Tuesday 29th March



Taco Tuesday! At Maya, the cheapest Mexican place thanks to groupon. Expect long waiting times. Also do not go here alone, because you'll be at the single bar and being a bar there isn't much space. No coat room. Ma'am you'll need to hold your coat and bag. Can we get bag hooks?
Tacos were good but a bit floury and dry. Why is the sauce in the fish taco radioactive green? Beef was sold out when I got there at 7pm, they just opened an hour ago. Normally it's the fish to be the first to be sold out. I love how they cut up everything into matchstick. Is there a machine that cuts up stuff? Not the Tefal one, I didn't hear good things about that. 

We arrived at 7pm, ordered at 7.15pm, watched an episode of Pam Am, and the food arrived at 7.44pm. As we've been here before we're prepared! But I don't feel that it should take 30mins for tacos, I mean everything is prepped already, you just need to put it together. 

Crazy craving for panna cotta we went searching but didn't find it, instead we had custard.

Wednesday

Fire drill, anytime now. I want to shower, and there's no freaking way I'm getting out for a fire drill. But the thing is the firemen (all very very tall and old) go through each room. Hence the morning was spent on Netflix waiting. 


Don't you hate it when things are in the wrong department? We spent quite some time looking for the multi-blade scissors. In the end we called up another store to check which department they were in. Originally designed as a very hands-on paper shredder they were in the craft department. The packaging says do not use for food, but Daiso says yes. And I say yes. The neighbour is very skeptic and potentially did a better job going with the regular knife and board. It's quite a workout, chopping up three bunches of herbs/green things. 


Milk Cow a has finally come to Melbourne! First as a two month pop-up but eventually a store, and in May Aqua will be coming down from Sydney. With stores in twelve countries Milk Cow specializing in vegetarian (I asked) organic soft serve, they have finally come to Australia. Saw hello to a flurry of giant cotton candy sitting on a clear plastic cup of soft serve!


Their best sellers? The original with honeycomb, and the two with cotton candy, winners on instagram. Prices start from $5.50 and the cotton candy ones are $8.50-ish.

There was a launch party, but we weren't invited.


A very late lunch due to the two previous mishaps, at Tank. Fish & Chippery at the Emporium, it's in the corner so you mightn't have noticed it, on the left pass Jimmy Grants. We need to visit again to do a full post. 


Off to class, Linkedin part two. My summary is too long, but the picture is on point. I don't like it, but it's my "graduation" photo back when I did modeling, back home. Linkedin is fb for adults and work, but you don't post funny things. Instead you post relevant industry articles and journals about trends/development.




Back to the city. There's a bus that leaves at .00 and .30 from Town Hall to go to the Greek Prescient and Trades Hall. Back from the Trades Hall it's .15 and .45. Would be great to have this info on the site? Nope. I asked via social media, no reply. Phone? They don't know *sigh* Luckily this week there was no loss of signal, and we weren't trapped on the train for over an hour. 


Simon Taylor's Human. He made me laugh! We've seen more shows than laughs so far this year. So if you make me laugh you'll get a recommendation from me. Stories of traveling through the country and character impressions and a car with a Disney karaoke cd stuck instead make an interesting hour. Not only did he entertain us, he made me laugh! *I'm a hard marker*

Thursday




As the night was still young when the event ended we went to 'Comedy Night at the Portland Hotel' not at the Portland Hotel, but rather the European Cafe/Bar. Featuring two guys from the gala with the same jokes and a handful of interstate comedians made for an entertaining show, though not everyone was funny...

Friday


Tonight adventure (after a terrifying trip to the dreaded dentist!) was to a movie with live music. Music was great, the sound from the movie not so great. We saw 'The Godfather' in which the only actor I recognized was young Diane Keyton with massive hair. It's best to read the godfather wiki plot page before, during the interval and after to know what's going on.

Sunday


The afternoon was visually stunning with lots of sequins, wig and hairspray. Audio was delightfully beautiful as expected. But smelt like shit. Literally. I don't like children. Babies are fine when not crying, but we were around this one long enough for it to take a shit. It also decided to cry, though the mother took it outside. The mother on my left was also fully in control sitting in between her kids and not letting them eat during the performance. A third mother let her kid run around the theatre... I hate family shows. Fortunately most shows we see are either expensive or 18+.


After the ballet we dashed over to Zumbo's Little Frankie for their latest trending soft serve in a donut! There a few toppings you can pick from, pick three. Soft serve flavors change every few days and today it was cherry! But a nice cherry, not crazy artificial though it was purple. Nice? Yes, it's a unique idea though I prefer the two separately, especially starting with a warm cinnamon donut.



At the parking lot nearby we stumbled upon a demolish party for the roller skating rink that's beside Soda Rock. I didn't know that was there!



There was hot dogs, soda, ice cream and Greek donuts! Warm crispy balls, no stuffing cakey filling inside. There were three toppings to choose from and we tried them all :P Our favourite? The salted caramel though the Nutella was a crowd pleaser. 


Off to the city where we were suppose to be. Como didn't include the interval in the timing so we missed going to a recital which Ben said was great! We had dinner afterwards at Shandong Mama, I didn't realize how salty the fish dumplings were! Next stop back to Shanghai Dumplings!








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19th May &17th July



Charlie &Co. hailed from Sydney and is one of the places you can dine at, at the Emporium's Level 3 food court. It's not like any other food court, but a more premium one with matching prices. You won't find greasy chinese takeout here, or mediocre sandwiches. Instead there's Earl Grey (ck name), Jimmy Grants, Thrive/Spud Bar and a sushi train to name a few places. It's a great place to go with friends as you can order what you like and sit together. There's fish & chips, souvlakis, pasta, sushi and the ultimate bro food - burgers! 



Our first visit was during dinner prompted by a special offer I couldn't refuse, sliders! 3 mini sliders for $15. I'm not really a burger person, and this isn't normally on their menu along with happy meals. So for me was the perfect way to sample their burgers without committing to a huge big mac sized one. 



Update - They now have the 'Trio of Sliders' available for $17, but the selection is different. 1. Angus beef patty, Charlie’s signature tomato sauce & melted cheddar cheese. 2. Spiced chicken breast, fresh tomato, garden leaves & aioli. 3. Lamb patty, garden leaves & Greek yoghurt.













We had the cheeseburger, the classic and the mex. The mex had onion and was the best. Others were good but nothing amazing. So glad I chose these mini ones, it's the perfect way to try them all when you can't decide or just after a sample.











The fries were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, yes they were very good. I correctly identified the parmesan, while Jas identified it as jack cheese. And Esme has no idea, as she's not a food person, instead she likes man food, and reviews can be delivered in one sentence. It's good or not and spicy or she'd say something about the flavour. I like the idea of parmesan and truffle, but there wasn't much truffle oil.

Would we get them again? No. There's a fish & chip place (Sea Salt) a block away from the apartment and they do great chips too, at $4 and it serves 2-3 people. We can get better/similar chips other places cheaper. Jas knows more about truffles than me and he said he couldn't really taste the presence of it, so that's a second no. 







Fish is one of my favourite foods, fish and mushroom burgers are my favourites, and when there was a buy one get one free offer we were there! The fish had a very light marinade that didn't stand out, we felt it needed a stronger flavour, like cranberry jam or a garlic aioli sauce instead. But was quite light reflecting the fish in fish & chips. 




Meanwhile Lola had the classic, which she said was good especially as there was a choice of three cheeses to choose from the classic cheddar. The best burgers? No, but not a disappointment either.

Charlie has milkshakes, basic flavours + the crowd pleasing Nutella, but no salted caramel. No desserts, just your basic burgers and fancy cheese fries. I'm hoping to see some of our classic American desserts on the menu. ;)



Will we be back? Maybe, if we were there and in a burger mood. Though personally Huxtaburger does burgers like no one else for me, it's that bun. Though to me it's also a cheeseburger snack size.





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Hi, I'm Charlie and I'm an Events Planner from San Francisco. 

Since moving to Melbourne in 2008, we have been to over 150 restaurants, been involved in most of the festivals in Melbourne. We are very curious explorers in the city and beyond. I do all the writing, photography and editing for the blog, and have had my photos featured by restaurants on social media and in the college magazine. 

Events, weeknight dinners across town, and the theatre is where you'd find me. Attending or behind the scenes. Exploring all that Melbourne has to offer, food & events, and sharing our experiences is what Curious Charlie is all about! 

We're always looking to share fun new things to do, eat, share and sample. Experience Seekers. From discovering local gems, opening parcels tied up with string, to crafty tutorials. Join us on a journey, one with lots of coffee, a spork in one hand and camera in the other on this great adventure called life! 





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Monday 21st March

Hello Optus, I'm back. Boost, I hate you. Will be filing a formal complaint. You didn't deliver what you promised, and won't give me my money back either. 


Mussel Monday at Acland St Cantina. Can we finish four bowls? Yes we can! Though perhaps that wasn't a good idea. I'd stop at two, and only get a third to share. Mussels are $10 per kg by the way. 

With Lite n' Easy we only get b'fast if we're getting lunch and dinner too, because with b'fast and lunch only, b'fast works out to be $33 for 5 days! So we're DIYing it with cereal, toast, yoghurt and crumpets.


This week Chobani is on sale $4 for 2, works out to be $2 each instead of $2.25. I haven't worked out which I like/don't yet so we picked all eight flavours. 

Tuesday


Today we were tired, day two of afternoon naps and missing class. In the evening we went to a show, a Silent Comedy hosted at the Arbory Bar, running along the length of a platform beside platform 10 going to Werribee/Williamstown. 

It was catered, while all tickets were the same only people who sat at the limited number of tables were served food. Later there was some pork snacks, but I don't eat pork or drink beer/wine, and if you don't fit in that category you're not catered for.


Some people were more funny than others, the second half was I didn't find amusing at all. Being hangry did not help. We seat too close to the front to leave sadly, but the office is just across the road and I wanted to go.

Would I recommend this event? No.

Wednesday

Workshops to prepare us for life, once released into the real world. Funny how high school gets you into uni (as in they help you apply and everything) but after college you owe us 20k+, and finding a job? You're on your own.




The evening was much less stressful and entertaining. A french comedy Lolo tells the story of a woman (single mother) who meets a nice guy (also single, father) and her son who sabotages every relationship she's ever had including her relationship with his father. He keeps a journal, much like Sebastian (Cruel Intentions with Buffy). It's funny and I liked it, light comedy, an escape from linkedin for a bit under two hours. 

Thursday


A meeting then stop by the bake shop. I love baking, the decorating, the amazing smells and lovely displays. Though I have never made my own bread. Jas & I ordered a dozen hot cross buns to split this morning (12) and by now we're down to 8 :P Having consumed two each as after dinner snacks. 

Group work is going well. Homework not as well. With limited internet I haven't been able to access it, a very long barely audible video from a few decades ago. 

Being Thursday night it's event night! Though this week there were three events on yesterday, we didn't get invited though. Blogging is a lot like high school, where only the popular kids get invited. Though in high school I didn't care, I just went to school, played sport and saw many tutors. 7am - 6pm, with extra English on Friday nights. But now I really do want to be involved, not clubbing or parties were people get laid. Food events. 

Cabaret & an adult show was on our list tonight. Clara Cupcakes is delightfully bubbly and must be on energizer or Duracell as she was switched on all night, for a series of acts, with not much linking in between. While I enjoyed it I can't say it'll be something I'd remember years later, much like her first show we saw a few years ago. I have the flyer but have no recollection of the show. There will be audience participation, hide in the middle! 


There's a part where Clara takes her dress off and is in granny style/colored underwear, that would have been so much nicer if she wore a burlesque outfit with tassels and sequins. Extra point for twirling the tassels. :P

Tonight's venue was the Butterfly Club, in its 17th year, and 3rd year in the current location it's a wonderful nest of organized clutter. With a few pictures of Jesus I noticed, and aliens too. How did all this stuff, nick knacks come about? The guy at the door said each year they have a party and everyone brings something to add to the deco. If you've never been there, you have to check it out. Located at the end of Carson Lane, opposite Sensory Lab on the back end of David Jones on Little Collins, very close to Town Hall.



A show that starts at 10pm might give you the impression that it's for adults only. We were offered free tickets and decided to go tonight as we were already there. What happens if you only have five people in the audience? The show must go on, and it did. It was "rude and crude" r rated, Jas says after a few drinks the boys would love it, bringing them back to high school, even though half are married and the others engaged. 

I'm going to pass on that, but the gang back in middle school would have loved this. D was that guy who rubbed up against poles and peed in a bottle then sprayed it everywhere. He'd share porn with S, through a usb and S would be suspended. Note that it's not like he watched it at school. This was a school with no uniform, like most, where kids run amok and teachers had given up. H was obsessed with sex, all the boys were, though none of the ones I knew were getting any action. We were 14 maybe? The boys back then would have loved this show.

It was a quiz, which included naming guys based on a picture of their topless torso, listing in order of price adult toys, among other things, like listing all the words you could think of for sex, synonyms. I won that part. :P The boys would be proud, though none of the men in my life would. XD

A funny show - for teenage boys that is, or adults after a few drinks. Not my cocktail though. 

Friday 

Thomas Jaspers is a Kitten Killer was a good show, Joey tells the same story though got confused between the two cats. On the roof there was a bar! Melina, Rooftop Bar. Enclosed with a glass ceiling that offers views of the city, while still being warm, thanks to those portable outdoor heaters. Potential event venue!


After 11pm, after a show you'll always find us at Father's Office. While the ice cream and weird and icy, the cherry tart I love, it's served with an ice cream that isn't icy. :P


There were a couple new additions to the desserts menu so we checked out the pineapple one. A dessert that's really just fruit and icy ice cream, but marinated in a lovely syrup.




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