The Spring Graze – www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au

Queen Street Rescue – 198 Queen Street City www.qs-rescue.com.au
The Royal Saxon – 545 Church St Richmond www.royalsaxon.com
Shadowfax Winery – Spring Lamb Amongst the Vines www.shadowfax.com.au

It’s that time again, each year the team from the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival convinces restaurants all over Victoria to put on daily, weekly, or one-off lunches and dinners based around the theme of the “Spring Graze”. Without fail, it’s a great way to get out and try out those restaurants you haven’t gotten around to visiting yet, and actually know what you’re getting and how much it’ll cost you. This week I tried three such venues.

Queen Street Rescue: Smokin’ Spring Nights – Saturdays and Sundays through September

Here’s one that’s perfect for the Spring Graze, brand new (it’s been open just over a month); it really hasn’t got a lot of press just yet, so it’s been flying under the radar a bit. A great concept, the name comes from the fact that the owners reckon there’s a bit of a dearth of good eateries in Queen St, so they’ve come to the … well, the rescue. Where possible, all produce and drinks are exclusively from Victoria and Tasmania, and they do their best to show off the best these states have to offer.

For the Spring Graze, it’s all about the smoke, Queen St Rescue have renamed their Saturday and Sunday evenings during September “Smokin’ Spring Nights”. The deal is two courses with a wine matched to entrée and a beer chosen for the main, and it’s $47, which is pretty good value.

Entrée consists of fresh asparagus spears paired with a subtley smoked fior de latte cheese and a zinging red onion dressing. Simple ingredients, and interesting flavour combination, paired with a Heathcote sparking rose. 

But it was the main that stole the show – generous and supremely satisfying. A lamb rack cold smoked for 75 minutes before cooking, atop sautéed dutch cream potatoes, with spinach and broadbeans. The lamb was phenomenal, smoked and cooked to perfection, and it came with a salsa that when described sounded somewhat jarring, but on the plate the combination of capers, cornichons, broadbeans, peas and herbs just lightened the flavours perfectly. This one comes with a Holgate Brewery beer, and while I’m not a beer nut, it actually seemed to go okay.

Queen Street Rescue definitely deserves a look-in from the nearby corporate crowd, the interior is modern and smart without being sterile, it’s an admirable concept and certainly from this smokin’ offering, the food is up to scratch.

Royal Saxon Hotel: Quattro Angoli/Four Corners – Monday nights through September

The Royal Saxon Hotel is kind of one of those “places to be seen” in Melbourne, it’s very now, and it’s very busy each and every weekend. So I don’t know that I’d wander down on a Saturday afternoon or evening to try to have a nice, quiet, quick dinner. But – that’s exactly what you can do on Monday nights through September thanks to the Royal Saxon’s “Quattro Angoli” Spring Graze deal.

These guys are getting together the best produce from the four corners of Victoria, and putting it on a plate for diners for a very good price. With two courses and a glass of wine for $35, it’s a brilliant way to enjoy a pretty funky space, and have a quick meal out at the start of the week.Last Monday featured the best of the North

West, from the asparagus entrée with poached egg and olive, to the DIVINE slow braised abacchio of milk-fed lamb. We’re talking a whole beast slow cooked in what they describe as a classic Roman style, the creamy flavour of the meat complemented by a rich vegetable, herb and breadcrumb baked topping. This and the roast Dutch carrots on the side are shared between the table, it’s not a huge serve, but it’s certainly sufficient and what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in impact on the tastebuds.

So still to come on the coming Mondays, it’s the North East with new season goat and Murray Cod; then the South East with Yarra Valley greens and Wessex suckling pig; and the South West in the way of Macedon mushrooms and spring veal.

Shadowfax Winery: Spring Lamb amongst the Vines – 1-30th Sept 11am – 5pm 

Shadowfax is one of those places I’ve been meaning to visit and assumed I needed an excuse, so Spring Lamb Amongst the Vines is it. I have no doubt the word “Werribee” puts many off visiting this one, it just doesn’t sound exotic enough next to Yering or Red Hill, but this is a gorgeous looking building and unlike the other two it’s less than a half hour drive from the city.

The great thing about this promotion is that it’s on each and every day throughout September, we went on a Wednesday afternoon for lunch, and there was no need to book, the choice of sitting inside or out, and a thoroughly relaxed reception.

Shadowfax are serving up their new season lamb on the bone in a rich stew of local artichokes, fresh peas and mint, served on polenta. Paired with a glass of Sauv Blanc, Rose` or Shiraz, it’s again fantastic value at $25. Make sure you don’t take a punt on your choice of vino, head inside and do a tasting while you wait for your food.

I have to say this is exactly why the Spring Graze works for participating restaurants, it gets people in who may not otherwise have found the time, and I can tell you now that because of the great atmosphere and phenomenal service at Shadowfax, I know I’ll be back (probably for the pizza, which I had a sneaky taste of – impressive!).

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