It is interesting what this COVID situation does to you, in regards to returning to basics.
I had the opportunity to drop into a local traditional Italian deli late last week, and I thought or felt I should give them a bit more business than just a takeaway coffee. So I purchased some cheese, few hundred grams of cured meat, peppered mortadella, etc., etc, some crusty bread rolls. It took me straight back to my youth in the years I spent working in and around the CBD. Back then I spent most of my time in Flinders Street, but I would look to occasions to get up around Queen Vic market and the RMIT area, perhaps as an excuse to head towards Lygon Street. But often Lygon Street was too busy, bustling as a hive of activity, and it was tough to get fast service with limited time for lunch. So frequently I head up past Queen Vic to the North Melbourne area, the traditional Lebanese and Italia Coffee shops for lunch. My frequent fare of choice, a simple crusty roll, some peppered mortadella, a slice of some real cheese, sun dried tomato and some nice relish or olive tapenade as a spread, all washed down with some serious serious coffee occasionally with a small "correction fluid" chaser. Long before Subway existed! I can't recall what they called it, modern cuisine labels it a muffaletta but it's not something invented in New Orleans.
It's still a winner!
Bloody yum. I used to work just around the corner from Vic Market and we used to go there often for lunch. USed to do the same thing, pasta dura roll, mortadella and cheese. That wine shop just inside used to sell plastic glasses of wine sealed like the old aeroplane water cups were. We used to sit in the lane just beside it near Eliz St and enjoy. The simple things huh?
Not quite as cultured as LP and GTC...
$5 Lunch at the old Glenferrie pub in Hawthorn, Plate of Bratwurst snags with gravy along with real Mash and Peas washed down with a glass of ale. Dingy, Dark and less than salubrious...just the way we liked it.
Not quite as cultured as LP and GTC...
$5 Lunch at the old Glenferrie pub in Hawthorn, Plate of Bratwurst snags with gravy along with real Mash and Peas washed down with a glass of ale. Dingy, Dark and less than salubrious...just the way we liked it.
@ElwoodBlues1 Shizen when did you frequent the Glenferrie?
For about half a decade in the 80s it was my goto location for lunch and "occasionally" after work, when I was working out of a Herald & Weekly Times site just a couple of hundred metres down the road. Small world isn't it! Can't say solids were big on the agenda, often it was nine pots in a round of three in the front bar!
Did you ever go to the Hawthorn Club just around the corner in Glenferrie Road, we would go there to play Snooker. Even more woefully after work was to end up at Chasers, one of Brereton's old haunts. Many of the Dawks players preferred the trendy pub up past Swinburne, I can't recall the name but it was popular. Of course if we were heading into town it was often via the Whitehorse on the way.
Is the Glenferrie even still there?
Adored the continental cheeses and meats on offer AND the breads at the VIC market. Can still smell it today!!
Used to go with a good mate to Perc and Gag's pub every Friday for their mixed grill. Two middle loin lamb chops, three thick snags, four slices of bacon, chips galore, fried eggs, ladle of peas ... $2.50. Seriously good grub.
Bloody yum. I used to work just around the corner from Vic Market and we used to go there often for lunch. USed to do the same thing, pasta dura roll, mortadella and cheese. That wine shop just inside used to sell plastic glasses of wine sealed like the old aeroplane water cups were. We used to sit in the lane just beside it near Eliz St and enjoy. The simple things huh?
I was lucky back in the day, I was friends with Alec Prosser, who owned Prosser Seafood at Vic Market. Use to get some serious stuff at terrific prices, and some significant freebies as well. His drinking mate was the pilot on the King Island airline that ferried crays and all sorts of good back and forth between there and Moorabin. When Alec retired his boys inherited the business, but they had a fall-out and split it in two so there were two Prosser Seafood stores in Queen Vic for decades.
In his later days a long time ago, Alec was a notorious aged drunk driver, never really had an accident, didn't have a brake, indicator or any inclination to stop at lights or rail crossings either, once he was on a roll it was rolling all the way home express! I realise that is nothing to boast about in modern times, and it's not something anyone thinks is funny or proud of, it's just the way things were back then.
Adored the continental cheeses and meats on offer AND the breads at the VIC market. Can still smell it today!!
Used to go with a good mate to Perc and Gag's pub every Friday for their mixed grill. Two middle loin lamb chops, three thick snags, four slices of bacon, chips galore, fried eggs, ladle of peas ... $2.50. Seriously good grub.
Mixed grill, there's a throw back, can you even find one in a pub these days that isn't probably $45 a main? As a menu item it's been replaced by the Parma, not that Parma isn't good, just that I'd go a mixed grill any day ahead of a chicken fillet.
In the old days the mixed grills nearly always had a little bit of kidney or liver hidden in there somewhere that you either loved or hated!
Perc always assumed I wanted the "parma and a pot" for 2 smackers. After a month or so he got to know me and would shout out the order to the kitchen as I walked to the bar ... "mixed grills for two" :)
Perc always assumed I wanted the "parma and a pot" for 2 smackers. After a month or so he got to know me and would shout out the order to the kitchen as I walked to the bar ... "mixed grills for two" :)
FMD, if they put a sausage on a mixed grill these days the customer would probably report the chef to the health department! :o
It probably has to be a vegan mixed grill with a sausage stuffed with humanly dispatched spinach!
On the way to "The G", let's face it probably Carlton's real home, we would sneak in via a few of the back roads to some of the smaller pubs around that Richmond / Cremorne area. I recall one pub back in the 80s that used to make their own pies, seriously good pies with cubes of steak and proper chips, all with a pot for about $5 ~ 7. It may have been the London Tavern, but I can't be sure my memory of those days seems somewhat foggy for some unknown reason! ::)
Not quite as cultured as LP and GTC...
$5 Lunch at the old Glenferrie pub in Hawthorn, Plate of Bratwurst snags with gravy along with real Mash and Peas washed down with a glass of ale. Dingy, Dark and less than salubrious...just the way we liked it.
EB what can I say, I'ma food snob. I'm of strong Italian heritage and our type of food and wine is everything. We make our own salsa, salamis, prosciutto, pancetta, capocollo, wine (although I follow the science in proper wine making as opposed to the "wog" methods my ancestors used). Don't wanna brag but my Garage Hermitage is award winning.
My lunch place of choice, especially on Fridays. was Pinnochio's Pizza in Toorak Rd. Used to work in that area going back 20 years or so. There was a good bottle shop next door so a reasonable bottle of red and a Mexicana was a great lunch.
EB what can I say, I'ma food snob. I'm of strong Italian heritage and our type of food and wine is everything. We make our own salsa, salamis, prosciutto, pancetta, capocollo, wine (although I follow the science in proper wine making as opposed to the "wog" methods my ancestors used). Don't wanna brag but my Garage Hermitage is award winning.
My grandma used to make her own Grappa among other things, kept it in what looked like big clear glass urn/amphora hanging in a woven basket besides the kitchen sink. Had a little brass tap on the bottom, and after lunch was mostly sorted she'd sit and have one glass everyday just before serving. Completely colourless and highly flammable!
My lunch place of choice, especially on Fridays. was Pinnochio's Pizza in Toorak Rd. Used to work in that area going back 20 years or so. There was a good bottle shop next door so a reasonable bottle of red and a Mexicana was a great lunch.
Wowsa you're triggering more memories, that area was also seemingly associated with alcohol, I'm detecting a trend in my storyline!
The South Yarra Club, that is the old old South Yarra Club, which was all club lounges and leather seats. Just a bit down the way The Prahran Club, which was more bare timber grunge and full of intellectual bohemian's wearing bow ties.
Back then if you wanted a wine at the SYC you had to buy a bottle, the food wasn't so good, most patrons went down the road to a local Chinese for dinner that was top notch! However, the SYC wine list was extraordinary if you could afford it, most got a little faint or flustered reading it and went straight to the cheapest bottle.
The Prahran Club had a dinner menu of about five items from the 50s or 60s, bangers and mash, or fish and chips I recall was about 90% of the service for about $4.50 a plate. But they had four full-sized snooker tables and some of the best beer in the area. I have this vague memory of trying to play snooker as a tram passes and all the balls wobbling around, maybe I was swaying a bit! it had two very famous patrons, Albert Lavere a world renowned gambler card shark, and the guys from Crowded House who brought in all sorts of famous transients.
@ElwoodBlues1 Shizen when did you frequent the Glenferrie?
For about half a decade in the 80s it was my goto location for lunch and "occasionally" after work, when I was working out of a Herald & Weekly Times site just a couple of hundred metres down the road. Small world isn't it! Can't say solids were big on the agenda, often it was nine pots in a round of three in the front bar!
Did you ever go to the Hawthorn Club just around the corner in Glenferrie Road, we would go there to play Snooker. Even more woefully after work was to end up at Chasers, one of Brereton's old haunts. Many of the Dawks players preferred the trendy pub up past Swinburne, I can't recall the name but it was popular. Of course if we were heading into town it was often via the Whitehorse on the way.
Is the Glenferrie even still there?
LP, 80's to early 90's, group of about 4 engineers including a young trainee Elec Engineer would frequent the Glen.
Worked on some upgrades to the rail loop in the Comms and Metrol areas and with some companies we dealt with like Siemens would often find ourselves down Richmond/Hawthorn way and the Glen was a nice cheap no frills lunch. I also studied at Swinburne so I knew the area well and even when I finished my degree we were made to go and study at Swinburne for the Microsoft and Novell training courses so that was another excuse to lunch at the Glen. There was a little Pizza bar in Glenferrie Rd just up from the Comm bank and we used to hangout in there too..
At the Glen we sat opposite the kitchen/servery where the Chef's would hand you the food out, Rocket Eade and his mates were often in the Glen drinking and would sit in the Booth's, they got really annoyed if anyone recognized them and wanted to chat etc....not a very pleasant individual was Eade. Pub did a mixed grill too with lambchops, snags, bacon, tomato, mushies etc, it was real pub food..not a green in sight,Think it was about $7.50....
We probably walked straight past each other......did eat at the flash pub up the road on the corner past Swinny a few times but only when we had the big bosses in tow who were usually in town taking credit for the work we did and offered us a lunch as a reward.
Didnt go to the Hawthorn club or Chasers but did frequent "Caseys" everynow and then, the future Mrs EB liked TocH which was Sth Yarra way.....
LP, 80's to early 90's, group of about 4 engineers including a young trainee Elec Engineer would frequent the Glen.
Worked on some upgrades to the rail loop in the Comms and Metrol areas and with some companies we dealt with like Siemens would often find ourselves down Richmond/Hawthorn way and the Glen was a nice cheap no frills lunch. I also studied at Swinburne so I knew the area well and even when I finished my degree we were made to go and study at Swinburne for the Microsoft and Novell training courses so that was another excuse to lunch at the Glen. There was a little Pizza bar in Glenferrie Rd just up from the Comm bank and we used to hangout in there too..
We sat opposite the kitchen/servery where the Chef's would hand you the food out, Rocket Eade and his mates were often in the Glen drinking and would sit in the Booth's, they got really annoyed if anyone recognized them and wanted to chat etc....not a very pleasant individual was Eade. Pub did a mixed grill too with lambchops, snags, bacon, tomato, mushies etc, it was real pub food..not a green in sight,Think it was about $7.50....
We probably walked straight past each other......did eat at the flash pub up the road on the corner past Swinny a few times but only when we had the big bosses in tow who were usually in town taking credit for the work we did and offered us a lunch as a reward.
I had some mates who worked with the trams, out of a depot down in Glenferrie Rd Malvern, one of them was a Electrical Engineer in the maintenance department. Back in the early days he helped design and build the original Restaurant Trams, I also know the guy who did the control system refit on those years ago too. Hungarian or Croatian, used to make this home made honey mead that was a ripper!
My older brother would also drink in the Glenferrie at times with Kelvin Moore, Polkinghorne, Moncrieff sometimes, Eade was viewed as a bit of a downer by the older guys as he was always grumpy or on their back about drinking too much to stay fit. Lethal used to be about too but mostly stayed over at the Glenferrie Oval Social Club, with some of the older players like Tuck and Leon Rice. Actually, most of the Dawks weren't bad blokes, even Dermie despite having a head and mane bigger than a racehorse!
Dermie always had this stupid wad of notes stuck down his pants, made of $20 bills all rolled up like a canister. Shoved it in his front pocket and would wobble-head his way around Chasers, I suppose the wad was a proxy for maybe having a little prick, it certainly got the girls attention when he dragged it out, that is the bills not the prick. He use to drag that wad out at the racetrack as well, usually in front of the bookies, holding it like a carrot to get better odds, but you'd rarely actually see him strip one of those bills off the roll other than when buying a drink for some female! Then he would wobble-head his way out the door or off course having spent $20, like some celebrity passing through a telethon. It was all harmless fun, the stuff young blokes do when they got too much money and fame!
EB what can I say, I'ma food snob. I'm of strong Italian heritage and our type of food and wine is everything. We make our own salsa, salamis, prosciutto, pancetta, capocollo, wine (although I follow the science in proper wine making as opposed to the "wog" methods my ancestors used). Don't wanna brag but my Garage Hermitage is award winning.
GTC My wife is of Nth Italian Heritage, Trieste to be exact, a very different experience for myself to be introduced to a world of Prosciutto being hung in the cellar and 40% proof grappa being offered to clear the nose and strip the floor.😜
I do love my Italian food after being fed plenty of it for 35 years and appreciate your food snobbery........Mrs E and myself liked the Copperwood in Lygon St, the owner is a red hot Blues supporter who will talk to you all night abut the Blues and all the players he has had at his establishment over the years...
I had some mates who worked with the trams, out of a depot down in Glenferrie Rd Malvern, one of them was a Electrical Engineer in the maintenance department. Back in the early days he helped design and build the original Restaurant Trams, I also know the guy who did the control system refit on those years ago too. Hungarian or Croatian, used to make this home made honey mead that was a ripper!
My older brother would also drink in the Glenferrie at times with Kelvin Moore, Polkinghorne, Moncrieff sometimes, Eade was viewed as a bit of a downer by the older guys as he was always grumpy or on their back about drinking too much to stay fit. Lethal used to be about too but mostly stayed over at the Glenferrie Oval Social Club, with some of the older players like Tuck and Leon Rice. Actually, most of the Dawks weren't bad blokes, even Dermie despite having a head and mane bigger than a racehorse!
Dermie always had this stupid wad of notes stuck down his pants, made of $20 bills all rolled up like a canister. Shoved it in his front pocket and would wobble-head his way around Chasers, I suppose the wad was a proxy for maybe having a little prick, it certainly got the girls attention when he dragged it out, that is the bills not the prick. He use to drag that wad out at the racetrack as well, usually in front of the bookies, holding it like a carrot to get better odds, but you'd rarely actually see him strip one of those bills off the roll other than when buying a drink for some female! Then he would wobble-head his way out the door or off course having spent $20, like some celebrity passing through a telethon. It was all harmless fun, the stuff young blokes do when they got too much money and fame!
Dermie did have a bit of trouble with his little front end from memory courtesy of a well known TV hostess didnt he?
Dermie did have a bit of trouble with his little front end from memory courtesy of a well known TV hostess didnt he?
Did it involve a wardrobe?
GTC My wife is of Nth Italian Heritage, Trieste to be exact, a very different experience for myself to be introduced to a world of Prosciutto being hung in the cellar and 40% proof grappa being offered to clear the nose and strip the floor.😜
I do love my Italian food after being fed plenty of it for 35 years and appreciate your food snobbery........Mrs E and myself liked the Copperwood in Lygon St, the owner is a red hot Blues supporter who will talk to you all night abut the Blues and all the players he has had at his establishment over the years...
Two of best mates parents are from south of Trieste, a town called Pola (called Pula now as it belongs to Croatia). I was in Trieste very briefly in January this year, gorgeous place. One day I intend to spend alot more time holidaying in that neck of the woods. The Triestini, as do most Northern Italians, sure as hell love their grappa. Lets just say my mates have continued their parents traditions. My old man was from Umbria so wine and salumi were more his go. I have continued with that along with my wifes Calabrian influences.
Can I just say, this non footy talk certainly provides a different slant or insight on people's backgrounds. When the discussion is all footy, footy, Carlton, Carlton, I actually forget I'm dealing with humans from a wide variety of cultures, backgrounds and experiences. Love it.
Can I just say, this non footy talk certainly provides a different slant or insight on people's backgrounds. When the discussion is all footy, footy, Carlton, Carlton, I actually forget I'm dealing with humans from a wide variety of cultures, backgrounds and experiences. Love it.
I find it personally rewarding GTC. ;D May there be more of it. The collective knowledge around here on a subject or two (Hobbies or life experience) is astonishing. I'm on this site every day for good reason.
Two of best mates parents are from south of Trieste, a town called Pola (called Pula now as it belongs to Croatia). I was in Trieste very briefly in January this year, gorgeous place. One day I intend to spend alot more time holidaying in that neck of the woods. The Triestini, as do most Northern Italians, sure as hell love their grappa. Lets just say my mates have continued their parents traditions. My old man was from Umbria so wine and salumi were more his go. I have continued with that along with my wifes Calabrian influences.
Can I just say, this non footy talk certainly provides a different slant or insight on people's backgrounds. When the discussion is all footy, footy, Carlton, Carlton, I actually forget I'm dealing with humans from a wide variety of cultures, backgrounds and experiences. Love it.
My late mother in laws family are originally Croatian, of course the boundaries all changed after WW2 and Trieste became part of Italy and its relevance as a Seaport declined but its very untouched and the locals are very loyal Triestini that hate change. Her late Father was from Tuscany but my wife identifies more with her mothers family.
We were due a trip as part of my retirement this year to Italy but Covid19 stuffed that up, glad you made it over in January and enjoyed your time.
re: Grappa.....bit too strong for yours truly especially the home made variety, nearly took my head off the 1st time and that was just inhaling the fumes. The Triestini like their own dialects and enjoy singing....after a few grappas they sing and I sleep....then they give me Coffee which has me buzzing all night its that strong. 😉
My late mother in laws family are originally Croatian, of course the boundaries all changed after WW2 and Trieste became part of Italy and its relevance as a Seaport declined but its very untouched and the locals are very loyal Triestini that hate change. Her late Father was from Tuscany but my wife identifies more with her mothers family.
We were due a trip as part of my retirement this year to Italy but Covid19 stuffed that up, glad you made it over in January and enjoyed your time.
re: Grappa.....bit too strong for yours truly especially the home made variety, nearly took my head off the 1st time and that was just inhaling the fumes. The Triestini like their own dialects and enjoy singing....after a few grappas they sing and I sleep....then they give me Coffee which has me buzzing all night its that strong. 😉
Loving these stories and officially jealous reading all these exotic food stories - I've always had a love of Greek and Italian food but that developed after I left home. Going to school at Franganistan lunch time was ham, cheese and tomato rolls/sangers or a maggot bag with sauce. Followed by a snot block or jam doughnut and that was it. Home was typical Aussie tucker... 3 veg and meat. Yep, dullsville.
Fortunately I was introduced as a youngster to some amazing exotic food by my paternal grandfather. When we visited him in Sydney (Lane Cover) he'd put on an amazing spread for everyone. Amazing cook and an artist by trade who did landscape designs to make money. He was Danish and holy mackerel, when he dished up a feast it was really something - rollmops, pickled/smoked this, that and the other thing, raw meats, far out pastries but the weirdest thing I ever saw was the variety of cheeses. My grandfather loved this cheese that fair dinkum moved about on the plate... he'd pick pieces off it and squeeze the cheese out of it with his fingers straight into his mouth, what was 'it'... special maggots! Yep, big maggots that would eat the cheese then you'd squeeze the cheese out of the maggot and eat it, a delicacy apparently. All of this was followed by everyone over 12 having to skaal (scull) 3 successive shots of aquavit schnapps... first time I had alcohol (aged 14). I had my 3 shots... nothing for a few seconds, then someone held a blowtorch to my chest... then I stood up and fell over. That stuff is just about 50% alcohol by volume...
My late mother in laws family are originally Croatian, of course the boundaries all changed after WW2 and Trieste became part of Italy and its relevance as a Seaport declined but its very untouched and the locals are very loyal Triestini that hate change. Her late Father was from Tuscany but my wife identifies more with her mothers family.
We were due a trip as part of my retirement this year to Italy but Covid19 stuffed that up, glad you made it over in January and enjoyed your time.
re: Grappa.....bit too strong for yours truly especially the home made variety, nearly took my head off the 1st time and that was just inhaling the fumes. The Triestini like their own dialects and enjoy singing....after a few grappas they sing and I sleep....then they give me Coffee which has me buzzing all night its that strong. 😉
A drop of grappa in the espresso? The Italians call it a "corretto".
Loving these stories and officially jealous reading all these exotic food stories - I've always had a love of Greek and Italian food but that developed after I left home. Going to school at Franganistan lunch time was ham, cheese and tomato rolls/sangers or a maggot bag with sauce. Followed by a snot block or jam doughnut and that was it. Home was typical Aussie tucker... 3 veg and meat. Yep, dullsville.
Fortunately I was introduced as a youngster to some amazing exotic food by my paternal grandfather. When we visited him in Sydney (Lane Cover) he'd put on an amazing spread for everyone. Amazing cook and an artist by trade who did landscape designs to make money. He was Danish and holy mackerel, when he dished up a feast it was really something - rollmops, pickled/smoked this, that and the other thing, raw meats, far out pastries but the weirdest thing I ever saw was the variety of cheeses. My grandfather loved this cheese that fair dinkum moved about on the plate... he'd pick pieces off it and squeeze the cheese out of it with his fingers straight into his mouth, what was 'it'... special maggots! Yep, big maggots that would eat the cheese then you'd squeeze the cheese out of the maggot and eat it, a delicacy apparently. All of this was followed by everyone over 12 having to skaal (scull) 3 successive shots of aquavit schnapps... first time I had alcohol (aged 14). I had my 3 shots... nothing for a few seconds, then someone held a blowtorch to my chest... then I stood up and fell over. That stuff is just about 50% alcohol by volume...
Thats gold Baggers
Loving these stories and officially jealous reading all these exotic food stories - I've always had a love of Greek and Italian food but that developed after I left home. Going to school at Franganistan lunch time was ham, cheese and tomato rolls/sangers or a maggot bag with sauce. Followed by a snot block or jam doughnut and that was it. Home was typical Aussie tucker... 3 veg and meat. Yep, dullsville.
Fortunately I was introduced as a youngster to some amazing exotic food by my paternal grandfather. When we visited him in Sydney (Lane Cover) he'd put on an amazing spread for everyone. Amazing cook and an artist by trade who did landscape designs to make money. He was Danish and holy mackerel, when he dished up a feast it was really something - rollmops, pickled/smoked this, that and the other thing, raw meats, far out pastries but the weirdest thing I ever saw was the variety of cheeses. My grandfather loved this cheese that fair dinkum moved about on the plate... he'd pick pieces off it and squeeze the cheese out of it with his fingers straight into his mouth, what was 'it'... special maggots! Yep, big maggots that would eat the cheese then you'd squeeze the cheese out of the maggot and eat it, a delicacy apparently. All of this was followed by everyone over 12 having to skaal (scull) 3 successive shots of aquavit schnapps... first time I had alcohol (aged 14). I had my 3 shots... nothing for a few seconds, then someone held a blowtorch to my chest... then I stood up and fell over. That stuff is just about 50% alcohol by volume...
Yep, I'm from English/German/Irish roots and it was meat and 3 veg plus a Roast every Sunday with homemade Apple Pie/Crumble and cream and the leftover meat in your Sangers on a Monday. Pies, Pasties,Snag rolls, Jam Donuts all washed down with Creamy Soda or a Sars was the fair for school lunch. The odd ham and salad roll plus Sunnyboys and Raz to cool your jets when it was summer .Not exactly a smorgasbord of culture or health....
Maggots in cheese?....Blue Vein threw me out for years, who eats mouldy smelly cheese?....
Talking about the old days, I was talking to the kids about my childhood lunch at schools. Here's me at Primary School in the 70s with half a split vienna bread with some sort of salumi in it, Italian cheese, lettuce, olives, the whole hog. After years of being taunted about my woggy lunches by the Aussies, they were eventually smart enough to realise it was the ducks guts. They would come up to me asking me if I wanted to swap lunches, I'd always look at their lunches and say "no thanks". ;D
This is another true story, my wife and her twin sister went to a Primary School just down the street from their house. Her loopy Nonna used to go there at lunch time, call them over from the fence, whip out the caffettiera (Italian perculator) and two espresso cups from under the cardigan and give them coffee. Dead set fact. :D
Talking about the old days, I was talking to the kids about my childhood lunch at schools. Here's me at Primary School in the 70s with half a split vienna bread with some sort of salumi in it, Italian cheese, lettuce, olives, the whole hog. After years of being taunted about my woggy lunches by the Aussies, they were eventually smart enough to realise it was the ducks guts. They would come up to me asking me if I wanted to swap lunches, I'd always look at their lunches and say "no thanks". ;D
This is another true story, my wife and her twin sister went to a Primary School just down the street from their house. Her loopy Nonna used to go there at lunch time, call them over from the fence, whip out the caffettiera (Italian perculator) and two espresso cups from under the cardigan and give them coffee. Dead set fact. :D
My wife copped the woggy lunch thing for years she said....I had an Italian Perculated Coffee around 4pm, your wifes Nonna knew the good stuff.😎
Yep, I'm from English/German/Irish roots and it was meat and 3 veg plus a Roast every Sunday with homemade Apple Pie/Crumble and cream
Then World of Sport, (loved the woodchop) a short snooze, the VFA with hopefully a brawl and all's good with planet earth.
Then World of Sport, (loved the woodchop) a short snooze, the VFA with hopefully a brawl and all's good with planet earth.
Sundays? World Championship Wrestling and then Epic Theatre in my household. TV belonged to the Old Man on Sundays.
Sundays? World Championship Wrestling and then Epic Theatre in my household. TV belonged to the Old Man on Sundays.
Mario Milano, Spiros Arion, Big Bad John, Ron Miller, Mark Lewin, King Curtis .... LOVED that stuff.
Mario Milano, Spiros Arion, Big Bad John, Ron Miller, Mark Lewin, King Curtis .... LOVED that stuff.
Larry O'Dea, Killer Karl Kox, Killer Kowalski, Abdallah the Butcher ;D ;D ;D ;D
Talking about the old days, I was talking to the kids about my childhood lunch at schools. Here's me at Primary School in the 70s with half a split vienna bread with some sort of salumi in it, Italian cheese, lettuce, olives, the whole hog. After years of being taunted about my woggy lunches by the Aussies, they were eventually smart enough to realise it was the ducks guts. They would come up to me asking me if I wanted to swap lunches, I'd always look at their lunches and say "no thanks". ;D
This is another true story, my wife and her twin sister went to a Primary School just down the street from their house. Her loopy Nonna used to go there at lunch time, call them over from the fence, whip out the caffettiera (Italian perculator) and two espresso cups from under the cardigan and give them coffee. Dead set fact. :D
Classic.
Loving these stories and insights.
Larry O'Dea, Killer Karl Kox, Killer Kowalski, Abdallah the Butcher ;D ;D ;D ;D
Holy mackerel... just pictured them all! Black and white teev, Jack Little commentating...
Always felt sorry for Larry O'Dea... nice guy, always beaten.
Larry O'Dea, Killer Karl Kox, Killer Kowalski, Abdallah the Butcher ;D ;D ;D ;D
Tiger Singh.. with the cobra..
Waldo von Erich called Mario Milano a "spaghetti muncher" one Sunday. That got the studio audience riled. :)
Loved the interviews with Skull Murphy and Brute Bernard... Jack Little was so theatrical, he'd lean back as if the interviewee could lose it at any moment.
Haystacks Calhoun is another I remember.
Two of best mates parents are from south of Trieste, a town called Pola (called Pula now as it belongs to Croatia). I was in Trieste very briefly in January this year, gorgeous place. One day I intend to spend alot more time holidaying in that neck of the woods. The Triestini, as do most Northern Italians, sure as hell love their grappa. Lets just say my mates have continued their parents traditions. My old man was from Umbria so wine and salumi were more his go. I have continued with that along with my wifes Calabrian influences.
Can I just say, this non footy talk certainly provides a different slant or insight on people's backgrounds. When the discussion is all footy, footy, Carlton, Carlton, I actually forget I'm dealing with humans from a wide variety of cultures, backgrounds and experiences. Love it.
Yes, somewhere back a few generations I'm part Pola, in fact on one line our family name is Pola which we always thought was the North / North East. Also oddly it seems we have a bit of the South and Sicily in there with not much across the middle, so I don't know how North meet South. Although I've since learned of a Pola family line from Sardegna, so maybe somewhere the lines are crossed.
Yep, I'm from English/German/Irish roots and it was meat and 3 veg plus a Roast every Sunday with homemade Apple Pie/Crumble and cream and the leftover meat in your Sangers on a Monday. Pies, Pasties,Snag rolls, Jam Donuts all washed down with Creamy Soda or a Sars was the fair for school lunch. The odd ham and salad roll plus Sunnyboys and Raz to cool your jets when it was summer .Not exactly a smorgasbord of culture or health....
Maggots in cheese?....Blue Vein threw me out for years, who eats mouldy smelly cheese?....
Nothing wrong with that, bought some Danish blue a day or two back, wanted Gorgonzola but while restrictions are on they wouldn't cut a fresh wheel for someone only wanting a small wedge.
My Grandpa's side is English, Irish, Welsh and French, with Grandma's side mostly Italian, so a bit of a mix of meat with potatoes (gratin!) and a glass of Barolo! Farmers, GrandPa grew everything, and everything came out of his paddocks, pens or garden. You name it, beef, lamb, pork, chicken, duck, goat, fish from the river, any and every sort of vegetable, fruit or spice you can imagine. All the food prepared and cooked fresh by GrandMa, from scratch, nothing came from a tin or packet, they even ground the wheat, barley and oats. Milked their own cows, made their own yogurt, ice cream, etc., etc.. Bread, cakes, all from scratch.
GrandPa made his own wine, in huge 6ft diameter barrels he made himself, six of them lined up in a hand dug underground cellar below his workshop, he was also the local blacksmith. Made his own brandy and port, probably the only thing he didn't make was beer because he didn't drink it!
Waldo von Erich called Mario Milano a "spaghetti muncher" one Sunday. That got the studio audience riled. :)
In the primary school days with my mates and I would go to Mario Milano's Pizza shop after school, he had a deal to make us individual small pizza's on the cheap as an after school snack. he was getting on then, a bit fatter, but he was still making the odd appearance of WCW looking a little "comfortable"!
When he was in town, Brut Bernard use to hang around Mario's shop, I think he was also a Canadian of French / Italian mix, he and Mario seemed to get on very well with some of that correction fluid mentioned earlier!
In the primary school days with my mates and I would go to Mario Milano's Pizza shop after school, he had a deal to make us individual small pizza's on the cheap as an after school snack. he was getting on then, a bit fatter, but he was still making the odd appearance of WCW looking a little "comfortable"!
When he was in town, Brut Bernard use to hang around Mario's shop, I think he was also a Canadian of French / Italian mix, he and Mario seemed to get on very well with some of that correction fluid mentioned earlier!
Jack Little's wife lived over the road from us when I was a little kid in Box Hill Sth, think they were split but Jack would come around and always have one of the wrestlers in the front seat of his car. Remember Jack squeezing into the car which was a wide Holden of sorts and there would be zero room for Jack to operate the car and this huge body next to him taking up all the room on a bench seat. His Mrs was a funny woman, she liked a tipple and would always appear semi naked with her underwear only in the driveway yelling and screaming at Jack when he left in the car ...
In the primary school days with my mates and I would go to Mario Milano's Pizza shop after school, he had a deal to make us individual small pizza's on the cheap as an after school snack. he was getting on then, a bit fatter, but he was still making the odd appearance of WCW looking a little "comfortable"!
When he was in town, Brut Bernard use to hang around Mario's shop, I think he was also a Canadian of French / Italian mix, he and Mario seemed to get on very well with some of that correction fluid mentioned earlier!
Where was the pizza shop LP? He had one in High St Thornbury for while. He gave up the pizza shops I believe and went to work driving a forklift in a factory for Schiavello Office Interiors / Prima Office Furniture.
Jack Little's wife lived over the road from us when I was a little kid in Box Hill Sth, think they were split but Jack would come around and always have one of the wrestlers in the front seat of his car. Remember Jack squeezing into the car which was a wide Holden of sorts and there would be zero room for Jack to operate the car and this huge body next to him taking up all the room on a bench seat. His Mrs was a funny woman, she liked a tipple and would always appear semi naked with her underwear only in the driveway yelling and screaming at Jack when he left in the car ...
Another classic! Lovin' these anecdotes.