I would absolutely recommend this place the food and staff were great and welcoming. I sat at the kitchen bar and chef Tim (he prepares the delicious desserts) was incredibly nice and informative. I had tons of questions and he was happy to answer all of them. This is my first time in Melbourne, but when I visit this city again I will definitely come here again. read more

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Wow wow wow!!!! One word: shakshouka. THE most amazing breakfast skillet I have ever had. Perfect marriage of eggs and fresh tomatoes with red peppers and cheese. Absolutely lovely and my fiancé was so jealous because it was so much better than his breakfast choice. Which says a lot, because his corned beef sandwich was also super tasty. Excellent coffee and service makes this a phenomenal spot with lots of ambience and a great busy crowd. read more

Cumulus - Shakshouka!!!! Wow. Wow. Wow. - Wine Bars Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Cumulus is always a foodie's delight. Innovative ideas appear on the menu constantly. If you enjoy cooking, consider asking for a seat at the marble bar. With a front row seat to the kitchen, you're likely to pick up a few tips, as well as ideas about what to order. read more

Amazing place for breakfast! We had the shakshouka and I definitely recommend it, really tasty and served with good breads. I have also ordered a soy cappucino. Don't skip the madeleine ! They are filled with lemon custard and absolutely delicious, they are well balanced with sugar and fluffy! The only cons could be the staff which was really quick and not asking for drinks etc ... For 2 shakshoukas, 2 coffees and 2 madeleine we spent 48.50$ which is pretty good ;) Cumulus is a must go in Melbourne !! read more

Cumulus - Shakshoukaaaaa - Wine Bars Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

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I cannot wait to get back and devour the rest of the menu here. The service was great. The price of a coffee has apparently gone up by 20c, for the first time in however long, but the chick at the till managed the process with the customers so well. The venue was super busy, even for 8.30 (which is a time I'm used to breakfast places slowing down). Most of the tables were filled, which is why I was offered a seat at the bar, but that was actually my preference. I went for something simple, toast and a juice. I sat with my back to the venue and read the news on my phone, thankful for a a break from my work week. The breads that came out blew my mind. A mix of grains and sourdough, I was in carby heaven. I was feeling pretty under the weather and the warm breads were a perfectly comforting way to start my morning. While I was eating I ordered a lemongrass and ginger tea, which is my go to when I'm not feeling well or if I'm unsure about what I want. The tea was also perfect. A good balance between the lemongrass and the ginger, neither was overpowering. At $18, my two drinks and four pieces of toast was definitely reasonable. The food and drinks menu looked absolutely to die for and this has confirmed its place on my "my revisit" list for Melbourne. read more

Cumulus - Breakfast menu served from 7 - 11.30am - Wine Bars Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Ordered the spatchcock and it was sold out. Then asked for snapper but sold out. Eventually decided on the O'connor beef. It took 45mins to serve the beef and it was tough and chewy. Really disappointed. Paid $50 for the beef dish. I would have gotten better value elsewhere. This place is overated. read more

Cumulus - Wine Bars Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Omg! I have died and gone to foodie heaven! This place is simply outstanding. We came here for brunch and were thoroughly satisfied. For two of us we had; Mozzarella bruschetta Gazpacho with crab Pigs head croquettes Wagyu bresaola Quail peach & bitter greens. All of it outstanding although my personal favourite was the quail. All of this was enjoyed seated at the bar observing the kitchen, in my opinion the best seats in the house. Can't say enough about the food, service, atmosphere. Cumulus is definitely one for the bucket list. read more

Cumulus - This is the beautiful mozzarella bruschetta - Wine Bars Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

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The space is beautiful and staff very friendly. Without reservations, we were still able to get bar seats pretty much immediately. The food was just okay - nothing spectacular or even especially nice. We ordered the oysters (tasted a bit off), the snap peas and radishes (simple, but the best of the food), beef tartare (needed a flavor ramp-up), heirloom tomatoes (also needed a flavor boost), and burrata (too many black olives really overpowered the delicateness of the burrata). The rosemary focaccia was delicious, and the real standout of the visit was the bottle of Didi Giallo. We wanted to try an Australian orange wine and mentioned we really love Radikon, and this recommendation was spot on. Really delicious. Final check was pricey (particularly given the just okay food), but seems that Melbourne is pricey in general. read more

Cumulus - Gorgeous space - Wine Bars Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

We had a wonderful breakfast here yesterday morning after a midnight flight to Melbourne. The staff are lovely, welcoming & accommodating. They took care of my suitcase so it wasn't in the way. Coffees were quick and well made. The food was varied so there are options for everyone. The place itself is a little quirky, but not ridiculously so. It's well thought out, not overly crowded and at the time if was full of suits having meetings or catching up. I love the open kitchen, getting a sticky beak into how they run things was great fun. The wide bar they have at the kitchen is great for those that travel to Melbourne for business on their own. There's enough space to lay out your paper and eat your breakfast in peace. I'll definitely be back, there are more things to try! I'd love to get back here for lunch too, from the sounds of the reviews, they do that really well too! read more

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Head Chef Andrew McConnell (of Cutler and Co. fame) has brought his own unique and exciting concoctions to Flinders Lane with some fabulous dishes. With an enormous menu boasting interesting and almost baffling dishes (slow cooked octopus with aioli and dehydrated olive) the experience of trying the food is simply wonderful. The charcuterie is phenomenal, and being so extensive if you are a little overcome then pick the kitchen charcuterie selection and you'll be able to try a few from the list. Standouts include the fried soft shelled crab and school prawns with shredded cabbage and honey and chardonnay, or if you fancy something a bit heavier whole slow roast lamb shoulder to share melts in your mouth. The dining space is large so try and grab a corner table, or even sit up along the back and watch the chefs work their magic. The café also offers an excellent breakfast and the coffee and cakes are always good. Cumulus Inc. is the sort of place where you can't put a foot wrong. Everything is memorable, every dish is unique, and the service is impeccable. read more

Cumulus - Cumulus Inc. - Wine Bars Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

I had a pretty frustrating breakfast experience here. I went in just to get a croissant and I ordered an orange juice (5.50!) to go with it. The waitress said they were out of croissants so made another suggestion. I ordered that and started drinking the orange juice. Then she came back and said they were out of that item as well. They didn't have WiFi either, so at that point I just wanted to cut my losses and leave. I just had a few sips of my orange juice, but I was still charged full price. I understand that things can be out, but I think a lot of places wouldn't charge for the orange juice in that situation. read more

Wow is all I can say. Top 5 meals of my life by trying the chefs selection and was wowed by over 11 courses of fantastic creation. Intricate flavors, pretty displays and balanced dishes. Hats off to the chef! Well worth it to be able to try it all and stuff myself to the point where it hurt on these creations. Highlights: the chicken heart special, the boudin noir, smoked tomato and parsley salad, tuna tartar and madelines! read more

I can be short and sweet: this place served me my favorite dish of my three month's stay in Melbourne: the Tuna Tartare with crushed green pea salad is just divine. Considering that I am not a big fan of Tuna (I typically prefer salmon) or Green Pea's this was a nice surprise. I do want to highlight that the Tuna Tartare is not really tartare, it is not minced, it is served in cubes. Nevertheless, the dish was fresh tasting and the flavors combined well. I sat at the counter and truly enjoyed watching the kitchen team come up with good looking dishes, I had food envy the entire time I spend at Cumulus. The staff was friendly, they took the time to explain the menu and the service was good. I do regret not coming here more often while in Melbourne, I certainly want to go back. read more

Went for dinner. The lamb was so tender, fatty and succulent, that I don't think I can ever eat lamb in the states again. Everything before that (bread, foie gras, vegetables) was decent, except the oysters, which were way too salty. Best service I experienced in Melbourne, but they also expected a tip. read more

Can't decide. Can't decide. Breakfast is just terrific. The menu is small but every dish is innovative and interesting. No smashed avocado in sight. I had the mushrooms & barley with a soft egg. Yum. My friend had cumulus breakfast which had everything you could ask for: juice, yogurt pot, soft boiled egg & sour dough with outrageously fruity jams. The coffee, hot and treacly. Love it. Can't wait to go back. read more

Cumulus Inc has NEVER let me down - this is a venue which provides fabulous atmosphere, fabulous service and fabulous food! For 100% satisfaction guaranteed breakfast, order the Shakshouka - baked eggs with roasted peppers & shanklish. For 100% satisfaction guaranteed lunch / dinner, order the following: - Grilled octopus, smoked paprika & basil - Fried mussels on toast, curried corn - Foie gras parfait with toasted brioche - Kurobouta prosciutto - Saffron spiced cauliflower, golden raisins, pinenuts & curd - Corned wagyu brisket, cabbage salad green sauce & pickled shallot For 100% satisfaction guaranteed dessert, order the Flourless chocolate cake, spiced caramel, oats & milk sorbet. read more

I've spent about 6 weeks in Melbourne and I went to Cumulus on most mornings because it's such a great way to wake up. Excellent coffee, delicious huge breakfast menu, and a great atmosphere to catch up on the news or chat with friends. Tucked away on Flinders Ln on the outskirts of the CBD, it's a pretty vintage Melbourne experience, so make sure you give this place a try. The only bad thing that's ever happened here is that one time I accidentally put salt into my latte instead of sugar. But that's because I'm a moron. Food: 5/5 Value: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 read more

Excellent breakfast/brunch menu in this ever busy trendy restaurant. It's quite bohemian in atmosphere, the coffee is great, the staff are friendly. It's all very Melbourne. I especially recommend the slow cooked eggs. Only negative is that when it's busy, the wait for food can be quite a while. But it's worth it. Go early, as if it's busy, the wait can be off putting. read more

This place is So good ! It's not the cheapest, however has a great vibe - it's quite relaxed, but great service. Most of the time you'll need to wait to be seated, but honestly for any place that is really good you need to wait these days !! It's worth it I promise. Eat the ocean trout salad if you're there for breakfast. My mouth is watering thinking about it. read more

One of our best meals in Melbourne! Though it was a busy night, we were sat quickly to have a drink, then moved to our dinner seats even before we ordered. We shared a few plates, including the charcuterie and whole flounder, which were delicious. We sat at the counter by the kitchen, which were great spots. The waitress even recommended local gins that we could try in our cocktails. A must-see! read more

Cumulus takes breakfast/brunch to a whole new level of sophistication with its modern and sleek interior, friendly staff and great food. Get in early! Or you will have to be put on a waiting list! We were put on one and were assured that it would take about 20 mins and were given a seat in less than 5. Perfection. The menu is small but sophisticated, so be prepared to venture out of your comfort zone. I had the shakshouka which was absolutely brilliant. All the flavours worked marvellously well together. They do a good mocha too. Do ask about their special muffins because they are to die for. Mmm mm mmm. read more

Skipping hotel breakfast and then rounding a couple blocks to this place instead seemed like a better way to start a typical rainy Melbourne morning. Like many of the breakfast/brunch cafes in town, this was very indie with a touch of industrial. The high ceilings and rogue timber metal furniture was a usual touch. What I like most about this establishment was there were two bars opposite the room from each other. One housed the bars for drinks and the other was the kitchen, and you could eat at both. So it was very literal translation of open kitchen...like, it's right thurr. It was also incredibly, incredibly busy. However they had a two seater available for us as we arrived, but we noticed many were having to wait in their free water section. Their menu was non customisable and me being the customisation psycho I am, took me a while to find something that would satisfy despite it being a small one page menu. We ended up with the The Full English (farmhouse slab bacon, blood sausage on toast, fried eggs & smoked tomato), Shakshouka (baked eggs with roasted peppers and shanklish) and Bircher muesli, grated granny smith apple and almonds. Shocking them, we did not order any coffee as it seems to be the beverage of the day at this cafe. Not everyone drinks coffee. Our food was delish admittably, though I preferred the muesli to the fried egg dish, definitely skipped the blood sausage part, my partner enjoyed that. Overall it was a decent start to the day, despite all the noise and lack of music to drown out the indie crowd chatter. read more

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I finally got around to trying Cumulus Inc. on the search for a good boozy brunch. When your day starts with a Spicy Tomato Juice with Belvedere (read: Bloody Mary), you know you've started it the right way. My brunch companion ordered the Cumulus Inc. Breakfast - a delicately soft boiled egg, toast with some gorgeous preserves, yoghurt, orange juice and a coffee/tea. It's a wonder why most (all?) other quality brunch joints don't offer something similar. It seemed a perfectly light choice that was excellent value - on a cheeky note, they added Belvedere to the orange juice without so much as a bat of the eyelid, which was greatly appreciated! To go with the tomato theme, I ordered the Shakshouka. The presentation was fairly standard in comparison to most other places that serve this wonderful dish, but I was definitely wowed by the flavour punch I took right in the mouth. The flavours seemed so well balanced and you better believe mopped up every last bit of it with the bread. I think this is my new favourite breakfast place in the CBD and I can't believe it took me so long to pop in. The only downside I could pinpoint is that it got really busy after we were seated at the bar - we had a dozen hungry patrons-to-be eyeing off our spot and our food! read more

Spectacular. I dined at Cumulus Up with a group of seven friends. Per Tresna's suggestion, we left the ordering to our waiter, who curated an impressive and diverse array of dishes for us. The Highlights: Offal salad, full of delightful porky bits: A bit of beautifully brined tongue, crispy ear, a marshmallow soft jowl, and an amazing persillade/pesto sauce. Ricotta dumplings: Light as a feather and served with clarified butter, currents, and pine nuts. Duck: Perfectly tender and served with an unbelievably good reduction and a bitter, creamy pot of turnip puree. In all, we were able to sample more than 8 dishes and the only thing that failed to impress was the slightly overcooked snapper in crab sauce. The massive wine list features some fairly well priced bottles and I was impressed that our wine glasses were changed before each of our five successive bottles arrived. Our giant pinot noir goblets were replaced with a more slender glass for the Cotes de Rhone, which were switched out again when the cabernet appeared. Indeed service was unfailingly prompt, courteous, and professional throughout the meal. As platter after platter of incredible food arrived on our marble topped table my husband turned towards me and said, "I feel like Louis the fourteenth!" There was definitely an element of restrained decadence here but the bill didn't break the bank, coming to a bit less than 100 dollars per head. Not bad at all considering the fact that we were all very full and quite drunk when we stumbled out after four hours. Cumulus Up, you dazzled me baby. read more

I've been to Cumulus four times and I can honestly say there is absolutely nothing remarkable about this restaurant except perhaps the fitout. The first time I visited my companions and I witnessed kitchen staff spooning unused jam from serving dishes back into a large jar. The second time was for a business breakfast meeting. One of my colleagues is, as she put it 'allergic to life' so she ordered chamomile tea and ate carrot sticks she'd brought with her. A waitress appeared at our table of eight and instructed her to 'put that away or step outside with it'. When the predicament was explained to her she replied "we don't allow outside food". Okay... The last time I asked for a chai tea if it was made with leaves. They told me they use a premix. Really? For $5 a pop? Look, maybe dinner is fabulous. Maybe I've just had several dud moments. Either way I won't be rushing back. read more

Loved this restaurant. Highly recommend the Cumulous Inc. breakfast! Great value and delicious start to the day. Lovely coffee and has a great open kitchen to watch the chefs freshly preparing your meal. Lovely friendly staff too. Cannot wait to visit Melbourne to have breakfast here again! read more

Cumulus - Cracking breakfast! Highly recommend this restaurant to set you up for the day! - Wine Bars Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

This gets 5 stars purely for the delicious crumpets and Turkish baked eggs. I can't speak for the rest of the menu but I can say that it is worth coming here for these 2 items. My friends and I were pleasantly surprised by the ricotta crumpets with honey, first of all because we weren't entirely sure what crumpets were and second because crumpets are amazing. The atmosphere is minimalist-trendy-industrial -- I'm sure you know the vibe. Seems like it's in a business-y area and there were a lot of ppl sitting alone reading newspapers so it seemed pretty upscale. read more

Wow fantastic food! I had the short rib. Delicious. I would take points away for it being so pretentious (way up there on that scale) and the whole up-sell. They tell people the portions are meant to share, yet they recommend 4-6 (yes you read that correctly) dishes for a party of two. Errr... Ok. For me... Only me... I had the potatoes and the short rib and it was the perfect portion. So go figure. That said... I cannot take points away from the place on these issues because the food really was fantastic and staff attentive. read more

Baby Brother to Cumulus downstarts. Ok, maybe not Baby Brother. This is more of a cousin. More brooding and yet somehow laid back. The cousin who's a musician maybe. Cumulus Up shares a few key parts of it's downstairs cousin. The staff are certainly as knowledgable and as well-drilled (if a just a little efficacious). They also have a great selection of Oysters, which I rave about in my Cumulus review. As others have mentioned, the Foie Gras Duck Waffle is a highlight. It also exemplifies the meals at Up - Smaller, Richer, More Intense. On arrival you won't think you could have a full meal here, but after a few of the dishes you'll feel full enough. One snag is that it's easy to rack up an expensive meal. Particularly if you buy wine by the glass and a quick glass of wine turns into three. This isn't unique to Up, but it's easy to do here. Plan ahead a little and grab a bottle if you feel you'll be hanging out. So where does Up slot in? Cumulus is where you have dinner, Cumulus Up is where you have supper. Top of the list for something tasty after 11pm. read more

Must review whilst the flavour-laden reflections are fresh on my mind. Cumulus Up gets my first elusive 5-star review! And I'm no pushover. We needed somewhere for an impromptu celebration for 2, something casual - less frou-frou more fun. Settled on CU and wandered upstairs where we were greeted with friendliness and ushered to the bar to wait for a table to open up. It's a nice opened-up kind of space, dark woods with mirror & white light accents to give it a modern but intimate feel, the place had a good buzz. Arrived 8.30pm on Sat and 15mins later we were seated and cracking on with the ordering. The Melbourne food scene is littered with small plates/tapas/designed to share dishes, CU joins the list & I'm completely fine with that. It's more casual and you get to try more, always a good thing surely. We kicked off with oysters, fresh & moreish. Then a stellar dish, sign of things to come. Grilled ox tongue, so packed with flavour I was stupefied, the intense savory notes balanced with sweet beetroot & bitter witlof. Next the Duck waffle, foie gras & prune jam - so damn delicious. silky flavourful foie gras on a crisp yet fluffy waffle, with a little hint of sweetness, yep we demolished that. Then my friends the dish that had me swooning. The unsuspecting Ricotta dumplings with burnt butter & pine nuts. Now I'm not that kinda girl - I need some meat element to my mains but here's the beauty of small dishes you feel encouraged to break away from the convention of meat mains as you may have covered it off in the prelude dishes. And so they came, plump pale pillows with parmesan shavings, I heaped the melted butter on top with pinenuts & sweet currants. Inside was smooth ricotta, the dumpling skin was perfectly al dente. To eat the flavour was buttery, cheesy, nutty perfection. knockout dish. Next a more Australian rendition of steak frites, with crispy enough chips but it's hard for me to get off the bernaise train and french fries. The pepper sauce was very hot yet sweet, not quite for me. Still the meat was tender, cooked to medium-rare perfection and very tasty. Finished with a fruity & refreshing strawberry jelly, coconut sorbet trifle - fair. I liked the winelist lots of interesting by the glass choices and service was pitch perfect - friendly, professional, very capable. You must go, settle in and order up. You won't look back. read more

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Trendy but friendly place. We arrived btw 6-6:30pm and waited about 15 minutes without a reservation on a weekend evening (it was either Friday or Saturday) and got a seat at the bar. Any later and it wouldn't have happened I think. What I remember the most was the bresaola with truffle oil - heavenly and madeine filled with lemon curd - perfect blend of tart and sweet to satisfy without overwhelming you. read more

Great place for brunch. Would recommend the salmon. For lunch/dinner they have a sharing style menu where you order multiple small dishes and share. No bookings for small groups (I think less than 6), and it gets very busy for brunch between 930 and 11, so be warned you may have a wait on weekends. read more

The flavours were wonderfully balanced and the food was very fresh - you can really taste all the different flavours with every bite! The service was good too! read more

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Given the hype this place gets, I was pretty disappointed. After a long wait, awkwardly stuffed in the back corner with a horde of disgruntled would-be-patrons, we finally got a table for dinner. (Note to Cumulus: what's up with this waiting arrangement? It's terrible!) We tried a pretty broad sampling from across the menu, and while the food was ok, it was far from amazing. The one thing I did enjoy was the cracked wheat salad. One thing I will say for Cumulus is that they do make a pretty great coffee. My suggestion: forget dinner here, and stick to breakfasts or takeaway. read more

Been here a few times and always had sensational food, but I am not sure that I feel the price is worth it. Meals are great but I feel they are a bit small for what you pay. I have no issue's spending money but it needs to be worth it and after my recent breakfast visit here, I have decided it is not. Matter of choice, as food is great but there is better food for same price elsewhere. Service has always been very friendly. read more

A stand out experience sitting at the kitchen bar, a beautiful open kitchen begets a menu of lovely local Yarra valley produce, including our starter a fried-to-perfection zucchini. The stand out that afternoon was the beef tongue that had been smoked and cooked sous-vide and sliced thinly, almost pastrami-like flavour but a softer texture. Excellent service staff, lovely meal read more

Cumulus - Zucchini blossom - Wine Bars Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

To be frank if you can't book I do not go......I was strongly persuaded by one of my restaurant reviewing critics to change my perspective on this ocassion... I have restrained reviewing until we have been there 3 times.....and I wanted to be even more certian to give a view....this is right up there with the truly best...it is about what the food is and bringing out the tastes...not adding flavours and sauces...no, no no....it is a foodie joint...and if there are two of you please try the lamb shoulder ..maybe it is hoggett ...it is is slow cooked for eight hours and then finished with some quick and intense heat...talk about wow..this is really at the true top end.....subtly the wine list is affordable and blends well. A great Australian secret...I hope you enjoy as much as we do...lovely people there too read more

Friendly staff, quick service. The entrees are quite simple, but the emphasis is on good quality ingredients rather than fanciness. They were happy to help with our dietary needs of both gluten- and dairy-free with no notice. So we didn't have the orders as the chef originally dreamt of them, but they sure were delicious. A wide range of wines and well-stocked bar finishes the evening. We had no room for dessert! read more

I had the pleasure of dining here for a special work function and it was a lovely experience. The space comfortably fit 30 of us with room for more. It was an intimate feel having an open kitchen to watch them prepare and smell the food before dining. We had three different canapes, each delicately crafted and tasty. The main dishes featured curried cauliflower, creamy potatoes, seasoned green beans, and a delectable lamb roast with tender meat that fell off the bone. The only dish that didn't suit me was a duck pate atop waffles, which most people found to be a strange mismatched combination. Overall the food was on point and the service was stellar. Staff are well educated on food and wine pairings, and made sure all details were attended to promptly. I would recommend this place for a date as well as group dinner. It tends to breathe a bit more sophistication than the bar downstairs. read more

I was walking in downtown Melbourne, visiting on business, looking for a place to grab a bite. My work colleague had bailed on me at the last minute. I rang my wife and chatted with her, saying I was going to try to find a place to dine where I didn't look like a complete saddo loner. A few minutes after that conversation, while still strolling, I got an email from my wife: a link to a newspaper article titled "The best solo dining places in Melbourne". Divine providence. I read the article and picked one of the spots on the list: Cumulus Up. And it worked out wonderfully. Cumulus Inc is a lauded eating house on Flinders Lane. Cumulus Up is their upstairs wine bar. It has several tables, but also has bar seating (good for solo dining) and serves their full food menu (good for the hungry). It's a very loud, busy, packed place to eat and dine, and I was shoulder-to-shoulder at the bar. But it worked out great: I could chat with the servers, and from my position could watch all the various and busy kitchen activities that go on in a quality dining establishment. Fun. The meal was excellent: a Scotch egg in gravy and foie gras on a waffle to start, then some delicious roast chicken and green for the main. Accompanied by a couple of glasses of regional wine it was an experience to savour. Staff couldn't have done for me. Even the crew in the kitchen shared a few knowing winks with me when I observed their shenanigans. read more