L'Olivo

It was a feast of Mediterranean delicacies at L'Olivo for us on a Sunday night. After a fun filled road trip to the Peninsula Hot Springs, we were all ready for a good feeding.

Bowl of Chips

These chips were crunchy and salty in all the right places. Dip, double and triple dip these in teacups of tomato sauce or garlic aoili for a delicious starter. You can never go wrong with hot chips.

Gnocchi

This smelt divine as it was placed in front of me. The gnocchi was cooked perfectly- firm yet cheesy and melty. Absolutely delicious paired with a creamy rich pumpkin sauce, chewy mushrooms and spinach. It was a hearty dish that was enjoyed by all, though it did get quite salty as the night went on.

Risotto Primavera

The Risotto Primavera that followed was quite similar to the Gnocchi. Smooth earthy pumpkin, mushrooms, onion, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach swirled into al dente rice made a comforting dish. 

Cannelloni

Beautiful cannelloni tubes piped to the brim with a smooth spinach and ricotta filling. Topped with rich traditional tomato sauce, roasted pumpkin and a crunchy parmesan crust resulted in layers of texture and much flavour.

Linguine Calamari

Endless twirlings of linguine, calamari, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in a rich napoli sauce. A simpler dish of the night, but still equally tasty.

Paella

A dish that was highly recommended by a friend, which did not disappoint. A seabed of prawns, calamari, mussels among chicken and chorizo were infused in a yellow saffron and herb rice. This Spanish classic was wonderfully fluffy, flavoursome, and was lifted to another level with a squeeze of lemon.

Grilled Haloumi Wrapped in Prosciutto

Parcels of firm squeaky haloumi pieces wrapped snuggly in prosciutto. These tapas were a strong savoury bite, which were a touch too salty - even for the salty haloumi dish we all love.

Chilli Calamari Salad

A salad ! What a relief it was when the salad arrived at our table. Following such rich and creamy dishes, the fresh zesty salad of mixed greens, tomato, cucumber, capsicum, red onion and grilled chilli calamari was greatly appreciated. 

Oh, how I L'Olivo'd this small family restaurant. Food was generous, fresh and genuine. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, coupled with service that was attentive throughout the night. After three unsuccessful attempts to dine here, I finally made it. Having said that, learn from my mistakes - call ahead as bookings are essential at L'olivo. Don't say I didn't warn you.

L'Olivo
171 Waverley Rd
Malvern East

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Gazi

With A's love of Greek and Mediterranean food, and with Jimmy Grants still lingering at the back of my mind, Gazi was an easy pick. We were ready to get down and dirty for some Hellenic dirty food feasting.

Espressotini  - Vodka, Kahlua, Vittoria Espresso, Coffee & Amerretto Foam

Cauliflower Skordalia

A rich and thick puree of cauliflower topped with chopped smoked almonds, cauliflower and a sprinkle of crispy mince pork.  The dip was smooth and creamy, which we generously lapped up with warm fluffy pita bread. Both A and I enjoyed the flavours of this skordalia, but had the strangest association with childhood favourite, Chiko Rolls.

Eggplant 

Simple and fresh were two perfectly grilled eggplant slices buried underneath a collection of pepita seeds, sesame seeds pine nuts, spring onion, finished with grated salty kefalograviera cheese and Gaia dressing. 

Brussel Sprouts  

Admittedly, this was the first time I tried brussel sprouts. Having heard so many people express their loathing of these leafy green, I was quite intrigued to see how this dish would be executed. Our friendly  waiter assured us there would be none of that soggy brussel sprout business and encouraged us to give it a go. Surprising, this dish turned out to be quite delicious  and full of fun textures. Sweet, crisp brussel sprouts topped with fluffy red quinoa, crunchy fragrant hazelnuts, plump golden raisins, and light fluffy manouri cheese. 

Duck Souvlakakia

Lamb souvas are always the way to go, but feeling like something out of the ordinary, we decided to go for the duck. Smokey thick pita bread supported pieces of deep fried duck, onions, parsley, mustard mayo, quince and chips. It smelt and tasted delicious. Though the duck was a little on the dry side and needed a bit more seasoning itself, the quince and mustard made up for it. The quince added just the right sweetness to the souva and matched perfectly with the mustard mayo. Overall, a delicious little treat.

To top off a wonderful lunch, we were graced with George Calombaris' presence. And when I say graced, I only refer to George. Both A and I were absolutely star-struck and were practically jumping out of out seats. Butterlies and the whole shebang. And to get a happy snap together, we were over the moon.

Gazi, Greek and George - what a lethal combination. We left with massive smiles that could not be wiped off our faces for the rest of the day. 

Gazi

2 Exhibition St 

Melbourne

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Jimmy Grants

The girls and I were ecstatic to hear that George Calombaris had just opened up Jimmy Grants in Fitzroy. Eager for a taste of Greece, we headed over to see for ourselves how good these souvlakis could really be.

The Bonegilla

This was ridiculously delicious. The pita bread was warm, pillowy and super soft. Both the chicken and lamb were tender, moist and absolutely moreish - with the right ratio of fats too. Wrap that all up with crunchy chips, onion, parsley and mustard aioli and you have the best souvlaki ever. 

Grain Salad

I fell in love with this salad - the flavour, the crunch, the sweetness from the raisons. An earthy salad of pulses, toasted slivered almonds, grains, herbs and greek yoghurt. It was doing everything right.

Iceberg Salad

A simple salad of iceberg lettuce tossed with oregano, lemon and olive oil. Though vey easy and not one bit complicated, the salad was refreshing to nibble on between mouthfuls of souvlaki.

Chips

Who would have thought? Chips, garlic oil, oregano and feta as such a killer combination. The crunchy chips themselves would have already done the job, but the crumbled feta and garlic oil made it much more special and memorable.

There is no doubt about it, I would return to this place in a heartbeat. I cannot express how excited I am for Jimmy Grants to open up in Ormond in the next few months. Please hurry. 

Jimmy Grants

113 St David St 

Fitzroy

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MoVida Bar de Tapas

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you MoVida Bar de Tapas. You have all seen this Spanish sensation top the charts on Urbanspoon and stood the test of time. Tucked away on the famous Hoiser Lane, this refined two hatted tapas bar is the epitome of the Melbourne - style and sophstication. You have heard the raves, the reviews, the OMG-its-the-best-thing-ever, and now, a few words from me.

 ANCHOA

 Hand-filleted Cantabrian Artisan Anchovy on 
Crouton with Smoked Tomato Sorbet

CROQUETAS DE CHOCO EN SU TINTA 
Squid Ink Croquette with Cuttlefish

QUESO 

Quince Paste Cigar with Whipped Buffalo Milk Cheese

BUNUELOS DE BACALAO

Deep Fried Salt Cod and Potato Fritta with Pil Pil

CABALLA AHUMADO

House Cold Smoked Spanish Mackerel with Pine Nut Gazpacho Sorbet

POLLO ESCABACHE AL MIGUEL 

Spiced Chicken Escabache Tapa on Crisp Crouton

MEJILLÓNE 
Pickled Spring Bay Mussel

 FLOR DE CALABAZA

 Zucchini flower

PULPO 

 Galician Octopus with kipfler potatoes and paprika

SETAS ASADAS CON JEREZ 
Oven-roasted Portobello Mushrooms Finished with Sherry Vinegar

PATÉ DE PATO

Duck Liver Parfait with Pedro Ximenez Foam and Toasted Brioche

Every dish was beautifully crafted with the utmost precision, screaming creativity, flair and flavour. In particular, the Deep Fried Salt Cod and Potato Fritta and the Squid Ink Croquette were the most memorable dishes of the afternoon. The environment was warm, coupled with professional, yet friendly and attentive service. MoVida definitely lived up to its hype and was an unforgettable experience. 

MoVida Bar de Tapas

1 Hosier Lane

Melbourne

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