Meet me on the corner

A bustling Sunday and in need of some good food we were lead to the newest addition to Mentone "the Corner Store".

This modern designed cafe with touch of Scottish feel with its tartan

carpets and wall panels was unique in itself and had a great feel. A brick laid bar, wooden planks on the roof and a roped blocked dining area made it feel that it should have been filled with coloured balls to make it a play pen.

Although fairly loud inside you can choose to sit under the enormous heaters outside for another option or perhaps one use at the bar on the other side. Not too sure what made it so loud as we would have thought the wood planked roof would have soaked up most of the noise but it felt like it was bouncing it back, or maybe it was because of all the ladies out for a good time who choose to speak over each other.

The menu was tempting with some prices a little questionable but had a good selection of breakfast and lunch dishes as well as dinner. With their own spin on some dishes and if your still a traditionalist you are able to enjoy those happy go lucky eggs your way and add extras to them. What I loved was reading their Vision, it reads "Our vision for The Corner Store is to offer you, the people, a place to share food & wine with family & friends. We want to see lots of plates being passed around the table & don't even mind if you talk with your mouth full. Whether you have been lining the up on RSVP & you're on a first date, to lazy to cook or you're celebrating a milestone, we want you to sit back, relax & enjoy what we've put together'/ It was a nice welcoming to their menu and made you feel somewhat apart of the place itself.

I went for the Calamari salad which was served with a spinach, pumpkin and roasted capsicum salad finished with compressed watermelon and pine nuts. Very refreshing and the crisp calamari was so tender and mouth watering. Perfectly cooked I actually think it's been a while since I've had calamari this beautiful. The compressed watermelon added a new depth into a dressing on the salad and was perfect on a sunny day.

Paul went for the breakfast dog , a kransky wrapped in a long bun served with onion jam and rocket leaves. Unfortunately not an overall winner on this one with the price, it's a little shy of value. The kransky a little under cooked but when mentioning it to staff it was fixed which was nice to see.In addition we also grabbed some cauliflower and Gruyere cheese balls which was served with a delicious tangy salsa Verde, and some crisp paprika salted chips served with a creamy aioli. I didn't test their coffees as I'm trying to cut back my caffeine intake at the moment, which is very difficult for me but Paul did enjoy his and said that it had a great well rounded flavour and was served at proper temperature.

The Corner Store is in conjunction with another 2 places 'Main Street" in Mordialloc and 'The Parks" in Parkdale, which are all fairly local to each other and all successful so it is clear that they are establishing something that the area is needing.

Before ordering though make sure you either ask for the specials or look on the back white tiled wall near the coffee machine. They have some great dishes on their when we went and were disappointed we missed out as we saw them after we got everything. So don't be to hasty.

Overall it was a pleasant experience and glad to see the locals have taken to it so well.

The Corner Store

1 Swanston Street

Mentone, VIC

9583 - 6462

A dumpling fix

It wasn't without debate today whether to venture into a suggested dumpling restaurant in Glenhuntly when all the city dumpling places were booked out or didn't feel like eating at 10pm, but it proved to be better than we anticipated.

It has been a long time since we had ventured into such a low budget interiored Chinese restaurant and did seem a little out of place, but the menu spoke dumplings and that's what I wanted.

Hand painted walls bought some atmosphere but unfortunately not much more, with no music and a madiocre service made us left with not to much else to embrace with the scene of which we were taking in.

An extensive menu allows you to select from dumplings, yum cha, large meals or noodles and vegetables so choices are not limited, but as you already know I was after dumplings.

The first that caught my eye were the chilli oil dumplings, these heat smacking dumplings were cooked delicately and soaked up beautiful chilli heat from the oil. Defiantly one to clear any sinus problems that you might have. A serving of 15 was a great size to share, as I don't think I could have taken the entire heat of the 15. The longer they sit in the oil though be careful as they do become fragile and make sure if you've touched the oil don't go rubbing your eye, cause you'll know all about it quick enough (I know).

To follow we went for the mushroom dumplings that were pan fried and succulent. They weren't over powering with mushroom and were combined with a mix of vegetables, they were enjoyable with a touch of soy vinegar or sweet and sour dipping sauce you can grab at the communal sauce bar.

Some Peking duck pastries as they call them, but pretty much pancakes were jam packed with sticky Peking BBQ sauce and such with hints of chives. The pancakes were light and delicious. We were surprised at the amount of duck that was in there for the price that we paid and we were truly happy with these and highly advisable.

Some pumpkin fritters and prawn crab spring rolls were both as unusual as each other. The fritters were almost dessert like with such sweetness. Similar to a pumpkin pie these bite sized fritters were somewhat chewy but flavoursome. The spring rolls were nice but missed a little bit of umph in flavour. I was expecting to get a higher bang of crab and prawn flavour, it unfortunately just fell under par. However the light pastry surrounding it was far from the usual pastry found around spring rolls so it was different to try.

The one questionable dish out of all of them were the lamb kidneys. The menu said lamb kidneys and I ordered lamb kidneys, but these were not lamb kidneys......they were chicken. Now I know most things are said to taste just like chicken, but this time it was. Although tasty chicken pieces skewered and on the bone, coated in Sichuan and other spices I am still confused as how they were lambs kidneys and comparing them to the picture in the menu provided the dish matched to it, so this was the evening puzzler.

Finishing our night with perfect BBQ pork and egg custard buns was the great ender. Almost pillow like, these steaming hot treats made it a complete evening.

With distant service from what started as table service but leading to having to order at the counter, it is not somewhere you go if you are trying to impress or take a first date. But if you are looking for a very casual quick meal with dishes not exceeding over $10.00 then yeah go for it. The food is tasty, just lacks a litte ambiance and if you had dumpling cravings like I did, then it will fix you up pretty good.

Chinatown Dumpling

1146 Glenhuntly rd,

Glenhuntly, VIC

9572-4953

My Happiness

It's amazing how subliminal messages can cause you to think and react and make you want something although you don't really need it. Well I walked past a Gelati van and although not subliminal I wanted ice cream, but not just any ice cream..... Davey Mac's ice cream. I found it a perfect match when I entered and Powderfinger's My Happiness was on in the back ground as this truly is My Happiness.

Black rock has always needed an ice creamery as my husband and I have said after living here for 5-6 years and am glad to see that us locals have scored a good one. The Artisan ice creamery makes all delectable flavours on the premises and although it may be a little chilli at the moment you should go down and indulge in these delicious creamy tasteful ice creams.

For summer Davey Mac's is open every day til about 10pm, and winter trading makes them close earlier and closed Mondays, but their is still a every chance for you to get down and to indulge in there delights. You don't have to get a cone or a bowl and eat it their and then, what we love doing is getting the take home packs and indulge on the couch back at home watching a movie especially at the moment. During summer grab a cone and go for a walk on the foreshore, it's perfect.

With about 20 flavours to choose from every day there is sure to be something that interests you. But don't expect it to always be there. With such a high demand in multiple flavours the are not always going to be there and as they make on premises they choose to bring in new exciting flavours to give you something new.

My top three flavours are the Dark Chocolate Sorbet, The Mandarin Sorbet and the Cherry yoghurt. Let's start with the Dark chocolate shall we, one that is very popular since coming out and we always ensure if it's on display that we grab it. Very chocolatey but as it's a sorbet it's not as heavy and you could eat so much of this it's unbelievable. What we love about it is that you can't see it in any other ice cream parlor which makes it so much more exciting. It matches perfectly with either a fruit based or creamy flavour ice cream.

The Mandarin sorbet is just like your eating the actual fruit. So vibrant in colour and intense in flavour it's truly a summers treat. It's just like your having a frosty fruit as it's just so refreshing. In actual fact all their fruit based sorbets are just like this, passionfruit, mango even the banana. The flavours are powerful you would never think you were having an ice cream.

Now the Cherry Yoghurt is separate to the ice cream or sorbet, it's sour cherry and vanilla creamy yoghurt is amazing. Perfect to go with a fruit pudding or on top of some fresh berries or even a chocolate tart perhaps. It's smooth creamy and not to rich or heavy. Not like your old school frozen yoghurts it's a lot softer and easier to consume.

Each time we visit there is always something new to try such as there malt flavour which is out at the moment, mix it with some chocolate and you've got yourself a choc malt milkshake almost. If you aren't a fan of that dark black licorice ice cream you get in other ice creameries then I suggest you try it here, it's unbelievable and the best I've ever had. Not so intense in aniseed flavouring, it's natural in colour not black and just has hints of licorice pieces. Coconut has actual coconut through it too. Going here makes it almost feel like it's Willy Wonka but in ice cream "raspberries taste like raspberries and the snozeberries taste like snozeberries".

You get the exact natural flavours that you expect to get when eating ice cream and isn't filled with fake colourings so it's good for the kids too. So glad it's located only a few blocks away cause in summer time those late walks are going to be rewarding with an ice cream in hand.

Davey Mac's

602 Balcombe rd,

Black Rock, VIC

9589-0636

Don't forget to be AWESOME

A quaint little place nestles in between Cheltenham and Beaumaris, and only true locals know where I'm talking about, but it is time to put the word out their to everyone. The Parlor Milk bar and Kitchen is a gem  hidden beside the local golf course and schools, a little up from a strip of local shops and has provides the best of the best coffee, service and food.

I've been going here for a short while now, after I noticed it on a bus trip to Southland shopping centre and I'm glad I found it. It's clean cheque and country style interior with rich wooden tables, large industrial down lights (that were here before they become the in thing on the Block), fire place and gifts displays around the cafe makes it for humble dining.

The staff are always friendly, not once have we experienced bad service from this team. It's so relaxing to see a team working together, having fun and enjoying what they do. Each of them are happy to talk to the customers and serve and then behind the scenes they are still smiling working and enjoying their general chit chat. It's surprising as a customer how you feel when someone brings negative energy back with them, you may not notice it effecting your overall dining experience but it does. And sitting here watching the staff just makes me smile and enjoy the surroundings even more.

So a nice sunny winters Sunday morning calls for a cooked breakfast, although late as a long sleep in was required we headed down crossing our fingers that a table would be free, but also prepared and rugged up to brace the cold winds outside if needed, but we were lucky on this instance to get a table inside. If you are planning to go especially for a Sunday you can book, and I advise it especially if your travelling.

Settling down and coffee on the way..... I need my coffee....we begin planning our morning breakfast. The tunes of Michael Jackson in the background hypes me up and I sing along with the music while I read their menu, it also makes me want to listen to it all day long, in fact I'm listening to him right now as I'm typing (did you guess I'm a Michael Jackson fan?).

The breakfasts are always amazing and have their own modern spin on the usual standard cafe breakfasts which is what makes it so great. Eggs Benedict stands itself usually with poached eggs, bacon and hollandaise. Sorry No bacon on the Parlor's Benedict, lets gorge oneself and have some pork belly instead. The portion size is nothing over the top so it fills you up but doesn't make you feel like you've gone over the top either. They never fail in poaching eggs, so creamy light and of course a runny egg yolk, and if you're after the perfect poached eggs.....hello this is the place to go! As I've had the Benedict before and Paul enjoyed his taste last time he decided to go for this one today.

Today I went with my breakfast treat of Pancakes. Beautifully fluffy ricotta pancakes topped with a berry compote (winter berries used) with a serving of ice-cream, maple syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar for good measure. It's OK as I said it was late about 11:30 so it's not so terrible to be having ice cream for breakfast (so I tell myself). They were so delicious I could have gone for another round. I was satisfied and in heaven with this breakfast treat.

If you're after other tasty dishes try the salmon and potato rosti breakfast, so yum and rich, this was the first breakfast we tried and highly recommend it along with the Benedict and pancakes.

Now for you coffee lovers out there, go here for a coffee. They use a fantastic coffee bean with mellow creamy tones and it is so smooth to drink. Luscious flavours and these guys know how to respect there coffee. Not once has there been a bad coffee and if you're on the run you can grab a take away too. $3.30 for reg and $4.50 for large, they are more than reasonable prices for the amazing coffees.

On leaving I am enticed with their cake and lolly display at the counter, with fresh muffins on cooling racks. Perfectly displayed for impulse purchases for those mum's as they head out the door, but my favorite thing it there motivational poster sitting next to the counter's bench. "Don't forget to be AWESOME". What a great thing to read on your way out, and guy's who work at the Parlor........ you are already AWESOME.

The Parlor Milkbar & Kitchen

40 Weatherall rd

Cheltenham, VIC

9515-4514

Excuse me Waiter..... There is a Hare in my Coffee

I have never done this before in my 30 years, but today I break away from the comfort of others and head out into Melbourne on my own. It may seem unusual that a person like myself has difficulty dining out on her own, I don't even like going to the movies on my own. I like the companionship of friends and loved ones and the ability to engage in conversation about what is and what isn't happening in the world.

So it's a Wednesday chilli 1pm and I am here on my own in Manchester press and all I can say it that I am glad to be here on my own in a way. Down a lane way, you would not believe that you were headed in the right direction, but Melbourne is fond of it's peculiar little ally way delights for us to stumble upon. The line was looking like a bit of a wait, and clearly showing that this could be the place where everything is happening for the city workers on their lunch breaks. Questioning to myself on whether I wait, I sneak my head in the door and bam one single seat just waiting for me. Sorry those in line but I'm jumping cue.

It's a certain full house with all communal tables and bar seating filled with the line outside growing and the staff working at full steam to get through what for them is probably a usual Wednesday. I can only imagine the insaness of a Sunday breakfast ........ Nightmare for anyone who's never worked in a place as busy as this. For me I would look at it as a challenge even with my 15 years behind me. But these guys keep on top of it and know exactly what's going on. Friendly vibrante individuals make such a great team here and they've got it down pack to make this trendy up beat venue work.

I'm on a communal table with mainly the suits of the CBD out for their stock up of espresso and latte's and why wouldn't they be? As much as it is hustling with energy to rejuvenate the individual, the coffee I must say is really good. The beans themselves are very mellow and easy drinking on the palate, the crema is golden and the milk perfectly done to the believe it or not proper temperature. There is no over boiling of the milk and for my latte it was nice to find somewhere that served their lattes exactly how it should be drunk. It was creamy and uplifting, there was automatic decision to order the second. Of course though you wouldn't be without its quirkiness of illustrations as these coffees fly to the tables. Almost to cute to drink it puts a smile on your face and excites you to enjoy the coffee even more.

On the menu it's simplistic and easy to control for such a high demanded venue such as this. Delicious bagels over loaded with fillings were on offer for lunch. I am a fan of bagels and it's not too often to be able to get such a large variety on offer unless of course you were a place like "Glicks" a store dedicated to serving you bagels. My first temptation was their B.L.T with the avocado, I had seen it leave the kitchen pass piled high and the avocado was a gigantic 1/2 ball almost impossible for it to fit in your mouth. But I choose something different, and was hard for me to choose between the Pastrami with the dill cream cheese, cherry tomatoes, roquette and pickle or the Avo combined into a feta, chilli and mint smash witch cherry tomatoes, roquette and pine nuts.

I head for the Avo smash on my choice of a sesame bagel which was lightly toasted. Over smeared with the smash mix it burst with mint and touches of chilli and bursts of salt from the fetta they melded fantasticly together. It was fresh and vibrant and a great choice, and I enjoyed devouring all by myself.

My first experience of taking myself out isn't as bad as my mind had made it to be. I did miss out on talking to people about the exciting new flavours and tastes that I've never come across or even just the general chit chat, but I guess it does allow me to take in everything and notice little things that makes the venue what it is.

I enjoyed looking at the art work and love the robot space man with his dog high up above the registers back wall, the industrial lights that hang low so big that it could be a small incubator for baby chicks and the babushka designed fire extinguishes. I valued the food and especially the coffee along with the great service, always making sure that the single people are looked after just as much as the groups, being called babe was an unusual touch but at the same time worked and was unaffensive.

The only thing is that if you are in a rush and need to go somewhere for an in and out experience here is not the place, as you can probably guess these guys are BUSY, I've heard on weekends you could wait up to 40 minutes for a table, and after a mid week lunch I can see that happening so be paitient. The team is doing all they can and they can't just push people out and ruin there service standard. So get in early or ask for a take away coffee and go for a walk through hardware lane. I can only see Manchester Press continuing to grow with what is the go to place in the CBD.

Manchester Press

8 Rankins Lane

Melbourne, VIC

9600-4054

Hakuna matata

Some people would think that eating with your hands is unethical, but you have to embrace different cultures and their way of eating. Not everyone eats with a knife and fork, and I got my chance to embrace authentic Ethiopian and eat with my hands.

Just because we are eating with our hands, it doesn't mean there is less decorum. Eating with the left shows disrespect, as it is believed that food is a gift from god and as our left is used for dirty duties in some cultures it is respect to only eat with your right.

The Abyssinian has a desert warmth to it with it's terracotta orange walls and African wall hangings to set your evening scene, along with their bar designed at a hut to make it feel like a village.

Our starter was the assorted entrees where we got to experience the selection of all on offer. A combination of their Melanzany - flavoursome grilled eggplant with garlic and chilli, Silsy - a combination of sautéed onion with a spicy berbere and tomato sauce and Zucchini - sautéed with berbere spice, tomato and finished with chilli seeds. Bought out on a traditional over sized plate with a woven targine lid which is removed to recover the glorious smells and all accompanied with traditional injera bread.

Injera bread is something that is a little hard to explain, and something even harder to make it sound enticing. For me this bread looks something like tripe (lining of a beef stomach), but its certainly not this. It has a texture of a wet sponge and is almost a wet formented bread I guess you could say. I know this hasn't made you leap out of your seats to go and try this unique bread, but as I said I can't explain it to make enticing. So what is it then? Well glad you asked....Injera is a yeast risen flat bread of which is created from teff flour. Teff is one of the worlds tiniest grains in the world (150 teff grains = 1 single kernel of wheat). The name originating from the word teffa translating to lost, it is amazing what it can create. The best part is that it's gluten free and is supposed to benefit people with diabetes as it assists in controlling blood sugar.

With our entree dishes poured over the injera it is almost deceptive to how filling this will become. The injera soaks up the sauce and trying to eat with just your right hand can also make it challenging but also fun and enjoyable. By the end of your entree you should almost be an expert from practicing. The ideal way to eat the injera is to try and tear a bit off almost the size of your palm, then scoop up the dishes inside the injera roll it up and enjoy. If your with a loved one embrace further traditions and feed them first. This is called Gursha and it is an act of kindness and respect for them.

The entrees burst amazing spicy flavours and the berbere shone through, with it's explosion of authentic spices and Serrano chillis (which are hotter than the jalapeño pepper). They were all delicious and a great start to the evening, but as eggplant lovers we highly suggest to experience the Melanzany. The entrees alone had filled us which was surprising how the mix of the dishes along with the injera had done so, so quickly. We were not so certain that we would be able to get through our mains.

A selection of 3 main dishes were selected to share, which were automatically accompanied with injera when doing this, so no need to order extra. Trust me you would explode if you did, but of course if your only ordering one or two dishes you'd need to do so.

Starting with the Dorho zignini which is an authentic east African chicken casserole of slow cooked chicken pieces (on the bone) in spicy berbere sauce and served with a whole boiled egg. Very intense in spices and can cause some good old chilli sweats, but it is mighty tasty. A little difficult to roll up in the injera bread due to the chicken being on the bone, but if you don't mind getting your hands into the dish a lot more then it won't be a problem.

The Dorho kulwha, chicken strips with ghee (clarified vegetable palm oil) with African spices topped with a tomato purée and simmered in a light tumaric. A much milder dish and the chicken is succulent and juicy. I enjoyed this dish more that the first, it was a little lighter as the sauce was not as heavy and easier to eat.

Our third and final dish, although we were up to dollies wax already with scrumptious flavoursome dishes was the Asa kulwha. Lovely Nile perch fillet with sautéed onion, spiced ghee and berbere fresh tomatoes and finished with green chilli. The fish was treated so delicately in is dish and was jam packed with perfect flavours and my favourite of the night. The sweetness of the Nile perch added another dimension into the spices and so delicious.

The best part of this was that everything was overloaded with the main ingredient, such as chicken, Nile perch or just eggplant. You weren't paying for the sauce it was in like you do at other places where you wonder where your protein actually is while you serch for it. You don't need to over load yourselves with hundreds of dishes to fill you up and you are certainly not left hungry even though your dishes may seem small, don't over think with the sizes as they are truly filling.

Try finishing your night with the Ethiopian sidamo coffee. It has a peculiar aroma of spice, wine and chocolate tones with notes of lemon and citrus. This deep roast is pretty intense for the coffee drinkers but is certain ally worth a shot, especiallyif your too full to fit in dessert. Just like you are wine tasting inhale the the coffee and you are able to instantly taste the lemon hints that are showcased in the bean.

It was a great first experience eating Ethiopian and engaging in their culture and eating with your hands, and I can't wait to experience it again and try out more of this flavoursome cuisine.

The Abyssinian

277 Racecourse rd,

Kensington, VIC

9376-8754

The destination of Deliciousness

A new craze has hit the Casino promenade with an all American hub "The Merrywell". Welcoming into Melbourne, American chefs GMAC and Sammy D who by themselves are renowned for there talents back home and are willing to share with us true American cuisine at its best.

Sammy D or otherwise known as Sam DeMarco has over 30 years in the culinary world and developed into the leader of Modern American cuisine. With opening the doors of his first restaurant in 1994, he has since taken on numerous establishments with SammyD's in Atlantic city being known as "a retro coffee shop, serving up nostalgic East coast favourites".

GMAC or officially Grant MacPherson has made his name serving prestigious celebrities such as George Bush, Princess Diana and Nelson Mandela just to name a few. In 1992 GMAC was a gold medalist in the culinary Olympics and with his vast experience lead him to opening and overseeing more than 50 establishments.

The Merrywell has a luxurious lounge feel upstairs with a great look out of the city. Its low lite room, with lounges, communal tables and bar seating truly makes a good retreat for your social evenings. Grab a beer or cocktail and unwind with friends over some shared or bar dishes or perhaps go for something more substantial dependant on what your night has ahead. A fire place in the lounge area and upbeat music overhead being played by a DJ made a great Saturday night out especially over the winter months.

A diverse crowd is seen here with a younger gathering coming from the promenade and the rest high rollers or money riskers from the casino, but they all mould into the atmosphere. With no bookings being taken unless you are a group over 8 there was constant movement and at times delays in the kitchen and bar with the back log of orders flying through.

For us cocktails were the potion of the evening, going for some different mixtures such as there "Tall Poppy", a rhubarb hinted aperol, citron vodka, vanilla lime and cherries topped with bubbles was very refreshing and a great starter for my evening. We also went for the "Spice Trade", a combination of rum, ginger liquor, green cardamon, kaffir lime, lime juice and spiced honey. It's a fairly tart combination but if you love limes and spice this will knock your socks off.

With cocktails in hand and sprawled out on our lounge with the city lights in the horizon and fire place beside us we decided to gluttonise ourselves with some shared dishes, allowing us venture into the American cuisine.

Now I'm a lover of chips and gravy, it's one of my weaknesses when it comes to fatty food feasting. So there was nothing better to order than the Poutine chips. This serving of golden fries is doused in a peppery brown gravy and cheese curd. The dish originated from what I have read in Quebec and has been developed in Canada across national and international chains in the small what they call "greasy spoon" locations. It's prepared in a specific manner of pouring the hot gravy over the cheese curd, to warm but not completely melt the cheese and to keep the chips crunchy and not soggy. This dish was truly jam packed with flavour and more peppery than expected, of which I'm not too sure on whether it was caused buy the hints of rocket leaves or added pepper into the rich brown gravy. Either way it made my taste buds sing and I almost couldn't stop myself from eating them all.

A serve of jalapeño poppers and fish tacos were next to come. The poppers were filled with a luscious creamy filling and still had just a little bit of that powerful jalapeño kick, but safe also for those whimps. The hit is just at the tip near the stalk so it's until you reach there where you get that pop of heat. Served with a dipping sauce that was similar in ranch sauce but with an extra tang, won the heart of Paul and it was not long before these poppers were devoured by either of us. Unfortunately though the fish tacos were a little bit disappointing. The grilled fish although perfectly cooked was lost under the large amount of lettuce, cubed tomato and cheese. With the spray of fresh lime juice we found that it really didn't highlight any specific flavours and the fish got lost. Although Paul's adventurous additive of the sauce from the jalapeño poppers actually gave it a little bit more tartness to the dish which seemed to of enhanced the overall dish. We both felt that there could have been a little bit more fish to the soft taco or a little bit more umph in flavour and it would have been better.

The salmon tartar cones is something new to taste. Waffle cones with hints of chives are filled with a cured salmon and coated with a creamy light creme fraiche, topped with salmon roe and "sprinkles" which were papita seeds and chives, it was very mellow in flavours. Textually the dish was enjoyable but very creamy, just like your eating an ice cream, which also made it slightly bizarre as it was somewhat daunting as to how to eat it. Do you break up the cone in 1/2 and spread the salmon evenly over the cone or do you just bite down? Either way you choose this dish is not over powering in salmon flavours and I would have liked just a touch less creme fraiche, I did like the fresh salmon roe that sat ontop of the cones and the touch of papitas.

The final touches of our dishes were the mini burgers and the lobster rolls. From reading the reviews the mini burgers have clearly been a popular choice, and there are good reasons. A sweet soft bun filled with melted cheese and juicy char grilled burgers they are what any BBQ lover wants. The smokey flame charred meat is quite strong on flavour and smell but very enjoyable, truly an American style which you would expect nothing less.

I was blown away with the lobster rolls and were my favourite of the night. So succulent and sweet, the lobster delicately overlaid in a cream sauce and stuffed into a soft sweet white roll, there is nothing you could compare too. The rolls are overloaded with lobster meat and served with perfectly hand made crisps. I would love to indulge in more of these if I had a chance, or perhaps be on the list for my last supper.

Looking over Sammy D's menu at SammyD's it seems that he has bought us some of his luscious dishes to us such as these lobster rolls, of which I am greatful. It shows that this venue is truly showing us true American cuisine and nothing that is being false. Other dishes that looks like he has bought wi him are the lolly pop buffalo wings with blue cheese and of course the famous American mac and cheese.

If your after dessert, enjoy it served in a jar or go the sampler shot glasses with a taste of all desserts. It's a great ender to your evening, and if you love chocolate I recommend the chocolate mousse, so velvety and board line of a chocolate ganache. For something a little less intense the rice pudding or mango pudding are just as amazing.

We had a great evening and will be taking the journey back to get a taste of the main meals to see what there all about, and maybe we'll throw in some of those lobster rolls too. For a night with upbeat music and a great social gathering point, who could refuse to check it out.

The Merrywell

Claredon st & Crown Riverside

Southbank, VIC

9292-7468