Nola James

Nola James

Nola is a Melbourne-based writer and photographer. After treading the boards in some of Melbourne and Tasmania’s best restaurants over the past 10 years she now has a largely unused Bachelor of Arts in Illustrative Photography from RMIT and a very useful Graduate Diploma in Journalism from UTas.

She is the author of one of Melbourne’s three zillion food blogs, Once A Waitress, and also gets paid to write about food and wine in real life.

After her recent return to the big smoke she is frequenting as many restaurants and bars as possible in order to catch up with her Melbourne contemporaries, and as a result is rapidly expanding.

Articles by Nola James

I can’t believe it’s not splutter

I can’t believe it’s not splutter

01 Oct 10 Butter is made by the simple act of churning cream. Margarine is a fake food that originated in a laboratory…... Read more

Our national dish: a big pile of meat

Our national dish: a big pile of meat

14 Feb 10 Much discussion has been had recently – mostly media engineered discussion to coincide with Australia Day and the launch of…... Read more

The nine biggest sins of packaged food

The nine biggest sins of packaged food

11 Jan 10 We live in a society where almost everything can be purchased single serve, individually wrapped and stuffed with enough preservatives…... Read more

Krushing independent purchasing decisions

Krushing independent purchasing decisions

23 Nov 09 Everyone’s favourite chicken shop (for anyone born after 1992, KFC stands for Kentucky Fried Chicken) has, very surprisingly, branched out…... Read more

The way to good cooking may be learning what not to do

The way to good cooking may be learning what not to do

14 Oct 09 My parents never taught me how to cook, they just taught me how not to. My 50-something father still burns…... Read more

The What Waiters Really Think Of You Awards 2009

The What Waiters Really Think Of You Awards 2009

15 Sep 09 The Gourmet Top 100, the Weekend Australian’s Top 50 Restaurants, The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide.…... Read more

MasterChef created a nation of know-nothing food tossers

MasterChef created a nation of know-nothing food tossers

02 Sep 09 MasterChef has a lot to answer for, and not just because my work colleagues have been spending their weekends at…... Read more

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La dole cheque vita is not so sweet on $16 a day

La dole cheque vita is not so sweet on $16 a day

Your task is simple. Here is $115.50. It must last one week. You have no savings, no assets, but thankfully…

Those greedy ATMs gobble up more than your card

Those greedy ATMs gobble up more than your card

We’ve been talking a lot about interest rates this week. And the 30 per cent of us who have mortgages…

Wrap of the week: It’s the economy, stupid

Wrap of the week: It’s the economy, stupid

There is a touch of Lleyton Hewitt about Julia Gillard. It is not merely that both are redheads or that…

Nosebleed Section

choice ringside rantings

From: Punch on: Open thread 09/02/2012

marley says:

I'm one of the older ones, so I've certainly seen a few changes in my time. When I started school I learned to write with a nib pen, dipped in an inkwell (no, I'm not kidding). My mother became a dab hand at getting inkstains out of my clothes. Flicking ink at one another in the classroom was an essential… [read more]

From: I’d rather have a piece of toast than listen to crap lyrics

Erick says:

Led Zeppelin are responsible for my all-time favourite mixed metaphor: "There you sit, sit and stare, like a book on a shelf rusting." (Misty Mountain Hop) I laugh every time I hear it. Hmmm, I believe I've decided what to play on the way to work today. [read more]

Gentle jabs to the ribs

No wuckin forries. These nuckin futs are tuckin fops

No wuckin forries. These nuckin futs are tuckin fops

Well, puck me with a fitchfork. The F-word is apparently an acceptable part of Australian speech. That’s… Read more

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