Hobart restaurant Franklin’s effortless attention inspires return visits

TasWeekend restaurant reviewer Amanda Vallis returns to see how acclaimed Hobart restaurant Franklin is faring under the helm of new chef Peter Cooksley.

Interior of Franklin in Hobart. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

DINNER at Franklin always feels sentimental for me. My husband and I have visited many times over the years for special milestones or celebrations.

David Moyle was manning the wood-fired oven five years ago when we first visited to celebrate our engagement while holidaying in Tassie. It was there, seated at the bar, that we began to scheme our move to Hobart.

It was the first place we went for dinner when we did eventually make that move, then newly under the helm of Analiese Gregory.

Franklin restaurant’s team which recently welcomed new head chef Peter Cooksley, centre, also includes kitchen crew member Liam Mangan-Smith, assistant sommelier and restaurant supervisor Alice Chugg and kitchen crew members Joseph McPhail and Hyung Wook Park. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

And now, as we await the birth of our second child and indulge in a rare date night, here we are again with newly appointed head chef, Peter Cooksley (formerly of Embla), along with sous-chef, Ali Currey-Voumard (formerly of the Agrarian Kitchen and soon to depart for a stint at the Summertown Aristologist in South Australia).

While chefs have come and gone over the years, Franklin’s beautiful interior fit-out has remained relatively unchanged.

With polished concrete floors and bar, high ceilings, animal hide rugs and minimalistic furniture, it has always given off a spacious yet cosy feel that instantly puts me at ease.

While we would ordinarily opt for the “feed me” menu for $90 per person (with optional accompanying beverages for an additional $70 per person), at 24 weeks pregnant a visit to any restaurant requires a certain level of strategic ordering.

Franklin restaurant’s cherry tomatoes, with vinaigrette and sorrel, which comes served in a cold tuna broth, has been described as “truly divine”. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

As someone with a penchant for oysters, charcuterie and pretty much anything raw, I gaze longingly at the “off-limits” items on the menu.

Great Bay Pacific oysters with mignonette, coppocolla with fermented turnip greens, raw lamb with fermented chilli, cured flathead with salt-baked beetroots and anchovy — give me 16 more weeks and I’ll be back for all of these things (along with a glass or two from the wine list designed by award-winning sommelier Forbes Appelby).

First up in our menu selection is the cheese and herb fritters, little nubs of potato-gem-shaped moreish, crunchy, doughy, cheesy goodness — totally addictive.

Then it’s tomatoes with albacore tuna and sorrel — chopped fresh summer tomatoes served in a rich, cold tuna broth. It is truly divine.

To follow, stracciatella with cucumber and preserved basil. The house-made stracciatella has that beautiful creamy, slightly stretchy texture to it, perfectly countered by the freshly sliced cucumber and the headiness of the preserved basil. The glorious dregs of stracciatella and olive oil remain on the plate once we’ve finished the dish and our waiter appears like magic with fresh bread to mop it all up.

Franklin’s Cheese and herb fritters are described as “totally addictive” little nubs of potato-gem-shaped moreish, crunchy, doughy, cheesy goodness. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

It’s gestures like these that always make us feel so well looked after at Franklin, a kind of effortless attentiveness from front-of-house staff that allows us as diners to totally relax in to the experience.

The gnocchetti sardi with cheddar, onions and black pepper strikes me as a kind of pimped-up adult version of mac’n’cheese.

This type of pasta gets its name from its shape (similar to gnocchi) and origin (Sardinia), but is made from semolina flour (no potato).

Cooksley’s version is hand-rolled with a steaming, creamy, melty, cheesy sauce, smothered in verdant chopped chives.

The wood-fired oven is a key feature of the open kitchen at Franklin, so the whole wood roasted flounder with garlic and chives is definitely a must order for us.

My husband isn’t a big seafood eater, but he has devoured any seafood dish we have ordered at Franklin over the years, which is a credit the freshness of the produce.

When we first moved to Hobart, I rented a little office space above Franklin and used to see the fisherman pull up with his truck every day with his morning haul.

It’s these relationships that Franklin continues to foster with local fishermen and producers that have made the food consistently good throughout the years, along with the skill of each of the respective chefs. The flounder is no exception. Lightly crisped skin from the wood-fired oven, perfectly cooked, tender flesh and a buttery, garlicky chive sauce.

Franklin’s strawberry ice-cream sandwich features churned in-house ice-cream and local strawberries sandwiched between crisp, golden sheets of puff pastry. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

We are full, but in the name of selflessly putting our bodies on the line for “research” we order the strawberry ice cream sandwich and plum clafoutis with custard for dessert.

The ice cream is churned in-house with local strawberries sandwiched between crisp, golden sheets of puff pastry. Phwoar!

The clafoutis, likewise, capitalises on the sweetness of Tasmanian summer fruit, this time warm and velvety with extra custard to boot. Both vastly different desserts but both equally special. Franklin — we’ll continue to be back, again and again.