Image pinched from the Rockpool Bar & Grill WebsiteHas anybody noticed the amount of art finding itself onto menu’s of late? I’m not going to get into the definition of art
Previous post: Cyber recipes
Next post: Jamon wagyu special
Three years ago I went on a boozy winery tour with a busload of artist mates. Somehow along the way I managed not only to buy two small olive trees, but also two magnificent French oak wine barrels to plant…
There’s a rumour that Melbourne hospitals lay on extra staff in the Emergency Department at this time of year. Yes, it's tomato season and given our vast migrant population, there will invariably be a few home-bottling and canning disasters. Every Italian…
Making yoghurt at home is really simple and doesn't take much science. Here we make two different styles of yoghurt using both cows' and goats' milk.
It took four hours of a Saturday afternoon to construct this gigantic pie.
The recipes available are all pretty similar, three different types of pork with herbs and spices surrounded by jelly and encased in a hot water pastry. This one…
There's a lot of meat and fat in a pork pie including the hot crust pastry which is made with lard and butter.
I bought a whole tub of dripping, which is basically like lard (pig fat) but from beef, as…
Five days later and the bacon is cured. Salty and sweet, with a hint of juniper and sage, it was worth it.
Nothing is ever easy for me. Frustrated by the poor quality of filling and pastry in local pork…
Recent journalismWe don't see much innovation in cookbooks nowadays but The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adria is as you'd expect from one of the world's most innovative chefs.
What most…
Consult a financial adviser before drinking from a Riedel.
Dishwasher tablets erode your glasses and crockery. Use liquid instead.
Decant heavier reds at least 8 hours before drinking.
If you want to drink…
Three years ago I went on a boozy winery tour with a busload of artist mates. Somehow along the way I managed not only to buy two small olive trees,…
There’s a rumour that Melbourne hospitals lay on extra staff in the Emergency Department at this time of year. Yes, it's tomato season and given our vast migrant population, there…
Making yoghurt at home is really simple and doesn't take much science. Here we make two different styles of yoghurt using both cows' and goats' milk.
One of the most exciting chefs to be in town for the Sydney International Food Festival was the witty and erudite David Thompson. If you aren't familiar with Thompson, the…
I recently had a non-brush with death while eating what turned out not to be my last meal.
It made me think of all the meals I'd wasted. A bad…
Neil Perry (left), Thomas Keller and Heston Blumenthal (bald). Courtesy of the Melbourne Wine and Food Festival.
On the SBS Food site you can see my story on meeting Thomas Keller…
Typical. Just as the world peaked Paul Levi, the man who had no small part in bringing us the slightly dubious word “Foodie”, launches the Gastrosexual, a man with more…
With thanks to the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
It's 3.50 on a Friday afternoon. I've just finished a great meal cooked by Scott Pickett at The Point in Albert Park…
Copyright Edward Charles and Tomato Media Pty Ltd 2005-2011
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
>>>>>Taps fingers on the desk waiting for AK’s response>>>>>>:)
Seems like 2 months since i have been out for dinner. Thats old my new son is. That said, was recently at Est, no art on the menu there, nor at Salon Blanc. Aside from them, the only art I have seen are the Cartoon like drawings of the publican and the hotel by Michael Lodge, that adorn the walls of the Lord Duduley Hotel. Don’t tell the missus that i snuck in there for a quick middie though. I suppose it will just be a matter of time before the virus spreads from Melbourne and a vist to the gallery will be a thing of the past.
That cow looks like it’s walked straight off the wall at Vlado’s. There’s nothing like eating prime beef with a wall of lowing cows watching you.
Funny you should mention that the bull images are popular steals. Rockpool gave me a few of the main and dessert menus because I told them I love the cute bulls on them. And yes, I have framed one big wagyu brown bull. SSSHHHHUUUUU.
I’m uncertain about any Sydney restaurants but as for Melbourne: Becco has changing art on the cover if its menus,
Circa, the Prince has different graphic style art on its menu back, and Cafe Di Stasio seems to also have a arty link with its weekly photo etc in Epicure.
Could this perhaps have any link to the ‘art on wine label senario’ Mouton-Rothschild started back in 1924 and continued by many even in Australia (Leeuwin as one example)? A possible marketing tool?
Jack
There’s something gruesomely honest about staring at an image of what you are about to devour, before it was slaughtered and butchered as a means to satisfy your hunger. The grinning cows and chickens adorning Pho cafes are perhaps on a more pedestrian level but equally unnerving.
BTW Earl Carter has just collaborated with David Thompson on his new Hawker food bible. Can’t wait to see it.
Cheers everyone. KH, It is a bit Vlado’s I’f forgotten about the “wall of cow”. Kazmic, I’ll have to return and steal some myself. Jack, you are probably right. i forgot to mention that i had a set of handwritten menus from the Cafe de Paris from the 1930s from my Granny (until a shipping container of my stuff dissapeared). It had those cheesy pics of dogs and kids peeing that you can pick-up from the print stalls along the Seine. Stickyfingers, how about images of cute rabbits. i wonder how that would affect sales. Wow, I can’t wait for the new David Thompson. The old one is so good.
You wrote this back on the 27th, but did you notice in this past weekend’s (May 5-6) edition of The Weekend Australian, Food section (on the back of Travel section)that there was an article commenting on menu art? Was like a carbon copy of your post. They specifically mentioned Mirka and the Botanical, too.
Is this just a spooky coincidence? Or have the Food editors at The Weekend Australian been reading Tomato and poaching your ideas?
Think this definitely deserves some attention… would hate to think of you providing free copy for them!
I did try and pitch a story and she asked if she could do it in her column. I was hoping to try and pitch a story around on it but was a little busy at the time. It would have been nice to have written a bigger feature on art infood and wine but I write a fair amount for that section so I don’t mind.