What’s happening around town
• Korean street snack and dessert shop Bingsoo recently opened at 260 La Trobe Street. It specialises in corndogs, loaded Korean street toasts(a breakfast sandwich), and bingsu (a Korean shaved-ice dessert). Stop by between midday and 3pm on Saturday August 10, for a free corndog or thick toast.
• Stefanino Panino, Rumble Coffee Roasters and other brands will collaborate on Cafe Smart, a pop-up cafe at the La Marzocco showroom at 104 Nicholson Street, Abbotsford. Cafe Smart runs this Saturday August 10 from 10am to 2pm, with all proceeds going to Street Smart, a not-for-profit focused on supporting unhoused people.
• Bianchetto, Sicilian restaurant Mister Bianco’s sibling bar in Kew, is hosting a movie night every Wednesday and Thursday, from Wednesday August 14 to Thursday September 26. For $33.50, watch Italian-language films and movies set in Italy, including The Italian Job and La Dolce Vita. Films are accompanied by a welcome drink, truffled popcorn, lasagne and a sweet. Bookings required.
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SIGN UPThis week in food and drink news
• Has Melbourne reached peak sandwich? We asked Hector’s Deli, Stefanino Panino and other heavyweights for their thoughts.
• First look: Thai-inspired restaurant Bang opens at Fitzroy’s new StandardX hotel.
• First look: you’ll find loaded burgers and Biscoff doughnuts at family-run Maxiemoon in Moonee Ponds.
• First look: a hidden Japanese standing bar pops up at the back of Izakaya by Tamura in Fitzroy.
• The menu at Shannon Martinez’s reinvention of Smith & Daughters — now Smith & Daughters Social Club — is “a bit trashy”.
• Comme Des Garçons and Hareruya Pantry bring back their gelato collab.
• Where chefs eat: Reine and La Rue’s Jacqui Challinor thinks everything at this bakery is “magic”.
• Now open: Victor Liong and Con Christopoulos’s sushi train Bossa Nova pulls in.
• Closures: 12 Melbourne venues that called it quits this year.
• Four Pillars’ super-limited Bloody Pinot Noir Gin is back.
• Five Melbourne venues shortlisted for the prestigious Restaurant & Bar Design Awards.
You might have missed
• Van Bone, one of Tasmania’s best regional restaurants, to close before Christmas.
• First service: Josh and Julie Niland scale up with Saint Peter at the Grand National in Sydney.
• Ballarat’s best pie crowned – and it’s American as.
As seen on the web
• “I Reviewed Restaurants for 12 Years. They’ve Changed, and Not for the Better.” – Pete Wells for The New York Times.