Glick’s, Malvern

Ugly Betty might just shade this proud kosher bakery that’s substance over style. Behind a logo of copperplate font and a Mr Glick caricature is an institution that’s synonymous with gold star bagels, breads and dips. It might not look like much and the sweet cookies and cakes are a little old fashioned, but those rings of boiled then baked dough are Tiger Woods unrivalled without the naughtiness. Choose plain, seeded or garlic bagel with pre programmed fillings of salmon pattie and salad; smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers or choose your own adventure. Fasting near impossible with stuff this good, but I can appreciate the reward for the wait.


4 / 5 yums!
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Where? 153 Glenferrie Road, Malvern, VIC 3144
What? Bagels + Fillings $5 - 8.50

Chimmy's Bread & Pastries, Richmond

This cute bakery and café has the warmth of dying ember, the speed of a Myki rollout and pub grub value. So the service might be a bit tardy, and a little mouthy, but the mains under $20 are worthy of a shot of leniency. Beautifully seasoned and caramelised lamb chops sit on a bed of herbed cous cous and chopped dried apricot and ricotta dumplings about as fancy as it gets. Safety first eye fillet beef with mustard seeded mash and port shallot gravy cooked as requested won’t displace too many tastebuds. Reliable as the Metcard.


3 / 5 yums!
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Where? 342 Bridge Road, Richmond, VIC
What? Mains $18







Left to Right: Lamb Chops, Ricotta Dumplings, Eye Fillet, Angus, Veggie Risotto

Fish Tank, Brighton

So how do you make the daggy fish and chips fashionable in the shopping strip that’s about as self-conscious as a young ballerina at her debut performance in front of parents who could care less except for her own? Cool logo… check. Display fresh produce… yup. Sell gourmet tid bits, sleek menu design uh-huh and duh.

Basically this is everything your suburban fish and chippery ain’t. Ultra cool. For all the superficial, it duly delivers. Your joint around the corner has no hope. Salt and pepper calamari could have spent more time on the paper towel, but the fried batter encapsulating the fresh fish perfectly cooked, the chips well drained and crunchy. Healthy vibrant salads and grilled or baked options for the fat conscious.

Fish and chips that ain’t daggy at all. Everyone’s doing the lines at Fish Tank.


4 / 5 yums!
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Where? 20 Church St, Brighton, VIC
What? Daily catch pack $8.90, salt and pepper calamari $7.90

Barbagallo Trattoria E Pizzeria, Melbourne

The mere fact that people seem more than happy to eat in quarters close enough to start picking on your neighbour’s plate say something about this pizzeria. And what better way to attract the masses than combining all the fine things Melbournian love, dim light, a wine bar, casual bentwoods, a quirky renaissance painting or two and an open kitchen pumping out quality Italian.

Their gnocchi with gorgonzola pillows of potato smothered in the rich cream cheese the type of dish you’d have no trouble sleeping in but for the temperature. A great selection of baked bread plates to choose from… it could be sliced pork and fennel snag with hints of chilli; enoki, swiss and king brown mushies; prosciutto and rocket, or salami, olives and roasted peppers. Bases that are thin, crisp, wheaty tasty with ample crusts, though the topping’s flavours suffer from a generous mamma’s heavy hand spreading the tomato sauce. Trio of chocolates in the calzone and lemon pannacotta quality dolce to finish.

Sound yummy? Speed on down to 103 Lonsdale VIC and not Wanneroo WA.


3.5 / 5 yums!
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Where? 103 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, VIC
What? Pastas $20, Pizzas $17, Desserts $11









Left to Right : Gnocchi and Gorgonzola; Enoki, Swiss, King Brown Mushrooms; Pork and Fennel Sausage; Prosciutto and Rocket; Salami and Peppers; Pannacotta; Calzone

Montalto (Piazza), Red Hill

Being a small fry that earns pittance means the food choices are kind of limited in Mornington’s wine country littered with mid and fine diners. A good tactic to keep the rif raf like myself out, but thankfully Montalto have been kind enough to serve meals other than bread and water. There’s the range of gourmet pizzas: might be minced beef or prosciutto, crumbled goats cheese and torn basil. For something more substantial try the strangely unseasonal meatballs in a rich tomato ragu or a slab of roasted pork with apple salad that with a little more time would have had good crackling. Sticky date pudding value if you can’t afford anything else. At Montalto’s Piazza, being the shoe shiner at the bottom ain’t so bad, gove-na.


3 / 5 yums!
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Where? 33 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South, VIC
What? Around $15

Shangri-La Inn, Brentford Square

A flick through the menu at this Brentford Square restaurant and it’ll be fair to say it’s pretty much a typical suburban Canto joint with a Malaysian page. Find curry puffs, satay sticks, fried won ton for entrée, combination stir fries, beef in black bean, Mongolian beef, lemon, honey chicken or with cashew, roti, rendang, char kwai teow, mee goreng or laksa.

But don’t just take what’s given, it would be unfair on yourself not to ask if there’s more. Take the “Muck Heong Har” which is basically deep fried prawns showered by fried garlic flakes and basil leaves that’s crunch textured by crunch. Very nice. Don’t miss out on luxurious fatty, gelatinous, vinegary sweet “Mosai” pork ribs eaten with fried mantou (a bread made of wheat flour and water) that I can’t wait to go back for. Call ahead and make sure you get the low down, otherwise it’ll be sweet and sour pork instead.


3.5 / 5 yums!
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Where? 37-39 Brentford Square, cnr Canterbury & Steven Rds, Forest Hill, VIC
What? Around $15







Left to Right: Ginger Spring Onion Sliced Fish, Bean Curd Hot Plate, Chay Yoke Hot Pot, Mosai Pork Ribs, Mantou, Muck Heong Har

Max’s Restaurant, Red Hill

It’s not the kind of food that will have your head spinning, but at least you’ll be doing it in plenty of style and class at Red Hill Estate’s simple farmhouse style dining room that gives an eye full of scenery only countless rows of pampered grape plants can provide.

All that looking at vineyards will make you hungry, so Max’s Restaurant provides a seasonally driven menu to match the bottled fruit juice. Speaking of which, find summer fruits featured in entrees such as lightly dusted and deep fried calamari and shaved fennel, orange and baby herbs and cold bashed chicken wrapped with prosciutto swiped with a raspberry vinaigrette. However generally zebra crossing pedestrian. You’ll get a choice of the major meats for main but suffer the flaw of Masterchef Chris dishes in that share juses of the colour earth that Donna Hay would not want to photograph. Good though lack little touches that mean so much, such as rendering the fat and crisping the skin of the game poultry and retaining moisture in the piggy meat. Similarities also found between desserts, as you get a triangle of rich chocolate mousse or pear and berry tart. The hamburger meringue inspiring thoughts of a tequila sunrise with it’s passionfruit and strawberry puree.

Intoxicating yes, but getting blottoed on the James Halliday rated booze would be the reason I’d go back to Red Hill Estate.


3 / 5 yums!
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Where? 53 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South, VIC
What? 3 courses $75
















Left to Right : Calamari with orange, fennel, herb salad; chicken terrine with raspberry vinaigrette; cured trout and cream cheese filo cone; scallops and salmon roe; trout; duck with chilli and coriander marinade, star anise jus; Gippsland steak, shiraz jus; baked poretta; chocolate tart; pear and berry tart; meringue; pistachio ice-cream