“A sandwich to be reckoned with” – here for a good time, not a long time. An all-out pasta party with 20 dishes to try. A surreal, sky-high spectacle you need to see (it’s free). And more. Here’s what Broadsheet Melbourne editor Tomas Telegramma is checking out in Melbourne in March.

An Italiano trio
Three distinct, exceptional Italian-inspired destinations have landed (or are soon to land) in Melbourne. The first is Grill Americano, Chris Lucas’s ritzy steakhouse channelling northern Italy, which opens next week. Broadsheet got a taste ahead of the big reveal, and it’s a triumph. Sure, flame-licked bistecca is the star, but it’s just one of many standouts. Hunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano drizzled with rich, amber chestnut honey make for an unexpectedly essential starter. The mixed grill is nostalgic and downright delicious. And if you’re as scared of sog as me, the tiramisu is extra-textural – and scooped tableside. Elsewhere, it’s all-out Italiana at Rocco’s Bologna Discoteca, the Poodle team’s new, permanent trattoria; beeline for late-night meatball subs and fried-bologna sangas. And, in Warrandyte, Pietro Gallus’s new grappa tasting room will make you feel like you’re in the Italian countryside 30 minutes from the city.

The NGV’s landmark queer celebration
Camp. Kitsch. Chic. The NGV’s huge new exhibition, Queer: Stories From the NGV Collection, is a momentous one for the gallery. The landmark, Australian-first show – which runs until August 21 – was curated by an entirely queer curatorial team and spans several different gallery spaces, exploring 400-plus artworks from the NGV’s vast collection through a queer lens. “People are not going to know what the show is until they come into it,” says curator Dr Ted Gott. “It’s going to completely surprise and blow them away.” Perhaps most intriguing is the portrait of Henry VIII – here’s how it relates. Bonus: the opening-night fashion was as magnificent as the exhibition itself; we snapped some of the fiercest street-style looks.

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The big 3-0 for Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
After two Covid-ravaged years, Melbourne Food & Wine Festival (MFWF) is pulling no punches for its 30th anniversary – with a star-studded international line-up. Headlining the program is inimitable UK food personality Nigella Lawson (we’ll be on Nigella watch throughout the festival). And while some of the bigger-ticket events have sold out, there’s still plenty to get excited about. First, one for the spud supporters: Maximum Chips, a night of all-you-can-eat hot chips, where you can expect golden goodness of the shoestring and crinkle-cut varieties, French fries and “maybe even the sneaky potato gem”. Similarly carby is The Big Spaghetti, a mammoth pasta party (with more than 20 different pasta dishes) from 10 stalls, helmed by the country’s best Italian restaurants. There’ll also be a next-level convenience store popping up for the duration of the festival. The magnum opus? A hulking deli-style “motherlode” sandwich stacked with cold-cuts and cheese from every single deli in Queen Victoria Market. It’s “truly a sandwich to be reckoned with”, says MFWF creative director Pat Nourse. You game?

Whales in the sky
Hot-air balloons aren’t a rare sight in Melbourne’s skies. But you might do a double-take when you see Patricia Piccinini’s. Best known for her hyperrealistic human-animal sculptures, the boundary-pushing Australian artist debuted her first flying monolith, Skywhale, nine years ago. It’s a behemoth, whale-like mammal (with 10 hanging udders) that symbolises a mother figure. Last year, the family grew with the unveiling of Skywhalepapa, the original’s male counterpart. And now they’re together for a national tour. From 5am on Saturday March 19, the Skywhale family is taking to the skies from Yarra Bend Park’s Corben Oval. As they soar over Melbourne, they’ll be visible from the CBD through to the outer suburbs. Look up.

The Conti kicks off
Since news first broke that Sorrento’s Conti Hotel was set for a multimillion-dollar makeover, anticipation has skyrocketed.
Rechristened The Continental Sorrento, the precinct’s redevelopment is really one for the ages: six levels, five buildings, three parts. Its stable of food and drinks venues – helmed by acclaimed chef Scott Pickett and publican Craig Shearer – are opening from this month. The star dining attraction will be Audrey’s – Pickett’s first regional restaurant, named after his grandma, who he says inspired him to cook. With stunning Port Phillip Bay views, it’ll be all about old-timey opulence and seafood (there’ll be a marble raw bar). Also opening soon is a soaring greenhouse-like, glass-ceilinged “atrium” and a lavish late-night speak-easy with all manner of live entertainment.