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Singapore – what a city! I loved this place. It’s a visually arresting city with fantastic food, friendly people and it was so easy to manage. I had really high expectations and Singapore exceeded them – it goes straight onto my “Cities I Want to …
Only 40km south of Adelaide, the McLaren Vale wine region is a patchwork of vines planted on rolling hills, framed by ocean views. Grape vines were first planted in the area in 1838 and the Seaview and Hardy wineries were operating as early as 1850. …
You’ve probably eaten kangaroo and wallaby and maybe even salt bush. You’ve probably heard of bunya nuts and lemon myrtle and quandong, even if you haven’t had a chance to taste them quite yet. But what about dorrigo or sunrise limes or brush cherries? It’s incredible how much of the Australian population is only just learning about native Australian ingredients – me included. And how much there is yet to learn. Australian modern cuisine is generally considered in terms of a mish mash of lots of other cusines – English traditional, Italian, meat and three veg and maybe some Asian fusion along the way. You just don’t say “I’m having Australian tonight” in the same way you do for Italian or Japanese or Indian. The oldest living culture in the world has much to teach us about Australian cuisine, even if we are only just beginning to ask.
Jock Zonfrillo, a Scottish-born chef, has done more than most to bring some knowledge to Australians about their own native ingredients. Zonfrillo’s restaurant, Orana, opened in Adelaide in 2013 and has gone from strength to strength, named as the 2018 Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year and achieving two hats in the 2018 Good Food Guide (the 2019 version will be released next week).
But, it’s not just about the restaurant. In fact, according to an interview with Good Food, the restaurant was started as a vehicle to get funding for the Orana Foundation. The foundation, in conjunction with the University of Adelaide, is building a native-food database, running flavor trials and assessing the viability of commercial production. It aims to bring recognition to traditional food cultures and ensure that Indigenous communities are benefiting from any future commercial enterprises. In an interview with Gourmet Traveller when Orana won the Best Restaurant gong, Zonfrillo said, “The restaurant is just a billboard that promotes this food. Developing the foundation is the crucial next step in capturing and preserving Indigenous food knowledge and to sharing that with everyone. I aim to give back more than I take.” The world is listening, with Zonfrillo winning the Basque Culinary World Prize 2018 — a prestigious award for chefs improving society through gastronomy.
When Cat suggested we eat at Orana on one of her final weekends in Adelaide, I was so excited! I had been wanting to eat Zonfrillo’s food for a long time. A great advantage of one of the best restaurants in the country being in Adelaide is that we were able to get a booking on a Friday night only a week in advance!
After making our way up the industrial staircase on the side of the building to the first floor, we were greeted warmly for our 6pm seating. On the undressed, timber table, sat a glass cloche protecting dough proving, ready to be taken away, baked and served to us later. It was clear this was going to be more than just a meal – over the next two and a half hours, we were treated to 17 courses, each with a story and a sense of discovery.
The first course of potato damper threaded onto lemon myrtle skewers, cooking over hot coals with a side of roast lamb butter was put in front of us, alongside a cup of macadamia soup with native thyme oil. Our waiter, squatting down next to the table so she was eye level with us, implored us to relax and get our camping vibe on. The fun of this dish was a great indicator that whilst the food that night was going to be seriously good, Orana didn’t want us to take ourselves too seriously.
The ‘snacks’ then commenced, with a constant stream of different dishes making their way out of the partially open kitchen, served either by a chef or the very well informed wait staff. Our standout was the Spencer Gulf prawn roti – flaky, crisp roti with native greens and a plump prawn with a sauce that was pure comfort food. The kangaroo tail pies were also delicious, with a rich meat sauce encased in crumbly pastry.
The crockery was gorgeous, a mixture of custom pieces designed especially for Orana and other pieces they have picked up along the way. Cutlery wasn’t really required for most of the snacks – it was all food you could pick up and eat in your hands.
We were told the ‘Soup Soup’, a broth of Marron with Australian botanicals left to steep on the table, is so named because a particularly good soup is dubbed ‘Soup Soup’ by indigenous communities Zonfrillo has been visiting as part of his research. Cat dubbed this one ‘Soup Soup Soup’ and she was quite right – it was complex and full of flavor.
Three main courses followed the 11 snack courses, with the Marron, green ants & Geraldton Wax being the most striking of the three. The vibrant green sauce, with little ants floating around in it, was visually arresting. We were heartily encouraged to take hold of the Marron tail, use it to mop up the green sauce and to make sure we got lots of crunchy ants with each bite! We complied and it was delicious! Tender, kangaroo slivers served hugging a bed of smoked potato and resting in a feral plum and wattleseed sauce was a rich and fitting end to the main courses, with the smoked mash tying back into the potato damper that we started with.
The signature dessert of buffalo milk in a pool of wild strawberry juice and eucalyptus oil has been on the menu since day one. It was one of the dishes Cat and I kept returning to as we talked about the meal again and again over the weekend. The texture of the set buffalo milk was so silky and the eucalyptus cutting through the strawberry ensured there was no overwhelming sweetness to the dish at all.
Over 17 dishes, every single one had an ingredient I had never tried before. Many I had never heard of. It’s no small thing that Orana has been as successful as it has with a menu that will challenge many diners, even those of us who think we know a little bit about food. But the kind and never, ever pretentious or condescending service made the experience really comfortable. It was such a lovely mix of information, fun and care. We asked lots of questions and hung on every word of the dish introductions, revelling in the learning experience as well as the fact we were eating really delicious food.
Orana is a special occasion restaurant for most, with a dinner Tasting menu coming in at $240 per person and wine matching for an additional $170. That said, it holds up exceptionally well against some of the 3 Michelin star restaurants I have visited over the last year. Two people could eat as well, if not better, at Orana for the same price as one person at any of the San Francisco restaurants I visited in May.
When weighing up the ‘is it worth it’ question, I think it is worth considering how the restaurant interacts with the work of the Orana Foundation. The interest the dining experience sparked in me to learn more about indigenous ingredients has led me to reading a number of articles and blogs I might never have stumbled across otherwise. The aim of the foundation to build knowledge and awareness and create an industry around these ingredients that supports Aboriginal communities is an important one. Increasing exposure and interest in these ingredients and advancing the aims of the Orana Foundation is a wonderful reason to visit the vehicle that was launched to support it.
I first laid eyes on Crested Butte in the winter of 2002/03. I had just finished university and was due to start my first job as a baby lawyer in March 2003. A few months of adventure seemed like the right thing to do before …
Dominique Crenn is a rockstar. She is truly a world famous, instantly recognisable chef to anyone interested in food. Her flagship restaurant, Atelier Crenn in San Francisco was first awarded two Michelin starts in 2012, with Dominique being the first female chef in the US …
There are a few wine regions that make up California Wine Country, but Napa and Sonoma are the big ticket areas. The Sonoma and Napa Valleys are about 1.5 hours north of San Francisco and are separated by the Mayacamas Mountains. Napa is the glitzy, glamorous, fancy valley; long established as a wine and food mecca. Sonoma is way less pretentious and expensive and has plenty of authenticity, along with great wine and food. There is only one twisting and turning mountain road to connect the two – most people take the long way around the edge of the mountains if they are visiting both. Take the mountain road, the views are amazing and it’s a fun drive!
The towns in the valleys are often set up around a central square. Sonoma itself has a large square, with the town hall set within its lovely gardens. The town dates back to Spanish settlement times and has a number of historical buildings from that era. There are wine tasting venues in the towns as well as at the wineries in the valley, so you probably wouldn’t even need a car, but that would be doing yourself a disservice. I really enjoyed my drives through wine country; the Sonoma Valley was gorgeous and narrow and the grandeur of the wineries along State Route 29 in Napa was something to see. Some of these tips about driving in Europe will help you in the US too!
Trying to set an itinerary to make the most of your time can be a bit overwhelming – there are a lot of options – especially if, like me, you don’t know anything about Californian wine. There are loads of blogs and guides out there to read and help plan. Don’t try and master it. Don’t stress about whether you’ve been to all the places you should go. Just pick a couple of wineries, enjoy them and if you get the chance to go back, try some different ones! The stress of trying to get it right is going to suck you in if you let it!
I was fortunate to have a distinctly local experience, staying with my winemaker friend Danielle and her wine grower husband Dan. I arrived on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend (without actually realising it was a holiday weekend when I booked the flights to San Francisco). It is considered the start of summer in the US and the weather cooperated. It had been cold and raining the previous week, but Memorial Day weekend saw blue skies and hot weather. I was lucky enough to attend a family and friends’ BBQ the day I arrived and a pool party at a large winery property the next day. On my last night, they took me up to the vineyards where Dan works and we did a tour around the vines on a gator and took in the stunning views from the top of the mountain range. I did zero planning for my trip, choosing to leave myself in the hands of Danielle and Dan and the tips their friends also gave me. So here are some spots I really enjoyed that you might want to check out if you make it to California Wine Country.
The Sunflower Café was my breakfast spot of choice, I went three times in the four mornings I was there! It has a focus on local produce and healthy breakfasts but still has waffles and eggs benedict on the menu if you need a hangover cure! There is a really pretty, quite large courtyard out the back with lots of cooling greenery and yellow tables and umbrellas. It feels a little like eating in a sunflower! Be prepared for a line to order, but once you get your order in, the food comes out super quickly.
Harvest Moon is Danielle and Dan’s favourite restaurant in town. They tell me the menu changes frequently but a couple of staples remain year round like the rib eye steak, the caesar salad and there is always a pasta dish and a fish dish. The food is locally sourced, seasonal and generous. The service was knowledgeable and friendly, but never intrusive. I would have been very happy there as a solo diner. Plenty of local wine options and whilst I had a couple of experts on California wine dining with me (we had a delicious Unti Grenache from Dry Creek Valley), I’m sure our waiter would have happily provided appropriate pairings if required.
Every Tuesday of summer, there is a farmers’ market in the main square of Sonoma which runs from around 4pm till dark. There is great produce available, food trucks and a band. It is very much a local affair. You take a blanket or some chairs down and can bring your own alcohol into the park. There were older groups who had staked out the tables in the park and brought linen and crockery with them, lots of families and kids. It had a great vibe. Try a poke bowl and seek out the excellent donuts!
Lasseter’s is the winery where my friend Danielle is Assistant Winemaker so I was lucky enough to get a private tour! But tastings are available by appointment and I would highly recommend it. The wines were fantastic and are served with paired cheeses. I really enjoyed the rosé blend of estate-grown syrah, mourvèdre and grenache called Enjoué which means joyful or playful in French and the Paysage which is a Bordeaux style red blend. The property itself is really pretty and a lovely environment to sit and try some great Californian wine. And check out the wine labels – works of art in their own right.
Salt and Stone is just down the road from Lasseter’s, on the main road that runs through Sonoma valley, surrounded by vines. There is a lovely patio to enjoy a full meal or you can show up to the bar for Happy Hour (2.30pm – 5.30pm) and have some Pacific Oysters for $2 each and small plates for $6.
Ridge Vineyards has two locations, one in the Santa Cruz Mountains which was first planted in 1886 and one at the very northern end of the Sonoma Valley where I visited. Ridge’s most famous wine is the Monte Bello, a Cabernet Sauvignon blend which took out fifth place in a Paris Tasting event in 1976. Thirty years later, the tasting was recreated and the 1971 and 2000 Monte Bello cabernets won first place in both the original vintage and new vintage categories at the “Judgment of Paris 30th Anniversary Wine Tasting”. Beating the French wines is something the winery is very proud of!
Tastings start from $10 and you can sit out on a beautiful shaded terrace, overlooking the old vines and rolling hills of northern Sonoma. I was lucky enough to be served by a lovely American woman who also happened to have dual Australian citizenship, having lived there for 12 years. The tasting of 4 wines, plus the Monte Bello for $10 extra took around an hour to complete and I learned a lot about the history of the vineyard and Californian wines in general.
Ridge is located about five minutes away from the town of Healdsburg, a really pretty little town. The huge, light-filled, industrial space of The Shed is home to a dine in cafe, a take away larder and produce shop and an upmarket retail space. It has its own fermentation bar – how very Californian! The food was local in focus and fresh and light. You can expect dishes like Mendocino Sea Urchin with Local Seaweeds; Charred Leek Terrine with Nantucket Scallops; and Salad of Heirloom Carrots and Dates with Wild Pecans and Salted Yogurt. I had what felt like a little piece of California for lunch, a strawberry and duck salad and a glass of rosé.
After my virtuous salad for lunch, I made up for it with some ice cream from Noble Folk on the square in Healdsburg. The list of ice creams available changes frequently and you can have four tastings before you commit. They also serve some great looking pies.
Williamson Wines is owned by an Australian couple who moved to the area 30 years ago. Staying true to their roots, it was the only winery I visited where the tasting was free of charge! It is located just off the square and is a tasting room rather than a winery based cellar door. Four wines were served along with cheese and chutney and jam pairings. It was a pretty slick operation, with a very practiced spiel from the young man who served me. Definitely worth calling in if you’re in town.
Sterling Vineyards was the only winery I visited that was a big, corporate tourist experience. It is actually owned by the massive Australian corporation, Treasury Wine Estates. I didn’t realise that until I arrived and the man operating the gondola told me (yes, there is a gondola to get up to the top of the cliff where the winery is located). There were a number of tasting options, I chose the base level which involved a self-guided sip and walk tour for $35 and you keep your glass at the end (not much use to international travellers who travel with carry on only!). I tried four wines at different stations as I wandered around the winery, learning about the wine making process from the videos playing on big TVs at different points. Whilst the experience was a little soulless and the wines that I tried didn’t excite me, the view from the top of the winery out over the Napa Valley was gorgeous and it was interesting to get the comparison of the big corporate versus the family experience I had at Lasseter.
Yountville is the food centre of the Napa Valley. I took a little drive here just to look at Thomas Keller’s institution The French Laundry! The town itself is pristine and pretty. I had lunch at Bottega, an Italian terraced restaurant with very professional service and an extensive menu of Italian classics. There was also a foodhall and retail market called Ottimo just across the way from Bottega (also owned by chef Michael Chiarello) where you could tuck into some pizza or salumi or pasta in a more relaxed environment. Across the street was Bouchon Bakery if you’re just passing through and would like a sandwich and a great looking cake from Thomas Keller – or can’t quite stretch to The French Laundry!
I feel like I barely scratched the surface of these valleys, especially when it comes to understanding California wine. I’m informed by the locals that the whole concept of drinking and driving is a little more lenient around these parts, but a lifetime of Australian values about that, combined with driving on the other side of unfamiliar roads, meant I kept myself to the 0.05 approach! That limited my tasting options a little bit, but if you can get a driver or even focus on tastings within the towns themselves I’m sure you can get a broader experience than I did. But, as I’ve warned Danielle and Dan, that just means I’ve got an excuse to return!
The need for a little solo adventure was starting to get pretty pressing. I was feeling the need to test out the ankle a bit. Of course, I could do that in Port Fairy or Melbourne, but I was also craving a bit of solitude …
Destination dining has been a long established part of the Australian food scene. The Lake House in Daylesford was amongst the first to entice city slickers out to the sticks for a good feed over thirty years ago. Living in Port Fairy, the Royal Mail …
First, let me say, Athens is a city that deserves more of your (and my) time than 35 hours. But, I appreciate it’s often a quick stop over destination before people head off to Rhodes, the Peloponnese or the Aegean islands. So, how can you get the most out of a quick 2 night, 1 day stay in Athens? Hopefully those 35 hours well spent will ensure you return and explore some more, but if not, this will cover the big sights and some hidden gems.
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It seemed fitting that I spend my first unemployed Monday doing something that was a big part of me deciding to become unemployed… eating and drinking! Tipo 00 has been on my “must do” list for far, far too long. I’m embarrassed as a proud …