The Australia Times

Winter warmers: Southgate restaurants are serving up seasonal delights with a series of masterclasses, meet-the-maker events, and innovative new dishes and drinks

*Title Photo: Pure South’s King Island pasture fed wallaby, parsnip, native pepperberry sauce – Photo credit: Pure South Dining

As the colder months approach, Southgate restaurants are keeping Melburnians warm with new menus integrating the best local and regional produce, limited edition specialty drinks and dishes, and a range of foodie events including makers dinners, regional foodie fests, opera nights and Mother’s Day high teas.

Innovative winter menus incorporate some of the best seasonal produce to create indulgent meals, with new offerings providing the perfect excuse to revisit a favourite Southgate venue, or discover a new haunt amongst the 13-strong staple of restaurants, bars and cafes.

Melbourne’s beloved risotteria, the award winning Tutto Bene, is adding six new dishes that deliver a taste of winter to their menu. Hot picks include the Finocchio, a roast baby fennel with snap fried khol rabi and the Pannacotta di gianduia, a stunning hazelnut chocolate pannacotta with lemon gelato and fennel pollen. Plus of course, risotto, always risotto.

Risotto Masterclass at Tutte Bene Photo Credit: Tutte Bene — Risotto Masterclass at Tutto Bene
Photo credit: Tutto Bene

“We love working with fennel at this time of year – it grows in abundance and you can be creative with how you use it in both savoury and sweet dishes. It is such a versatile plant, with all parts being edible from bulb, stalks, leaves and seeds, while the fronds and pollen are great accents to any dish,” says Nathan.

Tutto Bene’s risotto masterclasses are back by popular demand, on 13 June and 11 July. Clue: if you’re using Arborio, you’re doing it wrong. The event includes a take home goodie bag with all the right ingredients. Book pronto, as it’s tipped to sell out.

Waterslide’s new cocktail list delivers some of their most creative winter-warmer concoctions yet. ‘Auntie Faye’s Cure No.23’ is inspired by the head bartender’s Auntie Faye, who would add a large measure of bourbon to her apple and rhubarb pie to cure your ailments. The cocktail version takes over 24 hours to prepare, delivering powerful punch of flavour with spiced rhubarb, apple syrup, and a hit of bourbon, topped with custard, rhubarb skins and crush. Guaranteed to kick your winter chills to the kerb.

'Aunty Faye's Cure No. 23' Cocktail -Waterslide Bar Photo Credit: Waterslide Bar — ‘Aunty Faye’s Cure No. 23’ cocktail – Waterslide Bar
Photo credit: Waterslide Bar

A commitment to provenance is something a number of Southgate chefs are passionate about, whether that means working with the best local suppliers of fresh produce, or paying homage to a specific region of the world via carefully curated local and international ingredients.

Pure South Dining brings the best of Tasmania to the table and their extensive wine menu is perfectly curated to match the impressive food offering. During May and June, a series of wine dinners will be taking place providing the chance to sample incredible wines from bespoke Tasmanian wineries Piper’s Brook, Moorilla and Torbreck accompanied by special menus from their Michelin star chef, David Hall.

Pure South's King Island Beef Tartare, taco, daikon, avocado, finger lime Photo credit: Pure South — Pure South’s King Island Beef Tartare, taco, daikon, avocado, finger lime
Photo credit: Pure South

BearBrass has secured the makers of three of their favourite Yarra Valley producers to attend their special ‘A Taste of the Yarra’ event on Sunday 27 May. With tastings on offer from Napoleone Beer & Cider, Four Pillars Gin and TarraWarra Estate, patrons can also enjoy a special Yarra Valley Bar Menu accompanied with live music from Rory McKenna across the afternoon.

La Camera Southgate is bringing regional Italy to Melbourne with Gior D’Italia. Friendly chefs will lead diners through a culinary tour, using their daily specials as their flavour passport. Each week in May a different region will take the spotlight with a selection of delicious meals showcasing the unique elements of the selected district. It’s a tour of Italy with a view of the Yarra River.

La Camera’s Opera Nights have become a fixture on the calendar for many, combining culture and cuisine in one electrifying evening. The next event takes place on Monday 28 May, when the souring voices of Samantha Du Rennes, Suzanne Shakespere, Lino Del Giudice and Richard Thomas will come together to give the ultimate wine and dine experience, enjoyed over a set three course menu.

Waterslide is hosting a bevy of special events throughout the cooler months, including their own Waterslide Gin & Tonic Appreciation Day on Thursday 3 May and Waterslide’s Rum Day on Thursday 14 June. June will also see the return of their (literally) hot ‘Fitzroy Hipster’ cocktail, back by popular demand. Available for a limited time only, the delicious combination of spiced whipped butter and rum is Waterslide’s take on the classic Hot Buttered Rum and is guaranteed to warm you up from the inside out.

Pure South Dining is hosting a unique King Island Degustation Dinner on 1 June, celebrating the world-renowned produce from the island’s wild shores and seas. The intimate dinner will showcase some of the restaurant’s most remote, and in some cases exclusive, suppliers from King Island’s farms, dairies and fisherman. For example, the newly available King Island wallaby is now on the Pure South menu, but cannot be found anywhere else on the mainland.

Sunday blues are a thing of the past thanks to the continuing ‘Free Flowing Champagne Sunday Lunch’ at Pure South Dining. Enjoyed with either a two or three course lunch, Pure South will be rotating the bubbles with Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut, Bollinger Special Cuvee and Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial. Sunday afternoons never looked so good.

Southgate is home to fifteen diverse restaurants, bars and eateries with cuisines ranging from German to Tasmanian to modern European. A range of boutique retailers including vintage fashion, books and stationery can also be found within the precinct.

Tutto Bene's Finocchio Photo credit: Tutto Bene — Tutto Bene’s Finocchio
Photo credit: Tutto Bene

**Information and Images Courtesy of Southgate restaurants/supplied by Fuller PR – Keryn O’Donnell & Keshia Hutchens

P.J.O'Briens Winter Seafood Chowder Photo credit: P.J.O'Brien's — P.J.O’Briens Winter Seafood Chowder
Photo credit: P.J.O’Brien’s

Connie Lambeth

The Australia Times News

Editor GOURMET – Food/Wine/Events

literallyconnie@bigpond.com

READ HERE FOR WHAT’S ON THIS WINTER AT SOUTHGATE RESTAURANTS…

Melbourne’s Southgate Restaurants Warming up with a Season of Foodie Feasts & Events

With Summer around the corner there’s a feast of foodie events with new seasonal produce, riverside alfresco dining, a festive dessert workshop and end of year celebrations at Southgate Melbourne

Summer means longer days and warmer nights with a refreshing cocktail and seasonal share plate in hand, taking in scenic city views along the banks of the Yarra River. To make it all the more enticing, Southgate Melbourne’s slew of riverside restaurants and bars has a range of events and specials from November-January.

Alfresco dining is back in a big way with the newly refurbished and expanded riverside diner BearBrass primed to welcome the warmer months. With 350 breakfasts turning over every hour each weekend, the venue is preparing for their busiest time of year. The new look venue features an open bar where you can watch the chefs preparing your food while the bartender mixes your favourite cocktail. BearBrass venue manager Michael Singleton says “Our new bright burnt orange colour scheme has brought a vibrant, fresh feel to the venue.”

Dessert bar Damon Bradley is set to host their first summer pastry workshop for sweet treat lovers on Saturday 2 December. Masterchefs-in-the-making will have the chance to work alongside the Damon Bradley pastry chefs and learn to plate up like a pro just in time for Christmas. You’ll also get to sample some of their new season desserts bursting with summery flavours, like the Devonshire crepe filled with the award-winning Damon Bradley lemon curd topped with fresh berries.

Melbourne’s multi award winning Italian restaurant and gelateria Tutto Bene, took out yet another award this year, winning Best Italian Restaurant in Victoria at the 2017 Restaurant & Catering Savour Awards. Head Chef Nathan Scarfo looks for vibrancy in the colour of his produce and counts asparagus, snap peas and zucchini flowers to be among his favourites for the warmer months.

“Our new dishes all have a focus on using the whole ingredient. We are focusing on traditional Italian cooking – simple, no wastage, with every ingredient having multiple uses,” says Nathan. One of his summer menu highlights is the Fiori di Zucchini: fried zucchini flowers, roast pumpkin, peppitos and mustard fruits, best enjoyed on the Tutto Bene Terrazza with a crisp glass of Chardonnay.

Following its recent expansion over two levels and the launch of the more casual PS Bar + Kitchen, the new Pure South Dining continues to make the most out of the best produce of the season with Executive Chef David Hall highlighting pears, asparagus, broad beans and broad bean leaves as his ingredients of choice.

“We keep our dishes simple and allow the amazing spring and summer produce to be the hero. Our house cured line-caught Kingfish with dashi, meyer lemon, wakame and quail egg is proving to be very popular and a great simple dish heading into the warmer months,” says David.

Family favourite La Camera Southgate has one of the best Aperitivo Hour deals in Southbank, accompanied by sweeping balcony views over the Yarra River. Sip on a complimentary Italian cocktail (choose from Negroni, Sbagliato, Aperol Spritz and more) with any antipasti plate.

ENA Greek Street Food puts an authentic Greek spin on the most important meal of the day with the launch of their new breakfast menu. Think Spanakopita, Tyropita (layered buttery filo with cheesy egg) and Strapatsada (Greek style scrambled eggs with tomato and fetta) and for the sweet tooths, Bougatsa (semolina custard filled pastry).

One of Southgate’s favourite watering holes, Waterslide Bar, has reinvented the spritz with their signature “Tinder Date” cocktail, the perfect accompaniment for flirtations on their leafy riverside balcony. The refreshing drink combines delectable French Loire Valley Cremant Sparkling with fresh berries and yuzu.

Southgate’s stable of riverside restaurants will come alive throughout the festive season with Christmas lunches hosted by iconic Irish pub P.J.O’Brien’s and German Bier Bar Grill Hophaus. The silly season continues with an array of New Year’s Eve celebrations including Waterslide Bar, ENA Greek Street Food, BearBrass, P.J.O’Brien’s and Hophaus, each boasting some of the best firework-viewing vantage points.

Southgate is home to fifteen diverse restaurants, bars and eateries, with cuisines ranging from German to Tasmanian to modern European. A range of boutique retailers including vintage fashion, books and stationery can also be found within the precinct.

www.southgatemelbourne.com.au

**Information & Images Courtesy of Southgate Restaurants/Fuller PR