newsletter three August 2008

Apologies that our newsletter is two weeks late. We have had our third Chinese estage, assistant restaurant manager Coco Ping from T8 Shanghai here and there’s been lots of running around, to work at Augé Ristorante, to Chloe’s Restaurant and last week a couple of days at Appellation at the Louise. In between that, and work we’ve been meeting up with the people who make the South Australian wines on the T8 list and meeting a few of our other winemaker friends. And, believe it or not a lack of net access while collecting new material has been a problem.
It has been rain, rain glorious rain and our guest thought we were all totally nuts!
We’ve been splashing around in the mud and pouring rain and loving every minute of it. The water restrictions aren’t over and we still can’t wash our cars but at least the gardens are looking like they might live for another year and anyone working in agriculture or viticulture has a smile.
The brilliant emerald of the countryside, the deep lush stripe of green that punctuates the vines is something we haven’t seen for years. It is just fabulous! The vistas are stunning green carpets to the ocean cliffs, some vines still waiting to be pruned others, pruned early just budding that first glistening precious delicate start of the new vintage crop.

We’ve been bunkered in and hard at work this month and our news is so very localized. Our weekend at Thorn Park Country House with Stephanie Toole Mount Horrocks Wines and Michael Speers and David Hay was just fabulous fun. Thanks to all the people that stayed the weekend and/or came to the lunch and cooking class on the Sunday. The three hours spent passing glorious South Australian snapper for quenelles were worth every second. David and Michael have been iconic in South Australian culinary and hospitality history and their new venture Thorn Park by the Vines will open late 2009. With gorgeous vistas it is a different but equally wonderful venue. We are so delighted that the brothers from Seven Hill Wines have purchased Thorn Park, not just because they will equally love and nurture the property, but because it will always remain an unspoiled memory of generosity, hospitality and excellence for all of us. In the meantime we wish David and Michael Bon Voyage and long and invigorating holidays in Europe and America.

To dispel the rumours that the darling of the 06 Adelaide dining scene Jordan Theodoros (formerly the Melting Pot) has already opened in Goolwa, he has not! He was briefly hanging around for a few weeks whilst deciding if there was enough trade to buy the business. So, please don’t confuse the previous operation with what we will all enjoy in the very new future. Internal renovations are currently being carried out and a revamped Aqua Café will open in September. External renovations will follow with council approval. They will open breakfast and lunch seven days and dinner Friday and Saturday (and the holiday season) in summer. Everything will be made on premise. In Jordan’s own words “we want to make beautiful fresh seasonal food; hand cut chips, fish pasties, fish pies, mussel soup, cockles, fish chips great salads, good coffee and home made cakes and just occasionally we’ll throw a dinner with something a little on the fancy side.” Jordan’s partner Stephanie Vasileff, is a fabulous cake cook and will be making all their cakes and cookies. We can’t wait and we’ll keep you posted!

As for that lovely Timothy Montgomery formerly at the The Manse Restaurant and Bar he is working in a flash hotel in Switzerland and unfortunately, no ETA as to when he might come home. After a brief period of upheaval after Montgomery’s departure The Manse Restaurant and Bar is again receiving wide acclaim for the cooking of Ayhan Erkoc in combination with the excellent service led by restaurant manager Oliver Field and sommelier Craig Phillips — reviewed September.
Blues passes into new hands, the last night Saturday August 23. Guess Tenney and Allister Parker will be sleeping in for a bit (kid permitting) and they are available for regional catering which, as we know they do so well.

When your write a weekly restaurant review for conventional publication; ours are published in the Adelaide Independent Weekly every Friday you are under a lot of pressure to deliver. Some weeks five restaurants and still nothing worth writing about, so when you do five restaurants and get five good reviews it is so encouraging. New reviews this month are (in alphabetical order) Enoteca Restaurant, Penny’s Hill and Mr Riggs The Kitchen Door and Vincenzo’s. Three absolute beauties and each entirely different from the other that left us with nothing to whine about.

Obsessed awards have been postponed until the New Year. With so many national and local awards announced at this time of the year it seemed best to disengage Galaxy Guides, especially since we only list ’the best of the best’ in our guides our Obsessed Awards are intended to draw attention to those individuals who are just that, obsessed!

The September Independent Weekly COOKS’S CLUB class will be Sick Soufflés venue to be advised and to see the details for the Alexandrina Cheese Company, Lunch and Conversation Sunday October 19, please click here

left hand side top, Coriole Vineyards, McLaren Vale, bottom left Penny’s Hill and Mr Riggs the view from their Kitchen Door Restaurant McLaren Vale, bottom right pruners at Shaw & Smith, Adelaide Hills
right hand side from top, Paracombe Wines, Adelaide Hills, Paxton Vineyards McLaren Vale – biodynamics at work, hand pruning at d'Arenberg Wines McLaren Vale, Fox Creek Wines looking back to the hills McLaren Vale
Coco Ping assistant restaurant manager T8 Shanghai click here to meet other sauchin estages

NEXT MONTH
At the end of this month we are in Melbourne and our September newsletter which will go out at the regular date of the 12th of the month will be Mainly Melbourne. We’ll also take a new look at Laris Shanghai; new head chef and a new direction and our spies tell us it has been a seamless transition. We’re adding a small Venice guide to our site, little treasures like Do Mori, Venice’s oldest wine bar where stunning antipasti is there till it runs out and 20 year–old Barorlos are available by the glass. Senior wine editor Dr Alexandra Burridge is off to France to eat and taste and she’s promised some pics and menus and comments.

We will also be taking a critical look at the South Australian inclusions in the Australian Gourmet Traveller annual Australian restaurant awards. Got an opinion please email us we will publish the most interesting and constructive emails. All correspondence must be properly identified and sources will be checked.

News Australia

Sydney and Melbourne
NEW BOOKS absolutely nothing new but a few good ones coming up for next month, amongst them a new Phaidon book A Day at ElBulli. Worthwhile noting Ferran Adrià will be in Australia to do two public talks;
Sydney — Friday October 17, State Theatre 7.00 pm Melbourne — Sunday October 19, Hamer Hall at 4.00pm Tickets $40 talk only, $75 talk and book (saving of $40 RRP book $75) Tickets 1300 136 166 or www.ticketmaster.com.au

South Australia
We have to be pretty happy that so many South Australian individuals and businesses have been awarded national awards this month. It is easy to be a big fish in a small pod, but to gain credibility with ones national peers really means something. These are real awards that unlike state restaurant catering association awards have real meaning on a national scale judged against their peers by panels of respected experts.

Fino awarded Best Small Wine List in Australia as part of the coveted Gourmet Traveller Wine 2008 Wine List of The Year Awards.

Appellation at the Louise Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine three glass rating (the highest level) best wine list in South Australia. They noted, “Appellation skillfully treads the fine line between regional focus and a greater world view and has set the benchmark by which all other wine region lists can be judged.”

We love the Lexus awards, especially set up to encourage and celebrate the best of Australia’s young stars in the hospitality industry. From The Manse Restaurant and Bar (new review September 08) Leanne Altman from won Australia’s best young waiter and from Enoteca Restaurant and shortly to be head chef at Augé Ristorante, Rebecca Stubbs was placed second in Australia’s best young chef category. Regardless of which state check out their web site to discover where the new stars are shining Lexus Awards