My mate Sarah in Brunswick East, Melbourne, gives a shout out to her go-to for stacked burgers, live music, and good vibes: The Beast. This is a bar with all the goods: wings, a soul night, and live comedy.

Looking for other good places in Melbourne to grab a drink?
6. Side Quest x CBD, Melbourne x Beneath Driver Lane
1. Northcote, Melbourne x South Crescent & Kelvin

My mate Tony in Wagga describes his go to place for a dinner out with friends. Indian Rasoi consistently serves up delicious curries time after time and you can even BYO wine.

Looking for a place in Wagga to grab a drink and enjoy some live music?
4. Wagga Wagga x Tilly's

In Amsterdam's city centre, Moak is an American pancake joint with throwback New York hip-hop vibes. Line up for some stacked up sweet or savoury pancakes, coffee, and juice.

You can see the menu and the delicious pancakes I had, as well as some street pictures of my adventures near Maok at the My Mate In... blog.

If you pop over to Belgium from The Netherlands, and want to complement your pancakes with waffles, I got you: Belgian waffles, anyone?

My mate Mya in Canberra paints a pretty picture of Rose 'N' Brew, a cafe and açai bar in Tuggeranong. Seems like the perfect place to hang out, enjoy a piece of cake, and snap a pic or two in this beautifully pink space.

Other places you might like to try in Canberra:
Episode 19. Canberra x Salvadoran Pupusas
Episode 10. Canberra x Burns Club (Kambah) & The Public Place (Chisholm)
Episode 7. Canberra x Brew Bar (Tuggeranong), Cartel Taqueria (Queanbeyan East) & Zaab (Braddon)

My mate Don in Canberra shares with us the scoop on a well-loved food institution. For two and a half decades the same food stall has provided consistent comfort to Canberrans. Every Sunday at the Southside Farmers Market you can get your hands (and mouth) onto delicious pupusas and tamales at the El Salvador food stall.

Other yummy food to try in Canberra
Episode 10. Canberra x Burns Club (Kambah) & The Public Place (Chisholm)
Episode 7. Canberra x Brew Bar (Tuggeranong), Cartel Taqueria (Queanbeyan East) & Zaab (Braddon)

Touchwood is a great coffee and breakfast spot on Bridge St in Richmond, Melbourne.

Interested in trying other Melbourne cafes? You might like Ellis' Belly in Northcote.

Looking for a cosy, comfortable place in Northcote, Melbourne, for a coffee and a pastry?

 Ellis' Belly is a relatively new addition to the Northcote cafe scene, based on Simpson St not far from Dennis Station.

Next door is the Art Guide Bookstore.

Looking for other cafes to try in Northcote? One of my favourites is South Crescent Cafe - hear more in episode 1. These two cafes are just a train stop apart.

This time around, I have another Side Quest episode about a place I found on my own adventures in Nashville, USA. I want to tell you about The Legendairy Milkshake Bar. Yes, legendairy - d a i r y. You’ll find this milkshake bar in downtown Nashville. The milkshakes are legendary because they aren’t your standard flavour options, like chocolate, strawberry, or caramel. They are a whole dessert in, on and around a glass. Expect syrups, sprinkles, marshmallows, cream, biscuits, and candy all heaped on to and stuck to the side of your shake.

Click here for images to accompany this episode.

Today, I want to talk to you about Flint. Flint is a restaurant on the Fitzroy side of Smith Street in Melbourne. Here, the focus is on fire. The food is flamed or smoked. Think charred meats and smoked fish. This is the kind of place that you go if you want a really nice fancy experience that’s really relaxed and comfortable.

I want to talk to you about Wafelhuis van Hecke. It’s in Antwerp, Belgium. I had the pleasure of visiting this waffle house at the end of January 2025. Winter time in Belgium calls for warm comfort food. And the two things at the top of my list were waffles and fries.

Click here for images to accompany this episode.