Bite-size Stories

120 Hardware Street, Melbourne This little cafe is like a pocket guide to Paris, complete with teeny-tiny counter seats, Croque Madame, Cassoulet Et Eggs and excellent service. I tried the superb confit duck with chestnut puree and potato gratin ($22.00) with a glass of Abellio Alberino ($8.50). One of the 'it' places in Melbourne for quite a while now, eating out at Hardware Societe is more like a cultural event, complete with walking through the Melbourne lane ways and queuing out front. You will need to be ready to forgo your weight loss program, but who wants to be on a diet, when you can have a fried brioche with lemon curd instead! Confit duck with chestnut puree and potato gratin Mon to Fri 7:30 am - 3:00 pm Sat to Sun 8:30 am - 2:00 pm

I thought I knew what comes after the tears, at least when vodka is involved. One little shot at a time, you move between the lover and the fighter, between fear and abandon. Steaming potatoes, salty herring, a bottle of vodka — and suddenly you are someone else. I won’t pretend innocence. In my respectable years I can hold a drink. And at After the Tears, hold it I did: a shot of blackcurrant vodka, dumplings on the side. Forgive me, Russian friends — Polish sophistication won me over. I’ll be back. To test what really waits after the tears.