Kenny

Chablis, Chablis & Chablis - Billaud-Simon, Fevre, gilbert Picq - 02, 04 & 05 vintages - can't go wrong at any level.

The sommelier at Taillevent (Marco, as I recall) is amongst the best in my view. When I was there a couple of years ago I asked his view about 2 wines that I had shortlisted, a Chablis and a red Burg. Immediately he suggested superior unlisted wines (producer, vintage etc) from the cellar at lower prices than those we had selected. At the end of the meal he provided a valuable introduction to a merchant in Burgundy. His passion was obvious.

Adrian, There's a very good kitchen shop in the Burnside Village on Portrush Rd, but the name escapes me. However I have fallen in love with Demeyere cookware from Belgium which is stocked by the Bay Tree in Sydney and Kleenmaid (check yellow pages, but they have sites in Adelaide, one on Magill Rd). Bay Tree, Demeyere and Kleenmaid all have websites so you can do some research. Cheers, Kenny

Roger, The best meal that I have had in Brisbane was at "Isis", bettering excellent meals at Ecco and others. Fantastic Guinea Fowl, entrees, service and wine list of great depth. Cheers, Kenny

Damn....I typed a long reply only to be told that i was not logged in!!! Lost it so here goes again.... PCL, My recommendaton to annachan for Fitzroy St was based on the criteria supplied and I think St Kilda is a nice detour for visitors. Yes Di Stasio is excellent if you don't mind the close quarters. Circa is pretty handy too and always have a drink at the Wine Room....some of the best views in Melbourne! Regarding Adelaide recos above, some brief snapshots. T-Chow in the city (just off Gouger St in Market Place) is large, ugly, efficient and produces some of the best Chinese in Australia - no sweet & sour pork, chop suey etc to be found here. There's tendons, tripe, hot pots, fresh seafood - it's an institution and its very, very cheap and BYO. Pauls Fish cafe on Gouger St (City) is a glorified fish and chip shop, but only uses the best ingredients. Pretty basic, but every visit to Adelaide must include a good feed of King george Whiting and who wants fussy all the time when travelling for extended periods. Melt on King William Rd, Hyde Park is a new venture for the boys who run the Melting Pot, which I will getto later. Imaginative pizzas, tapas and a concise but well thought out and well priced winelist. Pretty groovy and noisy, but good fun. Citrus on Hutt St, City has been around for a long while but is a great spot if you want some fresh air, with great coffee, breakfast and lunches. Not a temple of Gastronomy but ideal if you are on the run. As for the top end of town, some that may not have been covered in previous threads. Melting Pot - King William Rd, Hyde Park- Think Marque (Crown St) for setting and style. French/ mod Oz - Really thoughtful menu and winelist. Service is good and even offers Krug by the glass. Only seats 30 - romantic night out. Assegio - King William Rd, Hyde Park (I think) - A good driver and pitching wedge from Melting Pot. I have not been able to get there but my wife who is a tough marker raved about it. Otrher reports have been equally encouraging. It's the restaurant that everyone is talking about and the guys behind it have a very good track record. Chianti Classico - Hutt St, Adelaide - Clubby feel Italian restaurant. A bit of a haunt for the business community but there is no denying the quality of the food here and the professional service. Not the most inventive Italian, but well executed and possibly the best selection of Italian wines in Adelaide. Well priced for what it is. As per other threads can heartily endorse Grange, Bridgewater Mill, Cibo, Auge and Urban. Will add as they come to mind. Cheers, Kenny

Anna, Regarding accommodation I book all business and vacation accommodation using www.wotif.com.au - it's cheap and convenient, providing good descriptions of venues. In your price range apartments can be great - chains such as Quest, medina and Saville are good quality and reliable. Regarding restaurants, here are a few good spots for less formal meals. Adelaide T-Chow, Gouger St, City Pauls Fish cafe - Norwood or Gouger St - good, fresh fish Melt - King William Rd - Groovy Pizza/ tapas joint with good winelist ($7 cab ride from city) Citrus - Hutt St - Great for alfresco breakfast or quick lunch In Melbourne I would suggest checking out China Town orSouthbank on the Yarra or Fitzroy St at St Kilda and see what takes your fancy. A couple of nicer spots that can be as quick as you like are Becco www.becco.com.au Pelican on Fitzroy St St Kilda - here you can also pop over the road and have a glass of wine at the Melbourne Wine Room, which is also good for a quick bite. Fitzroy St is good for a wander and there are lots of good restaurants to choose from. Kangaroo Island will depend on where you are and choices will be extremely limited. The local seafood is outstanding though, especially the King george Whiting. As noted above, Werribee will be a tough ask. Have a great trip, Kenny

Thanks Howard - much appreciated. Cheers, Kenny

Thanks for all the reco's - am heading to Edinburgh for a couple of days in late January. Anyway, after a long flight from Australia I'll be ready for a good lunch, but would prefer somewhere with a decent winelist. Any reco's for winecentric restaurants - Do Number 1 or Martin Wishart fit the bill, or are there other places worth investigating? Thanks in advance, Kenny

Lunch prix fixe at Taillevent was 70 Euros in April. The wine is very extensive and you can drink exceptionally well for reasonable prices - 1988 Raveneau Grand Cru (Can't remember vineyard) for 90 euros for example.

l'Astrance for me - there's a good thread on it - suggest that you perform a search. It's quite modern cuisine, but wonderfully executed. Chic, but not stuffy.

Vedette, We had a rather amusing experience at Lameloise. Having enjoyed the 130 Euro degustation for lunch we all donned our sand shoes (chasseurs blanc) and took a long walk. On returning we retired to the bar for a few "cleansing Burgundies". By about 8.00 pm we grew a little peckish so we requested a cheese plate still resplendent in our gym shoes. Well, we were ushered into the dining room and the cheese trolleys were presented followed by about 3 courses of petit fours. Amazing!! The most elaborate, involved cheese plate that I have ever experienced. Cheers, Kenny

Raisab, Sorry to hear of your experience at Chapeau Rouge - the service that we had there was exemplary, and probably only surpassed on our trip by Taillevent for attentiveness. Cheers, Kenny

Marco, really enjoyed Borgo Antico in Barolo - food was very well executed, and the wine list had a great selection of Barolo AND Barbaresco. I can heartily recommend the restaurant at Hotel Brezza in Barolo for more rustic fare, and the best pasta that I have ever eaten. The wine list is pretty sensational too with some Barolos from the 50s and 60s on the list . Cheers, Kenny

Yep, I had a similar near thing when in Dijon, but fortunately the kind, impatient local dissuaded me from doing so with generous use of his horn! We caught a cab there from Gevrey, but I'm told the Hotel is good to stay at.

Have just returned from a marvellous week in Burgundy, where we ate and drank exceptionally well with help from Allen Meadow’s excellent guide, Michelin and local recommendations. Unfortunately Ma Cuisine was closed for the week, but we found Caves de la Madelaine in Beaune an excellent choice for simple hearty fair and the best priced wine list in France – 01 Meo Vosne Chaumes @ 55 Euro for example. Lameloise in Chagny delivered all the 3 star pomp and ceremony and we were most impressed with Chez Guy in Gevrey – not the sexiest ambience but good food and list. Le Charlemagne in Pernand Vergelesses for Japanese meets French fare showed glimpses of brilliance and is well worth a visit. We received a reco for Chapeau Rouge, a Michelin 1 star came from Jean-Pierre de Smet of Domaine de l’Arlot, and we were extremely impressed. It has only been open for a couple of years, and if they can continue with the obvious flair and attention displayed by the floor staff and kitchen, further stars may be coming their way. It was probably only surpassed food wise on the trip by l’Astrance in Paris, another 1 star that is a must. . Chapeau Rouge is situated in the Best Western Hotel “Hostellerie du Chapeau Rouge” near the centre of Dijon, about a 15 minute drive from our hotel at Gevrey Chambertin. The dining room is reasonably formal and spacious with high ceilings, wood paneled walls tempered with bright modern art. As was the norm on our trip we opted for a Prix Fixe menu, opting for the 41 Euro carte, which was far and away the cheapest menu that we had struck in a starred establishment, and was a steal!. Despite this being the best priced menu – there were also menus for 70 and 100 euro, it was an outstanding offering, perfectly executed. To begin with an amuse of mackerel on a bed of celeriac with coconut froth was superb and set the tone for what was to be a memorable meal. Entrée arrived and looked the goods. Langoustines on a bed of spring veggies were cooked to the minute and a terrine of foies with red fruits paste on top and served with fresh raspberries was a brilliant textural and flavour combination – the acidity of the fruit cutting through the richness of the foie. Mains were equally sublime, the magret of pink duck featuring two symmetrical saddles on a good reduction was simple but well executed, likewise the two fish mains were cooked to perfection. The Bass with mushrooms, fried chorizo and red wine reduction was an unlikely triumph. Desserts were top flight. The “use your sommelier theory” was put to good use when my wife had a weird but wonderful fortified (Spanish, but like an Australian Muscat!) to accompany the dessert of spiced apple, cream and ice cream. Heidi’s dessert of raspberry cheesecake on a biscuit crust was very good, and again presentation was imaginative and visually compelling. The wine list had good depth and breadth at fair prices , with the emphasis on Burgundy. At the top end there was a good selection of DRCs and a 90 RSV could be had for a reasonable 400 euros. We enjoyed a 2001 Pernand Verglesses from Marc Colin to commence. This had spiced apple and a lot of citrus action, an excellent wine with a solid mineral core. I summonsed a terrific L Boillot 1999 Volnay Les Angles . Lot’s of blueberry fruit built around a silky textured wine of good structure, and a magnificent match for the duck. Because none of the intrepid Burgundy explorers had ever had a G.C 1er Poissenet a 99 Humbert Freres was ordered, strictly for educational purposes. It was elegant with quite a bit of oak derived sap. Soft, round and ready to go. Coffee, petite fours and the bathroom were all of a 2 star nature and we left feeling as if everything had been overdelivered. Hostellerie du Chapeau Rouge 5 r Michelet, Dijon ph 03 80 50 88 88 chapeaurouge@bourgogne.net Bon apetit! Kent