The Mill

I've heard suburbia can really get you down. The house, the car, the kids and the white picket fence... it could all make a person feel like they're living a cliche. But there's a reason something becomes cliched. It's because lots of people like it. And that's generally because there's something good or universal or relatable about it. If that's supposed to be depressing then there must be something wrong with me.

Perhaps the bad rap suburbia sometimes gets is due to that egocentric contradiction in human beings - we all want to fit in, and yet at the same time be special, and 'special' sometimes gets  translated as 'unique to the point of transcendence'. I know of only one person so truly unique they actually did transcend the rest of us, and you know, I'm starting to think belonging, relating and being a part of something bigger than yourself is not the most horrendous thing imaginable.

That being said, I like to shake off suburbia every so often and don me now my gay apparel, and a girls night out is a fine way to do it.

One of the many great things about my personal slice of suburbia is it's only half an hour's drive from one of the best cities in the world. As a fabulous friend and I sauntered down bustling Hardware Lane to The Mill, I started feeling delightfully metropolitan, even more so when we were seated upstairs beside a big open window overlooking the laneway. The soft ambiance of the restaurant interior contrasts with the buzz rising up to the window from the crowds below. A breeze meanders in steeped in jazz music. Our waitress pours water while we wait for our friends. It is, in a word, ideal.

Complimentary bread with olive oil and salt started us off (er, special rock salt from the Murray River, no less). We chose seared Altantic salmon, rosemary lamb, and ricotta gnocchi, which was melt-in-your mouth cheesiness that left me wanting more.

You really need two courses to feel satiated, and we plunged gleefully into the cheese menu, going with the Meredith Goat Blue and the Delice de Bourgogne, which we couldn't resist when we read it described on the menu as having a "texture similar to that of ice cream". Supersoft, creamy; loved it. One cheese order suffices for two and is accompanied by plenty of bread, fruit, nuts and a delicious date paste.

The thing I liked best about The Mill, aside from the ice cream cheese, was the service; attentive, but not hover-y; meticulous, but surreptitious. Our wine never got near the bottom of the glass before it was topped up. It was the best service I can remember that wasn't in the US, where you can never be sure whether they're smiling at you or smiling at a big tip.

The Mill, and the adjoining Charlie's Bar downstairs is ideal if you're into a bit of Melbournian laneway action (apparently the jazz band plays in the lane Thurs - Sat) or an intimate, classy dinner in the restaurant upstairs... or if you just want to escape suburbia for a night.


The Mill
Upstairs, 71 Hardware Lane, Melbourne
Ph.  9600 1454
Mains $23 - $39

www.themillrestaurant.com.au