Kate’s Week in Food: Gin-spiration and a brand new venue opens its doors
BUILDING BRICKS
Acre Farm & Eatery re-opens at Burwood Brickworks is has welcomed diners again. The venue aims to give new meaning to sustainable fresh dining in an urban farm setting on the rooftop at Burwood Brickworks. The acre team has been eagerly awaiting the re-opening of the farmhouse doors and meanwhile have been busy planting for the new season, so people can expect to see vibrant beds full of rainbow chard, broccoli and kale. acrefarmeatery.com.au/
Not only are some of our favourite eateries re-opening, but there are brand new venues opening their doors across Melbourne, like Brunswick’s new Green Acre pizzeria, serving up veg-focussed pizzas and local booze. Don’t worry, though, the menu is both vegan and carnivore friendly, with pizzas ranging from the signature Grass is Greener with zucchini, spinach and smashed peas to the classic Pepperoni (with meat or vegan salami). Drinks have been locally sourced to reduce delivery miles, such as Jamsheed’s 2018 Wandin Yarra Valley Sauvignon Blanc and Foreigner Brewing Co’s 9% ABV Black IPA, produced just 750 metres up the road. All pizzas are just $15 every Tuesday for pick-up or dine in customers. greenacrepizza.com.au
THE SUN ALSO RISES
Albert Park’s Sun Kitchen has re-opened just in time to celebrate their first birthday. As a reward, they’re offering customers the chance to enjoy one of their award-winning Cantonese and Sichuan dishes for just one buck when you buy another main. We’re talking the phenomenal sizzling fish fillet in hot chilli oil; golden prawn with coconut ginger sauce; or sauteed milk with crab meat topped with dried scallop. Their sizzling fish is one of my favourite Sichuan dishes of all time – well worth a trip to this lakeside locatin. sun-kitchen.com
SHORT-LIVED CELEBRATION
The Shortest Lunch festival should have been celebrating it’s 21st anniversary this month, but like many others, the longest-running food and wine event in the Yarra Valley has been postponed. But, that doesn’t mean you miss out on your chance to taste wines from the region’s smaller wineries. They’ve come up with a selection of mixed red, white, rose and sparkling cases from 19 participating wineries available for purchase online. There are 38 wines available in three unique cases of a dozen, plus a mixed-six pack. Wineries include Boat O’Craigo, Kellybrook, Seville Estate, Soumah, and many more. yarravalleysmallerwineries.
GET GIN-SPIRED
Lockdown does not discriminate, and for Mornington Peninsula distillery Bass and Flinders, they won’t be able to go ahead with World Gin Day festivities on June 13th as planned. Instead, they’ll be celebrating all month, including a “Gin-spiration” campaign that will see and customers who spend over $60 with them online nominating a friend who’s been a lockdown inspiration to receive a complimentary Bass & Flinders mini craft Gin & Tonic kit including shipping. They’ve launched two new gins – Maritime and Orient – just in time for World Gin Day, too. bassandflindersdistillery.com
THEY’RE BACK!
And following on from our list of re-opened venues last week, great to see two popular pubs back in business. Sibling establishments “The Skinny Dog Hotel” in Kew and the “Yarra Valley Grand Hotel” in Yarra Glen have reopened for dining, much to the relief of hungry, thirsty locals! www.skinnydoghotel.com.au www.yarravalleygrandhotel.