Hot ten restaurants for March

There are many ways people find this blog, some typing the address directly, some via RSS feeds and others searching through Google. Always among those Google searchers are the ones not seeking Anthony Bourdain but asking whether Anthony Bourdain is gay, the result of an interview with him when he mentioned a gay bar. This month he dropped to no.2 in the search charts, ousted by Mirka at Tolarno the hot new restaurant in Melbourne.

Here I’ve filtered out from the log files of the analytics package on this blog the “fat ugly women”, “Mrs Beaton” (I’ve no idea how fat or attractive she was) and the “swollen livers” to bring you the hot ten restaurants for March. Positions for February are in brackets.

1. Mirka at Tolarno (-)

Try the steak tartare

2. Barney Allen’s (2)

Chef Iain Hewitson scowling at the bar scares me.

3. Fifteen Melbourne (6)

I had a pretty good Italian sausage risotto there the other week followed by chocolate tart.

4. Gingerboy (3)

My spies tell me that the food is now packing more punch than in its early days.

5. Lau’s family Kitchen (1)

Still packing in the crowds, I haven’t been able to get in.

6. Madame Brussels (4)

recently celebrates its first birthday but still, sadly, only opne to 11pm.

7. Mart 130 (-)

All too frequently my choice for lunch on Thursday (escaping the cleaners) or Saturday brunch. If you haven’t already, try it.

8. Nobu Melbourne (-)

Set for July/August. Interesting to see how this restaurant will hit places like Ezard.
9. Section 8 container bar (5)

If you are visiting Melbourne, you have to try this unique place – a couple of shipping containers dumped in a carpark.

10. Longrain Melbourne (-)

I still can’t be bothered with restaurants where you can’t book – especially if it means a trip into town and uncertainty as to weather or not I will eat.