Sip and sketch with the kids at Pt. Leo Estate this school holidays

The Mornington Peninsula winery is bringing back its Sip and Sketch sessions, held among its iconic sculptural park. Plus, where to get NFL-themed snacks around Melbourne.Updated September 9, 2026,first published May 2, 2025A bite-sized recap of the biggest stories of the week, so you know where to go and what to order across Melbourne and Victoria. Check in each week so you can be the smartest person in your group chat. Stay up to date with all the latest food news, recipes and reviews on the Good Food app, now available from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.Paint among the sculptures this school holidays at Pt. Leo Estate.Chris McConvilleHot ticket: Sip & Play this school holidays at Pt. Leo EstateSpring school holidays are fast approaching, but that doesn’t mean parent should be resigned to playgrounds and Bluey re-runs on the couch. Mornington Peninsula winery Pt. Leo Estate is bringing back its Sip and Sketch sessions set among its iconic outdoor sculpture park. Daily 60-minute sessions are $40 per child, inclusive of a painting session (all materials included) and snacks like hot chocolate and cookies, with the option to add a bento box and a drink for an extra $35. Parents can also join in for $60 including a glass of estate wine, or make the most of the day and book in at the restaurant afterwards. Hot dogs are on the menu at Apollo Inn to celebrate the NFL’s arrival in Australia.Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.Sign upSweet deal: NFL-themed snacking in MelbourneMelburnians love an event. And this is a biggie. How else can you explain to outsiders why the MCG is almost sold-out for an NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and LA Rams on a chilly school day morning (10.30am on Friday to be precise)? Whether you’re into the on-field action or not, there’s still plenty to sink your teeth into, with bakers, bars and hotels dishing up some creative specials to keep the celebrations going, before and after the game. Read here for nine deals to check out.El Unico’s tamales.Tamales at Carlton Farmer’s MarketOriginally a pop-up at restaurants around Victoria, El Unico is now a permanent fixture at Carlton Farmers’ Market each Saturday. First-generation Mexican-American chef Abe Pedroza’s focus here is tamales, the stuffed cornmeal parcels that number more than 300 varieties across Mexico. He makes his true to family tradition, filled with either pork and guajillo chilli or silverbeet and queso fresco, then wrapped in corn husks and steamed. They’re served alongside atole, a spiced cacao drink thickened with corn masa that’s a popular choice with tamales in Mexico. The market runs each Saturday from 8am to 1pm. Three fakeaway recipes to channel that Friday night feelingWe all love a good takeaway – especially when cooking is the last thing on your mind. But making your favourite takeaway-style meals at home is fresher, cheaper and quicker than you might think. Enter the fakeaway. You still get those big, punchy flavours and that classic Friday night feeling, but with complete control over what goes onto your plate. These three recipes from nutritionist and Good Food recipe writer Sarah Pound are fun, vibrant and packed with fresh ingredients that don’t skimp on taste. They’re perfect for those nights when you’re tempted to open a delivery app, but want a home-made meal that feels just as rewarding.The Download: Friday, September 4Baker Bleu’s limited-edition treats to celebrate the NFL’s arrival in Australia: sourdough pizzas and football-shaped s’mores cookies.Sweet deal: Limited edition NFL treats at Baker Bleu Next Friday, September 11, the MCG will host Australia’s first regular-season NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams. Ahead of the game-day excitement, Baker Bleu has teamed up with Visit Victoria to create a limited-edition range of American-inspired baked goods available for one week from next Monday, September 7. Among the treats are sourdough pizzas topped with either pepperoni and hot honey or garlic cream, cheese and pickled jalapeno, plus gooey football-shaped s’mores cookies stuffed with raspberry jam, marshmallow and chocolate. Get them at any of Baker Bleu’s four stores across Melbourne.Nat Thaipun makes sure the fresh produce passes the sniff test.Simon SchluterShop at Queen Vic Market with Nat ThaipunFor Nat Thaipun – winner of MasterChef 2024, cookbook author and new Good Food columnist – shopping at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market is a crucial part of her week. Thaipun brings us along for her weekly shop – from $1 plates of chillies to chicken carcasses and necks primed for making stock – and shares her tips for finding bargains.Super Norma is taking over the kitchen at Ophelia Westgarth this month.Super Norma pasta takeover at OpheliaNorthcote cafe Ophelia Westgarth – featured in Good Food’s 100 Essential Melbourne Cafes & Bakeries guide – is launching a spring dining series with weekly pasta and steak nights, Friday supper club and evening drinks and snacks. To kick things off, nearby Critics’ Pick-listed pasta bar Super Norma will be taking over the kitchen for one night on Saturday, September 12 with a special pasta dish involving nduja, prawns, ricotta mousse and dill, which will stick around as the Tuesday and Thursday pasta special for the rest of the month. Guests will also receive a little gift from Italian condiments label Bippi. Calamari cooked in its own ink with chickpeas at Cote Basque.Sharyn CairnsWhere to eat in Melbourne this springAndrew McConnell’s Cote Basque sizzles on Crossley Street, Rosheen Kaul reopens her pop-up Chinese-ish bistro as a permanent restaurant, and we’ve found the best spanakopita in the city’s south-east. Read here for Good Food’s top recommendations for the hot new restaurants, cafes and bars to try in Melbourne this September, and save them to your own hit list on the Good Food app.Get two hand rolls and a cocktail at Yamagen from Tuesday to Thursday.Sweet deal: After-work cocktails and sushi at YamagenQT’s glitzy Japanese diner Yamagen has launched a new midweek special for those after-work cravings. Each Tuesday to Thursday from 5.30 to 6.30pm, head down Portland Lane and pull up a seat at the sushi counter for “roll call” – two hand rolls (including spanner crab and wagyu) and one Japanese-inspired cocktail, all for $39. Talk about a bargain.Donate to a good cause and go in the running to win a weekend away (plus dining) at Brae.Sweet deal: Win a weekend away at BraeYour chance to dine at three-hatted, Critics’ Pick-listed restaurant Brae has arrived. The destination Birregurra venue’s annual community fundraiser is back, offering the opportunity to win from a pool of more than $9000 worth of prizes. From just $5, you’ll go in the running for a two-night stay including dining, drinks and breakfast, plus a guided tour of the eight-hectare farm, the Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles. Other tourism and dining prizes include a two-night stay at a cottage in the Otways, a $500 voucher for the Otways Distillery, plus more. All funds raised will be donated towards a $30,000 goal to support upgrades to the local Birregurra CFA headquarters. Grab your raffle ticket here.On the Good Food app, you can save all of your favourite recipes and restaurants in one easy place.Save your favourite recipes and restaurants on the Good Food appNo more dog-earing your recipe books. The Good Food app has launched a new saved function, which allows you to compile all your favourite recipes in one easy place. Simply click the bookmark icon to save, then head to the Saved page on the navigation panel to view. The Good Food app is home to more than 10,000 recipes from Australia’s top cooks, including Nagi Maehashi, Adam Liaw, Helen Goh, Neil Perry, Karen Martini, Emelia Jackson and more.Emily Holgate – Emily is a producer for the Good Food App at The Age. She previously wrote for the likes of Broadsheet and Urban List.Connect via email.From our partners