Lara Torcello

Deputy Editor at The Urban List

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Articles

First Look: A Former Napier Hotel Chef Brings Serious Sourdough to Essendon

1 month ago | broadsheet.com.au | Lara Torcello

Even with 30 years of experience as a chef, Nick Williams couldn’t make sense of the cost to run a restaurant in a post-Covid world. For Williams, whose career includes two years as head chef at the Napier Hotel and five years as executive chef at The Sir George in regional New South Wales, a bakery seemed more viable, and the economics made much more sense.
First Look: A Former Lune and Wild Life Baker Has Opened Bobby’s Bakery in North Melbourne

2 months ago | broadsheet.com.au | Lara Torcello

Lune wasn’t just the place where Sam Iversen spent two years learning the secrets to perfect croissants courtesy of Kate Reid, it was also the birthplace of his business Bobby’s Bakery. “I used to bake bread in my mum’s backyard shed with a couple of Rofco B40 [ovens] and bring loaves in for the team,” he tells Broadsheet.
What’s Open On Christmas Day In Melbourne For 2024

Nov 11, 2024 | theurbanlist.com | Lara Torcello

Whether you don't celebrate the holiday or you're looking to ditch the kitchen responsibilities, you'll find several top spots still doing their thing this Wednesday 25 December 2024. And it doesn't have to involve a Christmas ham if you don't want it to. From fancy lunches to rockin’ dinners, we’ve rounded up a list of Melbourne’s restaurants and pubs open for Christmas Day in 2024 so you don’t have to.
What’s Open Today In Melbourne On Cup Day Public Holiday 2024

Nov 4, 2024 | theurbanlist.com | Lara Torcello

There are plenty of ways to make the most of the Melbourne Cup public holiday. It starts with a coffee at your local, then the day could likely mosey into a meal at the pub, followed by a cocktail and bite at one of the many watering holes open on Tuesday 5 November. In alphabetical order, including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes, here's what's open this Melbourne Cup Day for 2024. Albert Park HotelAlbert Park 12pm until lateMore information here.
First Look: Winston’s Is The City-Coded European Bistro In Black Rock

Oct 29, 2024 | theurbanlist.com | Lara Torcello

Winston’s is the very reason Baysiders can start reconsidering the hike into the city for an elevated dining experience, because primo dining with a Euro flair has officially landed in Black Rock. Lovechild of local husband and wife duo, Bonne and Kevan, this Euro-leaning bistro is the amalgamation of the couple’s deep love for hospitality, a lifetime of industry experience, many late-night Pinterest boards, and plucking inspiration from their travels around New York City and London.
Budget Ballin’: Melbourne’s Best Coffee For $4 Or Less

Oct 14, 2024 | theurbanlist.com | Lara Torcello

Welcome to our shiny new series, Budget Ballin’—a curated collection of Melbourne’s best eats and drinks that will have you living the good life without the hefty price tag. We’ll be covering all bases from midweek bites and fancy chef menus to call-in-sick-worthy happy hours. First up, we're taking on Melbourne’s rich and diverse coffee scene. While our culture grew around the beloved caffeinated beverage, so too did the price tag.
A Beginner's Guide To Running The Melbourne Half Marathon, According To A Pro Running Coach

Oct 9, 2024 | theurbanlist.com | Lara Torcello

There’s a ton of information out there on how you should best tackle your first half marathon with comprehensive training schedules and intense diet plans. But with less than one week out from the Melbourne Marathon festival, we sat down with a pro in the space to let us in on her tips and reccs on how a first-timer should approach the daunting 21km run. Enter Lydia O’Donnell—a Marathon athlete, Head Run Coach at Nike, co-founder at Femmi Co, and overall weapon of a human.
Dylan Alcott’s Ability Fest Is Making Its Triumphant Return This Year

Oct 8, 2024 | theurbanlist.com | Lara Torcello

The world would be a far better place if there were more festivals like Ability Fest, but for now, we can relish in the fact that the country’s most inclusive event is making a triumphant return this October, taking over not just Melbourne but making an exciting debut in Brissy. Backed by Untitled Group and Triple J, Ability Fest isn't just one of the best music events in Australia, but it’s the most accessible and inclusive day rager.
If Caretaker’s Cottage Is The Beating Heart Of Wesley Place, Reed House Is The Humble Soul

Sep 26, 2024 | theurbanlist.com | Lara Torcello

The solo diner seated next to us at the timber-top bar perfectly encapsulates the humble Reed House. A tattered well-read book in one hand, and a glass of wine gently nestled in the other, reading under the glowing pendant light hanging above—a single plate of silky cacio e pepe to come later. Wesley Place is a happening little nook in Melbourne, best known as the home to Caretaker’s Cottage and Operator Diner. Now, it boasts a third drawcard, Reed House.
Hot Queso Cob Loaf And Korean Vegemite Cheese Sandos: Friends Of Fromage Is Back

Aug 27, 2024 | theurbanlist.com | Lara Torcello

Prahran’s specialty cheese shop Maker & Monger—which dispenses Melbourne’s best cheese toasties—is adding to its menu for September some seriously impressive sangas for its annual chef-led toastie series. Charmingly named Friends of Fromage, Maker and Monger has been rolling out this limited toastie menu every year, each better than the last.