28 Nov
There is not much in the way of interesting food out in Fawkner……me, being used to Kew, have been taking some time to get used to the travel involved in getting anywhere that I consider decent!
But, it seems if I wait long enough places will come to me!
24 Sep
Waiheke Snapper & Coromandel Smoked Kahawai Dumpling with Spannercrab choucroute, parsley, lemon
Deciding on a long weekend away on Waiheke Island off Auckland involved the important research into where to eat whilst there.
This was to be the last trip OS for me before the baby is due or I am too pregnant to fly so I wanted to make the most of it.
After considerable research and consultation with natives I settled on a lunch on the Friday we arrived at Mudbrick restaurant.
There is a nice wow factor on arriving at Mudbrick, with lovely gardens make a welcoming view…with produce gardens also on view.
After being seated near a huge open fireplace with additional heating above us we could see what a great view was also outside the large glass doors.
Having perused the menu we were served with Bread and Olives, a classic way to start any meal and a
Mudbrick Gurnard with Cauliflower Puree and Dauphinoise potato
personal favourite. Along with the bread came two small shot glasses with gazpacho ( a nice Amuse Bouche )with a capsicum foam ( in this case the foam worked and was not some kind of add on to show how clever the chef is). A cleansing and very fresh tasting start.
We decided against having entree and stuck to a main only, you never know what desserts might be there to tempt you. I ordered the daily special of Gurnard with Cauliflower Puree and Dauphinoise potato, my friend ordering the snapper from the menu.
It is unusual to be so impressed with our meals that I take out my camera to capture the moment but the presentation was so impressive it was a no brainer.
Along with our meals we ordered some truffle mash…..which almost outshone the mains, but not quite. We did our best but were still unable to finish it all off.
No room for dessert I am afraid, we stumbled out into the wild weather fully satisfied but not stuffed….the food is of a very high standard and fresh…leaving you without the feeling of heaviness that can happen with more processed meals.
Highly highly recommended!!
13 Sep
Having moved to the north of Coburg not long ago, I have been missing the ability to walk to a nice cafe that we had in Kew.
We have been travelling as far as we need to to find decent coffee and food for brekky on the weekends and were very excited to hear of Jackson Dodds….just across the creek!
We finally found the place, if you are driving by it can be hard to spot with the end of the tram line just in front….but happily found a park and headed in to sample.
Ordering coffee we settled in to read the menu, there are the usual eggs etc but with some nice alternatives including Pea and Haloumi fritters….which I ordered.
The coffee took a while to arrive, although I think that had more to do with staff not being on deck at the time.
The food was faster and mine was lovely and exactly as I thought…I had ordered a side of scrambled egg and this was cooked perfectly.
My brekky partner had eggs and sausage, with the sausage looking a little sorry for itself on the plate, not the usual fat ones you see at most places. They tasted good on all accounts though and there was silence as we worked our way through our meals.
The people sharing the space were a mix of locals there for take away coffee and bacon + egg rolls and families enjoying some time out…..the number of prams at that time of morning was a good sign we were right to go early, it could get hectic at full capacity + children.
With the weather warming up the outside tables will be a nice place to read the paper.
A great addition to the area and I look forward to making it more of a habit in the future.
Here is the review in The Age.
1 Sep
I tend to avoid the city end of Lygon St due to the large number of tourist stalking ‘Italian’ eateries….Balzari you are the exception….but was told of a place to try for really great Pizza.
Not usually a pizza eater I was only tempted due to my current morning sickness only being tamed with large amounts of Carbohydrates….so thought if I was going to eat carbs I may as well do it with some style.
Denominazione O’origine Controllata D.O.C for short……is at 295 Drummond, a little corner place with simple style.
As soon as I saw the range of Bufallo Mozzarella I was a fan….although not able to eat it cold at the moment, I have this place marked as one to go to as soon as bubs is out.
The Pizza range is a simple one, and before ordering I saw many pass by our table and could see that the ingredients are not overloading the base…..always a nice sign.
I ordered the Wild Mushroom pizza, with extra Buffalo Mozzarella cooked on top ( hey, I had to have some any way I could). My dining companions ordered a Sausage pizza and my husband the capricciosa without cheese, which they were willing to do regardless of the note on the menu stating no changes allowed.
The service was fast and helpful, and the food arrived in a timely manner, the place was really full and the noise levels rose steadily, but it was not intrusive.
My pizza was really reall good, a nice spread of Sugo with tasty wild mushrooms….topped with Truffle oil and the cheese. It was HUGE but as it was not covered with too much topping it was manageable.
We still had a little room for some dessert…..husband chose the Gelati mix and I shared a nutella Calzone with Vanilla bean icecream. I would like it noted that I happen to think that Nutella is good hot with almost anything….banana and Nutella jaffles being one of my favourite things.
The calzone did not disappoint and we all shared it in the end, it being way too large for one to polish off.
A really pleasant find in a usually barren section of Carlton for foodies.
Another review to convince you
Visit Urban Spoon to view the menu
30 Aug
Having enjoyed many a lovely meal at Svago in Kew it was with great interest that I read in The Age of a recently opened Italian in Fitzroy that was compared favourably to above mentioned Svago.
As my diet is now limited due to being pregnant I am keen to try as many new places as I can and to work through any item I can consume, without be-moaning the loss of my favourites such as gooey cheese and Sashimi ( just have to hang on for 6 months).
We were lucky to get a table at short notice, the occassion to celebrate my birthday but due to dire morning sickness plans were left to the last minute…no point going somewhere lovely if you cannot enjoy the evening without dashing off to the amenities….and could leave the poor staff wondering what is going on!
So….firstly, the ambience is good, not too bright but you can still see the cutlery in front of you….and the noise was ok, even with tables filling up quickly around us.
I really enjoyed the fresh bread served with the usual salt and olive oil ( nothing wrong with what works!)…..the Olive oil was really high quality and it was hard not to fill up on that alone.
We shared some entree’s including an amazing SEPPIOLINE GRATINATE ( Baby cuttlefish gratinated with breadcrumbs,
anchovies, capers & extra virgin olive oil) Ok, I am not convinced that Gratinated is actually an official word…but I get the meaning. The Verdure pastellate con fonduta di taleggio (Seasonal vegetables in crispy batter with a Taleggio cheese fondue) was light and crunchy.
For mains, I ordered the rabbit (CONIGLIO STEMPERATO ALLA SICILIANA), my mother the Pork Belly and Husband the Ragu (SPAGHETTI ALLA CHITARRA CON RAGu ABRUZZESE) pasta….all dishes were served with a generous hand and without too much fuss….no huge plates and tiny hand placed sprigs for these dishes.
The Pork was a little bland and my rabbit was not as tender as it could have been…but overall the dishes were lovely.
I prefered the Tapas to the mains and would probably order a number of those rather than a main for my next visit.
Unfortunately there were no desserts that I could eat and that appealed…but I plan to go back once current condition has changed to try more of the menu.
I would recommed this as a nice place to visit, mostly for the Tapas….
One comment from my mum…the wine served was probably the smallest offering she had seen in a while.
Go, try, graze….
14 Dec
I have a soft spot for this place, h2b and I went there on the night he proposed….although it did not happen during dinner but before in the spare room at home out of the blue.
Anyway, we had eaten here before and decided it was a perfect place to celebrate a very special event… Continue reading
12 Nov
A new Yum Cha place found on the weekend, Plume at Doncaster.
I had been told about this place by Karl from REA over the years, and have just never made it out to Doncaster to try it out….to be honest, my memories of Doncaster Shopping Centre were so yuck that I had been put off for a long time.
17 Sep
Italian Tapas…..
small plates of very very good food
highest quality produce
staff who know what they are talking about
wide wine list
12 Sep
This is a French Bakery on Burwood Rd in Hawthorn…..I have been there for breakfast on the weekends off and on for a while now.
They offer really nice basic eggs and bacon, but also more traditional French fare as well, if you are up to that rich food in the mornings.
