One of the days while Al was at work, I moseyed over to Spud Bar for lunch. There are lots of locations around Melbourne, and there are two in Western Australia (I'm not sure if those locations are near Perth). Here, everything revolves around the potato, and everything comes out fast. However, you won't find your potato deep-fried in oil like so many fast food places. Instead, you can choose from dozens of healthy toppings and menu options. You can also sub a sweet potato if you desire.
I ordered the Tuna Melt, which was shredded cheese (but not an excessive amount), tuna with spring onions, corn and egg mayo, shredded cabbage, carrot, peas, and tzatziki sauce over a baked potato. I didn't know how these flavor combinations would go together, but I really enjoyed it. The cheese wasn't overpowering, so it didn't compete with the tastes of the tzatziki and the tuna. I was also full before I even finished half of it.
A few days later, I walked to the edge of the city to meet Al for a drink after work. We went to Riverland, which is my favorite pub in Melbourne. They have a huge beer garden that looks out onto the Yarra River, and it is always packed with people with good weather. There were no chairs for the two of us, so we sat on a bench.
I ordered a wood-fired white pizza called Bresaola e Miele Tartufato, which had fresh mozzarella cheese, bresaola (cured beef), grana padano (a hard cheese similar to parmesan), arugula, and truffled honey. It was one of the best pizzas I've ever had. The combination of the truffled honey and cheese could have been enough to make me go back for this every night. Also, like most thin-crust Italian pizzas, you can eat the entire plate without feeling stuffed.
We couldn't find anywhere for the two of us to sit outside, so we sat in a depressing dining room off to the side of the kitchen. While Al held our seat, I went to order our food. I waited in line for twenty minutes, and I quickly learned that I wasn't able to stand anywhere without being in somebody's way. I couldn't begin to count how many times I was asked to move. It was extremely irritating, but I was eventually able to get to the front of the line and order.
I wish that it could have been a better experience. I would have liked it a lot more if it wasn't so touristy. I loved, however, that their wines have Shakespearean names such as Romeo and Juliet. Their labels were gorgeous, but I think I'd rather to go a retailer than have to go back there again. Maybe it was just a bad day to go there.