Dinner Club 06 July 2009 - Añada - Fitzroy

The Best Posh Eat of 2009 in The Age Cheap Eats Guide.... budgetary concerns hmmm....(decides to take a gamble and plots)

May be Oliver & I, 'cause we can’t bring wine will split the vino separately....these are insights into the constant struggle between light+ perfection + order against the occult +surprise + risk!...(balance & build will you.....I’m...Brunswick...what the f#@k!)

Brunswick was the designated area but after ruffling through cafes that shut at 5 and restaurants that were shut on Mondays......I did the unthinkable....called our most accommodating Presidentress to grant me the option to look elsewhere.

Añada(pronounced Unyaada)is Spanish for new harvest, inspired by the Moorish Spanish cuisine, the stylish Gertrude allowed her to find her gastronomic rhythm!

5 of 6 met outside and enjoyed the projected light show across the road whilst Bethanie and Clair ogled....a sequenced silver singlet, it was :)

We entered into balanced crowd, amber tones, soft music and she had a strong sense of silence about her....like she would express but only through food!

The atmosphere was smooth and comfortable, the linear orientation, elegant neutrals, exposed brick, black + white chalk boards & art that was thoughtful yet I was poking for her personality, her character, as the way she looked she could be anything, what was so Spanish?

Renata's smiling arrival coincided with us taking the first sip of the La Goya Manzanilla Sherry and a phone call on a blackberry. Alvin had a brief and sparkling appearance that evening as he rushed to pay homage to a teacher's life in Dandenong, undoubtedly his was a very sparkling appearance too.

So 5 became 6 and 5 again....the sherry had set the mood.....Oliver and I negotiated, deal done....a bottle of vino....must be chosen....it was.....the Tempranillo (Merques de Velilla) !

Paul hosted us....charming & informed....they all were versed in the tightrope walk of a circus performer to look more relaxed than you are, warmth in their smiles only bettered by their never ending and seemingly intrinsic knowledge of the menu.

Smoked almonds + salted pistachios devoured....we curiously

greeted the shot glass size arrival of the Celeriac soup with black salt....it was a soothing green with a magnanimous froth and a rich....I mean seriously rich texture....taste....we couldn't wait for the tapas to truly start!

Culinary delights were punctured by a vote, a vote for the Gala.....Cuttler & Co...chosen there was a sense of pride in our Presidentress’ eye....she is presiding over arguably the most structured DC attempt! Super!

The winter scarves were out, Renata earthy and elegant in a stripped, Clair golden in a chequered burberry, Beth vivacious in a beautiful vermillion, Oliver retro in jean jacket me predictable in a waist coat....we talked about the thievery of the Tristar and other random events.

Fried aubergine with chilli, mint & labneh, Stuffed calamari with sumac, The pork belly was salty

and sweet, the food exquisite, there was cauliflower, pilav, lentils and some more seafood, in a potato cake.... I can remember the taste but some of the names elude me....the chorisos in dark chocolate devilish!

Food $150, Tempranillo $66, the look on DC-ites' faces priceless! A perfect $30 a head....high fives! the risk pays off...!

Perfection is always the aim - the evening, the food and her silence finally understood she didn't need to shout to be noticed she was a silent temptress and her culinary spells were cast over us!!!!

Culinaryly Yours

Ojas

Dinner Club 04 May 2009 - Old Rangoon - Hawthorn

First a disclaimer – due to your author’s unfortunate talent for extreme procrastination the following post will suffer from necessary brevity. The finer details surrounding our May dinner have been digested and largely forgotten. I will endeavor to capture our general experience in a late but faithful attempt to uphold the DC constitution…

With the lovely Renata unable to attend, a depleted Melbourne DC assembled at Old Rangoon in Hawthorn on 4^th May 2009. Welcoming Alvin back from faraway lands we anticipated an equally exotic spread. We were not disappointed - there was warmth, bread, rice and flavor. Vegetable dishes were particularly enjoyed twice over and the soft bread was similarly consumed. A standout salad balanced the meal and all was served on pretty green crockery.

At this point a detail demanding reader is advised to refer to the disclaimer…

So moving quickly to conversation… The DCites collectively reflected on and mourned the loss of Cashmere Street. However we equally looked towards the creative development of our President and first husband’s (sorry Oliver!) future home... Where Alvin will entertain and inspire no doubt. We also explored possible mid and end of year gala settings, debating the delights of Hellenic and Spice Kitchens.

All was watched over by this wrinkled woman – she didn’t need to step out for her cigarette…

Sadly, on this third dinner in the third year of the Melbourne dinner club there was no third third… There were starters, an extended main… but no dessert. This was possibly for the very best as all were experiencing the slightly overstuffed limits of contentment (surely the result of the aforementioned bread).

Satisfied by warm curries (the pumpkin being a late remembered standout) the DCites dispersed into the night, anticipating Brunswick, Collingwood etc happy etc…

Clair

Dinner Club 20 April 2009 - AANGAN West Footscray

With the first dinner club of the season safely digested, all that lay ahead of us was the question in the back of everyone's mind.... would this third innings in 09 live up to the successes of the first two dinner club seasons?


Typically, I spent far too much time agonising over the choice of venue for April, but settled on Indian cuisine and rang to make a booking the week prior (we are polite sorts after all, and like to check on availability and any other idiosyncrasies etc etc. The very polite young woman who answered the phone asked "would we would like a table in the beer garden?" Beer garden I wondered to myself, a) have I called the right restaurant....and b) in this unseasonably early winter we are all enjoying so much, why would anyone besides Alvin want to sit outside??? I was reassured by our host, so sent the requisite sms on the day containing the address and a reminder to wear a warm coat.

Given our aforementioned friend's short turn around the Himalayas during April, the remaining five dc members were shown down a side alley next to the restaurant, and low and behold, we were seated in a marquee that could only have been conceived by the artistic director love child of Benny Lava and Andre R.


Talk about delighted - we were surrounded by families from the subcontinent and had an uninterrupted view of the wide screen on which Bollywood music clips ran continuously - Ojas once again proving his encyclopaedic knowledge of every aspect of the performances.

I must confess to a little trepidation at this point - what would this tremendous dedication to the decor and ambiance mean for the quality of the kitchen??? This is a dinner club after all, and Chiba had been such an outstanding start to the year.... Suffice to say, our luck held out, and we were so involved in the meal, very few photos were taken. Perhaps the photo of the adorable little buckets of rice sitting in the middle of a very messy tablecloth say enough - it was quite a meal, and we went at it with gusto!


Ojas and I are still daydreaming about the Kashmiri naan with nuts and dried fruit weeks later....but really, everything was exceptionally delicious, and according to those who should know, very well executed. Anyone looking for a brilliant night out in this part of melbourne should put Aangan on the short list. Aangan means courtyard, in case you were wondering, not that the word courtyard does the marquee any justice at all. Special mention to the superb and professional wait staff, who coped with our idiosyncrasies as much as we revelled in Aangan's.

Good naan is a serious business!

Cheerio!
Beth

Dinner Club 2 March 2009 - CHIBA

The first DC event of 2009 kicked off @ Chiba in the fine laneways of Moonee Ponds.

After a late arrival, and the changing of the baton of the suspect package to the next DC host, all things settled to a zen sumo of cordial discussion of many things - including that of the fine aromas wafting from Renata's new bag. It was not the double smoked roasted venison we had hoped (yes, even in a sushi place), but to the known delight of Renata, it was the sexy insence of the leather bag she had picked up at Target that weekend.

She was happy that her bag got all the attention in the opening stanza's of DC 2009!

Renata's blissfull existence lasted momentarily though - the blizzards of Mt Fuji made there way to Hall st eventually forcing Renata to switch places with Ojas. Not before the food sailed in and docked itself handsomely on the ocean of that fine japanese table!

Entrees got lost in the black hole of Imagery as i had forgotten my duties of host and of reporting the events of the evening. Only because of the stern voice of Past President Ojas that i flipped open my Crackberry to take notes and pictorial representations of the evening.

Bethanie spoke of Personal Training. We all gasped.

Oliver spoke of Spice Temple for the mid year gala in Sydney. We all agreed and jumped with glee and a twinkle of Joy for the migration of all our bank balances into Neil's. Presidentress Bethanie vowed to confirm dates and get the ball rolling in fullfillment of her Presidential duties.

At that time Renata was still cold and Clair was as content as a Geisha on Grey St (St Kilda) negotiating japanese tofu with her chopsticks.

Ojas was really keen. He loved that octopuss. He spoke of cricket. We tuned out.

After a few Asahi's and some raw fish and a dribble of red bean and green tea ice cream, the first DC of 2009 was complete and almost on budget.

Happy Days.

what a great find

CHIBA

19 Hall St

Moonee Ponds

Ph: 9326 0248

Alvin

ps: i know this was a bit late. i didnt make the 7 day report deadline. i did exceed the 50 word limit. but i hope the pics made up for it. excuse me Presidentress Bethanie and Past President Ojas.