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First a couple of disclaimers from The Age Good Food Guide:
Co-editor Necia Wilden did not review and was not involved in any decisions regarding Oyster Little Bourke, the restaurant which her husband Frank Wilden is a co-owner.
Sub-editor Hilary McNevin did not review and was not involved in any decisions regarding Esposito at Toofey’s, a restaurant her husband Maurice Esposito owns.
Food fascist
1. Did they review or edit any restaurants that are direct competitors to their husband’s joints? Lets be generous and give them a 200m radius.
2. A few people wonder about this
3. Are they running a dating service? Oh, I forgot RSVP is in the Fairfax stable.
4. It’s always handy to be co-operative with colleagues at work
5. Thankyou, my right eye is better now and everything is quite clear.
6. When are 13 of the hatted restaurants going to stop serving Vittoria coffee and get some decent java that measures up to the quality of their food?
7. I reviewed Oyster Little Bourke.
Popularity: 9% [?]
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I wonder if they reviewed any places run by ex-boyfriends?
Or places their husband/partner/shag-buddy used to work.
Or places owned by people their husband used to work for.
and on and on and on.
on the one hand it’s so silly it’s funny, but on the other hand in an industry as incestuous as the food industry is in Sydney and I’m guessing Melbourne, it does raise an eyebrow.
I must say for point number 6, Vittoria Coffee is plain horrible. There are MUCH better coffee blends out there and those hatted restaurants can certainly afford it, can’t they?
Its a funny thing that these people feel they have to ‘declare’ any percieved conflict of interest like some disclaimer. In Wilden’s case that would be difficult as her partner has been involved in zillions of restaurants both here & Syd. I dont think that they should be so concerned because everyone knows its all so glaringly subjective, this reviewing game, dont you think Ed?
One could also make the observation that restaurateurs & chefs are so Goddam hot & that reviewers are the ultimate empowered groupie?! Ed we know you lurve Attica-do you want to spill your guts now with a disclaimer?
Vittoria spend so much money courting the accounts of the ‘helmeted’ restaurants that they have barely enough filthy lucre to source the rights beans & roasting equipement. Les Shiriato(I think its spelled that way) the managing director’s face is at saturation level these days with too many Kodak moment’s nuzzled up to every credentialled chef around.
Good comments Gobbler and i’m glad to see you’re blogging again. It is all so subjective and this is what we are all about isn’t it - giving all angles rather than just a one-eyed one. The windom of crowds. I’m swearing off reviewing for guides as there is little empowering about and it takes away from discoering things early as a blogger. Yes, I do love Attica and have just gone back for a second go and it was even better. No declaration of interests. In fact, I was late to the party. They do know who I am though so will always get the good service so I’m no longer the independent reviewer there. I will admit to be chums with the sommelier at the Royal Mail though. I think the whole bad coffee in restaurants is worthy of a post on its own at somepoint. I believe it’s all about deals and contracts which is why Les can afford to have his photo plastered everywhere.
Thanks Ed & its good to be back! On the Royal Mail thing, quiote timely actually with your preview of the dego menu & J.Lethleans article today.
It was interesting that like buzzards circling, their are the sceptics who think that it is a big ask to get punters as far as Dunkeld to experience what could be described a world class dining event. I’m not sure if lethlean was fully in this camp but he seemed to be having a bet each way.
If one considers the facts of how hard it is to get customers into Melbournes higher table restaurants on a regular basis rthen getting ‘em out to the Western District is a big ask. Sure the restaurant where the chef worked in Spain was in a small town BUT there at least two major differences.
1. A larger population with more money to spend in restaurants at the higher end
2. A continent that embraces & celebrates the culture of food
I hope that this confident & enthusiastic endeavor is sought out by everyone if if it is & appears to be the real deal. To me it would be a great milestone because we may shake off our persistant cultural cringe that we have to go to Tuscany or Provence or Errenteria to experience such a culinary marvel.
I would love to do the same there here in Southern Tasmania (I can’t compere to the experience or talents of Mr Dan Hunter) but I am always tentative because of our limited populace, discretionry dollar & of the almost exclusively salmon, oyster & lobster expectations that the tourists bring with them in their Winnebagos.
One day though, it may happen here but to those at the vanguard in Dunkeld, (& sung to ACDC) WE SALUTE YOU!
Or , Gobbler, my feature in last Tuesday’s Herlad Sun. We’ve all been flown down to Dunkeld and fed/watered. Sadly Citystyle doesn’t get posted on the web or I could link you to it. I will dispute the demographics of Spain, although you are correct in that the population there is larger. Even 20-30 years ago it was still pretty peasant not far removed from where Vietnam is now economically - they didn’t even take plastic. While Spain embraces food it is only to a degree. Try going on holiday there for a month and try to find decent food outside the top end restaurants and the usual Spanish staples. You’ll have a hard time, end up with very greasy finger, a large dry cleaning bill and an addiction to Zantac. Melbourne is much better served across the board and the punters are going crazy over restaurants in the city right now. You wouldn’t believe the bustle.
You are right about the problems of getting people to Dunkeld but the Dan Hunter story is overshadowing the astonishing range of accomodation down there. I reackon they’ve a good chance and Alan Meyers I’m told has deeper pockets than many realise.
I liken it to Berrowa Waters.
I take your points Ed. I will add though that part of the resaon that I think these cultures are so visible in the world’s pantheon of cuisines is precisely because they are so vigilant in protecting the currency of their cooking. By this I mean that yes they are always eating the same old thing, the usual staples as you say, season after season, year after year & in this way they they are effectively stregthening their brand. Its ironic to me that we yearn for an identifiable Australian way of cooking yet we get bored by the monotony of many of these diets. Dont get me wrong, I do too. The paradox is in theses cultures there has been a shift toward experimatalism, particulary in Spain. I would argue that their history of cookery gives them the gravitas to make this next step because they have kind of ‘paid their dues’. This is why the American exponants of say molecular gastronomy, though feted, are not in the same league as their European conterparts. They simply haven’t been around long enough as a culture to come to this accepted leap.
Food like language is always evolving & left to its own, thats exactly what it will do. It will refelct everything that is around it. Start putting caveats on how its supposed to be done & hey presto you have an identifiable cuisine! The Neopolitan pizza parlour, the French Bistro & the Village Indian.
Melbourne seems to be bursting with enthusiasm & pnters who share it, half your luck Ed! Me, I am happy to be tilling my little plot down here in Southern Tassie but I am always keen to hear about the world beyond it. Sorry to bang on too much but I hate watching Australian Idol!
Nicely put Gobbler and Ed. I also think we are blessed in that as a young country we are not necessarily parochial in our tastes, opening the way for a plethora of cuisines to be showcased. On the downside, many Aussies I know with the money to spend at venues like Dan’s would most probably be happier at glorified steak restaurants like Rockpool, Donovans or The Point. Outside of that they spend their money at venues with perceived cachet like Vue de Monde and Circa, not because they are fascinated by the food but because it’s the place to be seen.
I would suppose that the other thing that European Mega-Restaurants have on their sides is food tourism. With Australian cities being so far apart, and flights not being so cheap, the number of diners who will go off the beaten track just for great grub are fewer and perhaps tourism Victoria should get behind our rural restaurants as strongly as they have done for our Melbourne venues.
Having said that, Mr Stickyfingers and I have been known to go to Tassie on heavily discounted budget airline flights for a weekend, just to eat the great tucker on offer. But Tassie flies really low under the radar of gastronomical journeys and I have a really strong urge to create a marketing plan to promote it as a dining destination.
Naturally we are planning our own trip to Dunkeld but are aware that despite this week’s hype - including an article in the Sunday Age - only four other friends would possibly consider the trip, unless we tied it in with The Dunkeld Cup.
Speaking of interstate dining I think I’m going to do a post about John Torode’s recent comments on Sydney dining.
I think that tastes in Europe are just as parochial and there are just as many people eating to be seen rather than really appreciating the food. Perhaps Nobu on Park Lane in London is a bad example but is a venue that has more to do with fashion than anything else. Fahionable restaurants book up for months because they have become the vogue. The same goes for Paris or Madrid. To our benefit is the fact that Australian cuisine is young and that be are a melting pot of cultures bringing their various food traditions making Australia much richer culturally than many European cities foodwise.
I’ve heard that Vittoria offer cash incentives to restaurants to use their brand…
There’s nothing wrong with cash incentives. Every company has its marketing positioning and right now there’s about a billion coffee merchants plugging their wares. If Vittoria has the market sewn up, good luck to them. It’s business at the end of the day. If I don’t like the coffee, I tell the waiter. The restaurant will get the message if enough people complain.
Mr Stickyfingers has been frequenting a certain successful pub for at least 20years. According to the publican ‘there is no money to be made in selling coffee, as compared to selling grog’ so he doesn’t offer it, even with meals. In his opinion the coffee drinker lingers for a long time with minimum spend, so given that, perhaps enticements offered by companies like Vittoria are warranted.
If anybody wants to check my Dan Hunter profile i’ve posted it in my online portfolio Here.
True, Kitchenhand, there is nothng wrong with cash incentives although the real problem is the number of places that are tied up with onerous contracts on machines and grinders.
Stickyfingers, although booze makes a lot of money so does decent coffee. While a good blend make cost $6-8 to buy as green beans it will sell for $30-40 a kilo it can yield net fro a cafe $200.
Hi All
Its funny we are talking about destination dining and what will make people travel to Dunkeld to dine on Dans food. I recently dined at Mugaritz in Spain (check out my review if your keen), Dans ‘claim to fame’ head chef role and was very surprised that they were so quiet on a Thursday lunch, and from what I understand, lunch is the bigger dining service than dinner. It was a Thursday lunch, and they probably did 20 people, they would have easily had more people working there, than dining that service.
So, my question is, if Mugaritz (number 7 ranked in the world) can’t pull more guests and it’s only 20 minutes from San Sebastian, then what hope does sleepy Dunkeld have with a definatively more limited population and access to ‘food tourists’?
Jack
NB You definately can make some decent $ from coffee, you just need to be busy, a good barista can make up to about 8 coffees a minute, multiply that by $3 and the numbers start to make sense… considering the cost to make a coffee is at the most about 50c and you pay a barista about $20 an hour…
Back on the coffee thread, I have friends who make very good money from coffee. Location, a signature blend and a few (rare as hens teeth) good barristas on the team are apparently key to their businesses.
My apologies, in my clumsily written comment I meant to infer that the need for coffee companies to offer incentives may have arisen to overcome the negative perceptions of proprietors. Those who may be reluctant to add a barrista to the staff, pay for coffee machines/servicing and the general accoutrements that go with good coffee service, might be more open to kickbacks, free equipment, cups, and street furniture.
Despite all the freebies I think customers will seek out the best coffee & the best places that serve it.
Curiously hasn’t Grinders become delasse now that Coca Cola Amatil own it? I dont know if the product is any different but their IS a perception that it has.
On making money from coffee my sister started roasting beans about 7 years ago because she couldn’t get freshly roasted beans to supply her cafe in her rural town in Sth Aust. Now all she does is coffee its taken up to now just to get a profile & make a decent living from.
Jack,
I gather that the accomodation is a big part of the equation and the area is quite wealthy and already drawing a big crowd. they just need to sustain it.
Gobbler, I believe Grinders has. Con Christopoulos at The European, Supper Club etc dumped them to import his own machines and coffee. I believe Raymond capaldi at fenix is a new convert to good coffee - Veneziano. I think parts of the now split the Van Handel empire may have switched to possibly Di Bella. There is hope! Flick over to my Journalism site and the top two articles are aboutsome of the newer roasters. Probably worth a whole post on its own this.
Didn’t President Suharto enjoy a few cash incentives? It seems like the thin edge of the wedge to me.