Travelling back in time is normally a pretty tough gig with out a DeLorian or perhaps a 1950's english phone box(Tom Baker would blend in nicely here) but up until a year ago the Montague Hotel was managing the feat quite easily, stepping through the door and in the blink of an eye it appears a pack of Ava Gardners ex-husbands have banded together in the corner to re-form the brat-pack and my mother is behind the bar asking 'What'd ya 'ave son'..!
Ok as we speed forward in time (queue 'Tardis' music and speed up to 56 mph in our DeLorian) to the present day Montague Hotel known by those who work it affectionably as 'The Goo' outside tables are full, the cast of the OC lounging comfortably, we pass them and step into the bar nothing over the top has occured but with a few tweeks some coats of paint and the 50 year old cocktail waitress being cut in half leaving two blonde 25 year old bartenders i think we were on the right tramline (ie. this is definetly not the fufty-seven or eighty-sux..!!!) so after a couple of drinks at the bar we move through to the dinning room it's full and still a little old school 70's style sitting down the service is relaxed the music low key and the crowd a cross between the little river band and the golden girls.
But getting down to business the food side of things is were the Goo shines from Pasta to charcuterie all is made on the premises. The chef Julian Mann who has been the sidekick of chefs such as Michael Lambie, Ian Curley and Martin Webb and has come out with all guns blazing on this one.
To start a charcuterie plate of duck liver parfait, bresola, chicken and pancetta terrine, rabbit rillette, and a selection of cold cuts all served with several chutneys and char-grilled bread. For entree's we had the beef carpaccio, thin slices of tender pink black angus beef with shaved parmesan, rocket and truffle oil a classic that never gets old. My partner in all things protein/carb went for the goats cheese salad a maybe to generous portion of the chevre but thats why i'm there to help. Third course was 2 scallop and prawn tortellini served with bugs, scallop, light frisse and fennel salad in a pool of amazing nantua sauce.TO BE CONTINUED IM HUNGRY NEED SUSTANENCE...
3 comments:
H-dog! I can't believe such a place exists where I can mingle with some of my favourite ladies. Marissa and Summer on the outside and Blanche and Rose on the inside. God I miss the golden girls. However, anything served with bugs of any kind can't be good - no matter how hip!
Hemi, you are wasted on food (dont take that as an insult - I mean relatively speaking) you should be a food writer! I love a man that can cook and string a sentence together. Keep it up.
Hemdog, MeetMeAtMike's had this link, and I think you'd be interested. I could spend hours on it.. great photos of very interesting dishes, linked to foody blogs with the recipe. Mm.
http://www.tastespotting.com/
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