Event: Staete Landt Wine dinner at Caveau

I just received the following email from Caveau, Wollongong's only hatted restaurant, located in Keira St.
This sounds like a wonderful event and I wish that I could afford to go

Staete Landt Wine dinner at Caveau
Tuesday 11th May, 6.30pm for 7pm entree, $100pp including three courses and six wines

Join us on Tuesday 11th May to try the wines from Staete Landt Vineyard, Marlborough New Zealand. Staete Landt is a boutique family owned winery producing unique wines with characters true to the Rapaura appellation of Marlborough. These wines are rated amongst the best of Marlborough by the international wine press and are not always easy to find. Dorien Vermaas, founder and co-owner of the winery will be here with us for the evening to introduce her wines. You will have the opportunity to purchase wines on the night if you wish but there will be no obligation or pressure to buy.

Menu
Canapes & 2008 Sauvignon Blanc on arrival

Entree
Smoked salmon terrine with mudcrab salad and lemon oil
Staete Landt Pinot Gris & Staete Landt Viognier

Main
Rolled saddle of rabbit with potato fondant, pumpkin puree and hazelnut emulsion
Staete Landt Chardonnay & Staete Landt Pinot Noir

Cheese with fresh fruit and home made lavosh
Staete Landt Syrah

To purchase tickets please email or fax us your credit card number (with the number of tickets and any special dietary requirements noted) or telephone Caveau on 4226 4855.

Hope you can make it!
Peter & Nicola Sheppard

PS - Peter has been named one of 6 NSW finalists in Country Style Magazine's search for the best Regional chef in Australia. Stay tuned!

We do not wish to send unsolicited mail. If you wish to be removed from our mailing list for any reason please just send us an email with unsubscribe in the subject field.

CAVEAU RESTAURANT
Ph: 4226 4855
fax: 4228 3941

Image Credit: Menulog
http://www.menulog.com.au/caveau

Caveau - French cuisine is Wollongong's only hatted restaurant

I've always wanted to visit Caveau, Wollongong's only hatted restaurant. It is also the Illawarra's only French restaurant and it offers cooking classes! I've looked at their upcoming classes and one falls on October 18th, 2009. That's the day after my birthday. Normally I am up in Sydney at the Good Food Month's Night Noodle market but this year I have decided to book in for a cooking class with one of the best chefs in Australia.

Peter Sheppard's Cookery School is a hands-on, fun afternoon of learning, making and eating! It runs between 11am and 2pm, where you will cook and eat 3 fabulous dishes. Cookery schools are run with 12 persons, with dates and menus planned to suit interested parties. If you nominate a date, we will fill the group.

Cost: $85pp including GST, includes coffee at the start and the recipes to take home.

Why [the name] CAVEAU?
In French Caveau (pronounced Ca'vo) translates to vault, and also refers to a small wine cellar. More importantly, Le Caveau was the name of the famous literary, wine & gastronomic society formed in France in 1792 (perhaps the first food & wine society), which appealed since books, food and wine are passions we share.

Who is the chef?
Peter Sheppard. He trained at Banc - a top Sydney restaurant which was awarded three hats by the SMH Good Food Guide, and was also named Best Restaurant in the SMH GFG and Gourmet Traveller. Sadly, since Peter left in December 2002, Banc has closed its doors and its great head chef, Liam Tomlin, has since left Australia.

After leaving Banc, Peter opened Reflections Waterfront Restaurant in Huskisson, Jervis Bay on the South Coast of NSW. He had Reflections for a year, during which time it attracted a loyal following and was lauded in publications including the GFG, Gourmet Traveller and Delicious Magazine. Peter opened Caveau in May 2004.

The reviews for Caveau suggest that this is one restaurant that is a 'must see'. Since class sizes are 12, it would be a good idea to book in advance.

Photos and information property of Caveau and its website

Location:
122-124 Kiera Street
Wollongong NSW 2500

Contact:
Tel : +61 2 4226 4855

Opening times:
Lunch - Thursdays and Fridays
Dinners - Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm

http://www.caveau.com.au

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Seafood platter for one at Ocean Beach Hotel

Another birthday celebrated at Shellharbour's Ocean Beach Hotel.
This time it was my Sister's birthday and since she loves seafood (like her big Sister) we decided to share the seafood platter for one. Luckily it is enough to feed three, as was evident when I ended up taking a third of it home with me.


My Sister chose an entrée of Crispy pork belly with fresh queensland sea scallops, confit of garlic and honey glaze ($18.90). I almost forgot to take a photo of it, hence the fact some has been eaten. I had a small taste of the pork and it was very sweet and flavoursome.

My Mother decided on her favourite - a mixed dozen of oysters. Raw, Kilpatrick and Gremolata ($32.90)

Finally the seafood platter for one ($70) arrived sand it was difficult to know where to start first.


The platter included fresh and cooked prawns, several oysters, two scallops, several varieties of fish, smoked salmon, spring rolls stuffed with king prawns, fresh crab, half a lobster (a little over cooked, grilled with a scorched flavour) and some summer fruits to cleanse the palate. The dipping sauces were very tasty and we left feeling very full and sated.

Dipping sauces included a green curry aoli, lemon aoli, thai sauce with fish sauce and coriander, and horseradish.

Shellharbour: La Marina Tapas Bar and Restaurant

A little bit of Spain in the seaside village of Shellharbour, an hour south of Sydney and one of New South Wales' best kept secrets. La Marina spanish restaurant was the venue for Stan's 51st birthday and Australia Day celebrations.

Free almonds

PARILLADA DE MARISCOS (Min. 2 persons) 36.00pp

BBQ'd seafood platter. A selection of grilled seafood including fish, scampi, king prawns, squid, pippies, and mussels served with chips and salad on the side.

SEARED TASMANIAN SCALLOPS 11.90

In chilli & roasted sweet paprika with garlic & white wine

ALMEJAS 11.50

Pan cooked pippies with white wine, garlic and parsley

CHANQUETES 10.50

Lightly floured white bait deep fried, served with lemon wedge

CHORIZO A LA JEREZANA 10.90

Spanish sausage cooked in dry sherry and onion served in a sizzling dish

I love the decore of La Marina. It is like you have been transported to Spain. The warmth of the rich red t ones and colourful decorations. A joy to visit and while away an hour or two with good food, conversation and share the experience with friends and/or family.

Ocean Beach Hotel, Shellharbour

To celebrate my Mother's birthday we travelled down to have lunch at the Ocean Beach restaurant in Shellharbour. The restaurant is directly opposite from Little Park and a wonderful view of the boat harbour and rockpools. It is a favourite spot of mine, especially due to the fact that my wedding reception (1996) was held there.

My Mother had suggested a late lunch but unfortunately despite the advertised 'all day menu' we were told that we could not be seated inside the restaurant and would have to be seated outside on the decking or inside the hotel. Thankfully it was a lovely July day so we opted to move outside and enjoy the spectacular view and soft breezes. I attempted to order a seafood platter for two and was told that unfortunately the menu was restricted to a one page 'all day dining' selection which consisted of snacks and entrees until 5.30pm. We tried to make the most of the situation and ordered two entrees which we hoped would tide us over until the restaurant opened for dinner.

[ Platter of oysters - mix of Oysters Kilpatrick, Mornay and Natural by Vanessa Pike-Russell]
The first entree was a mixed platter of oysters which included Oysters natural, mornay and kilpatrick. We had to wait until the restaurant was open for dinner so chose another appetizer of Crumbed Mushrooms with avocado salad.

Crumbed Mushrooms with avocado salad from
Ocean Beach Hotel, Shellharbour, by Vanessa Pike-Russell.

[Crumbed Mushrooms with avocado salad from Ocean Beach Hotel, Shellharbour by Vanessa Pike-Russell]

My Mother and I both love mushrooms and these delicious morsels were a feast of the senses. The beetroot was fried and the outer crispness was an amazing contrast to the sweet and tender beetroot texture within. The salad was very tasty, nicely seasoned and the avocado a nice contrast to the crumbed mushrooms and beetroot.

I thanked the waiter when he came to take our plates, expressing our appreciation for the wonderful entrees and asked to advance order the seafood platter for when their restaurant opened. The waiter seemed puzzled that we had been told that the seafood platter wasn't available, especially due to the fact that it was a very slow day. If he had been asked he would have served us a seafood platter at 2pm rather than ask us to wait three and a half hours on what was a special birthday celebration which also marked the birth of my Sister's baby the day before.

It was getting colder and by 5pm we decided to go elsewhere for dinner and walked down to Addisons Seafood Restaurant for the seafood platter.

The Ocean Beach Hotel
2 Addison St, Shellharbour NSW 2259
p 02 4296 1399 · f 02 4297 1486

Seafood Platter for Two ($40) from Addisons Seafood Restaurant,

On July 23rd, 2007 my nephew was born. The next day was my Mother's birthday and we wanted to celebrate both events. After a late lunch at the Ocean Beach Hotel we made our way down Addison Street to the famed Addisons Seafood Restaurant. The weather had grown chilly and the warmth of the restaurant was welcomed.

Seafood Platter for Two ($40)

Whilst we perused the menu we were presented with a free appetiser

Complimentary miniature hamburger

It looked like a miniature hamburger and was very tasty.

For dinner we chose to share a sampler plate of seafood including smoked salmon, grilled salmon, char grilled baby octopus, fresh oysters(2), scallops(2), fresh prawns (4) and a green salad with Parmesan shavings - $40

The scallops melted in the mouth. It had been a while since I had eaten scallops with such flavour. We enjoyed everything on the sampler plate and wished there were more oysters, scallops and prawns.

As well as the plate of seafood I ordered a half lobster for my Mother, knowing how much she loves lobster. We had asked for a Bernaise sauce but the chef was not able to create one, opting for a mornay sauce instead.

Half Lobster Mornay $35

The mornay sauce was very tasty and well seasoned. The lobster tail section was tender and very tasty, unfortunately the upper part was rather rubbery and tasted as if it had been frozen. We were told that the lobster was caught fresh that day and that we were mistaken but my Mother was not convinced. Our family used to own a seafood store and my Mother has had a long history of cooking lobster and is able to cook them to perfection. Thankfully we were not left hungry, the seafood plate more than sated our appetites. It was my first visit to Addisons Seafood Restaurant but definitely not my last.

Addison's Restaurant & Function Centre
25 Addison Street
Shellharbour NSW 2529
Ph: 4297 5566
Email: admin@addisonsseafood.com.au


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Metro Grill, Keira Street Wollongong

As an early birthday celebration I invited my Sister for lunch at The Metro Grill in Keira Street, Wollongong. We had read about their 'buy one main get one free' deal on the Rewards Club website and thought it was a great excuse to try out this new restaurant on Keira Street Wollongong, Opposite the lovely Baan Krua Thai Restaurant.

The Metro Grill is offering $15 lunches which includes a glass of wine or soft drink.

Lunches
with glass of house wine or soft drink $15.00

Pan Fried Prawn Salad
Pan fried prawn tails tossed in a special Metro Grill salad

Rump Steak
Prime Rump Steak char grilled to your order and served with a side of fresh salad and chips

Chicken Breast with Polenta
Succulent chicken breast char grilled and served with a citrus infused polenta served with a fresh salad

Chicken Breast Schnitzel
Good old fashion tender chicken schnitzel served with chips and fresh garden salad

Salmon Patties
Our specially blended salmon Patties served over a light tomato sauce Served with a side of fresh salad

Chicken And Mushroom Vol Au Vent
Delicious chicken and mushroom filling in a light pastry casing served with a fresh salad

Sun Dried Tomato and Bacon Risotto
A light risotto with sun dried tomatoes and bacon finished with rocket and parmesan cheese

Spaghetti
Tossed with bacon, leaf spinach and fresh cream

Char Grilled Octopus
Tossed with a little olive oil, lemon,
garlic and a touch of chilli served over rocket salad with balsamic vinegar

...

I had the Rump Steak and paid an extra $5 for some seafood in garlic sauce - making it a 'Surf and Turf'.

Rump steak with garlic seafood (king prawns, mussells and scallops)
The steak was juicy and tender. It had a great flavour and the garlic sauce from the seafood really enhanced the meal. I haven't had scallops that fresh since returning from Tasmania in 2002. A wonderful meal at a great price. The servings size was more than generous. I found it difficult to finish all of my meal and left some of the salad.


My Sister chose the Chicken Parmigiana with salad and enjoyed her meal, also struggling to finish. It smelled amazing and I will definitely be trying it when I visit The Metro Grill again in the near future.


The staff were friendly and were able to accommodate my request for the seafood topping without notice - something I rate them highly for. The decor is simple and relaxing. It would be suitable for a candlelight dinner or to celebrate a birthday or event. If you register as a VIP member you may dine for free! It is a short walk from Wollongong City Mall or Collegians Rugby Football Club if you wanted to continue your night.

130 Keira St (Cnr Victoria St)
Wollongong 2500 NSW Australia

Phone: (02) 4227 1033
http://www.metrogrill.com.au/

Five Islands Brewery, Wollongong Beach

Australia Day is a day that all Australians celebrate in their own way.

It was friend's birthday and we booked out the lounge at Five Islands Brewery, next door to the Wollongong Entertainment Centre and opposite Wollongong beach.

We first visited Five Islands Brewery a few years ago for Philip's birthday and we have returned many times since. There is a range of beers available that are made on site, including some specialty beers such as the Bulli Black, my favourite.

A dark ale in the “Old” style brewed with chocolate and roasted malts, resulting in a medium bodied sweetish beer with hints of coffee

We invited some friends to join our celebrations and purchased three of Five Islands Brewery's world famous platters - the drinkers platter, the finger food platter and the mezze antipasto platter.


Drinkers Platter

Mezze Antipasto Platter

Five Islansd Brewery, Next door to the Win Entertaiment Cntr Crown St (Cnr Harbour St) Wollongong, NSW 2500 Tel: (02) 4220-2854 Fax: (02) 4220-2855 Email: fiveislandsbrew@1earth.net