Golden Fields – Fitzroy St, St Kilda

Another one of Andrew Mc Connell’s establishments that has hit the Melbourne dining scene with  quite a bang. This is McConnell’s first solo venture financially without the involvement of business partners.

His restaurants have distinct charm and sense of style that you want to emulate in your own home. As I was sitting against the back wall while having dinner and looking out over the dining space, I thought to myself, he has such a distinct aesthetic  - you know when you’re in a McConnell restaurant. The feel is always relaxed but there is an uber-chic edginess to how he puts it altogether. He really does set the trend for his bracket. The other thing that I have to say up front is that the staff in any of his restaurants are always spot on, accommodating and knowledgable. No easy feat in an industry that is fickle and sometimes overly egotistical and sensitive.

So to the important bits – what we ate and drank. We started with a couple of beers easing our way into a bottle of Prager Hinter der Burg Gruner Veltliner. Gruners are a great all-rounder when it comes to mixing spicy food at varying degrees of heat and complexity from a menu. They’re relatively neutral but still have enough perfume and texture to intrigue you. We started with King Salmon served with Chinese mustard, pickled shallots, ginger and cucumber. A stunning dish, very delicate. The flavours and textures hit every sense and made this one of the most memorable of the night. We enjoyed with the Grass fed Black Angus beef with Kimchi puree , egg yolk and crudite. This is the Golden Fields take on steak tartare – very good, but not quite enough oomph for me (or my dining friend), it was still enjoyable none the less.

Following our entrees we moved onto some fabulous plates to share which included: Crispy soft shell Mud Crab with fried egg aioli, scuds (very hot chilli’s) and holy basil;  fabulous twice cooked duck served with freshly made steamed bread, vinegar and plum sauce. This on it’s on was just plain hedonistic. The bread is what made this dish, if it hadn’t been freshly made to a recipe to cope with the level of steaming, it would have just been limp and revolting – no matter how good the duck was. Another testament to reaffirm the importance of technique!

Not to be outdone, and yes the Gruner was still with us at this stage, we shared whole crispy flounder – to be honest they’ve taken it off the menu and I can’t remember what else was with it! Apologies. It was delicious though and the perfect little match to mixed greens and XO. I have to say that by this stage I was very content, not ready to leave but feeling just right about my level of fullness.  Again my dining partner who has a secret  sweet tooth, reminded me of the importance of dessert. It was a knowing look but a reminder none the less…. Just was well I’m running in the morning I thought to myself.

We absolutely devoured the Peanut Butter parfait with salted caramel and soft chocolate along with the baked Meringue accompanied by vanilla, rose and lychee.  There has been a lot of talk about the New England Lobster Roll in the media recently, but seriously have those guys tried these desserts? Heavenly and just so balanced. Unbelievable.  Of course we enjoyed our desserts with a glass of Madeira from Henriques & Henriques as well as a cheeky Sauterne from Roumieu Lacoste.

Following two short blacks and a very reasonable bill, we were home by 11pm, perfect. I can see us going there on a regular basis to be honest. It’s one of those restaurants that just feels good on every level as well as the menu and winelist being tweaked regularly. I totally recommend Golden Fields as a date night venue or a place where you can hook up with friends and relax in comfortable company. And for those of you wondering, yes I did get up and run the next morning!

The Smith, High St Prahran

The next in Michael Lambie’s growing gastro-pub empire, The Smith Hotel opened quietly in late August. The location is perfect for Lambie’s new project, as this part of Prahran is crying out for some jooj by way of sexed up food, smart dining environment and incredibly friendly staff. As we walked through the door we were warmly greeted by Scott Borg, co owner and former manager of Taxi at Federation Square.

Walking through the perfectly lit bar to the back of the hotel to reach the dining room gave us a chance to take in the smart design and construction, the fit out is rumoured to be in the vicinity of $4m. Not bad if you can get it! A strong theme based around the principles of art deco runs through the interior design and branding of The Smith giving it a cool edginess.  It says we’re sophisticated and cool, but we like fun and we’re very stylish.

We dined on a Sunday night with a relatively laid back crowd who like us, had gone in to check out the new digs and see whether or not the hotel would be up to Lambie’s usual high standard. Well I can assure you that it was, in spades. This has to be some of Lambie’s best food to date and the front of house team that he has to support this are obliging, friendly and efficient. There were a few hiccups here and there but that is to be expected when a business is still finding its feet. I’m of the opinion that if the food is great and the staff are genuinely interested and care about your experience, small hiccups are a not worth getting concerned over.

The menu had a very fresh and modern approach to its structure and selection of dishes. There’s a real emphasis on seasonality and freshness and I don’t mean freshness in that literal patronising sense, I mean freshness as in the flavours zing, the textures support and the presentation is smart while not being over the top with coolness.

We started with an obligatory half-dozen oysters, freshly schucked and garnished with Blue Swimmer crab salad and Jalapeno ‘hit’ – divine. A great cleanse for our palates and our minds in preparation for the rest of our menu.

As we were driving, we shared a bottle of 2009 Bernard Defaix Vaillons 1er Cru Chablis, which in true Chablis style just lent itself to the wide spectrum of flavours and styles that we ate. If ever you’re agonising over a bottle of wine to order and are limited to one, go for Chablis. It’s hands down one of the most versatile styles you can enjoy. It’s also a lot cheaper than White Burgundy!  Following our oysters we shared tempura soft shell crab and the foie gras and duck terrine before moving onto our mains. Elegant in their presentation, both dishes were a heady integration of freshness and balance of flavours. All the dishes that we had on Sunday night were also very generous with their serves. I actually struggled to fit dessert in, but more on that later.

For mains we couldn’t go past the confit of rare breed pork belly and the roast breast and leg of duck with crispy spring roll and Shaoxing wine. How on earth they got that toffee like top on the pork belly while the rest of the meat and fat were like silk is a glorious mystery. It was stunning and the spiced apple chutney that accompanied was the perfect complement. The duck was brilliant. Roasting game meat (for an amateur like me) is always something that sends a shiver or two. Game meats prefer long slow braises or confit style cooking. Roasting will certainly accentuate the flavour but sometimes at the expense of the texture. Not so here, the texture and flavours were subtle and elegant, the presentation again was spot on. Our humble Chablis matched both dishes perfectly and manged to last until the end of our mains which is no mean feat for either of us to say the least.

So we embarked on dessert. I took some convincing due to a full stomach but as my dining partner rightfully reminded me, dessert is where it’s at. It’s the last food experience that you will have before you leave the restaurant, so there is a lot riding on it. The same for coffee. So we shared the passionfruit creme caramel with poached winter fruits and coconut sorbet. My god – it was stunning. Of all the dishes that we had this was probably the least with tonal contrast but the technical execution was superb. Both creme caramel and sorbet are so easy to screw up due to their simplicity. Both were light and creamy and the sorbet in particular had not an ice crystal in sight. What a glorious way to finish not just a Sunday night but the weekend. A couple of very good espressos saw us finalising our very reasonable bill and heading home ready to face a new week.

The Smith is a great venue for a lunch with friends or a last minute date night with your partner. It’s a little noisy due to the starkness of the design inside but that just adds to the overall experience. Remember, you’re in a pub after all. It’s certainly a space that I would return to time and again, we were very happy. Do book though, the dining room is not huge and you don’t want to be disappointed, especially when I’ve built you’re expectations up so much!

http://www.thesmithprahran.com.au/

Cutler & Co. – Gertrude St, Fitzroy

I recently had the sheer pleasure of dining at Cutler and Co for the second time this year. The first time was with a bunch of hospitality and wine professionals, which to say the very least was exquisite. This time though it was with my partner and we were completely blown away by the attention to detail, the sensation throughout the night of being thoroughly spoiled and of the course the menu that was offered.  Cutler, as well as serving some of Melbourne’s smartest, not to mention sexiest food, it’s also one of the most accessible and stylish restaurants this city has to offer. Mc Connell’s menu is easy to interpret, stunningly presented and very reasonably priced. Likewise the wine list. Selections are interesting, affordable and complement the menu perfectly. FYI – they have been voted by Australian Gourmet Traveller as the third top restaurant in the country. Nice one.

Like Mc Connell’s other restaurants, Cutler is a feast for all your senses. It’s cutting edge design is chic in its elegance and simplicity. The music is barely audible but resonates a perfect beat and genre for the dining room. And the most important asset for your senses of course (aside from Mc Connell himself) are the staff. Professional, discrete, obliging and knowledgable – together they keep your senses on the simmer and you don’t even know it – and that is truly an art.

So getting down to business, we started by sharing six freshly shucked Claire de Lune and Petit Clair oysters – both from Bateman’s Bay in NSW. A half bottle of 2008 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay was a great accompaniment to these as well as the rest of our entrees. Following the mandatory oyster obsession we shared Cured Kingfish with pickled cucumber, avocado, octopus and ginger as well as Poached Chicken, foie gras, spring onion, quinoa & prune.  Both dishes were elegantly presented and full of flavour, texture and interest. I just loved the combination of ingredients and cooking methods. As a mid course ‘gift’ Cutler’s Assistant Manager organised a Jerusalem Artichoke soup, Hervey Bay scallops, apple and chestnuts. The chef added a couple of slices of Abalone that just happened to be in the kitchen, taking the evening’s pampering to a whole new level.

We’d pre ordered a half bottle of 2007 Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanee and asked for it to be opened so as it had some time to breathe up for our main courses which like the rest of the menu so far were just beyond what we were expecting.  We shared Suckling Pig with Morcilla (Spanish Blood sausage), sweet and sour shallots and almond. The presentation was classic and elegant, the flavours and aromas were deeply resonating. This dish alone, is one that I would return for. To balance the richness of the pork we selected the Wild Barramundi with Crystal Bay prawns, young garlic, grilled leek and nettle. Sublime.

I was so content by this stage, but as they say, there is no rest for the wicked and the desserts at Cutler do inspire a sense of caloric wickedness -in a good way of course!. We shared the Pain Perdu, spiced ricotta and rosemary poached quince. It was incredible. Pain Perdu is like the royal version of French toast. The dish and its components were nothing short of modern and sophisticated, a pleasure to indulge in. Not to be out done we finished with the Chocolate ice-cream sandwich, vanilla parfait and salted caramel. As soon as I read ‘salted caramel’ I was there. And what sensual dessert this was to finish on.

Cutler and Co is a restaurant that you can dine in and feel as though you are truly anywhere in the world. The menu is inspiring, the wine list is intriguing and the staff are devotees to the school controlled indulgence. The best part of course is that an experience at Cutler and Co will not leave you on the verge of pennilessness. This truly is a restaurant that should be on your list of ‘must visits’ in 2011. And if it isn’t? Well I think you know what to do.

http://www.cutlerandco.com.au/

Spice Temple – Crown Casino

Another one of Neil Perry’s gems in his seamingly never ending restaurant empire. Located right next door to his flagship Melbourne restaurant, Rockpool, Spice Temple is a journey of textures and aromas. The restaurant itself was dimly lit and had a relaxed feel to it’s set up making it a good choice for a night out that will excite all your sense but not send them into overdrive.

The menu and wine-list are both on their website so of course I downloaded them to do a little ‘research’ before we dined. The only problem though was that I wanted to try just about everything on their menu! The wine-list is equally as impressive and it’s limited (purposely) to just 100 wines, making decision making just that much easier. The Sommelier has carefully selected wines that complement the menu style which is always a winner in my book. It’s important that wine and food complement one another, not one trying to outdo they other. That theory works beautifully here.

So to the business….. We started with a bottle of Dr Loosen Mosel which was nothing short of pure sexiness in a glass. I’m a big fan of German Rieslings, and especially more so when they are matched with Asian flavours. We shared several dishes to whet our appetite starting with fried squid cooked with whole five spice and dark chilli paste, stir fried sea scallops with velvet noodles chilli paste and Guangxi style roast pork belly with tofu, coriander,peanuts, red onion and sesame seeds. All dishes were impressive in their presentation but the standouts were by far the squid and the pork. The squid was aromatically insane – I’ve never seen or even tasted squid done like this before, it was simply stunning. The pork belly was a journey in textures. The flavours, the freshness and not mention the pork belly that was so crisp and sliced so finely was sublime and a perfect balance to the other two dishes. And the wine of course!

We grazed on our entrees as we decided on our mains. After taking the plunge again, we enjoyed stir fried spanner crab cooked with whole garlic, chilli and coriander as well as stir fried Wagyu brisket with asparagus, pickled chilli and sweet bean paste. Steamed rice and Chinese broccoli with house-made oyster sauce accompanied. With this we drank a bottle of Tollot-Beaut 1er Cru (Burgundy), which was another perfect match. We were onto a good thing!

Again our main courses were nothing short of exceptional. Both were flavoursome and cooked perfectly. We ordered just the right amount, feeling content as we wound up our evening.

The staff it has to be said were discrete, professional and efficient. Nothing was too much to ask and no one thankfully was hovering at our table which is easily one of my pet hates when dining out.

All up it was a memorable night of dining and conversation. Spice temple is a venue that instantly makes you feel at ease, its perfect for ‘date-night’ or if you’re at Crown and want to treat your all your senses, you know what to do.

http://www.spicetemplemelbourne.com/

 

Winter Wonderland at Carousel….

Terroso are delighted to be associated with the Lighthouse’s Mums and Bubs Fundraiser last night at Carousel. Well done to all that attended, ate drank and donated!

what a beautiful night!

visit http://www.lighthousefoundation.org.au/ to read more about the very wonderful and inspirational Susan Barton and all that she does for homeless youth and of cause the Mums and Bubs House in Heathmont who this dinner was in aid of.

 

Ten great things to do in a Melbourne Winter (that involve food and wine of course!)

• Rug up, take a big empty basket and hit your local farmers market. Not only are you supporting small independent local businesses, you get to taste, sample and stock up http://www.vicfarmersmarkets.org.au/

• Ask your Nan for her marmalade recipe and do something with all those lemons from your tree (or your neighbours)Just think 101 ways with a lemon

•  Visit the library (plenty of cool DVDs, cd and books –all free) perfect relaxing material to go with that glass of Shiraz by the fire. http://librarysearch.melbourne.vic.gov.au/opac/

• Pack a picnic, a thermos with hot sweet tea, a bottle of Pinot, a baguette and terrine from La Parisienne on Lygon St, a couple of gold bars from Burche and Purchese and a BIG blanky. Head to any one of Victoria’s amazing beaches and live on the wild side. http://burchandpurchese.blogspot.com/

• Sunday Yum Cha at 12-1 and 1-2 fantastic for kids too! Shark Fin Inn, Little Bourke St

• Enjoy a glass of Champagne at Melbourne Supper Club after dinner at Cutler and Co http://www.barengine.com/bar/Melbourne-Supper-Club-Australia-AU-3000                   http://www.cutlerandco.com.au/

• Make a curry from scratch, think pale ale, plenty of naan, chutney and Monsoon wedding

• Winter is the peak time for OYSTERS! Best in season are Sydney Rock, Coffin Bay and Smokey Bay (SA). Make sure you’re shucking and sucking, oysters oxidize super quick, best consumed as they are opened, with a glass of Chablis!

• Looking for inspiration visit Books for Cooks - impossible to walk out of without something to read! http://www.booksforcooks.com.au/

If all else fails…

Turn the heating to 28, put your swimmers on and your best Ibiza tracks and mix a mimosa!

 

Town Hall Hotel – Johnston St, Fitzroy

I caught up with a couple of old colleagues at the Town Hall Hotel a couple of weeks ago and have to say it was pretty impressive. Having worked for many years at the finer end of the dining scene, I love gastropubs and especially those that have a strong cuisine theme which is Italian here at the Town Hall.

The interior of the hotel is stylishly relaxed and  welcoming, no blonde wood here! The bistro/dining room is replete with open fires, large mirrors ensconced in gorgeous heavy frames and retro liqueur posters that adorn the walls. There is an immediate sense of warmth and relaxation as you walk into the room.

The boys I was meeting had already started with a couple of beers, so I started with a glass of Pieropan Soave – this is a wine  that will always be a winner in my book. The palate is always clean and refreshing, it’s a great wine to start any night. We shared bacala arancini and an antipasto to start.  Both were really generous in their serve as well as flavour and the presentation of both dishes was smart without being overdone or decorative for the sake of it.

For main course, the boys shared an amazing sirloin (about 500g) that was one of the specials for the night. It was succulent and cooked to perfection with seasonal vegetables to share. Let me tell you that both of them are large lads – over 6″2 and they struggled to finish. I had to help out of course! I ordered the lemon risotto with fresh prawns. I’m always up for a risotto especially one as good as what this was. Risotto is one of those dishes that is so easy to get wrong in a technical sense. We ordered the Wild Duck Estate Yellow Hill Shiraz, which by admission was not the best food and wine match for my risotto, but let’s face it, I was outnumbered. I also really wanted to try it, as have been hearing a lot about this wine lately. The wine certainly didn’t disappoint.

The Town Hall Hotel is owned and operated by Harry Lillai (think Cecconi’s) and Luca Montebelli (think Bistro Thierry). Both these guys have been a major part (and influence) of the Melbourne food and wine scene for many years and enjoy nothing more than seasonal menus with honest flavours and food that is not overworked. The wine-list a great complement to the menu. It’s easy to read and I can assure you that you will find an interesting wine to drink to accompany whatever you may be eating. The service here is lovely also, not a skeric of attitude and staff are obliging and efficient. I love that!!!

After a bit of chit-chat and some time let our mains digest, we all decided to have a dessert – none of us being dessert eaters, this was big for us! A tiramisu, a pannacotta and a cassata were the perfect finish to our night. We were all in heaven in gastronomic heaven and not one of us was feeling at all ‘stuffed’, just very, very content.

If you’re in the Fitzroy neighbourhood, actually even if you’re not, the Town Hall Hotel is definitely worth a visit. Time and time again.

http://www.townhallhotel.net.au/

Newmarket Hotel, Inkerman St St Kilda

I had the pleasure of joining a friend at the Newmarket Hotel in St Kilda a couple of weeks ago and was pretty impressed with the whole package. I googled the venue before hand mainly because I really like to check out the decor and wine list before I start to get excited – a bit sad I know but a remnant of my former days running restaurants and writing wine-lists I’m afraid.

The theme here is that Californian/Mexico vibe, but done without those hideous thick glasses with the blue rims. It’s actually a very sexy fit out and the perfect place for dinner, a drink, a date or just to have a glass of vino and read a book quietly which as a parent is just glorious!

Chef is Paul Wilson (Botanical) and the food was seasonal, sexy in its presentation and not too badly priced. My companion knows Paul – who happened to be there the night we were, which I believe is always a good sign when the chef is at his own establishment eating from his menu. We promptly ordered a bottle of Chablis and freshly shucked Sydney Rock Oysters. We also shared a plate of incredible tuna carpaccio as well as a very impressive fritto misto. There were a few other things but I can’t remember what they were. The only thing that I wasn’t overly excited about was the cheese offering and when it came to our table, it was a little bit ‘too cool’. the portion was small and there were not enough crackers. I love generosity with cheese – I don’t run three times a week to keep fit for goodness sake! 

The only wines they serve by the glass are wines that are made under contract by the champions in the industry. Following the Chablis we both felt like a glass of red so ordered a glass of Tempranillo. It was made in the Barossa Valley (my old stomping ground) and served in very cool little flat bottomed glasses which carried on the ‘relaxed’ theme.

Coffee was pretty good also, we both finished with a short black, always a good way to measure the mettle of the barista. All up I thought it was value for money and would definitely good back. After years working in fine dining the thought of going to a fine dining restaurant sends the odd shiver up my spine. Nothing better than sexy pub food or smart dining like at Cutler and Co. to keep me happy. It was a really relaxed night and the staff were helpful and available. Always a big tick in my book.

2007 Domaine de Mourchon Cotes du Rhone Villages $31

Tasted 11 April 2011

I’ve been tasting this wine for more than five years now and this is one of the best bottles that I’ve had – shame really, that it came to an end.

A velvety deep red in the glass – it was so inviting, I just wanted to dive right in! Once it opened up and it took some time, I detected layers of aniseed, red fruits, spice, aromatics, lifted florals and sarsaparilla.

Yes – there was a lot going on in that glass.

The structure is just seamless. The fruit integration was very fine the wine has a really supple juicy palate. Tannins were certainly alive and kicking as you would expect in a good Southern Rhône wine, but they were well and truly balanced and added to the length.

Made from fruit grown on vines with a minimum of 40 years age, this is 65% grenache, 25% syrah and 10% carignan. The one thing that blows me away every time I taste this wine is that it’s aged in large, fully lined concrete vats – not in oak.

Southern Rhône styles are largely grenache based. Their vines are more often than not, much older than most here in Oz (with the exception of the Barossa Valley) and grown in such poor soils that the result is very savoury, deeply flavoured and expressive wines.

So, what to eat with a wine that is not only robust and full of flavour, but also stylish and powerful? Slow cooked beef in red wine is perfect with a wine of this caliber.  Include plenty of bacon, mushrooms and thyme to add texture and complement the aromatics of the Domaine de Mourchon.

The 2007 Rhône vintage has been widely acclaimed, with excellent wines produced both in the Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône sub regions. Robert Parker called it, “a truly historic and profoundly good vintage” adding that it “may be the most compelling vintage of any viticultural region I have ever tasted.”

Jaime Good ‘A beautiful expression of the southern Rhone, this is a deep coloured wine with lovely sweet dark cherry, blackberry and plum fruit aromatics as well as hints of meat and spice. The palate shows lovely sweet vivid fruit but with added meat and pepper complexity adding a deliciously savoury counter to the ripe fruit. It’s dense and well structured but lush and smooth at the same time. Really successful, modern but interesting with plenty of non-fruit complexity.’ 91/100

Robert Parker Jnr. ‘One of the reference point estates in the southern Cotes du Rhône. Domaine de Mourchon is situated in the charmingly beautiful Provencal hill top village of Seguret. This is a tour de force in winemaking from the Cotes du Rhône-Villages Seguret. Kudos to Domaine de Mourchon! These splendid Cuvées are all worth buying by the caseload.’

2009 Domaine de La Madone Fleurie ‘La Madone’ Cuvée Vielles Vignes $39.00

Tasted 8th April 2011

Nestled between the Beaujolais crus of Moulin-a-Vent and Chiroubles, Fleurie, thanks to the pink granite terroir, is known for producing some of the Beaujolais’ most aromatic and intriguing wines.  

Beaujolais may not be the trendiest or most fashionable of wine regions – but this in itself adds to the enigma of the region. It also explains my complete fascination with the wines from this Appellation.

 A really deep red in the glass, packed with dark red fruits and earth on the nose. This is a wine that I’ve often put on wine lists (in my previous life) and it’s never disappointed me, guests nor the chef either for that matter. It just lends itself to such a spectrum of foods and flavours because it’s just so damn aromatic, fleshy and layered on the palate.

 I enjoy wines that are accessible and lend themselves to food, after all – isn’t that what it’s all about? Cru Beaujolais is a style that lends itself to stylish comfort food and good friends year round. When I tasted this in April, I served it with roasted rack of lamb, crunchy rosemary roasted spuds and a fennel salad – delish! In winter, dishes that incorporate duck, lamb and fragrant chicken braises, go wonderfully well with Fleurie (or any other cru Beaujolais).

 Jasper Morris MW describes the wines from the 2009 vintage in Beaujolais as‘revolutionary… coming at a time when the world seems keen to seen a revival of this once iconic region’                                                                                                                                                                                

 Andrew Jefford is a big fan of Jean Marc Depres, 9ha domaine in Fleurie making the comment in ‘The New France’ ‘it’s a reliable source for the deliciously soft and quenching wine. The Vielles Vignes is especially good’.

 Jancis Robinson MW agrees that Domaine de La Madone‘is one of the most admired producers of Fleurie’.