Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel

A lot of my friends are getting married lately which means A LOT of hens and bucks night. For some strange reason bucks tend to go all weekend and hens just for a single day. This meant that D was ditching me for a lot of my Fridays or Saturdays.

Vet is my recent food buddy since Miss P has moved to Sydney. She suggested Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel for a parma and I wasn't one to turn down a good parma.

I got there around 6.30pm and the place was already buzzing. Vet was running a little late, so I grabbed a schooner of cider and starting looking through the menu. Vet got there around 6.45pm and the pub was packed at that point.

Vet went with her gut and ordered the Parma. This was a very generous serving of crumbed chicken with ham, napoli and a cheesy finish. Paired with chips and salad, it was a massive meal. The chicken texture was soft and succulent, there was just the right amount of cheese before it got too oily.

Before I ordered I saw a Parma walk pass me. The size made me chicken out, I opted for the Steak. I ordered it medium rare, it came more medium but it wasn't to a the point I would complain. I got red wine jus for the sauce. A side of greens and chips. It wasn't anything spectacular but it also wasn't too bad. I found it to be a bit expensive for bar food but the serving portions made up for it.

Overall  staff was friendly and the food hits the spot if you are after simple pub feed.

 

Miss Katie's Crab Shack

On the homebound leg of a road trip with Princess, Pasta and D we hit up Katie's crab shack after a doughnut binge at QVM. Katie's Crab Shack is something I've long wanted to visit. It's located right opposite QVM so it so close I couldn't say no to it.

We weren't very hungry so we just got a few things to share. First thing was Katie's Fried Chicken, as many of you know, I always have a soft spot for fried chicken. Katie's fried chicken came in a serving of 8 pieces with a side of fries and ranch dipping sauce. The outside was nice and crispy but it lacked  seasoning. Without the ranch dipping sauce it felt bland, I am use to fried chicken that has more 'oomph' in taste. It's not a bad fried chicken but more seasoning would have been preferred. The seasoning in the fries were good though. Their "Old Bay" seasoning was a good blend of salty goodness.

The crab burger was a blue swimmer crab patty, with slaw, herb mayo and a big pickle on the side. Patty was moist and had a lot of crab inside. This is more of a delicate burger and would be perfect with a big glass of cider.

Overall 13.5/20 I was blown away with what I ate but I do know, I didn't try their signature crab boil. With what I ate I was happy, I won't drive out there just to visit but if I was in the vicinity I won't mind dropping in again to try other things on the menu.

 

Grand Trailer Park Taverna

I was fortunate enough to be invited to try out the burgers at Grand Trailer Park Taverna, and they were nice enough to let me bring 3 friends along, so Bear, Miss P and Mario staked their spot with great pride. The three of them actually came without me when it first opened (because I ended up stuck at work on a Friday) so they knew what to expect.

Grand Trailer Park is actually created by the people behind Dandenong Pavilion (if you have read my other post before, you will know that I have a secret love affair with the burgers there behind Mario's back) and Pawn &  Co. So I was expecting nothing less than amazing burgers.

When I saw the place I was actually quite surprised because in my mind I had pictured it being outdoors and full of fake grass; it was actually located upstairs on the corner of Exhibition St and Bourke St. We got there at 7 and the place was packed and buzzing, there was an outdoor section but we opted for the indoor section near the bar so I could watch burgers come out of the kitchen. We were greeted by Brooke who was friendly and explained our menu to us. Despite how busy the place was, she ensured we were looked after well all night.

Now to the important part, the food! I eyed the McDowell on the menu and was very tempted to get that but was convinced by Miss P I should get the Francis Underwood like her because last time when they came the boys had burger envy. So I took her advice and decided tonight was the night I tried something else. The Francis Underwood came with a beef patty, cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce, burger sauce, mustard and the hero filling of a potato mac and cheese croquette. The combination worked really well. It was a very big burger but all the fillings each played a part. The patty was juicy and the croquette was that thing you didn't need but glad you got. Miss P was right, it was a damn good burger.

Bear got the Ivan Drago. I asked the guys behind the counter and this is actually the least popular burger. This came as a surprise and you'll see why in a moment. Ivan Drago came with a beef patty, cheddar cheese, bacon, beetroot, black Russian tomato and tsar burger sauce on a brioche bun. This burger has everything you want in a good burger, it has CRISPY BACON and it tastes like heaven on the lips and nowhere near as oily as I expected it to be. The beetroot gave the sweetness to cut through the meat mass in the burger. So if you go, I suggest you don't rule out Ivan Drago, as soon as you skim pass it.

Mario got the Atomic which had a beef patty, cheddar cheese, chilli cheese kransky, bacon, bbq sauce and truffle mayo. If you love truffle, you can't go past this burger; the creamy, potent truffle mayo is going to win over any truffle lover. The cheesiness from the cheddar and the kransky then a kick of truffle mayo..... best burger of the night!

Besides burgers, we each got a spiked milkshake. This is as the name suggests.... an alcoholic milkshake. Miss P and I got the Kinder Surprise which was a nutella milkshake laced with frangelico and baileys topped with a big kinder surprise on top. This was a fun and delicious shake. Chocolatey enough to be indulgent but not to the point it's too rich.

Mario got the Peanut Butter and jelly which was a strawberry, peanut butter milkshake with rum. This was very sweet, as you would expect it to be.

Bear's one was the most interesting one, he got the salted caramel with maple bacon. This was the strongest out of all the shakes, the only one where the alcohol tasted strong, but I didn't mind it and quite enjoyed it, especially with a bite of the maple bacon.

What is a burger meal without chips? We got 2 large chips to share (which we couldn't finish) and it came with some of the burger sauces. The hand cut chips were well seasoned and with the truffle mayo it was a delight.

Even though we were all very full, I was determined to fit dessert in as well. I really wanted the Bananarama but sadly had no space for it and the other 3 refused to share it with me in their food coma state, so I had to get the smallest dessert on the menu which was the wizz fizz ice cream. These were actually perfect in their bite size form. 3 cones of vanilla ice cream topped with sherbet. I would have liked more sherbet on the ice cream but I was too full to care at that point and the dessert hit the spot for me. I got my ice cream fix and wasn't struggling to finish it.

Overall 17.5/20 I loved my experience here. The burgers were constructed with care, and quality ingredients in the filling. My only criticism is they don't offer kid size burgers and maybe another vegetarian option. If I was starving I would come here but if I wasn't feeling a bit peckish and wanted a burger, I might have reservations. I don't think they should change anything now, but I see potential for that menu to be expanded for a second vegetarian option and a smaller size burger for small eaters/dieters/kids.

 

The Skinny Dog Hotel

YY, D, P and I decided to check out Skinny Dog Hotel. Every year YY and I get the ET book and every year we vow to try something new out of the book. I can't say we have stuck to that vow every year so this time I made sure the suggestion was something we haven't tried before and was out of the ET book.

Located in Kew junction, Skinny Dog Hotel is your local pub with a refined atmosphere.

To start, we couldn't decide on what starter to get so we went with the chef platter which had dip, pork belly bites, calamari and barbecue prawns. The dips were beetroot and balsamic oil with dukkah spice. The texture was nice and smooth, but it was a bit bland for my liking. The calamari was nice and crispy on the outside without being too oily however it lacked a bit of salt. I found myself to be constantly reaching over to the salt and pepper grinder for this dish. The prawns were my favourite part of the platter. 

YY went with the beef burger. This has a wagyu patty with egg, bacon, lettuce, bbq relish. To top the burger off, was a giant onion ring on top of the burger. It was one good patty with lots of extras.

P went with the steak. This is something to order only if you are very hungry. It came with a generous amount of sauteed potatoes, carrots and broccoli. Finished with a mushroom sauce, it will curb any hungry beast.

D opted for their signature parma. A generous schnitzel with tangy Napoli sauce, ham and basil. The iconic classic in every angle. Served with a side of chips and salad.

I decided on the BBQ ribs. Slow cooked pork ribs with sweet potato chips and coleslaw. The meat fell off the bone. Their basting was thick and I would have preferred something lighter but more sauce. Sweet potato chips were a good change to the usual potato variety.

Being a pub, there is also a good range of beer. However I was in the mood for lemon, lime and bitters so we decided to get a jug. The whole night the waiter made fun of me constantly taking photos of my food.  The staff in general were friendly and our waiter was even willing to pose with a big jug of lemon, lime and bitters for my camera.

Overall 14/20 this is a great local pub with a good variety of menu choices. It's signature parma is deserving to be their signature dish. Perfect place for a local, casual feed.

Station Hotel

After a whole week of all work and no play, D took me to Station Hotel when I told him I was hungry and tired. Located in Footscray, it's a place that you would drive past and not think much of it. D had been here before with the boys and always told me it was one of the best steaks he has ever had. Thought it was time I gave it a go!

We got there at 9pm and was informed the restaurant was full but we could sit at the bar/pub side and had only 30 minutes before the kitchen closed. Under such time pressure, D and I had to make a very fast decision, and thankfully for him, I'm one of those people who responds well under time pressure. ;)

Feeling a little gluttony, D and I got the crumbed mussels and spicy ragu bolognaise to start of with. The crumbed mussel came in a small bowl with chorizo and olives and a side of dipping butter. It was my first time having crumbed mussels so I wasn't too sure what to expect, but it did not fail me. The exterior was perfectly deep fried whilst maintaining the texture and taste of the mussel. The chorizo was oily (but not too oily) and made the whole dish feel like a guilty pleasure.

The spicy ragu bolognaise looked quite sloppily plated up but more than made up for it in taste. The ricotta, slightly spicy sauce and the al dente penne all served with a heap of salad on top was just the best pasta I've eaten in a long time. The creaminess of ricotta paired with that mild spiciness ragu is homey but also luxe. I will be coming back for this one (but next time I'll have it as a main and not share it with D). A definite must try and you could just come here for the pasta it was that good.

Now to the mains; I saw wagyu on the menu for less than $50 so my decision was made within 2 seconds and it was a great choice too.

 The steak was a perfect medium rare. The basting wasn't overdone and just right. With a dollop of Bearnaise and some pepper sauce to mix it up a little, I was very happy.

D got the Gippsland scotch fillet. His was also succulent and perfectly medium rare. D is a mustard person so he opted for that and the Bearnaise. Though he did have a bit of steak envy after he tasted my wagyu.

The Bearnaise was more like a thick hollandaise cross aioli with herbs. Not quite your usual Bearnaise and it worked well. Both steaks came with a generous serving of salad and chips.

We got greedy and got a side of beans. We really didn't need to and I regretted it, not because it was bad but we just couldn't finish it. Needless to say, we never reached dessert. =(

Overall 17.5/20 That wagyu steak was amazing, I would drive another 45 minutes just to come back for that wagyu steak and spicy ragu bolognaise.

Wharf Hotel

I was lucky enough to get invited by the Wharf Hotel to try their menu. Hate to admit it, but prior to the invitation, I had never heard of Wharf Hotel, so I wasn't sure what to expect. So D and I decided to make a date night out of this outing, and it was a good thing that we did. Wharf Hotel is located along the Yarra opposite the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. It is a beautiful and Melbourne scenic location on a day/night with lovely weather. It is a casual pub style setting, so it's a perfect venue to kick back for a few lazy drinks and nibbles.

To start with, we got the southern fried chicken and the beer battered prawns. The chicken was served with a rich blue cheese sauce and some celery sticks (to help you feel less guilty). The chicken was crisp and juicy and if you like blue cheese, the sauce won't disappoint.

The beer battered prawns were well coated, with the hero of the dish being the miso mayo that it came with. D and I had a difference of opinion here. He thought this dish was very ordinary but I didn't mind it and would order it again.

For main, D went with classic pub style food getting the chicken parma. This came with a generous side serve of chips and salad. The chicken was tender and there was just the right amount of Napoli sauce without the parma getting too soggy. After a long day's work, I would happily demolish this.

I went with the market steak. It was served with a red wine jus on a bed of baked cauliflower and sweet potato. There was a lot happening on this plate and I just didn't know where to start. All the elements were great on their own, but once it was all put together on the plate, I just couldn't finish it and found it very heavy. I would recommend this to a big eater or someone very hungry.

For dessert D and I shared the salted creme caramel. I loved how this was served with gingerbread and walnuts. I really liked the twist on a traditional creme caramel. Only downfall was the creme caramel was too eggy for my liking and the crumbed gingerbread should have been served in a finer portion rather than large chunks.

Overall 14/20 I think Wharf Hotel does a great job in making your usual pub dishes in a more refined manner. The staff were friendly and attentive, it wasn't just because I was invited and the knew I was a food blogger. I noticed they were attentive to all the tables and knowledgeable with their menu.

Dandenong Pavilion

On a Saturday night, D, R, this (hungry) little piggy, A, Bobo and I wandered into a different side of town. We visited Dandenong Pavilion for some burger action. My sis had told me about the fabulous burgers this place offered on a number of occasions, so I decided it was time that I finally try it. I am one of those people who is an attracted to a good burger like a fly to a light; sadly it's not part of the healthy eating diet. Lucky Pavilion was worth my cheat day.

When we arrived we were greeted warmly by the staff. The venue appeared to be a family/pub styled restaurant and was buzzing with people as it was a full restaurant. The others knew we were there for the burgers, but didn't know about the secret burger menu (on the actual menu there are only two burgers). Even when I told them, they were a bit puzzled and didn't believe me. However when I asked the waitress, she came back with this special menu, we all got excited.

For starters we got Jalapeno poppers and the Buffalo wings. The peppers were crumbed and crunchy on the outside with a cream cheese stuffing inside the pepper. It is not too spicy and great if you like Jalapenos. The Buffalo wings weren't too over powering but had just enough kick to make you sweat a little. The meat was juicy and well cooked.

R got the Jiro, which was made up of: beef patty, lamb, swiss cheese and truffle mayo on a white bread roll. The hero in this burger was the truffle mayo, it gave it the sophisticated edge compared to your average pub burger. The patty and lamb was also divine.

A, K and myself got the McDowell with added bacon. This was the best burger out of the lot. It had 2 pattys, generous amounts of swiss and cheddar cheese, lettuce and their special sauce. The only way I can describe this burger, is that it taste like a big mac but 100 times better. The cheesiness with the juicy patty, and that sauce (drool...). Everything about this burger was just done so well. If I was to rate this burger alone I would give it a 9.5/10. It was the first time I ever walked away from such a big burger and still had burger cravings for the rest of the week! I did have difficulties finishing it towards the end, but I blame it on my greediness for wanting the extra bacon. (This photo, doesn't do the burger justice)

D got the General which also had 2 pattys, pickles, jalapenos, mustard served on a brioche bun. This burger is great for those who like their pickles and jalapenos. Normally I am not a pickle person but I found myself happily taking bites of this burger.

Bobo decided to be different and picked the Senor Chile burger from the daily specials menu. This had a beef patty, chilli con carne, cheddar cheese and pickles on a brioche bun. The chilli con carne was a good twist to your regular burger fillings. The cheese was nicely melted into the patty and con carne. I think this burger would have been a real winner if I hadn't also tasted the McDowell in the same meal. If I didn't know the McDowell existed and I ordered this burger, I would have been very happy.

All the burgers came with a side of chips which were well seasoned and crunchy yet fluffy inside. There isn't much for me to fault, except I wished the tomato sauce was in squeeze bottles rather that little sachets. I say this for 2 reasons: a) It looks out of place on the plate, since I am sitting down eating and not taking away and b) if someone was to be a tomato sauce dipper for their chips, that single satchet would not be enough. Also, I wish there was a side of the special sauce for the chips.

When it came to dessert time, we were all really stuffed but K, Bobo and I spotted the word Nutella on the menu earlier. The boys were ready to throw in the towel and said we could only have 2 to share between all of us. However there were 3 that we wanted and had difficulty deciding. When we asked the host which 2 were the best out of the 3, he was nice enough to let us order 2 and he threw in the last dessert on the house.

Our first dessert was the nutella doughnuts. This came out warm and nutella oozing out of a soft doughnut. I would have preferred the doughnut to be more soft and fluffy on the inside but it was an overall good doughnut.

Next was the Ace of Spades, this was a nutella parfeit with marshmallow and nutella ice magic. The nutella ice cream in the centre was soft and not too sweet, the marshmallow was just enough and the chocolate shell, finished it off perfectly. I expect to see this dessert at a fine dining restaurant and was honestly surprised and pleased to see this being served up in a family restaurant. You can probably guess - this was my favourite dessert.

Finally was the bananarama which had banana ice cream, layered with fresh bananas, vanilla custard, meringue and nutella. This was seriously banana-y in a good way. Compared to all the other things I had in this meal, this was the least guilty dish. The components all went well together, the only thing was, I couldn't really taste the meringue, so it would have been good if there was more meringue in this dish.

Overall 17.5/20 I walked out holding my belly, surprised, impressed and wanting to come back for more. Dandenong Pavilion sets the bar extremely high for burgers, and family restaurant dishes in general.  I just wished I had a bigger stomach, I will be definitely going back to try the other 2 burgers on that secret menu.