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You have to worry when, even with only half a dozen tables filled at a 150-cover restaurant, it still takes 45 minutes to bring your breakfast. This could be forgiven if the food was outstanding, but with fairly basic bacon and eggs, and the only slightly more exotic ‘ranch’ style eggs on a cardboard tortilla, there wasn’t too much positive to say about the meal itself. The location, though, makes up for some of it – with the restaurant sitting on Tedder Avenue at the north end of the Gold Coast. Worth walking past, but not worth stopping for a meal.
Demitri Martin is a smart bloke – his stand up comedy speaks for that. It’s also good to see someone trying a new format of TV show. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end with ‘Important Things’. The format is repetitive, and the content is bland. The theme of each episode of the show is built around one ‘important thing’ (eg, power, coolness, or chairs), and jokes, sketches pranks are shoehorned into that theme. The only highlights come through Martin’s talent for wordplay, which is featured through one segment using an oversized notepad, and another using magnetic poetry style word cutouts.
Next time I’m down this end of Brunswick St looking for a coffee and a quiet lunch, make sure I walk the extra twenty or so meters to Atomica, rather than stopping at Endis. They serve out the usual café fare, with burgers, pizzas, and focaccia; but they all end up a little bland, despite the variety of ingredients used. The whole place has the feel of someone simply going through the motions of running a café. And when there are so many places nearby with spirit and attitude, I can’t think of any reason to go back to Endis.
I got the tip off to watch ‘Andy Richter Controls The Universe’ from a list of TV shows cancelled earlier than they should have been. Unfortunately, I disagree. This show is mediocre at best; lacking subtlety, endearing characters and clear writing. Most of the laughs come from jokes at the expense of the physical appearance of characters, and though the first episode sets up the story behind the five main characters, the remaining five episodes immediately choose to ignore it. I’m surprised this was given a second season. I might have to watch just to see if it gets better.
Everyone likes a solid feed for under $10, and that’s what you’ll find at Spicy Noodle Café on LaTrobe St. You order based off pictures on the wall, and while they do provide a limited form of table service, your raffle ticket number is what gets you your meal. The food, like the service, is more focussed on speed and size than flavour; so while you will get back to your desk in time to file your TPS report, you’ll have a full stomach rather than a restaurant to recommend. If you do want a recommendation, go to Oriental Spoon.
If an extensive menu and a quick meal is what you want, then you could do a lot worse than Groove Train. If you’re looking for quality food, pleasant service, and a nice atmosphere, then try somewhere else. The food is satisfying in the same way that watching a Seinfeld re-run is – it’s reasonably pleasant while you’re watching it, but as soon as you’ve finished, you’ve already forgotten what it was about. The set-up in Melbourne Central doesn’t help the atmosphere, either. They’ve got tables for at least 200 covers, but I’ve never seen it more than about 10% full.
I recently got my hands on a Google Wave invite, and I have to admit that I’m not that impressed. Don’t get me wrong, I think the technology is great, it’s a bit of fun, and I do subscribe to their idea that Wave is “what email would be like if it were invented toady”. Unfortunately, I can’t see it garnering the broad use that they’re looking for. As a development experiment it’s a good proof of concept, but unless it completely integrates with current email protocols and becomes seamlessly cross-platform, it’s never going to be more than a novelty.
There’s a reason that toothpaste is mint flavoured, and not vanilla flavoured. It’s because putting something that tastes and feels like stale, congealed custard in your mouth is not a pleasant experience. The effect is good though. It’s two mouthfuls for a 400KJ hit that is sustained over 45 minutes, and is supplemented by 20mg of caffeine. And as someone who likes a coffee before exercising, that caffeine is a nice little boost. I’ll be interested to see how I go using these for some longer runs, but I think my first step will definitely be to try another flavour.
I don’t know if this if how each of the shows plays out, but with only the first five minutes having any real form of “rescue”, this’d probably be more aptly titled, ‘Rescue: Picking up the Pieces’. There’s nothing specifically wrong with that; it’s just that the characters seem more suited to climbing under burning cars or hanging from balconies than they do discussing marital breakdowns with boat captains. The acting is as passable as you’d expect from an Australian series, but it seems to be the writing that’s letting the team down. Hopefully, it improves as the season progresses.
Sets, costume, and most of the acting all seemed to be making the most of a script that was lacklustre at best. The play was never able to find itself. Dealing with a very complex issue, it managed to alternate between treating the material thoughtfully and Monty Python-esque irreverence. On the whole, the cast does well, let down slightly by Kate Atkinson’s fluctuating accent, and Pacharo Mzembe’s penchant for the overly dramatic. But it really is the on-stage visuals that keep you interested – couches shaped like smarties, lips or stretched leopards, match with jewelled boots, faux fur and poo-catcher pants.
