What we covered in Melbourne food and drink this week
• We took a first look at Allis, the new wine bar from the 10 Minutes by Tractor team.

• And all the fresh pasta at Umberto’s new Italian grocer.

• At freewheeling craft beer “utopia” Rose Island, you can BYO food and dogs.

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• Thin-crust pizza and Franco Cozzo furniture rule at new Brunswick diner Madonna Electric.

• We visited Kariton Sorbetes’s new 1970s-Manila-inspired store and tried its take on halo halo, served with an “addictive” leche flan.

• Marie Antoinette, a new bakery in the former Beatrix shopfront, is offering delicate French entremets and pizzas made from 96-hour slow-fermented dough.

• Back-to-back Top Chef winner and star Aussie chef, Buddha Lo, spoke to Broadsheet about his career and the world of American reality TV.

• And former Cumulus Inc head chef Dean Little talks us through his new gig at Half Acre.

• We broke down five of Melbourne’s best breakfast plates (yes, Florian made the cut).

• Pair a Japanese pour-over with yuzu cheesecake at Lunar by Hikari, the aptly named sequel to CBD cafe Hikari.

• The new CBD cafe from Nathan Toleman’s trailblazing Mulberry Group sees 10 leading chefs contribute a menu item every season.

You might have missed…
• 15 to buy: Chic cake kits from New Zealand baker Jordan Rondel, and other cosy homewares for under $50.

Listen up
• This week on Around Town we chatted about Walrus, the new Brunswick eatery inspired by US west coast diners, and the fiery southern Thai food at South Yarra’s Nora Thai.

More, please
• Masterchef alum Reece “cake boi” Hignall is popping up at Co Bake Space with classic bakes including lemon meringue tarts, sponge cakes and classic vanilla slices, this Friday, August 4, and Saturday August 5 from 9am until sold out.

• Oriental Teahouse celebrates 20 years in the biz with a yum cha party (what else?). Head to its CBD location at 6.30pm on Wednesday August 23 or South Yarra at 6.30pm on Thursday August 24 for lion dancing and dumplings.

• Bahama Gold is now offering $2-a-litre refills of its minimal-intervention tap wine when you bring back your bottle.

• Get shokupan doughnuts with a scoop of mascarpone every Friday at Le Bajo Milkbar in North Melbourne.

As seen on the web
• Burrata: A Big Fat Blob of Boring, via Grub Street.