Have you started eating more since the weather got cold? I’ve had a series of family and other events from the start of this month to the very end and while there are still a number of other friends I’d like to catch up with over the winter – I might need to space things out.
I did catch up with an ex-work manager last week at Hoppa & Joe on Upper Heidelberg Road in Fairfield. It’s been beautifully fitted out and the service (attentive but not obtrusive) and food were excellent even if it’s a little bit on the noisy side with the roar of the occasional truck going past. I had one of the breakfast dishes – mushrooms with kale and broccolini – which was delicious and there was a passing parade of people ordering their (upmarket) toasted sandwiches while I was there. I’d go back again another time.
I also spent last night with my besties out at Vaporetto at the Lido Cinema complex in Hawthorn – a place I was meant to go to with some other friends a while ago but ended up pulling out due to sickness. This Venetian-style restaurant was buzzing as I entered with every table full and people standing at the bar until I rounded the corner and found my girlfriends sitting at one of the booth tables at the back. We realised that we’d timed our dinner to co-incide with Vaporetto’s one year anniversary which was why it all felt so celebratory. 
We had a lovely Italian waitress who was at great pains to explain the specials and most of us ended up ordering different versions of the home made pasta – I had the squid ink spaghetti with vongole (clams) which was delicious. A nice touch was the complimentary hot pans filled with left over sauces and bread for dipping. I think having dessert (panacotta) may have tipped me over the edge…We also enjoyed the beautiful photos of Venice and gallery wall as well as the Italian opera music playing not so quietly in the background. It was a fun night although the front of house service was a bit more in your face than I was expecting.
Welcome to May – enjoy this last month of Autumn as winter is coming….
