Gorging for a month...

After a bit of a work induced blogging hiatus I thought it would be fun to reminisce about the month of eating that has led me to hitting the gym almost every day and subsisting on Lite'n Easy for a few weeks; desperate measures to avoid buying new jeans and to get ready for an upcoming northern hemisphere summer visit.

Meatmother

I ducked into Meatmother in Richmond with my Kansas City barbecue obsessed father and barbecue novice BF to check out what the 'cue in Richmond was like. From a Melbourne perspective it was decent but I probably wouldn't repeat visit if it were located in the US (to be fair i have only been to top notch barbecue restaurants in KC and Austin and my dad regularly smokes me low and slow ribs of amazingness). If only Aaron Franklin would set up shop in Melbourne.

Pork ribs with a side of BBQ beans

Brisket with slaw 

Beef short rib with mac and cheese

Highlights: the bacon old fashioned, the fun bartender, the sides, the short rib and the pork ribs
Avoid: the brisket if you've ever been to Texas and eaten barbecue - it is nicely cooked beef but missing a smokiness

Work lunch @PM24

My team at work went for a celebratory lunch at PM24 after a major deadline.

The three course set menu was good value. I had the pork terrine, the rotisserie chicken and the pear and almond tart (and a fair amount of wine...). The chicken was the highlight.

Gravlax

Rotisserie chicken

Almond and pear tart

Pork terrine

I personally think that there are regional restaurants that are doing more exciting and consistent food that probably deserve more hats than PM24.

Spring St Grocer

I've been in to Spring St Grocer a few times since it opened (so many times for the gelati when the gelateria opened last year). Since the grocer/deli/cheesemonger section opened, I've found that their interesting array sandwiches make an excellent addition to my work lunch options (prices ranging from $10 for a more basic sandwich to $16 for one with foie gras). They started out with a menu of over 20 sandwiches but are curating them down to a few less. Usually I would be unhappy about that, but in this case it will help reduce that feeling of being overwhelmed by choice. 

Pastrami on rye

 Spring St Grocer's take home pasta sauces are also worth a look if you're feeling lazy - absolutely delicious.

EARL Canteen

After hearing that EARL would be opening a second outpost in Collins Place I developed an insurmountable craving for pork belly that could only be cured by a long trek down to the legal district for a sandwich meal aka crackling delivery device. EARL's pork belly has long been one of my favourite sandwiches in Melbourne. 

Mildura Brewery Pub and Stefano's Bakery Cafe

On a recent whirlwind work consultation trip to Mildura we ducked into Mildura Brewery for a decent pub lunch. I ordered the rump steak thinking it would be the smaller of the three steaks on offer, but ended up with one of the largest steaks ever seen in Australia. It was huge. It was also very flavoursome, properly aged, and well cooked.

Giant steak

We also had a lovely breakfast at Stefano's cafe with passable coffee. Both are worth a visit if you find yourself in Mildura.

Poached eggs with mushrooms, goats curd and hollandaise

Industry Beans

A good friend of mine, who rarely gets excited about eating out, recently sent me an excited text about the food at Industry Beans. I'm glad I took her recommendation and trawled the back streets of Fitzroy to drop in for a weekend 'brunch' (at around 3pm). 

The coffee is exceptional and the kitchen is keeping up by delivering innovative dishes that tie in with the coffee. I really enjoyed the cold drip 'caviar' with the French toast. 

French toast

Deep fried poached eggs

Chat potatoes

Kansas City here I come

Lidia’s Italy

On my recent trip to the USA I paid a visit to family in Kansas City. KC is not generally known for it’s culinary prowess, however, I did eat while I was there and it wasn’t all bad.

On my first day in town, my grandma and aunts took me to brunch at Lidia’s Italy, which is the westernmost of Lidia Bastianich’s ‘Lidia’ branded restaurant group. 

Lidia’s is in a beautiful red brick building with an refined farmhouse vibe. On Sundays they have a market brunch ($24) that features a buffet of antipasto and desserts with a la carte mains. The food was rustic and flavourful but the presentation was lacking. 

Selection of bread with sweet butter

 Selection from antipasto table – heirloom tomato panzanella was the highlight

Gnocchi with duck ragu

Grilled salmon fillet with string beans, Yukon gold potatoes and mustard sauce

Lasagna Bolognese

Pork shank

Grilled chicken panini

Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue – Martin City

Kansas City is good at barbecue. This relates to its long history as a location for cattle sales to the east and becomes evident during football season when you see the cloud of barbecue smoke from the tailgaters long before you can see Arrowhead Stadium. KC style barbeque is generally hickory based with a sweeter sauce than you would find in Texas. 

Jack Stack is one of the oldest barbecue restaurants in town and is generally thought to be the best. The meat is smoky and tender, the sauce a tasty mixture of smoke, heat and molasses. One of the highlights of Kansas City style barbecue is the smoky hickory pit beans, which are a slow cooked combination the smoky meat, sauce and beans. 

‘Jumbo’ sandwich with turkey and pork

Pork baby back ribs

Sides of potato salad and hickory pit beans

Austin-tatious

At the tail end of my recent US trip, I spent a few days in Austin, TX. Texas may not be the first destination you’d think of when planning a trip to America, but with the Qantas replacing their Sydney to San Francisco route with a Sydney to Dallas route, more Australians are visiting. Tips from fellow travellers led me to bypass Dallas in favour of the hipper State Capitol. 

 

Austin is home to a plethora of universities, including the University of Texas. This helps to explain the abundance of fixies, which make any Melbournian feel at home (not to mention the availability of somewhat passable coffee). Its insulation from the economic downturn and young population have helped spark a resurgent restaurant, bar and music scene, led by events like SXSW and Austin City Limits.

Austin is HOT in the middle of summer, my four days were spent in a temperature range of 30 degrees overnight to 43 degrees during the day, making it ideal for chilling by the pool, springs or tubing down one of the rivers around the city. It also makes Austin an ideal location for outdoor bars, food trailers and restaurants, of which there are many. My highlights are places which I would frequent if they were magically transferred to Melbourne (in fact I’d probably do a happy dance if that happened).

Franklin Barbecue

My love affair with Austin began while googling ‘Austin BBQ NYT’ on my second morning in Austin, determined to have a Texas comparison to the Kansas City barbecue I enjoyed as a child and while in Kansas City at the beginning of my trip (note: I add NYT to any restaurant google in the USA because I am a NYT dining and wine addict). Barbecue is an art form in the USA, with different styles across the south and Kansas City. There are different types of wood used for smoking (hickory, mesquite etc.), sauces ranging with varying levels of vinegar, heat and sweetness, and different types of meat.   

My search pointed to Franklin Barbecue, which has been voted the best barbecue restaurant in America by Bon Appetit Magazine. Franklin Barbecue started as a food truck but moved to a bricks and mortar location earlier this year. Its owner Aaron Franklin serves up pulled pork, pork ribs, sausages and more importantly, brisket. Franklin Barbecue has a double threat of cool factor and culinary credibility. Upon my 12 o’clock arrival at Franklin, I was confronted with a line of hungry people snaking around the interior of the restaurant and spilling out onto the porch. There was no option but to join the queue, chat to the giant Texas football team members and random Italian academics in the line and see what all of the hype was about. 

 

By the time I had made it to the front of the line, I’d befriended the aforementioned Italian and wavered about five times on my order. I went with the option of a plate of brisket and pulled pork with slaw and pinto beans on the side that also came with a bit of banter with Aaron Franklin while he was chopping brisket. The brisket was deliciously tender, smoky and juicy that was perfectly matched with the smoky heat of the barbecue sauce that also had a hint of espresso. The porky goodness of the pulled pork was more suited to the slaw. 

By the time I'd finished lunch they had sold out of meat. I was really tempted to go back and try the ‘Tipsy Texan’ sandwich the next day but Torchy’s Tacos won out. 

East Side Showroom

After sharing lunch at Franklin, I ended up catching up with the Italian and friends at East Side Showroom for a light dinner and cocktails. East Side is a speakeasy themed bar with dark lighting, an interesting menu that mixes southern food with modern American, 20s music and a great mix of prohibition era and modern cocktails with a Texan twist. We shared bison carpaccio, antelope tartar, shrimp gumbalaya, lime crème brûlée and a delicious peach pie. The whisky sour cocktail was the best I’ve tasted anywhere. 

It was impeccably executed with its smoky rye and luxardo cherry. Unfortunately the lighting did not allow for good photos. 

Torchy’s Tacos

My hosts from the evening before recommended that I check out the tacos at Torchy’s. Torchy’s has several food trailers around Austin and has its main base at Torchy’s Trailer Park on south first. 

Having heard about the fried avocado taco ($3.25), I had to try it.

The juxtaposition of the crisp batter and the creamy avocado was addictive. I also tried the democrat ($3.75) which was a delicious mix of shredded beef, coriander, queso fresco and pico de gallo.

Places like Torchy’s make Mamasita and Melbourne’s lone taco truck seem passé* (* to be fair, there aren’t many Mexicans in Melbourne)