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Wednesday, November 7, 2012
WTC Wharf Progressive Dinner : Off the spork
Posted on | November 7, 2012 | 1 Comment
Sponsored by Nuffnang.
Why take a regular taxi to dinner when you can go via water taxi?
You can do that down at WTC Wharf, one of the latest precincts to pop up in Melbourne recently. WTC Wharf is accessible by Siddeley Street, and is located on the riverside of Melbourne?s World Trade Centre.
A bit of work has gone into making the precinct easily accessible: as well as the WTC Water Taxi service there?s also a new footbridge that links it from Spencer Street, around Crowne Plaza.
Several restaurants have opened in the precinct, and I went to check out three of the dining venues as part of a progressive dinner with a small group of other bloggers.
Byblos Bar and Restaurant
We began the evening?s feast at Byblos, where the food is a modern take on Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine.
We settled into our booth with a cocktail ? I had the C?est La Vie ($16), made with Hendricks gin, St. Germaine elderflower liqueur, grapefruit and raspberries shaken and topped with Chandon NV sparkling wine.
The kitchen sent out a selection of food for our entree. Did I say entree? This could?ve been our entire meal ? there was so much food. Check it out:
Batata Harra ($16.50): Hand cut potatoes sauteed in lemon, olive oil, chopped coriander, garlic anda hint of chilli.
Grilled halloumi ($15.90): Lightly grilled Cyprian halloumi served golden brown and accompanied by fresh lemon.
Kebbi ($4.50): hand-rolled roasted ground lamb and ground beef with pine nuts, chilli, and spices.
Rekakat ($4.50 each): Lightly fried filo pastry filled with feta and mozzarella cheese, freshly chopped onion and fresh herbs.
Fattoush ($13.90): a light mixed green salad with radish, tomato, cucumber, capsicum finished with toasted Lebanese bread and a lemon and olive oil dressing.
Shish Tawook ($5.50 per skewer): char-grilled chicken tenderloin marinated in olive oil with garlic, oregano and a mild pepper paste.
Kafta Meshwi ($5 per skewer): marinated lamb with parsley and traditional spices, finished on the grill.
Quail ($18): Whole roasted quail marinated in pomegranate molasses and served with eggplant and yoghurt.
Trio of dips ($13.90): Three dips served with pita bread ? Hommos, a blend of chickpeas, fresh lemon, juice and tahini, Labneh Bi Toum, a soft homemade cheese blended with garlic and mint, plus Baba Ghanouj, chargrilled eggplant with roasted garlic, tahini and fresh lemon juice.
The highlights out of all the dishes was definitely the lamb skewers. They were cooked perfectly and had picked up lots of smokey flavour and aroma. The chicken skewers were also rather good ? fortunately not at all dry as chargrilled chicken can occasionally be. Also, the skewers were served on top of a tomato and onion spiced Lebanese bread that soaked up all the meat juices and was served with a great garlic sauce. Delicious!
I also loved the Batata Harra ? the little cubes of potato were so moreish and garlicky. Fairly oily, but that?s where all the flavour comes from, right?
Everything else was also rather good, with the only misstep being a slightly dry kebbi, although the flavours in it were nice.
Kobe Jones & Riverside Teppanyaki
Our second stop of the night for our main course was Kobe Jones, who serve modern Japanese food. There was a slight mixup with our booking, however the manager was incredibly helpful and friendly.
While we were trying to sort out our booking, the manager told us to take a seat and then brought us some oysters to sample.
I had been to Kobe Jones when they used to be in Docklands (years ago, before the blog) and was interested to see what changes had been brought about in the new venue. One big change ? they have a massive teppanyaki table that seats up to 44 people.
We started with a cocktail ? I had the Red Lotus, a mixture of rum, lychee liqueur, orange juice and grenadine ($17). Others had an Apple Blossom Martini ($17.50) with green apple and vanilla liqueur, and a Japanese Mojito ($18), made with shiso, and fresh lime muddled with white rum and sugar.
Kobe Jones?s teppanaki menus start from $55 for several courses. As we were only there for main, we had a taster rather than going through an entire set menu. We started with a small bowl of warm mushroom salad.
Which was quickly followed by a plate of beef and salmon. Both were good, but the salmon in particular was fantastic, retaining its juices and moisture but topped with a crispy skin.
Three dipping sauces were provided: ponzo, miso citrus and teriyaki. My favourite was the sweet and salty miso in the middle.
The Wharf Hotel
Our last stop was the busy and happening Wharf Hotel for dessert. It looked like the kind of place you?d pop in with friends for a drink and a casual bite to eat.
We received a dessert each: either sticky date pudding or apple pie.
Both desserts were extremely generously sized and would be good (better) for sharing. The sticky date pudding was a big slab of soft, fluffy cake, surrounded by a sweet, sticky sauce and served with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream.
I also liked the apple pie, which was encased in a buttery pastry and served on top of custard with a big scoop of cinnamon ice cream.
Both desserts, in addition to being really large, were also served warm so we had to snap quickly before all the ice cream melted ? a difficult task sometimes for food bloggers! They were a nice end to our night, and it was just unfortunate that we had been fed so well at the other venues because we couldn?t do the desserts justice.
Competition
Would you like to head down to WTC Wharf for a meal? You can win a $100 WTC precinct voucher that you can use for any restaurant in WTC Wharf. Just answer the question: ?If you were to go to the WTC Wharf, which restaurant would you go to??
The most creative answer will be selected by Nuffnang and entries close on 16 November 2012. The terms and conditions of the competition can be found here. Good luck!
View Off the spork in a larger map
WTC Wharf
World Trade Centre
(Riverside) Siddeley Street
Melbourne 3005
wtcmelbourne.com.au
Byblos
WTC Wharf
World Trade Centre
(Riverside) Siddeley Street
Melbourne 3005
Phone: 03 9614 6400
Web: byblosbar.com.au/melbourne
Kobe Jones & Riverside Teppanyaki
WTC Wharf
World Trade Centre
(Riverside) Siddeley Street
Melbourne 3005
Phone: 03 9329 9173
Web: kobejones.com.au/melbourne
The Wharf Hotel
WTC Wharf
World Trade Centre
(Riverside) Siddeley Street
Melbourne 3005
Phone: 03 8680 6000
Web: wharfhotel.com.au
Related posts:
- Nuevo 37: a truffle dinner
- Horoki: Dinner
- South Wharf: Boatbuilders Yard, Akachochin, Bohemian, The Sharing House
- Bohemian: Lagarde wine dinner
- Collins Kitchen, Grand Hyatt: food bloggers dinner
Comments
Source: http://www.offthespork.com/2012/11/wtc-wharf-progressive-dinner/
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Tuesday, November 6, 2012
A History of Interest Rates ? Now is the time to refinance if you have ...
You are here: Home \ Latest Updates \ A History of Interest Rates ? Now is the time to refinance if you have not already or move-up to that dream home.
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When was the last time you saw an interest rate above 6 percent? In the last three years, interest rates have steadily declined from?one record low to the next. Before the 2000s however, interest rates scaled much higher. While the shock of record low interests may have ebbed, we wanted to explore the history of interest rates to better understand the unprecedented yet very promising situation of the current housing market.
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Before 2003, interest rates hadn?t dipped?below 6 percent since the 1960s. For most of the late 1960s and 1970s, interest rates hovered between 7 and 9 percent. Then, starting in 1980, interest rates skyrocketed to record heights, touching 18.45 percent in October 1981. During the 1990s and early 2000s, rates went back to about 9 percent. However, since 2003, rates have been steadily falling. By historical comparison, today?s rates are incredibly low, clocking in around 3 percent. Here?s a?snapshot of annual average interest rates?over the past decade:
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30-year Fixed-rate
15-year Fixed-rate
1-year Adjustable-rate
2002
7.0%
5.5%
4.25%
2003
6.0%
5.25%
3.75%
2004
6.0%
5.0%
3.5%
2005
5.75%
5.25%
4.25%
2006
6.25%
6.0%
5.25%
2007
6.25%
6.0%
5.75%
2008
6.0%
5.75%
5.5%
2009
5.0%
5.0%
4.5%
2010
4.5%
4.75%
3.5%
2011
4.25%
3.5%
3.0%
2012
3.5%
3.0%
2.5%
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According to the Wall Street Journal, the trend of falling interest rates leads to reduced costs for homebuyers, giving a lift to the housing market. ?A general rule of thumb holds that every one percentage point decline in mortgage rates is the equivalent of roughly a 10 percent reduction in the home price for the buyer,? reported the Journal in 2010.?
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New record lows seen in 2012 may impact homeowners who are looking to cut down on monthly mortgage payments. By refinancing at a rate just one-percentage point lower, a homeowner with a $400,000 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage can shave off at least $250 from their monthly payment. For first-time buyers or vacation home buyers, the current rates may allow them to afford a larger home or a home with extra features, like a swimming pool or a fenced-in backyard.?
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If there?s anything the historical record shows us, it?s that mortgage rates don?t last forever. Today?s lows will one day seem unfathomable, and families who had the keen foresight to take advantage of record low interest rates will reap big savings over the course of a 15 or 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.
A History of Interest Rates ? Now is the time to refinance if you have not already or move-up to that dream home.
Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale
Post by Christophe Choo
Let me help you find everything you need to know about buying or selling a home! As the preeminent real estate professional in my community for over 21 years, I am dedicated to providing the finest service available while breaking new ground.
Christophe has written 7846 articles.
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Wild dogs kill 2-year-old boy at Pa. zoo exhibit
A security guard closes the gate at the Pittsburgh Zoo, where zoo officials say a young boy was killed after he fell into the exhibit that was home to a pack of African painted dogs, who pounced on the boy and mauled him, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012. It?s not clear whether he died from the fall or the attack, said Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. (AP Photo/John Heller)
A security guard closes the gate at the Pittsburgh Zoo, where zoo officials say a young boy was killed after he fell into the exhibit that was home to a pack of African painted dogs, who pounced on the boy and mauled him, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012. It?s not clear whether he died from the fall or the attack, said Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. (AP Photo/John Heller)
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium President and CEO Barbara Baker holds a news conference on the death of a young boy who was killed when he fell about 14 feet off a deck into an exhibit that's home to a pack of African painted dogs, who pounced on the boy and mauled him, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Bob Donaldson) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; MONESSEN OUT; KITTANNING OUT; CONNELLSVILLE OUT; GREENSBURG OUT; TARENTUM OUT; NORTH HILLS NEWS RECORD OUT; BUTLER OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET OUT
This photo taken Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012 shows the exterior view of the front entrance of the Pittsburgh Zoo, where zoo officials say a young boy was killed after he fell into the exhibit that was home to a pack of African painted dogs, who pounced on the boy and mauled him. It?s not clear whether he died from the fall or the attack, said Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. (AP Photo/John Heller)
A security guard closes the gate at the Pittsburgh Zoo, where zoo officials say a young boy was killed after he fell into the exhibit that was home to a pack of African painted dogs, who pounced on the boy and mauled him, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012. It?s not clear whether he died from the fall or the attack, said Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. (AP Photo/John Heller)
Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium President and CEO Barbara Baker finishes a news conference on the death of a young boy who was killed when he fell about 14 feet off a deck into an exhibit that's home to a pack of African painted dogs, who pounced on the boy and mauled him, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Bob Donaldson) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; MONESSEN OUT; KITTANNING OUT; CONNELLSVILLE OUT; GREENSBURG OUT; TARENTUM OUT; NORTH HILLS NEWS RECORD OUT; BUTLER OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET OUT
PITTSBURGH (AP) ? A mother's attempt to give her two-year-old son a better view of wild African dogs turned into a "horrific" tragedy at the Pittsburgh Zoo after the boy fell into the exhibit and was killed by a pack of the animals as relatives and bystanders looked on.
Lt. Kevin Kraus of the Pittsburgh police said the attack happened at about 11:45 a.m. Sunday after the mother picked the child up and put him on top of a railing at the edge of a viewing deck. "Almost immediately after that he lost his balance, fell down off the railing into the pit, and he was immediately attacked by 11 dogs," Kraus said. "It was very horrific."
It's not yet clear whether the boy died from the fall or the attack, said Barbara Baker, president of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. Zoo officials at first estimated the boy fell 14 feet, but police said it was 11. It's not clear which is correct.
Authorities said that zoo staff and then police responded "within minutes" but visitors described that time as being filled with screams for help. Zookeepers called off some of the dogs, and seven of them immediately went to a back building. Three more eventually were drawn away from the child, but the last dog was aggressive and police had to shoot the animal.
Steve Feldman, a spokesman for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, said no one he's spoken to can recall any deaths of children at an accredited zoo over the last 40 years or more. Feldman said the Pittsburgh Zoo successfully completed its 5-year review in September, which means it meets or exceeds all safety standards.
Authorities didn't release the name of the boy or his mother, but say she is 34 years old and lives in Pleasant Hills, just outside Pittsburgh. The boy's father arrived on the scene soon after the accident, police said.
The zoo was immediately closed, and it was not clear when it will reopen, authorities said.
The so-called painted dogs are about as big as medium-sized domestic dogs, and 37 to 80 pounds, according to the zoo. They have large, rounded ears and dark brown circles around their eyes and are considered endangered.
The attack happened in a 1.5 acre exhibit called the Painted Dog Bush Camp that's part of a larger open area where elephants, lions and other animals can be seen. Visitors walk onto a deck that is glassed on the sides, but open in front where the roughly four-foot railing is located.
In May, some of the dogs crawled under a fence and escaped into a part of the exhibit that's usually closed. The zoo was on lockdown for about an hour as a precaution.
Past fatal attacks at have prompted zoos around the nation to review safety features of their exhibits. In 2007 a tiger jumped over a wall at the San Francisco zoo, killing one visitor and wounding two others. Authorities first said the wall was 18 feet high, but a review found it was just 12 ? feet.
In September a man jumped off an elevated viewing train at the Bronx Zoo in New York and was severely mauled by tigers.
Kraus said there was nothing to prevent visitors to the painted dog exhibit from jumping into the exhibit area.
Police and the Allegheny County medical examiner's office are investigating, and they haven't yet interviewed the mother and father, who are receiving grief counseling.
Baker said the zoo, which has never had a visitor death, will also investigate. She said no decision has been made yet on the future of the exhibit.
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Associated Press writer Ron Todt in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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Small Business Owners' Sour Mood Poses Threat To Obama On ...
The Washington Post:
Many of the nation?s smallest employers will head to the polls today feeling discouraged about the future of their businesses and worried about the direction of the economy, and most are disappointed with their options at the top of the ballot.
Small business hiring and optimism indicators often vary based on the source and the exact size of the companies queried. But in the past month, nearly every survey of small business owners has reeked of pessimism and frustration as employers pull back on hiring and brace for continued uncertainty even after the elections.
Read the whole story at The Washington Post
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Reasons to Seek a Bankruptcy Attorney for Debt Relief Sooner ...
Last updated 6 hours 15 minutes ago
Millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet, often falling behind on their mortgages or unsecured loans. The best strategy for dealing with overdue bills or other debt issues is to speak with your lenders as soon as possible. A lawyer can help you modify the terms of your loans to pay them off quicker. Here are three reasons to seek legal guidance for debt relief sooner rather than later:
Better Negotiation Position By stating earlier, you put yourself in a better position to negotiate with your lenders and work out a loan modification strategy. A lawyer can send out letters on your behalf and ask for the specific terms that you would like to be changed. When your lender counter-offers, a skilled bankruptcy attorney can advocate for your best financial interests and persuade the bank to favorably modify the loan.?
Avoiding Excessive Fees Late fees, interest, and other collection charges pile up over time. The quicker you reach out to your lenders, the easier it will be to avoid these extra fees. ?Consult a local attorney so that you can deal directly with banks and credit card companies instead of fielding excessive collection phone calls or having to go through intermediaries.
Take Advantage of Government Programs Another reason to consult a lawyer sooner rather than later is because you may be eligible for certain government-sponsored debt assistance programs. Depending on your income level, your loans may qualify you for the Home Affordable Modification Program. These programs will not be around forever, so consult a local attorney as soon as possible.
Loan modification is an effective way to help many families in making ends meet. The Golden State Law Group in San Diego can negotiate with creditors to keep interest rates low and allow you to pay off the principal. If you are a California resident interested in consolidating and paying off your debt once and for all, call our office today at (858) 240-2480.
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Monday, November 5, 2012
VIDEO: Keyshia Cole Performs Trust & Believe at Black Girls Rock ...
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