Cheeseboard

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Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder – Richmond – Saturday 31 May 2015 – Breakfast

Home style baked borlotti beans with smoked ham hock and tomato ragout with gratinated Taleggio and basil pesto with toasted soldiers

Home style baked borlotti beans with smoked ham hock and tomato ragout with gratinated Taleggio and basil pesto with toasted soldiers

There is a pattern. It can never be too long between visits to Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder. The pattern is some months of absence before a distinct requirement for excessive cheese consumption like last September. Next comes the very grown up breakfast experience which reminds you that you must return for cheese, and lots of it!

RHCL has been a favourite from the first time I stepped in as a tourist. It is those visits, the professionalism of the staff, the cheese room, and the atmosphere, that sets it apart as an experience. Today it is about breakfast.

We have come at the right time. There is a table for two in the window which is by far my favourite spot inside and it is ours. I’ve indulged in the cheesy toast many times but today I feel like something a bit more sophisticated to pair with my sparkling shiraz.

Smashed avocado toast with Meredith goat’s feta, cherry tomatoes, chilli, basil & lemon infused olive oil

Smashed avocado toast with Meredith goat’s feta, cherry tomatoes, basil & lemon infused olive oil

The baked borlotti beans with ham hock seem perfect as we come to the threshold of winter in Melbourne. What I didn’t expect was the judicious use of taleggio over the top, oozing over the beans, but still showing the gorgeous rind that is a treasure in itself. That surprise was the highlight. Although the beans are flavoursome, they could be richer and personally I’d like the space to be able to place the beans on top of the toast so it soaks in the juices. A good dish but not as good as the cheesy toast.

Catherine enjoyed the RHCL’s version of smashed avocado, feta and cherry tomatoes. This is a dish that is on every second cafe menu, and for good reason. This one has good focus on quality ingredients, but with some accompaniments that enhance the dish beyond what most people could dish out at home.

It is easy for time to pass here as you chat, watch the foot traffic go by, and try to guess what the various gatherings are talking about, and where they have come from. There is that happy and satisfied atmosphere that is difficult to create in a restaurant, but seems like it now belongs.

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Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder – Richmond – Sunday 21 September 2014 – Cheese

Cheese!

Cheese!

For some, cheese is a devotion. I’ve heard Will Studd speak about cheese and he puts it up on a pedestal. Others may be less articulate, but they can be even more enthusiastic and energised.

When I was once in Paris I felt an overwhelming desire to grab a baguette and a hunk of cheese and walk down the road eating it. A tourist asked me for directions and I realised that this desire was very likely a huge stereotype, since I’ve never actually seen a Parisian do the same.

It’s not a weekly, or even monthly occurrence. But every now and then I have the same need to get to Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder for a cheese platter. There is nowhere with the history and feeling that RHCL gives to me.

Magic Melbourne days spent on Bridge Road outside at RHCL are some of my most memorable as a tourist, and now as a local. You can buy an incredible selection of cheese in the larder; you can while away the day eating breakfast, drinking coffee, or maybe enjoy a Bloody Mary. But the A-game is a cheese platter and a glass of wine.

Today we choose to have a cheese platter and select the Pont L’eveque, Pyengana cheddar, and Bleu de Basque to combine with the fig and quince preserve, quince paste, white and fruit bread, apple and pear. The Pont L’eveque is soft but still close to firm, with a pungent aroma from the washed rind. Its taste is divine for a true cheese lover; powerful, clingy and salty. The cheddar by Tasmanian producer Pyengana is cloth-bound and strong without being crumbly. It is rich, melting in the mouth, and lingers beautifully. The Bleu de Basque is an accomplished cheese, but is entry level when it comes to the spectrum of blue strength in bacteria riddled cheeses. I would have preferred stronger (if available on the selection) but it is still a charming cheese albeit a little shy of flavour.

Bread!

Bread!

Unlike other places, I never really notice the service one way or another. On reflection it is often of a high standard, and part of the quality is allowing customers to enjoy lengthy spells at the tables without too much fuss. You look around here and it is a revered venue by customers and staff alike. And a heavy personal favourite of mine.

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