Our last visit to Saint Crispin was shamefully a long time ago and with it being so close to home we really have no excuse! And with Saint Crispin offering one course, three course, five course and seven course options there really is a feast for all occasions. And this occasion was a long, lazy Saturday lunch.

We are warmly welcomed and take a seat at a table for two. The mood is relaxed and the pace is exactly how it should be for a weekend lunch. We deliberate over whether we're in for something light and easy or strapped in for the long haul. And the result is we fasten our seatbelts and go seven courses with matched wines. And of course we're enjoying pre lunch aperitifs too!

We're not left waiting for long before some sustenance arrives and it's split pea soup in a shot glass with pancetta crumb. There's also a Gruyere filled profiterole, some sourdough bread with butter and a caramelised onion and cream cheese spread too.

The soup is hearty and obviously anything with bacon is going to capture and win hearts! It's a little thick to come out of the shot glass so there's some uncouth scraping out with the knife. The profiterole oozes out a snowy white filling that is a yummy cheese sauce and the sweet oniony cheesy spread is delicious on the soft white bread.

The wine match is an orange wine made from the sauvignon blanc grape but it tastes nothing like a sauvignon blanc. There's no sourness; it's very well rounded and its gentleness just kisses the flavours from the food without overpowering them.

The pork was the first of the meat dishes and it was so pretty on the plate with shades of pink and lilac and purple on the plate. There's a big piece of pork jowl with a crispy layer and a cut of pork neck providing a leaner, denser contrast to the slippery fattiness of the jowl. 

I haven't had great experiences with jowl as it is so fatty but this piece and I get on pretty well. I do scrape out the layer of fat in between the crispy bit and the meat as I don't like the texture but the flavour of the meat is delicious. The red cabbage puree and beetroot enhance the sweetness of the meat. I like the blend of a fatty and a lean cut of meat. Some of the beetroot cubes are pretty salty so a slightly lighter touch might have been welcome. Its just on the edge of being ok. Steve eats everything on the platen with gusto; fat and all!

Head chef Joe Grbac serves us our next meat course and he kindly tells us we've been upgraded to the Sher wagyu instead of the chicken. As he tells us about the dish, I can smell an almost tobacco smokiness come through and I almost wonder if Joe has been out for a sneaky ciggy! But I realise as I dig in, it comes from the charred broccoli and anchovy mayo. There almost steely like charred flavours contrast the fresh green veggie notes but the jewel in the crown is obviously the beef.

There's a sticky, sinewy beef check marinaded for a week that just gives with the gentlest of pushes. It's tender and beefy and everything beef cheek should be. That heavy richness is then contrasted by the rump cap and with it being Wagyu it leaves that layer of delicious beefiness in the mouth. I don't need all the anchovy mayonnaise on the plate but that's a personal preference because Steve's plate is another clean round!

• Cheese: Roquefort Papillon, salt baked celeriac, celery panna cotta and rye
• ​​Granny Smith apple sponge, caramel, Calvados ice cream and vanilla

I don't eat blue cheese so I skip on the Roquefort and am presented with the apple option. I love that the apples are al dente and not over stewed like in a crumble. The sponge is golden and light and the ice cream is not sweet because the caramel provides the sugar hit. The little cubes of jelly add some concentrated hits of flavour. I was pretty full after the meat dishes but this manages to give me a second wind and I fell good in spite of having ingested so much deliciousness!

Steve loves the creativity of the blue cheese dish. The celery panna cotta hits the spot and he demolishes it. The dish is polarising; I would not touch it with a barge pole but it's another clean plate round from Steve. 

It was such a great lunch; finished with cups of tea and madeleines. The pace was perfect, the food fabulous and the service slick. I can't believe we've not been back for so long when it's this good! I think we've always had in our minds it's a bit fancy but really after this lunch, and the warm embrace we've experienced, we are resuming this friendship pronto!

Learn. Make. Eat. Drink. Shop.

That's The Craft & Co. mantra. Recently opened at the end of our street we decided to pop in for lunch. And I love all those things so to find them all under one roof, well it should be Heaven!

It's a huge space with an upstairs retail outlet full of gourmet goodies as well as space to make cheese, charcuterie pizza. And then downstairs is the microbrewery, deli counter and I think even a distillery as well as coffee outlet. There are tables scattered throughout as well as a covered courtyard and some street tables too. Phew - there's definitely a lot going on!

After a browse round, we sat at a table and decided to have some lunch.

Our drinks took a while to arrive and we had to chase them up. I ordered a lemonade that was on the juice menu and I specified that but instead I got the organic Hepburn Springs lemonade so I think the wait staff need to know what's on the vast menu a bit better. Steve enjoyed his beer though even though it was late and there was no apology.

My pet hate with service is when the diner asks a member of the wait staff to look into the delay and off they happily go but then they never report back. I think it's important to provide an update even if the dishes are seconds away. And yes my pet hate happened here...

Anyway onto the food:

• Moreton Bay School Prawns - Fried Crispy, Sumac Salt, Aioli
• The Craft & Co Chorizo - Served Soft, Fired on Grappa, Paprika

The school prawns were plump and delicious - seafood sweet, well seasoned offset by a squeeze of the lemon and a mustardy, garlicky mayo. The chorizo was also delicious; flavoursome, meaty not as soft as the description suggested. It came on a hotplate with still aflame from the grappa so a bit of dramatic theatre too.

And then our next courses arrived:

• Free Range Chicken - Brined in Whey, Fire Roasted, Pearl Barley Salad
• Steak Sandwich - Robbins Island 9+ Wagyu, Fermented Beetroot, Onions, Cheddar, Stone Cooked Ciabatta

Another pet hate sadly occurred; the menu didn't say the steak sandwich came with chips and so we ordered a side of chips so then we were overwhelmed by chips. And it wasn't as if the chips were that great either. Just normal chips - some crispy, some soggy, just frozen chips fried but we had a glut of them! And because we weren't asked at any point if everything was ok, I felt the need to provide the feedback to our waitress who conceded she should have mentioned it when we ordered. Let's hope she does it moving forward but again no outright apology, just verbal acknowledgement.

Onto happier matters; the chicken was delicious and a good serving size. The barley salad was also tasty with a sharp vinaigrette and the grains also soaked up the chicken juices. This is up there in the ranks of good roast chicken.

The steak sandwich looked good. Steve enjoyed it enough but it was heavy on the mustard and the whole thing was a bit sloppy with lots of beetroot and other filling which stopped the steak flavours coming out.

It seems a good place to drop in for a coffee and there's food for all budgets from a $7 panino chosen from the enticing items at the deli to the 30 something dollar chicken.

It wasn't an immediate hit for for me because of the hiccups in service and although it all looks shiny and new, it felt a bit flat. Almost too relaxing; no buzz and that might be because it's so big so although there were customers and diners floating about, it still felt a bit empty.

Definitely an interesting place but it hasn't triggered the love in me yet. I still need to be wooed and courted to come to the party!

We took a table out on the street and deliberated over the kebab menu. I went to place our order inside at the very clearly labelled order kiosk:

• A-rab - Lamb, smoked hummus, leaves and pickled bits
• East Coast - Maple glazed pulled pork, crackling, peanut butter hummus, leaves and pickled bits
• Hot crinkle chips and harissa mayo
• Corn dogg - Turkish sausage corn dogg with smoked mustard mayo

All that food came plus two soft drinks came to less than $50 so it's in line with gourmet fast food prices.

Food arrived quickly and we dug in. There were three corn doggs (not sure why it's spelt with a double gg) per serve and that was generous and we couldn't get into the third. Pretty tasty with crispy outer, soft mash encasing a salty, spicy sausage.

The main stars are obviously the kebabs and they were hefty in size. I had the pulled pork and enjoyed the sweetness of the meat and the tang of the pickles. Pretty messy eating! The pita was soft and pillowy. I couldn't taste the garlic yoghurt or spicy sauce much and it was just shy of being well seasoned.

Steve's lamb one was better. Big chunks of tasty lamb that was juicy and meaty. The chips were crunchy and I liked the spicy seasoning on them. The two mayos we had weren't that exciting and a small part of me might have just preferred ketchup!

In summary, nice enough and worth a try but we both personally have a preference to Jimmy Grants offerings. Sorry Biggie! We just feel Jimmy wins out by a whisker in terms of flavour and the friendliness of the wait staff.

Steve and I were huge fans of Bayte which was a Middle Eastern restaurant that was the predecessor to newcomer Son in Law. But always open to welcoming and making new friends, we decided to get to know Son in Law one sunny Saturday afternoon.

The layout hasn't changed but there's been a bit of a facelift. Where Bayte was dark woods and coloured glass, Son in Law is hot pink and bright aqua with painted stools and pop art type fonts. It's fun and cheery and doesn't take itself too seriously.

We settle into a table in the courtyard and I enjoy a cool Thai iced tea and is a pretty good version. A touch too sweet for me but refereshing so I ask for my refill to be less sweet and it's perfect.

CRISPY BARRAMUNDI FILLETS - Roasted dry chilli, mint, coriander, red onion, roasted ground rice
FRIED SESAME TOFU - Fried shallots, sesame seeds, sweet tamarind sauce
DEEP FRIED CHICKEN RIBS - Fried shallots, spring onion, choice of nam jim jaew or sweet chilli dipping sauce

So all in all, things work more than they don't work so it's a good meal. We particularly enjoy the gooeyness of the eggs with the spice and sweetness. The pad thai is also well exceuted with smokiness from the wok and a good texture of noodles that is far from gloopy mess that sometimes masquerades as pad thai. Chicken ribs also good; not greasy, hot, crispy and flavoursome with a zippy dipping sauce.

Two things didn't quite work for me. The first was the tofu. I had in my mind silky soft cubes, with a crispy outer but these cubes were pretty dense and chewy kind of like bland halloumi cheese so not really my bad. The green curry was pleasant enough but I think could have done with some deeper complexities of flavour. It was a bit thin in texture and flavour.

We thought it was all well priced and for a local Thai restaurant it was pretty authentic with some fresh flavours. I think Jinda Thai in Richmond might win the flavour stakes by a whisker but this place is a lot less frenetic to sit in and I'd rather return here for an overall more pleasant experience

Saturday lunchtime and we found ourselves at a local that we'd been meaning to try for a while. So the Robert Burns Hotel seems so un-Spanish but the tapas menu is so very Spanish downed to the little tinned good available to snack on.

We decided to share some croquetas, a meat board, goats cheese and mushroom salad and the seafood stew.

Everything arrived pretty quickly and we enjoyed the homely but genuine and authentic Spanish flavours that were traditional and delicious. The croquetas were piping hot stuff with cheesy and jamon goodness and so crispy on the outside. The little pearls of cheese were intense of flavour and the mushroom goodness counteracted that along with the sparky sherry vinaigrette of the salad dressing.

The stew came at the end of the meal and it was super tasty broth with lovely, floury chunks of potato, clams, mussels, prawns and a delicate fish fillet. A lovely deep red colour with pink from the seafood, white fish and yellow potato. So appetising too look at with the terra cotta colours of Spain or a Spanish sunset. I'd have loved some bread to dunk but we managed without. The calamari in there was overcooked but the other ingredients were delighfully delicious.

As we took our seats, we were asked if we wanted dips and saganaki and we nodded our assent and just asked our waiter to bring out food. First came the bread basket with warm, soft, white, pillowy bread ready to dip in into the plate of baba ganoush, tzatziki that had a flavoursome garlic hit and the salty taramasalata. There was also fried courgette pieces, calamari salad, green beans and carrots on the plate as well as a second dish of chargrilled octopus in a tangy vinaigrette.

As we made our way through the first offerings, three skillets also arrived. There was one filled to the brim with scallops another with fried calamari and the third was the very necessary gooey saganaki. Oh fried cheese! The scallops were sweet and plump and the calamari crispy with the lightest of crusts. What a wonderful start. Rustic, homely Greek food at it's best really.

Our waiter asked us what meat and fish we wanted and he listed off a lot of things! I thought he said cod with potatoes. Jon thought he said cock and potatoes. The others saw him put his fingers on his head to imitate horns but still didn't really know what he meant. Not helped when he told us he also had chicken-lamb. He also listed a whole load of fish and when we said we'd go for the King George whiting, he suggested the baby Snapper which he never mentioned in the first place! Oh the fun of communication. Anyway we left it in his hands. It seemed the easiest thing to do.

What arrived was some grilled pork in salt and pepper served on the bone, the goat on potatoes, some shaved lamb and the baby Snapper. The goat was soft and tender and the potatoes braised in the juices. The Snapper was just so simple and unadorned but the flesh was so sweet and yummy - probably my favourite. The pork was tasty but a little dry for me and the lamb shreds with onions was another delicious dish.

We had a bowl of Greek salad to help cut through the richness of the meat and we slowly made our way through all these dishes of deliciousness.

And our friendly waiter came by to offer us dessert which arrived as a plate of mixed sweet treats. There was custard pudding thing, baklava, Turkish delight and some halva. 

It looked like we'd struggle but we weren't rushed and gradually over time a respectable dent was made. Team effort though.

We had a really fun night at Jim's. It's not sophisticated food but it tastes honest and satisfying. It can be a little off putting not knowing how much everything costs until the bill comes and I have heard that Jim can have a reputation of over feeding and therefore hiking up the bill. Our bill came to $50 per head which included a decent tip and it was BYO with no corkage so we felt that it was good value for a night of giggles, gorging and a real taste of Greece.

It's busy season for auditors. Gosh it comes round quick so it meant that Steve was working on Saturday but we had time for a quick lunch. We thought about picking up sushi from Hinoki but then I thought it could be worth trying Xeom so we did.

It was just before midday and the place was empty but it was warm and not off putting. Although the panda water glasses weren't particularly clean so that was less welcoming.

Steve tried to order some hot tea, green or black but we were told no. That's a little weird I thought. But then we saw someone else get a pot later so I think we were misunderstood. And that little cup on the picture looks like tea but it's dipping sauce. I almost picked it up to drink!

Anyway the spring rolls came in this fancy basket which was cute. They were fine - just like what they should be like.

I had the pork chop rice and Steve had the crispy chicken and tomato rice. The dishes came out speedily and were attractively appetising. I wasn't sure about the sweet chilli sauce for Steve's dish. I think sweet chilli sauce, as tasty as it is, is a little bit of a cop out for a restaurant but then given I'm ok with tomato sauce, maybe I've got double standards? 

Anyway, the chicken was crispy. The pork chop was well marinaded with fragrant lemon grass and some chilli. I liked the crispy pickled veg. I thought the pork chop was on the small side for the price but I guess that's the difference between being on Smith Street and being in Footscray. The best pork chop rice is definitely Footscray and so much better value with two pieces of golden fried pork and a whole heap of rice but for somewhere easy to access and close to home, this is a reasonable fix even if there is no hot tea!

We'd made plans for a Friday night catch up with some of the old work crew and their other halves plus Kirsty what seemed like ages ago but it came round quick! We had a 6:30 table and although most of our party didn't quite make it on time our waitress was very flexible and forgiving. It gave Kirsty and I a chance to get a head start on the drinks (and a serve of very moreish onion rings) and catch up.

For ease of decision making, I made the executive decision to have the set menu for us all.

Chili Cheese Fries -Traditional Texas Style Beef & Bean Chili with Sharp Cheddar Sauce on Crispy Fries 
Fried Chicken Southern Style Buttermilk Soaked Tenders with Cracked Pepper White Gravy Texas Caviar Black Eyed Peas & Pico de Gallo with White Flour Tortilla Chips

The Smoker’s Lot Showcase | Pit-smoked meats consisting of Brisket - Grain fed Riverina Angus Beef, Pulled Pork - Otway Ranges Pork Shoulder, Sausage - Jalapeno and Cheddar, Chicken - Basted in Apple BBQ Sauce 

Potato Salad with Spring Onion, Fresh Dill, Pickles and Mayo 
Iceberg Salad with Dill, Radish, Cucumber & Lemon Dressing 
Tangy Coleslaw with Cabbage, Carrot & Onion 

Housemade Pecan and Cream Pie

There was a LOT of food and it came quickly. Comments around the different dishes:

• The Texas Caviar was served straight from the fridge and was too cold for my taste. I also felt it was bland and whilst not offensive, other things were tastier so there was a lot left over.
• The fried chicken was delicious. The meat was soft with a crispy coating and each piece was tasty. The white gravy was more like ranch dressing and there were better condiments. The chutneys and chilli sauce on the table was a better accompaniment.
• The chilli cheese fries were the best! And just as amazing as you'd think it would be by the description. The fries were not overladen with topping and retained a crispiness. Excellent job and  worth returning for this!
• The meat selection was good and had something for everyone. Personally I think the pulled pork was over pulled so excessively seasoned and texture wise on the too mushy side of things. The chicken I liked. The sausage was ok but not amazing. Brisket isn't really my thing but Steve and Kirsty both declared it good.
• Pecan pie was a good size - just a small square topped with a squirt of cream. Too sweet for me but Steve managed to eat more than his share!

We were rushed at the end as second sitting diners had arrived so our waitress lost her friendly, flexible attitude. But that's the way it is when there are two sittings.

Overall a place for good cheer and like they say, where good times roll. Probably better in a group although having said that, now that I've sampled some of the menu, if Steve and I came I'd pick wisely and I think it would still be good for a date.

Friday night date and we decided to try Northern Light with unknowing expectations. We stepped in and I loved the low hanging lights and the long central bar. It was hip, it was casual, it was low key.

The welcome was warm and stayed that way throughout the meal. Seated at the end We were waited on by attentive staff every step of the day and enjoyed chatting to co owner Glen Bagnara learning about the development of this wonderful place.

Under Glen's guidance we made various course choices and started off with golden egg, caramel, fried shallot, furikake. One egg each. Beautiful yolk , just set white with a deep fried exterior, sweet caramelised onions and hit a of spice. This was a most memorable egg and better than a chocolate one!

We had a duck spring roll each  wrapped in cos lettuce and with a spicy sauce. Cripsy, hot and meaty, again delicious.

Chicken skewers, honey, katsuo soy came next and these were sweet and salty made with juicy chicken thigh.

So far all the dishes we'd had were yummy and they continued in this vein:

• Air dried Blackmore beef, wasabi, yolk, fried potato
• Xinjiang style lamb ribs, bbq pepper
• Braised wombok over duck - but we can't remember!
• Fried rice, shrimp, pork, egg, smoked soy

This modern style Asian fusion dishes were about clean flavours and we certainly enjoyed them and were really quite full by the end. But we had room for dessert!

We decided to share the broken ice cream sandwich which was vanilla icecream, chocolate biscuit and salted caramel. In spite of rich flavours, actual execution was very light. The ice cream wasn't too creamy or custardy being on the lean side rather than rich and the broken biscuit followed suit. Steve felt there could have been more salt in the caramel but I enjoyed the pared back flavours and overall lightness of dessert especially when full from the previous courses.

Dinner at Northern Light was exciting and to hear that the menu changes regularly keeping things fresh means it will be a favourite for us.

Sunday morning brunch and we stumbled on Tomboy in our neughbourhood, I love the retro milk bar feel and the vintage sign over the counter. Atmosphere is fairly subdued although perhaps on other days the built in counter speakers could spice things up? Perhaps the subdued and darkened room feel was to ease the pain of those with a hangover?

Anyway like all hipster joints, my drink (fresh orange) was served in a jam jar and continuing the vintage theme was the stripey paper straw. OJ was fine, English Breakfast tea was weak.

Menu choice is not the widest but I guess for those with a hangover (oh no not us) bacon and eggs always fit the bill and that we had with some spinach and mushrooms and a cheeky sausage.

Quality of the food was very good and we left feeling satisfied and energised rather than grease laden and lethargic. So conclusion is that food is great but it's not the place to sit and laze and read the papers for a long time as no real vibe.