If it's good enough for Mr. Perry
You know you're eating well when the experience is such that you can successfully block out a table of drunken racegoers during Spring Carnival in Melbourne.
And so it was that I sat with friend in the bistro section of the Hotel Lincoln in Carlton last evening, enjoying smashing food amongst almost unbearable, raucous carry-on. That will learn me for brazenly marching towards a very good venue without a booking.
Why I would treat the booking system with such contempt is shameful: The Lincoln has received praise from day one several years ago, culminating in this year receiving a hat and 15/20 in the Age Good Food Guide. Serious marks for a place with - what I know for myself now - serious food cred'.
Perhaps my approach came from a broader problem; where, the honest truth is that after years of eating out I've become quite picky, perhaps a little jaded about restaurant fare. When you cook well at home, and know what's involved it's hard to be excited about a roast chicken wrapped in prosciutto etc. But the Lincoln has reminded me what it is all about; reminded me that chefs can very much still stand up and punch you fair in the taste buds.
So on this evening both partner and I had the duck ballotine and liver parfait with mango jelly starter. I've eaten similar dishes all over Melbourne, right through to one of the best ever at three one two, and this right was up there. Very generous portions, but not too much. The parfait was incredible; you wanted to call it foie gras, and when mixed in with a sliver of the sweet, slightly edgy mango 'cubes' it was really a taste sensation. The ballotine was chock full of all your usual duck-many-ways pieces, and studded with pistachios, which was a nice touch and textural difference, but I can't say I tasted them.
Main was two generous portions of lamb rack delicately wrapped in filo, served with an eggplant and ricotta stack. The lamb was an impressive visual feature with the pastry cooked just right and the lamb tender and very tasty, having held the majority of its juices intact. While I would have liked the lamb just a little rarer it couldn't have been easy to cook this dish and as it was it was really a treat. And even though we all thought we were out of the stack-phase in Melbourne, I have to say the eggplant and ricotta was terrific; and after all, no one can question the delicious taste of smokey eggplant and baked ricotta.
Friend had twice cooked pork stuffed with cotechino sausage and he was certainly well pleased when staring down at a clean plate.
Dessert was also great, surprisingly I suppose because we were expecting a fault by this stage - as the revellers on the next table were breaking into the Flipper theme song. Mango semifreddo for my partner and a trio of chocolate for me: white chocolate panna cotta, rich chocolate ice cream and thick chocolate sauce, and a baked chocolate cookie wedge sitting on fresh cream, offset with fresh raspberries, whose juices ran around the three items providing a perfect tart , acidic edge to the chocolate. Brilliant!
By the time a very good coffee made its way to the table we were not only sated but back-and-forthing about just how good the food had been. I'm not sure why we were surprised, really, but we were, me so in particular because it's been a while since I've really been excited about a meal out.
The deal-sealer was the bill. A mere $140 for 3 courses, a very decent Gembrook Hill pinot noir (note: the wine mark-up here is perhaps the lowest I've ever seen) and couple of coffees. I don't think I've seen value like that in action for years.
I think you know what you have to do. Just don't go without a reservation during Spring Carnival.
And so it was that I sat with friend in the bistro section of the Hotel Lincoln in Carlton last evening, enjoying smashing food amongst almost unbearable, raucous carry-on. That will learn me for brazenly marching towards a very good venue without a booking.
Why I would treat the booking system with such contempt is shameful: The Lincoln has received praise from day one several years ago, culminating in this year receiving a hat and 15/20 in the Age Good Food Guide. Serious marks for a place with - what I know for myself now - serious food cred'.
Perhaps my approach came from a broader problem; where, the honest truth is that after years of eating out I've become quite picky, perhaps a little jaded about restaurant fare. When you cook well at home, and know what's involved it's hard to be excited about a roast chicken wrapped in prosciutto etc. But the Lincoln has reminded me what it is all about; reminded me that chefs can very much still stand up and punch you fair in the taste buds.
So on this evening both partner and I had the duck ballotine and liver parfait with mango jelly starter. I've eaten similar dishes all over Melbourne, right through to one of the best ever at three one two, and this right was up there. Very generous portions, but not too much. The parfait was incredible; you wanted to call it foie gras, and when mixed in with a sliver of the sweet, slightly edgy mango 'cubes' it was really a taste sensation. The ballotine was chock full of all your usual duck-many-ways pieces, and studded with pistachios, which was a nice touch and textural difference, but I can't say I tasted them.
Main was two generous portions of lamb rack delicately wrapped in filo, served with an eggplant and ricotta stack. The lamb was an impressive visual feature with the pastry cooked just right and the lamb tender and very tasty, having held the majority of its juices intact. While I would have liked the lamb just a little rarer it couldn't have been easy to cook this dish and as it was it was really a treat. And even though we all thought we were out of the stack-phase in Melbourne, I have to say the eggplant and ricotta was terrific; and after all, no one can question the delicious taste of smokey eggplant and baked ricotta.
Friend had twice cooked pork stuffed with cotechino sausage and he was certainly well pleased when staring down at a clean plate.
Dessert was also great, surprisingly I suppose because we were expecting a fault by this stage - as the revellers on the next table were breaking into the Flipper theme song. Mango semifreddo for my partner and a trio of chocolate for me: white chocolate panna cotta, rich chocolate ice cream and thick chocolate sauce, and a baked chocolate cookie wedge sitting on fresh cream, offset with fresh raspberries, whose juices ran around the three items providing a perfect tart , acidic edge to the chocolate. Brilliant!
By the time a very good coffee made its way to the table we were not only sated but back-and-forthing about just how good the food had been. I'm not sure why we were surprised, really, but we were, me so in particular because it's been a while since I've really been excited about a meal out.
The deal-sealer was the bill. A mere $140 for 3 courses, a very decent Gembrook Hill pinot noir (note: the wine mark-up here is perhaps the lowest I've ever seen) and couple of coffees. I don't think I've seen value like that in action for years.
I think you know what you have to do. Just don't go without a reservation during Spring Carnival.
posted by W at 11:12 am
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