Al Dente launched in April 2020 as a lockdown pasta hustle. It's now a highly accomplished restaurant, anchored in Italian tradition but questing, creative and contemporary and in that sense an archetypal Melbourne dining experience. Every time I visit, it gets better. I won't ever review it, because we're mates, but it's an easy 16 in my estimation.

It's been a privilege to stay in touch with @vigna.liandrea over this part of his journey and to experience the evolution of the business he's built with @bonadiman_davide, @michellebad_ and their team.

Andrea was on a temporary worker visa when the pandemic started. Visa workers were excluded from support, throwing people like Andrea into an instant crisis, amplifying the uncertainty of those early COVID months when none of us knew what was going on. It's the reason he started making ravioli at his kitchen bench, turning a bad situation into a spur for positive action.

As soon as he could, Andrea started supporting other visa workers, getting them in the kitchen and on the road doing deliveries. Now, the business is even sponsoring overseas workers. It's incredibly moving and heartwarming.

The food is great, the story is rich, the feeling is warm. Highly recommended.

And you can still order @al_dente_enoteca pasta for delivery or pop into the enoteca to buy it to take home. But dining in is pretty spesh! More in my stories / highlights.

Oh yeah, and it was my birthday dinner :) Thanks for the gorgeous cake, guys!

Props to @cookaborough @coopersinnmelbourne @guygrossi for being incredible supporters of Andrea along the way too. ...

Fridge Raid: What do chefs keep in their home fridges?

Cover story in today's @goodfoodau featuring @hughsallen sprung with a pear, shot by @kristofferpaulsen 👏👏👏

Also opening their doors & revealing their s(h)elves: @charliesatlas @alkitchen94 @taystychef

TLDR: miso & kimchi!

Link in bio 🙂 ...

Baghali Polow Ba Mahiche (Broad Bean Pilaf with Lamb Shanks) is one of the majestic main courses in Salamati: Hamed's Persian Kitchen, the upcoming cookbook by @hamedsfood, co-written by me.

It's a gorgeous book! Hamed's food is delicious and soulful and his story is compelling.

📷 Photography @armellehabib
🍲 Styling @lee_blaylock
📚 Publisher @janemorrow.

Preorder now at @booktopiabooks: link in bio! ...

This might sound strange but when I heard recently that Flinders Lane's @gimlet.melbourne had been voted onto the annual @theworlds50best Restaurants list at an exciting (if innumerate) 84, I thought immediately of @cumulusinc, the dining room further up the hill.

Both restaurants are part of @traderhouse_, the restaurant and provedore collective owned by Melbourne chef @chef_andrewmcconnell and his wife @jomcgann. (Cutler & Co, Marion, Meatsmith, Morning Market, Supernormal and Builders Arms Hotel are the other venues.)

Gimlet, which opened (closed, opened) in 2020, deserves accolades: the grand corner dining room makes an event of the merest slice of bread, and the offering is sweeping, confident, celebratory. It's just that Cumulus Inc feels to me like the spry stayer whose shoulders Gimlet stands upon to preen and shine.

Read my full @goodfoodau review via link in bio...I loved writing it.

***

People often ask me what the point of restaurant criticism is these days. I think it's about context, accuracy and the craft of writing. It's journalism - in the most serious (& joyous) sense of the word - applied to restaurants.

It's about respecting the art and industry of restaurants, the investment and appetite of diners and the time and trust of readers. It should always be anchored in place. It's my opinion and perspective, sure, but it's not about me.

That's what I'm aiming for, not saying I get there, but that's the goal. I welcome all the voices. They help me strive to do better every time I sit at my desk.

#melbournerestaurants #melbourne #melbournefoodie #melbournefood #melbourneeats #fridayreflections

Pic @earlcarterstudio ...

Martabak mesir, spiced beef rendang tossed with egg then squished between roti and grilled.

Golden crunch gives way to rich, braised coconutty meat and scrambly softness. It's among the most delicious morsels I've eaten this year.

They have a chicken version too.

Get it at @dalelapau_therendangspecialist. More in my stories/highlights.

#minang #padang #rendang #westsumatra #Bukittinggi #camberwell #melbournerestaurants ...

Pandemic Leave $750 isolation payment will be reinstated. Applications reopen Wednesday. Link in bio.

Eligibility for the payment will be backdated to 1 July 2022, to ensure that anyone unable to work owing to isolation requirements in this period, without access to paid sick leave, is supported.

Access to these payments will commence from Wednesday 20 July, with existing eligibility requirements to continue.

Vic businesses: ventilation grants have reopened. Link in my story. Keep staff and customers safer by cleaning your indoor air. ...