NOT THAT many years ago Piper Street in Kyneton was full of emp ty shops and just about devoid of life. It needed ‘something’… the lo cal Anglicans started a farmers market, a couple of the old build ings underwent restoration and Annie arrived.

Now it is thriving. Piper Street has more than a dozen places to dine that include a couple with hats (including Annie Smithers) and a fi nalist in the state’s best pizza comp.

Kyneton has just been written up as Victoria’s hottest foodie town and Annie had a big part to play in that. An alumnus of the wonderful Stephanie Alexander at Stephanie’s and then Geoff Lindsay at Pearl, she headed for central Victoria some years ago, parked a shingle at Lavendula and then turned out some terrific pizza from the Malmsbury bakery before opening her own place in 2005. Clearly she has built on her skill set along the way and we were recently the ben eficiary.

Set in an 1860’s double fronted shop, with ceilings that seem to soar forever and bare brick walls, this restaurant delivers terrific French fare with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of flavour. The menu is tight and tasty with five en trées, six mains, a choice of salads and veg and then four desserts or cheese to finish. Augmented by a few specials there’s nothing on the menu that looks like a weak link. Both the menu and wine list favour the locals and provide support to many small regional producers.

Garlic Prawns ($19.50) arrive for the eldest and they are fine ex amples. Simply served with a salad, they are fat, crunchy and plentiful. Full of garlic, but not swimming in oil, I am impressed with the gen erosity and balance of the dish with seven very large prawns and garlic that enhances, not overwhelms.

I leap upon the boned quail spe cial ($19.50) and am pleased with the choice. Perfectly cooked and full of flavour, the fat pieces retain their moisture and structure. This is washed down with some excel lent local pinot from Curley Flat for me and some French soft drinks for the younger set.

Mains continue to impress. Con fit Duck ($31) for the kids and Lamb Shoulder ($30) for me with bread made in house. The duck is a free range effort with diced po tato and braised cabbage with ba con. It is a plump Maryland cut placed atop the other ingredients in a broad bowl and is lauded by my youngest who now has decided duck is his favourite food.

The lamb shoulder, also served in a bowl, is slow cooked with garlic and oregano to a point of tender ness where the knife is almost re dundant. Accompanied by a toma to and white bean stew, it is a wonderful, warming dish with mouth filling flavour that instant ly makes me long for more braises in my life.

The only disappointment is the hand cut frites ($6) which were a bit soft. The organic carrots ($8) were much nicer, and weirdly, bet ter for me. Annie is committed to bringing as much of the produce her garden can provide to the restaurant and her care is evident. Floor staff here were a delight; in formative and helpful without be ing condescending to the children.

Classic French fare should be completed with the most French of desserts—crème caramel ($12.50) with a tart citrus salad. It is all it should be, sweet, rich and smooth without being cloy ing. It sits up on the plate, wob bling its way out of the kitchen in the sure hand of the waiter. We are replete after mains and share the dessert to finish off what has been a very pleasant experience.

Annie Smithers Bistrot really is a delightful place to spend some time be it lunch, dinner or just for a coffee. Take a pew on the comfy blue and white French style chairs, peruse the card for something love ly, take home some of her preserves for later and revel in one of Kyne ton’s finest assets.

Annie’s commitment to the local providores is admirable and her food, tailored to the best ingredi ents she can source, is wonderful.

Every town in Australia should have an ‘Annie’, but they are few and far between. Nurture and treasure them when you find one.