Long Story Short Cafe

Sitting unassumingly in a quiet street off bustling Bridge Road, Long Story Short is a delightful café exuding modern chic charm with its modern interior, wooden benches, ceiling-suspended lighting and touches of greenery. 

As expected of any great Melbourne café, the coffee is excellent (Eagle Vision by Proud Mary) and poured by adept baristas. 

The drinks selection also includes welcomed additions such as matcha lattes and Sisko hot chocolates.

Poached Chicken Salad, Beluga lentils, chickpeas, dukkah, harissa yogurt, spinach leaves and kimchi popcorn

Perfect for the warm weather, this was a lovely salad of tender roasted chicken breast served on a bed of baby spinach, lentils and chickpeas. The scattered kimchi popcorn added a delicious salinity and spicy kick to the dish while the tangy harissa yogurt dressing brought all the elements of the salad together.

Grilled calamari salad with rocket, chickpeas, quinoa and Vietnamese dressing

A delicious salad of perfectly grilled calamari that was spiced up with a Vietnamese tangy dressing, we loved the freshness of this salad and its Asian-influenced flavour combinations.  

Pepe Saya Buttermilk Pancakes with caramelised banana, peanut butter, sour cream and vanilla ice cream

The Buttermilk Pancakes were a showstopper.  A simple breakfast favourite that amalgamates the best things in life (such as ice cream). The pancakes were fluffy and moist and embellished with wonderfully caramelised banana, decadent peanut butter and balanced with slightly tart sour cream. Yum!

Armed with amiable staff and a great selection of honestly prepared food and beverage, Long Story Short puts most cafes to shame.

Location: 10/53 Coppin Street, Richmond

Phone: 03 9421 6221

Link: http://www.longstoryshortcafe.com.au/

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Long Story Short Cafe.

Bossy Boots

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Bossy Boots.

Drawing on the talent of two top Melbourne chefs Bossy Boots delivers generous hospitality and home cooked gourmet food in a contemporary café setting.

Under the guidance of chefs Ben Forehan and Rachael Browne, Bossy Boots are in capable hands. The pair have worked at notable Melbourne kitchens such as Stokehouse, Circa and Dench Bakers and are classically trained having both studied Vienoisserie at E’cole Le Notre, in Paris.

Bossy Boots has a large local following and is known for its relaxed ambience with chic courtyard and large windows  - the result is an inviting bright space. 

The menu is about fresh, honest food, with a mix of brunch and lunch staples and a nod to Italian fare.

Coffee is from Supreme and served expertly from a La Marzocco espresso machine.

Chicken Stuffed Peppers

The stuffed peppers were a brilliant start to our lunch at Bossy Boots. The peppers were bursting with flavour. The dish was uncomplicated but well executed.

Corn fritters with crispy bacon, avocado salsa, sour cream and chives.

The corn fritters had a crunchy golden brown exterior and were succulently sweet making for a great start to the day.

Carrot and macadamia cake

The carrot cake was a sweet end to our visit. The cake was moreish, moist, perfectly balanced and beautifully textured as a result of the luscious macadamia nuts that had been scattered generously throughout the cake and the citrus element in the icing added interest.

Bossy Boots café also offers some delicious take home food options. We took home a delicious chicken pie which we absolutely loved. The pastry was crisp and flaky – a testament to being worked carefully by masters of pastries Ben and Rachael. Rich and hearty with generous morsels of beautifully slow cooked chicken, it was an excellent pie.

Bossy Boots is an iconic café with its own relaxed style, creating a hub that is unique to Brighton and presents a wonderful counterpoint to the inner city, lane way cafes springing up around Melbourne.

Location: 106 Bay Street,  Brighton 
Phone: 03 9596 6825 
Link: http://www.bossyboots.com.au/ 
Cuisine: Breakfast, Salad, Bakery

Autumn @ Royal Saxon

As Melbourne turns golden and the leaves begin to fall, the Royal Saxon in Melbourne’s inner east is serving up a whole new array of deliciously rustic dishes that fuse simple classic flavours with an elegant modern twist. 

The all new Autumn 2015 provides a fresh, enticing experience that make this local haunt a serious dining contender. The Royal Saxon is a Richmond institution that’s best known for its edgy beer garden and excellent nightlife. But this two storey venue on Church Street in the heart of East Richmond also boasts a seriously delicious menu that rivals some of the best restaurants in Melbourne. 

Whether eating in the beautifully intimate restaurant, the upbeat bar or the leafy courtyard, the entire menu is available across the whole venue until late every single day.

The kitchen is in safe hands, being led by Italian-born Head Chef Simone Righetto and his first class kitchen crew. The warm and inviting selection of meals fuse traditional Italian cuisine with the best of fresh and seasonable Australian produce. 

As expected of any great Italian eatery, Royal Saxon is particularly good at producing quality pasta dishes of exceptional quality. The mushroom and ricotta parpadelle special that we had recently was no exception. The parpadelle was exquisitely al dente and when combined with the earthy mushrooms and rich, truffle infused ricotta, this dish was pure nirvana. Seemingly simple but with a great complexity of flavour, this pasta course undoubtedly belongs on the permanent menu. 

Royal Saxon serves some of the best pizzas in Melbourne. The delicately thin crusts have the perfect balance between crispiness and chewiness and the expertly judged toppings are always impeccable. 

Righetto has bought his hearty Italian feel to the new main dishes and constructs them with an air of delicious purity. From the whole snapper fillet that is baked in paper to seal in the succulent aromas, to the premium O’Conner grass fed steak, grilled to perfection and served with a drizzle of balsamic, each dish is prepared to accentuate and preserve their natural flavours – a skill of artistic simplicity which Righetto and his team have truly mastered. 

The menu now features an extensive range of sides and salads from which diners can select and share from. As summer fades and new, fresh options become available, the sides menu is constructed to take full advantage of this by including a vast array of fresh Autumn produce. From cannellini beans and peas to shitake mushrooms and broccolini, with a menu like this there promises to be a little something to suit all tastes.

Our favourite dessert from the new autumn menu, and a definite MUST-HAVE is the Poached pear tart with spiced red wine reduction and cinnamon ice cream. A beautifully decadent dessert, the soft centre of caramelised pears combines with the buttery crumbly pastry, the rich red wine reduction and moreish cinnamon ice cream in perfect harmony - absolutely sublime!

Make the most of Autumn’s cooler months and come sample these new flavours at the Royal Saxon. From something casual in the courtyard to something cosy in the restaurant, Royal Saxon is sure to delight. 

Location: 545 Church Street, Richmond

Phone: 03 9429 5277

Link: http://www.royalsaxon.com/

Cuisine: Italian, Pub/Bar Food, Coffee

Upcoming events: Gastronomique | Piper Street Food Co | Melb Wine Awards | Spins & Spritz | Project Botanicals | Peter Gilmore’s App | Heartattack and Vine

Over 25 of Victoria’s finest chefs will unite under one roof for Gastronomique, Anglicare Victoria’s gala food and wine charity night which supports vulnerable children to create a unique evening of food and wine.

The chefs will be donating their time, produce and expertise to cook for over 500 people at the Peninsula, Central Pier, Docklands on November 12.

Chefs taking part include: Adam D’Sylva from Coda and Tonka, Scott Pickett from Estelle, Joe Grbac from Saint Crispin, Gabriele Olivieri from Bottega, Oliver Gould from Stokehouse, Perry Schagen from The Graham, Colin Wood from Cumulus Inc, Tony Twitchett from Taxi Kitchen, Olimpia Bortolotto and Daniel Kranjcic from Cecconi’s Flinders Lane, Barry Davis from Montalto, Mathew Macartney from Eleonore’s at Chateau Yering, Nicky Riemer from Union Dining, Ludo Baulacky from Oscar W’s, Daniel Wilson from Huxtable, Stuart Bell from Ten Minutes by Tractor, Geoff Lindsay from Dandelion, Sonia Anthony from Masons of Bendigo, Andy Harmer from The Point, Matt Germanchis and Emma Bottos from Pei Modern, Brad Simpson from The Smith, Matt Dempsey from Gladioli and Donovan Cooke from The Atlantic Restaurant. 

Gastonomique is a special event where Victorian chefs unite for Victorian children. It is an unmissable night for people who love food, wine and want to support the State’s most vulnerable children.

Gastonomique is Anglicare Victoria’s major annual fundraising event and one of Australia’s biggest charity nights. Previously known as Dinner with the Angels, the gala evening includes signature dishes, fine wine and entertainment. 

What: Gastronomique

Date: Wednesday 12 November 2014

Time: 6:30pm – 11.45pm

Venue: Peninsula, Central Pier, 161 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, Melbourne
Costs: $300.00 AUD per person

Public enquiries: www.anglicarevic.org.au

Phone: (03) 9412 6157
BOOK NOW
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Piper Street Food Co. has expanded

Kyneton’s award winning charcuterie Piper St Food Co recently announced it’s brand new expansion.

After nearly 4 years of creating an award winning range of pates, terrines, rillettes, pies and sausages for top restaurants, delis, food stores and caterers, Damian & Bryanna Sandercock are officially launching their 7 day a week café, sourdough bakery, picnic shop and cooking school.

Their award winning range of charcuterie will take pride of place alongside:

• our purpose built cooking school – featuring a brand new AGA!
• a range of traditional sourdough breads
•  a 7 day a week café
• new kitchens including a temperature controlled butcher’s kitchen and a baker’s kitchen

For more information visit www.piperstfoodco.com.

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Melb Wine Awards - Uncorked Friday 24th Oct

Melbourne wine enthusiasts will have their chance to taste their way through the best wines in Australia at the RMWA Uncorked.

Uncorked is the only event where the public can taste medal-winning wines from the 2014 Royal Melbourne Wine Awards (RMWA) in one place, just one week after the winners are revealed.

Winning wines from regional Victorian wine shows will also be on offer.

The RMWA, conducted by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV), promotes excellence in winemaking and recognises outstanding achievement in the pursuit of quality. The rigorous judging process is conducted by a panel of local and international judges, sommeliers, writers, buyers, retailers and media. With more than 3,000 entries, winning an award at the RMWA establishes a wine as one of the very best – making for an easy consumer guide in wine selection.

Entry includes unlimited tastings and a take home Riedel wine glass as well as the most recent edition of James Halliday’s Wine Companion magazine.

Participants will enjoy discovering the best wines in the country accompanied by live music and delicious street food, delivering a Friday night drinking and dining experience like no other.

Taste your way through Australia’s best wines by varietal, journeying through the spectrum, from Australia’s best Chardonnay and Riesling right through to Pinot Noir, Merlot, Shiraz and everything in between.

Well regarded sommelier, wine writer and RMWA Committee Member Matt Skinner says, “For the last 130 years the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards have showcased the diversity and excellence of Australian wines. Uncorked allows the public to taste what our judges have had the privilege of tasting and awarding and celebrate all of the winners in one fantastic public event.”

Regional wine shows taking part in this year’s Uncorked event include Geelong, Heathcote, Gippsland, Rutherglen and the Victorian Wine Shows.


What: RMWA Uncorked
When: Friday, October 24th 6pm-10pm
Where: Collins Place, 4/45 Collins Street Melbourne
Cost: $50
Buy tickets: www.dashtickets.com.au/event/g1pqz5cw4

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Spins & Spritz Launch Party @ Royal Saxon

The warmer months are coming up fast and Saxon Sundays are back...

The guys at the Saxon will buy your first Spritz for the season if fedoras and sunshine aren't enough reason!

Read more about Royal Saxon here. 

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Bombay Sapphire’s Project Botanicals

Project Botanicals is a celebration of Australia’s continued love affair with gin, presented by Bombay Sapphire.

Project Botanicals is a distinctly different pop-up bar, which launched on November 19, 2014. Inspired by the world of gin botanicals, Bombay Sapphire Brand Ambassador, Sean Forsyth and Chef Gary Mehigan have crafted a unique bar and dining experience for Melburnians, pairing botanically led cocktails to gastronomy.

The menu at Project Botanicals will feature 10 botanically inspired Bombay Sapphire cocktails with 10 matching tapas style dishes.

• Open for three weeks only from 19 November through until 6 December
• Sittings available from 6pm-1am Wednesday to Saturday evenings 
• Held at the newly established warehouse location of 64 Sutton Street, North Melbourne
• Tickets are $35 per person (plus booking fee) and include two cocktails and two  matched dishes.

Visit www.projectbotanicals.com.au for further details and to purchase tickets.

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Peter Gilmore’s new App for iPad now available in the App Store

Peter Gilmore’s new App for iPad is now available in the App Store.

The app is a rich digital extension to his new book, Organum and explores the stories behind 8 handpicked dishes through Peter's network of producers and unique ingredients, from concept to finished plate. Told through stunning layers of interactive visuals and audio.

The project is a joint venture between digital agency Pollen, award-winning creative director Reuben Crossman, photographer Brett Stevens and Peter Gilmore of Quay Restaurant.

Learn more about the app here. 

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Heartattack and Vine launches

Gastrology recently attended the launch of Heartattack and Vine, the new restaurant venture from the team behind Wide Open Road and A Minor Place (Hootan Heyderi and Jono Hill) and two of their long-term employees (Nathen Doyle and Emily Bitto) . 

Unlike their cafés, Heartattack and Vine will be an all day operation – from 7am to 11pm, seven days a week – and will offer a contemporary take on the Venetian cicchetti bar. Think a light breakfast with excellent espresso; a quick, hearty lunch of traditional Roman street food (porchetta straight out of the oven served on a warm ciabatta roll); and long, relaxed evenings over aperitifs, good wine and cicchetti, the Italian-style bar food traditionally served in Venice, made fresh from local ingredients daily. 

Scarvelli Café - Balwyn's best kept secret

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Scarvelli Cafe.

A new café based in the heart of Balwyn, Scarvelli Café prides itself on providing legendary coffee and quality food that excite the senses.

The café has a contemporary vibe - comfortable wooden furnishings are juxtaposed with vintage chic antique mirrors which add clever accents. 

The menu is seasonal, fresh and delicious and focuses on a strong paddock-to-plate ethos.

Our coffees were well made, with the slight sweetness of the frothed milk cutting through the residual brightness from the foundation espresso (courtesy of Industry Beans).  Each came with an intricate rosetta in the milk foam.

Smashed avocado – whipped feta, confit tomatoes, basil oil on sourdough with wood-fire smoked salmon

A respectable assembly of breakfast essentials, two perfectly toasted slices of sourdough were canvassed with a creamy mash of feta and avocado. The wood-fired smoked salmon added a luscious salinity to the dish while the drizzles of aromatic basil oil brought the whole dish together. It was a simple and delightful dish.

Leading the flock - confit lamb, braised red cabbage and goat’s curd on toasted sourdough

Sandwiched between thick slices of buttered and toasted sourdough, generous shreds of confit lamb featured alongside beautifully braised red cabbage. It was a delicious lunch option that was highlighted by the captivating flavours and aromas of the lamb.

The café also delights with an exquisite range of sweet treats.

With a relaxed, unpretentious and uncomplicated approach, Scarvelli Café is a neighbourhood gem which ticks all the boxes. It's just a pity we couldn't keep it a secret.

Location: 143 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn

Phone: 03 9816 8887

Link: https://www.facebook.com/ScarvelliCafe

Cuisine: Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee, Modern Australian

‘MATCHED’ @ The Boulevard

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of The Boulevard and Cake Wines.

Cake Wines recently launched ‘MATCHED’, a celebration of kitchens that don’t live in the limelight.

The campaign runs through-out July-Aug-Sept and is about celebrating “kitchens that don’t live in the limelight”, hearing stories from the chefs that run them, and giving some much needed love, and exposure, to the restaurants, cafes, tapas/wine bars and gastro pubs that sometimes get drowned out by the celebrity driven food world.

Cake Wines is a newish, contemporary winery from the Adelaide Hills made up of a couple of young wine makers and young wine lovers. Working with over 50 venues nationally, Cake has approached chefs / venues / owners to match their favourite dishes to any one of Cakes’ existing wines. Cake will dedicate their social media network to sharing some of these inspiring food and wine stories across the 3 months.

As part of the ‘MATCHED’ campaign, Gastrology were privileged to visit The Boulevard. A unique venue which offers beautiful views of Melbourne’s skyline and the local Studley Park precinct, the Boulevard is located a mere 10 minutes from the CBD. 

The menu features modern Australian cuisine which showcases the finest ingredients carefully selected from local and imported suppliers.

Whipped goat cheese with onion compote, house made dukkah and toasted olive sourdough

This was a scrumptious start. We enjoyed the prominent tartness of the goats cheese which was complemented by the sweet onion compote. 

House made gnocchi with mustard butter, fried sage and shaved grana padano

The beautifully pan fried gnocchi was wonderfully light and captivating with its fragrant sage aroma and lingering rich grana padano flavour.

Crispy skin barramundi with king prawn, sautéed spinach and prawn bisque

The quality of the barramundi was exemplary. The skin of the fish was perfectly seared to be very crisp while the flesh was delicate and moist. It was a dish that allowed the natural subtle sweetness of the fish to be enjoyed. The prawn bisque boasted a decadent depth of flavour and was the perfect accompaniment to the fish, king prawn and melt in your mouth spinach.

Slow braised beef cheeks in a red wine sauce, white bean puree, caramelised onions and crispy pancetta

The slow braised beef cheek was excellent – a memorable dish combining flawless texture with equally superlative flavours.

The matching wine, the Cake Wines Pinot Noir 2012 was the perfect match to the slow braised beef cheek. A supple and approachable wine, the summer fruit flavours and subtle spice notes complemented the earthy braising sauce and the sweetness of the onions. 

Banana and sticky date pudding with butterscotch, organic vanilla bean ice-cream, walnut praline

Consistent with the preceding courses, the banana and sticky date pudding was well made and decadently coated in copious amounts of rich butterscotch sauce. It was a lovely rendition of a classic dessert.

With a lovely relaxed ambience, cheerful wait staff and award winning Modern Australian cuisine, The Boulevard is an ideal venue to laze away the afternoon.  

Location: 121 Studley Park Road, Kew

Phone: 03 9852 8144

Link: http://www.theboulevard.com.au/

Cuisine: Modern Australian, Coffee, Breakfast/Brunch

Winter @ Royal Saxon

One of Melbourne's best bars, Royal Saxon offers a large selection of cocktails, beers and wine in a dynamic, bustling environment. Royal Saxon’s versatility is highlighted by the fact that it also operates as an Italian restaurant (and an amazing one at that).

Royal Saxon's dining area has a relaxed ambience with a large central bar that dominates the interior. Striped napkins sit atop the bare wooden tables with views to Church Street or the Royal Saxon courtyard (where on Sundays, you might catch a glimpse of the delicious spit roast).  

Under the guidance of head chef Simone Righetto, the kitchen serves consistently excellent Italian cuisine. All the pasta is handmade daily and the salumi and other cured meats are lovingly produced from scratch. 

Chef Righetto’s resume is impressive, previously holding high profile roles including stints with ‘Gamberro Rosso’; a 2 Michelin Star restaurant in Tuscany, ‘Perbellini’; 2 Michelin Star Restaurant in Verona and ‘Murano’; a 1 Michelin Star restaurant in London.

Margherita - tomato, oregano and fior di latte

Royal Saxon serves some of the best pizzas in Melbourne. The delicately thin crusts have the perfect balance between crispiness and chewiness and the expertly judged toppings are always impeccable. We love their classic margherita - think layers of mozzarella teamed with delightfully fresh basil and juicy ripe tomatoes. Encircled with a puffy crisp crust, this pizza is consistently superb.

Duck ragu parpadelle 

As expected of any great Italian eatery, Royal Saxon is particularly good at producing quality pasta dishes. The parpadelle that we had was no exception. The parpadelle was expertly cooked and retained a slight residual bite. The other ingredients combined to create a wonderful complexity of flavour – the duck ragu was deliciously flavoursome and tender.

Pan roasted barramundi fillet with new season artichoke trifolati, mint and broad beans

Seared beautifully on the outside and wonderfully moist on the inside, the barramundi was stunning. The broad beans and the buttery, soft artichoke were the perfect accompaniment. A profoundly delicious dish displaying great technique. 

Our favourite dessert from the new winter menu was the delightful tiramisu. Well made, with its flavour heavily dominated by the constituent alcoholic component, it was a simple and traditional dessert that was well executed and thoroughly enjoyable.

The chefs at Royal Saxon deliver highly memorable, superbly executed Italian cuisine and service with panache and precision - every dish we have ordered from our numerous visits has been perfectly seasoned and consistently excellent. The new winter menu is no different.

Location: 545 Church Street, Richmond
Phone: 03 9429 5277
Link: http://www.royalsaxon.com/
Cuisine: Italian, Pub/Bar Food, Coffee

Read about #SaxItUp @ Royal Saxon here // Read about Sunday #SpinsandSpits @ Royal Saxon here.