Zoe, Liz and Gaby
It has been a long time since a three member meeting of the PDS but with Liz's return to Australia we had a great opportunity. It ended up being a great night at The Commoner with all of us agreeing that it's now one of our top 5 dinners.
When I saw a Negroni on the cocktail list I couldn't go past it. It contains three of my favourite alcohols - gin, campari and vermouth - and I'd never had it before. Whilst the first hit is all alcohol everything after is just great. After the cocktail I joined Zoe and Liz with the Dao tempranillo. A great choice by Zoe.
On Sunday nights The Commoner is menu free and for $55 for food we were (overfed) extremely well. The following mouthful size morsels of yum came out and we enjoyed all immensely.
Spiced fish with paprika on crostini
Radishes with hummus
Babaganoush
Roast pumpkin with caramelised onions, yogurt and coriander
Bread and crostini with cumin sesame seeds and oil
Boiled eggs with olives and salted cod
The next dish, of semolina gnocchi with jerusalem artichokes and walnuts was possibly my favourite dish of the night. In fact I think we all enjoyed it - the gnocchi was so creamy. Other plates brought at the same time were mushroom croquettes with cauliflower puree and sSnapper with harissa.
This was about when we were feeling full but we found room for the simple but delicious cut steak with caramelised onion and horseradish cream. The hand cut chips and simple green salad with it were just right.
Finally the meal finished with a vanilla cream tart with poached quinces and walnut praline and some peppermint tea.
A great night, so great in fact that I plan to go back for my birthday dinner. It was a lovely way to end a weekend - just relaxing with friends while fabulous food was brought to us. There was a freedom that came with a meal with no menu that was so good that I don't that I'd go back on any other night than a Sunday.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Cutler and Co - 7 May 2010
Zoe and Gaby
We've agreed not to post about the last official Posh Dinner Society meeting in November last year. It was at Cecconi's and we felt that it just didn't qualify - partially due to the poor service and underwhelming food, and partially that we had a cast of thousands (really only 8 people: Zoe, Hugh, Gaby, Barry, Liz, Peter, Gerry, and Peter's friend from SF).
So, it's been a while and Zoe and I, the only members in Australia agreed to hold a small, but quorate, meeting at the intended venue of the last catch-up: Cutler and Co.
It was a good move to go for dinner - even with just the two of us (in fact, maybe better for it!).
We started with fabulous drinks (Aperol and blood orange juice for me and Campari and pink grapefruit for Zoe) - with the mixers served in beakers which was a bit of a flash back for both of us. Then we moved on to a carrot salad (cooked, raw and pickled) and confit ocean trout. Yum.
Mains of roast suckling pig - not a whole one - and pheasant. The pheasant was a first for both of us. The breast meat was not particularly flavoursome though the quince helped, but the crumbed leg meat (recreated as a drumstick) was richer and tender. The pig came with a lovely barley risotto.
I went for the deliciously desserty ice-cream sandwich with salted caramel. Somewhat uncharacteristically Zoe chose a dessert over the cheese, and was rewarded with the best dish of the evening: steamed quince and suet gingerbread with chestnut icecream. It was just delicious - not too sweet, but the richness of the quince and the warmth of the ginger was just delicious. It was an inspiration for the winter puddings to come over the next few months.
We thought of you Liz and Peter, and hope that you get the chance to have a meeting of the US chapter of the Posh Dinner Society. You should definitely come to Cutler and Co when you're next back at in Melbourne.
We've agreed not to post about the last official Posh Dinner Society meeting in November last year. It was at Cecconi's and we felt that it just didn't qualify - partially due to the poor service and underwhelming food, and partially that we had a cast of thousands (really only 8 people: Zoe, Hugh, Gaby, Barry, Liz, Peter, Gerry, and Peter's friend from SF).
So, it's been a while and Zoe and I, the only members in Australia agreed to hold a small, but quorate, meeting at the intended venue of the last catch-up: Cutler and Co.
It was a good move to go for dinner - even with just the two of us (in fact, maybe better for it!).
We started with fabulous drinks (Aperol and blood orange juice for me and Campari and pink grapefruit for Zoe) - with the mixers served in beakers which was a bit of a flash back for both of us. Then we moved on to a carrot salad (cooked, raw and pickled) and confit ocean trout. Yum.
Mains of roast suckling pig - not a whole one - and pheasant. The pheasant was a first for both of us. The breast meat was not particularly flavoursome though the quince helped, but the crumbed leg meat (recreated as a drumstick) was richer and tender. The pig came with a lovely barley risotto.
I went for the deliciously desserty ice-cream sandwich with salted caramel. Somewhat uncharacteristically Zoe chose a dessert over the cheese, and was rewarded with the best dish of the evening: steamed quince and suet gingerbread with chestnut icecream. It was just delicious - not too sweet, but the richness of the quince and the warmth of the ginger was just delicious. It was an inspiration for the winter puddings to come over the next few months.
We thought of you Liz and Peter, and hope that you get the chance to have a meeting of the US chapter of the Posh Dinner Society. You should definitely come to Cutler and Co when you're next back at in Melbourne.
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