Two Flat Whites dined at a terrific new restaurant in Gordon last week called ‘Melange Restaurant & Cafe’. Melange offers a great atmosphere, presentation and accommodating service all working in harmony, with the four chefs from different backgrounds and regions propelling Mélange Restaurant and Cafe into the winners’ circle. This exceptional North Shore restaurant tempts with flavours ranging from a happy twist of home style cooking to the rare and exotic. Herbs and spices are masterfully utilized in duck, seafood, steak, fresh vegetables, crust, glazes and the unequaled jus. The chefs present the kind of food patrons actively remember and return for.

The unique Modern Australian concept is visible in the food which is exotically presented and always served with a smile. The ‘Mélange’ of various regions and cuisines is incorporated in the specials menu which takes you to a different level altogether. The style of food is simple yet creative and the type of service is formal yet friendly.

You can experience the food at its very best every Thursday night when all the chefs put together a degustation menu which changes every fortnight. It is recommended to make reservations in advance. The plus point is that if you are a celiac or vegetarian or have any kind of allergies they will design a special degustation menu for you to make sure that you don’t miss out on any of the excellent flavours.

At Mélange you can also book for big groups and choose from their various set menus according to your taste, appetite and budget. Mélange is open 7 days a week from 6:30am till late for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Melange Café & Restaurant
760 Pacific Highway
Gordon NSW 2072
Phone (02) 9498 8575
Fax (02) 9498 8517

The good people at Villain are throwing yet another art show with an impressive line up as always. It’s easy to take for granted the calibre of artists these guys get involved in their group shows regardless of the medium they get them to work with. So get on down and check out some quality work and support the villain crew who are constantly cooking up new schemes and exhibition ideas which give many artists a forum to have their work shown.

Cut Outs @ Per Square Metre Gallery in Collingwood. Catch the exhibition from the 30th May to 8th June 2008.

In almost every suburb there is at least one hair dressing salon or barber, because lets face it, nearly every one has hair that needs an occasional cut. People may have grown up with their hairdresser or they may even cut their own hair, but finding a decent hair dresser isn’t as easy as it would seem.

Having been told about Obcest Hair Artists from a friend I decided to go and check them out to see what all the fuss was about. Located in Guildford & run by raving Manly fan Nabil Laoulach, Obcest Hair Artists is the perfect place to get your hair cut. They offer the complete service for women from cuts, blow-dries, perms, dyes, etc but the added benefit for us blokes is that Nabil is a guy who loves his footy as much as he loves cutting hair.

Usually I sat bored or made idle chit chat with previous barbers I have had and never look forward to the experience at all, as appose to a lot of women who love spending 1hr in a salon getting the works. But that has all changed for me since going to Obcest Hair because now I get a fantastic haircut and also a good yarn. Even though I hate the Manly team with a passion, I could almost have a soft spot for them after getting my hair cut from Nabil – ok, maybe not!

Obcest Hair Artists (OHA)
121 Military Road, Guildford.
Ph: 02 9632 6444

- Liam Gibbs

The Flake Film Festival is now calling for short film entries, with this years theme recently announced as…“LIGHT”. Flake is searching high and low, near and far for the freshest filmaking talent this weird, wacky and wonderful world has to offer- and they’re putting up $15,000 in cash ‘n’ prizes as a reward!

Your film must be less than 8 minutes, can be any genre or style & of course include the 2008 theme of LIGHT- You can incorporate “LIGHT” as the main theme or central storyline, an object in the film, it may be symbolic or even in the dialogue. You can be cheeky or sneaky, but just make sure we can see the LIGHT!

Entries close Tuesday August 12th, 2008. Over $15,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded across several categories. Screenings will premiere around the NSW Snowy Mountains, including the world class ski resorts of Thredbo and Perisher Blue in early September 08.

Now in it’s 6th year, the award winning Flake Film Festival has developed into a unique grass roots film festival which showcases a diverse range of Australian and International films from first time, hobby, student and professional filmmakers.

The Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP), will receive $2.4 million over the next four years in the 2008-09 Federal Budget to promote Australian music on community radio. AMRAP is a community radio initiative that works with musicians, community broadcasters and the recording industry to increase radio airplay of contemporary Australian music.

In other music news, APRA (Australian Performing Rights Association) announced the 2008 APRA Awards nominees in a small event held in Sydney on the 21st May 2008. As always the APRA 2008 Music awards celebrate Australian songwriters in a range of categories including : APRA Song of the year, Blues and Roots work of the year, Most played Australian work, Dance work of the year, Country work of the year, Urban work of the year and Jazz work of the year.

This year’s nominees were a mix of new and old contenders in most categories including:

Song of the Year:
1,2,3,4 – Feist (co- written by Sally Seltmann from New Buffalo)
20 Good Reasons- Thirsty Merc
Better Than – John Butler Trio
Lost and Running- Powderfinger
Straight Lines – Silverchair

The APRA Awards event will be held on 16th June 2008. For a full list of all nominees go to the APRA Website.

The Mega Month of May giveaways continue at Two Flat Whites with our friends at Princess Fashion House getting onboard. All Two Flat Whites readers that wish to purchase items from Princess Fashion House will automatically receive 15% off by simply placing the key word ‘princess’ in the code when making your purchase.

We also have a $100 shopping voucher for one lucky person to win. To win this $100 shopping voucher simply go to Princess Fashion House & go to the Fashion Events Tab.

Email your name & postal address along with one event listed in the ‘Fashion Events Tab’ at Princess Fashion House to info {at} twoflatwhites(.)com to be in the running for the $100 shopping voucher. Entries close on Saturday, 31st May, 2008. Winners will be published on Two Flat Whites the next day!

Since the dawn of the civilised world, humankind has been asking the question What is art? This week has prompted many Australians to ask the same question, with the controversy surrounding Bill Henson’s latest photographic exhibition. Read the article right here.

Are you one of those wankers who lives in the city and never travels outside its boundaries? Do you think you need a visa or a bullet proof vest to come to the west? Well, we have news for you and its not a daily telegraph headline. This saturday you will get to see some amazing artists create magic before your eyes at the Cabravale Leisure centre in Cabramatta.. So leave your stereotypes at home and come and experience Australia

Saturday 31 May 10am – 4pm. Free.
Cabravale Leisure Centre. Broomfield St, Cabramatta.

Glassbox is a live drawing performance on the windows of the Cabravale Leisure Centre foyer. The event will see six artists from Popperbox simultaneously performing live drawing for the audience.

Artists include: David Tang, Haline Ly, Kevin Vo, Matt Huynh, Tak Tran, Tina Tran and Will Loeng

Welcome to the 11th Sydney Writers’ Festival. The 2008 Festival promises to be as wide ranging, profound and enjoyable as ever, with its wealth of riches covering fiction, nonfiction, poetry, journalism, scriptwriting, film, new media and much more.

The idea of vision underpins the 2008 program. Australia has a new government; the US is in an election year; the immediacy of climate change continues to be impressed upon us: these are just some of the events preoccupying us at this point in time. It is a time of setting targets and goals, of looking backwards to see where we have been as we envision what lies ahead. Future imaginings; utopian dreamings; dystopian visions; fear of annihilation and the drive towards conservation; reconciliation and indigenous politics; an altered sense of personal and civic responsibility; mobilising and political activism; hope and optimism all feature strongly in the sessions.

Many of the world’s greatest writers and thinkers will converge in Sydney in May; it is well worth closely studying the new enhanced website which now has extended biographies and session notes and lots of tips to help you to create your personal Festival schedule. The Sydney Writers’ Festival is on now & runs through to the 25th May 2008.