Skillogalee Winery Restaurant

Lunch Review
Modern Australian

The Clare Valley is one of South Australia’s best known wine regions; having travelled to, and tasted wine from, almost all other regions I felt it was time to add Clare Valley to my repertoire. After returning from India in early January I was keen to book another culinary adventure, so when my friends Craig and Tara mentioned riding the Riesling Trail on push bike, it was a no-brainer to immediately lock it into our calendars for a weekend of food and wine.

With details of my upcoming Clare Valley trip being posted on Facebook, I was soon bombarded with messages from friends advising me that Skillogalee Winery Restaurant was a “must” for lunch. So we decided to book it in for 1:30pm, giving us ample time to ride some of the Riesling Trail before we stopped to eat.

Upon arrival at the 60 hectare Skillogalee estate, we were greeted pleasantly by the cellar door staff and shown to our table which was set on the large verandah overlooking the layered garden and vineyards. Noting that we had been riding and were quite exhausted from the hilly journey on a hot 37 degree afternoon, we were promptly brought some ice water shortly followed by the menus.

Before even turning to the meal options I immediately noticed, and was impressed to discover, that they source as much of their produce either from on site or locally, whilst maintaining high quality standards. Unfortunately it is becoming increasingly common to find offshore ingredients on our plates these days; disappointing when there is no doubt that the best and freshest ingredients are available in our own backyards right here in South Australia.

The menu is seasonal and each item is matched with a current vintage Skillogalee wine. Knowing that there were still some post lunch wine tastings on our 6 kilometre cycle leg home, we didn’t want to eat anything too heavy.

For entree we ordered the following:
Tara: Duck & pistachio terrine with baby cornichons and brioche.
Craig: Harris smoked salmon with mango, avocado and lemon mayonnaise.
Myself: Pork belly with cauliflower puree, watermelon and Woodside goats curd.

For mains we ordered the following:
Craig & Tara: A serving each of Harissa SA prawns served with preserved grapefruit & pickled fig cous cous, zucchini, natural yoghurt and crushed pistachio nuts.
Myself: Atlantic salmon with tomato, cucumber & eggplant salsa, smashed baby potatoes and sautéed spinach.
Sides: Broccolini with caper butter.
Orange & pomegranate salad with rocket.

After ordering we were asked if we would like to either order some wine or venture through to the cellar door and partake in a wine tasting. With the cellar door a mere 15 metres away, we felt that not only would we pass some time, but also take on a ‘try before you buy‘ opportunity most other restaurants in the city don’t offer. Having all chosen white meat or seafood options for our 2 course meal, we worked our way through the list of white wines and chose the 2012 Gewürztraminer.

As we took our place back at the table our wine was deliver and poured and our entree’s served.  All were presented well and sent a shimmer of life back into our jelly legs. Tara’s duck & pistachio terrine oozed with the presence of its two key ingredients which were well accompanied by the bitter sweet pickle flavoured cornichons.

Craig’s salmon although not smoked on the premises is provided by a local supplier from Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills, well known for their great assortment of smoked seafood. The light fresh flavour of the avocado, mango and lemon suited the salmon perfectly on a hot day.

The Pork Belly was lightly salted to create the crunchy crackling which hovered over the gelatinous layer and soft succulent meat. The puree was delicate and creamy, not overpowering the flavour of the pork, while the watermelon provided a cooling sweetness to cleanse and invigorate my palate.

An appropriate 15 to 20 minute wait between entree and main gave us time to relax, enjoy the surrounding gardens and sip on some spectacular wine. As the lunch bell rang in my head, the meals aptly arrived bringing with it some amazing aromas. Both Tara and Craig’s prawns were plump and moist with an intense chilli burst from the harissa. The cous cous and natural yoghurt were a welcomed accompaniment assisting with spicy relief.

My salmon sat proudly on the spinach, yet unfortunately was a little overcooked, lacking the medium translucence I would expect to find in such a flavoursome piece of seafood. The fish also seemed to be poached or steamed which surprised me when I found the jelly textured skin still attached. By no means did it stop me from devouring the entire meal (minus the skin), although I would have preferred it to have been grilled or pan-fried to ensure a crispy skin at minimum.

As our plates were removed, we were asked if we would like dessert, just as we noticed a neighbouring table’s mountainous Pavlova arriving almost on queue. Although 3 serves may have tipped us over the edge, a shared dish of their trio of homemade ice-creams seemed like a perfect cooling closure to our meal. The colourful mounds of raspberry sorbet, blueberry and choc cherry ice-cream offered the perfect sweet creamy tartness to satisfy our needs.

If you are travelling to the Clare Valley I highly recommend Skillogalee not only for their wonderful wine but also for a magnificent meal set in a tranquil garden with sensational service. Bookings are a must, as it is clear that word of mouth has driven people from far and wide to put their tastebuds to the test, at this homely establishment. What better way to taste the country than to eat in it.

Darren Richards

Average Menu Pricing
Appetisers $5.50 - $20.00
Entree $10.50 - $19.00
Main $22.00 - $34.00
Side Dishes $8.50 - $10.50
Dessert $12.00 - $17.00

Where: Skillogalee Winery, Trevarrick Rd, Spring Gully SA 5453
Trading: Lunch Monday to Sunday (bookings advisable)
Website: skillogalee.com.au/our_restaurant
Contact: (08) 8843 4311
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Pearl's Diner

Pearl’s Diner 

Dinner Review
Casual Americana

I have regularly spotted the Burger Theory truck in many locations around Adelaide’s CBD and recently at the Fork on the Road Festival, however I had never experienced their food due to massive line-ups so I decided to do so by visiting Pearl’s Diner, their permanent home in Felixstow. After a long round of golf with Nick, I knew that I had built up an extreme hunger, large enough to warrant gorging myself on an array of tasty treats from their menu.

As Athena, Nick and I gathered at the front of the quaint and modish diner in the back streets of Felixstow it became apparent that it was already a busy night. Knowing that bookings aren’t accepted, we approached the counter at 7:10pm and were advised there would be a 15 to 20 minute wait as we were 3rd in line for a table. Agreeing and taking a step outside to avoid the growing bustle of punters gathering in the diminishing waiting space inside, droves of people continued to roll in and add their names to the list without too much concern or displeasure.

By 7:20pm we were offered a table outside which we accepted with famished appreciation. Looking over the menu I was somewhat surprised that there were only 2 carnivorous burger options listed along with a kid’s burger, mushroom burger as a vegetarian option or 3 buttermilk fried chicken wings with coleslaw. There were, however, also a couple of sides on offer such as a single serve buttermilk chicken wing, fries, coleslaw or 14-hour smoked Berkshire pork bun. With all of our stomach’s growling with expressions of interest in a large meal, we quickly decided on the following and ordered at the front counter:

Athena: Burger #1 - Beef patty, lettuce, tomato, American cheese and truck sauce served with fries. A pork bun petite starter.
Nick: Burger #1 - same as Athena.
Myself: Burger #2   Beef patty, onion confit, pancetta and blue cheese sauce served with fries. A serve of 3 buttermilk fried chicken wings with coleslaw. A pork bun petite starter.

Our order was taken and we were advised that there would be about a 20 minute wait with the chicken wings taking an extra 10 minutes. Subsequently they also checked if we would like it to arrive all at once or as it became ready; engulfed by burger-licious jealousy of those already eating around us we knew our stomachs would devour us before we waited for the entire order and agreed on a stepped meal.

After 15 minutes we were delightfully surprised with the arrival of our trio of pork buns and greedily scoffed the petite starter. The pork had been pulled apart into tender strings then coated in a sweet spiced sauce and served on an extremely light, fresh and buttery glazed bun. The pork was slightly overdressed by the sauce which unfortunately drowned the flavour of the meat itself but still left you licking your fingers so as not to waste a drop. My immediate afterthought was that I would love to see the main size option served with slaw.

Now that we’d had a taste of the fare that was to come, we were like ravenous dogs awaiting our next feast. As our Burgers were placed in front of us our eyes lit up, almost as wide as our smiles. I tucked into the first bite of my blue vein burger that was contained in a Hong Kong style toasted sweet roll and it was nothing like I’d expected - it was better. Most people would cringe at the thought of eating blue vein cheese and even though I personally love it, the flavours were far mellower as a sauce than as a wedge on a platter. The indulgent creaminess and richness didn’t overpower the rest of the burger and the combination was complemented well by the onion confit. The chips were a welcomed side, as my tastebuds did require something to break up the flavour but I was soon longing for another bite of the burger.

The buttermilk chicken wings arrived while I was still eating and were piping hot, so I saved them until the end leaving a little time to for them to cool before chowing down. Taking my first bite into the wing there were three distinct textures; firstly the crumbling crunch of the skin, followed by the soft tender meat and finally the juices that almost oozed down my chin. On closer inspection it was a relief to see that the juice was all flavour rather than the usual grease ridden drool from some fast food outlets. The wings were served with a wedge of lemon which gave the chicken a fantastic zesty zing and some of their creamy trucker sauce. The bowl of coleslaw was also a great accompaniment with a slight tangy saltiness.

For those who happen to have a sweet tooth, ‘La Waffle’ also operates from the premises and offers Belgian waffles with a selection of 3 toppings (cinnamon sugar, maple syrup and vanilla ice-cream or Belgian chocolate and vanilla ice-cream) as dessert. Although I was too stuffed from the 3 savoury courses to order my own, I was lucky enough to try some with maple syrup, which when mixed with the aroma that resonates from the waffle irons inside it has you ahh-ing in approval over the crusty soft batter treat.

Feeling more than content with the meal, it was clear that Pearl’s Diner is already a huge hit, not only with the hoards of passionate and devoted Burger Theory fans, but also with suburban locals and random Adelaidian’s looking for that something a little different. Although there may be some wait times and the turnover of tables in peak periods is a smidgen slower than some customers may hope for, it soon becomes obvious why the droves of people are continuously flocking through the doors; great food, friendly staff and a funky environment. There is no doubt you will have a ‘Pearler’ of a time dining here.

Average Menu Pricing
Main $11.00 - $15.00
Sides $4.00 - $7.00
Dessert $5.00 - $9.00
Drinks $3.00 - $6.00 (restaurant isn’t licensed to serve alcohol at this point)

Where: 38A Briar Rd Felixstow 5070
Trading: Wed – Fri 5:30pm – 9pm, Sat 11:30am - 3pm and 5:30pm - 9pm, Sun 11:30am - 3pm
Website: pearlsdiner.com.au
Contact: (08) 8165 2448
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pearlsdiner
Twitter: @pearlsdiner

Photography by Darren Richards

Fork on the Road

Food Truck Festival. 30 Nov 2012
Lunch Review

As the local food truck phenomenon continues to rapidly grow in Adelaide it was only a matter of time before someone seized the opportunity to create an event to bring these restaurants on wheels together; that person was Joe Noone. Joe has been following the food truck space for a number of years with visits to Los Angeles and New York where this activity thrives. The aptly named ‘Fork on the Road’ festival was set to break new ground, being the first of its kind in Australia and what better place to hold it than in the Festival State, S.A. Held in Victoria Square, one of the key parade grounds of the weekly food truck lunchtime loiter, the central hub of Adelaide city was the perfect place to launch the inaugural festival.

Rocking up at 12:30pm with my mate and passionate foodie Macca in tow, there was already a large swarm of hungry patron's eager to get their truck on. A total of 24 food trucks, vans and stalls had mustered together creating a lunchtime extravaganza with line-ups visible from the Hilton, it was clear that Adelaidian's had embraced the event.

Having previously tried the fare from the La Cantina crew and legendary status Burger Theory team, we had our eyes set on some authentic Argentinean grub as starters from the new kids on the block at Chimichurri Grill. The line would have been at least 40 people deep, but was moving smoothly. About 10 minutes in and half way to the front, we heard our greatest fear being yelled from the truck, "No more steak". That's okay; we'll have the Chorizo we thought. Alas, 5 minutes later our fear turned to nightmare when that too had all been devoured. They were turning over some serious numbers and luckily there were plenty of other options to choose from.

With grumbles bellowing from our stomach's we decided to split up and try our luck from 2 separate sites, regrouping for a shared lunch under the shade of a tree. Macca headed off in the direction of Los Compadres whilst I darted over to Tacocat who had set up next to the iconic Victoria Square fountain. After ordering and being advised of a 20 minute wait due to the unexpected traffic, I was alerted to the fact that Macca had also been notified of an extended wait time. Hopefully the organisers and vendors will take note of the event’s popularity and be better prepared for the next one, as someone on a restricted lunch break may have found the wait time limiting. Luckily we found ourselves a comfortable position to lounge around and chill on the grass so we decided to take in the sites.

I took this time as an opportunity to visit some vendors Joe had put me onto who were very generous and more than happy to offer me a taste of their individual concoctions. First up I met with James from Smooth Revolution who does his circuit in a very unique and healthy manner by cycling. James not only rides to events, but also uses pedal power to crank up a blender that attaches to the back wheel of his bike, whipping up all the goodies he has on offer. The smoothies are all made with organic fruit which has been frozen to ensure freshness and you get the option of saving some cash while burning some calories if you choose to pedal yourself. I tried the Hybrid which was a non-milk based smoothie. It was full of fruit flavour and cold enough to quench my thirst and cool me down a tad.

Next I met with Csaba and Monika over at Bodri's Bakery & Cafe. Bodri's make traditional Hungarian Chimney cakes and barista’d coffee using their own unique imported Italian blend bean called Lucaffé. Only operating for 2 weeks prior to Fork on the Road, the couple were amazed at how many people were supporting not only the festival, but also their coffee and cakes. The demand was so high on the day that they had sold out of their Chimney Cakes early, and Monika was frantically whipping up another batch. Certainly a great sign for them, the event and the customers. I would have to return a bit later to try the sugary delight of the Chimney Cake as I was certain not to miss out on this dessert.

I headed back towards Tacocat and collected my taco trio before catching up with Macca to share the plate of mini mouthfuls. With a selection of 3 different soft shell taco's we were pleasantly refreshed by the flavours, but knew this would only just touch the surface of our hunger. After an extended wait we finally received our 2nd serve of Mexican food from Los Compadres which seemed even smaller than Tacocat's and left us begging for more.

We were joined by another great mate and food aficionado in the way of Hobbsy who alerted us to Phat Buddha Rolls who were situated in a green van on the second row of trucks from where we were sat in the shade. We moseyed around and were rejuvenated by the smell of herbaceous meat wafting from the van. Unfortunately only chicken wraps were left, but with the flavour sensations tingling our nasal passages we could not refuse. The wrap was crammed to capacity with warm grilled chicken and all fresh salads and we requested it be cut in half to make the share easier. The intense flavours were incredible and our taste buds reached a new height while our stomachs were now nearing capacity. On returning to the Phat Buddha Roll van to thank them, I was greeted with a piece of steak which had just been grilled and unsurprisingly it was succulent and moreish.

As the afternoon drew to a close, there was only one thing left to do, revisit the lovely team at Bodri's and grab some sweets for the road. Csaba advised that they had done a roaring trade and almost completely sold out for the day, truly reflective of the products and service they were offering. He provided me with a warm cinnamon sugared Chimney Cake and the smell instantly reminded me of a walk through sideshow alley at the Royal Show. The cake was humongous but so light; an awesome end to my tasting sensation at Fork on the Road.

If this first event is anything to go by, Joe, the Adelaide City Council and all of the F'ruckers (food truckers) are onto a massive winner. The next event will be held on Friday 21st December at Hindmarsh Square from 11am - 2pm. I only have 3 recommendations: Get there early, get there hungry and just Forkin' get there!

Darren Richards
(AKA Dougal McFuzzlebutt)

When/Where: 30 Nov 2012. Victoria Square
Next Event: 21 Dec 2012. Hindmarsh Square
Trading: Lunch 11am – 2pm
Website: facebook.com/ForkontheRoadAdelaide
Twitter: @Fork_ontheRoad

Photography by Darren Richards

Del Giorno's Cafe Restaurant

Del Giorno's Cafe Restaurant

Dinner Review
Modern Australian

I was travelling for work and needed a place to eat for the night, so asked for some advice in one of the local business I was visiting. The suggested response was Del Giorno's overlooking the coast. By the time I returned to my hotel I had forgotten the name, so I Googled restaurants in Port Lincoln and sure enough it came up again, voted number one on Trip Advisor. The venue was only walking distance from my hotel so I decided to give it a go.

When I arrived the place looked similar to a cafe; the layout was very relaxed; the venue had various clientele - some only drinking coffee and others having a meal. When I approached the counter I was advised that I could sit at any table which wasn't reserved. The system for ordering was simple; read the menu provided and order from the bar. Shortly after I sat I was greeted by my waitress, Narelle, who delivered my complimentary bread and a bottle of chilled water with a glass of ice. Narelle offered me a drink which she said she would happily deliver to my table and add to my tab. I chose a Coopers Sparkling Ale to cool down, freshen up and to cleanse my pallet, and Narelle then took me through the specials and clearly explained the system for ordering.

After some deliberation over the menu I settled on the following:
Eye fillet steak with garlic prawns on mashed potato with wild catch Spencer Gulf king prawns cooked in creamy garlic sauce (ordered medium rare).
Side: selection of fresh steamed vegetable.
To accompany my meal I requested a glass of the Lincoln estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

When the steak arrived it looked amazing. Easily 300 grams (although the menu didn't specify), it sat high on the mash with 3 reasonable sized prawns on top. The meat was perfectly cooked and tasted delicious, and the potato was perfectly seasoned. The garlic sauce was well balanced and didn't overpower the meal with an excessively garlic-y taste. The steamed veg side was most impressive however, as it included a rare combination of red and green capsicum, celery, zucchini, carrot and red onion; this is a thoughtful arrangement and was a wonderful surprise when compared to my expectations of the regular beans and broccoli mix one might expect. The wine was a great accompaniment, with a full bodied flavour and sweet vanilla like after taste.

As I completed the various elements of my meal, Narelle remained prompt and attentive; removing any empty bottles and plates and asking how I was progressing. The dining experience was wonderfully satisfying, and it was only complimented by the gorgeous views over the ocean. Many other patrons around me ordered the deep sea flathead, resting on Japanese udon noodles and julienne vegetables finished with red curry sauce. Narelle assured me that it was a local favourite - so definitely one to check out next time.

This venue has certainly earned its number 1 rating on Trip Advisor, and it is a combination of ambiance, service and great food that has done it. Be sure to check it out next time you are in town.

Paul Rodda

Average Menu Pricing
Breakfast $12.40 - $14.90
Snacks and extras $1.50 - $5.00
Entrees $14.50 - $16.00
Mains $11.50 - $32.00
Sides $5.00 - $7.90
Deserts available in display fridge

Where: Del Giorno's Cafe Restaurant - 80 Tasman Terrace, Port Lincoln, SA, 5606
Trading: Monday to Saturday 7.30am to late. Sundays and public holidays 8.30am to late.
Website: www.delgiornos.com.au
Contact: (08) 8683 0577
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.