Wangaratta & King Valley 2016 - High Country Harvest, Food, Wine, Fun, Sun, Laughs

Disclaimer: I attend both trips courtesy of the Rural City of Wangaratta.

Recently, I got to experience even more than the Rural City of Wangaratta and King Valley has to offer. I'm forever amazed by how good the food and wine in the region is, how beautiful the scenery is, how wonderful the people are, and just the variety of things you can do. I actually went on two different trips but I'll splice them together and group them into some semi cohesive post. As I've mentioned in the past, the region is about a 3 hour drive from Melbourne so may be pushed for a day trip. But you can most definitely do a weekend trip up there (as I did on both occasions) and get to sample a bit that the region has to offer.
Beautiful view from the Chrismont Winery outdoor balcony dining area.

First off, go check out the Visit Wangaratta, Visit King Valley and Visit Glenrowan sites for any info, activities and to gawk at the beautiful things on offer.
Visit Wangaratta Website
Visit Wangaratta Facebook Account
Visit Wangaratta Instagram Account
Visit Wangaratta Twitter Account

Visit King Valley Website
Visit Glenrowan Website

Next up, you can also check out my previous posts on the region, which provide even more ideas for what you can do up there.
Packing Prosecco and Good Food
Cow Mustering, Fly Fishing
Brown Brothers Winery
Pizzini Winery
Politini Winery
Lindenwarrah Hotel
North East Victoria Wineries and Food

Accommodation
Let me start with accommodation, a word I commonly misspell (I also misspell "misspell" as mispell all the time) using only one m and not two. Thank goodness for spell check right? So when I go somewhere, I normally start by seeing what accommodation options are available, booking that and working my way from there. On the last two trips, I stayed at the Quality Hotel Gateway Wangaratta and Casa Luna Gourmet Accommodation. Both places were stunning and I would highly recommend both.

Quality Hotel Gateway Wangaratta
29‐37 Ryley St
Wangaratta VIC 3677

At the Quality Hotel Gateway Wangaratta, I actually stayed in the townhouses, which were so beautifully decked out and incredibly comfortable. There was everything you need, including a fully fitted kitchen, comfortable furniture, central heating/cooling and a nice little backyard area to chill. We even blasted music over the iphone speaker and busted out some tunes.

Casa Luna Gourmet Accommodation
Gwenda Canty and David Byles
1569 Boggy Creek Road
Myrrhee VIC 3732

At Casa Luna, the accommodations may be a bit smaller, but you get the most amazing view, and the use of the dining/lounge area, outdoor area and I think there may even be a spa for warmer days. Don't quote me on that part. You also get greeted, and get to talk to if you want, Gwenda and David, who have immense knowledge of food and travel. The only thing you may struggle with is wifi, which is patchy and slow, but that may be a good thing for a digital detox. You definitely will struggle with the food...choosing which amazing things you want to eat. You can choose to dine at Casa Luna for dinner and breakfast. I highly recommend you do as Gwenda's cooking is sensational. I've not eaten so well at any B&B before.

Activities
So once you've got your accommodation sorted, next you will want to know what to do. Check out some of my other posts above for a tonne of activities, from fly fishing, to cow mustering, to a prosecco horse ride. On this trip I did yet another new thing, meat butchering, followed by sausage making.

Gamze Smokehouse
Felix Gamze
147 Vincent Rd,
Wangaratta 3677 VIC

At Gamze Smokehouse, experienced butcher Felix Gamze makes butchering a whole pig look like child's play. I can tell you it's not as easy as he makes it look. He carved around the shoulder bone of the pig without looking. I hacked away at the meat of the animal. Luckily the parts we ruined were used for sausages, and Felix and his team took care of the prime cuts to ensure they stayed hole. From the ground meat, we got to mix up whatever sausage flavours we wanted (you can bring your own spices) and then had so much fun and laughs making sausages. I can tell you that using the hydraulic machine can be scary as exploding sausages carry some force. People came from far and wide to take the class. Some wanting to learn for themselves, while some were butchers who wanted to improve. Whatever the reason, everyone had fun and bonded over sausage making. Lunch was also a delicious spread of some of the many products that Gamze Smokehouse smoke. A highly recommended fun activity.

Walkabout Apiaries
Greg Whitehead
1531 Snow Road
Milawa VIC 3678

Walkabout Apiaries is your go to place for all things honey. There's lots of different honeys to try and buy, honey mead (honey wine basically) to sip, honey candles to smell and a lot of knowledge to be learned about the art of making honey and the different varieties. Our guide, Greg Whitehead, is helping to take over his father's business and is full of knowledge about how the bees gather the honey and the different processes used to treat the honey. You have to try the raw honey, so full of flavour.

Moyhu Hotel
Melissa and Glen Merkel
18/16 Byrne St
Moyhu VIC 3732

The Moyhu Hotel is the go to place to catch the locals and have a drink or three. We were there for the Village Bonfire event that invited people to gather around a bonfire and try lots of different foods and drinks. It's so beautiful there and I kept thinking it felt like Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. I'm sure some of you watch Gilmore Girls right? Anyway.....it's a good place to mix with the locals for some drinks.

Food and Drinks

Cafe The Prevue
Ali Alexander
66‐68 Faithfull Street
Wangaratta VIC 3677

Cafe the Prevue is the hip and happening place to go for all your breakfast and lunch needs. Perfectly situation along the river, it has a great fitout and excellent food. The owner and host Ali Alexander is also a bundle of fun and laughs (she calls me a funny guy so that already gets her in my good books). Enjoyed various regular dishes off the menu or go for the Scrambled Chilli Eggs like I did, which was so good. The shredded potato fritters though are the bomb, so get onto that.

Buyin Time
Kelly Adamo
21 Muntz St
Wangaratta VIC 3677

Buyin Time is a casual eats place with a super eclectic fitout and menu. You can find all types of things on the menu such as burgers, pizzas, ribs, gravy fries, burritos etc. The decor out in the back courtyard is equally random, but the mood is great out there, with a strong communal vibe.

Sam Miranda
Sam Miranda and Michael White (head chef)
1019 Snow Rd
Oxley VIC 3678

Sam Miranda is a stunning winery that serves up lots of their wines as well as some stunning food with chef Michael White now at the helm. We sat in the courtyard area and the trees swaying with the filtered sunlight gave the most amazing atmosphere. We sampled lots of yummy food such as cured salmon, scallops, oricchetti with duck porcini ragu and smoked trout. For me, the scotch fillet steak with salsa verde and the chocolate tart dessert were the standout. The steak was so juicy and flavoursome and the salted caramel ice cream served with the tart blew my mind, my favourite salted caramel ice cream I've tasted. You can easily spend a whole day here in the relaxing atmosphere so make sure you schedule in enough time.

Chrismont Winery
Arnie and Jo Pizzini
251 Upper King River Road
Cheshunt Victoria 3678

Chrismont Winery is the bees knees of winery. I'd rank it up there with some of my favourites in Melbourne. The fitout is stunning, the staff and owners Arnie and Jo are knowledgeable and friendly (shoutout to my new friend Johnny), the view is sensational and oh my goodness, the food, wow wow wow. Classic recipes are improved upon, with the kitchen headed by my other new friend, Andy Pye. Simple things like roasted and pickled chilli are so delightful, with garlic prawns being so good, terrine, oxtail and my favourite, sardines. Previously I had the sardines grilled and that was fantastic. This time, the sardines were made into little balls, fried and slathered in the most wonderful sauce. That was my highlight savoury dish. Dessert once again was so great, with a amaretto custard, an apple cake and my favourite, the marsala baked cheesecake that Andy refuses to give me the recipe too. Guess I'll just need to go there to eat this.

A big cheers to my fellow travelers I-Hua and Aaron, Cherrie, Brandon and Val who made the last trip so much fun. Here they all are enjoying themselves at Chrismont.

Brown Brothers
Ross Brown and Caroline Brown
239 Milawa Bobinawarrah Road
Milawa VIC 3678

Last up, but by no means least, is the indomitable Brown Brothers. It's the biggest and shiniest jewel in the area, and for good reasons. Brown Brothers know how to delight. From their Epicurean Centre where you can eat some delicious food, to the gardens around the area where you can relax on their famous bean bags, to their barn that housed the perfect High Country Harvest dinner. The barn was decked out so beautifully and felt like I was in a movie. Unfortunately my photos of the food on the night was shocking (I blame all the wines I drank at Chrismont during lunch) so you'll have to read that the food created by head chef Douglas Elder was so full of flavour and delicious. Using local sourced ingredients, there were so many highlights. From teh friend chicken wings with walnut and apple agrodolce, to the chestnut and pumpkin seed macarons, to the stunning pulled goat, which was my favourite of the night. Then we got to eat lots of tasty cakes such as a persimmon cake which I've never had before. It tastes so good. Milawa Cheeses rounded out a great event, with Brown Brothers wines making sure we were lubricated all night. Then as a special treat, our hosts Ross Brown and his daughter Caroline Brown took us into their private cellar, to drink some of their family cellared wines and look at the treasure trove of wines they had down there. What an experience and privilege. You have to make a stop at Brown Brothers when you're in the area. You won't be disappointed.

So as you can see, there are great places to stay in Wangaratta and King Valley, loads of activities to keep you occupied and so much good food and wine that you'll never want to leave. There's always different festivals and events happening all year round so make sure to check out the Visit Wangaratta Website to keep up with all the news. A huge thanks to the amazing Emma and Kylee who helped organise the trips as well as being the best drinking hosts and made the trips so much fun. Now go forth and explore the region.

House of Crabs Melbourne - Get Ready To Get Dirty

I absolutely love crabs. When I eat crabs, I pick out every last little bit of meat and sit in the restaurant for ages. My hands are all dirty and I'm enjoying every bit of it. I've become quite a good crab meat picker and know all the tricks to getting every last part. So when I was invited to House of Crabs Melbourne, I was so excited. I had walked past the Sydney store when I was going to Porteno in Sydney and had vowed to go back one day. So it was so exciting they are now open in Melbourne.

House of Crabs in Melbourne is actually situated under the Newmarket Hotel. You walk down two flights of stairs to be greeted by this loud assortment of things. It's typical of the crab houses that I've been to in America and I think the decor is fun and cool.

The staff are really fun and introduce you to how things work and also get the ball rolling with drinks. We started with their signature Lagerita, which is a lager mixed with a margarita. It's actually really good despite the strange sounding combination. We also get to play a game of snap with the waitress in which she lets us win a free shot of tequila, which you have with a torched marshmallow. Again, strange but actually quite nice. As the night wears on though, the service isn't quite as efficient or fun as it started. Energies start to flag and faces start to become more wooden. It's a shame given how much fun it started off with and the mood that generates.

Onto the food. We had starters of fresh oysters and the highly recommended lobster donut. The oysters were nice enough, without being the freshest I've tasted. The lobster donut had good flavour but to be honest, it couldn't been just potatoes in the middle and it wouldn't had the same taste. The lobster flavour is lost completely and all you get is mayonnaise.

With the crab, we got the Alaskan King Crab and the Spanner Crab. We also shared a side dish of Grilled Balmain Bugs. All the crab comes in bags which the wait staff then pour onto the table, sauce and all. It's a great way to eat crab as you have lots of space to make a mess and pick out all the meat. The Alaskan King Crab was much easier to peel and you get large chunks of meat. Served in the lemon pepper sauce, it was really good. The spanner crab took more work but the flesh was so sweet and in the cajun sauce, it took was so good. So the main dishes of the crabs were really yum. The Balmain bugs came out undercooked in my opinion the first time. The exterior basically had a quick blowtorch it seemed with the meat still raw inside. I like raw seafood but in this occasion, I wanted grilled seafood. So I asked for it to be cooked more, to which I was informed the chef said it was cooked the right way. I insisted that the bugs be "overcooked" then. The dish came back and it was delicious.

Overall I had an enjoyable and delicious experience. I will say that this meal would be on the pricey side for dining out. I understand that crabs are experience so you have to factor that into your consideration when choosing to come here. Unless you're going to eat lots of other items besides the crab, the meal costs will start to add up. And why would you come here if not to experience the hero ingredient of the crab. I'd come here occasionally to have a great night out and slowly enjoy lots of different types of crabs.

My guest and I dined courtesy of the restaurant.

Ozone Kitchen at Westfield Knox

I've been to Westfield Knox a lot of times in the past. I used to go to the buffet place across the road for food before heading into Westfield Knox for some shopping or a movie. There wasn't much eating options inside the shopping centre itself many years ago. But then slowly but surely the Knox Ozone area popped up. The Knox Ozone was a whole area of newer, more exciting eateries. Well, now Westfield Knox have added yet another element to the Knox Ozone, called the Ozone Kitchen.

I attended the launch of Ozone Kitchen, which aims to serve the best Melbourne food for the shopping centre customers. The kitchen provides a space for chefs to experiment new recipes and trends, starting with Matteo Bruno from Meatball and Wine Bar, who's serving up pork and veal meatballs and waygu sliders from March 10-13. After Matteo, a host of other chefs will serve up their dishes in the permanent Ozone Kitchen.

The Ozone Kitchen is basically a shipping container and other recycled material that has been transformed into this little cool area with food and drinks. I love the fake grass as it gives it such a nice feel. The row of lights dangling above also give it a great feel. It has a nice indoor/outdoor setup as the semi open area allows you to see the foot traffic go past. The little kitchen area is big enough for 3-4 chefs to work their magic while the bar area on the other side (great idea so everyone doesn't just crowd in the one area trying to buy food or drinks) has 1-2 bartenders to serve a variety of drinks.

I got the chance to speak to Matteo about his involvement with Ozone Kitchen. He said that he wanted to showcase his food in the Eastern Suburbs, which thus far he doesn't have one of his Meatballs and Wine Bar in yet. I found out that he used to work in film and television, with shows that sometimes involved food. He gravitated towards food and eventually chose that as a career. His Italian background meant that he chose to do something with meat, finally settling on meatballs. And given he lived in Flinders Lane, he thought that was the perfect spot to open his first restaurant, so conveniently located near his house.

The meatballs I got to try at the Ozone Kitchen were all good. The pork and veal meatball was good, but for me the wagyu meatball was super delicious and the highlight with a good mix of flavours. The pulled beef sliders were also really nice. Throw in some nice cocktails and wines and beers and it was a fun relaxing event. The DJ spinning some tunes in the corner played some cool songs too to keep a good atmosphere in that area. So when you're next at Westfield Knox, pop into the Ozone Kitchen and see what foods and drinks they're serving up. It will be a good pre-movie stop or just a casual spot to catch up with friends.

This is a sponsored post.

400 Gradi Essendon - Great Place Out West

The ever increasing suburban sprawl means that there is a demand for good restaurants further and further out away from the city. Out South East, North, and now West is being serviced by proprietors who can see the increasing demand and are willing to take a risk and believe in the quality of their goods to attract an audience. This is the case with 400 Gradi Essendon. 400 Gradi already has a strong name thanks to Johnny Di Francesco winning the world's best pizza for his Margherita pizza, but it's still a risk to open up in a further out location. But the customers near Essendon clearly appreciate the simple, high quality food.

I love the fitout at Essendon, with the modern look feeling really relaxed. The men running the show there, Amando at front of house and Kosta (Johnny's brother in law and co-owner) really do a great job working the room, ensuring everyone is looked after and always smiling and having some fun with customers. That's what I like to see at restaurants.

Food wise, everything we tried was really good. A cured meats and cheese platter was huge and we struggled to finish all the beautiful items. We had to save room for all the other foods you know, such as the meatballs, which were seriously good. Perfect texture and a great sauce.

For the main part of the meal, we went for the three Ps, pizza, pasta and potatoes. Obviously the margherita pizza was really good. The crab spaghettini had good flavours and the pasta a good texture. I'd probably like my pasta just the tiniest bit softer, but that's just my own preference. The potatoes were excellent and so crunchy outside whilst being so soft inside.

Lastly for dessert, it was a super decadent chocolate fondant and some Zero Gradi gelato. The perfectly cooked fondant was so good in it's simplicity, and the gelato were all really nice. The margherita gelato (which initially I thought was going to be savoury sweet) is actually very good and just contains elements with colours that replicate the margherita pizza. A good fun gelato.

Overall I had a great time and loved the food. Parking was really easy along the side street and the service and ambiance were all very good. I highly recommend you go along if you live out West.


My guest and I dined courtesy of the restaurant.

Tassal Salmon Rashers - Perfect For Breakfast

I was asked whether I wanted to try the new range of Tassal salmon and cook up some recipe ideas. I love salmon, so was really excited to try the Tassal Salmon Rashers. Tassal Salmon Rashers are a thicker cut smoked salmon that you can eat for breakfast in a variety of ways. The salmon is smoked in Beechwood from Tasmanian grown Atlantic Salmon. You can eat the rashers as is, with just the smoking, or cooked quickly. As you know, salmon is a great source of Omega-3 and protein so definitely worth eating more of it.

When I opened the packet of Tassal Salmon Rashers, I got the smell of the smoking and could see how beautifully coloured the salmon was. I decided to try the salmon rashers in two ways, smoked as is and also cooking it.

For my first dish, I had to eat the Tassal Salmon Rashers with my favourite soft boiled eggs. I toasted some bread, put on the salmon and put on my soft boiled egg. Some cooked tomatoes and a few wedges of salmon finished off the dish. It was so easy to prepare this dish and took only a few minutes. It was absolutely delicious. The salmon has a great texture with the thicker cut, with a good bite. The smoking is perfect and I like the peppercorns rubbed on it. Smoked salmon goes perfectly with eggs so this is a great dish.

The second dish I made was to cook the Tassal Salmon Rashers quickly in a pan, only about 2 minutes so that it stays moist. Then I added some quickly boiled fresh asparagus and sprinkled over some feta and there is a fast and delicious breakfast. When cooked, the Tassal Salmon Rashers takes on a very different flavour. The smokiness is still there and almost more intense. Both ways of eating the salmon rashers are delicious and I'd definitely recommend you try them. So easy to use and so tasty.

This is a sponsored post

Son In Law

I went along to Son In Law in Collingwood for dinner recently with a friend. The restaurant is a small place, neatly tucked on Johnston street among a number of other eateries. The fitout is really nice and fun, with bright pops of colour being used to accent various features. The room is divided into a few different sections with some seating street level, seating a few steps up the stairs and some seat out in the courtyard. The room had a really good feeling and even when it got loud, I still felt like I was eavesdropping on my neighbours conversation at my table.

We shared a number of dishes, which included
* Son in law eggs
* Grilled chicken skewers
* Fried barramundi fillets
* Crispy soft shell crab and tiger prawn curry
* Twice cooked crispy pork belly
* Papaya salad
* Steamed coconut pandan pudding

The food was all really delicious but for me the clear star of the show are the son in law eggs. I guess that's where the restaurant name comes from. The eggs were perfectly cooked and the flavours added to it were super delicious. I'd recommend ordering two serves of it. The grilled chicken had a good smokey flavour and the barramundi fillets good crunch. The other dish I especially loved, and at $16 I think is a bargain, was the soft shell crab and prawn curry. Wonderfully crispy and flavoursome soft shell crab with a great curry. You can never go wrong with crispy pork belly and these were so good with a great sauce. The papaya salad wasn't the best one I've ever had and could have used more intensity in the dressing. Finally, I had to try the puddings and they were sweet and tasty.

The staff are very efficiently and polite. They were helpful in explaining the food and also telling me some recommendations they had. Overall, I had a really good time and ate some very tasty food. I'd definitely come back for more.



My guest and I dined courtesy of the restaurant

Syracuse

There are lots of modern restaurant fitouts with exposed brick walls, metallic drain pipes and industrial lighting which are all very beautiful. There aren't many grand classical fitouts anymore but Syracuse is one of those places. The room is absolutely beautiful with the ornate details and super high ceiling. It has an air of grace and grandeur.

I haven't been back to Syracuse in a while (there's always something new and exciting to try right) so it was interesting to see how it was. Upon looking at the classical menu, we decided to try the following dishes:

David Blackmore pastrami and bresaola
Grilled octopus, aioli, chorizo oil and brioche crumbs
Duck liver brûlée and grilled sourdough
Dobson's potato gnocchi, porcini mushroom, sorrel sauce and truffled pecorino
Lamb shoulder and cracked wheat salad, broad beans and freeze dried yogurt
Vanilla crème brûlée with PX macerated prunes
Milk chocolate parfait, salted caramel, hazelnut and popcorn crumble

The David Blackmore cured meats were really good and a great way to start the meal. I was looking forward to the grilled octopus as not many restaurants serve it and it's one of my favourite dishes. However, this grilled octopus was a bit mushy in texture and not very distinct in flavour. Far better was the duck liver brulee, with a smooth pate and a nice crispy top.

Onto the mains, neither of us much enjoyed the gnocchi. We found it a bit stodgy and I found it extremely sour, although my dining companion didn't think it too sour. The lamb shoulder salad was much nicer and we both enjoyed the flavours. However, I wish it was made clearer on the menu that it was a cold salad. I was expecting nice hot lamb with a warm salad so felt a bit disappointed.

Desserts were pretty good in flavour but both extremely sweet. The brulee top was a bit thick and the custard a bit curdled so the textures weren't spot on. The parfait was nice but very sweet so if you have a super sweet tooth, this is for you.

I really liked the space and more refined ambiance of the room. The service was friendly and efficient. I think this is a great place to have a meal where you can enjoy the conversation with your dining companion.


My guest and I dine courtesy of the restaurant.