Unfinished Melbourne: Day 3

Soundtrack: “In the Land of Make Believe”, Dusty Springfield

I woke feeling almost human, if still a little not quite myself. It was a day for big decisions: do I go back to my regular breakfast place, even though the most recent menu change basically removed anything I found interesting, or look for somewhere new. I like to think I’m loyal, not a fair-weather fan, but this is breakfast we’re talking about. So when I walked past a laneway cafe offering Spanish-style coffee options, I was enticed into the strange doorway and offered a seat. Seems the price of my breakfast loyalty is a coffee bon bon, the Spanish equivalent of Vietnam’s ca phe sua, strong coffee and condensed milk. The menu offered other enticements, I was first taken in by the mushroom breakfast but when I spied the pulled pork bomba benedict, it was a case of take my money. What followed was first a delightfully sweet and rich coffee, then a plate of two potato bomba, some wonderfully poached eggs, creamy bearnaise sauce, on a bed of pulled pork. A classic meets deep fried potato and pork.

I had a quick stop in Minotaur, probably what represents the last sf specialty bookstore in Melbourne even if the shop is 95% pop culture, they do at least have books. And Break the Pretty Kings by Lena Jeong caught my eye, a book I know nothing about but sometimes it’s good to do an impulse buy. We’ll see how it goes, I should save it for reading on another trip so my three regular readers here can find out how it went.

From here I headed into Northcote to acquire some more CDs at one of the last surviving second-hand shops with a decent selection. Maybe because I was only there a few months ago, but the pickings weren’t great — a Lloyd Cole and a Dusty Springfield that were on my wishlist, a Blackeyed Susans, a recent Beth Orton that had escaped my notice, and Leningrad Cowboys Go Space, just because. Also picked up Patty Schemel’s autobiography Hit So Hard, and a Weddings Parties Anything DVD I somehow missed years ago (I think anyway, I could end up back home finding I now have two). I procrastinated over some Crosby, Stills, Nash, (and Young) as there were 4 CDs from a set, but I only really wanted two of them, so they stayed in the shop.

The tram ride there and back was an interesting contrast: maybe because I had a seat and wasn’t looking at my phone, I noticed more of the journey north, the changes between modern industrial/commercial and old parts, the Merri Creek. Or maybe it was because it wasn’t raining, as my view coming back once the heavens opened and the tram windows fogged up was grey indeed. I did manage a pic on the way back of the Uncle Archie and Aunty Ruby statue in a park off Gertrude St.

One thing I hoped to finish on this trip was the deep-fried cheesecake at Rock, Salt and Vinegar, but despite the interwebs assuring me they’d be open, they weren’t.

Instead I did my burger quest. When I arrived I was craving a decent burger, but this had so far eluded me. At least one of the lists of Melbourne’s best burgers had a little place at the top of Bourke St, Butcher Burgers, which my tram was going straight past. They keep their menu fairly simple, and true to the name also do steak (probably from the large cuts of beef aging in the shop). I went with their cheese burger with bacon, and it arrived open and piled high with crispy bacon goodness. And it was a good burger, everything held together, the meat was juicy and full of flavour, there was cheese, and they don’t use brioche buns praise the burger god. I would personally have liked a few more pickles, and a little more sauce (for better or worse I finished eating and my hands weren’t coated in all the things), but definitely recommended for folk finding themselves at that end of town.

Just about next door was the new location for Hill of Content bookshop, and as I was seeking a crime/mystery novel I’d been recommended I tried there, but had no luck. There were other shiny books, but I managed to leave empty handed. Same story in the nearby Paperback bookstore (which, by-the-by, also sell hardcovers), a cramped little maze of a store with an interesting slightly eclectic collection.

My hands remained empty after popping into Play Records, another second hand CD/record/DVD store nearby, they had a few interesting picks but for more than I wanted to pay ($49 for a 4 disc edition of Debbi Gibson’s Electric Youth will have to wait until I’m richer).

In order to fill my hands I hit a couple of regular gaming shops, Mind Games, and Dungeon of Magic, where I found some interesting things as well as yet more dice for the collection. I think I was a bit of a disappointment for the Mind Games dude who wanted to show me an interesting game based on 5e D&D, when I told him it was hard enough getting folks together for the couple of campaigns I’m currently engaged in. I also checked their random dice collection for a pink d12 to complete my quest set, but sadly they didn’t have.

I got a message from AJ with a pic of the miniature cauliflower, all baked and covered with cheese, and they looked good. I really must try to find somewhere in Perth that has these, they are just the right size for an individual serve.

All retailed out it was nap time, which didn’t seem like ti lasted long enough before I was heading out again for dinner with M and P. It was supposed to be a curse-breaker with B and B as well, but instead of dog-related misfortune, one of the B’s was sick and they couldn’t make it. As it was rainy and we’d decided on an informal dinner at the local pub, instead we turned that in to a dinner at home with delivery Vietnamese, so I got to spend some couch time with the lovely Alira the greyhound. While both Obi and Alira like their couches, Alira doesn’t need to be completely exhausted before settling down, she just hops up with her lanky greyhound legs and then flops. Dinner was a lovely rich beef curry, with some crunchy deep fried tofu and mixed greens, I’m really keep scurvy away on this trip. The tofu was crisp on the outside, sprinkled with salt and chilli, and tasted good both on it’s own and when used to mop up the curry sauce. The beef was falling apart tender, I’m not sure where in Vietnam they make a beef curry like this but I could definitely go there. I had a little rice leftover, which Alira happily finished off for me. Again, at bottle point I was forced to have a couple of whiskies, an interesting dram from Kinglake Distillery, and a cask strength Craigellachie bottled by the SMWS. Both decent drops. Fine food, great conversation, and after we sorted out our rendezvous for tomorrow night’s Massive Attack concert I hopped in a rideshare and headed back to the hotel, making for my earliest night yet.

Tomorrow’s the last full day and to be honest, there’s little planned. I’ll try Rock, Salt and Vinegar again, maybe a little more shopping but I’m feeling a little leg tired and retailed out, so we’ll see how that goes. Then the evening will be full of Massive Attack.