Saturday, 20 September 2025

Pepe's Italian & Liquor, Melbourne CBD

We were delighted that our night out for dinner and a play started with a wonderful meal at Pepe's Italian and Liquor.  A fun winter ski chalet theme welcomed us with a sleigh in the courtyard and snowshoes at the door. 

The heiritage building that is now Pepe's in Melbourne's city centre has seen many changes since it was built in 1859, a mere 14 years after John Batman that this would be a place for a village, with no care about what the place already meant to the Aboriginal people who lived there.  It was one of Melbourne earliest Synagogues and has been a Jewish School, a State School and a kindergarten since then.  It was designed by the same architects that designed the nearby Victorian Parliament House.
 

Most buildings in Melbourne Central Business District open directly onto the footpath.  Pepe's would catch my eye as I rode home from working in the city because it has a delightful courtyard in the front with trees and fairy lights.  It always looked welcoming but pricey.  The night we were there was a drizzling early Spring day and we opted to eat inside.

As we enter Pepe's, we are delighted by the cosy warm apres-ski vibe.  Retro Winter Olympics banners hand from the rafters.  Old wooden skis, cowbells and the occasional stag head adorn the walls.  We are led to seats at the bench along the wall that is scattered with large fluffy cushions that look made for hugging.  The bar along the opposite wall is warmly lit while the photos covering the windows simulate the views of snowy mountains.  It is delightful.  We love our corner seat with a view of it all.

The gorgeous artwork of skiers on the menu spells out Pepe's in the tracks in the snow.  Inside it has a note saying "If you want it to snow, please ask Jo".  I don't know what it meant - perhaps we missed the opportunity to ask Jo - but it amused us!  We had plenty of vegetarian options in the antipasti, pasta, pizza and side dish sections.

The beverage menu was named the Italian Chalet and Liquor.  The introduction invites us to "Step into our 150-year-old brick and timber chalet, mysteriously transported from the Dolomites to Melbourne’s streets. Our winter wonderland awaits..."  The cocktails had fun names like the Olympic Torch, Jamaican Bobsled, and Pistachio Polar Bear.  The ingredients also looked really interesting: Gingerbread cocnac, Hazlenut maple syrup, Black walnut bitters, Rhubarb vermouth, and activated charcoal.

I was really happy that there was a page called "Pepe's non-alcoholics" with alcohol free mocktails, spirits, wine and beer as well as the usual soft drinks.  I was tempted by the NON 3 toasted cinnamon and yuzu wine.  Then I ordered a glass of Cos-No: Lyre’s London Spirit, cranberry, rhubarb bitters, and lime ($16).  It was nice but smelled like a cleaning product.  As it is decades since I drank cocktails, I could not say how it compared to the alcoholic Cosmopolitan that it was imitating.  Despite the smell, the taste was nice and fruity and not too sweet.  Importantly, I did not feel I will missing out on the cocktails as I sipped at my colourful drink in a cool glass.  Sylvia had an apple juice.  

Then our meal arrived.  The plates hardly fitted on our table but we were really happy to see the spread.  Each dish was lovely but together they were amazing.  It was a great balance of carbs, vegetables, textures, flavours and colours.  Even the plates were beautiful.  Here is what we ate:

House baked focaccia ($14.5): This was the best focaccia I have ever had.  When it arrived it smells so wonderfully fresh baked that it was hard to even wait to take a photo.  It was a small thick loaf with a slightly charred crust and a soft and chewy crumb.

Beetroot carpaccio: smoked cashew cheese, pomegranate  (vg) $22.5.  This was a vegan take on a beefo carpaccio.  The thin pickled beetroot slices were amazing when mixed with the smoked cashew cheese and nuts.  (We checked and there were no peanuts.)  It also looked so beautiful.  The only problem was that there was only a small blob of cashew cheese under the slices and I wanted so much more.  It was so good!

Spicy rigatoni vodka: tomato, onion, Calabrian chilli ($34).  This pasta dish was lovely with a delicious creamy tomato sauce that was not too spicy.  This is the sort of dish I would not find very satisfying by itself but was fantastic with all the side dishes.

Insalata di farro: ancient grains, broccoli, zucchini, snowpeas, edamame, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, mixed leaves ($26).  I had initially considered having this as a main dish but it was really a side dish.  Despite its promise of grains in the title, there were not many grains in the salad.  This excellent salad of a variety of leaves, lightly cooked green vegetables and crunchy seeds had a perfect dressing, was beautiful to look at and made the other dishes sing.

We had two desserts.  Sylvia ordered the Bombolini al pistacchi: 5 warm Italian donuts, crema al pistachio ($16.5).  I wanted chocolate so I ordered the Rocher de chalet: 2 hazelnut ganache, praline, cremeux, chocolate shell ( $19).  The doughnuts were amazing sugar coated fried balls with creamy green filling.  My dessert looked cute but inside the crisp chocolate shells was an odd creamy filling with nuts mixed in and a hazelnut paste that did not appeal to me.  I put it aside and enjoyed the superb doughnuts.

This was such an amazing experience that was worth a hefty price tag!  The service was excellent.  The wait staff were prompt and friendly.  Our request to move our booked seating to a corner table was no problem and when I mentioned to a waiter that I did not like the chocolate dessert she responded graciously that some people loved it and others didn't.  With delightful food and a cosy vibe, it was no surprise that by the time we left, the place was buzzing.


Pepes Italian and Liquor
275-285 Exhibition Street, Melbourne CBD
Open: Mon: 4pm til late, Tues-Sun: noon til late
https://pepesitalian.com.au

More places for pre-show meals on Green Gourmet Giraffe:

Thursday, 18 September 2025

Street Art in Melbourne: Northcote, Thornbury, Fairfield

Recently I took some street art photos while out on a ride around Fairfield, Northcote and Thornbury.  The fun images reminded me of more from around that area I had taken in the past and meant to blog.  So these photos are a mix of weeks old and years old.  They will make you laugh along, enjoy the whimsy and beauty, wonder what goes on in the artist's mind and reflect on the political issues!

Thornbury 








Fairfield

 








Northcote:

 



 



More inner north Melbourne street art on Green Gourmet Giraffe blog:

Sunday, 14 September 2025

Easeys, Collingwood: lunch on a train in the sky

When the a cafe in a train on top of a building in Collingwood were pointed out to me I immediately said I would be back some day to eat there.  So it was that we found ourselves there a few weeks ago, learning the hard way that bookings for the carriage are essential.  The next weekend we were there again with a booking to enjoy a great meal with a panoramic view from the a hipster inner city burger joint.

It is quite amazing to look up and see the trains on the 5 story End to End building in Collingwood.  Wow those trains really ran off the tracks!  It is like Tootle's best day ever.  Actually they were placed there by crane as part of the architect's vision for the new building in 2013.  The trains are from the Hitachi fleet that cruised the rails of Melbourne from 1972 until they were all retired in 2014.  They were Melbourne's first suburban trains with power closing doors and heated carriages.  Most gobsmacking is that they were the last suburban trains not to have air conditioning!  In 2014!  There is so much we take for granted about our trains these days.

Entering on the ground floor is a small cafe with old train seats at tables that are printed to look like a train ticket.  We were offered seats here when the carriage was booked out on our last visit.  We were also given an option of outdoor seats beside the train but the perspex barrier at the end was so grotty we could not see the view.  I preferred to wait until we could eat in a carriage.  After all, there are plenty of other great cafes in Collingwood.
 

While there is a lift, it had a note that it is only for those who really need it.  So we trudged up the few flights of stairs.  They have done a great job with all the graffiti in the stairwell to immerse you in inner city railway culture.  It makes the walk up more enjoyable.
 

When we arrive in the train carriage we see past the tartan seats to the views and then down the carriage to the bar.  Of course they offer beers to wash down those burgers and perhaps to calm the nerves of those who do not like heights.  There is even an Easey's Lager.  We sat between a couple of young Asian women who could well have been instagrammers and a group of older Collingwood footy fans who were enjoying the beers.

I loved the view over Collingwood.  Five stories close enough to the ground to look around to see the people on the pavements and the street art on the walls.  Across the tops of warehouses we see an old industrial chimney and in the other direction I can see the old Collingwood Town Hall where many of my dad's family worked.  I had expected a view of the city but the trains are not quite oriented for this.

It was a cold winter's day so I ordered a mulled cider.  It was served in a branded tin mug.  I was quite happy to sit with my hands warming on the mug, sipping the warm spiced drink and surveying the world spread beneath me.

 

The menu is quite inclusive with notes of vegan and gluten free options upon request.  As vegetarians, we had a few options of burgers and sides.  I was impressed with the options going beyond just your regular burger and chips.

There were chips for all sorts of tastes: regular fries for the regular folk, tater tots for the nostalgic and sweet potato fries for the more health conscious.  This was not a place that I expect to return to so we indulged in Tater tot loaded with super cheesy macaroni & five cheese ($15).  These were excellent but very filling.


We also shared a serve of Corn ribs: seasoned with Easey's secret mix of herbs and spices ($8.50).  This was a fun side for us as vegetarians.  I am not really interested in the faux meat ribs that are on offer at other places but it worked really well with corn and the seasoning was really tasty.  


Four of the nine burgers had vegetarian options.  Sadly there were no meat-free hotdogs so we could not try the dog loaded with mac and cheese.  

Sylvia had the Cheeseburger with the Impossible vegan patty, American cheddar, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion & burger sauce ($19.50).  You can see it wrapped in "Impossible" paper at the top of the above photo collage.  She had not had the Impossible patty before and was impressed with it, though it was much better in a burger than by itself.

I was happy to have a meat-free burger option that did not involve mock meat.  I had "Your mate": potato & zucchini rosti, American cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions & burger sauce ($18.50).  It was messier than Sylvia's as you can see in the bottom photos of the above photo collage.  I didn't mind.  It tasted so good.   

We had so much food that we finished up taking some of our sides home.  But not before we wandered around the carriage and checked out the seats by the drivers controls.  I can imagine that this would be lots of fun for trainspotters and little kids.

Other trains on the roof are a recording studio and a hip hop store.  Given that I am unlikely to go to these places, I am very glad that Easeys gives a broad range of the public an opportunity to sit on a train on a rooftop with a fine view of Collingwood.

Easeys
3/48 Easey St, Collingwood
Open M-Th: 11am-10pm, Fr-Sun: 11am-11pm 
www.easeys.com.au

Thursday, 11 September 2025

My Monthly Chronicles, August 2025

August was a quieter month for us.  In the wintery month following an intense time of painting the house, we followed our instincts and snuggled inside for a rest.  We got out to some markets and revisited some excellent cafes.  Good food and good times.  (The above photo is the Mill Markets in Geelong - see further down.)

You can read about our food and craft at home the month at In My Kitchen, August 2025.
 

Coburg Farmers Market, Coburg

We had a visit to the farmers market and Sylvia finally was able to try the Titilas matchas.  She was very happy with her iced blueberry matcha latte.  You can see more about what I bought in my kitchen and read more on on my post about the Coburg Farmers Market.

The Hammerbarn Hardware Conundrum

It is tough telling stories without name-dropping these days.  I notice many fictional tv shows using alternative names for well known brands.  Some of them are quite amusing.  And even the most well-intentioned writers can unwittingly get themselves in a tangle.  

When the BBC bought the merchandising rights to Bluey, they partnered with Bunnings Hardware Store on a "Hammerbarn"promotion using the name that was used in Bluey to avoid referencing Bunnings.  Consequently, despite Bluey making an effort not to name the big business brand, the "Hammerbarn" episode has been taken off the streaming platform by the public broadcaster ABC while the promotion is on due to the ABC's rules about commercial partnerships. I bet Bluey did not see that coming!

Why did the ABC pull the Bluey episode from iview?, in Kids News, 3 August 2025.

Daikokuten, Hawthorn East

After trawling the many wonderful stalls at the Camberwell Market, we drove home via Hawthorn so we could stop at Daikokuten (Shop 1/398 Tooronga Rd).  Sylvia wanted more of their amazing onigiri with the tastiest seasoning.  I tried the Curry Udon Set with fuikake, nori, chilli strings, pickled vegetables and the optional fried tofu.  It was really good.  It should have come with a miso soup but that was not vegetarian.  They charged me less, which was the decent thing to do.
 

Daikokuten dessert, Hawthorn East

We don't get out Hawthorn way much so made the most of our visit by sharing a slice of Layered matcha cake.  Sylvia lashed out on the matcha with an iced matcha latte and I washed mine down with some green tea in a gorgeous ceramic cup.

Tylers Milkbar, Preston

We stopped by Tylers on a cold day for a warm lunch.  Sylvia had her favourite "There's a Leek in Toastie" and I had the "Baked Spud".  My "spud-tacular delight!" was a baked potato loaded with cheddar cheese, tofu bacon, roasted corn, our jalapeños, spring onion, garlic butter, sour cream & chives served with house slaw.  I had tried to order it months ago when it was sold out and was glad to finally fill my belly with its goodness.  

I have always loved their coconut bacon but the tofu bacon was one of those joyful vegetarian moments when someone gets it right.  Recently Sylvia and I were talking about how disappointing we usually find tofu in cafes.  It is usually lacking in flavour and crispness.  The flavour of Tylers tofu bacon was amazing.  It was so pink and delicious.  I am looking forward to trying it again.  Read my post on Tylers Milkbar.

Gluten free Lifestyle Show, Geelong

While visiting my folks in Geelong, we stopped off at the Gluten Free Lifestyle Show because my sister had a Frankly Raw peanut butter stall there.  We got chatting to a friendly chap from Daylesford Cider and bought a six pack of beautiful (non-alcoholic) apple cider, tasted my sister's wonderful peanut butter and were very pleased to have some warm arancini from Arancini 4 all.  We got there quite late so it was quietening down but there was some really love products on sale at the stalls.

Mill Markets, Geelong

We love visiting the Mill Markets (114 Bellarine Highway, Newcomb) when we are down in Geelong and had a wander around the many stalls while we were visiting my parents.  I have never stopped to look at all the outdoor section before and loved browsing there.  You can see it in the top photo with the huge colourful rooster.  It would be so much fun to have in your garden.  Inside is so much to see with lots of wonderful vintage objects and a few that make me feel quite nostalgic.  I bought a floral table for beside my bed that is just right.

Jour Cafe, Collingwood

I have written about our recent visit to Jour Cafe (29 Keele Street, Collingwood).  It is such a beautiful French cafe in the middle of grungy warehouses in inner city Melbourne.  The above photo is the bike at the top of Keele Street near Smith Street to woo passersby.  If you see it and feel tempted, I highly recommend you head down to the cafe for some great French food in a stylish room.

Easeys, Collingwood

We loved eating on one of the train carriages atop the building.  It is a fun burger and chips joint that in a unique location with great views of Collingwood.  I will soon write more about Easeys at 3/48 Easey Street.


Watching on the telly: the repair and restoration of historic building on Restoration Australia, and the fun and whimsy of Wes Anderson's The Fantastic Mr Fox .

Bluestone Cottage Museum, Coburg 

The Bluestone Cottage Museum (82 Bell Street, Coburg) of the Coburg Historical Society is run by volunteers.  There are plans to restore the cottage and construct a new building for office, storage and displays.  Once the works are complete I am sure there will be a chance to rethink the displays but I will miss the charm of the slightly rundown building with cracked walls and the 20th Century kitchen.  I have encouraged friends to visit before the change and taken a couple through the house.

 

BrewDog, Coburg

One of my friends who came to see the Bluestone Cottage was Jo.  After the visit, we had a drink and a nibble at BrewDog at Pentridge ( E division, T101/1 Champ St, Coburg).  It was good to catch up over buffalo cauliflower wings and a lemon lime and bitters.  It was pretty quiet in the mid-afternoon but the numbers of reservations on tables showed that it would be busier later.

Workplace views, Carlton

While visiting an office for work, I took this photo of the view out the window.  The contrast of the colourful bold modern buildings and the grey historic stone building struck me as quite striking.  In front of these buildings is a vacant lot.  I wonder if a building will eventually rise here to block this view.


RIP David Stratton: He was a respected film reviewer, especially in At the Movies for many years.  It is over a decade since At the Movies last aired in 2014 and to this day I don't feel as on top of what films are showing the cinemas as I did when David and Margaret gave their charismatic and trustworthy reviews.  David Stratton will be remembered fondly as having a huge impact on Australian cinema.

Wild Timor, Coburg

I have been pleased to see Wild Timor (282 Sydney Rd) has been offering soup over winter.  At the end of August, I tried the Leek and potato soup.  It was excellent: creamy and tasty.  I really need to try more of their soups.

In the news

The month started with a large crowd of Pro-Palestine protesters walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and ended with a prominent neo-Nazi addressing an anti-immigration rally on the steps of the Victorian Parliament building.  It is a sign of the polarisation in our society in Australia.  Also in the news were the 80th anniversary of dropping the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, Trump sending the national guard into Washington DC, local e-bike regulation, 

 The killing code: strange symbols in a WA settler's diaries lay bar frontier attocities, in the Guardian, 4 August 2025.

Australians are pushing back against ‘authoritarian’ anti-protest laws in ‘a return to the spirit of the 60s’, in The Guardian, 9 August 2025.

The UK’s Online Safety Act is a licence for censorship – and the rest of the world is following suit, in the Guardian, 9 August 2025

Anti-censorship boycott leaves Bendigo Writers Festival in tatters, Alex McKinnon in DeepCut News, 15 August 2025.

From ‘delete anxiety’ to data breaches: The perils of all those photos on our phones, by Fenella Souter in The Age, 15 August 2025.

E-bikes could slash our reliance on cars – but overpowered illegal models on the roads make us all less safe, in The Conversation, 18 August 2025

Crumbs at the Slophouse (on the Productivity Commission idea of waiving copyright for AI), Nervous Laughter by Rick Morton, 19 August 2025. 

‘Strength not measured by how many people you can blow up,’ Tony Burke says as row with Netanyahu escalates, in the Guardian, 20 August 2025.   

Trump escalates attacks against Smithsonian museums, says there’s too much focus on ‘how bad slavery was’, in CNN Politics, 21 August 2025.

ASIO’s sensational Iran claims raise plenty of questions. Why isn’t the media asking them? Amy Reimikis in DeepCut news, 29 August 2025.

Reynolds, Lehrmann and the business of reputation reparations, in Independent Australia, 29 August 2025.