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Thursday May 17, 2012

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Ela Carte goes Naked for Satan

Posted by: Ela Carte, 3AW Breakfast | 18 December, 2010 - 8:37 PM

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NAKED FOR SATAN – 285 Brunswick St Fitzroy www.nakedforsatan.com.au

ELA CARTE: Oh, how lovely it is to stumble upon a gem. A real gem. And I found one this week.

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Naked For Satan is a vodka and pinxtos bar which employs the Basque tradition of offering drinkers tasty little tapas-like morsels to enjoy with their drinks. Most are canapé-like snacks served on slices of French stick, but they’re anything but plain. We’re talking combinations like Eggplant Chip with Blue Cheese; Pea Puree, Cherry Tomato and scallop; Spicy Lamb Meatball with rich tomato sugo; and warm veal schnitzel. Drinks are ordered at the bar, you grab a plate and you take whichever pintxos tickle your fancy. Amazingly, the place is run on an honour system, along with your plate you get a small shot glass in which to store the toothpicks that pierce each pintxo. At the end of play, staff count your toothpicks and you pay accordingly.

It’s not just offerings on bread, my downfall was my absolute weakness for croquettes and the waitresses who appeared at regular intervals from the kitchen with whole plates of the soft potato parcels. There were some tasty chorizo croquettes, and a spicy green olive, chilli and gouda cheese variety, a fresher corn option and simple tuna – and they were all winners. Probably the most impressive thing about this whole operation was the speed with which the food was refreshed and replaced. Every few minutes packed new plates of food emerged from the kitchen. Some waitresses offered their selections to seated patrons, others delivered theirs directly to the bar. Plenty of warm, cooked options, plus some great seafood combinations and lots for the vegetarians to choose from.

The décor at Naked for Satan is fun and a little whacky, the layout means it’s a lot bigger than it appears from outside, with a variety of smaller tables, benches, larger share tables and even some couches. It was a great, varied crowd enjoying the nibblies on offer – much less “Fitzroy” than I expected. And the kicker? The absolute selling point? Well, it’s the Naked for Satan mid-week lunch special, which sees the pintxos priced at 50 cents a pop! So pigging out on chorizo, blue cheese, a handful of croquettes, terrine and meatballs set Ruth Serum and I back $7 in total for food. Because of this, we were able to indulge in the stunning Palacio De Fefinanes Albarinho for $13 a glass. It’s a great wine list with some stunning Basque varieties like the Txakoli, which you’d struggle to find elsewhere in Melbourne, and some easy pleasers starting at $7 a glass. At other times during the week, you still won’t break the bank with pintxos priced at $2 across the board.

This is a great option for a relaxed, light lunch over a lovely glass of wine, a juice or a coffee. I have no doubt that the folk at Naked for Satan have the odd frugal soul who eats their fill and drinks tap water for hours, but they assure me that as long as punters come in an enjoy the great drinks on offer, they hope to keep this fantastic midweek deal going. Note there’s no bookings, but certainly during the week there should be a rotating crowd and tables available at least with only a minimal wait.

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3AW Food 3AW is Food: Melburnians love to eat so it's fortunate we live in the culinary capital of Australia. On this dedicated food page you will find the latest recipes by Bob Hart as well as Tony Leonard's Pub of the Week reviews. La Luna head chef Adrian Richardson also serves up a dish from his own cook book and food reviewer Ela Carte visits one of Melbourne's hottest eateries weekly.

Blog comments Your Say

  • Brigadier,

    The m'am sahib will be fine in a sari, or frock of her choice. Would love your feedback if you do make it along.

    TTFN.
    Ela Carte

    Ela Carte Tuesday 4 January, 2011 - 11:16 AM

  • The m'am sahib and I shall try this eatery. One can but hope that being naked is not a pre-requisite for attendace? The m'am shib is beyond it!

    The Brigadier Wednesday 29 December, 2010 - 7:49 AM

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