AUTUMN is staking a claim for the most beautiful Melbourne season— still warm enough for shorts during the day, but cool enough to head in doors in the evening and appreciate some excellent dining. The seasonal change from summer brings in braises and all manner of slow cooked delights as well as robust flavour combinations, but usually with a lighter hand than full blown winter fare.

This evening draws the bride and I to The Stokehouse; a Melbourne dining landmark with a superb location; you can see the waves lap ping at the beach with an early sun set and then the twinkling ambiance of the lights from Port Melbourne to Brighton and beyond. I have dined here before and retain an admiration for any restaurant that can be successful for such an extended period and flourish through changes in front of house and back.

Part of the Frank Van Haandel stable that includes other luminary eateries like Circa, the Prince it has long been one of Melbourne’s favourite restaurants. Chef Anthony Musarra moved from Sydney to join the Melbourne chef merry-go- round about five years ago and has settled at the helm here now for the last couple. His skills have played no small part in the restaurant gaining a couple of hats in the last Age Good Food Guide. And good food it is.

Originally, I tried to book for 7.30, but was asked politely if I could please come in at 7.15 or 7.45. How sensible—to stagger the diners so they are not all standing around the door at the same time. It is a perfect example of a smart restaurateur exhibiting some control over their domain. Mind you, it also helps to be a highly desirable, destination venue.

We turn up on time and are shown to a table set in a bay window taking full advantage of the splendid view. Looking around the room, the tables are placed cleverly to allow as many diners as possible to share in the St Kilda fore shore vista.

Water and bread arrive swiftly and we’re allowed time to peruse the well balanced card. My beloved heads for the Ocean Trout cooked ‘a la plancha’ ($29.50) and I lean toward the Rabbit Tortelloni ($26.50).

‘A la plancha’ means cooking one side only on an exceedingly hot plate (clearly not a direct translation) which gives the impression of a tri-level fish fillet; the bottom is crisp, the centre is cooked to medium and the top is warm, but exceedingly rare. Texturally wonderful and an increasingly popular way to cook, it comes with butter poached crayfish

continued on page 30

MYSTERY DINER

Continued from page 6

radish, peppers and a gazpacho dressing. The delicate flavour of the crayfish is a little overwhelmed by some of the others on the plate, but it’s a great dish.

I am very partial to rabbit and con fess I have been guilty of encouraging a garlic and rosemary diet for a friend’s bunny. Who knew they’d be offended by my ‘pre-marinade’ suggestion? Tonight’s rabbit had met some porcini mushrooms and chest nuts and was lovingly placed in three fat tortelloni. Served with cavolo nero and with a fabulous quenelle of mixed mushroom, mascarpone and truffle mousse atop, they arrived in a clear, hot rabbity broth. It was a deeply flavoured and cleverly constructed dish.

Yabby Lake Chardonnay ($80) was the wine of choice from the extensive list and matched well with the finesse of the entrées and robust and delicate mains to come.

Being more than a little time poor creates a need for speedy home dinners most nights, so, spying a dish of Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder and Rack ($43.50) brings both joy and a little haggling. She won, and I enjoyed the Pan Fried Dory ($44.50).

They were meals at the opposite ends of the flavour and ‘hearty’ spectrum. The lamb was gorgeous; served with peperonata, farro, spinach and garlic confit, it was tender and flavoursome with the shoulder all sticky and sweet and the rack, pan sealed and roasted ever so slowly, was hot, moist and yet so rare to be almost blue.

The dory looked quite simple next to this yet was an enticing meal for very different reasons. Light and fresh with shaved fennel and potato wafers, it was accompanied by a rich saffron aioli. The fish, in centimetre thick fillets, was cooked perfectly and, though delicate, was enhanced by the balance of flavours on the plate. We also added the fantastic Fried Potatoes with rosemary and garlic ($9.50) and a huge salad of Roasted Pear and Rocket with pine nuts, gorgonzola cream and pecorino ($11.50). My potato lust remains in extinguishable.

As lovely as the traditional dessert options sounded, it was the Orange Madeleines and Chocolate Caramel Tartlets ($14.50) that appealed the most. It offered a sweet end to a satisfying meal without having to commit to a whole dessert. The madeleines were impossibly light and crisp with a definite citrus zing and the tartlets are hard to describe past divine. About 4cm in diameter with thin pastry and decadently thick chocolate cream.

The Stokehouse delivered the sort of dining experience expected from a restaurant held by many in high regard. With the talent of Anthony Musarra leading the kitchen and a team on the floor that manage to look effortless and attentive in the same movement; it has all boxes ticked to continue providing first class dining for a long time to come.