Wild in Castlemaine puts the town back on the foodie map
Castlemaine in central Victoria has a thriving music and bustling art scene, but a good restaurant? Not so much. But newcomer Wild, at the old fire station, has restored its foodie cred.
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The central Victorian Goldfields town of Castlemaine has many great things going for it. There’s its thriving music scene, where you might find Courtney Barnett launching her world tour from the stage of the Bridge Hotel and international acts sneaking in a date at the historic Theatre Royal to their capital cities itinerary.
There’s a thriving farmer’s market (of course) and Australia’s longest-running regional arts festival, the biennial State Festival.
It has a brewery (Shedshaker) and winery (Boomtown), there’s a butcher (Oakwood), baker (Johnny Baker) and candlestick maker (well, probably) — almost everything needed for a thriving country town to have as much going for it in 2020 as it did in 1855.
But a great restaurant? Not so much. In fact, not since The Good Table closed four years back has Castlemaine boasted a restaurant worth boasting about. There’s great pub grub and classy cafe fare, but given the fab food to be found in surrounding Kyneton and Daylesford, somewhere to go for a meal without a table number on a stand was a glaring omission in Castlemaine’s culinary cred.
Thanks to Toby Waite (pictured above) and Brendan Jones, that’s now changed.
The duo (both ex-Riverland Group)
tree-changed with their partners and have taken over Castlemaine’s old fire station with their first venue — the wine-focused, all-day dining Wild.
This was the site of The Public Inn, another of Castlemaine’s late-lamented restaurants with reputation, and many of its fixtures and fittings — including the bentwood light pendants — have been upcycled for use today.
It’s light, bright and welcoming, with Waite working the room with quiet charm. His considered drinks list is a terrific celebration of the region.
It means Bresseco from Harcourt’s Bress Winery in the Aperol Spritz ($12), Old Slang beer from Chewton on tap ($12 pint), and lots of interesting drinking across three dozen-odd whites and reds around $11 a glass and $60 bottle. It’s both forward-looking (field blends, minimal intervention, off-piste varietals) and accessible — no mean feat to pull off.
Jones’ menu makes the most of central Victorian produce served across a range of approachable small plates — chicken liver parfait with fig jam; devilled eggs with bacon — and a couple of larger proteins.
While I’ll be out of the will if I say they’re better than hers (they’re not, mum, I swear), those devilled eggs ($9) are a delightful way to get things going — silky smooth and have-another more-ish, bacon jam adding a touch of sticky salt to the creamy centre. The parfait ($14) is also exemplary. Velvety and rich with a proper iron tang tempered by the sticky fig alongside. It’s a wine bar classic, elevated.
Good ideas and technique abound, whether the tiny dice of pickled beetroot scattered across ruby slices of cured beef carpaccio ($15), the bright crunch of celery and sharp bursts of grapefruit enlivening raw sea bream ($17), or the terrific combo of crunchy-skinned snapper ($19) on a bed of braised cannellini beans.
From plump golden-roasted chicken ($24/$48) with sugar snaps and a dollop of punchy harissa yoghurt, a plate-sized chickpea pancake ($17) hidden under a blizzard of finely shaved manchego cheese, or slices of wagyu ($45) with creamy mash and a sauce of pan juices, it’s eminently easy-to-like fare.
As accommodating for a splash-and-dash as it is the multi-course wine-and-dine,
with its city smarts and country charm, Wild is yet another great thing Castlemaine has going for it.
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WILD
26a Templeton St, Castlemaine
Open: Thu-Sat noon-late; Sun noon-6pm
Go-to dish: Roast chicken with harissa yoghurt