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



Review: Aquacaf

Aquacaf
Barrage Rd, Goolwa
(08) 8555 1235
www.aquacaf.com.au

Fresh food by the water.....

There is something incredibly alluring about Aquacaf at Goolwa. Whether it's the causal atmosphere, the location by the water, or the lightness about the venue, I always know I'm going to get superb, fresh and wholesome food. It simply feels good eating the food there.
The light and airy kiosk come cafe has such a refreshingly relaxed feel and you can't help but feel like you're on a summer holiday.
A big plus, and something which seems to be a lot harder to come across these days, was the service. It was outstanding. The wait staff looking after our table were casual yet very attentive and helped facilitate what was overall a great lunch.
Between 2 people we shared the Tasting Plate which would actually be better shared with 3 or 4. My only criticism of the meal was that although the individual components of the tasting plate were really enjoyable, each item had quite an intensity of flavour, so the whole plate together with so many robust flavours, was actually a bit of a overload on the taste buds. The plate included things like roast pumpkin, bread, dip, tomato, relish, cheese, ham, chickpeas, mussels, labna, chicken, and egg. Each item was prepared in an individual and unique way and was undoubtedly nice on its own, but as previously mentioned, altogether it was just that bit too much of a flavour overload.
We also had the Fish Broth which was fantastic. It was full of all sorts of seafood and vegetables and in keeping with the style of the food at Aquacaf, it was intense with a multitude of flavours, mainly brought about with fresh herbs and spices.
A dish which seems to be a constant on the changing menu is the Fattoush Salad. While I did not eat it on this occasion, on a previous visit to Aquacaf this was undoubtedly a highlight and what inspired me to cook my own version (see my recipe section). Hands down one of the best salads I have eaten, full of fresh produce, loads of herbs and of course synonymous with fatoush, the crispy flat bread pieces. Delish!
Most main meals are in the $20+ range and you absolutely get your monies worth. Unfortunately we stopped short of ordering any more food as the serves are big, the flavours bold and in general the type of food that is really contenting and satisfying. There was an Asian Salad on the menu which will definitely get a look in next time.

Of all the things I look for when I eat out, if the food has a freshness, is simple and makes me feel healthy and contented then I'll be back for more. This is most certainly the case with Aquacaf.

 



The Eatery by CK

 

Fish Broth

 

The Tasting Plate







Review: d'arry's Verandah Restaurant

d’Arry’s Verandah Restaurant
Osborn Road
McLaren Vale SA
(08) 8329 4848
www.darrysverandah.com.au 
*Lunches Only

I couldn't be more happy than to finally get down to D'arenberg in McLaren Vale, girlfriends in tow. d'arrys Verandah Restaurant had certainly been talked up and is home to two accomplished chefs, Nigel Rich and Peter Reschke. Needless to say I was not disappointed. Not only do you find yourself in a beautiful location overlooking the gorgeous valley, but the food was truly exceptional.  The other obvious advantage of a restaurant in a winery was the fantastic wine on offer and well priced at that.
The menu makes decision making a challenge. All that was on offer sounded fantastic and would accommodate all styles of personal taste. For entree the Lobster Medallion with blue swimmer crab & prawn ravioli and lobster bisque ($29) was divine. The lobster was lovely, the ravioli outstanding and the lobster bisque was sensational. All the components of this dish worked incredibly well and it was topped off with perfect presentation. The other entree tried was the Half shell scallop ceviche and abalone sashimi with white peach and wasabi F.F.R Salad ($24). The presentation of this dish was beautiful. So fresh, alive and intricate. This was a light style of entree with spicy hints of wasabi. It was a fantastic mix of textures both visually and to taste. A very impressive dish.
For Main I had the Slow cooked duck and seared breast with braised fennel, orange and rocket and fennel salad ($33). The duck was also perfectly cooked with crispy skin and succulent meat. The flavours of the whole dish were incredibly well matched and the added orange segments really brought the dish to life.
I also was fortunate enough to sample the Roast pork belly with grilled fig, Miss Merbain and fig salad ($30). I say I was fortunate because this pork belly was amazing. Again, a brilliant balance of flavours. The pork was moist and tender, it had the perfect strength of flavour and the crackling was of course the highlight. There were lots of appealing desserts on the menu. The Soft centred chocolate pudding ($16) was delicious and the gooey centre just oozed out. The highlight of the desserts for me was the Passionfruit souffle ($16). Light, fluffy and an abundance of passionfruit flavour. The Panna Cotta ($15) was nice but no match for the other desserts.
d'arrys verandah restaurant is definitely worth a visit. It's obvious the menu and all the dishes have been well thought about and crafted by experienced chefs. The wine is unquestionably some of the regions best, and having the tasting room next door to come and go throughout the meal had its advantages, particularly when it came down to choice for our meal.  Let's also not forget the fabulous location. The only disappointment of the experience was our waitress who couldn't bear to bring a smile. She unfortunately did not share a hint of the outstandingness of d'arry's verandah restaurant.


The Eatery by CK



The Lobster Medallion



Half shell scallop ceviche



Slow cooked duck



Roast pork belly



desserts



Review: Mandoo Korean Dumplings

Mandoo Korean Dumplings
26 Bank Street Adelaide  
(08) 8231 3303
Open Mon-Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 5pm-9pm

I'd heard a few good things about this small Korean dumpling restaurant in Bank Street, so I was very eager to get there and see what the hype was about.
Mandoo - which is Korean for "dumpling" is a small, authentic and very basic eatery that sells just that - dumplings. The menu is more or less limited to fried or steamed dumplings in either chicken, pork or vegetarian. Aside from these dishes there are one or two other choices but they were either not available on the day or could only be ordered for dinner.
Each plate of dumplings costs about $10. This gets you 8 dumplings, a small lettuce salad, a scoop of mashed potato (odd, I know) and some really good chilli dipping sauce. One plate is sufficiently satisfying for a lunch.

I tried the Steamed mandoo in vegetarian and also in Kimchi, which is a traditional Korean flavour and the Chicken fried mandoo. All of the dumpling were fresh, well made, full of flavour and the fried dumplings were particularly nice.

If you enjoy dumplings, this place is for you. The simplicity of Mandoo works well on all levels and adds to the appeal of the place.
Mandoo Korean Dumplings, worth a visit if you happen to be around Bank Street in the city.

The Eatery By CK 



Korean Mandoo (dumplings)