New Sydney Hotel, Hobart

Tonight we had tickets to see a show from one of my all time favourites authors, Ben Elton. I have read every one of his books at least 3 times.  My favourites are Two Brothers, The First Casualty and Blind Faith. Gudge is a huge fan of his scriptwriting including Blackadder and Upstart Crow. 

The show was at 7.30 at the casino so we had time to grab some dinner.  

There's not too much I love about Tasmania's State Government, but of the few good things they've done is they provided us residents with tourism vouchers to boost local businesses during the quiet winter off-season. 

We were talking our voucher to the New Sydney Hotel, THE quintessential Irish pub in Hobart City. 

Photo courtesy of New Sydney Hotel

We've had drinks there in their wonderful beer garden and have tried some small bites. But every time,  service and ambience is excellent, from their open fire to their perfectly poured Guinness pints. 

Arriving at 5.45 without a reservation,  we were snuck in on the proviso that we would clear the table by 7. I actually LOVE when this happens as it's almost a guarantee that service will be quick!

We start with a Coke for Gudge and a Swinging Gate Pet Nat for myself.  

We order the 300g Porterhouse, chips, salad and pepper sauce for myself.  

Chicken Parmigiana, chips for Gudge as well as Buttermilk fried Chicken to share. 

My steak was fantastic! Perfectly medium-rare, nice char, and THICK! Great crispy chips. Salad was a dressed lettuce mix as the salad (which I'm so-so about at a $2.50 extra charge) and a lovely and peppery gravy. I'm totally happy to give this 9 out of 10 for $42.50. 

Gudge really enjoyed his Parmy,  noting the delicious smokiness of the ham. 

The Buffalo Chicken was cooked and seasoned very well, delicious dip but didn't think $16 was very good value for essentially 3 small tenders. 

We left very full,  satisfied and happy.  Headed to the casino with time enough to throw $20 into the pokies and head to the auditorium for an excellent show, surpassing all of my expectations.  If you have a chance check out ANYTHING from Ben Elton, you should. He also seems like a lovely man. 

The hour drive home went smoothly and were blessed with an aurora viewing before bed.

Fantastic night all round!

If you're in Hobart, do stop in to the New Sydney Hotel.

Address: 87 Bathurst St, Hobart TAS 7000

Phone: (03) 6234 4516

Menu: newsydneyhotel.com.au

The Shed at Derwent Estate

July in Tasmania: Cold, cloudy dreary. But... not this weekend. The first weekend of July this year was quite special for me as it was my 40th birthday. Doubly special as I had my two best girlfriends visiting from Brisbane to celebrate with me.

I had decided to try the newest restaurant in the Derwent Valley, The Shed. A new project from the Winery 'Derwent Estate'. 

We were met with an absolutely perfect day, actually the whole weekend was lovely blue skies, and still days with maximums around 15 deg C.

Grapevines, sheep and lambs with Mt Dromedary in the background

My girls and the sheep and adorable lambs

The menu alone had been my reasoning for selecting The Shed for my birthday lunch. We have wonderful options in the Valley now for dining (see posts on Osteria Vista and Agrarian Kitchen) but I thought with the group of us dining, this menu would provide something for everyone including my slightly less adventurous Gudgeon.

But of course, we selected a bottle of Derwent Estate Sparking to begin with and it was delightful.

The Shed is set back from the cellar door and offers magnificent views of the Derwent River. The setting is casual and perfectly suited to a sunny day. I cant begin to imagine how spectacular it would be to lunch here on a summers day with those bistro blinds up and a breeze wafting across the river.

Stoneground beer bread with nasturtium butter

We order bread for the table. Absolutely beautiful. I'm not sure if it was the bread or the nasturtium butter but the saltiness that came through was gorgeous.

scallop, oyster, croquettte

For entrees we all choose a few bites from the snacks menu. I opted for the Raw scallop with mandarin and chives, the Bruny Island Oyster and the parmesan and leek croquette with lemon butter.

raw scallop, mandarin, chive

What a delight this scallop was. Texture was retained by the curing from the citrus and the sharp sweet and tartness of the mandarin was spectacular. This was one of my highlights of the meal. The croquette was crispy and crunchy and salty and potatoey and cheesey. Just great.

oyster, buttermilk, parsley oil

I love an oyster. I especially love a Tasmanian oyster: smaller but sweeter than many others. This oyster didn't do it for me though. Milk and oyster is not a combination I would recommend... ever. Very pretty though.

butter poached blue eye trevella, oyster and yuzu cream, kohlrabi

Ordering fish as a main.... I've said it before... it's risky business, I've found it will either be mediocre, not bad, but forgettable or it will be the best thing you ever had. I have found as a gambler, that the odds are 5-1 for a truly spectacular fish main, something you'll remember for a very long time, and today I backed a winner.

The texture was velvety smooth and flaked off beautifully. A lovely fresh fish flavour which was almost chicken-like. The oyster and yuzu cream was a gorgeous savoury accompaniment and the kohlrabi was a clean and fresh finish. This may have been THE best fish main I have ever had.

sides

To go with our mains, we ordered the octopus and raw tuna from the small plates menu and the charred cos and pinkeye potatoes from the sides menu.

octopus, black garlic, chimichurri

I first tried octopus in Barcelona and in both that dish and furthermore in Rome I found the octopus to be very strong in flavour. Not this dish however, very fresh and tender. I'm not sure if I would order it again but nonetheless, delicious.

charred cos lettuce, anchovie, prosciutto

This little side packed a punch, and with lettuce going to about $1000/kg at the moment, how could we not. I loved the POW of the anchovy in this dish. Lots of saltiness to contrast with the charred cos.

pinkeyes, creme fraise, saltbush

Oh Tassie, how are you so good at potatoes? These were crispy, beautifully seasoned and a great side.

raw tuna, ponzu, black sesame, wakame

The raw tuna dish was a favourite all round. When tuna can be caught so close, it makes perfect sense to serve it in it's purest form.

chicken breast, cauliflower puree, oyster mushroom, artichoke velute

All three of my guests had the chicken. It's very rare for me to order chicken when dining, it's hard to do magnificently or even 'not boringly', however when I tasted some off their plates I was utterly blown away. I think the photo shows how succulent that breast is, it was more than succulent, it had the texture of triple cream brie- it was mind blowing. The combination of cauliflower and artichoke was a revelation and the mushrooms were jewels in the crown. 

date pudding, kunzea butterscotch caramel, malt cream

We order a bottle of iced Riesling to have with dessert, a beautiful semi sweet chilled white wine and my favourite dessert of all time Sticky Date Pudding. Guest Anna described it as "probably the best sticky date she had tried" and it was certainly up there for me also... I do have to always compare it to the one that made me cry  and I reckon it was a solid second place after that one. Moist with crispy edges a slight almost whisky flavour, lightly whisked but beautifully flavoured cream. My goodness... what an end to a meal.

In conclusion, I am so happy with The Shed; divine outlooks in a charmingly understated setting with beyond friendly staff that make you feel right at home. The food overall was excellent with some crazy high highlights and one or two experiments that I may avoid next time. 

I will happily be adding this to my 'will visit again' list and will be one for our future guests. I would say a definite must-do if venturing north of Hobart to our beautiful Derwent Valley.

photo courtesy of Derwent Estate facebook page

Derwent Estate Winery

Phone: (03) 6263 5802

Address: 329 Lyell Hwy, Granton TAS 7030

https://www.derwentestate.com.au/

Gretna Green Hotel: Our New Local

So, we moved to the country. 

Well in fact we bought a house in the country. I almost can't believe it myself. It's simply wonderful. It's peaceful and quiet, friendly and quirky.

We are quite a way away from, well anything, except the local shop, the local market I work at on Wednesdays and a lovely little pub. Quite a historic wee pub actually, built in 1849 that's EIGHTEEN FORTY NINE and licensed continually since 1862, holy smokes, that's 159 years, (thanks Microsoft calculator).

image courtesy of homely.com.au

The pub has recently been purchased by new owners, and we thought we'd go down and have a meal and support the new owners.

As we pull up to the carpark (90 second drive from home to be accurate) we are surprised by the amount of cars in the driveway, it looks packed. We pull in, wander past the utes full of fire wood and interestingly, deer carcasses, and make our way to the bar.

The place is indeed packed. We had only been once before and it was well, there may have been tumbleweeds, so it was a joy to see the place filled with jovial locals.

We are informed that food may have a little wait, but we are not bothered, but instead grab a couple of drinks (I have a Sav Blanc and a Cascade Draught for G $12) and a menu to decide. We mosey roadside which has recently been revamped with extra tables, chair and firepits and of course the beautiful surrounding countryside.

The menu reads like a classic pub menu with most of the things you'd expect but are never disappointed to see. 

We decide on a garlic bread to share $5.50, Parmigiana for G $23 and the seafood basket for myself $30.

Warning aside, the food didn't take too long to come out at all.

I believe it was an epic amount of garlic bread for the price. Great flavour on lovely crisply toasted bread.

It is really difficult to show the sheer size of Gudge's Parmi... it had some serious girth. He reckons it was one of "the better ones I have tried in his life" and that "the chicken was very juicy", he loved the tomato sauce.

My seafood basket was all perfectly cooked and came with I believe was flathead (?), calamari, scallop, prawn cutlet and seafood bite.

The chips were very very good. I am a chip snob and these were without fault (please feel free to click 'chips' in the labels to hear me whinge about or praise chips). I have to say it, the retro curry pasta and egg salad was awesome, I absolutely loved the nostalgia of it. The home made slaw and green salad were both super fresh.

Do you know what? This is honest, real, in no way pretentious pub grub. From a doozy of a country pub.

We'll absolutely be going back, and if we're ever allowed visitors back to Tassie we'll take them too. 

We didn't get a chance to meet the owners, but I hope to very soon, and I wish them all the best.

Super Rooster

B and I (B has now been my boyfie for four months), made a trip up the ranges to Toowoomba last weekend. B is from Toowoomba and his mother still lives up there.

It was only a short overnight trip, but one thing B said we simply had to do was visit Super Rooster. It had been his favourite since he was young, and said they have "best chips in the world".

According to their web site, they have been doing what they do for over thirty years, and now have three stores across Toowoomba.

When we arrive, the place does feel very... original.

B suggests we both get a chicken burger and chips. I am starving so I ask to upgrade my chips to a large, B raises his eyebrows in disbelief, "I can do it, I'm really hungry" I plead. I also ask for a gravy and pineapple fritter.

A short amount of time later and our meal is ready. It's raining outside so we sit in the restaurant to eat.

Firstly.. the chips are excellent, really well cooked, perfectly seasoned and hot, really hot. The gravy is, of course, a perfect accompaniment.

The burger looks simple, and there is nothing wrong with simple. A bun, lettuce, mayo and chicken. The chicken is an actual breast fillet, crumbed and deep fried. This burger was beautiful. The chicken breast, again was hot, really hot, food nearly never comes out really hot. It has great flavour as well and it's moist. My only critique was that I felt this burger could have benefited from cheese... but I think everything is better with cheese.

I finish the burger and most of the chips, B helps me with the last few. The pineapple fritter, though small, is a lovely ending to the meal.

I can see what this chicken place has been around for three decades, they do it simple and they do it well. Well done Super Rooster.

Grilling Art

I was driving to my best friends house one night, and stopped in to buy a bottle of red to have with dinner, just off Rode Rd at the border of Chermside and Stafford. As I left the carpark of the BWS I noticed 2 of those big flame heaters out the front of a restaurant. On this chilly winter’s ever, I thought it looked absolutely charming, if not a little out of place in the Northern ‘burbs.

Once I had gotten to my destination, ate dinner and had some wine, I thought I’d look up this charming mystery restaurant I had seen on my journey. I was Grilling Art, and had very good internet reviews/ratings..

Now before I go on, I would like to state, I think the Brisbane burger market is incredibly flooded at the moment, it seems you can’t go more than 2 blocks without passing a trendy burger joint announcing itself as gourmet or otherwise.

For me, a great burger doesn’t take too much: a bun that holds together, juicy, well seasoned meat, a good sauciness ratio, texture differentiation and a great side (chips, onion rings et al.) (See GBK Liverpool post / Paris airport post). Truffled fries, wagyu pattie, lettuce imported from Iceland… none of this is important if those other things are spot on.

So in this Great Burger Flood of 2011 onwards, it would seem, some burger joints are destined to drown.

It was actually the night of my birthday that an imprompu catch up with my brother had lead us to to visit Grilling Art.

For a bitterly cold Wednesday night, it was a pleasant surprise to see a two thirds full restaurant in the 'burbs, we were shown to an indoor booth and given menus. Grilling Art offers beer, wines, spirits and mocktails or BYO.

The menu is expansive, with breakfast lunch and dinner offering, burgers and other mains. We decide to go all-out. My brother is very health conscious, so I always feel blessed when he opts to have a ‘cheat day’ with me.

Bro orders a meal deal that comes with a drink and fries, and chooses the Tokyo Art Burger (meal $15.40), I go for the Art Works Burger by itself ($11.90) and between us we order the half serve of beef ribs ($22.95) which also comes with fries and a serve of the chicken nibbles ($7.50).  To drink I grab a glass of Giesen Sav Blanc ($8.90).

 Full Menu here

We request everything come out at the same time, and it does.

The burgers are presented beautifully, with their 'hat's a little off to the side. The ribs are a huge glistening rack and the wings are a very good size indeed.

The Tokyo Art: chicken, teriyaki, caramelised onion, cos and aioli.

Bro doesn’t rate his burger as highly as I do, but I sense he is a little underwhelmed with the size. I think for the circa ten dollar mark, they are excellent value.

The Art Works, beef, salad, onion relish, egg, bacon, beetroot, cheese, aioli.
My burger is outstanding, everything I love in a burger. Great amount of sauce (channeling Manu)

Perfect burger ratio.

 Chicken nibbles

The ribs are absolutely sumptuous, so much juicy, slow cooked meat, no taste of fattiness and the marinade is good enough to drink.

Even the fries get a sold 4/5. (Although, like the Great TFP, I also believe meat should not be served on top of fries as it has a steaming effect and makes the fries prematurely sioggy.)

As we eat our meals, the restaurant fills with diners, all seem very happy with their meals.

The staff is chatty and courteous and the décor is warm and inviting, (and not a plastic crate seat or jam jar glass to be seen *bonus 5 points).

I really enjoyed my visit to the Art of Grilled and look forward to my next visit.

Oh and yes, we ate everything we ordered.

Shop P1, 734 Rode Road, Stafford Heights

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

(07) 3359 0003

Open

Today 7:30am - 9:00pm

Menu

http://www.twitter.com/Grilling_Art

Hotel Maroochydore

The Maroochydore Hotel, previously the Grinning Dog, I'm not sure why my friends suggested it, but I'm glad they did.

I have to admit, the pub itself has never lured me, and I hadn't eaten here since I have been back on the coast but I suspect that will change.

The menu is incredibly diverse, covering pub usuals: steaks, seafood, pasta, risotto, and includes specialty items like confit pork belly, barbeque ribs, and lamb tzatziki pizza.

Myself and D decided on the BBLT Burger ($10) from the lunch specials menu and S opted for the Rump steak ($10) and we shared 3 sides for the table, battered onion rings, buffalo wings and Parmesan crusted calamari.

I suspect the burger patty was manufactured but dispite this, it was a very delicious burger, containing bacon, cheese, barbeque sauce tomato and lettuce. I think it could have used mayo, but I added some of the aioli from the sides. I also opted to not eat half the bun. The chips were cooked perfectly. Miss S's steak, she tells me was cooked perfectly, juicy and with lovely flavour.

 The Parmesan crusted calamari ($8) was also cooked beautifully. The Parmesan flavour was light but detectable. Delicious.

 The beer battered onion rings ($8) were light and crisp, served piping hot.

The buffalo wings ($8) had a lovely flavour and the smokey barbeque sauce was excellent. With our food S had a lemon lime and bitters and D and I had a schooner of Carlton Draught each.

Hotel Maroochydore has lunch specials daily and dinner specials most nights. I think it is really good value, and I will be sure to do a write up the next time I head there for pizza night.

Hotel Maroochydore
201 Main Road
Maroochydore
Queensland
Ph: 07 5479 5611

Email:
hotelmaroochydore@starhotels.com.au

.