Bar Snacks

Five Bar is one of those rare 'perfect for any occasion' spaces.  It holds so many warm memories from fun boozey birthdays to chilled out Sunday afternoons.  Nights celebrating life's special moments pouring frequent bottles of vino whilst enjoying beer cheese and charcuterie boards.  I have had countless delicious meals, loved every single beef wellington, attended a handful of beer tasting nights and have drunk a stack of perfectly priced ($2.50) coffees whilst abusing the free wifi during meetings.  

This time, I caught up with two beautiful friends over a bottle of sparkling.  We chatted about the ups and downs of life.  We took in the relaxed atmosphere whilst  tucking into crunchy sweet potato fries with coriander mayo, crispy pan fried chorizo with fetta and olives, zucchini fritters and a soul nourishing reuben sandwich. 

Are we alone in the universe?

A wall of transparent plastic looms in the horizon transforming the State Theatre into a quarantine zone. The stage is dotted with balloons of black and white of varying sizes.  Circular and suspended in the air like satellite balloons whilst others are scattered on the ground like peculiar objects, rocks from another planet.   A dull blue light reflects off the black balloons forming opaque alien heads with luminescent eyes.

Alienation is fascinating theatre from the Perth Theatre Company drawn from the curious stories of Australians who claim to have been abducted.  Writer Lachlan Philpott has cleverly entwined real life interviews into witty and convincing dialogue.  Directed by Melissa Cantwell, Alienation stars Luke Hewitt, Naomi Hanbury, Robert Jago and Natalie Holwood.  Firstly introducing themselves to the audience as their true selves, then slipping into the guise of an abductee or non-believer.  All four actors gave charismatic performances seamlessly switching between the actor and the character.

Holfold plays affable Katherine an odd girl with frightened eyes. She shares her first encounter at an abductee help group.  She is only a child, money in hand on the way to the shop for paddle-pops.  Something draws her down an overgrown lane into a yard.  She walks towards the beautiful caged peacocks, their tails glimmering like gems.  Her eyes grow wider as she recalls the birds gurgling as a small otherworldly being appears.  The peacocks stir, feathers moving and he is talking to her, his lips don’t move, yet she can hear his voice.  Katherine looks up to the audience with those sad eyes and asks ‘I am nothing special. I am not pretty. Why would they choose me?’.  You soften, your heart goes out and you ask could this be real?

Then there is the story of Will.  An accountant played by Jago, just a normal guy on his way to his niece’s birthday.  It is a long drive to his sister’s house.  Time ticks on and Will doesn’t arrive.  His phone is off and night falls into morning. Will is stunned the last hours a complete blank.  He then exists in a trance like state left wondering ‘where did that time go?’.  Nothing makes sense until he remembers.  Driving down the highway, the music stopping and that bright white light.   Will attends the help group to find answers. 

Katherine befriends Will, easing him out his shell in a heartwarming manner.  Will is unsure and untrusting whilst Katherine is hilariously persistent, almost borderline stalking him.   This refreshing dance of playful cat and timid mouse with a romance bubbling underneath makes Alienation utterly human.

The story of Brian, played by Hewitt, was disturbing yet truly thought provoking.  Brian is a typical bloke with a stereotypical bogan girlfriend played by Hanbury.  They are doing well, working in a remote area making good money.  Brian wakes up, watch missing with his wrist searing in pain.  He is bewildered and in shock and then he remembers.  He shares this horrifying news with his loved one.  She laughs in his face and brushes it off.  You don’t really blame her as you think how you would handle such news?  

A series of haunting events unfold, as Brian starts to go mad, a static sound taunting him.  Hard screeches of metal punctuate scenes as their relationship is torn apart by his obsession with the supernatural. He is petrified, anger fuelled by the planted seed of paranoia. You can imagine how this would drive someone over the edge with Brian literally frothing from the mouth at breaking point.

Alienation is the journey of what happens after the spaceship.   When all you are left with is the truth as you know it, that is, if you want to remember.  Whether you are a believer or a skeptic or just a little unsure this production will get you thinking, ‘are we alone in the universe?’.  A touching and comic performance of how we adapt during life’s most earth shaking moments.

Alienation is showing as part of the Winter Arts Festival at the State Theatre Centre until 13 July 2013. 

girls eating like boys

I love dining with a bunch of girls who don't mind tucking in like hungry cowboys.  The vibrant atmosphere of new local haunt Miss Kitty's Saloon was the perfect place to order mountains of comfort food.   We celebrated Naomi's birthday over wine, laughter, suckling pig and ribs.  Ye haaaw!

... above
Crisp corn fritters with hot pepper jelly
Charcoal tamarind pork ribs with corn, chilli, yoghurt
Roast suckling pig with tomato relish

below ...

Grilled local squid with smoky, eggplant, roasted cauliflower, jalapeno salt
 Beef chilli with corn waffle, avocado butter
 Poutine (fries curds gravy)
 Shaved fennel and citrus with olives, chickpeas, herbs
 Pickled peach slaw

Sweet things ...
Glass of bannoffee pie 
Sarah's pecan butter tart

I Want You

I Want You is the sequel to the teen smash Three Meters Above the Skye based on the novel of the same name by Federico Moccia. Its predecessor followed the story of charismatic bad boy biker Hache played by Spanish dreamboat Mario Casas.

A typical love story: handsome Hache meets rich girl called Babi (Maria Valverde).  He is from the wrong side of the tracks but with his charm and good looks he starts to win her over.  The beautiful Babi falls in love with bad boy, much to the dismay of her affluent parents.  She sees his soft side, they lock eyes, make out and declare their undying and eternal love.  Then the movie climaxes ending in tragedy, complete with screams, sobbing and motor bikes. Babi and Hache are no more.  He then flees London after the dramatic death of his best friend.

Given I had not seen the first film I found the plot just a little hard to follow.  I said to my friend it was some strange cross between Romeo & Juliet, The Fast & the Furious and Centre Stage. 

I Want You follows troubled Hache who returns to Barcelona after two years in London.  He dreams to rekindle the flame with his ex love Babi.  A mystery girl, the independent and vivacious Gin (Clara Lago), enters his life and for the first time in a long time, those puppy dog eyes return.   Hache struggles to be true to his new love when Babi reappears into his life.  Temptation is too strong and he leaves Gin when she needs him most.  There are tears, his world crumbles and the movie again climaxes with a motorbike race. Thankfully this time, there is a happily ever after.

I Want You is the perfect unrequited love story for a teenage audience or those seeking to relive those years of romance and rebellion during the Spanish Film Festival.

She Doesn't Want to Sleep Alone

Amanda is a young woman living alone in her apartment, her safe little bubble, where she goes about her monotonous days.  She is unemployed, depressed and cannot sleep alone.  Each night she fills her lonely bed with a steady stream of lovers with the hope of comfort, intimacy and a peaceful sleep.  It is only on these nights that she falls sound asleep.  

Her day is interrupted when she receives a phone call from her grandmother’s neighbour.  A visit reveals that her alcoholic grandmother is a mess, living in the squalor of empty bottles and remnants of the past.  Suddenly forced to care for her grandmother, Amanda’s once docile world changes instantly.  Her grandmother, a former screen siren, suffers from dementia.  Dolores flickers in and out often reliving her glory days acting the beautiful prima donna captured in the body of an old woman. 

At first their time together is fiery as both lives spiral out of their own control.  Amanda and Dolores grow close developing a deeper understanding of the other.  They find a friendship within ordinary tasks such as swimming or putting on makeup.  During her fleeting lucid states Dolores understands the struggles of her granddaughter and an empathetic connection evolves.  

She Doesn't Want to Sleep Alone is a touching, character driven film, the quiet achiever of  the Spanish Film Festival drawn from the Director’s own family experiences.  In her debut film Natalia Beristáin explores her own relationship with her grandmother, “Where does age lie; in the skin or within the heart?”

Fin

When it comes to suspenseful films, I will find any excuse to leave the room.  I will iron your tea towels, darn your socks or polish every single piece of cutlery, one by one.  As soon as I draw in that short breath, pulse quickening, I will do any level of the mundane to take me away from that screen.  I would prefer to half watch, my mind wandering to a safer place. 

When the Spanish Film Festival season was released I excitedly selected a few films at random.  The End or 'Fin' to our Spanish speaking amigos, was at the top of that hastily chosen list.  I prefer to think of myself as a happy endings kind of girl.  I am particularly pathetic during thrillers, forever squirming at the unknown.  I simply hate being in suspense.

When the film synopsis reads that you will be 'glued to your seat right up until its last haunting moments' you know you are going to love it or hate it.  So I enlisted my friend Shanon; the suspense junkie.  I knew she would be keen to get her fix and wouldn't mind holding my hand.

The End tells the story of a group of old friends celebrating a 20 year reunion in a secluded mountain cabin.  It is a time to reminisce, drinking and telling stories around the bonfire.  They group catch up on lost moments and some they would rather forget.   A series of unexplained events occur, and it all gets a little eerie.  I won't give too much away!

The End is a movie that will keep you glued to the screen whether petrified or enthralled.  Definitely a film to watch this season so head down to Cinema Paradiso on Saturday, 22 June for it's final viewing. 

Great White

Da dummm. Imagine you are a young man frolicking with your girlfriend in the ocean one afternoon. You fight, she bites you and in a huff  swims to shore, retreating to the safety of the sand. It is cold, its bleak, some would even call it shark weather.  A drop of blood hits the water and a young girl appears from the darkness below.  She rises and says with a predatory glare ‘I am going to eat you’.  

Great White is a terrifying new play directed by Will O'Mahony bearing the tag line ‘ocean stillness dinner’.  A lot less Jaws, and a lot more thought provoking than its title may suggest.  Great White invites you into the Blue Room Theatre where the stage is a sea of balloons and blow-ups. 

A journey into an ocean of love, fear and life grasping with remorse and lost opportunities.  We follow Ben and not one but two Laurens as they struggle with the tick of time, themselves and each other.  What does it mean to be great?  And what is greatness after all.  Great White makes us stop and think, are you great or are you just dinner?  

The local cast of Adriane Daff, Mikala Westall and Will O’Mahony all gave an outstanding performance taking you from laughter to despair.   Definitely not the kind of carnage you expected.  

Great White will be the show this season that you will wish you had seen. This superb production is showing in the intimate surrounds of The Blue Room Theatre until29 June. This work was made pozible by a wonderful bunch of people who pledged their support.  Pozible is an awesome platform for crowdfunding creative projects such as this.   

‘GREAT WHITE started with a scribble and has grown into something with teeth’ Will O’Mahony.

slow cooked Sundays

By Monday morning the weekend is a faint memory, a blur of faces, food and the things that kept us busy.  I always find that an afternoon in the kitchen brings a few hours of zen to my weekend.  A trip to Mondo's the day before, an afternoon of trawling blogs and flicking the pages of recipe books leads me to the kitchen on Sunday for a few hours of meat time, I mean, me time. 

WINTERING

Wintering is a work by award winning choreographer and dance artist, Aimee Smith. This production was inspired by an artist led voyage through the archipelago of Svalbard. A works touched by many talents from our little city.

The State Theatre Centre is such a beautiful installation providing the perfect setting for Wintering. The front rows of seats perched almost on stage, lending intimacy between the show and its audience.

WINTERING presented by Aimee Smith from Aimee Smith on Vimeo.

Opening with footage showing the rawness and purity of the Arctic. Reminding us that this vast expanse of endless ice holds untold stories and beauty. Other worldly sounds accompany the opening visuals. Throwing shadows and grey over the landscape, a blanket of darkness almost plaguing the screen. I could not help but be in awe of this landscape, majestic but so fragile.

A sole dancer appears. Slowly moving forward, then retreats, repeating again shrouded in darkness suggesting isolation, being cut off from the rest of the world. You can only imagine how alone you would feel. Hidden away in the vastness of this part of the Earth.
Another dancer joins the stage and the seasons of the Artic are embodied in the two dancers. Winter moves slowly, the dancers dreamlike and fluid. There was something so sad and touching about their movements. Winter seems to go on forever, the dancers mimicking each other yet seeming to move as one.

Then Summer arrives. The dancers quicken their pace, almost frolicking in a merrier tempo. Their bodies springing to life like flowers suddenly blooming, peering out from under a bed of snow. The ice melts away and sunshine floods in bringing life but yet for only a fleeting moment. An Arctic’s Summer is short, so brief. The dancers’ free limbs quickly snapping back into a frozen state. The wintering taking hold as their movements slow and sadden. They stiffen, the ice setting, Winter returning.

Wintering is beautiful and thoughtful, showing the fragility of such a powerful and primal landscape. I found it very humbling to be confronted with such raw emotions toward a part of the world I really know nothing about.

Behind the Scenes | Wintering presented by Aimee Smith from Aimee Smith on Vimeo.

borsch vodka & tears

“First is drunk for health. Second for pleasure. Third for Tears. Fourth for madness.”

— An old Polish proverb

Channel your inner vodka swigging gypsy at this old world Polish bar and eatery.  Borsch Vodka and Tears is a bohemian enclave, tucked away on Chapel Street, where you will discover over 100 vodkas from all reaches of the Eastern Bloc.  This inviting but moody dimly lit bar, offers a mix of Polish and Russian peasant style food and vodka everything.  From infused concoctions to elaborate cocktails and shots served in dainty little glasses, you can dance with the green fairy on absinthe or even have a pot of warm vodka tea.  If you are looking for somewhere a little offbeat in Melbourne then Borsch Vodka and Tears is for you.     

kopytka
panfried polish gnocchi served with a wild mushroom ragout 

zakuski 
selection of gypsy ham, csabai, kransky, russian salad, roast capsicum, beetroot, polish dill cucumbers, pickled mushrooms, goats cheese and a basket of rye bread

Spanish Film Festival

The Spanish Film Festival returns to its spiritual home, Cinema Paradiso, tomorrow night.  A Gun in Each Hand opens the Festival featuring one of the most star-studded casts in Latin American cinema. Celebrate the opening of the Festival with this irresistible  film followed by a Spanish soiree with drinks courtesy of Estrella Damn and Torres Wines whilst you immerse yourself in tapas and entertainment. 

Whilst I sadly cannot attend opening night, I am look forward to seeing the following films over the coming week:  

The Artist and the Model 
She Doesn't Want to Sleep Alone
 I Want You
 The End

Seems like there is some kind of tragic harrowing love story theme going on there!

Thundercat

A wave of silence, then shaking heads threw over the Bakery as Thundercat (aka Stephen Bruner) revealed that the welcoming in Perth was a little crazy.  The day spent running all around town after “QANTAS broke my bass”. 

The search for a replacement was worth it with Thundercat performing to a sea of happy people at The Bakery.  Nicknamed ‘Bass God’ by his fans from the far reaches of the Twitter-verse, Thundercat infected us all with his mad skills on the bass and soothing melancholic vocals.  Aquatic jazz and cosmic sounds from the future, with soul, pop and funk all mashed into electronic fun. "Oh Sheit It's X." will be on many a playlist including yours. 

You can hear all this and more on his acclaimed album Apocalypse, out now on Brainfeeder.

A winter of chocolate and wine

The comforting aroma of mulled wine lingered through the air at the launch of the Winter Arts Festival.  Those that followed their noses were led to the the stall of Sue Lewis.  Although serving delicious cups of unfreeze your fingers spiced mulled wine, Sue Lewis is best known as an artisan chocolatier.  With a focus on organic, seasonal produce and using ethical and only the purest of ingredients, each chocolate is lovingly handcrafted shining with its own character and flair.  From a cheeky salted caramel which bursts upon first bite to the delicate and dainty rose, and the opulent champagne truffles which sparkle.  You can taste's Sue's dedication, passion and pure love for chocolate in each ball of awesome. 

 In December, Sue opened up the doors of her intimate chocolate shop at 44 Derby Street, Subiaco.  You can find local producers like Sue Lewis at the Winter Supper Club on the last Friday of each month over the Festival.

Ace Magic

10 reasons to dine at Ace Pizza:

1. They have a wood grill. 
2. You need to go before your friends do:  'Yea, I've been to Ace.'
 3. They make a mean pizza.
4. They serve waaaaay more than just a pizza! 
5.  Fried mac and cheese squares dipped in their chilli sauce.
6.  You can drink Americano's on tap for only $9.
7.  Rib chop served with bone marrow and roast potato (mmmmmarrow!).
8.  Ace soft serve. You can be your own Mr Whippy!  Vanilla soft serve ice cream with yummy sprinkles.  Homemade ice magic and salted caramel fudge in dangerous serve yourself squeezies.
9.  Pigs head and witlof. Yeah! 
10.  They take bookings and are open seven nights.

Americano! 

My patient boyfriend and beautiful friends Hanni and Tals x

Sayers Sister

"Oh my god you are engaged!" were the words heard by patrons enjoying their breakfast late Sunday morning.  They peered over coffee cups, watching me shake my friend Rhian whilst grinning like the Chesire Cat.  Catching up with an old friend is always lovely but catching up during life's most momentous occasions is just amazing.  Breakfast at Sayers Sister was the perfect place to celebrate.   

Mark & Stef Sayers brought breakfast to life in 2006.  Sayers Food opened its doors in Leederville, offering a relaxed, cheerful vibe and an evolving seasonal menu that people line up for time and time again.  This little cafe, so long ago, opened up my eyes as to how fabulous breakfast should be.  Sayers were among the very few who set the standard; bespoke coffee, perfect eggs and a produce driven breakfast menu.  Oh and some of the best banana bread I have ever enjoyed.  It was no surprise when I heard that another Sayers was brewing.       

Sayers Sister opened in the later half of 2012 and has been enjoying the same attention as its older brother.  I love the fresh flowers against the vintage decor, the long polished concrete table constantly full of cakes and chattering people, and the Mad Hatter's high backed chairs.  It is like being at Alice's tea party with all the pretty crockery.  The only madness is lining up for a table!

Photo credit: This stunning image is by Jason Thomas. 

We lined up, happily waiting, discussing sparkling diamond rings and weddings. Sayers Sisters has one of those menus with almost too much to contemplate.  I am always battling over a selection of savoury or sweet.  So I took the easy road, ordering something sweet to share.  

We sipped on our coffees, oohing over our comforting plate of pumpkin bread, cutting off little slices and slathering them in maple butter. And then it was time for our mains ….oh my.  I ordered the potato rosti with bramley apple and thyme chutney served with two poached eggs, bacon and rocket.  Rhi enjoyed the corned beef hash cake with fried eggs, toasted ciabatta and relish.  A gorgeous breakfast to complete a blissful weekend of celebrations.

family favourites

For as long as I can remember my Mum has been making curry puffs.  

She finely dices the onions, chops the potatos into cubes, browns off the meat and adds a spoonful or four of Nanna's homemade curry.  As soon as the filling was cooked it was customary to eat a bowlful whilst Mum lets it cool down.  Then wrapped in pastry with a brush of egg,  they go into the oven and turn golden brown with the delicious smells wafting through the house. 

That smells reminds me of birthdays, opening presents and gatherings with friends. It reminds me of good times and even the sad. 

Whiskey sours and chips

Mechanics Institute is one of those bars I just don't frequent enough.  Whiskey sours with Sazerac Rye topped with cherries, Diplomatico old fashioned, mini flips and chips from Flipside.  If only every Sunday ended in a public holiday laze in.

El Último Hielero

The Last Ice Merchant follows 67 year old Baltazar Ushca.  For the last 50 years he has followed family tradition making a living from harvesting the rich, mineral-infused ice from Ecuador’s Mount Chimborazo.   This touching short film is definitely worth 15 minutes of your day.

The Last Ice Merchant (El Último Hielero) from Sandy Patch on Vimeo.

GOT S3 EP9

'The Rains of Castamere'  a song for house Lannister.

If you were teetering on the fence then last night scrolling through your newsfeed you would have sealed the deal.   Embrace Game of Thrones or boycott it forever.  Social media was a steady stream of WTFs surrounding the Red Wedding.  Even after reading A Storm of Swords I still didn't see THAT coming.  

Doom doom doom ... silence.

It's like Zambrero's knew we were coming and it was nice to see dear old Ned Stark at the Mt Lawley store.  Kinda fitting really as there is a Zambrero's burrito a day challenge for the month of June happening in our friendship circle.  Dwight v James.