Motor Hawthorn restaurant review: Max Gawn’s eatery kicking goals in the suburbs

He’s already got a wine bar—and premiership— to his name, now Dees skipper Max Gawn has moved into the restaurant game. Here’s how his venue stacks up.

When ordering at Motor, we’re told to start with mains and work our way back. And that’s how we’ll begin this review.

The half roast chook ($39) is non-negotiable. A must eat.

Splayed flat on its back, pulled from a firey wood-fired hearth – all blistered skin and juicy tender flesh teeming with smoke – it’s fairdinkum delicious.

Especially when wading in a robust chasseur (French brown sauce) that tastes bacony but sweet with tomato tang. Add fries ($14) and an asparagus and feta salad ($20), and it’s a propper meal for two.

While this doesn’t crack my top three roast chickens I’ve eaten in this gig, by comparison to everything else at Motor, it takes pole.

The half-roast chicken is worth your time. Just add chippies.

Well, the anchovy toast and pickled mussels are also on the podium, but more on these soon.

Embarrassingly, I’ve buried the lede with this new Hawthorn restaurant/wine bar.

It’s part-owned by Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn.

Footy fans first frothed over the news that the Dees skipper would be pouring pinot at his wine bar, East End, back in 2019.

And no doubt they were watching his next ambitious move into the restaurant world at Motor, with hospo mates Craig Tate, Richard Donovan and ex-Dees player Matt Jones.

In case you missed it, the restaurant opened inside a 110-year-old motor garage on Glenferrie Rd back in October.

As you’d expect, Gawny isn’t out the back artfully tweeting anchovies on to that toasted focaccia every day, but on occasion he’ll be behind the bar during the off-season pouring pints and making conversation.

Tate and Donovan do come from a hospo background; they own East End with Gawn and also ran Malvern cafe Saint James together, although Motor is their first restaurant.

The boys helped with the 120-seater’s handsome refit, which has a moody, European-bistro feel with dark timber tables, monochrome checkered floors and cosy shiraz-coloured leather booths to sneak a cheeky pash on your hot date.

Anchovies, cultured butter and foccacia make good mates with wine.

Motor’s wine menu has been engineered to drink well with its food.

There’s old gasoline posters and wine prints that’ll make your grandma blush (check out the one in the ladies), adding a little naughty flair.

It appears to be designed to visit a couple of times a week; a real neighbourhood boozer to meet mates for a sneaky prosecco and plate of prosciutto.

You’re not pushing the boat out here, it’s more of a mid-range feast, unless you’re paying for a bottle of 1996 Wynn’s cabernet sauvignon or the Hill of Grace. The by-the-glass section is

long, 15 or so drops, all very different to what’s being poured around town.

Think Alsace pinot blanc, a fruity Auckland chardonnay teetering on sweet with a ripe nectar of yellow peaches and apricots, and a nebbiolo poured from a three-litre jeroboam that’s worth whacking out the phone for.

Drink your desserts at Motor.

At least all of the wine I tasted worked well with the food.

Speaking of, let’s revisit those snacks. The finest? A salty anchovy slip ($8), resting on butter slathered, toasted focaccia (made in house) has chew, texture and balance thanks to those bright shallots. More please.

Pickled mussels ($17) sing of the sea, all briny, juicy and swimming in olive oil yet curiously plated next to a puff of white taramasalata. It’s not a pretty plate of food but each element does its job. You will need bread.

A creamy goat’s cheese souffle ($25) looks tiresome on a oversized cast iron dish, exhaling in a sad heap next to glossy buttered leeks. A ramekin would have been better.

Dessert, a medley of blood oranges, white chocolate and yoghurt semifreddo ($16) is fine but forgettable. Ask for a nip of port instead. In short: snacks are a-go, plating needs work, skip the sweets, order the roast chook.

A real spanner in the works is there’s no lead chef yet; a move that’ll no doubt shift Motor

up a gear from ‘solid local’ to excellent status.

The handsome space makes the perfect setting for drinks with mates.

Motor

735 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn

motor.wine

Ph: 9318 9698

Open: Tue-Thu: 4pm till late, Fri: 12pm till late, Sat: 3pm till late.

Go-to dish: Half roast chicken

Try this if you like: Young’s Wine Room.

Cost: Starter: ($6-$28), main: ($34-$58), dessert: ($16-$18).

Rating: 6.5/10