Melbourne is a city that I fall into with open arms. There is so much to love, so I just had to make one final post on some of the places that I have been frequenting on my travels. These places are all on the must visit list:
Mamasita: This place does Mexican food like no other (outside of Mexico that is). It’s gluten free, eco-friendly and boasts fresh, authentic flavours. The line to get in to Mamasita says it all… In a taqueria, it is hard to go past the tacos and believe me, they are good. I started with the Street-style chargrilled corn with queso, chipotle, mayonnaise & lime and the Totopos con guacomole, then sampled the de Pescado (grilled fish taco with lime, achiote paste & red onion salsa), the de Res y Chorizo (braised beef & chorizo taco with coriander & onion) and the Frijoles con nopales (baked black bean taco with cactus, picode gallo & queso fresco) and washed it all down with the Modelo especial. Meal of the trip!
Basement Discs: If you are a fan of folk, country, jazz, blues or world music, then this is a record store you need to visit. And best of all the store owners Suzanne, Rod, Pat & Mikey are all brimming with musical knowledge and are eager to help put you on to some new sounds. The other great thing about this store is its regular in-store concerts. On Friday we were lucky enough to catch Collard Greens & Gravy launching their new album Juke Joint Boogie. The shop was hopping with smiling faces making the most of their Friday lunch hour. Here’s a sample of what the band are all about:
Jungle Juice Bar: Small in size, but big on character, the Jungle Juice Bar is located in Centre Place Laneway. This place does an amazing variety of juices that are a perfect way to kickstart the day and they also do a mean New York style bagel. Their menus are housed inside pre-loved Little Golden Books and the crew that staff the place are always up for a good time. Just this morning, the owner was goofing around with a severed hand (fake of course), leaving it out to see how the customers responded. Reminds me of The Alibi Room before it was chromed…
The Paperback Bookshop: Another one of my favourite bookshops in Melbourne, this place is also small in size, but the shelves are well stocked with poetry, journals and other literary delights. A great place to lose an hour or more just browsing and chatting to the staff but it is very hard to walk out of without something tucked under your arm, but then again… that’s not a bad thing! I now have a job ahead of me finding space for all my new acquisitions from the two weeks away.
