A Smart Bar menu indeed! Cutler & Co. Dining Room & Bar

A Smart Bar menu indeed! Cutler & Co. Dining Room & Bar

My colleague from the University of Melbourned recommended Cutler & Co. if I wanted some "smart" bar food instead of a full dinner. That sounded both good and intriguing and it was also on the way back to my hotel.

The ambiance was cool hip with lots of black and chrome and spot lightinng. The host quickly met me at the door and was pleasant and happy for my request for a single table near the bar. Looking over the menu, it was indeed a smart menu with too many tempting choices. I had gone in with the idea of a single appetizer, but everything looked so good, I had to have two.

I created my own "surf and turf" with a selection of three South Australian Kumoto oysters (figured June is really December and hence has a "r" in it), and Wagyu beef ribs. I accompanied it with a Hoddles Creek Pinot Noir.

Service was quick and attentive. The food was amazing. The oysters were strong, and served on a mound of salt (a nice touch); I missed a bit of horseradish with them, but made do with a squeeze of lemon. The ribs were tender and sauced just right.

Highly recommended.

Meal: Light Dinner
Date Visited: 5 June 2010
Rating: ****
Address: 55-57 Gertrude St., Melbourne, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Website: http://www.cutlerandco.com.au

Stairway to Heaven: Three bars across from Parliament

Stairway to Heaven: Three bars across from Parliament

Through an unmarked door next to the Windsor Hotel opposite the Victoria State Parliament building, lay some interesting dining establishments.

The ground floor houses The European, next door (through the unmarked door) is The Melbourne Supper Club; a flight up from that is the Siglo Bar, partly in- and partly out-doors with a great view of Parliament and St. Patrick's Cathedral.

My colleague and I started at The European Restaurant (a heavy rain forced us indoors). We had a round of red wine (sadly, only European and no Australian wines were offered - perhaps because of the name) and interesting conversation before heading through the unmarked door to the The Melbourne Supper Club for a second glass of red, some polenta fries, and "party pies" (small little meat pies).

Heading up the final flight of stairs, we ordered a final glass of pinot noir and sat on the outside portion (the rain having ended) and enjoyed the view of the floodlit Parliament.

Service in all three was excellent, the location great, and food and drink quite good.

The European Restaurant
Meal: Drinks
Date Visited: 5 June 2010
Rating: ***
Address: 161 Spring St., Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: http://www.theeuropean.com.au

The Melbourne Supper Club
Meal: Wine and appetizers
Date Visited: 5 June 2010
Rating: ****
Address: 1st/161 Spring St., Melbourne VIC 3000
Website: http://www.visitmelbourne.com

Siglo Bar
Meal: Drinks
Date Visited: 5 June 2010
Rating: *****
Address: Level 2, 161 Spring Street, Melbourne
Website: N/A

Longrain Restaurant and Bar

Longrain Restaurant and Bar

When my hosts from the Melbourne Museum told their colleagues we were going to Longrain, there were many sad faces from those not going along.

On entering the restaurant, I could see why. With a modern Asian decor, fabulous smells, and a series of large, communal dining tables, it looked like a sure winner.

Our group went with pork hock with spicy sauces, a whole trout, egg net, and a tofu dish. All were as good as they looked. The egg net (this first time of had this dish), was tasty as well as interesting (a "net" made of scrambled eggs, enclosing a selection of meats and vegetables).

Highly recommended.

Meal: Dinner
Date Visited: 2 June 2010
Rating: *****
Address: 85 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, Melbourne, 2010
Website: http://www.longrain.com

Mario's on Brunswick

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Mario's

It was about eight o'clock and I'd just arrived in Melbourned after a flight from London, but I wasn't feeling much in the way of jet lag. So, my colleagues, who had arrived the day before, said we should go get some breakfast. Staying in the Fitzroy area of Melbourne, the place to head was Brunswick Street, a hip and happing strip of
shops, restaurants, and pubs.

After walking down the street a bit, we headed into Mario's, recommended by a local; we grabbed a table and I was quickly introduced to Australian coffee (I'll write more later). I had a bowl of muesli with fresh fruits and a glass of freshly squeezed orange
juice. My colleagues had egg plates (benedict and scambled) that looked fabulous).

Our wait staff had a bit of an attitude (reminding us at one point to tell him exactly what we all wanted then so he didn't have to make the twenty foot trip back to the kitchen again).

Mario's also introduced me to food prices in Australia. Suffice to say, this was the most expensive bowl of cereal I think I've ever had.

Meal: Breakfast
Date Visited: 31 May 2010
Rating: ***
Address: 303 Brunswick St., Fitzroy VIC 3065
Website: N/A

Il Vicolo: Italian in Melbourne

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Il Vicolo

Meals for larger groups can be tricky. Either the diner or the restaurant needs to make compromises that often lead to a less than satisfactory mean (see for example, some of my dines in Vienna).

But then there are times when things click. Our group of thirteen paid a visit to Il Vicola, near the Melbourne Museum after a successful morning of meetings. The menu was simple, a few starter options, a few entree choices, and some desserts. A choice of a red or white wine.

Sensing that Melbourne would be a good seafood town, I went with the Classic Queenscliff Crayfish bisque for my starter (though not usually a crustacean type of guy). A nice bit of soup, just the right touch of the sea in a tomatoe base with a dollop of cream.

For my main course, I went with the BBQ pork, veal, and fennel Continental sausages with Spanish onion sauce, and mashed potatoes. A very tasty sausage indeed and the onion sauce was nice. I skipped the dessert and finished with an espresso. Each diner also shared in a bowl of greens for the table.

Service was a bit slow, but understandable with the size of the group (and the size of the kitchen).

Il Vicola pulled off the group lunch with aplomb.

Meal: Lunch
Date Visited: 2 June 2010
Rating: ****
Address: 50 Grattan St., Carlton, Melbourne, VIC 3053
Website: http://wwwilvicolo.com.au

Napiers: Not just the Bogan Burger

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Napiers: Not just the Bogan Burger

My Melbourne connections said that we had to stop by the The Napier Hotel and it's pub since we were staying in the Fitzroy neighborhood. It had the look of a typical pub and, since it was still a bit early, not yet that crowded.

It took me a bit to get the hang of the Aussie pub and how to order. There wasn't wait service, exactly, but rather, you ordered at the bar and then the food was brought to you.

So, what to order? I wasn't that hungry, so I wanted a sandwich and ended up with the Suburban Burger. Not really a burger, but rather a steak sandwich. Quite qood and served with a side of fries. I topped it off with a variety of local beers.

But the hightlight was ordered by a colleage, the Bogan Burger (a bogan is sort of a Aussie version of a redneck, but with more positive connotations). Was is a bogan burger? Well, it's sort of the turducken of sandwiches, comprised of: Steak, Chicken Schnitzel, Caramalised Onions, Cheese, Pinepple, Beetroot, Potato Cake, Bacon, Egg, Lettuce, Tomato, Wedges and served with a salad.

Meal: Dinner
Date Visited: 31 May 2010
Rating: ****
Address: 210 Napier St, Fitzroy VIC 3065‎
Website: http://thenapierhotel.com/food-drink/

Observatory Cafe, Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Observatory Cafe

I was stopping by the Royal Botanic Garden in Melbourne and because our appointment wasn't til later in the day, we decided to have a bit of lunch before hand.

The Observatory Cafe, located by the old observatory buildings had a great selection of food. I went with the tandoori chicken wrap which was quite tasty. We sat outside and were soon surrounded by Indian mynah birds wanting a treat.

Meal: Lunch
Date Visited: 31 May 2010
Rating: ****
Address: Royal Botanic Gardens Birdwood Ave., South Yarra VIC 3141
Website: http://www.observatorycafe.com.au/