10 tastes of summer: from fish ‘n’ chips to strawberries
FROM fish ’n’ chips to strawberries, beers to bowls clubs, here are 10 ideas for finding the top summer tastes of Victoria.
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FROM fish ’n’ chips to strawberries, beers to bowls clubs, get out of Melbourne for the tastes of summer.
HAMBURGER
Enjoy some of the best buns on the beach at The Bottle of Milk in Lorne. Open since 2008, the oddly named burger bar has 24 creations on its menu and last year came fourth in TripAdvisor’s list of Top 10 Boutique Burger Joints in Australia. The buns are from Geelong bakery aces La Madre and all beef patties are minced fresh daily. The most popular choice is the Nelly, which adds bacon and avocado to your humble cheeseburger.
* The Bottle of Milk, 53 Mountjoy Pde, Lorne. thebottleofmilk.com
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MILKSHAKE
Come for the vintage cars on display, stay for an authentic milkshake from the malt shop at this Great Ocean Rd diner with a difference. Freestone’s Roadhaven is an ode to all things 50s with decor and cars from owners Paul and Chris Freestone’s private collection straight from the era. Slurp down an old-school shake with milk, ice cream, malt and your choice of flavour from banana to blue heaven.
* Freestone’s Roadhaven, 85 Great Ocean Rd, Aireys Inlet. freestonesroadhaven.com.au
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COLD BEER
He made his name in the film version of the new stage musical about to take Melbourne by storm, but these days Paul Mercurio is strictly busting his fancy moves away from the ballroom and behind the bar. His new bier cafe on Mornington’s Main St has six craft beers on tap and more than 40 from around the world by the bottle in the fridge. The 40-seat cafe (with another 40-odd spots outside) features a beer-friendly menu created by Mercurio himself, with such fare as smoked brisket sliders, curly fries and fried pickles all perfect paired with an interesting, icy cold beer.
Merc’s Bier Café, 25 Main St, Mornington. Ph: 5973 6372.
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CLUB MEAL
He’s wowed foodies and critics alike with his modern fare at his restaurants Gladioli in Inverleigh and Tulip in Geelong, now this summer Matt Dempsey is turning his hand to casual family fare at Seastar. Taking over the Lorne Bowls Club kitchen, Matt’s serving up seaside hits including bacon and egg rolls for breaky, fish tacos, fried school prawns or smoked salmon salad for lunch, and chilli prawn fettucini, and confit duck leg with apple and sweet potato for dinner. Kids don’t go hungry with a full menu available for them, and you can go barefoot bowling, too, with the greens open to all every arvo from 4pm until 7pm.
Seastar Restaurant, Lorne Bowls Club, 35 Mountjoy Pde. www.seastarrestaurant.com.au
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FISH AND CHIPS
When the chips are golden, the batter crunchy and the fish moist and steaming hot, there are few foods better matched to a warm summer’s night. Every town has its chipper doing a roaring trade during the holidays, but many people are willing to travel further afield for the best.
Following the Herald Sun naming Melbourne’s 10 best fish and chips the start of summer, readers were quick to suggest their favourite spots around the city and coast. Brad suggests checking out Grilled and Fried at Seaford, which is just a 30 second walk from Seaford beach. Fisherman’s Wharf at Cowes also comes highly recommended, as does David Prosser Seafoods in Rye, opposite the pier. “Best fish and chips I’ve had since 1965,” reader George reckons. Wildfish at Port Albert in Gippsland is another firm favourite, while in the opposite direction, the East Warrnambool Fish and Chip shop is loved by locals and interlopers alike for its fresh and fab take on the fried faves.
Grilled and Fried, 4 Station St, Seaford
Fisherman’s Wharf, 15 The Esplanade, Cowes
David Prosser Seafoods, 2383 Pt Nepean Rd, Rye
Wildfish, 40 Wharf St, Port Albert
East Warrnambool Fish and Chips, 4 Nicholson St, Warrnambool
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ROAST CHOOK
Rotisserie chicken makes friends at lunch and dinner at the best of times, but during summer it’s surely the most popular kid on the block. Taking over upstairs at Queenscliff’s Esplanade Hotel, former Albert St Food & Wine managers Ruth Giffney and Stuart Brookshaw have teamed up to create Henrietta’s Chicken Shop, where organic chooks are roasting on the balcony to be served in wraps and rolls and family packs that put the rest to shame. Chips — crinkle cut, of course — are a must, and there’s slaw and salad and sweet corn to go with, too. Cool and casual, with DJs and drinks, roast chook has never looked so good.
Henrietta’s Chicken Shop, Esplanade Hotel, 2 Gellibrand St, Queenscliff (until Easter). www.henriettas.com
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SHELLFISH
The Bold family has been farming mussels in Port Phillip Bay for more than 30 years and 18 months ago decided to solve customers’ dilemmas about how to prepare and eat the shellfish by opening their own cafe. Attached to their Advance Mussel Supply factory on the Bellarine Peninsula, the shop sells fresh mussels and freshly shucked oysters along with chowder, smoked mussels, battered mussels and mussel arancini balls to eat in or take away.
Advance Mussel Supply, Portarlington-Queenscliff Rd. advancemussel.com.au
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ICE CREAM
No summer day trip to Torquay can go without joining the queue at Nordenfine Ice Cream for a couple of scoops of something cold and delicious piled into a chocolate-dipped waffle cone. The only challenge is which flavour — up to 32 fill the freezers daily and new ones come into rotation seasonally. Kids are loving fairy-floss flavoured Cotton Candy this summer and patriotic ice cream eaters can look forward to special lamington and passionfruit pavlova flavours for Australia Day, green and yellow waffle cone optional. Ice cream lovers with allergies and intolerances don’t miss out: popsicles introduced last year are free of eggs, gluten, dairy and eggs.
Nordenfine, 34B Bell St, Torquay (also at Anglesea and Geelong West). nordenfine.com.au
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WINERY LUNCH
Simple tastes so good at Red Hill winery Foxy’s Hangout. This busy, fun cellar door chalks its small, tight menu on one wall — choose a few small plates to share and hey presto, you have one of the tastiest light lunches on the Mornington Peninsula. Chef Tony Lee, also Foxey’s winemaker, is in charge of the stoves, turning out barbecue quail and mushroom sausage rolls as quickly as city visitors roll off PeninsulaLink. Watch it all come together as you taste a wine or two to take home. Open daily until January 18, then Fridays to Sundays. No bookings, great for small groups of two to four.
Foxey’s Hangout, 75 White Hill Rd, Red Hill. foxeys-hangout.com.au
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STRAWBERRIES
Plump, juicy strawberries are the classic summer fruit, and they don’t come any fresher than when you pick them yourself — as thousands discover from November to April at Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm. From just before Christmas, 400 to 700 people a day have been wandering the pretty green rows of Mornington Peninsula attraction to pick their own. Family entry (two adults, two children 4-12) is $22. For sweet tooths, a cafe serving desserts is open daily.
Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm, 244 Shands Rd, Main Ridge. sunnyridge.com.au
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Words: SUSAN BUGG, MEGAN MILLER, DAN STOCK
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