Flinders Hotel
Cnr Cook & Wood Streets
Flinders VIC 3929
Ph: (03) 5989-0201
Website

Seeing the name "Flinders Hotel" on the itinerary of our trip to the Mornington Peninsula, I had been expecting and looking forward to a casual pub lunch. However, when we arrived, we were whisked into Terminus, the more formal dining area for a four course lunch. What a lovely surprise!  (And at this point, I was thankful I'd only had a tiny breakfast!)

The Flinders Hotel has a bit of history, dating back to 1889.  However, it has recently been revamped, and now includes the more formal Terminus restaurant, The Deck (a casual pub), and a function area, as well as a 40-room boutique hotel (scheduled to open in September).  I'm also told that there are plans in the works to turn the site across the street into a cooking school - all of which I'm sure will make Flinders quite the destination!

Clockwise from left: Butter, Olive Tapenade Butter; Olive Oil; Warm bread roll with nigella seeds

We were also given an amuse bouche of butternut soup with aniseed foam, and a crisp mushroom borek.  I don't always like aniseed flavours, but it complemented the sweetness of the soup well.  And who doesn't love deep fried pastry?

Amuse bouche: butternut soup with aniseed foam and a mushroom borek

The menu has a distinct north-African vibe, influenced by the Algerian heritage of Chef Pierre, who kindly arranged to have a series of dishes brought out so that we could try a good selection of the menu.  I haven't listed prices in the captions below, as I wasn't sure if some of the portions were downsized for tasting purposes.  However, to give an indication of price, entrées range from $24 - $27; mains are $34 - $39; sides are $9.50 and desserts are $14 - $17 ($26 for cheese).

For our first course, we were each given the stuffed quail leg.

stuffed quail, cinnamon gnocchi, dried grape juice

It was my favourite dish of the day - and it certainly induced a lot of envy when I tweeted it!  The boned quail was tender and juicy, and I loved the combination of sticky, savoury sauce, sweet raisins, and the hint of cinnamon in the gnocchi.  And how cute is the quail egg on the quail leg? (It also sounds funny when you say that out loud, hehe).

For the next two courses, we were each given a different dish.

roasted rabbit, foie gras, raisin jus

It's quite decadent to have foie gras at lunch, but I'm sure it would have been rude to say no!

seared scallops, black pudding, pork belly

I really enjoy the combination of black pudding and fresh scallops, and the cube of crackly pork belly took this dish to another level.

lamb rack, braised shoulder, merguez sausage, raisin and capsicum

I think of this dish as "a study in lamb", with lamb rack, shoulder, and Merguez sausage.  This was yet another dish featuring meat and the sweetness of raisins, which is a totally winning combination in my book. Love!

local snapper, shrimp borek and chermoula

The snapper was incredibly fresh and perfectly cooked, and I enjoyed the crunchy shrimp borek (more deep-fried pastry - win!).  The chermoula-based sauce was very strongly flavoured - both salty and sour - and if this hadn't been such a filling meal, I'd have loved some plain couscous to soak up the sauce and temper the sauce's intensity.

roast kipfler potatoes; roasted carrots with cumin and honey

Looking back over this meal, I see it was quite meat-heavy.  Based on the quality of the food we ate, cooking with meat is obviously one of Pierre's strengths, and in fact, the current menu online only lists two vegetarian entrées and one vegetarian main.  Not that this bothers me at all (of course not!), but I just mention it as it's something you might want to keep in mind if you're visiting with a vegetarian or someone who doesn't eat a lot of meat.

Needless to say, we were very full after that generous meal, but just had to order a dessert to share - for research purposes, you understand.

dark chocolate fondant, white chocolate mousse, butternut sorbet

Of course I loved the warm, molten chocolate fondant, and the sweet lightness of the white chocolate mousse, but what really stood out for me was the butternut sorbet.  Such an unusual flavour, and so delicious!  I wouldn't have thought to pair dark chocolate and butternut pumpkin, but it worked so well together!

Chef Pierre Khodja, tagines, spices

A big thanks to Chef Pierre Khodja for a lovely meal!

Sarah and Sandra ate lunch as guests of the Flinders Hotel and Mornington Peninsula Tourism.

This is the fifth and final post from my 2012 Mornington Peninsula Trip series.  Other posts include: Mornington Peninsula; Montalto; Tussie Mussie Vineyard Retreat; and Stillwater at Crittenden.

Crittenden Estate '09 Pinot Noir

Overlooking the vineyard's lake, Stillwater is a popular spot for lunches and daytime functions - I'm sure the deck would be a lovely spot on a sunny day!


Whilst perusing the menu, we nibbled on hot and fluffy bread rolls dipped in grassy olive oil and spicy dukkah.

Hot and fluffy bread rolls

Salt, olive oil, dukkah

Braised short rib of Gippsland beef, with a soba noodle salad

The short rib of Gippsland beef had been slowly braised in Asian masterstock with kecap manis, resulting in super-tender meat and a gorgeous sweet, sticky glaze. The accompanying soba noodle salad, with water chestnut, bean shoots and coriander, complemented the beef well, providing a lighter point of contrast. I tend to avoid ordering Asian-style meals at non-Asian restaurants, but this was delicious!

Mmm... melty beef

Mussels cooked with cream, shallots, wine & parsley, Garlic bread

The mussels were cooked in a classic style, with shallots, cream, wine and parsley, served with a crunchy slice of garlic bread. The flavours were nice and strong, and the mussels were very fresh - a great dish.

Twice cooked pork belly, honeyed onion puree, radicchio & apple salad and apple caviar - $22.00

Our final savoury course was the very decadent pork belly.  The pork was tender and pleasantly fatty, with a crisp layer of crackling on top.  It was served with a refreshing radicchio and apple salad, and topped with cute little balls of apple "caviar".  I'd never had apple caviar before, and really enjoyed the little bursts of apple freshness! (Tiny Urban Kitchen recently did an excellent, step-by-step post on this technique of molecular gastronomy).

Now, whilst we greatly enjoyed the savoury dishes, the desserts were absolutely fantastic!  Definitely save room for dessert if you're planning a visit.

Vanilla Crème Brulée made with free-range eggs, poached rhubarb & a hazelnut tuille - $16.00

The crème brulée was beautifully light - I wondered if the custard was lightened with whipped cream - with the requisite thin and crackly sugar crust.  The brittle hazelnut tuille shards and tart poached rhubarb added lovely textural and flavour contrasts.

I daresay that the dessert I ordered was even better! I'd been tossing up between the chocolate fondant and the pear and frangipane tart, and I'm so glad I ended up choosing the tart - it was so good!

Spiced pear, fig & frangipane puff pastry tart with a honey glaze & pistachio ice-cream - $15.00

The puff pastry base was buttery and flaky, topped with sweet almond frangipane, soft pears and roasted figs, all drizzled with a honey glaze.  The highlight of the dessert, however, was the amazing pistachio ice-cream.  It can be a bit of a gamble ordering pistachio ice-cream - at some places they can be luridly green, tasting strongly of horrible artificial essence, but this one was gorgeously mild and all natural, tasting of actual pistachios. What a treat!

A big thanks to Chef Zac Poulier for a lovely meal!


Sarah and Sandra dined as guests of Stillwater at Crittenden and Mornington Peninsula Tourism.

For the weekend we were in the Mornington Peninsula, we were extremely fortunate to be put up in absolutely gorgeous accommodation: Tussie Mussie Vineyard Retreat.

Tussie Mussie Vineyard Retreat
206 Bittern-Dromana Road
Merricks North
Ph: 0408 976 410
Website

Aah! Fliegenpilz! You may remember these from my mushroom-picking expedition in the Lorsch forest! We saw these as we came up the driveway of the property, and had to pull over and take some pictures.  (No eating though, because these are very, very poisonous!)

Fliegenpilz - deadly mushrooms, do not touch!

But aren't they just so pretty?

Fliegenpilz

When we arrived, the sun was just about to set and, thankfully, the rain had cleared up, so we were able to have a walk around the gardens with owner Sioned Rees Thomas.  Tussie Mussie was historically a functional rose farm, and has now been converted into boutique accommodation, with space for up to fourteen guests.

I love these views across the vineyard!


There were mushrooms sprouting up all over the place - they really thrive in the damp conditions!

Fliegenpilz

There was a big clump of (what I think are) pine mushrooms - I would have loved to pick them and have them for breakfast the next day, but I'm no mushroom expert so thought it was safer to leave them in the ground. Sioned says that you can often see little old ladies picking mushrooms on the side of the roads during mushroom season!

Pine (?) mushrooms

There are quite a few different areas across the property that guests can enjoy for meals or other functions. Below we have the Long Table - can you imagine how pretty it would be all covered in flowers and flickering lights for a wedding?

The Long Table

The Pizza Oven was actually here before the current owners bought the property, and it was one of the features that attracted them to it.

The Pizza Oven

You can hire a personal chef to cook dinner in the Vineyard Kitchen - or even cook in it yourself if you're feeling energetic!

The Vineyard Kitchen

The dining experiences are all created individually, so obviously prices would vary depending on what you're after.  According to Sioned, they can do everything from a casual pizza supper right up to a multi-course dinner with canapes and matching wines.

Now, as for the accommodation itself, we were staying in the gorgeous Old Laundry Room, a spacious, self-contained suite with its own entrance and a lovely outdoor seating area.


The suite actually was the laundry back when the property was a working farm, and the history of the room is reflected in its current decor.

Laundry decor

We were greeted by a veritable cornucopia of provisions: local cider, bread and marmalade, home made peach and nut muffins, muesli, coffee, tea, local apple juice, fresh eggs and more!  (Sausages and bacon were waiting in the fridge).

Breakfast provisions

Despite the rustic look, the suite was fully stocked with modern amenities, like a flat screen TV and DVD player with a little DVD library, a Nespresso machine, an air conditioner, a dishwasher, microwave, electric frying pan and a Neil Perry barbecue!

Given the weekend's wet and windy conditions, I was very impressed with the enclosed fireplace...

Fireplace

...and even more impressed by the heated floor in the bathroom!  Aaah... luxury!

Bathroom

And speaking of luxury, the incredibly fluffy goose-down doona and 1000-thread count cotton sheets were just heaven!

Montalto Vineyard and Olive Grove
33 Shoreham Road
Red Hill South
Ph: (03) 5989-8412
Website

The first meal on our epic eating weekend in the Mornington Peninsula was lunch at Montalto Vineyard and Olive Grove. I'd heard great things about their restaurant, and was really looking forward to our visit. Montalto offers a range of experiences for visitors, with a cellar door, restaurant and casual cafe on the property, as well as vineyards, wetlands, a kitchen garden, olive groves, and a sculpture collection to explore.

Sculpture in the parking lot

We arrived a bit before lunch service started, so that we could have a little tour around the property with restaurant manager Laura Huish.  Below you can see shots from the kitchen garden: a tray of pine mushrooms that owner Wendy had just foraged, a fresh olive, some little pumpkins and some beautiful rainbow chard.

Kitchen Garden

Have you ever tasted a fresh olive before? Laura gave me one to try, and it's such a strange experience! When you bite into them, you get an overwhelming bitter taste, followed by a hint of that familiar mouth-filling oiliness. They're not very nice fresh, and we were actually wondering how on earth the first person to make oil from olives came up with the idea. It also had me craving some nice olive oil, so it was lucky that our next stop was the Cellar Door for a tasting of their olive oils and wines!

There were well over ten wines available for tasting, and because I'm a very dedicated food blogger, I worked my way through them all! (Spitting of course - don't drink and drive!) I particularly liked the 2010 Montalto Chardonnay and the 2011 Pennon Hill Late Harvest.  In addition to the wines and olive oils, they also stock a few related pantry products: dukkah, bread, verjus, olive tapenade and so on.

Montalto Wines

As I mentioned above, there is a casual outdoor Piazza Cafe, that offers a variety of pizzas, which I'm sure would be lovely, especially in better weather.  But we were scheduled for lunch in the restaurant!

Montalto Restaurant

I want to give a special mention to our waiter Giuseppe, who was super awesome - he was really friendly and welcoming, joking around with us and being generally hospitable.  He also had a very in-depth knowledge of the menu, and was able to guide us through our choices.

Our amuse bouche was a little espresso cup full of velvety pumpkin soup.  It was surprisingly delicious - I think I would have been happy with a big bowl of that soup as lunch in its entirety!  A nice warming start to the meal.

Amuse Bouche of pumpkin soup with chives

Two types of bread were provided: olive, and multigrain.  It was warm and fluffy, and came with a delicious olive oil for dipping.

Warm bread rolls: multigrain and olive

So as not to overeat (hah!), we decided to share our entree and dessert, with one main each.

Scallops - Seared Canadian scallops, confit chicken wings, sweetcorn, basil and vanilla oil - $21.00

Now, as y'all will know by now, Sandra doesn't eat seafood, but when Giuseppe described the confit chicken wings, we just had to order this dish.  The crispy little winglets had been boned, so you could pick them up and eat them in just a couple of bites. Wow!  The scallops were very fresh and cooked perfectly, and the vanilla oil was an unusual but welcome addition - a fabulous dish.

Cannelloni - Baked goats cheese cannelloni with capsicum and garden globe artichokes - $38.00

What pretty presentation! It's always a delight to see a creative vegetarian dish on a menu.  As you can see in the above photo, this dish had a lot going on, but all the elements combined together well.

Rabbit - Basil farced cannon of rabbit, celeriac puree, glazed snowpeas and dutch carrots - $38.00

It took me ages to select my main, and I must admit that the deciding factor for me was that it was matched with the 2006 Montalto chardonnay!  I'm glad I ordered it though - I loved the tender rabbit meat and the sticky, savoury jus.

And of course, we ordered some fried potatoes.  These were lovely and fluffy, with the crispy outsides being enhanced with flaky salt and rosemary.

Fried potatoes - $8.00

Chocolate - Clove scented milk chocolate brulee and baked mousse cake - $18.00

The baked mousse cake was everything you'd expect it to be: dark, rich and moist, whilst the milk chocolate brûlée was a very intriguing part of the dish. It was richly scented with cloves, had a thin, crackly burnt sugar top, and the custard itself had a very unusual texture - it was thick and seemed to be flour-based, almost like a thick roux. It was actually really delicious and I loved it, so I hope I'm not putting you off by the description - I was just so fascinated with its texture!

The suggested accompaniment for the dessert was a Ramos Pinto tawny port.  When we ordered dessert, waiter Giuseppe asked if we wanted to order a glass each, but I woefully replied that I'd better not because I was driving.  He then suggested that he bring out one serving of the port, and split it 40/60 between two glasses so we could both try it. How nice is that?!

Cafe latte, Ramos Pinto Tawny Port - $10.00, Petits Fours

I also loved the little almond friands that came out with coffee.