11 Apr

A changing of the seasons often means a changing of the menu. Ciaran Butler, the executive chef at Rochford Wine's Isabella's restaurant, puts together a menu that utilises local Yarra Valley produce and I was invited to try the new Autumn menu. It turned out to be a beautiful time of year to visit the area, with all the vineyards and trees displaying their Autumn foliage. Tables in the spacious dining area looked out into the vast landscape of the surrounding area. Mains ranged from roasted chicken and suckling...

14:55 / Coldstream / Food / Isabella's at Rochford / Restaurants / Rochford Restaurant / Winery
07 Apr

A day trip to Mornington Peninsula over the Easter weekend meant winery visits and hot springs. Unfortunately the weather was terrible so we ended up only visiting one winery: T'Gallant in Main Ridge. I hadn't eaten breakfast, so I needed fill my stomach with something before wine tasting and T'Gallant's Spuntino Bar provided a convenient source of sustenance. [caption id="attachment_7715" align="aligncenter" width="529"] Frivolities - Beetroot Dip, Italian Cheese, Olives, Toasted Ciabatta $14[/caption] Not having too much of an appetite yet I had the Frivolities, which included fresh seasonal dip, cheese, olives...

13:15 / Food / Italian / Main Ridge / Restaurants / T'Gallant Spuntino Bar / Winery
07 Mar

Located in the Upper Yarra Valley region in Seville, Payne's Rise winery has a lovely, quaint charm to it. I attended a wedding here and got to try out the light lunch they offered. [caption id="attachment_7361" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Tandoori Chicken Roll[/caption] [caption id="attachment_7360" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Curried Egg Roll[/caption] We started with a variety of rolls, most of which were filled with cold cuts and cheese. I had a curried egg roll and another with tandoori chicken. [caption id="attachment_7363" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Cookie + Hedgehog[/caption] [caption id="attachment_7362" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Portuguese Egg Tart[/caption] This was followed by...

14:06 / Dessert/Sweets / Food / Paynes Rise / Restaurants / Sandwiches/Wraps / Seville / Winery
03 Dec

Coombe: The Melba Estate is the former residence of Dame Nellie Melba, consisting of seven acres of beautiful gardens and buildings and first purchased in 1909. Madame Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell) was the first Australian opera singer to gain international recognition. For $25, visitors can embark on a guided tour around the gardens followed by morning or afternoon tea. All proceeds go towards maintenance of the estate. Our tour was led by Daniel Johnson, the manager of Coombe Cottage. Well-maintained cypress hedges enclose terraced lawns,...

12:02 / Coldstream / Coombe / Food / High Tea / Melba Estate
15 Dec

My choice for lunch was the warmed lamb wrap ($19). Other dishes ordered were arancini, chicken and vegetable pie, chicken burger and summer salad. The balance in this wrap was much better than the chicken wrap from yesterday. The pesto marinated lamb was tender and flavourful, going nicely with the yoghurt sauce and tabouli. [gallery type="rectangular" ids="4956,4955,4950,4954,4953"] Vela Nine 9 A'Beckett St Inverloch, VIC, 3996 (03) 5674 1188 http://www.velanine.com.au ...

13:05 / Food / Inverloch / Modern Australian / Regional Victoria / Restaurants / Vela Nine
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