Italy 528

Pizza and pasta, that's amore!

Walk in to this pizzeria e cuccina and walk in to descend on the Spanish steps of Rome. BJ deCastro's custom made painting adorns the wall, however is void of any people with the exception of a few.  Italy 528 aspires to fill its restaurant, like its steps, full of people to enjoy their food.

The modern fit out is homely, with family portraits lining the fireplace mantle. The white walls and high ceiling do wonders for the acoustics.

This casual suburban eatery is a hit among locals for its traditional dishes and use of seasonal produce.

Staff are warm and welcoming and prove helpful in guiding you through the pizza dominant menu - there are more than 20 varieties to choose from!

There is a sense of familiarity, yet nuance about this place.  Italy 528 is sure climbing the ranks of my favourite dining locale.

Eat: The a la carte menu is well balanced with Antipasti ($8-22), Le Pizze ($13-23), and Insalte ($8-15). Artisan favourite, Pizza Daniele ($19) is recommended. Ask to hear the pasta (imported from Italy) dishes of the day, it will be worth your while. If dining in is not your thing, there is an equally impressive takeaway menu. Fancy a glass of vino with your pizza?  Enjoy both for $25 from Tuesday-Thursday. Leave room for dessert and expect Italian favourites rich in cultural history.     

The menu which also serves as a place mat.

Pizza Zucca
Fiore di latte, roasted pumpkin, rocket, goat's cheese and pine nuts

Penne bolognese

Collingwood People's Market

Pop up entertainment at its best

 

The only place where everything goes, the People's Market (PM) in Collingwood is sure to meet your every art, music, food, drink, workshop and retail need.

 

Open until 28 April, "the visual anchors of the PM were its tapestry of interwoven refurbished shipping containers, which are lovingly redesigned, and customised to suite vendors bespoke detailing and requirements".

 

PM is a community, a dynamic hub of hipster culture. 

 

Right when you enter the site, you’re confronted with four incredible gallery spaces called Containers of Modern Art (COMA). The art schedule is on a monthly rotation and will always feature four artists.

 

The food is diverse and vast and features an array of options from fusion lettuce cups to meatballs and vegan soul food. Check out PM's food section for featured chefs, cuisine and menus.

 

PM is a market dream for northerners and visitors alike. Popping up in a neighbourhood near you, this out of the box trend is (temporarily) here to stay. 

 

 

Eat: We ventured out on a Thursday night and there were only a handful of food vendors open. Tip, secure yourself a seat and initiate a tag team approach to getting food.  There's no saving seats here.  Dona Tona provided a Mexican fix in the way of handmade blue corn tortillas, sopes, empanadas, tostadas and huaraches using mum’s original recipes from rural Michoacan, Mexico.  They're tiny, but pack a punch.  I recommend getting four to share. The Street food philosophy continued with American-inspired vegan fare created by South Soul Food.  Salivate over a pulled BBQ pork and corn bread ($10-ish)– and all of it 100% meat free. The side wedge of watermelon offered a refreshing relief. Finish off with seasoned crispy french fries ($6) and wash the whole lot down with a PM summer breeze ($10).

 

Taco @ Dona Tona

 

Pulled BBQ pork and corn bread with a wedge of watermelon
@ South Soul Food

Seasoned crispy french fries

Pei Modern
Bistronomy at its best

Nestled in among Collins Place is Pei Modern, Mark Best's first foray on the Melbourne food scene. Reeling off the success of Bests' Sydney restaurant Marque, his Melbourne counterpart equally celebrates fresh and uncomplicated cooking with modern elegance.

Architects delight as the former post office interior has been redesigned (by Helen Rice from Rice Architecture) to reflect a common familiarity, a place where food can shine. Head chef Matt Germanis (ex MoVida and MoVida Aqui) dazzles with fresh produce and polished cooking techniques.

Pei Modern is not pretencious. Named after architect  I. M Pei (responsible for the Louvre’s glass pyramid), there is an innovative sleekness about the place.

I arrive fashionably late, a restaurant faux pas when a booking has been made, and am set at ease by 2013 Maitre d of the year, Ainslie Lubbock. Both manager and sommelier, you're guaranteed the full service of this consummate professional. As I perch myself at the bar, order a Watermelon Who Haa, I observe Ainslie glide across the restaurant floor with ease.

A modern masterpiece, this bistro is truly deserving of its 'Paris end' location in town. Bon appetite!

Eat: Menus change daily to reflect market produce. The dinner menu is concise, with six entrees ($18-24), four mains ($32-37), with four offerings from the wood fire grill ($25-39), along with sides and desserts. In a hurry? The Eat! Pei! Quick! (or Eat! Quick! Pei!) menu ($39pp) is available daily for lunch or pre theatre dining. Let Pei decide with a five course dinner degustation ($80).

We started with a recommended entree of peppers de padron, octopus and garlic puree ($20), which burst with freshness. Two mains followed, casarecce chicken dumplings and reggiano ($32 and allow 25 minutes) and whole snapper ($42), which reflected a great combination and balance of flavours. A side of butter beans, almonds and white anchovy ($9) completed this shared dinner for two.  Leave room for dessert as we didn't.  This only meant that a return visit would be imminent.

Peppers de padron, octopus and garlic puree

Casarecce chicken dumplings and reggiano

Whole baby snapper

Drink: Watermelon Who Haa Cocktail ($18).