Melbourne Good Food Month 2015: week four creative director's picks

It's been three weeks of ramen raves, smoked mussel parties, secret kaiseki dinners and Serious Talk with the world's sharpest food writers. We've hit the home stretch of The Age Good Food Month, presented by Citi.

The Night Noodle Markets have a week to go and tonight (Friday, November 20) Masterchef's Gary Mehigan, is doing a meet and greet at the Citi VIP area from 5.30pm.

But it's also time for all things sugar. Big Gay Ice Cream's Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff have landed from New York, and will be teaming up with Gelato Messina for an Ice Cream Social and Sweetfest: two days of sweet stuff at the Meat Market.

Here are our top picks for the final week.

Ice Cream Social with Big Gay Ice Cream and Gelato Messina

It's ice-cream, drinks and CC:Disco spinning sweet, sweet disco tracks at Thousand Pound Bend. What else do you need to know? Big Gay Ice Cream and Gelato Messina will be serving up Salty Pimp cones, mini versions of Messina's magic mushroom cakes and Fairy Bread pops.

Thousand Pound Bend, 361 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, $30, November 26, 6.30pm TICKETS

Sweetfest

International, national and local superstar cake and confectionary talent are ready to set up shop or take to the stage at North Melbourne's Meat Market for Melbourne's biggest sugar festival. The 20-stall marketplace features Black Star Pastry, Shortstop Coffee and Donuts, St.Gerry's, N2 Extreme Gelato and LuxBite, with grilled-cheese wagon Maker and Monger bringing savoury reprieve. Black Pearl, currently No.10 on the world's best bars list, is running a cocktail bar and handing out glasses of sparkling on arrival. Masterclass demonstrations include the aforementioned American heroes of soft-serve, Big Gay Ice Cream; sweet fiend Katherine Sabbath (Sydney); dessert queen Philippa 'Snickers Dessert' Sibley and the king of dessert-for-dinner degustations Pierre Roelofs.

5 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne, $20 (includes a glass of Redbank Emily Cuvee), Saturday November 28, 9am-1pm and 2pm-6pm; Sunday November 29, 9am-1pm and 2pm-6pm; TICKETS

Merah Putih at Dandelion

Chef Kieran Morland from top Bali restaurant Merah Putih​ is taking over the Dandelion kitchen in Elwood, creating 10 banquet-style dishes showcasing his modern spin on classic Indonesian recipes including Balinese slipper lobster with cauliflower and ginger.

133 Ormond Road, Elwood, $140 (includes a glass of Laurent Perrier on arrival and selected matched wines), Tuesday, November 24, 7pm-10pm, dandelion.ws/mp

No Bull: An all-vegan affair

Off the back of some successful vegan dinners, Shane Delia is doing another Middle Eastern influenced evening of food without faces.

Maha, 21 Bond Street, Melbourne, $95, Tuesday, November 24, 7pm-10.30pm, bookings@maharestaurant.com.au

The ultimate cocktail party at home

EDV is hosting its final masterclass for Good Food Month this Saturday – at cocktail hour. In 90 minutes, and over cocktails and tapas, learn how to throw the home cocktail party of your dreams: the dos and don'ts, the cocktails and food options, as well as some industry tricks. The session includes three cocktails and some tapas.

EDV, 1 Malthouse Lane, Melbourne, $75, Saturday, November 28, 5.15pm-6.45pm, eaudevie.com.au

Martini: A wet, dry & dirty history

The martini has long been enjoyed by kings and movie stars. Enjoy a historical tasting tour and learn the dos and don'ts of what makes the martini the cocktail of cocktails. Part-masterclass, part history lesson, you'll get six mini martinis matched to food.

Gin Palace, 10 Russell Place, Melbourne, $60, Wednesday, November 25, 6.30pm-8.30pm, ginpalace.com.au

Mamasita Marisquería: Baja California, Sonora y Sinaloa

A Marisqueria, for those unfamiliar, is a seafood shop, and ahead of the opening of Mamasita's open-air marisqueria (word is, the rooftop area will open mid next year), Mamasita is throwing a seafood party with specialties from Baja California, Sonora and Sinaloa. It's a Sunday session of margaritas, mescal, seafood tacos, ceviche, barbecue and caldo.

Level 1/11 Collins Street, Melbourne, $95 (includes matched drinks), Sunday, November 29; 12.30pm-3.30pm, mamasita.com.au

Tradition to today's table at BangPop

Over a seven-course degustation, taste traditional Thai dishes made from Australian produce, cooked using modern techniques and plated in new, creative ways.

35 South Wharf Promenade, South Wharf, $69 (extra $35 for matched wines), Thursday, November 26, 6.30pm-9.30pm, 03 9245 9800.

Vegan and the vine

For vegans, wine is one of the more difficult stumbling blocks as fining agents are often animal product based. This year's vegan and the vine dinner will take place at Transformer, the new upscale vegetarian and vegan sister to Vegie Bar. Four courses will be matched with Yalumba wines. Winemaker Sam Wigan will be there to talk through the winemaking process.

99 Rose Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne, $100 (includes matched vegan wines), Monday, November 23, TICKETS