Masani - where have you been all my life

I am in equal measures thrilled and upset. Thrilled to have found this gem of a restaurant, upset that I used to walk past it thinking 'that place looks too expensive and fancy for lil' ol' me'. I would also like to thank friend G for turning forty and inviting me to partake of a fantastic meal, fantastic wine, and fantastic conversation to celebrate it.

Masani (in case there is anyone else in Melbourne who hasn't been there) is located at 313-315 Drummond Street Carlton, has an amazing menu (usually with many specials to complement the standard fare), and a dining room featuring an amazing pair of fireplaces (bigger than my bathroom) which keep the high ceilinged rooms toasty warm. Another top tip for you tipplers, Masani allows you to BYO with just a $7.50 corkage fee (cheap if you are having a special meal with a few special wines from your personal collection).

The night we went I had the Duck-and-Duck - started with Duck Livers for entree and then had crispy roasted duck for main. I only had eyes for my own meal that night, but seem to recall rave reviews for the beef cheeks? I will definitely be back for my next special (but not necessarily too special) occasion.

Our very local

The closest actual dining establishment to my home has changed hands/theme/style/name so many times since J and I moved to Carlton six years ago that we almost gave up on keeping up. The only reason we went back the other night was pure laziness - it is literally 47 J- steps from our front door (about 103 T-steps). The latest incarnation is called 'Red Vibe' (330 Cardigan Street Carlton) and it is pitching to the local uni population (fun but not very much cash). As it was date night and I wasn't paying, I am not sure of exact prices, but it was something like $12 or $15 for a steak or parma including a pot or glass of wine - AND the food was good, AND quick - lucky because we just missed a uni pub crawl... Those were the days!

Kin Carlton

Recommended by a friend, fantastic food, great winelist, beautiful bonsai table decorations, a must try haunt for the desert that is the section of Lygon Street between Carlton and Brunswick (apart from the lovely Enoteca which is directly opposite) - hopefully this augers well for the future of this part of Carlton. Apparently a winner for breakfasts too - I will definitely be up there for that next weekend.

2 x Great Gnocchi

Fantastic Gnocchi, fantastic price, great atmosphere, perfect pre-movie meals. Trotters, Lygon Street Carlton, I wont say any more or you might start to think the are paying me for my favourable comments...

Oh, the first one is chorizo, olive, and tomato: the second is pumpkin and basil - both are yum-o.

vego heaven in Carlton

As a local Carlton-ite I have eaten at Shakahari a few times. I love the unfussy and crisp flavours as well as the great combinations of ingredients and interesting textures.

The best thing though, about this fantastic little restaurant is when you take a vegetarian there for the first time. Imagine this - I am not a vegetarian, and I think that this place rocks. Now take a committed vegetarian there and it is seriously like a religious experience - instant addiction.

J and I have done this a few times and we (evilly) enjoy sitting back and letting the unsuspecting vego fall in love with food (for some of them for the first time since becoming vego... seriously).

This time our 'victim' was J's boss from New York. This guy eats out at some of the best (vego and non-vego) restaurants in the world, he travels a lot, eats a lot, and is hard to impress.

Do I need to say it?........................LOVE

We had: Avocado Rolls (tempura-ed avo, Eggplant & Coriander), Tokyo Balls (Brown Rice, Kombu, and herbs glazed with Nori), and the Salad Combination for starters and thenthe fantastically named main courses of: the Golden Aztec Quinoa, the Red Red Passion, and the Artisan Fettucine.

The menu doesn't change much but why should it - they do what they do so well. Most excellent!

Marvelous Markov

J and I went to see a (bad but free) movie at Cinema Nova in Carlton the other night for Date Night. We ended up getting out of the cinema at about 9:30pm with low expectations of finding anything to eat between the Nova and home. We tried a few places on Lygon Street but all the kitchens were closed or about to be so. We thought we would try Markov Place (behind the Cleanskin shop on Drummond Street) which always has a great wine list and nice staff with great manners and fun attitude and where we could at least be assured of a decent post-movie wine. What we weren't really expecting though was a fantastic meal to go with it - but that is certainly what we got. We both ordered the Prawn Linguine with brocolli, Olives, and Tomato which was fantastic. I love that you also get your own bowl of Parmesan and two little bottles - one filled with garlic infused and the other with chilli infused olive oil, these rituals lift the dining experience above ordinary. I definitely recommend my 'secret' local little bar.