Gemma Leslie is an Australian artist, illustrator, and designer. She’s also the founder and in-house artist at Food for Everyone, a philanthropic poster shop that brings your favourite Melbourne dishes to life and donates the equivalent of 10 meals from every poster sold to its charity partner, SecondBite.
Here’s how she Melbournes.
My local is Gerald’s Bar. There’s nothing better than a vino and snacks at Gerald’s. The only thing that can rival the homely atmosphere of Gerald’s is perhaps my kitchen table; my partner Mike is an amazing cook and, as a bonus, he’s an avid wine collector.
I know I’m in Melbourne when I’m walking through Preston Market seeing families and shoppers from all different walks of life. One of the things I love most about Melbourne is its rich cultural tapestry – diversity is one of our city’s greatest strengths and visiting Preston Market is a reminder of that.
In the mornings you’ll find me probably still in bed. I’m not exactly an early bird, but my day kicks off with a cosy ritual: my husband delivers a cup of coffee to me in bed, then I walk my son to kindergarten before diving into a day of creativity at my studio and working on projects at Food for Everyone.
My defining food moment in Melbourne was when I was a kid and my parents would take me to Victoria Street for Vietnamese on special occasions. It was those early experiences that fostered a life-long appreciation for Melbourne’s culinary landscape. (But don’t get me wrong, like any other kid, I also loved going to Smorgy’s in Ringwood for the buffet and bottomless soft-serve.)
My favourite place to stock up on supplies is Mediterranean Wholesalers. It’s our go-to for a big food haul every few months to load up on pantry essentials like pasta, tinned tomatoes, and risotto rice.
The best new thing I’ve found is Hi Chong Qing. My friend took me there and is on a first-name basis with the owner (hi Kevin!). He makes the best noodles in town.
When I want to push the boat out on a meal, I head straight to Scopri. It’s as Italian as you can get without having to jump on a plane. My husband and I love how kind the staff are — they are the best in the business when it comes to service. And the food is outstanding. (And it’s BYO, so we sometimes bring a special bottle of wine along.)
When I want to dazzle friends from out of town, I like to take them for a stroll through the alleyways that start at Flinders Street through to Bourke Street Mall. For me, dazzling someone doesn’t necessarily require white-gloved service and an expensive menu. Sometimes wandering the city itself is enough to wow an out-of-towner, but it’s a great way to inject a unique energy into your evening that you won’t find in any other city,
All that walking will make us hungry though, so we will have a pre-dinner wine and snack at Kirk’s Wine Bar, then head up to City Wine Shop for dinner. Of course, we will sit outside as Spring Street makes for wonderful people-watching with crowds spilling out of the Princess Theatre during intermission. After dinner, we head upstairs to Siglo for a nightcap on the rooftop terrace looking across to Parliament House.
My favourite thing about Food for Everyone is that I get to do what I love while collaborating with incredible people. And, above all, I feel like it’s my way of making a small difference by helping feed people in need. For each Food for Everyone poster sold, we give back 10 meals through SecondBite. So far we have donated over $150,000 to food banks across Australia, which equates to over 750,000 meals for those doing it tough.
When I want to drink something Victorian, my first choice is Curly Flat pinot noir or chardonnay. They are one of my favourite winemakers that operate out of the Macedon Ranges, just at the cusp of our city. It’s a very special place.
There’s no better value in Melbourne than a $2.50 espresso and a ricotta cannoli at Mediterranean Wholesalers (made all the more enjoyable sitting among the nonnas and nonnos).
If I could change one thing about eating and drinking here it would be more live music in restaurants. I love the romance of live jazz at Hubert in Sydney – I’d love to see that energy in more Melbourne venues!
But the one thing I hope never changes in Melbourne is how the city embraces everyone and how that’s reflected in our hospitality scene. And what makes a venue special, isn’t necessarily its accolades, but the passionate people that give it life.