A First Nations Culinary Journey
The storytelling will be just as compelling as the 11-dish spread at this coming together of two trailblazing First Nations chefs and Indigenous food advocates:Nornie Bero of the Torres Strait Islands and Nico Albert Williams of Oklahoma’s Cherokee Nation. Bero’s Fed Square restaurant,Big Esso at Mabu Mabu,will host the one-off event.
March 21,Big Esso at Mabu Mabu,Melbourne,$145
Taco and Tequila Party
All aboard! Melbourne is in for a floating fiesta by two stars of Sydney’s Mexican scene:taqueriaRicos Tacos and temple-of-tequilaEl Primo Sanchez. Head to Arbory’s sibling Afloat,moored on the Yarra beside Flinders Street Station,for two hours of unlimited (yes,unlimited) tacos,and a tequila cocktail as you embark.
March 21,Afloat,Melbourne,$89
Kamayan and Pha Kao
With a tagline like “Let there be lechon!” you know chefsThi Le (Richmond’sJeow andCa Com) and Trisha Greentree (Sydney’s10 William St andFratelli Paradiso) are going big for their Filipino-Laotian dinner. Expect a family-style feast – where you’re encouraged to eat with your hands – revolving around a centrepiece worth celebrating:suckling pig.
March 17,Jeow,Richmond,$165
Porteno x Smith&Daughters
Elvis Abrahanowicz and Ben Milgate – the meaty mavericks behind Sydney’sPorteno – seem unlikely collaborators for plant-based powerhouseShannon Martinez. But therein lies the intrigue. At a one-off dinner atSmith&Daughters in Collingwood,the trio will dish up an entirely vegan four-course banquet that captures all those smoky steakhouse stylings.
March 19,Smith&Daughters,Collingwood,$180-$240
Potato Head Comes to Brunswick
What do you get when you mix a Balinese hotspot with two beacons of Brunswick East? A banger of a block party. The cocktails will have Big Tropicana Energy,and the snacks will be a collaboration between Potato Head culinary queen Pam Yung,Etta’sRosheen Kaul and Bar Romantica’s Jack Short,with a soundtrack by Potato Head resident DJ Dita.
March 17,Etta and Bar Romantica,Brunswick East,$79
Fizz:A Festival of Fermentation
A fermented dirty martini – specially created with local gin legendFour Pillars – will be in your hand as soon as you arrive at Fitzroy bar and bottle-oOdd Culture for this arvo of fizzy fun. Taste wild ales and funky vinos,then flame-grilled snacks by pop-up pro Tom Sarafian.
March 17,Odd Culture,Fitzroy,$78
The Great Australian Fish Tale
Are you curious about where the fish you eat comes from? This four-course,share-style lunch at riverside restaurantTaxi Kitchen will have you hook,line and sinker. Sample some of the state’s most impressive wild-caught seafood,prepared by owner-chef Tony Twitchett and his team,and hear the history of the fisheries that bring it to the table.
March 17,Taxi Kitchen,Melbourne,$254
Perfect Pairing:A Wine Tasting Dancegustation
You’ve heard of a degustation. But what about a dance-gustation? After a sold-out season at Edinburgh Fringe Festival,Attitude Dance Company is bound for Brunswick urban winery Noisy Ritual for what can only be described as part wine tasting,part dance performance. Four eight-minute dances will pair with four different drops.
March 20,Noisy Ritual,Brunswick,$75