Rise and shine! Early start for a Saturday but we wanted to avoid crowds that always gather outside this Fitzroy happening establishment and see if it's worth all the action.

Lucky for us, we do beat the crowds and are offered a choice of seats in the airy dining room. Service is friendly, enthusiastic (almost American on the spectrum of international waiting scale of chirpiness) and our OJ's arrive quickly complete with a polka dot paper straw - a nod to the edginess of the neighbourhood!

I choose a blackboard special of cured trout, avocado and fetta, poached eggs on crumpets with salsa verde. A good choice I'm told by our waitress. Steve has the potato and mushroom hash with a side of bacon of which I steal a rasher.

I like that I'm also given a cheek of lemon when my dish arrives but I mistake the cubed smoked trout for tomato and spent a moment hunting for the trout! It's a zippy fresh dish but the volume of avocado and fetta overwhelm the trout somewhat so I think I'd prefer slices or bigger cubes and pay more for it. It's generous in every other element - salsa verde, avocado, fetta but just not the trout and I had ordered it thinking it would be the main aspect and not just a garnish!

Steve's dish is a generously thick, crispy edged, hash brown topped with a mushroom duxelle and a poached egg. It's really tasty and a rich combination of powerful flavours.

Our pots of tea are cute and it's good tea. The thing is though, it all comes on a board and then there's no room on the table for anything else especially when the food comes and have to play Tetris with everything. Small price to pay though.

All in all it's a lovely breakfast and worth the early morning. The hype and crowds have got it right!

So Woody is the new kid on the block, the Flinders Lane block and I didn't know much about this newcomer but Stef had read about it and set us up for an introductory meeting on a Thursday evening. First dates should always be midweek right? That way if it doesn't work out, it's not a weekend wasted!

Anyway our "date" was originally Charlie, Sarah, Stef and I - A team! But Stef was sick so four became three.

Appearance wise, Woody looks much like the others on the street. Long narrow dining hall, kitchen at the back...I could be describing Chin Chin or Fonda on Flinders Lane. It seems much more spacious though and the frantic, electric madness of both those places is turned down a notch for Woody. And Woody is deceptively bigger than it first appears - the ladies' bathrooms are a long walk away and downstairs so I wonder if more will be done with the space.

For the first round we shared some tidbits.

• White anchovy, caramelised onion, puff pastry
  
• Pork cheek croquettes, chorizo crumb, apple aioli

It's strange. Both these dishes were pretty good but reminded me of offerings from elsewhere. The croquettes were a bit like what I've had at Niew Amsterdam, These were executed pretty well with a crispy golden coating and dense pork meat on the inside. The apple aioli added some sweetness and pork and apple is classic. I'm not sure the creaminess of the aioli was required though as the croquette was pretty rich already. I'm not sure I could eat a whole serve or more than one, but the one I had was well received.

The anchovy on toast with caramelised onion was generous in size with plenty of anchovy laid out on rectangle of flaky pastry. Salty, sweet, flaky and slightly warm - pretty classic and very familiar.

So far, all pretty tasty but not that original or stand out. What's next?

We continue to graze and share the salumi board, pickled veg and olives. Actually it comes on three boards! Continuing on the theme of generosity, it's a good board and the pickles are zingy, colourful and crunchy.

Between the three of us we order:

Roast duck breast, confit leg pastry, radicchio, citrus
48-hour slow cooked beef rib, roast onion, gremolata
Braised rabbit, saffron gnocchi, sage, leek, prosciutto
Roast potato, garlic, lemon, thyme
Smoked ricotta, roast beetroot, heirloom carrot

I had the duck and the flavours of were well defined and balanced. Duck and citrus with a hint of bitterness from the radicchio is again a classic pairing. The confit leg was well spiced - not chilli spice but fragrant spice. The two slices of duck breast were cooked well - pink and juicy. I'd have liked more slices though!

My nibbles of the the slow cooked beef and the rabbit gnocchi continued the trend of good flavours and classic combos.

The potatoes were moreish and the smoked ricotta and beetroot salad was probably the most original dish we'd had so far. Flavour wise I liked the smokiness and earthiness of the pairing of cheese and veggies but the texture of the ricotta was a little cloying in the mouth.

So this little hint of originality flourished through to dessert. Sarah and I had the buffalo ricotta doughnuts, passionfruit, lemon curd ice cream. 


Charlie had the Alba whisky fried custard, apple terrine, caramel ice cream. His smelt like Calvados which isn't surprising really with the apple element. And he was easily convinced into an accompanying snifter of whisky to enhance the experience! Definitely a grown up's dessert.

So Charlie's dessert was adults only, I reckon everyone would have enjoyed the doughnuts. Light yet doughy and not deep fried they were a little plain on their own and maybe needed that crunchy sugary crystal coating to be more doughnut like. But when combined with the lemon curd ice cream it was lovely. The ice cream alone was a little sweet and had I been eating it with no other accompaniment, an extra hit of tart lemon would have been welcome. This is one of those dishes were everything has to be eaten together for the balance of flavours to work.

Food wise - no complaints except maybe the remark that Woody needs to find his feet and perhaps a little injection of confidence or some time around the block will cause that to come out. I guess there's no substitute for experience and I think the food tasted of potential but were a bit safe.What was impressive though was that for a restaurant that's only been open for a mere number of days, the flavours did come together and the kitchen seemed to be competent and up to the job. 

Where we could see some teething issues was in the service which although enthusiastic was erratic in attention and there wasn't enough foresight and follow up. What I mean by that is once a table is seated, there should be follow up to see if they're ready to order rather than swan around talking to fellow team members and ignoring the customers until they catch your eye. It's different if it's busy as then it's understandable you have other things to do but striding around and chit chatting makes us feel overlooked. Not a big deal and not a deal breaker but a little more experience will likely iron this out.

In all, it was an enjoyable Thursday evening, Not stand out yet, but hints of potential were experienced so time will tell.

It was a cold and dark Friday evening and as has been the case for the last couple of weeks we have worked home from work and found somewhere to call in for dinner. We thought of the favourite Mario's but then Steve co erced me to walk just a smidgen further and we were inspired by Shifty Chevre.

We chose a table with a hotplate - I guess we knew melted cheese was inevitable and were whisked away to alpine France. Cosy and homely we could have been in a warm chalet after a hard day on the piste! 

Not the place for the lactose intolerant or the cheese averse, there are a selection of delectable delights to choose from.

We select:

La Poule - Baked chicken roulade with Tasmanian Emmental and grilled capsicum, topped with a dijon mustard sauce. Served with toasted sourdough and fresh green salad

Shifty Chèvre Salad - Goat’s cheese cream, roasted beetroot, sweet potato and pumpkin, with rocket, spinach and pumpkin seeds

Raclette Plate - Melt raclette cheese on the table’s hotplate and pour over potatoes, cornichons, prosciutto and French salami

I wasn't sure about the chicken when it was printed on the menu as I'm not a huge mustard fan. When it arrived it looked like a dish from the 80s with it's parsley garnish. And it was delicious. The mustard sauce was smooth and savoury with none of the kick that I don't like about mustard. The chicken was not overcooked and the cheese added an oozy richness but wasn't too much.

When we chatted to our friendly French waitress who I think is either the owner or manager, she told us that she wasn't able to get her hands on French Raclette and we were enjoying Tasmanian. I'm no cheese connoisseur, nor am I French so no snobbery just wholehearted enjoyment of melted cheese over potato and salami and the warmth of the hot grill.

The goat's cheese salad was the only disappointment not in terms of flavour as that was good but texturally it was a bit heavy and soggy with a thick emulsion of a dressing.

Feeling all warmed up with satisfied tummies and fortified by red wine and beer well on the road to relaxation and welcoming the weekend, we headed back into the cold dark night. The Shifty Chevre certainly eased us into the weekend gently and warmly. Good work mon ami!

Going to Bayte was Steve's brainwave. We work early on Saturday and finally there was sunshine and we had no plans. It was easy to to decide to postpone household chores and the supermarket shop to Sunday and opt for a boozy lunch instead. And the sunny weather meant a pleasant stroll to Bayte.

As a frequent passenger in the car I knew exactly where this was but always thought it was African. As the driver of said car, Steve hadn't registered where this was; he takes eyes on the road very seriously. Anyway an impressive Urbanspoon score and a tempting Broadsheet review meant we called up to make sure there was room for us.

It's a light bright affair with a pretty Morrocan style light in the middle of the dining room .The outdoor courtyard also looks inviting and we are served by a really friendly waitress who manages to be warm but not over familiar and we enjoy being looked after by her.

Given our commitment to do nothing for the rest of the day I decide to start off with an espresso martini. Coffee is a morning drink right? And the waitress comments that it's a perfect drink any time of the day and I have to agree. This is a one good, traditional style espresso martini. I don't like the versions with tequila and other non purist spirits so this really hits my high notes and the fact it's presented in a coffee glass excuses the fact that it's barely midday!

We start off with:

Hummous bi Tahini - chick pea, tahini, garlic and lemon dip
Jibeen ma' Mrabba el Teen - house made fresh white cheese with fig jam

The warm flatbread is the right side of doughy and with the nutty hummous it really is a great pairing. The hummous has distinct notes of sesame, garlic and citrus and the there's a coarseness in the texture adding interest. It really puts the supermarket tubs to shame.

The fresh cheese looks a bit like mozzarella but there's no rubbery chewiness. It's fresh, light and milky and the sweet and slightly spiced fig jam with it is really quite divine. Hot bread, cold cheese, sweet fig is a delight.

We also have the raw lamb kibbeh which is like a steak tartare but rather than the French flavourings of capers and cornichons it's blended with Middle Eastern spice. The crunchy flatbread is nice enough but I prefer the warmth and softness of the bread that came with the dips.

This is a great opener to our Lebanese feast and are appetites are whetted and we are ready for more brilliance to come!

We share two skewers:

Lahem Meshwi- spiced lamb backstrap and onion
Djej Meshwi bi Toum - garlic chicken glazed with pomegranate molasses

The lamb comes with a red capsicum yoghurt and the chicken has a puddle of garlicky labna.

The lamb is beautifully cooked, Charred on the outside and rare on the inside. The meat is lean and juicy and I love the fact it's good meat and not fatty, gristly stuff as can often be the case.

The chicken has been well marinaded and the garlic and tangy pomegranate are great flavoursn

We continue on our exotic journey and enjoy stuffed spatchcock with pomegranate molasses. The spatchcock is easily carved up and the rice stuffing has some lovely flavours of spice and sharpness running through. The chicken meat is tender and the tangyness of the glaze really enhances the meat. It's a rich dish as the rice stuffing is quite dense and sticky but the fresh fattoush salad really cuts through cleansing the palatte.

We are as stuffed as the spatchcock but the lure of baklava and homemade chocolate and almond ice cream is too much to resist. After all we will be walking home so why not?! Steve prefers the baklava with more sugar syrup so it's stickier and wetter but minor thing really. The ice cream is lovely but entirely unnecessary.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Lebanon and are really excited to have this lovely gem of a restaurant in our 'hood. It would have been nice to see some Lebanese wine on the wine list I think but really that's just a minor tickle of a grip!

It's a cold, dreary, damp Thursday night and Steve and I finish work and decide to brace the wet and wild and walk home stopping off en route, kind of, for dinner. 

One of Steve's Japanese colleagues has told him about Gypsy & Pig and rates it as a favourite. 

It's an intimate dining are with just a couple of tables and then seating around the kitchen at a bar. It's cosy and warm and the pig decor is fun and cheerful. It's pretty full and we're given two seats in the corner of the bar area with instructions to leave in an hour. However a few minutes later, the  waitress tells us that if the two young men seated opposite us leave in the next half hour, we can stay on.

We choose some dishes from the menu but also a couple of special from the portable blackboard the waitress brings round. Steve's even got a little print out of recommended dishes that his colleague emailed him for us to take guidance from.

We start off with the kingfish sashimi that's on the blackboard and the sliced fresh tuna with special soy dressing and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. It's a puzzling dish and we're not sure what to expect and I fear the dairy will not blend well with the fresh fish. Actually it works well enough, The cheese isn't too creamy so it's really more about adding salt to the fish. I'm not 100% convinced with the texture as it's bit powdery in the mouth and sliced tuna is thin so isn't meaty enough to counteract the floury texture. Maybe if the tuna was cubed or thicker it would be better.

The kingfish sashimi is much more purist in nature and is served traditionally with wasabi and soy. Simple cleansing flavours and the freshness of the fish shines through.

We move from the clean flavours of sashimi to deep fried goodness and the stuffed chicken wing with Kurobuta gyoza. Almost too hot to handle, the juicy chicken and sweet meat stuffing is cut through with a punchy, citrussy soy dipping sauce. This chases away the damp air and provides some cheeriness amidst the miserable midweek weather.

And then it's all about the pig, puh,puh, pig! And in this case Kurobuta pig which is what Wagyu is to beef and we choose two different types of offering. We have the roast belly pork with an apple slaw and saikyo miso and also the deep fried crumbed Kurobuta eye fillet.

The crumbed round discs of meat are presented on a wire rack to keep them crispy and accompanied with a mound of shredded cabbage. We are introduced to the condiment tray in front of us and invited to dress the cabbage with a spiky, tangy dressing and drizzle the meat with a barbecue sauce. 

The golden crumbed circles look like fishcakes or meat patties; neither of which are in my list of favourite foods - probably more middle of the road for me. But when I eat take my first bite it's far from average. The meat is pure fillet and juicy and tasty with the real porky flavour coming out. The piquant sauce adds a contrast and another flavour note.

The roast belly pork is also lovely and the fattiness that comes with belly pork that can either go thumbs up or thumbs down is definitely a thumbs up. And the sweetness of the miso and apple slaw layer and intensify that sweetness but it doesn't become overly sweet and the contrasting textures of bouncy meat and crispy apple help cut through the richness of the dish.

We chose to accompany the meaty dishes with a set side dish option of rice, miso and pickles.

Service is efficient and the food comes out quickly. In spite of the open kitchen and lots of grilling and frying of pork the dining room isn't smoky and we don't leave smelling of fried food. I like the endearing charm of the menu which has phrases such as "Extra...After finish Meat & Veg shabu shabu broth with" and the homely nature of the restaurant and the food. 

Given the speed the dishes arrive and the bento box appearance of our meal, this could all very easily be mistaken as fast food but far from processed flavours, the quality of the produce especially with the pork and the kingfish sashimi sing out loudly.

We leave with satisfied bellies and feel restored, revived and equipped to face the cold, wet night.

Monday night is curry night at this neighbourhood local haunt and the curry is cooked with love by Kerala. There's a choice of three each week and we had the chicken and fish. Each dish comes with rice and naan at a midweek bargain price of $15.

Vibrantly coloured, the sunny yellow fish curry resonates turmeric and coriander and has a warming spice and tingling tang. It's creamy but not heavy, fresh and flavoursome. The chicken curry is very traditional, deep and laden with heat and spice. Two wondefully contrasting curries showcasing the wonders of the sub continent.

The nutty brown rice and doughy naan are perfect accompaniments. Serving sizes are not huge but are satisfying and I think I've just signed up to being a Monday night regular. What better way to start the week?

We didn't intend on visiting or dining at the Tramway Hotel but the neighbouring establishment we were drinking in shut their kitchen and we needed a Sunday late afternoon feed. Our friends, Shern and Jon had been before but a long time ago so expectations were fuzzy. Upon entering there was a positive buzzy vibe. The place has soul and a lot more character than where we had been which was a bit non descript and bland.

We were won over by the descriptions of burgers and chicken wings and fries so settled in for the afternoon at a free table in the corner.

So our feast for four was as follows:



BACON CHEESEBURGER - Char grilled brisket pattie w/ chopped onions, rocket, Kewpie mayo, tasty cheese, pickles, ball park mustard, in-house maple smoked bacon in a brioche bun
BASKET OF CHICKEN WINGS - we had two of these babies which meant 8 wings and shoestring fries
POUTINE - Fries with mushroom gravy and cheese curds
BBQ COUNTRY BRISKET SANDWICH - Inhouse smoked brisket w/ caramelised onions,
pickled beetroot, buttermilk sauce on a rustic sandwich roll (unpictured)
HAND CUT CHIPS – LARGE BOWL w/ soy aioli
MAC & CHEESE w/ chipotle, three cheese macaroni topped with pumpkin floss

The boys wanted a burger / sandwich as well as wings and Shern and I thought we would be ok on just wings. Food arrived quickly and I had already helped myself to an array of condiments including sriracha. I do love a good condiment selection!

So I find with American style food that I always look forward to it but it often disappoints. But overall this was good stuff. I took a large bite of Steve's burger and it was exactly how a good burger should be - meaty, beefy, juicy, contrasting textures of pattie, salad and bread, some creamy cheesiness and a cleansing tang of pickle. It also stayed together and didn't fall apart so credit for construction!

The chicken wings were also a hit. Giant sized with a sweet and sticky glaze but not overly sauced or flavoured, we all loved getting down and dirty with these.

Feelings on the poutine were a little mixed across the table. Jon doesn't do mushrooms and the gravy had hints of canned mushroom soup but this didn't seem to put him off. The texture of the sauce was a bit grainy for my taste and Shern found it a bit weird. I'm not sure cheese curds are the same as melted shredded mozzarella which is more what the cheese was like. I liked it generally but found the last few bits left went a bit overly soggy and salty - minor quibbles in the grand scheme of things but we're glad that the chicken wings came with un-poutined shoestring fries to dilute some of the richness of the gravy soaked ones and provide some less soggy options.

Macaroni cheese was well liked by us all. We all commented on the secret stealth spice hit of the chipotle that comes out of nowhere and the pumpkin bits on the top added a bit of welcome sweetness.

Jon commented his brisket sandwich wasn't quite as good as the burger in both construction stakes and it was a touch over beetrooted. The hand cut fries were a good chunky contrast to the shoe string fries. More roast potato than chip but we don't discriminate and welcome both roast potato and fries to our tummies!

There was a ranch dressing that came with the chicken wings which was very runny. That added to the mess we made as it dripped but flavour wise it was fresh and the notes of herbaceous dill running through it cut through some of the richness of the fried food.

It's quite a hip place this Tramway Hotel from bartender to clientele. It's a bit like when Steve tells people,"We live in Fitzroy. It's where all the cool kids are...and us!" And we love being part of Fitzroy even if we don't quite fit in. In the same way, we were comfortable in the Tramway even when everyone else there seemed to wear tighter jeans and have a lot more facial hairy! Like we don't discriminate between potato, they certainly didn't make us feel unwelcome and as a venue for a Sunday feed that isn't a roast, it's definitely a good option.

We're big fans of Jase Jones and the little cantina on Brunswick Street since it's inception at the end of last year so when we had a party to attend in South Yarra close by to big brother outpost B'Stilla we decided to pop in for a quick dinner before heading to partytown.

There's a spacious terrace, seats at the bar and the usual 2 - 6 people type table arrangements. Having not booked and it being 7pm on a Saturday we did think we would struggle but the friendly host showed us to a bar height ledge with folding windows splitting it down the middle with seats on one side on the terrace and seats on the other inside. The folding windows, I can imagine, can be opened up so that the separation is eliminated but on a wintry evening probably best to keep them there.

Given that we wanted to keep things light and speedy, we were advised to avoid the banquet and ideally the large dishes as they could take some time and there was already a rush on in the kitchen apparently as everyone had arrived at the same time.

We stuck with the small plates and sides and went with:

Merguez - duck sausage served with spiced lentils, pomegranate molasses and fresh pomegranate
Lamb ribs, red dukkah, lime and date
B'stilla - duck and chicken pie, almond, cinnamon and saffron (unpictured)
Cauliflower, pine nut sauce, ras el hanout and herbs
Beetroot, chilli labneh and walnuts

Our food arrived pretty quickly in spite of the rush of orders and although we'd been told about the pressure the kitchen was under, it certainly didn't feel stressful in the dining area. The light, bright and spacious dining area was comfortable and friendly with a mix of diners from families to couples on dates and groups of friends.

The duck sausage was well flavoured and the sweetness and sharpness of the molasses cut through some of the dense richness of the meat.

The lamb ribs were sticky and spicy in terms of fragrant aromatics as opposed to chilli with a sweet finish.

The salads arrived next and both were slightly warm which was nice. The beetroot and chilli labneh was a great flavour combination. The larger chunks of beetroot were slightly undercooked so a little harder in texture but this didn't compromise flavour.

The b'stilla was a cute little octagon covered in icing sugar and densely packed meat and nuts formed the filling. I thought it might be dry but it was just on the right side of dry and the almonds added a really good crunch.

We were in and out in less than an hour so this visit really provided us with what we wanted on this occasion. That being said, I'd love to be able to spend a bit longer and enjoy some of the slow cooked meat dishes but the fact we could have a lighter, grazing type dinner shows the versatility of the restaurant.

B'Stilla is like the grown up, more refined version of the B'Stilla Cantina which is definitely more wayward teenage child. There's no mashed potato sandwich for a start but then the South Yarra clientele is probably not that way inclined unlike the Fitzroy massiv! So just like siblings, there's room for both children in a mother's heart!

Saturday morning breakfast time and there are so many offering in our neighbourhood. It's all too easy to go to the closest or to a favourite but with a little bit of thinking (hard on a weekend morning) there's also the opportunity to recall places on that "must visit" list.

We had tried to go to Breakfast Thieves once before, almost exactly one year ago actually but it wasn't open. It must have been the Anzac day public holiday. And then we promptly forgot about it until this Saturday.

As we approached, there were lots of people milling about so we weren't convinced we'd secure a table but in reality there were some spots inside and out. Not sure why there were people just loitering; maybe takeaway coffee or maybe just a popular residential corner in Fitzroy for congregating...

The menu is enticing with some good options from the ubiquitous Bircher muesli and a whole heap of hot options including Eggs Benedict on a weekend. Steve and I chose two of the more popular dishes and a weekend breakfast is incomplete without bacon so we added a side serve.

SPANISH GYPSY DANCE - Spanish morcilla (black pudding) served with crisp rosemary & parmesan polenta bars, chilean pebre, cherry tomatoes, pickles, basil oil & poached eggs

THE LEGEND - Spicy baked eggs with spanish hot chorizo, mushrooms, green peas, sweet corn & feta served with herbed garlic toast

I had the baked eggs which did pack a punch both in temperature and in spice. I loved that it included whole button mushrooms some corn and peas and the accompanying garlic toast was delicious. The eggs were still runny and this little iron dish of fiery goodness is what weekend breakfast dreams are made of!

Steve's choice of the black pudding was a vibrant dish of Spanish colours. He enjoyed it and it was a heavier dish than the baked eggs. Apparently although a very solid dish, the baked eggs was better and it didn't quite eclipse the giddy echelons of his favourite breakfast dishes which are the pancakes at Crabapple Kitchen in Hawthorn and the take on Eggs Benedict at Sir Charles on Brunswick Street.

Our pots of tea were strong and flavoursome and held its own against the intense flavours of our breakfast dishes. 

More people continued to turn up and this time it was clear they were after a table so the place became busier but service still remained friendly as waiting lists were set up. So another good local breakfast eatery to add to our list and it's a welcome addition.

Friday night and after some sociable drinks in Southbank with some of his colleagues we walked back into the city to head to find some food, Our criteria was that it should be fairly quick, comfortable and goddamn tasty. Our challenge was that it was a busy Friday evening and peak dinner hour. Knowing that Meatmaiden was walk in only, we decided to give it a try and lucky for us there were a couple of seats at the bar.

The welcome was warm and friendly and the menu choices enticing. The decor of the place hasn't changed from Little Hunter days. It's basement buzzy with seats at the bar, large communal table, booths, tables, open kitchen so lots of variety and an uplifting vibe. Not overly loud which is good but loud enough to create some good dynamics. 

I loved my Southern lemonade spiked with 666 vodka served in a Friday night worthy large glass jar. Sharp, sweet, tart, refreshing and then with that alcoholic bite at the tail end to erase the toil of the working week and celebrate the arrival of the weekend!

Our menu choices were:

Crispy skin baby snapper, charred cauliflower, green bean salad
Gippsland pasture-fed beef short rib
Burnt ends
Red slaw
Mac and cheese

We deliberated between the 20-hour Rangers Valley Wagyu brisket with Tasmanian pepper berry rub and the short rib for a while but decided to go short rib and then experience the brisket through a smaller sized portion of the burnt ends. The waitress did suggest having both but I think they'd be too similar to have both in the one meal.

The baby snapper was delicious and I loved the vegetable accompaniments which were a lot more refined and complex than the menu description. There was a creamy cauliflower puree, the charred cauliflower and green beans and some lightly pickled rings of onion and salad leaves. The sweetness of the fish and cauliflower were complimented by the tang of the pickles and the clean flavours of the salad and green beans.

The short rib was meaty and dense still succulent but definitely rich and heavy. In all honesty, I don't think I'm a fan of the long, smoked BBQ meat - something to do with texture hence not a huge brisket and pulled meats fan. I think I prefer grilled meat cooked quickly but Steve likes the slowcooked stuff and I don't mind it. 

The burnt ends were too dry and hard for me even thought it was smothered in BBQ sauce. But Steve enjoyed it and there was a lot of it. I remember having it in a bun at the Royal Croquet Club in the Summer and it was less dry then.

Our side dishes of the slaw and mac and cheese were tasty. The slaw was fresh and zingy and the creamy dressing kept light and not over rich. Similarly the mac and cheese retained it's sauciness but wasn't overly heavy. I think this shows enough care by the chef that these are side dishes to compliment the main dishes so really they do need to be lighter and I like this attention to detail. So often at restaurants, side dishes are delicious but they're just has rich, creamy or heavy so when accompanied by other strong dishes it becomes a marathon of a meal.

Not that this wasn't a heavy meal. Meat and carbs and fish and veggies - well balanced maybe, satisfying definitely!