Lunch with Karen Martini | Win a Dining Experience @ Mr Wolf

Location: 9–15 Inkerman Street, St Kilda 3182

Phone: (03) 9534 0255

Link: www.mrwolf.com.au

Cuisine: Italian

I don't usually venture out beyond the CBD much, but when Gastrology asked me to join her at a special lunch with celebrity chef Karen Martini, it had to be done.

What a treat! Now I could try to describe the experience, but nothing says it better than this nifty clip put together by The Age.

* * * * * * * *

WIN A DINING EXPERIENCE @ MR WOLF or ONE of KAREN'S LATEST COOKBOOKS! 

All you have to do is Re-tweet The Age's Tweet to the video and hashtag #forevercurious to go in the running to win a dining experience at Mr Wolf or a copy of Karen Martini’s latest cookbook Everyday:

What happens to #forevercurious Age readers? RT this to win a $250 Mr Wolf dinner! http://t.co/i7DAAUqMu5

— The Age (@theage) December 2, 2013

* * * * * * * *

 

#forevercurious readers

Let's take a closer look at the wonderful dishes prepared by Karen and introduced to us as we ate.

First up, the appetisers - fresh little bursts of intense flavour.

marinated olives | pickled vegetables

Something warm..., 

calamari fritto | stuffed peppers w/ goats cheese, walnuts and cumin

The calamari was tender on the inside and the batter was light and crispy. This was contrasted with the warmth from the stuffed peppers with a creamy cheesy stuffing interspersed with crunchy walnuts.

prosciutto w/ smashed broad beans, rocket, mint, ricotta

My favourite dish of the day. Salty cured prosciutto draped across a platter of smashed broad beans, rocket, mint and creamy ricotta cheese. Such an amazing combination of flavours and textures!

Next course: Mr Wolf's famous pizza!

Thin and crispy base, fresh toppings, perfectly balanced flavours. Some of the best pizza in town.

Just when we thought the meal was over, out came the main event - slow cooked lamb with horta.

slow cooked lamb shoulder w/ garlic yoghurt | horta

Just look at that lamb! You could smell the smokey aromas as Karen carved up meat and served the table. Slow cooked for hours, the lamb was tender and juicy that just fell apart with a slight touch of the fork. The garlic yoghurt it was served with really hit the spot with a strong bite and creamy texture. This was accompanied by a side called 'horta' - blanched greens, dressed in olive oil, mixed with barley and topped off with barley and toasted almonds. Packed full of flavour and refreshingly cleansing.

And then everyone's favourite course - dessert!

zabaglione w/ blood orange, candied orange

After all that food, I was glad the dessert was fresh and fruity. The zabaglione looked rich, but it was actually light and airy. Beautifully smooth and not too sweet, which was perfect when topped with a sweet and sticky syrup and fresh orange segments. The candied slice of orange had just that perfect mix of 'snap' and chewiness.

Overall, it was a very pleasant (and filling) dining experience. All hosted downstairs in Mr Wolf's private dining room. A perfect place for small functions and special occasions.

Grandma's Little Bakery

Location: 5796 Federal Highway, Collector NSW 2581
Phone: (02) 4848 0240
Link: www.grandmasbakery.com.au

Cuisine: Italian, Greek

Grandma's Little Bakery is a snug little cafe located at the Fedra Olive Grove, along the Federal Highway on the way to Sydney.

We haven't booked, and it turns out that they have a full house. We're given two options - get take away, or sit outside. The sun is shining, so we opt for sitting outdoors.

As luck would have it, it starts raining but the wonderful waiter finds us a table inside. Seated inside the cosy dining area, our dishes are brought out.

Wow. Out come two platters larger than we had imagined.

Grandma's gourmet lamb 'basket pie' served with side salad

So it turns out that the 'basket pie' is literally a 'basket' of crispy flaky pastry filled with a generous serve of braised lamb and beans. An assortment of sides are nestled against the side of the pie. A pesto, a tomato salsa and a fresh garden salad. 

slow cooked osobouko & Grandma's tomato marinade served with wild rice

Soft and tender pieces of slow cooked beef that literally falls off the bone with a light prod of the fork sits surrounded by a rich tomato gravy. The wild rice is textural, aromatic and soaks up the gravy beautifully. On the side are a slice of freshly baked bread and a minty pesto to add a refreshing contrast to the richness of the rest of the dish.

Overall Impression: 8.5/10

Digress Restaurant & Lounge

Location: 11 Akuna Street, Canberra
Phone: (02) 6248 6952
Link: www.digress.com.au
Cuisine: Italian and Indian fusion

Indian and Italian fusion? Sounds kind of weird, and not exactly something one comes across very often. In fact, Digress claims to be the first restaurant to combine both cuisines not only on the same menu, but in the same dish.

Located next to Transit Bar, Digress is both a bar and a restaurant. The stairs from the entrance take you straight into the lounge.

There's a special on most nights, and Friday's happy hour is 5-7pm, with $5 basic spirits, beer and house wine as well as a live band. There is also a swing social on later in the evening that a couple of friends want to attend, so we're there for drinks and dinner.

The restaurant is located on the same floor, separated by a wall and some curtains. Decor is simple and elegant.

We order a naan basket various pizzas and a pasta.

naan basket - sundried tomato, fetta, garlic

The naan basket is a brilliant starter. Soft fluffy naan bread is stuffed with a variety of ingredients. I end up with a slice of fetta and one of garlic. The garlic one is simple and subtle, the fetta much more vibrant and exciting, the saltiness of the fetta contrasts well with the buttery fluffiness of the bread without being too overpowering.

volcano pizza - salami, prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes,
red capsicum & jalapeños seasoned with garlic and oregano

red devil vindaloo pizza - hot salami, red capsicum,
olives & onions garnished with a lemon twist

pizza bolognese - Bolognese sauce with mushrooms, Spanish
onion & capsicum seasoned with Italian herbs and
Indian spices then topped with cheese

The pizza bolognese was the only non-fusion dish of the night, and tasted simply like a spag bol served on pizza (as expected). The slivers of mushroom scattered over the top provided a nice contrast and added flavour.

tandoori chicken penne - charcoaled tandoori chicken stripped and
cooked with red capsicum & shallots finished in a creamy sauce

Unlike the others, I opted for a pasta - I was curious about how the combination of tandoori chicken and Italian penne would taste. Sure enough I was not disappointed. Smoky pieces of tandoori chicken was tossed through penne and a tomato cream sauce. It was almost like a basic Italian tomato cream sauce, but with added smokiness and aromatic Indian spices. 

The service was pleasant, and with an entertainment card, the meal was extremely good value for money.

Overall Impression: 7.5/10

Trunk Bar & Restaurant

Location: 275 Exhibition Street, Melbourne 3000
Phone: (03) 9663 7994
Link: www.trunktown.com.au

Cuisine: Italian

Off the plane and first stop is Trunk Bar & Restaurant for lunch. We hadn't made a booking and the place was fully booked, but the staff were accommodating and found us a nice table next to the window anyway. 

warm bread and olive oil

You know you're at a good restaurant when they offer complimentary bread that is actually warm. Slices of toasted focaccia bread arrived at our table with some olive within minutes of ordering. The bread smelt amazing and was soft and fluffy inside, crispy on the outside.

soft shell chilli crab

Hands down one of the best soft shell crabs I've ever had. A light tempura batter coated large pieces of soft shell crab, so crispy that a small press of the knife snaps the pieces into manageable pieces. The crab is sweet and juicy, perfectly cooked. And then there was the seasoning - a good kick of chilli (but not overpowering), ample salt, and refreshing herbs to break it all up. It was a generous serve, but not so huge as to fill you up before the main. 

house-made saffron linguine with prawns, calamari,
scallops, garlic, chilli, lemon & torn rocket

As if I hadn't had enough seafood already, I ordered the seafood linguine. The linguine was rustic-looking and thicker than usual, but had a nice springy texture. There was plenty of seafood, and all were cooked to perfection. The sauce was rich and infused with seafood flavours and coated the linguine well. A nice hearty dish to fight off some of the cold outside!

I was very impressed by the quality of service - even though we hadn't made a booking, they had seated us, and surprisingly there was no rush to get us out. Food arrived in a timely manner and the waiters were friendly and polite. Definitely a place that can be done during a lunch break, but also good for a cruisey long lunch if you can afford to take the extra time.

A good way to start a weekend of feasting in Melbourne!

Overall Impression: 8.5/10

Tazio Birraria Pizzeria Cucina

Location: 66 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, 3000
Phone: (03) 9654 9119
Link: www.tazio.com.au
Cuisine: Italian

It's been a long time since I'd been to Tazio - another one of those little places that I was taken to whilst clerking down the 'Paris-end' of Collins Street all those years ago. Back then, I was impressed with their pizzas, so when a friend suggested we head there for a catch up dinner, I was all up for it.

spaghetti con le cozze (mussels) w/ fresh tomotoes, rocket and garlic crumbs

We started off with just four of us - and all three of them opted for the spaghetti.  Good reviews all round. I would have ordered it but for the rocket.

Instead, I ordered the lamb ragu risotto. Now, I've never had lamb with risotto before, but having been suitably impressed with lamb ragu with pasta before, I thought it was a worth the risk.

rustic lamb ragu risotto w/ fresh pea and mint

I was impressed. The risotto arrived looking a little too stodgy but it was all in the presentation. The risotto itself was the equivalent of 'al dente' for rice, soft enough to eat, but cooked just right that the individual grains of rice were still identifiable.  The ragu was rich with flavours of lamb, tomato and carrot. The lamb itself was soft and fell apart with minimal effort. A good combination and a very filling meal.

Waiting for the remainder of our crew to arrive, we ordered dessert. After a few comments from the waitress, we ended up all ordering the same dessert - chocolate pudding.

chocolate pudding with vanilla bean creme fraiche

No regrets at all. The chocolate pudding was served warm, with an almost gooey fondant like texture inside, and a nice solid outershell. The chocolate sauce was rich and decadent, and not too sweet. The strawberries and creme fraiche helped to cut through the richness of the pudding and sauce. The one thing that was missing was an element of crunch. And I personally would have preferred ice-cream instead of the creme fraiche. 

Service was pleasant and our waitress was one of the most hospitable ones I've encountered, particularly since it was the night before the Easter long weekend and there place was packed with people out for after work drinks. She was also very tolerant as we continually added more people to our table and brought out more water and empty glasses, even though we didn't order much more after dessert.

Overall Impression: 8.5/10

Esposito Seafood Dining

Restaurant: Esposito Seafood Dining

Location: 162 Elgin Street, Carlton Victoria 3053

Link: http://www.espositofood.com

After a wonderful meal at Esposito I felt the need to share it with everyone my experience. Considering that it was a last minute decision to go to Esposito since we had split the bill tokens collected from the Herald Sun, we were lucky enough to book a table for three the night before. Each of us had a three course meal for half price.

The meal started off with a complimentary seaweed salad.

The entrees that we had were specials for the night, they included a mud crab meat dish and kilpatrick oyster wrapped in slow cooked pork belly.

My friends had the mud crab dish and I had the oyster wrapped in pork belly, the oyster was very fresh and not over cooked. The sauce went well, but I wasn't too sure about the pork belly. Nonetheless, it was very nice.

Next on the menu I had a Fillet of Snapper, steamed mussels, celeriac remoulade, saffron glaze. The fish was cooked perfectly, the vegies and dressing made the dish really fresh and vibrant. I loved the touch of saltiness in the mussels and beautiful dressing.

The other mains included another special of the night the Atlantic Salmon with vegies and the Rock Flathead Fillets, king prawn omelette, broad bean & preserved lemon salad, pancetta dressing. We all had fish and from what was discussed I think we all enjoyed our dishes.

Atlantic Salmon

Rock Flathead Fillets

Time for dessert!!

After some deliberation about whether or not Helen should order the Date tart which may take at least 20 mins to cook, Helen opted for the Hot Date Tart with spiced frangipane and vanilla bean ice cream, Jie had the Warm Chocolate Fondant, liquorice scented with black berry ripple ice-cream and I had the Elderflower Panna Cotta with a toffee pear and butterscotch sauce.

Warm Chocolate Fondant - the ice cream was fantastic!!

Hot Date Tart - that we waited for around 40 mins

Panna Cotta - really nice panna cotta and butterscotch sauce!

All up the total bill for our meal came to $120 with the 50% off. I thoroughly enjoyed the meal, it was good food with good company. Will definitely be back next time (with split the bill tokens).

Zeffirelli's

Location: 5/55 Woolley Street, Dickson ACT 2602
Phone: (02) 6262 5500
Link: www.zeffirelli.com.au
Cuisine: Italian

Zeffirelli's really justifies the saying that you get what you pay for. Being a cheap family restaurant, a large proportion of the menu was around the $10-$15 mark. Which probably explains why the service was so appalling.

Firstly, it took them over 10 minutes to get us seated, despite the fact that we had made a booking. Then it took them 45 minutes to take our orders - and this involved one of us actually getting a waiter to come and take the orders. The menu looked pretty amazing and it was hard to choose between dishes, but 45 minutes? Seriously?

Having finally ordered, we waited to see how long the food took. One person's meal came out 15 minutes after ordering, and we started to get excited, and were almost prepared to forgive the 45 minute wait to order. We got excited too early - the rest of the food did not arrive until 35 minutes after we had first ordered.

Being pretty annoyed (and extremely hungry) by the time we finally got our food, I was expecting my food to taste amazing. 

Marinara pizza: tomato, cheese, seasoned seafood tossed in garlic and parsley

Unfortunately for me, my pizza was a little on the dry side (like they had left it in the oven just that little too long) and the sauce was not quite tomato-y enough. The seafood was a little overcooked and chewy, but other than that they nicely flavoured. The base would have been the only thing they managed to get perfect - being soft and fluffy on the inside, but crispy enough to hold its shape when eating.

Home made spinach and ricotta ravioli with calabrese sauce (hot salami, white wine, olives, onion, fresh tomato, shallots, chilli and oregano in napoletano sauce)

Erin's ravioli was quite nicely done, and the strongly flavoured sauce complemented the more subtle spinach and ricotta ravioli.

The general consensus seemed to be that we would not be returning there. At least not any time soon.


Overall Impression: 4/10

Vialetto Ristorante

Location: 75 Hardware Lane, Melbourne
Link: www.vialetto.com.au
Cuisine: Italian

Having tried booking a restaurant for 10 people on a Friday night at very short notice, we tried numerous places with no success. I mean, seriously, as if you don't make an effort to set up a table of 10? Imagine all the money!! Then I gave Vialetto a call and they were more than happy to set up a table for us.

Seafood linguini: linguini tossed with garlic prawns, mussels, calamari, pipis, complimented with fresh tomato, Tuscan olive oil and fresh herb salad

Lamb shank: braised lamb shank served with its braising vegetables on herb mashed potato

Beef lasagne: rich meat and tomato sauce layered with fresh pasta sheets, herbs, bechamel sauce topped with fresh parmesan

Atlantic salmon: pan seared salmon fillet served on a Russian potato salad with horseradish mayo and beetroot jus, finished with fresh herbs

Warm strawberry crepe splashed with Grand Marnier and served with vanilla bean ice-cream

Chocolate macadamia brownie served with dark chocolate sauce, mascarpone & coulis

We originally wanted the chocolate mousse they had on their specials menu for the day but they had run out. So we opted for the chocolate brownie instead. The brownie was nice and gooey on the inside, very cakey on the outside. The chocolate sauce was rich and thick, and went well with the mascarpone and coulis. We had asked for ice-cream on the side but it seems that the waiter forgot to mention that to the chef.

Service was pleasant as always - polite, friendly and happy to oblige with most requests. The food came out rather quickly which kept us happy.

Overall Impression: 9/10