Du Fermier
Proof that good farming equals great food.
15.5/20
French$$$
Rampant overuse has rendered “farm-to-table” virtually meaningless, but Annie Smithers’ menu-free bistro puts pretenders in their place.
Warm baguette and good butter unite. Sweet and minerally roasted carrots sing of nutrient-rich soil; they are bettered still by folds of deeply blush prosciutto from properly matured pigs. Care for creatures, soil and toil underpins all.
Dark, duck-like meat from free-range roosters deepens coq au vin’s red wine and onion richness, while bubbling gnocchi Parisienne is wonderfully bright and savoury thanks to gems of preserved summer tomatoes grown by Smithers. To see such classics resurrected to glory is to bear witness to the progressive farming revolution, all while swaddled by comforts such as plush cushions and an open fire.
The wine wisdom of Bronwyn Kabboord, including side-by-side tastings of Old and New World producers, reminds you this is dining on the cutting edge.
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Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/vic-good-food-guide/du-fermier-20240607-p5jk6g.html