberica -Everything Spanish

Mediterranean Wholesalers -European supersized supermarket

Short Trips

Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld

Sunnybrae, Birregurra

Healesville, Yarra Valley (whole town)

Aussie Must Taste List

Pearl Meat

Wild Barramundi

Finger lime

Angasi Oyster

Kangaroo

Mud Crab

Blackmore Waygu/Mishima (if available)

Yarra Valley Salmon Roe

Vegemite/Pavlova and other Aussie cliches

This is my short (long) list, so what have I missed?

Dear Eating with Jack

Firstly, lets be clear. I miss you and I'm sorry.

Sorry for the very silent neglect of the last two months and the general neglect last year of delayed posts and hollow promises. I've had a bit on, a bit too much actually, hence you have suffered.

You would be relived to know that I still behave like a dedicated blogger, I still photograph pretty much all my meals (the 700 food images on my iPhone will attest to that), I plan blog posts that never get written -or at least published- and I of course, am just as committed to food and what I put in my mouth than ever, maybe more so than ever actually.

I've also been thinking more deeply about what this blog means to me; from when I started it in 2006, to last year, to today and for the year ahead, and I have decided that I want to continue with this.

I love the commitment, the pride in my work, the sense of achievement that is mine alone, and most importantly a record of my everyday life and thoughts. Lately these have been mostly consumed by your evil social media sibling twitter but some things, actually most things, can't be communicated in 140 characters no matter how pithy and clever I try to be.

Soon, hopefully very soon, I will be able to share what has been stealing my time away, but at this stage lets just say that it will be the biggest life change I have ever experienced, and that's saying something for someone that has still written here just as diligently through a tough period of redundancy, then self employment and personal events like my Fancy Party (read wedding) and many big overseas adventures.

Things have changed before and I have still happily posted away, yet this time things are different and to be honest I am hoping to find the stability I need to balance all of this but at this stage I need to reassure you that I am here, I care, and I miss you.

I can say that I will have a more expanded online presence next year, a new website, blog and twitter account too, but they will be more like work, I promise you Eating with Jack, you will still be the fun one, the one were I will continue to be a little political if I want to, or really just totally myself, no guard on.

So with that, I hope we can be friends again. I do solemnly swear to be more loyal and write more often.

xx

Jackie