Restaurant Atelier
Olibe Balzac’s first excursion was to Restaurant Atelier in Glebe - French/European cuisine, SMH Chef’s Hat recipient 2007, rated well at Eatability. They have a mid-week 3-course deal for $60 - not bad for a place that’s a bit fancy-schmancy.
It’s a cute little white house on Glebe Pt Rd, with dark red interiors and shiny dark wooden floors. But who cares, right? It’s about the food. And possibly the service. And whether the staff are fazed if you tell them there’s a cockroach crawling up their wall…
Fortunately, Atelier had good food and service… to a point.
We let them know ahead of time - as they request you do - that there was a vegetarian in the party. Still, when we mention our 3-normal-and-1-vegetarian booking, there is no recognition of this from the staff. I am brusquely informed that they have this entree (tomato tart with goat cheese), and this main (pasta with cream-and-truffle something or other)… and that’s it.
“I’ll take that then!” I reply.
I figure it’s me making the imposition. As I’ve mentioned before, French cuisine doesn’t lend itself to veggie friendly options and I knew what I was getting myself into by coming here. Besides, so long as this one option is good, who cares?
At the outset, we’re given palate-exciters (whatever they’re called in French) - in this instance, a mighty tasty garlic soup. And, yes, the flavour is exciting - hopefully a sign of things to come.
The tomato tart is pretty damn good too, I must say.
Tomato Tart
Tomatoes are among my favourite things in the world and they were used inventively in this entree - a caramelised piece is layered with one that is only lightly braised, and they’re topped with the soft cheese. The trio of flavours and textures is a really yummy combination. So far, so good.
The pasta arrives in a tight sort of curl, which reminded me of how Bernard in Black Books insists that all fancy food must be presented in a cylindrical arrangement (even soup). It had several different kinds of cream, including a rather frothy-looking kind (mmm, soap suds…?!). One of these creams had truffles in it, not that I could tell - partly because I’d never tasted trufflfes before and, hence, couldn’t identify them (so much for that distinct, $100/kg flavour), and partly because of the seventeen different kinds of cream in the dish.
The pasta itself remind me of - and don’t shoot me for saying this - something closely resembling two-minute noodles. And then there were the endives which are bitter as a Paul McCartney’s divorce. Look, it isn’t bad - it’s edible, albeit bland - and I’m hungry so I eat it all (except for the endives which really do have an ear-waxy aftertaste).
But, on the whole, the one-and-only vego main is a little bit of a kick in the teeth for one who dares to choose food that didn’t once have a face.
In stark contrast, omnivores have a menagerie of creatures to choose from a la carte. It includes quail, rabbit, venison, pheasant, squab - all those animals you imagine 18th century British aristocrats would eat by the fireplace after a day’s hunting. I’m guessing this is why all the people on Eatability like the place so much.
Still, at least I have a choice when it comes to dessert.
I choose the creme brulee…
Creme Brulee
The coolest part about it is, you see that stripe of sauce down one side? It’s a sweet olive sauce! If you’re feeling adventurous, it’s well worth a try. I dig it. The creme brulee itself is okay - doesn’t rock my world, but it’s fine. Toffee’s a bit burnt though.
My friends have the day’s dessert special - caramel souffle with whiskey sauce…
Caramel Souffle
…and one other thing from the menu - the Hazelnut, er, thingamajig…
Hazelnut, er, thingamajig
So, yeah… dessert is rather nice.
Overall: Atelier was fine. Was it worth $60 when I can get amazing food for half the price (or less) and have a choice thrown into the bargain? Obviously not. Still, I’m glad I have some empirical evidence to support my cuisines theory. French = not really worth the bother.
Review review: This piece lacks inspiration, but is rich in laziness - an apt approach to the subject matter.
Valley vendors!
The Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia
The NSW Hunter Valley is known for its wine, but amid the world-class Shirazes and Semillons, lies food, food, and more food…
Nothing makes the stress of city life is just that little bit easier to bear than spending some time chilling out in the crisp, fresh air that had just a puff of chimney smoke about it, sampling cheese and olives (and wine, of course), and growing spherical on gourmet breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
And when it’s all over, you can stock up on a tonne of awesomeness to take back to the big smoke. These are the places I’d definitely return to again for some more tasty goods to show off back home…
Tintilla Estate
Tintilla Estate
Tintilla Estate is a family-run property growing grapes and olives - already two of my favourite things!
As do vineyards, they make wine, but Tintilla dabbles in some of the lesser-grown varieties in the region, such as sangiovese.
Tintilla Estate's vineyard
They preserve and marinate olives on the grounds. I’m not sure if they press olive oil themselves, but they definitely at least supply to pressers. And make tapenade and spreads and other yummy things in jars such as olives marinaded in chilli and lemon. Mmm… They even have a special “mound of olives” as they like to call it, where they grow my beloved kalamatas. *sigh*
Also unique to Tintilla (as far as this region goes, that is) is vinegar making. It’s a big deal to do this on the same property as a vineyard because the flies that hang around vinegar can wreak havoc on vines, but Tintilla has got it down.
There’s also a neat little restaurant there that opens out onto the vineyard which I imagine would be an absolute delight in warmer months.
Binnorie Dairy
Binnorie Dairy
One of my favourite places on this trip was Binnorie Dairy. The cheese from this place is to die for - and I’ve found you can get it in gourmet shops and delis back in Sydney - happiness!
Binnorie is home to award-winning cheeses, including their marinaded feta. It’s so good that if anyone should own the word ‘feta’ (yes, there’s contention over it - like what happened with champagne) it’s Binnorie.
Other gems I tasted were the Labna - a yogurt cheese with zing! - and a delicious blend called ‘Duetto’. Duetto sees the pairing of gorgonzola and mascarpone. You get the extreme flavour of the gorgonzola, but it’s softened by the smooth, creamy mascarpone - genius!
Moorebank Private Vineyard Estate
I didn’t actually get to see inside this place, but I have tried their products. As well as being another winery, they’re also near-obsessive about their spreads, chutneys, sauces, syrups, oils (both edible and fragrant varieties thereof) and dippers.
Moorebank Estate
They have a famous Spicy Grape Sauce, which is, based on what the label says, very versatile. I tried it with cheese and crackers and it was quite sweet. It could work well in a veggie-tofu stir fry (I’ll let you know if I give that a go), though I suspect it might actually be better suited to meats - especially on the BBQ.
But their magical offering, I found, was their Country Garden Chutney Spread. It’s mustardy and tumericy and downright delicious. It’s inspired me to learn more about its main vegetable ingredient - the humble choko.
Pokolbin Chocolate and Jam Co.
The Pokolbin Jam and Chocolate Company
Well, it would take a fairly dire chocolate shop to disappoint me, but happily this one is not dire in any way. In fact, it is marvellous.
And so cute! It’s a little old fashioned shop with colourful walls and stacks of beautiful-looking jars of jam.
Pokolbin's choc penguins
Then there’s the chocolate cabinet - it may look small, but don’t underestimate the variety. The passionfruit one with the purple sugar on the outside, and the penguins with the peach ganache, were wicked. They also have fresh fudge to for you try and buy.
Meanwhile, back at the shelves, I discovered something glorious…
*Choir of angels sings* Dark chocolate-covered cranberries (okay, so I’ve since found them back in Sydney, but still, both were joyous discoveries…)
The Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop
I’ve saved the best for last.
“But something other than chocolate isn’t cited as the best in a Keira Daley blog?!” you protest.
Yes, the shop has an ultra-mega-super selection of cheese to choose from. Yes the shop has the best of all the local cheese, as well as imported stuff. And yes, the shop has a separate little room full of what’s either the stinkiest cheeses (some people say the stinkier the better) or the ones that need to be kept at a separate temperature - or both.
But the very best part about this shop is… the gelato.
Hunter Valley x 2
Often when you go to a food establishment, you just want one simple thing - not three courses, not for your world to be rocked into another solar system, and not for a high-commitment, five star extravaganza. Often, you just want simple things done well.
And sometimes you just get distracted by things that look nice.
Here are two places in the Australian wine region Hunter Valley, NSW, that looked pretty and did simple things well…
Bistro Molines
Margan Wines shows its wares at Bistro Molines, and what better way to kick off your time in Wine Country than with a tasting?
Of course, sipping a barbara at 11am was like battery acid, but the lunch to come would reverse any damage done.
Sitting on the sun-flecked deck among white umbrellas, I noticed the tables of people who are very obviously in the habit of enjoying the finer things in life and thought it was a habit I could quite happily adopt myself.
Stuffed tempura zucchini flowers at Molines
I had tempura zucchini flowers stuffed with goats cheese with a very smooth glass of Margan Cab Sav. It was grand - the crunch of the tempura was complimented by the creamy goats cheese centre.
The olive aioli and fresh cherry tomatoes added tang. It also looked pretty…
I will say, though, that this was one of only two veggie options available (I think the other was a mushroom risotto), and it was actually an entree they made a main size. Plus, it was on the specials menu, so who knows how much choice an unsuspecting vego would have on another occasion. Pity!
Still, fortunately for me, this time I was in luck.
Peppers Guesthouse
Chez Pok Restaurant, Peppers Guest House
I had breakfast at Peppers Guest House’s Chez Pok. It was hard not to be impressed with the fruit platters and other breakfast goodies spread out on the wide, white table in the centre of the room.
Chez Pok
But I opted for something from the menu. I ordered French toast with strawberries and maple syrup. It hit the spot – light, fruity and not too thick or sickly. And the strawberries - ah the strawberries! - were so fresh.
But I forgot to photograph it because Peppers itself was so lovely. The Chez Pok was cosy – like a livingroom converted into a restaurant because your mum’s cooking is so good.
Chez Pok's lovely patio
There was yet another Hunter fireplace to admire, rustic old fashioned decor, simple white starched tablecloths, wooden chairs, and a beautiful patio.
The way light just floated in on a gentle angle through the old fashioned windows was glorious. And the grounds are gorgeous too - no wonder people get married there!