By Simone Mundy
You can have the best day out and REALLY Treat. Yo. Self on one of my favourite strips in Adelaide — Glen Osmond Road! Here’s my itinerary for the perfect day out, sans kids!
BAR 9
Bar 9 is one of the reasons you should make Glen Osmond Rd (GO Road) part of your morning routine. They understand the importance of using simple, seasonal and fresh ingredients. From the coffee beans to the tea leaves and the ingredients in your brunch, everything on the menu is carefully sourced to highlight the best and most current produce.
Treat Yo Self! They don’t just make you coffee, they are coffee artists — seriously check out their Instagram feed for some amazing pics of latte swans and tulips. Bar 9’s expertise in all things coffee is why they offer Barista Training and tea Masterclasses. Speaking of tea…
My friend once said everything is better after a hot shower and a hot cup of tea. I’ve been living this advice for the past 6 years — whenever I’m on the edge of a meltdown I know tea will be part of the solution.
Bar 9 understands tea, with over 30 blends to cure all forms of morning and afternoon-itis. They can tell you the farm the tea comes from and know how to make those leaves sing.
Now you are ready to take on the world…almost.
MABE
Nothing puts a little pep in your step like a good hair day. Treat Yo Self! Getting your hair ‘did’ is a ritual. Once I’ve booked my appointment at MABE I’m counting down the days until I see Martin because he knows my hair better than I do. I love watching him in the mirror, his mind working the possibilities of my hair while we chat about who I am at this very moment and seeing him imagine who I get to be until my next visit. Over the next few hours I settle in for the ritual.
I could tell you MABE has the most amazing massage chairs at the sink to relax in while they shampoo and treat my hair. I could tell you MABE use one of Adelaide’s finest brands, EVO Hair, that their mums make the most amazing treats to enjoy while I am being coloured or that the perfect playlist is always a point of conversation. I could tell you that each detail in the salon from handcrafted succulents, to the framed art in the toilets is a testament to their understanding of design. I probably shouldn’t tell you Martin has taken my hair through many shades over the years because every time it looks completely natural and you wouldn’t have known it wasn’t the beach and sun doing it.
They say “a haircut’s as good as a holiday” for a reason. Shedding your old self and transforming into a ‘new you’ is an experience that nobody does better than MABE – it’s why I’m proud to declare my loyal patronage. Let them unleash your inner socialite, Boho babe or Victoria’s Secret model. Treat Yo Self to a new do!
NAMOI DESIGNS
Once you have the new do you are going to need a new outfit, so head over the road to Namoi. This gorgeous boutique is the baby of Adelaide based designer Kalila Stewart-Davis. Kalila is my kind of designer – she knows how to mix fashion, comfort and individuality to produce effortlessly beautiful pieces. Whether you are tall and thin or rocking boobs and booty – Namoi pieces work with the drape of the natural textiles to show off your silhouette. The latest range features custom designed prints, and floaty fabrics to swan into spring and summer events.
All of Namoi’s clothing is manufactured in South Australia, Kalila even hand-makes many of the garments herself. If you prefer your dress isn’t sewn in by a child in a factory, then you can shop at Namoi guilt free because Kalila is able to tell you the exact location and names of each seamstress. Treat Yo Self to a stunning new outfit!
LITTLEEST VINTAGE
So clearly I’m a huge lover of well-made and beautifully designed pieces, and the past was full of them. Generations ago before life became so disposable, things were made to last. Shopping for vintage pieces for my home is one of my favourite things to do and Littlest Vintage has an amazing collection of furniture, homewares, clothing, giftware and generally loveliness.
It’s not all from the past either. Littlest Vintage has a great range from local designers including Mintcloud, Pip Kruger, Hunter & Hound, RJ Crosses and The Falling Axe. Their range of eclectic finds including chairs, cupboards, canisters and other things that don’t start with the letter ‘c’ could easily turn me into a full blown hoarder. Thank goodness they do hires as well!!
Treat Yo Self by throwing a party and head on into Littlest Vintage to deck it out. I had the pleasure of helping run an inspired little music event in a park a while back and it was so much fun to convert a tree with sweeping branches into an beautiful little stage with vintage lanterns, books, animal heads and mismatched chairs. Throw an outdoor movie night with a projector, a sheet and some rows of retro wooden cinema chairs, or a gorgeous CWA inspired tea party with coloured steel chairs and cakes on vintage ceramics with all your besties.
JENNY’S BAKERY
Image credit: @jennysbakeryadl
Then… let them eat cake! Two years ago I took it upon myself to try and sample every single cake at Jenny’s Bakery – and if you have been there you will know that’s an impressive challenge. On my lunchbreaks I would run wander over to do as the saying goes – Eat dessert first! Treat Yo Self!
Image credit: @jennysbakeryadl
I worked my way through the friands at least four times. Their lemon tart is the answer to the meaning of life. You are welcome. Baking daily you can be sure of freshness and quality – they approach their baking with the love it deserves.
Head down to GO Road and see them. The selection is a tongue twister of treats –Flans, Friands, Chouxs, Crumbles, Cronuts, Eclairs, Sponges, Slices, Brownies, Bombolini, Pies, Puffs, Rumbaba, Zeppole and Torta Della Nonnas – Try saying that 10 times quickly. You may see their cakes and biscuits at other Adelaide locations but this is the source of the slices. The best part is you can even stalk the cakes right out of the oven by following them on Instagram. Try watching that feed and not start drooling!
Image credit: @jennysbakeryadl
WOLFIES RECORDS
Right ladies, I’ve got you caffeinated, hair did, outfit sorted, party styled, desserts covered, now you just need a soundtrack! Everyone loves music, but there is nothing worse than listening to your 80’s mix skipping through your clapped out 90’s mini-system or the ‘shh-shhh-shh’ breakup from your phone to the wireless speaker at a party. You need quality sound. Treat Yo Self and head into Wolfies Records for all your music needs.
Wolfies has one of the finest selections of Vinyl in Adelaide and HI-FI equipment to play it on too. There is an audible difference in sound quality when you play your favourites on a turntable. Comparing vinyl to an MP3 is like drinking a Grange wine instead of chugging from a Goon bag. Whether you like Soul, Disco, Hip Hop, Rock, Blues and Roots or Alternative – Wolfies has the old, the new and the hard-to-find.
Indulge your auditory pleasure and go and pick up some vinyl from Wolfies, or upgrade your whole sound system so you can hear your music the way our Rock Gods intended.
And don’t forget girls, TREAT YO SELF!
Simone xx
:: Sponsored by selected Glen Osmond Road retailers ::
