Just as an actor or musician performs best to a responsive, sell-out audience, so too does a restaurant. Ask any restaurateur about the nights they put in their peak performances, about the nights when the dialogue between the kitchen and table is at its most eloquent, and they'll tell you about the nights when they're run off their feet, turning people away, filling tables the moment they empty. Those are the nights that are thrilling, when a restaurant becomes a stage for immense flavors, emotion, color, texture and character. But none of that happens without an understanding between restaurant and diner. An understanding that the restaurant provides the theatre and the punter must be prepared to pay for it.
Egalitarianism is great, but true greatness comes at a price.
Think of it not just as a meal, but a night of theatre and excitement, and accept nothing less than the best. The essential guide to eating out in Melbourne The 2001 edition of The Age Good Food Guide is completely revised, refreshed and revisited, with reviews of more than 430 city and country restaurants and cafes compiled by independent and expert food reviewers. The Guide reviews more than 50 interstate restaurants, including more top Sydney restaurants for Games visitors, and the vegetarian chapter has doubled in size. Vegetarian-friendly restaurants are now clearly marked with an identifying symbol. It also includes a section on the best pre-prepared meals in town, a growing food retail sector.