Herald Sun, foodextra
Ed Charles dishes up the latest on Melbourne’s food and wine
McConnell’s moves
Chef Andrew McConnell this month steps down as executive chef of Circa, the Prince to concentrate on his latest ventures. The imminent launch of his all-day breakfast cafe and wine room, Cumulus Inc on Flinders Lane, and the move of his restaurant Three, One, Two from Drummond St to Gertrude St later this year are his focus, he says. Circa’s head chef Matt Wilkinson steps into McConnell’s clogs pending a refurbishment early next year. Dining will be moved into the restaurant’s current courtyard and the bar will be extended.
Cafe to watch
Hidden away in Crossley St, Von Haus is the latest cafe with an 11pm licence to be mistaken for a bar. Rupert Duffy, who has run the city bar Misty and worked in Mario’s on Brunswick St, says he is modelling the 30-seat licensed cafe on Gerald’s Bar in Carlton North. The first four whites and first four reds opened by request will become that day’s wines by the glass. In the kitchen is artist and cook Jess Hutchison, who is executing a minimalist menu that will change every few hours, featuring simple soups, pies and, later in the day, small plates.
Fishy business
Wildfish at Port Albert in Gippsland, which opened last week, is about serving fish as fresh as you can get it. Owner Michael Hobson, who’s worked on super yachts for The Big Yin (Billy Connolly) and Richard Branson, says: “It’s straight from the trawler to the plate with the minimum number of steps in between.” Andrew Blake consulted on the menu executed by chef Paul Fitzsimmons. Bookings essential.
Back to BYO
Petrol’s up, food’s up and the cost of eating out is up. The good news is that the cost of drinking wine out has just come down in Carlton where Esposito at Toofey’s will allow you to BYO for $10 a bottle. A sign of the new economic order?
Lamb pie @ Melbourne Wine Room, St Kilda
There’s nothing quite like slipping out of a cold misty night into a warm pie. At The Melbourne Wine Room, a buttery puff pastry lid is tightly wrapped around the edges of the pie dish. Liberated, it soaks up the gravy from the tender lamb, artichoke and pea filling. And at $25, the plate of the day (il piatto del giorno) comes with a decent glass of red. It’s back on Saturday for
the bangers and mash with a sauce carbonade.
