REVIEW: Junction Hotel

Pub:          Junction Hotel
Where:     1 Plenty Rd., Preston
Phone:        9484 1009
Date:         9 October 2009
Score:         12.5/20

I’ll go easy on the social essay today and stick to the point of this segment and the written reviews of the pubs across Victoria but the pursuit of finding another “A” grader (in my opinion) of pubs with pokies in the suburbs will be pursued.

This week it’s Preston, although if the Junction moved a few metres toward town into High St., I would be speaking about in it Thornbury, home of the once legendary Croxton Park, aka “The Croc”.

I suppose the name of the pub says it all; bang on the apex where High and Plenty splits, it’s hard to imagine it being called anything else. Although 3 goes at HSC maths saw me miss on all occasions, the pub has a curious look of an equilateral triangle; this one with fizz.

And while it sticks rigidly in its approach to modern pub hospitality in the suburbs of pokies/tote/large dining room, I reckon there is real upside to this one. No doubting from the lass behind the jump in the tote to the lady in charge of the bistro, the team is pulling together.

The pub has been taken over by Collingwood premiership player, Gavin Crosisca, and as an owner/operator, his visibility is a plus.

Second, the public bar has a string of loyal patrons and everyone has their territory marked out. Plenty of chairs/tables etc., and even on a crowded day, you can move easily through.

(I saw a bloke put on a floorshow however about the non-appearance of mash with his Beef and Guinness Pie in the bar and while it looked a beauty, he wasn’t happy – apparently they put the mash inside the pastry!!).

Ok., the beer’s good, but irritatingly I am unable to order a 200ml (7oz) glass of draught. Why?  It may seem a trifle, but I am customer and this is a standard sized vessel.  Surely 10 or so glasses won’t break the bank!!

The distinction between this bar and others is that there is a real locals feel, rather than somewhere to pop in and have a drink.

The pokies are separated from the rest of the areas of the pub. The main entrance is actually from the rear carpark, but a logistical issue is that the only connectivity between the dining room and front bar is a passage way connecting both areas.

Not much they can do about that, but to be sure it is awkward.  The dining room seats around 100, and is neatly set out in the typical cream/brown fittings and fixtures. (You’ve  seen it plenty of times).

Challenge #1 is to bring people back in to the dining room; increasingly Preston is offering a real diversity in eating options.  Friday and Saturday nights are fine, but the rest of the week will require imagination.

I didn’t mind the offer though.  Prices were fair, and most meals came in a range of $18-22. Tried was;

•    Thai chicken curry on rice and vegetables. At $18.90, a rarity in pub curries was achieved – heat.  It had a nice tang, chicken was moist and plentiful and it tasted like a curry!  On the downside, the vegetables that accompanied didn’t inspire and were superfluous to the dish

•    Eye fillet, 250g, Pepper sauce, chips and salad - $28.90.  Good steak, cooked as ordered, priced right, fully plated.

•    Secret Stone, SavBlanc @$27.  This is a tidy drop and at the price ($5.5 per glass) represents a very reasonable buy.

Recently the pub transferred from the (successful) Barretta group and their name still adorns the pub. From what I can gather, the pub will eventually carve out its own identity but a long trip awaits them.

After 6 weeks in the Junction, Team Crosisca is making the right noises.