Goodbye Summer....

Things to do in Melbourne before Summer is Gone…!!!

Moonlight Cinema- Botanical Gardens

If you haven't had the pleasure of enjoying a film in an outdoor cinema then you haven't lived! On a balmy night it so nice to stretch out in the gardens and watch an old favourite film, or a new release on the big screen. Take a picnic, a bean bag and a friend or lover to snuggle up to and enjoy being entertained out in the elements. 

http://www.moonlight.com.au/melbourne/

Shakespeare Under the Stars

 On the subject of the botanical gardens if you like something a bit more arty and are a fan of Shakespeare then definitely get along to see Romeo and Juliet under the stars. With an amazing cast including the spunky Jamieson Caldwell as Romeo  you are sure to be taken to another world during the performance. It runs until the 9th of March and is one performance you won't want to miss! 

Queen Victoria Night Market

On a Wednesday night over summer the vic market turns into a different world, the hustle and bustle of the day market is left behind for a more creative and lifestyle feel. Lots of great music and food, as well as wine tasting, massages and tarot reading. Perfect for a girls night to get some shopping done or as a date night. Its a great atmosphere and the perfect way to spend a warm Wednesday night! The season has been extended until the 27th of March this year so you still have a few more weeks to check it out! 

http://www.qvm.com.au/snm/snm_home.aspx

SKYY Pool Club

This exclusive event run by Nick Gianoppolous is only running until April. So if you want a truly VIP experience this summer you should head down to the Prince Deck in St Kilda, have your car valet parked and enjoy the magical views, book your own private cabana to enjoy tunes by the pool by Melbournes best DJs, including my favourite Melbourne DJ Khahn Ong. 

http://www.facebook.com/SkyyPoolClub

Go on a Road Trip!

There is nothing better than that feeling of leaving the city behind, with your best friends, some great tunes and the freedom of going wherever you feel like. Hit the beach, go camping, don't plan it- Just take off. My favourite trip for summer is the Great Ocean Road, such a beautiful drive and the beaches and forrest walks along the coast are beautiful. Make sure you do at least one more spontaneous thing before summer is over…. and we lose these beautiful long sunny days! 

 My Favourite Night of the Week... 

 Melbourne is renowned for its nightlife and most visitors are surprised when they realise that we do a Sunday night like no other. Sunday sessions in Melbourne were like a badly kept secret, either afternoon chill outs in the sun or dancing the night away in a club- it is definitely the best night to be out and about in Melbourne.
Now that my detox is over I celebrated in style after a weekend in the dust and glitter of Rainbow Serpent Festival straight to the Barkly to continue catching up with friends and sharing news and stories of our weekend antics!
I have put together a little information on my favourite Sunday Sessions so if you haven't already discovered the delights of sleeping in and pulling a sickie on a Monday this is sure to inspire you...

SKYY POOL CLUB

My good friend Nick Gianoppolous has just launched an exclusive Sunday Session on the Deck at the Prince (Circa Rooftop) in St Kilda. It opened on the 20th of Jan and is only running for 12 weeks! It's already the hottest ticket in town with gorgeous poolside glamour, private cabanas, relaxing deck chairs, delicious SKYY cocktails and some of Melbourne's best DJs performing in the intimate venue. It has the vibe of an exclusive private party. It makes you feel like you're on an expensive holiday, you can even have your car valet parked and enjoy gourmet mexican food! Guestlist is a must to ensure entry. 

www.skyypoolclub.com

Hotel Barkly

Sunday's at the Barkly have been a long running favourite in Melbourne and it always attracts a great crowd. During summer the deck is opened until the evening and there is never a lack of beautiful people to check out or good music to dance to. Great for event after party's and backing up the weekend! I love it because it's so diverse, you can either dress right up or keep it semi casual and there is always a great mix of people. So just take the elevator up to Level 4 and get ready for an amazing night…

http://www.facebook.com/HotelBarkly

Mon Bijou

This was a Sunday Session like no other this season in Melbourne, a beautiful penthouse in the heart of the city the oozes glamour and charm, turned into an exclusive party pad for Sunday afternoons. The luxurious penthouse has a sophisticated french decor, amazing views of the city skyline and an outdoor area with a pool which plays host to the Sunday pool parties. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than in style by the pool? Its the perfect summer haven in our vibrant city. Although it ran for only a couple of weeks this truly was the hidden gem of Melbourne summer parties! Although Mon Bijou is available to book for functions be sure to keep an eye out for the next party at the venue. 

http://www.facebook.com/MonBijouSundaySessions

College Lawn

A more country style pub in Prahran is the perfect chill out place for a group of guys or anyone who likes to enjoy a beer and watch some sport. I've already mentioned the pool parties and night clubs to go to on a Sunday but if that's not your scene then College Lawn has a great relaxed vibe, a band, indoor and outdoor bars and a full menu if your want to do dinner as well. Good idea to get down early to get a decent spot at a table because it fills up pretty quickly on a Sunday. Good for a late lunch and as pre drinks before heading to the Barkly or SKYY Pool Club.

collegelawnhotel.com.au

So take advantage of the last day of the weekend, don't spent it hungover on the couch- get up, grab a (very) late brekkie, then head out for 'a few quiet drinks' (Thats code for another BIG night!) at one of these awesome venues. Please email with any other suggestions/ ideas or stories from your Sunday nights! I LOVE your stories and comments so keep them coming (I'm putting together an anonymous party diary soon!) 

Take care, play safe and ENJOY!!! 

What are you really putting into your body...?

What is Organic and Why all the fuss?

Over the last few years organic foods have become a bit of a fad. If something is labelled organic we seem to think it's healthier or tastier, as well as trusting celebrities who swear by organic foods for weight loss. 

But what does organic really mean? Is it healthier? Does it taste better? 

And are the foods really as organic as we think? 

To me, thinking of 'organic' conjures an image of a small old fashioned farm, with a homestyle, holistic approach to farming. That's me just being idealistic as usual- the truth is that the organic food we find in our supermarkets are mass produced just like all the other foods, some are even made by the same companies in a small subsection which they have adjusted to comply with the organic standards to become certified. 

Organic foods are those that have been produced without modern synthetic inputs like pesticides and chemical fertilisers and processed without industrial solvents or chemical food additives and the livestock must be reared with regular access to pasture and without the routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones. 

The best place to get true organic foods is to grow them yourself! Or at local farmers markets and certified produce stores.

To be certified as organic the producers and growers have to be audited to ensure that their production methods comply to the national standards. 

Some of the ways that producers manage the health of the soil and plants without chemicals are using green manure, compost and natural minerals as well as carefully planned crop rotations an natural methods of pest and weed control. 

Although many studies have shown that an organic farm uses less energy and is claimed to be better for the environment, from doing some further reading I discovered that these figures often aren't calculated per unit or size, that to make crops of the same size each way at some farms the organic farming process actually uses more resources and takes much longer.

 If you do want to cut down the chemicals in your diet and switch to organic be sure that it is a certified product. Companies can use the word organic in their names and advertising without actually being organic at all (or just a very small part of the product is made that way) so be sure to do your reading properly! 

People choose organic for many different reasons- usually not because of the cost! The cost of certified organic food is usually about three times what you would pay for the same foods without the label.

So next time that you think you are being green because your eating 'organic' think about what it actually is, and really weigh up what it means to you now that you have some more of the facts. 

One product I absolutely stand by is anything that is cruelty free, such as free range meats and eggs. I plan to do a bit more research into the guidelines for what allows these foods to be labelled this way as well so keep an eye out for that upcoming post. As always please feel free to share with me any stories, links or good sites relating to organic or cruelty free options in foods. I LOVE the feedback! 

jade.a.hunter@hotmail.com

http://www.organic.org/

www.organicfood.com.au

Some Organic Grocers in Melbourne-

Malvern

http://greenonions.com.au/ 

organicallygrown.com.au

Glenhuntly Road

www.yumorganics.com

www.natro.com.au/

Where have I been lately??

~  Restaurant Reviews ~

We are so lucky to be here in Melbourne with so many incredible restaurants. It seems every week there is a new one coming up to try and it makes it so hard! Do we go to the new, untested one? Or stick to our old favourites? 

It's always tough when deciding where to eat is left up to you, I know I'm usually the one that the girls expect to come up with the suggestions- I'm always worried it will be a disaster! We have been to a some nice places the last few weeks so thought I'd write a little about them to make any upcoming restaurant ideas easier! 

Some of them are my absolute favourites and others are just new ones that we've tried. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on them or any good ones that I haven't mentioned that I might like to try so feel free to leave comments or email me with suggestions! I love hearing feedback! 

jade.a.hunter@hotmail.com

FOG

I had to start with my absolute favourite restaurant. FOG is on Greville st in Prahran and is known best for pre drinks before heading to Boutique on a Friday night. The menu is modern mexican fusion and even renowned chef Marco Pierre White is known to love a meal there while he was Melbourne filming for MasterChef. It's great for vegetarians as well, with several tasty dishes to choose from. They offer either a tapas style menu or you can order larger mains as well. I had my recent birthday dinner there and even my friends who hadn't been before were impressed with the food, the service and also the atmosphere. FOG is a great place to go for drinks as it has two bars as well as a big courtyard, with plenty of tables and even an open fire to warm you up in winter! It's perfect for any occasion and they have recently started up a Sunday session with a band so busy souls can relax and unwind at the end of a big weekend. My favourite cocktail is called a Honey Press, absolutely delicious and sweet! 

http://www.fog.com.au/

Golden Fields

I'd heard a few great reviews about Golden Fields on Fitzroy st in St Kilda so decided to stop by during the week and see what the fuss was about. It's another restaurant that must be 'too cool' to be able to book- I'd heard on weekends there can be up to 2 hours wait for a table! Luckily for us we managed to get something right away. 

Now I've heard great things about their lobster rolls and a few other dishes but being that I'm a vegetarian unfortunately can't vouch for that myself. We just told the waitress to bring out all the vegetarian options tapas style for us. The food certainly didn't disappoint! The standout was a pink grapefruit salad with asparagus and there was a delicious rice noodle salad as well. 

The layout was great, with a option of either sitting at the bar or at a table, the only thing I wouldn't rush back for was the service, which was a bit inconsistent. One waitress in particular was almost rude in the way she neglected to serve us, although once we moved to an outside table to enjoy our dessert the waiter was absolutely lovely! Maybe because my cheeky dinner companion had given them a big tip already! The desserts were amazing, a perfect way to end a lovely meal, the baked meringue was incredible. Overall it was good just for a small, quiet dinner but I don't think I'd go on a weekend when they are too busy or rely on it for a special occasion. 

http://goldenfields.com.au/

Rococo

I know some friends who swear by this restaurant on Acland street in St Kilda. I have been about four times now and just don't get what the fuss is about. I hate writing something that's not positive but I just cant come up with much else to say about it. I went with a group of girls this week for an early dinner, again we ate tapas style. Of the vegetarian dishes I tried the arancini balls were the best but there wasn't anything else worth mentioning. To be honest the service wasn't very good, drinks took longer to arrive than the food did and we had to remind the waiter several times about drinks orders. When I first walked in I was waiting to be served so I could find out where the girls were sitting (as we'd booked a table) and it's no exaggeration at all to say that two staff walked straight past me and not only that, there were another two just standing at the bar right in front of me just chatting to each other. They had definitely seen me waiting and even made eye contact! It took somebody else to come and ask me if I'd been looked after yet! I'm not one to ever complain and I know how busy it can get in a restaurant and that the staff all have their own lives but I've honestly never had such appalling service ever. It didn't help that the time I'd been previously they had completely forgotten to put one of the meals through for my friend, so it never arrived. Average food and appalling service, I should have learnt my lesson already but next time I will definitely put my foot down and refuse to go. There is no point wasting your time on mediocre in Melbourne, not when there are so many amazing places to dine. 

http://www.rococo.net.au/

Woods of Windsor

This was a fun night! I'd organised a surprise dinner for my beautiful best friends 21st birthday. She thought it was just the two of us and had no idea there was a table full of her nearest and dearest waiting at the restaurant. I'll say it again Mel- This is why you can't keep being late for everything! haha. Its just on Chapel st and the decor is gorgeous and very intimate, with candles around and a very cozy feel. The tables were quite small so not the best place for a large dinner but we were just happy enough to get a table that could fit us all. The food menu was amazing, everybody absolutely loved their food and considering it is known for their 'game' meat (which I didn't know when I booked- Mel and I are both vegos), there was enough vegetarian options to keep us happy as well! The drinks list was impressive and the cocktails were delicious! (this was pre detox) I'd definitely go back for cocktails or a light meal, it was a great atmosphere (aside from being a little smokey) and perfect for girls drinks or even for a first date it would be nice! **hint hint guys!

http://www.thewoodsofwindsor.com/

Two Buoys

As my parents still live down on the Peninsula the girls and I often go down to stay and enjoy the beach, the bushwalks and being spoilt by mum! We were down last weekend for the Portsea Polo shenannigans and made sure we did our traditional stop off at Two Buoys. Even when I used to live down in Dromana, Two Buoys was one of my favourite places to go, but now that I don't get down there as much I appreciate it even more! We love sitting at the front bench, overlooking the water and watching life go by as we enjoy the tasty cocktails and tapas that they have. It's so relaxing! They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I just found out that they even get their coffee from one of my favourite places in South Melbourne which I have written a post about- St Ali's (we all have our wicked side- August 2012). I must have consistent taste in coffee! The salads are amazing and fresh and the flatbreads are the best I've ever had. Do yourself a favour and try the pumpkin, honey and blue cheese one! The other thing to mention is the incredible service. Even though they get so busy over summer, completely run off their feet the staff are friendly, helpful and attentive. I also love that they use local produce where possible and have a lot of the local wines as well. I must admit that we usually end up there at least twice each time we come down, for dinner and drinks and then again for breakfast or lunch the next day! Definitely worth trying the next time you're down the Peninsula. 

http://www.twobuoys.com.au/