Richmond's Love Letter is an ode to Yorkshire puddings, gravy and chaos
Drinking is adventurous and accessible. I love the Campari served in a mini frosted-glass 1930s bottle for pouring over ice and an orange slice. There's a wine blackboard with weekly glasses, carafes and bottles listed by colour and weight, which is a nice way to stretch and learn. Most wines make the list after a local winemaker brings them in and chats the team through a tasting.
Service is eager and caring, a love letter enacted for every table. The very idea of fine dining can feel exclusionary, something that other people do, but Love Letter rewrites the template. The restaurant is down-to-earth, personal and cheerily obsessed with making people happy, a fine formula for dining indeed.
Three more restaurants redefining fine dining
Cutler
It opened 13 years ago as Cutler & Co, and chef and co-owner Andrew McConnell has given his flagship a few rethinks over the years. Now it's simply Cutler, with a poised bistro menu and an all-class no-fuss feeling. Wednesday Cellar Nights mean $30 corkage and shared dishes that match well with Bordeaux and Burgundy.
55-57 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, cutlerandco.com.au
Regale
Cafe empress Sutinee Suntivatana owns Humble Rays and matcha specialist Tori's, and now also has Regale in the Old Carlton Brewhouse at the top end of the city. The Asian fusion menu includes chicken rigatoni with gochujang vodka sauce and smashed olives, and sticky rice and white chocolate mousse with corn relish.
555 Swanston Street, Carlton, regaler.com.au
The Roe
A backstreet warehouse is now a temple to sea urchin. They're served raw, rolled up in spring rolls, infused into broths, tucked into fried rice and arranged in colourful bowls with other seafood. An invasive and feral species, eating sea urchins is also conservation.
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ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
François Ozon's brush with a mysterious mushroom lunch inspired his new film
Halfway around the globe, queer French filmmaker François Ozon was as glued to the trial of mushroom lunch chef Erin Patterson as most Australians. He has more reason than most, given Ozon's great aunt once accidentally poisoned his family during an unfortunate lunch during which she served up the very wrong fungi. Funnily enough, she didn't eat them either, but thankfully no-one died. Ozon wasn't present at the fateful meal, but the startling incident and the prospect that his great aunt was intentional with her menu stuck with him. This shocking feast is the spore that has sprouted into his surprisingly wholesome did-she-do-it film, When Fall is Coming. "I think, perhaps, you might be as perverse as me," Ozon chuckles as we discuss the similarities between his latest film and the Patterson case. A deeply emotional story that refuses to take the obvious path, When Fall is Coming stars César-nominated actor Hélène Vincent as Michelle. Living alone in the bucolic surrounds of a blissful Burgundy village that appears permanently autumnal, Michelle loves pottering in her veggie garden and foraging for mushrooms with best friend Marie-Claude (Josiane Balasko). A kind soul, Michelle also takes Marie-Claude's wayward son, Vincent (Pierre Lottin), under her wing after he is released from prison. But encroaching dementia may be clouding her days. Michelle's vagueness could possibly account for the ill-fated mushroom dish with which she (accidentally?) poisons her irritable daughter, Valérie (Ludivine Sagnier), who is visiting from Paris with Michelle's adored grandson, Lucas (Garlan Erlos). After the incident, Valérie forbids her mum from seeing Lucas, sparking a depressive spiral in Michelle that sets in motion yet more (possibly) murderous intrigue. Ozon wanted Michelle to feel real. "In cinema, we are so used to seeing young people all the time, but when you follow the life of an older woman, for me, it's fascinating," he says. "She's close to nature and happy with the rhythm of her life, until it's no longer possible to see her grandson." Casting Vincent was integral. "She is 80 years old and beautiful," Ozon says. "Her face is like a landscape on which you can see her expressions. It was very political, for me, to have an actress who has no plastic surgery, with so much societal pressure for women to stay young all the time." When Fall is Coming takes unexpected paths, weaving doubt around Michelle's actions. "I love ambiguity and contrast, when things are not black or white," Ozon says. "When the facts give you the opportunity to ask yourself a question, 'What would I do in this situation?' And in the case of this film, I love the idea that we don't have all the keys to the story. It's a puzzle." Just like life, Ozon suggests. "You are not a god," he says. "You don't see everything. And for Michelle, you know, there are things she wants to see, yes, and there are things she prefers to hide." The film opens with a telling scene in which a church-attending Michelle listens to a sermon about Mary Magdalene, whose story has become increasingly complicated, with evidence that the church manipulated her depiction as a sex worker. "I love the character of Mary Magdalene in the Bible" Ozon says. "She gives so much love, and she's forgiven. I think this idea is beautiful, and it goes against the puritanism you can find in many Catholic movements." Ozon was raised in the church. "What's always surprised me about the ideology of guilt and forgiveness is that, as a child, you realise you can make a lot of sins," he laughs again. "If you say, 'Forgive me,' then you will go to heaven. So I said to myself, as a child, 'So I can kill people?' Maybe Michelle is as naive as I was?" Ozon adores the idea that how we interpret Michelle's actions says more about ourselves than it does about him. Like When Fall is Coming, Ozon's previous films are full of incredible women. Both Vincent and Balasko (and Lottin) appear in By the Grace of God, (2018), his excoriation of child abuse within the Catholic church. Sagnier made waves alongside Charlotte Rampling in his dangerously seductive Swimming Pool (2003), popped up in musical murder mystery 8 Women (2002) with Catherine Deneuve and Isabelle Huppert, and appears in Ozon's polyamorous romp Water Drops on Burning Rocks (2000). A trusted ensemble is vital to Ozon's craft. "You have to understand your actors and to love them," he says. "That doesn't mean you have sex with them, but this close relationship helps them give the emotions we need for the film." This emotional truth aided the cast in approaching the knotty ramblings of When Fall Is Coming. "For me, it's a film about the unconscious," Ozon says. "Sometimes there are things you want in your dreams, and it happens. Life helps you to have what you desire." What Ozon desires most, right now, is for Patterson to see When Fall is Coming, he says with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. "Perhaps she could review it for a newspaper?" When Fall is Coming is in Australian cinemas now.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Katy Perry, Justin Trudeau 'interested in each other'
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau "have a lot in common". The 40-year-old pop star and the former Canadian prime minister have recently been spending time together in Montreal, and an insider now says there is "an attraction" between the duo. "They are interested in each other, but it will take a while to see where this goes," the source told People. "She is travelling around the world, and he is figuring out his life now that he is no longer prime minister of Canada, but there is an attraction. They have a lot in common." Perry - who recently split from actor Orlando Bloom - and Trudeau share a love of music. "Music is one of many things they can share. Both are idealists and still live in a world where they think they can make improvements, although it has gotten more difficult," the insider said. Perry confirmed the end of her engagement to Bloom in July, while Trudeau split from his wife Sophie Gregoire in 2023. "Their own personal responsibilities could make this relationship move slower than it would, but there are ways to see the other and still fulfill their parenting responsibilities," the source said.. "For one thing, they each have an ex. So, duties are split in half. And long-distance relationships, while still hard, are possible for these two." Perry and Bloom previously announced they intended to "focus on co-parenting" their four-year-old daughter Daisy following their break-up. "Their shared priority is - and always will be - raising their daughter with love, stability, and mutual respect," a statement said. Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau "have a lot in common". The 40-year-old pop star and the former Canadian prime minister have recently been spending time together in Montreal, and an insider now says there is "an attraction" between the duo. "They are interested in each other, but it will take a while to see where this goes," the source told People. "She is travelling around the world, and he is figuring out his life now that he is no longer prime minister of Canada, but there is an attraction. They have a lot in common." Perry - who recently split from actor Orlando Bloom - and Trudeau share a love of music. "Music is one of many things they can share. Both are idealists and still live in a world where they think they can make improvements, although it has gotten more difficult," the insider said. Perry confirmed the end of her engagement to Bloom in July, while Trudeau split from his wife Sophie Gregoire in 2023. "Their own personal responsibilities could make this relationship move slower than it would, but there are ways to see the other and still fulfill their parenting responsibilities," the source said.. "For one thing, they each have an ex. So, duties are split in half. And long-distance relationships, while still hard, are possible for these two." Perry and Bloom previously announced they intended to "focus on co-parenting" their four-year-old daughter Daisy following their break-up. "Their shared priority is - and always will be - raising their daughter with love, stability, and mutual respect," a statement said. Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau "have a lot in common". The 40-year-old pop star and the former Canadian prime minister have recently been spending time together in Montreal, and an insider now says there is "an attraction" between the duo. "They are interested in each other, but it will take a while to see where this goes," the source told People. "She is travelling around the world, and he is figuring out his life now that he is no longer prime minister of Canada, but there is an attraction. They have a lot in common." Perry - who recently split from actor Orlando Bloom - and Trudeau share a love of music. "Music is one of many things they can share. Both are idealists and still live in a world where they think they can make improvements, although it has gotten more difficult," the insider said. Perry confirmed the end of her engagement to Bloom in July, while Trudeau split from his wife Sophie Gregoire in 2023. "Their own personal responsibilities could make this relationship move slower than it would, but there are ways to see the other and still fulfill their parenting responsibilities," the source said.. "For one thing, they each have an ex. So, duties are split in half. And long-distance relationships, while still hard, are possible for these two." Perry and Bloom previously announced they intended to "focus on co-parenting" their four-year-old daughter Daisy following their break-up. "Their shared priority is - and always will be - raising their daughter with love, stability, and mutual respect," a statement said. Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau "have a lot in common". The 40-year-old pop star and the former Canadian prime minister have recently been spending time together in Montreal, and an insider now says there is "an attraction" between the duo. "They are interested in each other, but it will take a while to see where this goes," the source told People. "She is travelling around the world, and he is figuring out his life now that he is no longer prime minister of Canada, but there is an attraction. They have a lot in common." Perry - who recently split from actor Orlando Bloom - and Trudeau share a love of music. "Music is one of many things they can share. Both are idealists and still live in a world where they think they can make improvements, although it has gotten more difficult," the insider said. Perry confirmed the end of her engagement to Bloom in July, while Trudeau split from his wife Sophie Gregoire in 2023. "Their own personal responsibilities could make this relationship move slower than it would, but there are ways to see the other and still fulfill their parenting responsibilities," the source said.. "For one thing, they each have an ex. So, duties are split in half. And long-distance relationships, while still hard, are possible for these two." Perry and Bloom previously announced they intended to "focus on co-parenting" their four-year-old daughter Daisy following their break-up. "Their shared priority is - and always will be - raising their daughter with love, stability, and mutual respect," a statement said.
7NEWS
5 days ago
- 7NEWS
Katy Perry captured on a date with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Pop superstar Katy Perry enjoyed a break from her tour with a surprising dinner date, none other than former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The unlikely pair were spotted sharing a meal at an upscale restaurant in Montreal, Le Violin, on Monday night. Video footage obtained by TMZ captured Perry leaning in as Mr Trudeau spoke, suggesting a thoughtful and lively conversation between them. According to a restaurant patron who was sitting nearby, security guards were discreetly monitoring the two through mirrored glass as they shared several dishes and enjoyed cocktails together. The atmosphere also seemed warm enough that they personally visited the kitchen afterwards to thank the staff. The outing comes just a month after Perry announced her separation from actor Orlando Bloom, with whom she shares a daughter. Meanwhile, Mr Trudeau has been single since his separation from Sophie Grégoire Trudeau in 2023 and his resignation as Prime Minister in early 2025. Perry is currently touring Canada, with performances following in Ottawa and Montreal.
