Sausage

Proud Mary

Potato hash, double smoked bacon, poached egg, asparagus, bagna cauda (Italian sauce of anchovies and cream)

The shredded hash brown was wonderfully crispy and tasted fantastic with the bold bagna cauda and the warm golden yolk from the poached egg.

★★★★☆

Cotechino pork sausage, roasted mushrooms, poached egg, charred onion, zeally bay sourdough

This dish has definitely made me a fan of cotechino!

★★★★☆

Mork Hot Chocolate served with unrefined coconut blossom sugar

Not the best latte art in the world however the drink itself was rich and comforting.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Proud Mary is a place that I can always count on for a great experience. The food is delicious and filling, the service quick and friendly, and the atmosphere very laid back. Waiting times can be quite long during the weekend so these days I prefer to avoid the crowds and visit on a weekday.

Proud Mary

172 Oxford St, Collingwood, VIC

(03) 9417 5930

http://www.proudmarycoffee.com.au/

Le Bon Ton

Onion Rings – beer battered and jerk seasoned

Nicely seasoned onion rings with a thin crunchy batter.

= ★★★★

Fried Chicken – Southern style buttermilk soaked tenders with cracked pepper white gravy

Each bite brought to mind KFC chicken.

= ★★

Mac & 3 Cheese – Cheddar, American and Swiss

Dry and pungent.

= ★★

The Smoker’s Lot – (left to right) Otway Ranges pork shoulder, Chicken basted in apple BBQ sauce, Jalapeno and cheddar hot-link sausage, Riverina Angus beef brisket

Each meat was deliciously smoky and tender. However everyone’s clear favourite was without a doubt the sausage: spicy, juicy, with portions of deliciously melted cheese.

= ★★★

Overall:

Decent food, decent service and I really liked the old West saloon vibe that they had going on. I must really try one of their burgers the next time I come here as I’ve heard many good things about them. And here’s a fun fact for you. The name “Le Bon Ton” actually originates from a Louisiana saying “Laissez les bons temps rouler” or “Let the good times roll”, which is often used as a fun and festive way to get people riled up and let them know that the party is starting. So altogether now: “Le Bon Ton!”

Le Bon Ton

51 Gipps St, Collingwood

9416 4341

http://www.lebonton.com.au

The Gem Bar and Dining

Ranch style beans with brisket ends

Sweet and spicy.

★★★☆☆

Mac & cheese, Zesty coleslaw, Potato salad

★★☆☆☆

Southern style cornbread

Extremely crumbly with corn kernels and pieces of capsicum.

★★☆☆☆

(from L to R)

Smoked Angus beef sausages

These were tasty however the casings were tough and chewy, and once these sausages had cooled down, each bite left a pool of oil in our mouths.

★★☆☆☆

Pork, fennel and chilli sausages

Smoky, spicy, slightly dry.

★★☆☆☆

Pork belly

Marginally dry.

★★☆☆☆

Beef brisket

Salty, not particularly smoky.

★★☆☆☆

Pulled pork

Tender, lacked flavor.

★★☆☆☆

Lamb ribs

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Casual atmosphere, average service, unexceptional food. I’d probably go elsewhere for American BBQ.

The Gem Bar and Dining

289 Wellington St, Collingwood, VIC

(03) 9419 5170

http://thegembar.com.au/

Meatmaiden

20-hour Rangers Valley Wagyu brisket with Tasmanian pepper berry rub (200g)

Quality house-smoked brisket that was meltingly tender.

★★★★☆

Lobster Mac Cheese

This classic macaroni and cheese dish was creamy but heavy, and had a surprisingly reasonable amount of lobster in it.

★★★★☆

Southern Fried Chicken with tequila mayo

Ordinary chicken served with bland mayo.

★★☆☆☆

Pulled Pork Shoulder

Sweet tender pork that was full of flavour.

★★★☆☆

House sausage, parsley, pickled red onion

Very dense and smoky.

★★☆☆☆

Crispy skin baby snapper, charred cauliflower, green bean salad

Well cooked, light and satisfying.

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Meatmaiden is the sister restaurant to barbecue shack Meatmother in Richmond, and I must say that comparatively the meat served here is just as good or if not better. For 30 days the meat is dry-aged in order to achieve its greatest flavour and tenderness, and brisket is smoked for up to 20 hours in their custom built smokers. The 20-hour Rangers Valley Wagyu brisket was certainly a highlight and is something that I would easily return for. Service was good and the atmosphere casual. Note that this place is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Meatmaiden

195 Little Collins St, Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9078 7747

Meatmaiden

Innocent Bystander Winery

Wood fired pizza – spicy pork sausage, buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomato, chilli

Thin crispy base, spicy herby topping.

★★★☆☆

Moscato Granita and Moscato & Sipsmith Summer Cocktail

Both drinks were very refreshing however I enjoyed the granita more as it was sweeter.

★★★★☆

Overall:

Try the Moscato, it is fantastic.

Innocent

Innocent Bystander Winery

336 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville, VIC

(03) 5962 6111

http://www.innocentbystander.com.au/

Raspberry Fool

Baked eggs (caramelised onion, ham and gruyere) with toast

★★☆☆☆

Scrambled free range eggs with chorizo and toast

★★☆☆☆

Poached free range eggs with sausage and toast

★★☆☆☆

Chocolate French toast with honey, yogurt and pear compote

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Small cafe with a small menu that offered friendly service and reasonable food.

Note this place is closed on Sundays

Raspberry Fool

85 Bathurst St, Hobart, TAS

(03) 6231 1274

Pistol Pete’s Food N Blues

93a Little Malop St, Geelong 5221 0287

Southern Style Fried Chicken

Crispy fried chicken covered in tasty spices. Be sure to try this with hot sauce for a deliciously spicy kick.

= ★★★

N’awlins Taster Plate

A surprisingly filling tasting plate that consisted of grilled andouille sausage, cajun fries, okra, fried shrimp and gumbo. Each dish was terrific but the stand out item for me was the gumbo. The rich stew was a thick blend of aromatic spices and flavours, and contained shrimp, chicken and sausage.

= ★★★

Overall:

Who would have thought that such a great place existed in Geelong? Pistol Pete’s serves up delicious Southern American food in a casual setting where fantastic Blues music is played non-stop, and live Blues acts perform regularly.

Note that orders are taken at the counter and that this place is closed on Mondays.

Friends of Mine

Toasted piadini

(pork/chilli/fennel sausage, tomato chutney, smoked scamorza cheese and spinach)

Small portion size so wasn’t very filling.

★★☆☆☆

Smashed avocado

(avocado, thyme buttered mushrooms, poached egg, marinated feta and torn basil on toasted five grain bread)

This exact dish is bigger and better at Porgie and Mr Jones (same owners as this place)

★★☆☆☆

Eggs benedict

(smoked ham hock terrine, poached eggs, a rich and tangy apple cider hollandaise and baby herbs on an English muffin)

★★☆☆☆

‘Jack + Jill’

(toasted ciabatta, poached eggs, bacon, 12 hour roasted tomato, avocado and thyme buttered mushrooms)

★★☆☆☆

Citrus semifreddo

Sweet, rich and creamy, served with almond praline and raspberries

★★★☆☆

Overall:

A nice place to catch up with friends as the noise level is low and the dining area is quite spacious and comfortable. The staff (who wear these cute denim aprons that have the word ‘Friends’ on them) are lovely, the coffee is good, but the food is average at best. Note that this place is cash only.

Friends of Mine

506 Swan St, Richmond, VIC

(03) 9428 7516

http://www.friendsofmine.com.au/

The Grain Store

517 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 9972 6993

Apple, rhubarb & ricotta pancakes

Chilli & fennel sausage, winter vegetable hash

Lemon meringue pie

Thoughts:

Pancakes – Extraordinary! The combination of tangy rhubarb curd, sweet apple puree, crunchy oat and honeycomb crumble and the fluffy ricotta pancakes was simply fantastic = Excellent

Chilli & fennel sausage – the egg was perfectly poached and sat upon the winter vegetable hash which was a mix of potato and sweet potato chunks. The chilli and fennel sausage was ordinary but the pear and cider relish was quite tasty = Good

Lemon meringue pie – lemon curd, marshmallow, tamarillo salsa, basil and two squares of buttery pastry made up this deconstructed pie. Despite having all the right ingredients there on the plate, I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing = Not bad

Overall:

A wonderful brunch place that is hidden among dull office buildings found at the west end of Melbourne’s CBD. The food here is fresh, local, organic, and not to mention beautifully presented. The staff are friendly and there is a relaxed country kitchen feel here with its light open space and naturally colourful decor (fruit, vegetables, plants, flowers) that can be seen throughout the dining area. Best of all, this place takes reservations!

The Pour Kids

1e Winter St, Malvern 9077 3847

Duck for cover – Italian-style pork sausage, burnt butter gnocchi, fried egg and swiss chard

Stacks on – Grilled chorizo sausage, hash brown, guacamole, sour cream and roasted corn relish

Thoughts:

Duck for cover – don’t be fooled like I was, contains no duck. The gnocchi was soft, had good texture but was covered with large salt granules making them slightly crunchy which was a bit strange = Not bad

Stacks on – the chorizo sausage was overcooked and thus was dry, chewy and extremely salty. The hash brown however was terrific! = Not bad

Overall:

A bright and friendly looking place (think lots of primary colours) that has good service and a small menu of quirky named dishes (eg. Leeky coq, Bck-bck-begerk). Just note that portions are on the small side and that the chai lattes here have no sweetness to them whatsoever.