Reviewed by : Marjie Courtis

Flavours of Melbourne celebrates the food and bar scene that is well known to Melbourne "insiders" like Jonette George and Daniele Wilton. George wrote the copy, Wilton designed the book and Brad Hill took the photographs. This is the same successful triumvirate that created Produce to Platter - Geelong and Surrounding Regions.

The insider locations that they share with their readers are largely in the laneways and on the rooftops of Melbourne, though the book also showcases some secluded places on the main streets of a city often dubbed Marvellous Melbourne.

The book profiles numerous bars, cafes and specialty food outlets as it walks you through ten lanes, ten streets, five places and four alleys. It also wanders along one parade, one way (Rakaia Way), one walk (Rebecca Walk) as well as through Chinatown and Federation Square, into Curtin House and across Yarra Footbridge. It left me reaching for a dictionary to find out what the nuances of the nomenclature were. Leaving aside streets which are usually wide thoroughfares, I ended up by concluding that this book is largely about Melbourne's pedestrian passageways, with various degrees of enclosure, narrowness or shortness.

Together, the photography, the maps and the constant visual theme of brick walls, convey different levels of intrigue, intimacy and individuality in these varying pedestrian zones. The book captures the ambience of the walkways, emphasising the shabby chic style that often belies the more sophisticated interiors of many of the bars and restaurants.

With the inclusion of so much vibrant colour in the book, helped along by the ubiquitous street art in many Melbourne laneways, the book could almost be renamed The Colours and Flavours of Melbourne.

The book gives you the opportunity to imbibe the atmosphere and style of Melbourne Laneways, whether or not you want to partake in beautiful food or creative concoctions from the bar. But ultimately it's the bars, restaurants and cafes that are the destinations for a keen foodie. The book showcases restaurants like Guy Grossi's Florentino, Martin Pirc's Punch Lane and Aaron Whitney's Portello Rosso. It features bars like Madame Brussels, Rooftop Cinema, Bar 1806 and Emerald Peacock. George and Wilton share some of their recipes for food and cocktails.

I liked the depth and the breadth of Flavours of Melbourne in its coverage of the city and its by-ways. It provides the historical context in which the laneways developed and yet is very current in coverage of new pedestrian zones still being deliberately created, such as Federation Square, Rebecca Walk, Ponyfish Island on the Yarra Footbridge, and Artemis Lane in the Queen Victoria Village.

The book doesn't unnecessarily glamorise the laneways. It distinguishes street art from vandalism and graffiti and empathises with the plight of the homeless who sleep on Melbourne's streets and laneways of Melbourne. It describes STREAT a social enterprise providing Melbourne's homeless youth with a supported pathway to long-term careers in the hospitality industry.

George and Wilton are a mother and daughter team who are providing delectable insights into Melbourne and Victoria, not only with Flavours of Melbourne and Produce to Platter - Geelong and Surrounding Regions. They have also written Produce to Platter - Mornington Peninsula and have another planned on the Yarra Valley in Victoria. I like the way they put food and beverages into a cultural and historic context. In the case of Flavours of Melbourne, they are also providing an architectural context.

Not only does Flavours of Melbourne suggest enticing alternatives for tourists, but it shares secrets that even Melburnians will want to pry into. If you're sticking to the main streets of Melbourne, you've become mainstream and you're missing out. Get the walking shoes ready. Make sure they're laneway-chic!

Smudge Publishing, 2011
ISBN 978-0-9807981