Croquettes

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The Independent – Gembrook – Sunday 8 October 2017 – Lunch

The Independent

We’ve just finished lunch and I have the rare ability to write a review during the hour long drive home. Today is the perfect day for a Sunday drive, and the main feature is an even better reason for a drive.

The Independent in Gembrook is a place I’ve been keen to try for a couple of years. Our friends organised a group lunch a bit over two years ago but Catherine and I only got to join for a drink, following a huge morning with a win at auction after six long months of failure. The reviews that day were overwhelmingly positive, putting The Independent high on our list of day trip possibilities.

Cordero – Slow roasted Gippsland lamb shoulder, carrots, chilli, coriander + peanuts

Two year’s later we’ve made it for lunch and on this particular Sunday the large, good looking restaurant, is seemingly less popular (but still quite busy). The drive is very close to an hour from the city meaning a nice lazy morning before the midday drive.

It is a strikingly well thought out restaurant space. Lots of tables but not crammed in; open kitchen on one side and bar on the other; and a great use of light both from the opening in the roof, to the windows overlooking the garden (and playground) out back, and to the street out front. There is no hesitation from the staff to seat us at a table for four, giving us plenty of room to stretch out.

Pork croquettes

We are ready to eat. The pork croquette special is impossible to resist as a starter, and we are choosing between the chicken, lamb and short rib beef for mains. Whilst warned by the learned waitstaff that the lamb would be too big for two, the opportunity to take any leftovers home meant a guilt-free decision. The maple carrots accompanying the dish were the sealer.

The pork croquettes were delicious, filled with heaps of juicy pork and nothing added merely to fill out the mixture. The serve of five is extremely generous too. Next came the shoulder of lamb which was impressively presented for a sharing style dish.

Lechuga – Lettuce, mustard dressing + cheddar

The lamb was everything we hoped for. Falling off the bone, beautifully cooked, and paying tribute to the Argentinian roots of the restaurant. When combined with the maple, chilli and peanut roasted carrots we really felt indulgent. To soften some of the richness we opted for the lettuce salad, topped with a large helping of cheese, and finished off with a well made vinaigrette.

As usual it was too much food for Catherine and my relatively small appetites. The takeaway option won the day, but we had already had two servings, suggesting that equally small appetites could have an outrageously good lunch between four people for about $25 a head! Even though we were overly satisfied, we did have to try the dulce de leche ice cream dessert.

Helado – House made dulce de leche ice cream + cookie crumb

Even sharing, this is a very rich and decadent dessert, complete with caramel sauce and a harder almost fudge-like caramel. With the help of some peppermint tea (made with fresh mint), and a double espresso, we did make it through and I’m not one bit upset that we did.

During lunch I tried a white from Argentina and a 2015 pinot noir by Rob Dolan from the Yarra Valley. As striking as the fitout, the exteremely reasonable prices for wine add even more merit to doing a weekend in Gembrook and really indulging in a few nice bottles.

The Independent has now been around for a few years and from what we experienced, the reviews are true. It is definitely worth a nice Sunday drive whether in the cooler months of winter, or during the warmth of Spring and Summer that we are all looking forward to.

The Independent Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

 

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Neighbourhood Wine – Fitzroy North – Friday 7 July 2017 – Lunch

Neighbourhood Wine

I love eating on the bar. There is a propensity for diners to automatically expect to be offered a table when dining at a restaurant. This means a lot of us are missing out on the experience of eating at the bar.

When I was 25 years old, I went around the world on my own for 10 weeks. Luckily, I was already a fan of eating alone, so meal time was not as confronting as it could have been. Back in Perth, it was almost as if the waitstaff serving me would be more uncomfortable about my dining habit than I was, often almost forcefully trying to provide reading material (which I declined).

When I got to New York City, I found an almost endless supply of restaurants featuring (on purpose) a bar for overflows and loners. I was in heaven. My most memorable experience was at Union Square Cafe. As well as the magnificent bar staff, I remember taking a photo half way through a three course meal, and my part of the bar was adorned with bread, wine, and cognac. Many times whilst dining at a bar back in Melbourne I think about those experiences. As you would know, the bar concept is now a feature of Melbourne dining.

Red wine and gnocchi

Tucked away just off Nicholson Road is Neighbourhood Wine. We don’t have a booking which is dangerous on a Friday, but we have the choice of two tables, or the long stretch of empty bar space. In sync, Catherine and I choose to sit at the bar, although we were questioning the look of the actual bar stools.

It turns out, the bar stools are very comfy, and beautifully coordinate with the look and feel of this unusual space. Every nook and cranny is filled with bottles of wine, and where not dedicated to wine there is something kitsch in its place. Even the space just outside the toilet has a few dozen bottles of wine.

Wine by the glass is generally natural, with organic featuring heavily. Both of the reds that we try are excellent. The first is a Nebbiolo that has accentuated classic flavours and body that you associate with this variety. Second is a medium bodied Cinsault from the Barossa that takes a little time to open up, eventually showing good length.

The bar person pouring our wines and generally serving us knows his wines. However, he is more bartender than my New York experiences of bar servers. He is quietly spoken and lacks energy, slightly impacting our time here.

Beef ragu croquette, mustard aioli

On the flip side, the food we order is outstanding. We begin with beef ragu croquettes and they are as good as they sound. Next we share the duck and brandy parfait. It comes out as two generous scoops on grilled sourdough. While the serve of this indulgent food could be smaller, I wasn’t complaining! We easily managed to finish it all off.

Duck and brandy parfait, pickled pine mushrooms, grilled sourdough

For our final dish we shared the pan-fried potato and ricotta gnocchi with butternut pumpkin, leeks and pine nuts. It was another good dish, and generous too. It is all too obvious when a kitchen puts out amateur gnocchi and this was certainly not the case. There is confidence in the combination with the pumpkin and pine nuts, and I would be quite happy to have this dish and a nice glass of red any day of the week.

Pan-fried potato & ricotta gnocchi, butternut pumpkin, leeks and pine nuts

We seriously enjoyed our first taste of what Neighbourhood Wine has to offer. With a thought provoking wine list, and plenty of great food options to match, there is more here than just a strong local. With some work on the rapport side with customers on the bar it would be a complete experience.

Neighbourhood Wine Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato