Chatty Vespa

Chatty Vespa may not be the next 400 Gradi/DOC/Ladro/ [insert-amazing-higher-brow-pizza-place here] but they are certainly causing a stir.

Delivering great quality pizza with a thin crispy base loaded with quality Aussie ingredients, for delivery and takeaway, to the people of Prahran/South Yarra/Toorak/Windsor, Chatty Vespa are a welcome addition to Melbourne’s pizza delivery scene.

We recently ordered in an Italian feast from Chatty Vespa to enjoy at through their delivery service and were pleased that our delivery arrived as scheduled in their GreenBox - a new eco-pizza box which has serving plates and a storage container built right in. 

Boc on baby pizza

Stepping up the stakes on the vegetarian pizza front, this pizza features simple and fresh ingredients. Fresh basil is layered with tangy tomato passata, juicy cherry tomatoes and all brought together by beautiful bocconcini.

Mary Mary pizza 

A tribute to Mediterranean cuisine, this pizza will have your mouth singing. Melt in the mouth and thoroughly flavoursome slow cooked lamb paired with chargrilled marinated eggplant, fior di latte, tomato passata, and finished with fresh rocket and a light drizzle of olive oil.

Stripper chick pizza

The Stripper chick pizza was delicious. The tender pieces of chicken breast were full of flavour. The artichoke hearts added a lovely hint of acidity and sweetness to the pizza. We loved the addition of oregano and fresh parsley.

The carnivore pizza 

Carnivores rejoice! This delicious pizza is served with generous amounts of homemade Italian pork sausage alongside caramelised onions, fior di latte, tomato passata, finished with a sprinkle of goats’ fetta and fresh basil.

We also enjoyed the Chatty pizzas over a bottle of Chatty Cab Shiraz which went down a treat with the delectable pizza selections. 

Currently delivering to Prahran, Windsor, South Yarra, Hawksburn, Armadale and Toorak (or not too further afield for an additional fee), Chatty Vespa is a wonderful and convenient way to experience some delicious pizzas with flavoursome toppings at home. The delivery is available for both lunch and dinner every day! Otherwise dine-in their cosy 20-seater dine-in area or drop in to take away.

Get Chatty Vespa to bring some Italian goodness to your door this week with its delivery service! 

When: Every day 

Where: Prahran / Windsor / South Yarra / Hawksburn / Armadale / Toorak (and areas nearby)

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Chatty Vespa.

Culinary Cow

Culinary Cow is a food subscription service which provides exact amounts of fresh and sustainably sourced ingredients that are delivered straight to your door.  

Growing up in Tasmania, owner and creator of Culinary Cow, Alex Cowles has always enjoyed a passion for sustainable, delicious, simple and easy food. This passion (and a relocation to Melbourne) lead to the creation of Culinary Cow, which has recently opened after roughly 18 months of blood, sweat and tears.

The service is completely a la carte, giving the customer far more variety and flexibility. All you do is select the meals you are interested in and have the ingredients and recipes delivered straight to your door.

We loved having the full culinary experience while enjoying the quirkiness and fun in creating our own meals. 

We particularly enjoyed our Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast wrapped in Prosciutto which was very easy to make and simply delicious. The convenience of having each item perfectly portioned meant that there was no waste and it was incredibly easy to assemble.

This "no waste" benefit from the Culinary Cow service sets it apart, in line with their commitment to a long-term sustainable approach as people only order what they want and get what they need. 

Their commitment to sustainability also extends through their packaging. The guys have created a short-term cool box using ice packs and air compression bags in cardboard boxes. Where others are using polystyrene, Culinary Cow uses recyclable brown cardboard boxes.

There is also a wine pairing option with each meal. This idea is soon to be transformed into customers being able to purchase specific wines to be delivered with their recipes.   

Their long-term aim is to grow their sustainability approach to product sourcing and to start the process they have even curated their own herb garden and plan on growing that to a vegie patch and then more.

Find out more about Culinary Cow here.

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Culinary Cow.

Egg Unlimited - Little breads + catering

Gastrology were recently lucky enough to be able to cater a private function with some delicious hampers provided by Egg Unlimited, delivered straight to our door.

We found the choices available on the Egg Unlimited menu innovative and modern, with options suitable for a wide range of events from corporate lunches to high teas. We elected to sample 2 Wellbeing Hampers, an Against the Grain Hamper and a Bagel & Friend Hamper. 

Clearly made with love, each hamper was packaged securely sealing in their delicious contents and making the hampers very convenient – we simply removed the lids and served. 

Wellbeing 1 Hamper 

(Crispy skinned Atlantic salmon (6), Blanched broccolini tossed with sweet raisins and almonds (V) (12), Green zucchini and fresh mint omelette souffle (V) (6), Char grilled free range chicken marinated in lemon, garlic, coriander, olive oil, bay leaf and freshly cracked pepper (8), Two tubs of chef’s seasonal salads along with cucumber yoghurt (to serve) (V), House baked rolls to complement) ​

This hamper was an absolute stunner and our favourite hamper from the evening. The quality of the salmon was exemplary. The skin was perfectly seared to be very crisp while the flesh was delicate and moist. We loved how it was cooked simply, allowing the natural subtle sweetness of the salmon to be enjoyed. The blanched broccolini was fresh and we loved the addition of sweet raisin which complemented the dish as well as the almonds which added texture. The char grilled chicken was cooked to perfection and seasoned beautifully. 

Wellbeing 2 Hamper (Morrocan Lamb Fillets & tahini yoghurt sauce, Sugar & snow pea salad (GF,V), Calamari marinated in chilli ,garlic & coriander (GF), Freekah grain with sweet potato, leek, shanklish & maple (V), Omelette soufflé of sweet corn, chili and baby chervil (GF)(V), Two tubs and chef’s seasonal salads along with cucumber, yoghurt, Bag of spelt flour rolls to complement) ​

Another delicious hamper, we loved the high quality pieces of lamb which were cooked perfectly to a tender and juicy pink and the calamari which was bursting with flavour. The accompanying omelette souffle and seasonal salads exhibited a marvellous freshness and were each skilfully executed. 

Against the Grain Hamper 

(Rare roast Angus beef, anchovy butter, tomato relish and baby rocket tartlets (6), Green zucchini and torn mint omelette souffle (V) (6), Fresh green asparagus spears wrapped in goats curd and prosciutto (12), Prawn and Vietnamese mint rice paper rolls with lemongrass and marinated bean thread noodles (8), Char grilled free range chicken marinated in lemon, garlic, coriander, olive oil, bay leaf and cracked pepper (8)) 

​A low carb hamper, this was yet another winner. The seemingly simple chicken was not only complex with layers of flavour, it was also perfectly cooked. The rare roast angus beef tartless were ​elegant and featured a beautiful depth of flavour - overall a skilfully executed, exceptionally flavoursome array of little bites. 

Bagel & Friend 

(Smoked salmon poppy seed bagel with crème fraiche and Lilliput capers (15), Baby pea and mint leaf torte (V) (15)) 

Continuing the trend for the evening, the ​Bagel & Friend hamper was delicious. The baby pea and mint tortes were creamy and decadent. We also loved the adorable little poppy seed bagels. The smoked salmon filling carried a rich depth of flavour - its subtle smokiness allowing the underlying taste of the salmon to be enjoyed. The little bagels were light and fluffy with a dense exterior - it went well with the salmon. The finishing touch of the crème fraiche and Lilliput capers, a classic accompaniment with smoked salmon, completed the bagels. 

This large selection of delicious canapés were perfect for sharing and were massive crowd pleasers. The flavour combinations were well matched and the high quality meats and fish were beautifully cooked - it was clear that these were sourced from quality producers and had been prepared with care. Egg Hampers made our function a roaring success and definitely impressed our guests. We look forward to trying their other delicious options for our future events. 

Learn more about Egg Unlimited here. 

What: Egg Unlimited - Boutique bakery and catering

Link: https://eggunlimited.com.au/shop/home

Email: orders@eggunlimited.com.au

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Egg Unlimited.

"Food is Medicine" by Eat Fit Food @ The Grain Store

Gastrology attended the event courtesy of Eat Fit Food.

Eat Fit Food recently launched The Health Kit winter event this July where the topic was 'Food Is Medicine".

Gastrology was privileged to attend the Melbourne seminar where we heard from inspiring thought leaders within the health industry.

Whilst we all have daily access to natural medical resources, many of us don’t completely utilise them. At the evening, we learned how to use food as medicine and prevent winter bugs rather than cure them.

We particularly loved and enjoyed hearing from Dr Claire Campbell, a Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon who took us through how many diseases are preventable through a healthy diet and lifestyle. 

She explained that the concept that food as medicine is not a fad or an alternative state of mind, and that it was simply basic science. If your body is fed with what it needs, it will endeavour to heal itself to bring it back to homeostasis. 

The other two presenters were Restaurateur and Chef Mike McEnearney who shared his latest passion, his Physic Garden and Nutritionist and Naturopath Cassie Mendoza-Jones who spoke about nourishing the body and soul through nutrition.

After the presentation, guests indulged in wholesome foods and left with plenty of inspiration as well as a take home a collection of unique and tasty goodies to share with family and friends.

Under the guidance of Chef Ingo Meissner, The Grain Store offers a memorable dining experience that focuses on fresh and local produce. It was the perfect backdrop for discussing food and its health properties while enjoying the fresh, healthy and delicious food prepared.

Images courtesy of Lani Holmberg.

Eat Fit Food - delivering healthy delicious meals daily to your home or office

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Eat Fit Food.

A typical day in the life of Eat Fit Food

Eat Fit Food introduces nutritionally balanced meals which are delivered fresh daily to individuals and corporates in both Sydney and Melbourne with plans to expand nationwide in the near future.

The leaders in creating innovative, fresh meals from scratch, Eat Fit Food’s food philosophy is simple - eat flavoursome and nourishing wholefoods.

Founded by Bianca Monley in 2002, Eat Fit Food was set up out of a passionate belief of eating well – even for people with a busy schedule! 

We enjoyed our fresh and healthy meals consisting of delicious but lean chicken breasts, low gi pancakes served with yogurt and berries, a smoothie and delicious raw cacao balls. Each free of preservatives, artificial sweeteners, additives and chemicals. 

Eat Fit Food is more than just a delivery service, also educating customers about how easy it is to improve their lives through eating healthy.

Eat Fit Food offers a variety of programs for both men and women. They are designed to reset eating behaviours, digestive function and nutrient absorption. All programs will also improve vitality, health and nutrition.

Eat Fit Food has also recently launched The Health Kit. A series of seasonal, fun, educational events we will be hosting in both Sydney and Melbourne. They are designed to bring the community together and create a wellness ripple effect. Our next event is in July and the Topic is “Food is Medicine” – stay tuned for our review of the event!

For more information, please visit their website: www.eatfitfood.com.au.

Review: Chilton's Artisan Pies

Gastrology bloggers received the pies courtesy of Chilton's Artisan Foods.

With winter officially here, it was the perfect opportunity to dig into Chilton’s delicately handmade pies – each freshly made in their kitchen.

Chilton's Artisan Foods has been quietly making pies and other savoury foods for Australian families for years, having now developed over 250 lines of savoury foods from pies to quiches, frittatas and pasties. 

Managing Director of Chilton's Artisan Foods, Phillip Marzella (who is known as the ultimate pie lover) has a long family history in connoisseur foods. His grandfather was the only baker in a small town, baking bread during the night for young partisans during WWII while his grandmother an accomplished pasta maker served fresh pasta to orphans. So, you can say making good food is in Phillip’s blood.

When Phillip came to Australia in the early 80’s his first part-time job as a fifteen year old was working with the original Piero Brunetti founder of the Brunetti cakes store. Today he’s excited about making everyone’s mealtime easy by serving up a homemade pie that not only tastes great but saves you having to make it.

What was apparent was the use of fresh, quality ingredients with uncompromising flavours, courtesy of being handmade with artisanal care.

Chilton’s pie pastry (a prime component of any excellent pie), was the perfect canvas in which to dunk in the gravied juices. Each pie pastry was perfectly made – a testament to being worked carefully by pastry maker, Maria (better known as ‘nonna’ in the Chilton’s kitchen) to give the fluffiest and softest crisp. 

Lamb & Rosemary pie

While it was difficult to pick a favourite, the lamb & rosemary pie was probably our favourite - I say “probably” because to be honest, we loved each and every pie.

The classic combination of lamb and rosemary worked an absolute treat. Rich and hearty with generous morsels of beautifully slow cooked lamb, it was an excellent pie. The tender pieces of lamb combined flawless texture with equally superlative flavours. It was a pleasure to mop the decadent gravy up with the pie pastry. Yum!

Serving Chilton's pie was magnificently easy - all we had to do was pop the pies in the oven, put our feet up and enjoy some wine while dinner was being prepared.

Whether it's the Lamb and Rosemary, Chicken & Vegetable, Beef & Red Wine or Cauliflower Leek & Cheese pie - we can attest to their deliciousness. Each gold-crusted and welcoming, these pies make the sort of dinner that you cook without any special effort but with plenty of gratification.

What: Chilton’s Pies (also available as a family size) 

How: Pop in the oven for ten minutes at 170C 

Where: Stockists include many Melbourne cafes including Mr Speaker, CBD, Café La Venice, St Kilda, Café Gruppo on Collins and David Jones, CBD as well as gourmet supermarket Leo’s Fine Foods.  

Delivery: Anyone can order pies of their choice up until 4pm daily for a next day delivery fresh from Chilton’s kitchen to yours 

Link: www.facebook.com/ChiltonsArtisanfoods 

Location: 20/128 Canterbury Road, Kilsyth 

Phone: (03) 8761 6601

Bourbon Street - new lunch and catering delivery service

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Bourbon Street.

Having opened only for a few months (March 2014) Bourbon Street, a lunch delivery and catering service based in South Melbourne, has already proven a hit. With its roots deeply ingrained in Blues music, Bourbon Street includes in its menu mouth-watering BBQ Beef, Pulled Pork and other Cajun delicatessens, with gluten free and vegetarian options.

Pulled Pork with brown rice

The pulled pork was a winner, imparting a unique flavour that comes only from genuine slow cooking over charcoal. It was beautifully tender, courtesy of being slow cooked for 12 hours and was slathered in a beautiful coffee-infused BBQ sauce and served with fresh apple slaw. 

Left: Candied Walnuts soaked in Bourbon and roasted with a hint of spice 'til they're crunchy.

Right: Crispy Kale Chips coated in chilli and smoked paprika.

Chili Sin Carne

A sinful sandwich of smokey, spiced beans cooked for 6 hours, the sandwich was topped with tasty cheese and delectably hedonistic corn chips. It was incredibly satisfying.

Bourbon Street is a brilliant new addition to Melbourne’s foodie scene, offering a delicious approach to lunch time by providing easier, more convenient access to high-quality and filling meals.

What: Bourbon Street lunch and catering delivery

Where: free delivery to Melbourne CBD, South Melbourne, Albert Park and South Yarra

When: every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

How: online through www.bourbonstreet.com.au 

Review: The Odd Pod

Phone: 03 9973 0941
Link: http://www.theoddpod.com.au/
Service: Food delivery

The Odd Pod invites guests in Melbourne to discover healthy and delicious food from the comfort of their home or office via a convenient online ordering service (theoddpod.com.au). Currently offering 5 different menus for each of the 5 working days of the week, guests can enjoy an array of tempting salads. 

Founder, Tahl Katz started The Odd Pod a year ago on the back of a career in supply chain. He always had a passion for healthy food and clean, wholesome eating. Together with his talented sisters, Tahl’s passion soon translated into a salad delivery service, equipped with a unique salad menu that beats competing cafes by offering salads that are not only delicious and creative but also made from quality fresh ingredients.

Gastrology recently tried a few items from The Odd Pod’s Friday menu…

ZeChiChi Salad

ZeChiChi is a delicious salad of  succulent Middle Eastern spiced roasted chicken breast that is spiced up with Zaatar and laid over a bed of cos lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red capsicum, avocado and olives. This salad is then topped off with a few dollops of labne, spring onions, scattered pumpkin & sunflower seeds and a tangy citrus dressing. It was very tasty. We loved the addition of pumpkin and sunflower seeds which added a deliciously crunchy element to the salad.

 Carrot & Chooks Adventures in Morocco Salad

This was a lovely salad of tender roasted chicken breast which wereserved on a bed of baby spinach, carrots, green beans, snow peas, cucumber, avocado & coriander. The scattered walnuts add an earthy flavour and the tangy harissa infused dressing brings all the elements of the salad together.

Nazca Roast Salad

We loved this delicious vegetarian salad. The  eggplant, cauliflower, pumpkin and carrots are roasted to a golden perfection and marry well with  steamed green beans, seeds and baby spinach mixed throughout a quinoa base.

Our verdict:

The salads are a winner. We loved how unique and delicious each salad was and the use of nuts for crunch. We also loved how each salad’s dressing is thoughtfully kept separate to ensure the salads stay fresh. In a further layer of thoughtfulness, we are told that onion and garlic is kept to a minimum to avoid bad breath! 

How it works:

• Order by 3pm the day before
• Minimum $40 per delivery
• Delivery is free

Where The Odd Pod deliver:

• CBD
• South Melbourne
• South Wharf
• Docklands
• St Kilda Rd
• Southbank

For more information check out theoddpod.com.au. 

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of The Odd Pod.

Crust's new Upper Crust Pizzas

Crust Pizza has unveiled their newest additions to the Upper Crust Pizza menu which turns your favourite sandwiches into pizzas. 

This range is inspired by current Australian food trends and draws inspiration from South American cuisine.

First established in Sydney in late 2001 with the ambition of changing consumer perceptions regarding take away pizza by creating great tasting, quality gourmet home delivered products, Crust has grown to incorporate 130 outlets and a reputation for market leadership amongst the gourmet take away pizza market. 

These four new delicious choices are all that you would expect from a Crust pizza - great tasting and made from quality gourmet ingredients. 

BLT with Avocado Salsa

Baby Spinach layered with Tomato & Twice Cooked Bacon, topped with Fresh Avocado Salsa, Garlic Aioli, Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt on a Spinach & Ricotta Base

Stepping up the stakes on a café staple, this pizza features key BLT sandwich ingredients with gourmet twist. Fresh baby spinach is layered with tangy tomato and twice cooked bacon. The pizza also includes delicious toppings of creamy avocado salsa, garlic aioli, cracked pepper and sea salt.

Pulled Pork and Slaw

Twice Cooked Shredded Pork & Caramelised Onions, topped with Fresh Pear, Vietnamese Slaw & Garlic Aioli on a BBQ base

Crust celebrates South American flavours with this pizza. The hero ingredient is the tender twice cooked shredded pork which is complimented by caramelised onions topped with fresh pear, Vietnamese slaw and garlic aioli on a barbeque base.

Salt and Pepper Calamari

Dusted Calamari, Roasted Capsicum, Shallots & Toasted Pine Nuts, topped with Pesto Aioli & Lemon

Seafood lovers rejoice! This delicious pizza is served with generous amounts of well-cooked dusted calamari, roasted capsicum, shallots and toasted pine nuts topped with pesto aioli and finished with a squeeze of lemon.

Black Bean Burrito

Black Bean Casserole, Roasted Capsicum, Jalapenos & Caramelised Onions, served with Fresh Avocado Salsa on a Spicy Tomato Salsa base

A tribute to Mexican cuisine, this pizza will have your mouth singing. Creamy and flavoursome black bean casserole is paired with roasted capsicum, jalapenos and caramelised onions and finished with a fresh avocado salsa on a spicy tomato salsa base.

The four new pizzas in the Upper Crust range are available in stores nationally and can be ordered online at www.crust.com.au or by calling your local Crust store.

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Retail Food Group.

David's now delivering!

Location: 4 Cecil Pl, Prahran
Phone: 03 9529 5199
Link: davidsrestaurant.com.au
Cuisine: Chinese

As of the 5th of February, the iconic David’s restaurant does delivery. Whether you’re after a box of bao for the office, a snack of soft shell river prawns or a steaming bowl of sticky pork belly & chat potatoes for dinner, David’s delivers deliciousness to your door.

Gastrology bloggers recently received a delectable lunch delivery from David’s. It was exciting to receive what was a neatly packed parcel filled with delicious Chinese cuisine. 

Grandma’s 8: a spicy shanghai medley of scallop, shrimp, pork, chicken, chestnut, cashew, bamboo & shitake 

Mother-in-law’s fish stew of rockling in a spinach, ginger & garlic broth 

We loved that the delivery menu is the same as the restaurant’s a la carte menu (and also includes the chop chop menu). As big fans of David’s fantastic food and service, we were pleased to hear and taste that everything is cooked to order and promptly delivered. 

Osmanthus & red bean black sticky rice pudding

Currently delivering to Prahran, Windsor, South Yarra, Hawksburn, Armadale and Toorak with a 15% off restaurant prices, it is a wonderful and convenient way to experience David’s. The delivery is available for both lunch and dinner every day excluding Sunday lunch. 

Get David to bring Shanghai to your door this week with his delivery service! 

When: Monday to Sunday, lunch from 12pm, dinner from 6pm (Excludes Sunday lunch) 

Where: Prahran / Windsor / South Yarra / Hawksburn / Armadale / Toorak 

• 15% off takeaway
• $4 delivery fee 
• $25 minimum spend 
• For bookings please phone 03 9529 5199