La Baracca Trattoria

T’Gallent Winery

1385 Mornington-Flinders Rd, Main Ridge

Last weekend as the sun began to shine and Melbourne revelled in its first taste of spring for the year we thought it was an opportune time to head south and into the peninsula heartlands. After zig zagging our way through Red Hill, stopping at various places to sample the local cheese, wine and even beer, we arrived at our final destination, T’Gallent Winery.

T’Gallent is a beautiful, rustic, Italian inspired winery. There are two separate areas in which visitors can either sit down and enjoy a bite to eat and a glass of pinot at La Baracca Trattoria, or alternatively try the Spuntino Bar which offers a more casual space and serves homemade pizzas straight from the wood fired oven.

Today we have a booking in the trattoria and after sampling the delicious wines at the cellar door we make our way over and take our place for the afternoon. We have decided on a chardonnay today, not a wine I would typically order but this variety, along with the Pinots, are the stars of the local area and hard to resist on a warm spring day. The restaurant is simple and rustic as is the winery itself. We are seated in a large open room with concrete floors and corrugated tin roof, and I feel as though we are sitting on the veranda of an old country home.

We start by ordering the daily pizza special with a topping of pesto, feta, potatoes, leek and asparagus, an unusual choice for us but a good decision as it is fantastic. The base of the pizza is thin and crispy, the potatoes are soft and seasoned to perfection while the pesto, feta and leek bring the dish to life. I’m not sure where the asparagus was but if forgotten it was not missed.

As we sit and wait for our main meals to arrive we take in the atmosphere of the winery around us, the place is alive with the buzz of people all out enjoying the sunshine and the beautiful wine. One thing is for certain, T’Gallent has a lovely, relaxed vibe and I am suddenly feeling very comfortable.  

Our mains arrive and we eagerly tuck in. Today I have ordered the spinach and ricotta gnocchi with slow-braised duck, mustard fruit and spinach. The portion is quite small and the gnocchi is placed one by one circling the brazed duck with a large amount of thin, gravy like sauce that unfortunately overpowers the rest of the dish. My first impressions are positive but do not knock my socks off. The gnocchi is a little firm for my liking and does not have the same melt in the mouth texture that I was hoping for. The sauce itself is very sweet and as the mustard fruits melt away it becomes quite sickly and I start to understand why the small portion. Also ordered was the pan-seared steak ‘of the moment’ which today is a sirloin accompanied with chats potatoes. The steak is tender but a little over done for the medium that was ordered.

Taking our time we decide to share a desert while we sip on the last of our chardy. We order their take on a lemon meringue pie, a mixture of lemon curd and crushed meringue pieces served in a glass tumbler. The desert is tasty, however, call me old fashioned but I do like the traditional version much more.

It has been a truly relaxed and enjoyable afternoon and as we make our way to the car park, via the pig pen at the rear, I am already looking forward to re-visiting, perhaps this time in the Spuntino Bar for some more of that delicious pizza.

Rates 12 O’s out of 20

Mamasita

1/11 Collins Street, Melbourne

As the final siren sounded at the MCG and the crowd began to pour out of the oval, we look down at our watches, and, being only 5.30pm, make the decision to walk across to the City and try our luck at getting into Mamasita, one of Melbourne’s current “it” restaurants.

Mamasita has a reputation for being impossible to get a table at, unless you are willing to eat at a time more suitable for your nanna or are prepared to stand your ground on the street below in hope that you will be the next to experience this Mexican phenomenon.

Heading towards Collins St we fear that perhaps we are not the only ones with this idea and as we reach the restaurant we discover that there is already a line snaking down the narrow staircase. The line is not yet spilling onto the street as it often does so we decide to give it a go. It must be our lucky night as there is one table of four available until 7pm and the couple in front of us has been politely refused as the remainder of their dinner party is not yet here. We’re in!

Although it is not even 6pm the restaurant is packed to the brim and the noise of our fellow diner’s bounces loudly around the room, creating an exciting and fun filled atmosphere. We are shown to our table, our coats are taken and our drink orders are filled. The delicious aroma of the Mexican delights being served around us is almost too much to take in and we quickly order some homemade corn chips with guacamole to keep our new found hunger at bay.

Our waitress runs through the menu and we follow her suggestion by ordering a few individual starters and two larger mains to share. First on the list is their famous street style char grilled corn, served on the cob and covered generously in queso (cheese), chipotle mayonnaise & lime. I am a corn fan from way back but Mamasita’s have taken this simple vegetable to a whole new level. I fear I may never be satisfied with the trusty butter and salt combo again, yum!

We also ordered an individual soft shell taco each and a char grilled chicken quesadilla to share. My taco is filled with large juicy marinated prawns that are dusted in a mix of spices and accompanied by habanero chillies and an almond pesto. Around the table the other tacos include the braised pork, pineapple, coriander & white onion as well as the chorizo, cabbage, chipotle, coriander & onion and we all agree with delight that this is no Old El Paso. The quesadilla is perfect for sharing but perhaps lacks the flavour of the two previous dishes and the chicken is a little dry. A note to all dinners; watch out for the hot sauces on the tables! They have some real bite.

We are lost in conversation and caught up in the buzz of the restaurant when our mains arrive. We happily tuck into the black mole with confit chicken, the roasted pumpkin & caramelized onion stuffed tortillas and a side of salad of quinoa, corn, spinach, coriander and chilli. I am still not 100% sure what ‘black mole’ is but the sticky black sauce that covers the rich confit chicken beneath is strong yet delectable. Accompanied by the sweet roasted pumpkin and the fresh crunch of the quinoa the three dishes work in perfect unison.  

With a sense of achievement we regretfully leave our table, making way for the next round of eager patrons, and head out into the city below. The evening is still young, not quite 8pm, but we have had a small win tonight, Mamasita – tick.  

Rated 15 O’s out of 20

Yering Station

38 Melba Hwy Yarra Glen

It would be safe to say that wine regions are my very favourite places to explore and I have been known to base my holidays, both locally and internationally, in and around them! Melbourne happens to be blessed with two beautiful wine regions an hour out of the CBD, which anyone from WA will agree, is quite the treat.

This weekend we decided to make the most of these local treasures and venture out of the city to spend a day amongst the vines of the Yarra Valley, sampling the local produce and spoiling ourselves with a long lunch at Yering Station. 

I have visited Yering Station on a number of different occasions and have eaten in the restaurant once before so today my expectations are high. Walking in I am struck by the beautiful view of the valley below that never ceases to impress me, the restaurant has been designed in such a way that its best asset, the stunning panoramic view of endless fields with mountains in the background, is the centre piece of your dining experience and visible form all angles. 

Having sampled the wines on our way in we order a glass of the sparkling brut to start and a bottle of Pinot to follow and we nibble on the salty sour dough, crunchy dukka and olive oil that are all locally produced. Pondering the menu we both order the confit duck and truffle papardelle pasta with lemon thyme, mascarpone and Riesling for entre (yes the pappardelle has got me again), and I am certainly not disappointed. The truffle is fragrant, the duck rich and together with the mascarpone it is a truly decadent way to start the afternoon.

After discovering the delight of rabbit last week I have once again opted for this as my main course; rabbit with artichoke and green olive farce, cavolo nero, pine nuts, citrus jus. Also ordered is the crusted veal osso bucco with braising jus, sage polenta, rocket, pecorino and white anchovy salad. This is not your traditional osso bucco, but rather an exciting take on the Italian delight. The chef has taken the slow cooked meat, crumbed, fried and reconstructed the veal and the final result is just mouth watering. The succulent, full bodied flavour of the meat is a pure pleasure to eat and leaves you wanting just one more bite. The rabbit is roasted perfectly and the meat is tender, however I have to admit to a bad case of food envy. 

Maybe it’s the country air or perhaps the delicious yarra valley wines but the afternoon passes in a relaxed haze. Yering Station has once again not disappointed and as we make the short drive back to the city I smile, the day has been a perfect escape.

Rated 14 O’s out of 20