Review: Giallo Wine Bar

Giallo Wine Bar
39a Rundle St.
Kent Town SA 5067
(08) 8362 9006
Tues - Fri for lunch & Tues - Sat for dinner
http://www.giallowinebar.com.au/


Sunken and tucked away on the Kent Town end of Rundle Street is Giallo Wine Bar. Giallo is small and dimly lit and this, I think, creates its appeal. In what appears to be a stylish attempt on saving space, half the chairs on the tables are stools. The tables are also small so you are quite close to those on your table - great for a first date, wink wink! Although I conveniently missed out on the stool seat I have to say, that in all its tightly fit closeness it somehow works, and (with no back pain) I found the smallness of Giallo to in fact be perfect. Obviously being small and filled with people means noise, but again it was loud to the point where it created a great atmosphere. The staff were also friendly and casual. First impressions were up there.

The menu is full of really inviting dishes with a contemporary Italian feel. On first look I realised I had found myself in the dilemma of what to pick with so many tempting options presented. The menu is set up so that you can easily share the dishes or you can go at it solo. With our group of four we decided to share starters and go our own mains. Most of the 'Starters' are around the $12 mark, a choice of two 'Carpaccio's' for about $22, 'First Plate' meals $18-$20, and the 'Second Plate' meals ranged from low to high $30's. There were also standard 'Sides' of roast potatoes, salads etc $9 - $14

First out of the blocks was the 'Marinated octopus with green olive tepande', the tepande was amazing and even if you are not a big olive fan, I'm sure you would be pleased. The octopus was generous in size and mostly tender. A good start. We also had the 'Oven baked feta' and this was nothing short of sensational, it was warm, creamy and just delicious. A note of warning though, eating this dish on your own would probably leave you feeling pretty guilty that you consumed a big slab of cheese, but it is so worth getting this dish to share. I'll be trying to recreate this at home very soon.

Now I absolutely love a carpaccio and we had a choice of beef or salmon and went for the 'Beef fillet carpaccio'. To my disappointment I found the carpaccio to be unseasoned and it generally lacked flavour. It came with mushrooms and a truffle pecorino, both of which were a bit dull in flavour. What it really needed was more salt, more chilli and more oil. On a positive note it also came with some rocket which helped to balance it out and add freshness.....it just needed the flavour. We also had some 'spiced roasted almonds' which were nice enough.



Kingfish

For my main I had the special of 'Kingfish on peperonata with potato rouille'. Every element was nice when eaten altogether and it was a generous and thick sized piece of kingfish. On its own I did find the flavour of the kingfish to be stronger than when I have previously eaten it and unfortunately the skin was not crispy which I found to be most disappointing. Not only would the crispy skin have gone nicely with the potato rouille but it would have also added a bit of texture to the dish as a whole. The peperonata, made from yellow and red capsicums, was full of flavour and lovely and soft. The potato rouille (if you're wondering is a thick creamy mayonnaise type of sauce) was also nice and complemented the fish well. 



I also tried the 'Chicken cooked in spanish style spices'. Apparently the sauce had chocolate in the base which was meant to bring out the flavours of the spices and have a very subtle chocolate hint. The flavour was indeed beautiful and I'd consider going this dish on the next visit but I certainly couldn't taste any chocolate, which, in a savoury dish, is a good thing if you ask me.

  

I also tried the 'Angus beef fillet with porcini butter' and this was cooked perfectly and was overall a good dish.



Chicken cooked in spanish spices


Being a little full of food and wine we went for the shared 'Cheese platter' for dessert. You can choose from between one to three cheeses and we went for two ($14) and they were really nice. Of particular note was a 'St Angel Brie' from France and it was amazing. Aggghhhhhh! (It's now on my produce list as a favourite cheese). 

There is a great wine list, as you'd expect from a wine bar, and the waiters are more than helpful and experienced in assisting you choose. There was also a couple of good champagne's and the 'Louis Bouillot blanc de blanc' at $9 a glass/$45 a bottle was a winner. You certainly cant go wrong for that price for an exceptionally good Frenchie. I'd 'pop' into Giallo just for a glass of this one.

From a Saturday night visit I think Giallo doesn't quite seem to have found its niche as far as clientele go. This appears to work in its favour and at this stage has stopped it from becoming pretentious as is often the case with places that have, well, style.

I loved, loved, loved Giallo Wine Bar. The food was great except for a few minor adjustments, but above all the ambiance of the place is sensational and I'll most certainly return, and hopefully soon.


The Eatery by CK

Review: Burger Foundry

Burger Foundry
389 Magill Road
St. Morris SA 5068
08 8431 3231
http://www.burgerfoundry.com.au/
T to F 11 – 10pm
S 12 – 10pm
S 12 – 8pm


You can't go past a good solid burger. Burger Foundry on Magill Rd in St Morris is all about the burgers...... a small simple shop, three tables, one cook, one blackboard with chicken burgers, and one blackboard with beef burgers. That's pretty much it. So given the name of the place and given the lack of emphasis on pretty much anything aside from burgers, you'd expect them to be good, in fact, great.

I had the 'Jamaican Jerk' Chicken Burger and YES it was great. The chicken had a fabulous grill taste to it and it was nicely tender. It came with mesculin lettuce, tomato, mango salsa and a spicy caribbean dressing. The flavours were a perfect match and the kick of chilli or jalapeno from the sauce made it an absolute winner. My husband had the 'Australian' Beef Burger and from what I tasted this was also really enjoyable. It came with egg, bacon and beetroot relish (aussie, aussie, aussie, oi!). The only problem was that it was a little dry but aside from that I thoroughly enjoyed my mega sized bite.

There's a choice of about five chicken burgers and ten beef burgers at Burger Foundry. They all come standard with mesculin lettuce and tomato and then have a few more ingredients to individualise them. The burgers are well priced, most costing around $10.90. The burgers are big so it's money well spent. Burger Foundry also sells homemade chips and they are the real deal. You even see the potatoes sitting on the counter. The chips are nice because they are so real, however they didn't have the crisp crunch I was hoping for.

I liked the bread/rolls used for the burgers but my husband thought it was a little chewy. I also enjoyed my burger far more than he did his 'Australian'......it's fair to say we have very different tastes...... I of course think mine is much better :)

Burger Foundry is essentially a take away shop but don't be in a hurry. I believe there is only one cook and it appeared as though one order was completed from start to finish before the next one was underway. No sign of multi-tasking going on here! It does therefore take a while to get your food but you can read magazines or the newspaper while you're waiting.

I'll certainly be back to Burger Foundry next time I'm feeling like a burger, or next time I can't be bothered cooking dinner for the family. I highly recommend you try the succulent and juicy 'Jamaincan Jerk' Chicken Burger. I practically inhaled mine at record speed in pure enjoyment.


The Eatery by CK

Review: El Toro

El Toro
39 Semaphore Rd.
Semaphore SA 5019
(08) 8449 1949


There have been a few tapas style restaurants opening up around Adelaide and I am so happy to say that El Toro is most definitely one worth visiting.
Upon hearing a good review I took along one of my favourite foodies and made the journey down to Semaphore. I must admit when I first walked into the place I expected a little more ambiance, perhaps a little more Spain, a little less cafe, but that feeling was soon lost with the incredible aroma floating around the place......there was so much garlic being cooked in that kitchen and every ounce of it was delightfully oozing into the cafe. Cue, taste buds to start watering!

El Toro, spanish tapas cafe

The friendly wait staff were very helpful in assisting us with the choice of both the food and wine. There was a selection of tapas, in two sizes, as well as a selection of mains, sides, desserts etc.

Between two of us we shared five small tapas sized dishes, a main size of a roast vegetable dish, and A LOT of nice toasted bread to mop up all the juices. As one of the waiters explained, the bread dipped into some of the left over juices from the mussel dish was another delicious meal in itself. He was right.

We devoured some amazing mussels in white wine that were just damn good. The flavour of the garlic prawns was also fantastic but to be a little picky the prawns were slightly overcooked. I'm a massive fan of croquettes and the chicken ones we ate were incredibly moreish and up there with the best I have ever eaten. The mushrooms were great, again cooked in a lot of garlic and butter but the juice of the mushrooms themselves overpowered these flavours which was really nice. We shared a roast vegetable dish that was somewhat of a stack of pumpkin, eggplant, onion, fennel, and capsicum, tied in together with an incredibly rich tomato jam. All the veggies except the fennel, were roasted to a beautifully soft texture and the tomato jam had such a powerful flavour to it. The first couple of mouthfuls of this dish were amazing, however after a while I found it to be too rich and unless you were sharing it among quite a few people, I would have preferred it to come out in a small tapas size. It was a fabulous dish non the less. We also shared a braised squid dish and the small pieces of squid were so delicate and soft, my only criticism would be that it could have done with a hint of chilli or lemon to give the tomato base a bit of a kick.

A selection of tapas

El Toro is fantastic and a great representation of what Spanish tapas should be. The food was simple but so tasty and fragrant and it had a real warmth to it. There is a small selection of wine available including a couple of nice Spanish varieties. They also serve sangria which I unfortunately didn't get to try but was told that it is quite strong, i.e don't drive if you want more than one glass.

Our entire meal cost us $47 for 2 people and another $27 for a bottle of really nice Spanish tempranillo. So when the bill came and I had to forked out a mere $37 I was extremely satisfied. Most of the small sized tapas are in the $5-$7 range.

El Toro is certainly worth a visit and if I didn't live so far away I'd be back there in a heart beat. Great service, sensational food and a price to leave you with a smile.

The Eatery by CK

Roast vegatable stack with a rich tomato jam

Something for the weekend...

Shaw & Smith Wine Flight

If you're looking for something to do on the weekend why not head up to the Adelaide Hills to Shaw & Smith Winery for their Wine & Cheese Flight.
For $14 you get to try a Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot and Shiraz together with matching cheeses from other Hills locations. This is all done in a stunning location looking out over the vines and a gorgeous lake.
When the weather is fine it is perfectly ok to take kids, however if the weather wasn't so good I wouldn't recommend taking children unless they were confined to the pram as there is a lot of glasswear in a small area....Trying to contain them indoors would be way too nerve wracking!
On a sunny day the doors are opened up, you can sit out on the terrace and it is exceptionally pleasant. The wine is really nice and the selection of cheeses are really good also.

While you're up that way why not check out Nepenthe (great Sunday sessions) or The Lane Vineyard (excellent wine, brilliant food) which are more or less next door. 



Not a bad view while you take your wine and cheese flight



McLaren Vale certified biodynamic/organic producers lunch at Paxton's Vineyards

I was fortunate enough to go along to a lunch at Paxton's Vineyards that celebrated McLaren Vale’s three certified organic and biodynamic wine producers, Battle of Bosworth, The Hedonist and Paxton Wines. The setting at Paxton's was beautiful and the weather God put on a spectacular day. Paxton's, The Hedonist and Battle of Bosworth all put their wines up for tasting and the quality was fantastic. A true testament to the philosophy behind their wine making. I particularly fell in love with the Paxton's Rosé, it was like no other I have had before.
Chef Ann Oliver cooked a beautiful lunch using locally sourced biodynamic/organic ingredients. The food was wonderful and there was a real simplicity about each dish, every ingredient speaking for itself. The confit rabbit with hand made pasta was incredible and I've never tasted such melt in your mouth pasta and such succulent and tender rabbit. It was quite special.
We were privileged to hear from the winemakers as they told their stories and highlighted the importance of sustainable farming methods and the implications of mainstream methods. Not only were some of the methods interesting (using deer bladders and cow horns filled with intestines for pest management) but it is so evident of the need to get back to traditional methods for long term sustainability as well for our own health. Overall a sensational day indulging all of my passions!

The stunning grounds at Paxton's Vineyard, McLaren Vale

Ann Oliver's Almond milk pudding with apricot sauce



McLaren Vale biodynamic/organic producers lunch



Review: Insieme

Insieme Ristorante

63 Flinders Street,

Adelaide SA 5000

8223 2777

http://www.insieme.net.au/ 

Open Breakfast to Lunch, Mon - Fri & Dinner on Fri

 

In the Adelaide CBD a chic, modern and bustling eatery is piled full of business people for a Tuesday lunch. Being a Tuesday, and being in Adelaide (no disrespect, I love this place) I was expecting that my brother and I would be sitting with only a handful of other diners. How wrong was I! Insieme Ristorante was jammed packed, it appears that the CBD workers know exactly where to eat. We were 10 minutes late for our reservation for my belated birthday lunch and our table was seemingly given away. Unfortunately we were left to wait standing for about 10mins until a table became available. However, once we assumed our position the service was excellent and the food and wine that were to follow were fabulous. We chose a bottle of Italian 2007 Peppoli Chianti Classico which again was a hit and after only a few minutes of breathing, was easy to drink and perfectly matched all our food. The complimentary, and in my opinion mandatory, bread and olive oil was divine, the oil was beautifully soft and almost buttery.

For entree we shared an antipasto plate which was presented very cleanly and consisted of olives, jamon, scallops, meatballs, squid, salad, and white anchovies. Needless to say in keeping with the restaurant the flavours were clean, concise and tasty. The scallops, wrapped in pancetta and seared to perfection were fabulous and the puree it was served on even better. The mini meatballs were absolutely sensational with a gorgeous tomato sauce that got completely mopped up. The small salad of rocket and red onion had a beautiful dressing which transformed it into a fighting contender among some starring elements. The white anchovies were succulent and flavoursome, the olives were nice and the squid and jamon were yummy. I was very happy.

For main I enjoyed a most delicious lamb fillet on sauteed spinach with a barolo (red wine) sauce and a twice cooked four cheese souffle ($34). This dish was superbly cooked and the flavours of the scented lamb, and the sauteed spinach brought together by the sweet borolo sauce was well balanced and completely delectable. The four cheese souffle was also extremely tasty and the oozing cheesy sauce really moistened it up. I did however question its place sitting on the plate with lamb and spinach as it seemed a little out of place. In saying that it tasted great so I shouldn't complain too much!

Unfortunately my brother took the step of ordering something he had never tried, rabbit (Coniglio Al Forno), and sadly it did not pay off. The rabbit ($34.50) came roasted and wrapped in pancetta with potatoes, peas and in unfancy terms, gravy. Although it was all well cooked, the meal essentially tasted and looked like a Sunday roast chic with gravy. This dish was worlds apart from the quality of what I was eating. For dessert we shared a chocolate torte with vanilla bean icecream and mixed berries. The size of the serve of the chocolate torte was a little small in my opinion, however it was fairly rich. The vanilla infused ice cream and berries in their thick couli-type sauce were the perfect accompaniment. Overall, very satisfying.

Insieme Ristorante has a good wine list with some great Italian as well as a few local varieties. I highly recommend trying the Pippoli Chianti Classico. All the other meals on the menu looked very appealing and I no doubt had a hard time when it came to deciding (this is a good thing!). The food and wine is on the expensive side but people are obviously happy paying for the food as the restaurant is very successful and I for one would be happy to come back again soon. Insieme Ristorante is well worth a visit for lunch or a Friday night dinner if you're in the city. You'll just have to contend with the suits to fight it out for a table..... Book ahead.

The Eatery by CK

Review: Pinocchio Ristorante.... Giuseppe would not be happy

Pinocchio Ristorante
50 Unley Road
Unley SA 5061
0414 157 974

NOW I'M NOT GOING TO LIE TO YOU, this was NOT an enjoyable dinner. It was anything but. My husband and I love good old fashioned Italian food. The real deal, authentic, basic, nothing fancy but just enough to transport you to the country and make you feel all warm and fuzzy. So for our 3rd wedding anniversary we thought we'd use the opportunity to have a beautiful dinner at a newer restaurant that, from what I had read, promised to serve old school Italian food.

From the moment we walked in I felt a sense of disappointment creeping in. Ambiance was completely lacking. In fairness, it was early in the evening so there weren't a lot of customers, however aside from this there was something about the whole place which felt somewhat sparse and cold. I did like the randomly placed pictures of pinocchio over the walls, it was just a pity the colour of paint on the walls was so depressing.

From here it continued to get worse. Two new waitresses had been placed on at the same time, which meant twice the mistakes and twice the frustration for us. I'd asked for a nice Italian wine and we received an Australian wine of the requested variety. When this mistake was corrected, the Italian bottle was slightly corked. When our glasses were filled up wine was spilt down the sides, and after the initial pour of water and wine we were left to top up our own glasses. The complementary olives were rancid and there was no plain crusty bread with our pasta meals or even on the menu for that matter. All the small touches you'd expect from a restaurant were missing and we were left with a series of mistakes that after a while became laughable.

Unfortunately the food was just an extension of the night we were having. Poor. Our entrees of Funghi Orvievtana (mushrooms with pancetta and cheese) and Voul au Vonts, were as basic as a Sunday evening whip up.

For the Main we had Tagliotini Scoglio (pasta with fresh seafood) and Tagliotini al Granchio (pasta with crabmeat). On a positive note the homemade pasta itself was good. Unfortunately it stopped there. My meal tasted like pasta with butter. There were a few nice pieces of fresh seafood however at no point did the flavour of the seafood impart into the rest of the pasta. It was bland, boring and a huge disappointment. The crab pasta was not much better. There was at least some flavour to it, however nothing on any other crab pasta I have eaten or made myself.

I could go on with more of the mistakes and stuff up's that went on in the short time we stayed for dinner however I think you get the picture. Being just a tad obsessed with food, I almost always enjoy eating it, even if its not all that good. On this occasion it was really hard to drag out anything positive from the whole experience which is such a disappointment and was totally unexpected. Final words... To keep my nose short; I do not recommend this restaurant.


The Eatery by CK





Tagliotini Scoglio



Funghi Orvievtana