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Oh Northbridge, I love this change in you.
Marinated olives
Chicken parfait, hibiscus, parsley, shallot
Free range bbq (deboned) chicken wings, granny smith apple Hallelujah .. wave goodbye to sticky fingers!
Beef carpaccio, wasabi, soy
36 hour pork, witlof, onion, puffed grains
Lamb belly, sweet and sour eggplant, grapefruit
Spanner crab salad, orange, buttermilk, herbs
'Bartending is an old and honourable trade. It is not a profession and I have no sympathy with those who try to make it anything but what it was. The idea of calling a bartender a professor or a mixologist is nonsense.'
Official Mixers Manual Patrick Gavin Duffy, 1934
A postcard from The Everleigh
Hidden down the winding alleyways of Chinatown in Melbourne lays the The Croft Institute. Three storeys of oddity with a laboratory on the ground floor, the middle floor hauntingly screaming of an asylum and top floor home to a 1930's styled gymnasium.
Five Bar is one of those rare 'perfect for any occasion' spaces. It holds so many warm memories from fun boozey birthdays to chilled out Sunday afternoons. Nights celebrating life's special moments pouring frequent bottles of vino whilst enjoying beer cheese and charcuterie boards. I have had countless delicious meals, loved every single beef wellington, attended a handful of beer tasting nights and have drunk a stack of perfectly priced ($2.50) coffees whilst abusing the free wifi during meetings.
This time, I caught up with two beautiful friends over a bottle of sparkling. We chatted about the ups and downs of life. We took in the relaxed atmosphere whilst tucking into crunchy sweet potato fries with coriander mayo, crispy pan fried chorizo with fetta and olives, zucchini fritters and a soul nourishing reuben sandwich.
I felt as though I stepped back into 1920s Melbourne chancing upon an illegal whiskey bar. Amidst the hustle and bustle of Chapel Street, The Woods of Windsor is sophisticated and charming and definitely worth a look. Beautifully furnished with decadent dark wood and dotted with nods to yesteryear with stunning attention to detail. Taxidermy animals peer at you from the shelves of the well stocked bar as you peruse the cocktail menu. The Woods is a culmination of good food and wine with an astounding whiskey collection.
The leading character to the 1972 American thriller 'Deliverance' whose Southern American adventure took a sour twist.
Zucchini Flowers goats cheese, beetroot, pine nuts
Forest Mushroom Tart spiced yoghurt, chestnut puree, watercress
Hay Smoked Kingfish dashi dressing, picked celery, native finger limes
Pig Trotter Fritters onion marmalade, soft quail egg
A twist on the classic gin and tonic. The delicate citrus floral notes celebrate the late great British Statesman's victory at Vittoria in 1813.
Peanut Butter Bar raspberry sorbet, salted peanut caramel
Triple Chocolate Slice banana ice cream, shaved white chocolate
The Woods of Windsor
108 Chapel Street
Windsor, Melbourne VIC