Sunny Sunday afternoon and we were in the area having been to SkyHigh and the Tulip Festival. It was after 1:30pm so pretty much a late lunch and we had been in to The Deli Platter the day before but hadn't been in the mood for anything and ended up at the pub, Kelly's just round the corner but this time we were committed!

Rather than sit outside at the small tables, we decided to take up one corner of the communal table in the window. We'd ordered a platter each and figured we'd need the room! I had the charcuterie one and Steve stuck to his English roots and went for the ploughman's. The owner (I think); a chirpy and friendly lady picked up on the accents and said that she'd be keen to hear his view and standards would be high! Nice of her to interact with us. 

Our tea arrived promptly and we could see the boards being prepared with plenty of goodies. The lady actually asked Steve how he liked his Cheddar and when he said strong, she stopped cutting the one she had picked out and swapped it for an American version to which we had a giggle and bit of banter about Americans not being able to make good cheese and their offerings were from a spray can.

On the American cheese note, it was actually very good. Smooth and creamy and flavoursome but not too intense; actually quite mellow but strong at the same time. Pretty enjoyable and I definitely helped Steve out with that. We learnt that the pork pie was made to a recipe from the lady's husband's great grandma who is a Melton Mowbray girl (home of great pork pies for those that don't know) so Steve was pleased to be able to provide the feedback that it was a very good piece of pie with the right jelly to meat to pastry ratio!

I loved all the elements of the charcuterie board, The greeny goodness of the asparagus cut through some of the fatty saltiness of the meats. The chorizo certainly had a hot punch to it. The pate spread like cement and didn't look the most appetising but was really tasty and well balanced in flavour and on the toasted rye bread it was delicious. The sweet and spicy tomato chutney and the pickled onions offered some tang and fruitiness to balance some of those other intense flavours.

Steve and I feel we are well versed with good deli boards and often create our own with the help of the David Jones Food Hall. We also indulge when dining out and we've had some good ones - Cumulus, Robbie Burns Hotel spring to mind but we felt that these were up there in terms of quality, balance and flavours.
​

A beautiful Sunday morning and we were on our way to the Tulip Festival but decided to stop at The Piggery for sustenance first. We pulled into the car park a touch after 9am and there were already plenty of vehicles there and during our time there we saw more and more couples and families and groups arrive.

It's a large venue with so many plans - brewery, dairy, accommodation all to come and to see it in Spring is a vision of green, green grass and blue blue sky. There is so much land and scope for little ones to run around in and for diners to feel relaxed and unrestricted by confined spaces.

Service was professional and efficient if not particularly personal or warm but the team did the job. Steve had the scarmbled duck eggs with crispy bacon on toasted brioche and added the "Burnham greens" which are seasonal and grown on site. The day's selection was rocket and mizuna. I had the Vietnamese eggs which were atop pulled pork on a bread roll with said greens and nuoc cham dressing.

Our drinks of orange juice and a pot of tea for tea arrived promptly and it was pleasant to sit outside with the views of the green vista and young children running in the distance; pretty idyllic for a Sunday morning.

Our food took a little while to arrive but not unreasonably so. The greens were so fresh and punchy with leafy flavour. I'd have liked my eggs to be slightly less well done and bit runnier to be ideal but I enjoyed the pork and bread. The dressing was pretty delicate so a little more zip and zap would have elevated the dish. But still enjoyable.

Steve enjoyed his more traditional breakfast. We didn't think it was any better than the popular weekend breakfast haunts closer to home but it offered a different experience; rural vs. urban which was enjoyable and with lots of table space it was easy to spread the newspapers and feel comfortable even when sharing the communal table with a family of 3.

I took a peek inside too and admired the attractive display of cakes and pastries. I liked the decor that stays true to the original use of the building with concrete walls, outside pipes style taps and stone floors. I think that it's more the destination and venue that scores the Piggery high and not so much the food. It's about the convivial dining, quick turnaround of food, child friendly space all done to a high standard that draws the crowds. And I guess when you're a parent and have little ones, it is about finding somewhere kid friendly in terms of venue and not just food.

I look forward to seeing how the other developments on site and look forward to another visit in the future.

We spent Saturday in the Yarra Valley on a 24 seater minibus celebrating Richie's 40th birthday. It was a lot of fun and lunch was at Zonzo's. Whilst the weather was wet, grey and miserable there was plenty of cheer and Zonzo's was warm and welcoming.

$45 per head and there was a share feast of antipasto, salads and a lot of pizza. Perfect to soak up all the wine we'd had and the prepare us for more!

The antipasto and salads came out first. A platter of cured meats, blue cheese, grilled vegetables, olives, mozzarella, balsamic onions and other titbits. And a basket of warm flatbread. Pretty delicious.

There were two salads both very simple but very delicious and fresh; a rocket, pine nut and Parmesan number and a Cos, feta and olive one.

Then the pizzas came rolling out.Lots of different choices including a prawn one, onbe with blue cheese, bacon and mushroom, prosciutto; definitely something for everyoner.

Service was efficient and accomplished. There were lots of big groups so I think if you were wanting an intimate table for two you'd feel pretty overwhelmed but it's a really good quality and good value lunch destination when in the Yarra Valley.

Steve and I have had a lovely weekend in the Yarra Valley with the Timberts (Shern and Jon.) We stayed at Furmston House where we have been previously and we obviously love it in there hence the return and on Saturday we spent the day with Geoff from Yarra Valley Private Winery Tours. As part of the itinerary, lunch was provided at Tokar.

We and the Timberts have both previously been to Tokar for a wine tasting a while back and separately. Upon discussion, we found we had similar experiences in that it was a rushed tasting and service was not as attentive as it could have been as it was the same staff as in the restaurant which was busy at the time. So we both concluded that it was more a restaurant than a cellar door.

So unconvinced by the cellar door, we hoped to be convinced by the restaurant offering. We were welcomed warmly and shown to our table immediately. Thanks to Geoff's planning, there was no need to wait. 

Our table was a roomy square table not far from the windows and in the cut and thrust of the dining room which had a nice ambience and a Mediterranean feel.

After we chose our food options, we were shown to the counter for wine tasting and looked after professionally although, part of the commentary did sound a bit scripted.

Anyway we were definitely better looked after this time round although we found the wine so so but we'd probably been spoilt having been round the best that the Yarra Valley has to offer. There was enough to find something pleasant to accompany lunch though naturally!

Jon, Shern and I all went with the Calamari Spiced with Ras El Hanout, Oregano Labne and a Fennel and Parsley Salad. It looked quite appetising, golden and crispy. It was piping hot and the crust was crispy and the calamari very tender. It was the kind of food that is needed at 1:15pm having started the winery tour at 10am! Flavour wise, I felt it was lacking. The Ras El Hanout didn't seem to be there, the dollop of oregano labne was tangy and creamy but it was really small and the fennel and parsley salad really needed some sort of acidic dressing. So the basics were right in terms of temperature, texture and quality of produce but it really needed a good whollop of flavour.

The Confit Duck Rillettes that Steve ordered was much tastier and was classically executed with no complaints.

Our dishes were probably best described as "fine". Not terrible, but not amazing. Acceptable is probably another word I could use. It reminded me of wedding food so like mass banqueting rather than a la carte.

Shern's saffron infused wild mushroom paella, thyme, sherry and shaved Parmesan was probably the worst pick. The shaved Parmeson was more chunks of melted non descript stringy cheese and the rice was undercooked so chalky and grainy and the rice was suspended in some gloopy soupy liquid.

Whilst we weren't overly impressed and don't feel the need to return we also realise that there aren't a huge amount of options in the Yarra Valley for a tour group to use. My usual preferred choice of Innocent Bystander in Healesville is too busy and has enough customers of its own without having to broker some relationship with tour groups. I've had pizza at Coldstream Brewery and there "fine" like this place so no gain there. Coombe Estate, De Bortoli all take too long and are expensive which would increase the cost of the tour. Platters at Medhurst whilst tasty are again expensive and something more substantial is probably sensible when on a wine tour.

Whilst the food and wine were merely acceptable, I did feel that the service was pretty attentive.

I started off with a delicious berry bellini. Not quite authentic but tasty enough with cassis so more of a Kir Royale served in a martini glass. Bread came with butter, home made ricotta and balsamic and olive oil. Nice touch.

Steve's duck was generous in size and heavily smoked. The spring roll was crispy with a soft, savoury filling and probably the tasties aspect of the dish, The balance between pickled plum and smoky meat was a little off kilter but still enjoyable.

I enjoyed the salmon. However, when it first arrived there was a small green fly on the corner of one of the Champagne jelly cubes so I told the waitress and she brought out a new dish in a matter of minutes. The quick turnaround is a good thing but I couldn't help but feel maybe it wasn't a brand new dish but just a new jelly cube...

I had asked for the salmon to be rare and this fishy on my dishy wasn't really rare but it wasn't over dried and given I'd already sent the dish back once, decided to go with it. The dressing was like a shallot vinegar similar to what would accompany oysters. I liked the tang against the fish. The Champagne jelly cubes didn't really do it for me. I don't like savoury jellies and wasn't expecting them. I liked the freshness and lightness of the dish and it was enjoyable but not perfect.

Service was functional. It was busy and whilst we never really needed to wait for anything excessively it was all quite impersonal and lacked warmth. Although my greenfly dish was swapped, the apology came quite late on and whilst it was there was more perfunctory than personal. We received complimentary tea with dessert for the mishap. I think I'd have preferred a free dish but I wasn't going to make demands.

Dessert was custard donuts with passionfruit and it came with warm birthday wishes. Covered in crunchy sugar they were cheery bites of goodness although I did feel 3 donuts for the price charged was a bit cheeky, even if it did come with a shard of white chocolate!

Lunch here was pleasant. I find lunch at wineries in the Yarra Valley can be disappointing and expensive which is why we tend to stick to pizzas and truffle fries at Innocent Bystander but sometimes, it's nice to do something a little fancier. I'd give Coombe another go for that special occasion time. The food on the whole was tasty and the place is picturesque so it does deliver in most aspects.

Steve and I were very kindly invited to have lunch at Isabella's at Rochford Winery in the Yarra Valley to try their Autumn menu. Who wouldn't love lunch at a winery? 

We'd actually been to Rochford before during my mum and sister's first visit back in 2011 and I remember enjoying it then but we'd never had the chance to return so we were looking forward to this.

It was a typical Melbourne day with moments of heavy rain and grey skies and then a brief spell of sunshine and brightness so watching the view change upon the whim of Mother Nature from our table was also a treat. 

Service was friendly and attentive from the moment we arrived. What I really like about Rochford is that there's lots to occupy the mind from the little gift shop area with attractive knick knacks to the view out of the floor to ceiling windows and also the glowing embers of the fireplace.

Warm bread is served with creamy mustard better preparing the tummy for a lunchtime feast.

At Rochford there's a cafe with a lighter, bistro style menu and the restaurant is in the same building and it all actually looks like one big dining area with no separation. It was only when I noticed the menus were different at the tables closer to the gift shop that I realised.

There were 4 entrees to choose from and I went with the simply named Crab Toast and Steve had the pumpkin gnocchi with a sage creme fraiche sauce.

Both were plated attractively; in a generous and rustic way. The crab toast consisted of two pieces heaped high with snowy white crab and mayonnaise. The finely diced tomato and capers added a lovely salty and zinginess to it cutting through the rich mayonnaise and sweet crab. The thin slice of toast was crunchy and had some rye notes running through it adding texture and a nother hint of flavour. 

Steve's pumpkin gnocchi looked pretty hefty. The gnocchi looked like dumplings and not the bite sized pillows we were expecting. Probably more mattress like than pillow! The sourness of the creme fraiche cut through the sweetness of the pumpkin. Like the crab toast, flavours were simple and homely. I thought some bacon or salty ham like prosiutto would have elevated this dish but also accepted the need for it it be vegetarian friendly too.

Main course options consisted of roast chicken, roast pork, beef Wellington, monkfish or something vegetarian so all tastes are covered and the familiar and comforting Sunday roast feel is definitely there.

Steve decided to go with the Wagyu Wellington described as marble score 8+ Wagyu, cauliflower purée, truffle & Rochford Pinot Noir jus. And I went with Suckling Pig with colcannon, crackling & a Somersby cider sauce.

The generosity was overwhelming when our plates arrived, There were two thick slices of Beef Wellington probably double what is the norm and  on my plate there was a thick piece of pork fillet as well as a square of belly pork not to mention a heap of colcannon and sheets of crackling! And looking around, this generosity and abundance of food applied to everyone.

In a similar vein to the entrees, flavours were uncomplicated and kept traditional and homely. The beef in the wellington was tender and well flavoured and kept pink. The pastry was golden on the outside but pretty white and stodgy on the inside. Steve said it didn't taste undercooked but probably a bit thick.

The platter of pork provided variety with the two different cuts and the crackling. I found the fat on the belly pork to be a bit too gelatinous and jelly like for my liking and although the top layer looked caramelised, texture wise it didn't have the crunch to make the fat more appealing. The meat underneath was tasty and juicy thoough - probably kept that way because of the thick layer of fat on top! The sauce was a nice addition and my personal tastes were thankful there was no mustard as is common. I think some actual apple wedges cooked down would have added some additional sweetness that I would have liked. Having said that, the glass of pinot noir I was enjoying actually provided a touch of sweetness so I was still pretty satisfied. Overall though it was comforting and again reminiscent of home.

We also ordered and share some onion rings which given the size of the main courses and the entrees we'd already indulged in were entirely unnecessary. 

They looked appealing, all golden and heaped high but were probably the disappointment of the meal as they were very batter heavy to the extent that I couldn't taste the onion and the batter was actually soggy and more greasy pancake like than crispy and light.

You'd think that after all that food, we wouldn't want dessert but the call of chocolate brownie, strawberry sorbet, chocolate sauce & white chocolate macaroon was just too hard to resist. I figured I could always nap in the car on the way back home!

Dessert was presented in more refined way than our previous dishes which although still attractive was definitely more about warmth and generosity than elegance and prettiness.

The brownie was crumbled and there were berries and nuts thrown in. The brownie itself looked chocolatey but wasn't overly so which was perfect for me as I don't like over cocoa'd desserts. I loved the lightness of the fudgy brownie and the natural flavour of the strawberry sorbet. The macaron was more sugary but that was fine because the brownie wasn't too sweet. It was a lovely ending to our relaxing meal.

Head Chef, Ciaran Butler came out to see us and this gave us the opportunity to thank him for his warm hospitality. Just like his food, he is generous and warm hearted and it was a pleasure to be guests at Rochford.

Innocent Bystander / Giant Steps is our preferred lunch spot on a Yarra Valley wine tasting day. We find the casual atmosphere, good food and friendly service a winning combo for taking friends.

We were introduced to this place by friend and manager Jacqui (she lives close by) and we enjoyed a lunch there a while back along with her cute twin boys. Family Davis, the Barnes and the Barleys had a great lunch together sat in one of the giant booths and the kids enjoyed the pizza and the ice cream.

Since then we've been back a few times always taking another couple (or more) and enjoy it every time.

Steve and I usually go for the house baked turkish pide with poached corn‐fed chicken, bacon, brie, pear, rocket & aioli and one of the wood fired pizzas which we split 50 / 50 and also some fries. Usually we manage to order the truffle fries with Parmesan and the hand cut chips with aioli for the table and get to enjoy both.

Perfect for soaking up the wine that follows.

Recently we had visited with Tim and Lorraine (visitors from UK) and sat outside in the sun on a weekday and it was quiet and pleasant. We kicked off proceedings with champagne and freshly shucked oysters with seaweed dressing. Absolutely delicious!

And last weekend we were there with James, Christine and baby Charlotte. Steve and I did our usual thing and we also enjoyed the potato, chorizo and manchego croquettes with bravas sauce.

Each time I come here, I always leave happy and satisfied and our pals seem to enjoy it too.