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Melbourne Dining Review – Kolache Cravings

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I now believe that when Sir Mix-A-Lot claimed he ‘don’t want none unless you’ve got buns, hun’ he was clearly talking about the need to satisfy his craving for the soft, semi-sweet buns of dough filled with sweet or savoury fillings, served at ‘Kollache Cravings’.

Kolache Cravings Micro Bakery & Cafe

Kolache Cravings Micro Bakery & Cafe

New micro bakery Kolache Cravings serves its star product and namesake, the Czech and Texan fusion baked treat. Originating from the Czech Republic, kollaches later rose to popularity in Texas once the traditional recipe was tweaked to begin introducing both sweet and savoury fillings as well as experimenting with the fillings by using modern flavours.

Open Plan Bakery at Kolache Cravings

Flavours of the Day at Kolache Cravings

Flavours of the Day at Kolache Cravings

After living in Texas, owners Phil and Nona Wallis managed to find a rare void in what the Melbourne food scene was missing. Setting up shop in High Street Preston in January 2016, introducing kolaches to Melbourne alongside freshly baked cakes, danishes, croissants, muffins and tarts partnered with quality specialty coffee by Decoy Roasters. Paying close attention to the popular tastes and well-loved flavours preferred by Melbournians, Kolache Cravings aren’t shy to experiment with their ever-changing selection of fillings, churning out dozens of freshly baked goods from their open plan bakery throughout the day.

Kolache Cravings Micro Bakery & Cafe

Kolache Cravings Micro Bakery & Cafe

While the assortment of fillings may keep you guessing, the quality and winning recipe for the softest, freshest buns remains consistent. So whether your passing by for a chorizo and cheese or a strawberry and cream cheese kolache, I would recommend passing by to satisfy your savoury or sweet craving.

 

Kollache Cravings

105 High Street

Preston, 3072

(03) 9495 0706

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Kolache Cravings Cafe & Bakery Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Oktoberfest in the Garden – Melbourne 2015

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via Nokturnl Events

via Nokturnl Events

It is no secret that Australians love taking up the opportunity to flock to Munich at least once in their life for the worlds most popular beer festival in the world – Oktoberfest.
It is therefore no surprise to see that bringing an Oktoberfest festival to Australia has been such a success. Following on from the sell-out event in 2014, the biggest Oktoberfest celebration is back with a double dose of Bavarian fun. Located at the Melbourne riverside grounds of Birrarung Marr, Oktoberfest in the Gardens will be two days of celebrations in Melbourne on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th October.
via Nokturnl Events

via Nokturnl Events

Ladies don your dirndl, and fellas slip on your lederhose as ticketholders will be welcomed to the event with a commemorative event stein and complimentary beverage upon arrival. Then get ready to sip (or chug) a selection of imported European beverages at the pop up beer hall including wine, cider and of course – beer, with over 15 imported German draught beer options.
But a stein of ‘bier’ would not be complete without a pairing of ‘brezel’ and you can sample from an assortment of authentic Bavarian food on offer.  Enjoy the rest of the day amongst the variety or performers, competitions, carnival games, rides and live music to keep you entertained and partying like a Bavarian throughout the afternoon and evening.
via Nokturnl Events

via Nokturnl Events

Tickets for Saturday were sold out shortly after their release, however you can still purchase the last remaining tickets for this Friday’s event!
For more information visit the official event site at www.oktoberfestinthegardens.com.au
Purchase the last of the final release tickets for Friday’s event via Moshtix below:
*Images via Nokturnl Events

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The Dream Collective Career Summit 2015

Posted in Events & Happenings by

 

via thedreamcollective.com.au

via thedreamcollective.com.au

The Dream Collective aims to inspire, provide guidance and empower individuals with effective tools and strategies to equip you to go out and achieve both your career and personal goals.

Whatever your goals or aspirations, whether you are currently stuck in a career rut, losing the passion for your work or simply seeking  fresh, innovative ways to tackle your next big goal, project or career move, be inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit, motivated minds and cultivated wisdom from an incredibly talented selection of influential individuals at The 2015 Inaugural Dream Collective Career Summit.

While traditionally The Dream Collective focuses on those working in business, the outstanding speaker lineup allows this event to transcend well beyond the corporate world. From a TedX speaker, digital education specialist, to an innovation judge, business executives, a best selling author and a national sporting hero, this event is for anyone driven and ambitious to achieve whatever they set their mind to, in whatever career path, industry or field they are in.

This half-day workshop features a series of short TED style presentations in addition to an interactive panel session, allowing the audience an invaluable opportunity to ask questions and receive personalised advice from top business leaders and influential speakers on the day. This will be followed by an engaging network opportunity to meet the speakers as well as like-minded motivated individuals.

Meet with fellow aspiring future leaders and gain invaluable advice and insight into the knowledge of highly regarded influential leaders and successful individuals from various industries and career paths with the full line of speaker including:

  • Will Dayble – TedX Speaker, Founder of Fitzroy Academy of Getting Sh-t Done
  •  Sally Collins – General Manager Business Banking at NAB, Author of Stepmother Love and Top 10 Women to Watch in Banking and Finance
  • Loretta Hudson – Oceania Partner at Ernst & Young Australia
  • Kate Weiss – Founder of Table of Plenty, Telstra National Business Women’s Award Winner
  • Dr. Sarah Dods – Executive Manager, Strategy, Performance and Futures at CSIRO
  • Kris Howard – All Rounder at Canva (One of Australian startup scene’s biggest success stories)
  • Mike Rolls – Australia representative at World Disabled Golf Championship and Expert on Proactive Resilience
  • Nicole Fowkes – Director of Human Resources, GHD
  • Sarah Liu – Founder of The Dream Collective, Co-founder of Gemini3 and 2014 International Stevie Award Winner of Young Female Entrepreneur of the Year
  • Caroline O’Farrell – Centre for Workplace Leadership

I have personally attended a workshop previously with The Dream Collective and can attest to the certainty that it will be an incredibly insightful, inspiring, empowering and thought provoking session.

Event Details:

Time: 10am – 2pm

Date: Saturday, 24th October

Venue: The Arena, NAB Village, Docklands

For more information and to purchase tickets for this Saturday 24th October, click on the following link:

http://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-dream-collective-career-summit-tickets-18788517963?aff=es2

Special Discounted ‘Buy-One-Get-One-Free’ ticket offer:

Register to updates from The Dream Collective at the bottom of the webpage below to receive a ‘Buy-One-Get-One-Free’ ticket offer for all subscribers:

http://thedreamcollective.com.au/career-summit/

Disclaimer: Melbourne Darling was invited to attend The Dream Collective Career Summit as a guest. The opinions shared in this article are based completely on my own honest and personal views, thoughts and experiences.

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Melbourne Spring Flavour Exchange

Posted in Events & Happenings by
Image via flavourexchange.com.au

Image via flavourexchange.com.au

Get ready to be wined and dined by local producers as you sample and purchase fabulous local foodie finds and wines at the Spring edition of the Flavour Exchange Melbourne event on Thursday 3rd September and Friday 4th September at Federation Square.

We have a special offer for Melbourne darling readers with a 2-for-1 ticket deal! Just enter the discount below when purchasing tickets via Ticketek to activate the special discount:

Code for Thursday: TH241

Code for Friday: FR241

With each ticket, visitors will receive 14 tasting tokens to sample across the many exhibitors as well as a keepsake tasting glass.

Sample from a multitude of the best Victorian producers with the additional opportunity to meet and buy direct from the source!

Welcome the start of Spring at the Flavour Exchange and get your taste buds dancing with the freshest flavours created right from within our state of Victoria!

If you happen to not be able to make the dates this weekend, keep an eye out for their next event in Summer!

For more information head to www.flavourexchange.com.au

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Lipstick Matchmaker with Poppy King

Posted in Events & Happenings, Shopping & Sales, Style & Beauty by
Image via www.lipstickqueen.com

Image via www.lipstickqueen.com

Ready to brave a bold new lip look or unable to find the perfect lipstick shade to complement your complexion?

Poppy King is back in Australia and if you are a lover of lipstick then I strongly suggest you snap up the opportunity for a personalised lip reading and colour match by none other than the Lipstick Queen herself. (I still get complemented on the lipstick shade Poppy personally picked for me a few years ago!)

Beautifully rich, creamy and vibrant lipstick colours from wine to fuschia, from berry to coral (her lip liners are a personal favourite of mine also) available for purchase after your one-of-a-kind colour consultation at selected Mecca Maxima stores nationally.

Meet Poppy in Melbourne on August 15th, 12pm-4pm at Mecca Maxima Fountain Gate & Melbourne Central. Call Mecca Maxima on (03) 9661 1292 or visit the Facebook event page below for more information.

https://www.facebook.com/events/665498633550819/

You can also visit www.lipstickqueen.com to view the full Lipstick Queen product range.

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Melbourne À La Mode

Posted in Events & Happenings, Shopping & Sales, Style & Beauty by

IMG_20150723_073610

Melbourne’s most glamorous, eclectic and fabulous are coming together for 3 days of styling advice, creative workshops, fashion shows and shopping! All inside a glamorous space at the first ever Melbourne A La Mode event on this Thursday to Saturday at the George Ballroom, St Kilda.

This unique shopping event will include some of the most loved local brands including Lady Petrova, The Eternal Headonist, Dainty & Bold,  T. Serafina, Micky in the Van and Anton Venoir Fine French Antiques. For more information on daily times and workshop bookings go to www.hawkeyevintage.com

DATES: Thursday 23rd July – Saturday 25th July

LOCATION: The George Ballroom, 129 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda

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The Good Food and Wine Show – Melbourne 2015

Posted in Dining, Events & Happenings by

Explore, taste and learn the latest trends in cooking, eating and drinking from hundreds of local and international exhibitors, chefs and restaurateurs at The Good Food and Wine Show on during this Queen’s Birthday long weekend in Melbourne.

Some of the highlights this year include a great number of sessions, masterclasses and demonstrations covering not only food but wine, beer and cider. Visit the Cellar Door for informative sessions on wine, whether learning about different varieties and wine regions or engage in wine pairing sessions at the Dan Murphy’s Discover Centre. Don’t despair if you are not a wine drinker, just walk on down to learn about the latest trends and flavours in beer and cider at the Dan Murphy’s Beer and Cider Hall.

Visitors will have the opportunity to see, learn from and even meet some of the very best chefs and restaurateurs including Ainsley Harriott, Adam Liaw, Miguel Maestre, Sarah Wilson and Melbourne local favourites Frank Comorra (of MoVida) and Joe Grbac (of Saint Crispin). Lovers of Italian cuisine must check out the Gusto Italiano Masterclasses where you can learn how to make the perfect pizza crust from the chefs of DOC Pizza or for new ideas for your mid-week dinner planes, visit the Laucke Creative Kitchen to learn recipes from the 2011 My Kitchen Rules winners Sammy & Bella. Don’t forget to graze your way through the many exhibitors to see and taste new products and dishes and fill up your own stomachs with the offerings from the street food vendors and food trucks.

The Good Food and Wine Show will be on at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from Friday 5th June through to Monday 8th June. Tickets available via the website.

goodfoodshow.com.au

Times:

Friday 5th June: 10am – 6pm

Saturday 6th June:          10am – 6pm

Sunday 7th June:             10am – 6pm

Monday 8th June:           10am – 5pm

Where:

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

2 Clarendon Street

South Wharf, Victoria

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Hawkeye Vintage Designer Sale and Parisian Pop Up Shopping Event

Posted in Shopping & Sales by

Shop the finest in vintage clothing and sought after one-of-a-kind pre-loved treasures at the Hawkeye Vintage Designer sale on this weekend in Melbourne!

Hand selected vintage designer pieces from around the globe, magnificently housed for your shopping pleasure in the charming setting of Anton Venoir Interiors’ showroom, a lavish Parisian inspired abode. From Louis Vuitton handbags to Hermes bangles, Nina Ricci silk scarves to Versace shirts to Chanel and Dior jewels.

I was lucky enough to attend a preview and offer you a look inside, at some of the stunning items available to purchase at this weekend’s luxe vintage shopping pop up event:

Hawkeye VIntage Parisian Pop Up - Melbourne Darling

Hawkeye VIntage Parisian Pop Up - Melbourne Darling

Hawkeye VIntage Parisian Pop Up - Melbourne Darling

DATE: Saturday, May 16th

TIME: 10am – 5pm

LOCATION: 26/321 Chapel Street, Prahran 3181 (Entrance Via Wattle St.)

For more information, visit the official Facebook event page

Be sure to follow Hawkeye Vintage on Facebook and Instagram to be informed of more upcoming exclusive pop up shopping events!

 

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Taste of Melbourne 2014

Posted in Dining, Events & Happenings by

Taste of Melbourne is a four day celebration serving up the best offerings from Melbourne’s exuberant dining scene. Join like-minded foodies in a fun and casual, festival-like atmosphere with the opportunity to try the top selection of signature dishes on offer from a wide selection of the most popular dining locations, in and around the city of Melbourne. Every foodie’s one stop spot to sample the outstanding array of signature dishes on offer from Melbourne’s hottest eateries, participate in food , beer and wine workshops, cooking demonstrations and classes and interact with and learn from the creative and prominent chefs behind the delicious culinary creations.

Just to start those taste buds dancing, here is just a small selection of the dining pop ups that will be present and the dishes that will be served up throughout the event:

Soft Shell Crab Souvlaki by Gazi

Soft Shell Crab Souvlaki by Gazi*

Wallaby Buns by Sake

Wallaby Buns by Sake*

Chargrilled Corn by Mamasita

Chargrilled Corn by Mamasita*

Lobster Rolls by Mr Claws

Lobster Rolls by Mr Claws*

Taste of Melbourne 2014 runs midday and evening sessions from Thursday, November 16 to Sunday, November 19th at Pelican Lawn, Albert Park Lake.

Tickets from $25, now available online from Ticketek, or available for purchase at the gates.

Full schedules, booking details and ticket information can be found on the Taste of Melbourne website:

www.tasteofmelbourne.com.au

Facebook.com/tasteofmelbourne |Twitter/Instagram: @tasteofmelbourne

*Images provided by Taste Festivals Limited ®

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DJB World Photography – Melbourne Photography Walk ‘Laneways, Rooftops and Street Art’ Review

Posted in Events & Happenings by

Looking for a unique and interactive way to discover and explore some of the overlooked areas within the city of Melbourne whilst brushing up on your photography skills? DJB World Photography offers a fun way to discover and appreciate the quirky, colourful city of Melbourne through the lens of a camera for photography beginners. Let me assure you that I am probably the best example of an absolute beginner photographer, I can barely work out the number of automatic camera settings and functions on my camera let alone dare to brave the switch on my camera dial from automatic to manual. However, DJB Photography School aims to help its students do exactly that, offering a casual introduction to what could be the start of your new love for photography. DJB World Photography runs a number of different Melbourne photography walks and I attended the two hour sphotography walk ‘Laneways, Rooftops and Street Art’.

DJB World Photography Melbourne Photography Walk

DJB World Photography Melbourne Photography Walk

The session was run for two hours on Sunday afternoons in a small size group (eight people maximum). My session was led by the ever knowledgeable Rachael. Upon joining the group of attendees at the designated meeting spot on a Sunday afternoon, I was at first a little intimidated seeing the rest of their group with their serious photography gear, SLR cameras and big lenses. However, attendees are invited to bring whatever camera and photography gear they feel comfortable using. You can simply choose to bring along an iPhone if you wish and my Sony digital camera ended up doing the job perfectly!

We started off with an introduction on the manual settings, and the features of shutter speed, aperture, ISO and exposure levels, but keep in mind this was really the only time during the session we were taught about manual camera functions as this is not intended to be an instructed class about camera functions, but more of an introduction to manual settings and a guided tour focused on exploring different areas of Melbourne for creative photography. Although if you do have any questions about camera functions (as trust me, I had many!) Rachael, our guide was always more than happy to help. All of the locations we stopped at during the walk were perfectly selected as I found myself taking notes on where each was so I could come back and explore on my own. That being said, we were able to explore different areas at each stop at a very leisurely, relaxed pace and were never rushed to move on.

DJB World Photography Melbourne Photography Walk

DJB World Photography Melbourne Photography Walk

Whether you are looking to learn photography techniques, explore the often overlooked pockets of Melbourne’s CBD or meet new people, a DJB World Photography course offers an artistic new perspective on Melbourne city streets while allowing you to brush up on your photography skills.

For more information on DJB World Photography and the Melbourne Photography Walks on offer, visit the link below:

DJB World Photography- Melbourne Photography Walks

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post and Melbourne Darling was not invited to attend the DJB World Photography walk as a guest. The opinions shared in this article are based completely on my own honest and personal views, thoughts and experiences.

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