side dishes down the coast but in the trees

Montalto's - Mornington Peninsula

(menu has changed since my visit, too bad for you!)

What to do when it's not a beach day? That's the "terrible" dilemma we faced while holidaying down the coast. Dilemma answered - lets wine and dine at the lovely Montalto's. Close the page now if you don't want to share my afternoon of decadence.

So we hopped in the convertible, scarves blowing in the wind, with Frank Sinatra serenading us. Now this afternoon wasn't about doing things in halves. We decided to dine in the restaurant opting to return to the cellar door for a more informal meal in the future. Arriving around 3pm we had just missed the lunch rush and without a booking we were lucky to be seated front and centre along the window, looking over the billowing vineyards.

In the restaurant, on weekends and public holidays lunch is offered as a two or three course menu. $72 for the two and $85 for the three. Why people would only go for the two course option baffles me!

First course, all my favourites. Scallops, beetroot, beef carpaccio, and a bottle of wine ordered for the meal. The scallops were amazing, pan roasted with some sort of leek reduction YUM, I can't go past scallops on the menu. Others at the table ordered a wonderfully salted and salad-ed beef carpaccio and the most silky and raspberry accompanied beetroot carpaccio.

Second course, I need to learn not to order fish at every restaurant I go to. It must be an automatic reaction I have - if your drinking wine - order fish to be healthy - ROOKIE ERROR! While my meal was beautiful I had terrible food envy from the meal next to me. I ordered a pan roasted snapper with a zucchini flower stuffed with a crab and prawn mixture, and some sort of gravy. It was all a bit heavy for me, especially for a fish dish, so I was happy to see that it had been taken off the menu. Now for my food envy meal, it was a lamb rump with braised haricot beans, and the most delicious sauce I have ever tried. I apologise to my dining partner for stealing half of his meal!

Dessert, I'm not one for sweets, would rather order an entree than selecting a dessert. But while I had the opportunity I went for a chocolate fondant with apple ice cream. WHOLLY MOLEY, this was melt in your mouth amazing, literally. Not to chocolatey strong, fluffy, hot and the fondant in the middle oozed out (in a good way). Best way I've finished a meal in a long time.

To yum things up: go for the three course option if visiting on a weekend, request a table in the window, great for group bookings, not suitable for little kiddies, visit the cafe next door and sit on the grass and enjoy yourself, a perfect special occasions venue

33 Shoreham Rd Montalto Vineyard & Olive

Red Hill South, 3937

03 5989 8412



December 2010 - Cicciolina

Paisley's Choice 

Special Guest - Susie

For years I have been waiting to try the famous Cicciolina's. Arrived early, greeted by friendly staff that took us to the uber sexy back bar, polished off a bottle of wine, we were informed that our table would be a little longer...but because we got there so early it was only 7.30, perfect time for dinner. After reading numerous reviews I had to try the crab souffle. GO THERE, ORDER THIS, ORDER TWO, DO NOT SHARE. I could have eaten it for entree, main and dessert, it was incredible. Our excitement as a group made us want to try everything, zucchini flowers, crab souffle, cheese and onion tart for entree. Then an antipasto platter arrived, something we didn't order, the waitress put it down on the table with a big smile and we all just thought we were getting a treat for being so gorgeous!!! WRONG oops wrong table, and it was to late we had devoured half of it, score free food, and what yummy free food it was.

Five different mains, a couple of specials - pasta ragu and bollito misto (hmmmm wouldn't do that again) selection if rich meat, lentils and parsley a little full on for my palate. Then salmon pasta, steak with the right trimmings and a beautiful pork or lamb dish - I can't remember.

Guess we were full. Nope anyone can make room for chocolate souffle and espresso martinis. Rolled into a cab around midnight, what a wonderful Wednesday night.

To yum things up: I cannot fault this place, the staff, the bread, the back bar, the espresso martinis were all scrumptious, a real dark gem on a slipping acland st, the no bookings policy gives it more charm.

130 Acland St

St Kilda, 3182

(03) 9525 3333





Zucchini Flowers (special)




Cheese and Onion Tart




Steak




Duck ragu (special)




Pork/Lamb?? DELISH




Salmon Pasta




Bollito Misto




Chocolate Souffle



November 2010 - Lezzet

Charlie's Choice

Special Guest - Jacky

Turkish Delight here I come, hide I love you. To be honest I had no idea what to expect, the only turkish food I had ever eaten was turkish bread, kebabs, and numerous Turkish Delights.

What a beautiful little place, tucked away in a strip of shops that probably wouldn't survive without Lezzet and Video Ezy. Dark wood interior, red mood lighting, comfy couches and a wait staff that know their Lezzet. We were seated right in the window, pays to book. Started our meal with a tasting plate, best way to make your way through entree, it was full of delightful surprises but would pass on the mushroom soup next time - something about drinking soup out of a shot glass that makes me gag!

Onto mains, god I love a place that allows us to share. Choosing a dish was hard, we finally decided on the famous 18 hour lamb, calamari, seafood claypot and traditional turkish lamb pizza. Personally I struggle with rich foods, I'm the diner that would choose thai over indian any day. These meals were different perfectly proportioned rich from light. But if I ever went again I would skip the pizza and calamari. The pizza base was dry, but who am I to judge I don't know what Turkish pizza is supposed to taste like.

Dessert, another tasting plate - lemon sorbet, chocolate baklava, Persian fairy floss, Turkish delight morsels and a mascarpone and berry mix. The icing on the cake for the whole meal was Hannah's choice - TURKISH DELIGHT SUNDAE, just go there and try it. I defiantly had food envy.

To yum things up: go with an empty stomach, order a lemon lime and bitters - AMAZING, don't be tempted by the bread brought out at entree you'll need the room, have entree main and dessert or good luck trying to pick a few dishes, perfect for a bit of romance

81 Brighton Road

Elwood VIC 3184

(03) 9531 7733

Entree - Tasting Platter (fried cheese, mushroom soup, prawns wrapped in noodles, slow cooked lamb, mussels)

Main - Seafood Claypot

Main - Calamari

Main - Anatolian Lamb (18 hour - slow cooked)

Main - Lamb Pizza

Dessert - Turkish Delight Sundae

Dessert - Tasting Plate ( lemon sorbet, chocolate baklava, turkish delight tarts, watermelon jellies on Persian fairy floss, mascarpone and berry mix)

October 2010 - Longrain

Hannah's Choice

Special Guest - Brooke

Longrain has always been at the top of my wish list, an oldie but a goodie. Especially since head chef Martin Boetz appeared on Masterchef and cooked his famous egg net, a meal that was defiantly going to be ordered. So when Hannah announced our monthly venue I was drooling.

It was also on this night that we decided to mix things up a bit, whoever chooses the restaurant for the month gets to invite a special guest. The guest can be anyone, friend, lover, parent, sibling, stranger.

As recommended we arrived early, informed of a short 30 minute wait, ordered cocktails and some bar food and before we knew it we were escorted to our table. Longrain is all about the communal dining. I am a big advocate for shared dining, eating is all about sharing the experience, and everything is so much more yummier over conversation.

We all agreed on a selection of dishes.

• Eggnet filled with pork prawn peanuts bean sprouts & sweet vinegar - did not disappoint, looked and tasted amazing.
• Green curry of kingfish with thai basil snake beans & fried shallots - what can I say this was one of those melt in your mouth dishes. It was my favourite dish of the night, so much so I deliberately left it as my last bite, so my taste buds finished the meal off in heaven.
• Duck dish (no longer on the menu)
• Beef dish (no longer on the menu)
• Rice - a must to soak up all the sauce!

To yum things up: No bookings, wait in the bar, its worth it and the cocktail list will keep you distracted, order the green curry kingfish or don't bother going, not good for a date, perfect for a group of six (try even numbers, easier to fit on the table), prices aren't like your average thai restaurant but you don't even notice

44 Little Bourke St

Melbourne VIC

03) 9671 3151