Pub:  Vine Hotel

Where:  59 Wellington St., Collingwood
Phone:  9417 2434
Date:  21 May 2010
Score:  15/20
Internet:  N/a

Imagine this:  You get up around  8.00, maybe 8.30 each morning for the five working days of the week.  You head to your job in hospitality, at a venue that is owned and operated by you (Peter) and wife (Jacqui).

You only do lunch, you see loads of familiar, grateful faces and then, around 7pm each night, you close up and head home:  Weekends are yours.

In many respects this is fantasy if you own/operate a pub, or work in hospitality but not here at this wonderful, steady as she goes icon in the back blocks of Collingwood/Fitzroy.

Nine years on since it was the DeBortoli pub of the year in 2001, nothing has changed and for once, this is a good thing. Melbourne should rejoice that in spite of trends in pubs (some good, some not), that the Vine in Collingwood (don’t be mislead by pubs of similar names) delivers what pubs in our City are all about.

I still remain perplexed why the Vine never enters the discussion of the best in Melbourne amongst the cognoscenti.  Essentially it is two smallish rooms, red 'pub' carpet, with typical pubs stools, exposed brick walls with a little clutter of pictures hanging from them.  

Small bar sits between public and bistro, and the galley is there for all to see.  It could be like any other inner suburban pub but it’s not.  The value of a fireplace in the bistro in winter is an attraction in itself.

The answer is simple: Experience in hospitality.  Peter and Jacqui have been in pubs for 35 years at least and small sized pubs (Hollyford in Elizabeth St. / Royal Park Nth Melb) are their thing.  Good beer (7oz glasses), friendly welcome, personal recognition (never the expression 'my man', 'squire' or 'mate') are uttered by the Guv’nor, sorry Peter.  

This is a skill, mastered by only a few publicans (Pat Reardon, Rising Sun Richmond, another) and only comes with years of attention to detail and care.  Great chalkboards outlining the food and wine hang proudly, with only one person’s writing from the brick walls. Tick.

Crispy bread, butter and water is brought without asking and the table is neatly covered by butchers paper.  Already, you are at ease.  The formula works seamlessly as an acquaintance at another table informs me that they have been dining here once a week for the past 14 years.

The Vine does that to you.

The pub allows itself the self congratulatory “Famous” when referring to its Cevapcici, spicy skinless sausages from the Balkans.  It is well earned.  Entree size is 3, mains 6 @ $10.9/19 and they arrive with a trio of commercial mustards and an onion jam.  

A simple dish and years on, packs a punch: An acme pub dish of Melbourne.

Veal Scaloppine ($26.90) wrapped in prosciutto with a sage dressing comes as five neatly sized pieces, very tasty and not overpowered by the rich sauce.

Meatloaf, Mash and gravy ($24.9), using the off-cuts of porterhouse and eye are bound by breadcrumbs and baked, wrapped in prosciutto. This was a monstrous slab, and looked certain to defeat my medical guest – it didn’t.

All meals come with your choice of vegetables at no additional cost.

To complete the package, Water Wheel Shiraz ($36), the big robust boy from Bendigo was chosen.  Simply it never misses and I thought the price represented a reasonable mark up.

Sure it’s famous for its steaks, but the kitchen is happy to offer 3 different fillets of fish along with every pub favourite imaginable as part of the daily menu. I had forgotten how good the Vine is and how well they execute hospitality.  

Lunch service finishes around 3.30 and then a couple of locals breeze in and then, before you know, it is time to pack it all up as the roads are starting to ease from the peak hour crush.

Believe me, to close your pub at this time is a luxury but after years of hard work, no assistance from a TAB/pokies for the bottom line, the Melessi’s have earned it.

Long may they continue here.

Tony's Pub Of The Week 2010

Tony Leonard is back again this year providing readers with reviews from all the pubs he visits on the Neil Mitchell program every Friday after 11:30am. Your home for all of the reviews - 3AW.com.au/pub2010. View all the reviews by clicking on Tony's image on the right.