EAT
DR JUICY JAY’S FRIED CHICKEN AND CRAB SHACK
238 Victoria Street, North Melbourne
Wed to Sun, 5pm–9pm
9329 9888 / juicyjayscrabshack.com
First up is great place within a place. Nestled in the front part of Public Bar in North Melbourne is the terifically named Dr Juicy Jay’s Fried Chicken and Crab Shack, which as the name suggests, is a Louisiana-inspired street food eatery serving up Creole-style shrimp, a Frogmore-style crab boil served with corn, sausage and spices and Southern fried chicken (waffles optional) for those who like their food as hot as they like it messy. Don’t wear your good shirt.
LA TORTILLERIA
72
Stubbs Street, Kensington
Thurs: noon – late Fri: noon – late Sat: 11.30am – late Sun: 11.30am – late
9376 5577 / latortilleria.com.au
La Tortilleria sits amongst the hulking warehouses in Kensington and is dedicated to creating truly authentic
Mexican corn tortillas from scratch. This means using a centuries-old
‘nixtamal’ method traditionally employed by indigenous Aztecs, a laborious process involving stone-grinding their own corn with a traditional
mill housed on premises to be baked into tortillas fresh daily. Needless to say, you can definitely taste the difference.
DRINK
SHEBEEN
36 Manchester Lane, Melbourne
11am-late, 7 days
9650 6931 / shebeen.com.au
Shebeen separates drinking from guilt by being one of Australia’s only not-for-profit drinking holes. Alcohol and activism? Who would have thought. The idea was sparked after university mates Simon Griffiths and Zanna McComish returned from a trip volunteering in Africa. Inspired by the make-shift watering holes they encountered in South Africa and a desire to help those less fortunate than them, the pair opened up a philanthropic laneway hole-in-the-wall serving up exotic tipples from developing third world makers with profits from each going directly back to its country of origin. Have a drink or five there. Your memory will be hazy but your conscience will be crystal clear.
GOLDILOCKS BAR
Level 4, 264 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Mon – Sun: 5pm to 3am
0401 174 962 / goldilocksbar.com.au
Go up an unmarked lift, up four storeys and make your own fairy tale. Goldilocks Bar injects a terrific sense of wonder back into the stoic face of inner-city sip and sits. Inspired by traditional fables and keenly dedicated to getting things juuust right, Goldilocks serves up a fairytale stew of local and international boutique beers and ciders, a comprehensive range of wines and an ever-changing menu of cocktails inspired by the fantastical spirit of youth. A rooftop is due to open soon. Note: no bears allowed.
SHOP
SPRING STREET GROCER
157 Spring Street, Melbourne
Daily 9am-9pm
9639 0335 / springstgrocery.com.au
Real talk: Spring Street Grocer is the kind of place that we would shop at exclusively if we won the lottery. Equal parts gelato bar, grocer, delicatessen, cheese cellar, lunchtime sandwich bar and cafe, the truly bewildering food lover’s paradise offers a European-inspired dose of mouthwatering deli treats for those who enjoy the finer things in life. Hot tip: bring a bag. You’ll be needing it.
RMIT’S POP UP SHOP
Swanston Academic Building (RMIT Building 80), 445 Swanston Street
Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm
Hidden in the hallways of a university, locally-designed clothing and hand-made jewellery pieces from RMIT’s NEIS businesses, as well as current students and alumni of RMIT’s Arts, Design and Textile programs are sold and showcased weekdays at RMIT’s on campus Pop Up store located on the ground floor of Building 80. The place to find one-of-a-kind pieces by up and coming designers.
DO
DOCKLANDS FIREWORKS
The Piazza at Docklands, 429-437 Docklands Drive, Docklands
Fri: 6.15pm – 7.45pm (fireworks at 7pm)
Make sure you kick your weekend off with a bang and kiss the sky every Friday night in July and August with free nighttime fireworks at Docklands. After you’ve taken in the lights go ice skating, shopping or just soak in the atmosphere as roving performers light up the promenade.
To find out what’s happening in Melbourne city, go to melbourne.vic.gov.au/inbetween
