Eating Hobart Again

My Gudgeon and I visited Hobart recently. I wanted to show him the city I one day wish to live in.

I remembered how beautiful and friendly it was, I had almost forgot how good the food was down there.

I'm here to remind you.

We arrived to our North Hobart airbnb early afternoon on the Tuesday, had a couple of beers and had a little Google to see what was around. We stumbled on an amazing sounding menu from a little nearby pub called The Winston Alehouse and Eatery, a really interesting menu of modern American. We wandered down to have a look.

Painter's Cottage. https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/14952758

The pub itself was really lovely, an older style with a jovial crowd enjoying the daylight savings evening.

We decided on the Eggplant Parmy Burger and the Deep Fried Burrito and side of pork. With mac n cheese sticks to start, but everything to come out at the same time.

Mac n cheese sticks were scrumptious as mac n cheese anything should be. The Parmy buger was amazing so much flavour, perfect textural combinations and great chips. The burrito comes with an array of sides, it's super crispy on the outside and the insides of rice and beans is so tasty. I love that you can add which bits and bobs from the sides as you want to.

We decide already that this is not only one of our favourite pubs ever, but this is some of the best Americana food either of us has ever tried. Also proving that this kind of food can still be fresh and crisp and not just drowning in cheese and oil.

Day two: we have coffee from what will become our favourite coffee shop, Providence Cafe. Perfect coffee every morning of our trip, and very handy being right across the street. We head off to Richmond (my favourite, and Australia's oldest bridge), Pirates Bay, Blow Hole and Devil's Kitchen then Port Arthur) I pack us ham and cheese croissants and crackers and dip to take with us. We also have a sneaky fish and chips overlooking Pirate's Bay. 

Providence Cafe

 This day happen's to be valentines day, which neither Gudge have any time for, so we have party pies, pizza and beer for dinner after our adventure. It was great.

Day 3 we start with a light breakfast of croissants, topped with spinach and feta dip, and a side salad of tomatoes and basil from our Cottages garden with some Tasmanian Camembert.

Today is our downtime day. We have a wander around the boutiques along Elizabeth Street in North Hobart then make our way into town, checking out the Waterfront, Salamanca, City Centre. We stop into another great little pub called Republic Bar and Cafe for an afternoon beer in the beer garden before a little relax at home before our dinner date.

I had reserved us a table at The Point Revolving Restaurant atop the Wrest Point Casino. I chose this particular restaurant for a few reasons. Firstly it had REALLY good reviews, I thought the views would be spectacular, I thought it might be a bit naff, (I LOVE naff), and lastly I LOVE casinos.

We start with a glass of Tassie bubbles for myself and a Beer for Gudge overlooking the water.

We then head up for our 7 pm booking. The sun had been setting around 9 pm while we had been there, so I thought it would be really nice to spend a few hours watching the change from daylight through twilight then nighttime.

We weren't disappointed with the view. 

We order a bottle of Jansz Bubbles and have bread brought to our table. It's served with locally produced Tasmanian Butter... VERY happy cows. 

Our amuse bouche is absolutely gorgeous, buttery cod wrapped in nori, served with rice, saffron cauliflower and enoki muchrooms.

I start with 3 local oysters with shallot vinaigrette, they are perfect. So fresh.

Poor Gudge doesn't eat seafood, we'll have to work on that if we do ever move to Tassie. He's missing out.

I've mentioned this many times before: I love steak tartare. I love steak and getting it in it's purest untouched form is such a delight.

The steak is just beautiful, and not overpowered by mustard, onion or capers, just flavoured and seasoned to perfection. The traditional egg yolk and capers are served as emulsions with crispy bread. One of my most enjoyable tartares yet.

Gudge orders the quail ras el hanout, barley, labneh.

The Ras el hanout is a north african spice mix, the labneh is the soothing yoghurt mix.

He loved this dish.

For my main, I order the prawns- cooked at your table, flambe, Mediterranean with eggplant caviar.

As we are ready for our main however, they tell me the prawns tonight wont be the way suggested on the menu, but in their more popular 'lemongrass curry' style, which didn't bother me initially and watching them flambe was very theatrical.

However as I began eating, I was disappointed, I didn't want curry prawns. Especially at $55! 

The waiters were very apologetic, and I felt for them, as they themselves had just been told this. But If I had known, I probably would have selected something completely different from the menu. 

A fairly mediocre main, unfortunately.

Gudge rates his main of potato gnocchi, pumpkin, pepitas and spinach very highly. I taste it: Instant food envy.

He always rules when ordering Vege mains. 

A delicious side of broccolini with truffle butter. 

We don't order dessert but get a lovely, dramatic (and complimentary) treat...

Delicious frozen, gilded chocolate coated ice cream balls, that have the table next to us gasping with delight and envy.

Our waiters were so divine, personable and friendly, the service was excellent, and the pure novelty of a 77 minute 360 degree rotation was worth the visit. Such a shame about my prawn main, but there is no way I will let that detract from a truely memorable experience.

And actually not naff at all.

We spend the rest of our evening drinking Ameretto Sours and playing roulette and have a really nice night.

It's saturday and we're off to Mona, we decide to have brekky at our favourite coffee shop before heading off. Perfect coffee as usual, and for me a fantastic toastie: poached chicken, avo and cheese on turkish. It's fantastic.

Gudgeon enjoys his avo and haloumi on sourdough very much.

After a wonderful day at Mona (you HAVE to go!), we look for a bite for dinner, we stop into Capital, who let us have a table without a reservation, dispite being booked out! I'm so glad they did, our pork belly, gorgonzola and mushroom pizza is AMAZING!

 As is our cheesy garlic bread. We probably could have fit in another pizza. it's base was perfect for me, and the toppings were a great combination and just the right amount. I also love that it has no red sause, a trend I am really moving on from.

Our last day we stop into local cafe Room For A Pony, as Providence is closed on Sundays. Even though food had a wait of 45 minutes, I'm so glad we got to try this place. It was full of happy dogs and good coffee

My three cheese on toast is the thing dreams are made of.

Gudgeon's avo and smashed feta with poached egg does the trick too.

I love you Hobart.
Be back soon.

What's for Dinner Vol 1. Savoury Mince

Today I did my very irregularly spaced weekly shop (which can incidently be anywhere between every couple of days and month-to-month) at M&S. I think M&S have the best quality produce you can find in central Edinburgh (apart from the Farmer's Markets) and I really don't think their prices are too bad.

So loaded up with fresh fruit and veg and some reduced-to-clear mince, I headed home, had a glass of wine and started on Dinner. NB Jacobs Creek Sav Blanc is horrible- thus the reason I am typing this and not sloshed right now!

I thought a savoury mince would be good, so I cut up a bunch of spring onion, shallots and garlic, and sauteed with rapeseed oil. Once translucent, I added the mince and browned.

To flavour I added chili flakes, curry powder, a beef stock cube, dried mixed herbs, salt, pepper and tomato paste.

To this I added a truckload of diced veg- beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, cauliflower, and peas, and added a splash of wine and some water, and let simmer.

As it cooked I tasted and it needed something a bit bold in it so I added Vegemite. Don't be grossed out, it's a yeast extract, and commonly used in Oz to flavour casseroles et al. I also added a good spoonful of dijon mustard and pepper jelly.

Then a little more simmering and that was done.

I was going to serve it with rice, but I am really bad at cooking rice- like one of 2 things I have never mastered in the kitchen- perfect rice, and cracking eggs without getting shell in the pan/bowl.

So whilst still deciding, I decided to do a wee guacamole to go with it. Guacs are so easy... spring onions, tomatoes, mayo, salt, pepper, lemon and a touch of tobasco, moosh together- done.

Then I figured out what to have with the chili. Inspired by my old Aitkins' Diet days (completely carb free- don't do it, it'll turn you bonkers), I remembered omelette noodles, which is basically an omelette cut into fine, tortellini-esque noodle strips.

Gluten-free, tasty amazingness.

I do have to say, I love Jamie Oliver's 30 minute meals, but this meal took me about 20 and that's a good 10 mins more than I usually ever spend on a meal. It was also tastier than many of the take-outs I have had recently, and healthier. Fast healthy meals are really doable, and not to mention cheap. The Farmfoods/Iceland shopping lifestyle over here is so very sad I think. I wish people could realise this, and stop living out of their freezers and get into fresh food.

Yorkshire!

I didn't do a great deal of eating on my recent trip to Yorkshire.

I focused mostly on Pickering and Whitby to catch up with some great friends I met at Download Festival back in June, but I did have an incredible time.

It really was a beautiful part of the world, and I really miss it already. I'm sure it was as much for the folk I was there with as the actual location.


There is nothing quite as amazing as being brought a huge plate of Chili a couple of drinks into a big session.
This particular batch I could smell brewing all morning, and it was spectacular. Thanks Mr J d'A.

I caught a steamtrain on the Moors Railway and tried some of the chocolates that I won at a raffle, well they were: amaziiinnggggg! It felt so ye olde country trip eating handmade chocolates on a steamtrain to the sea side.

Whitby was a lovely town, I was recommended by L and J d'A, and I'm so happy I discovered it. It is the setting for Bram Stokers Dracula, and it was so charming.

For dinner I ate in the hotel I was staying in, and it was a real surprise at how good it was. Starter of scallops with salsa verde. Cooked to absolute perfection, with a lovely tangy salsa and delicious salad.

 Being in a wee coastal town I had to have fish and chips, and again, such a surprise to have such great quality. Really light batter, lovely hand-cut chips and crushed peas.

 Whitby from the hotel window showing the abbey and the beach that Dracula's boat landed at (above) and (below) Whitby Abbey.

Back in Pickering I located the chocolatier which made the beautiful chocolates I had earlier and I was blown away with the Cakes in the window.

 And then I found pickled eggs, I honestly didn't think pickled eggs were a real thing, well maybe once but not anymore. I had to try...

What can I say- it takes very much like a boiled egg, with a very strong after taste of vinegar. But I can say now that I have tried one.

And that was my trip to Yorkshire. Can't wait to go back.