As shared with Adelady…
You’re looking at me like I’m crazy. Mitcham Square is just a shopping centre, and it’s not even a Burnside Village or Rundle Mall with lots of dangerous money pits called shoe stores. But no, when making a hierarchal list of things I miss most about Adelaide (my ex-home state), Mitcham Square Shopping Centre is up there in the top 10.
Before packing up my life’s possessions into poorly packed boxes and moving to Melbourne, I did live 300 metres from the Belair Road retail complex, so it kind of made sense that it was my quasi wardrobe, wine rack and fridge. With everything from clothing and cafes to a green grocer and Goodlife gym, Mitcham Square Shopping Centre is a one-stop cluster of convenience.
Here are some of my favourite Mitcham Square Shopping Centre experiences:
Banana Boys
I’ve unsuccessfully scoured many a Melbourne laneways for a green grocer to replace my weekly Banana Boys fruit and veg jaunt, where I once had a giant pineapple follow me around the store trying to put pineapples in my shopping basket. True story. How can I replicate that?
Costumed, cartwheeling pineapples aside, for me, nothing quite compares to the quality of Banana Boys’ super fresh and extensive range of tomatoes, herbs, broccolini, etc; reasonably priced freshly cut flowers; and the most amazing range of salads.
I still have unrequited cravings for Banana Boys’ cous cous with parmesan, pesto pasta, and rocket and pear salads, which all come in a super convenient and cheap single serve or several larger family packs. Many a times did I arrive to an Adelaide BBQ with a Banana Boys salad stealthily transferred into a serving bowl, and casually pass it off as handmade (I just never mentioned it wasn’t my hands that made it).
Mitcham Foodland
Firstly, I miss being able to stock up on all the abundant South Australian produce that I took for granted and that’s so readily available in Adelaide. Secondly, Mitcham Foodland has the largest gourmet cheese selection you’ve ever seen in a supermarket – I just want to dive into it like the IKEA ball pit.
Mitcham Square Newsagency
Recently I walked 40 minutes up Melbourne’s Chapel Street to find a birthday card for my mother-in-law, traipsing from one tiny shop posing as a newsagent to another. I was on the hunt for an illusive ‘funny’ card. At the time, I was contemplating walking all the way to Mitcham Square Newsagency so that I could be immersed within its rack after rack of beautiful card choices.
Kabuki
After Kabuki opened at Mitcham Square Shopping Centre my husband often questioned why my grocery shopping time had doubled. Indeed I found browsing Kabuki’s racks stocked with the latest in fashion all very distracting but equally enjoyable.
Likewise, I used to waste a lot of grocery foraging time in Cleverdicks and Mint Fashion.
Poultry Options
I enjoy cooking as much as I enjoy watching Antiques Roadshow, so the hesitant chef in me loved Poultry Options’ wonderful range of pre-prepared patties, schnitzels, and (my favourite) chicken and haloumi skewers laden with garlic. Throw them on the BBQ, pair them with a Banana Boys salad and you have what I used to eat for dinner five nights out of seven.
Seafood Indulgence is just as good if you want to replace chicken and haloumi goodness with flathead or salmon.
Snowtex Fabric Care Dry Cleaning
My husband is quite adamant that Snowtex’s reasonably priced, 24-hour drop off and pick-up dry cleaning service changed his life. I mean, who enjoys ironing business shirts?
Wallis Mitcham
I don’t know what Wallis Mitcham sprinkle on their popcorn but it is the stuff of addiction. It’s a hard day when you follow the buttery smell upstairs like you’re being drawn in by the Pied Piper, remembering you only came to Mitcham Square for a loaf of bread not to see a movie.
With or without popcorn, the boutique cinema is also a nice place to go see a movie with comfy seats and not-your-usual-run-down facilities. Plus if you purchase a $20 Channel 9 telethon movie card it makes it super cheap, with a free ticket, 10x $11 tickets and a free bag of FruChocs.
Mitcham Square Shopping Centre | 119 Belair Road, Torrens Park, South Australia
Phone: (08) 8211 8777
mitchamsquare.com.au
