Pinchy's

February 13, 2024

   

Pinchy's brands itself as a lobster and champagne bar so I was a little surprised when our vegan friend Jess invited us to celebrate his birthday there. He has excellent taste so I put my trust in him and in Pinchy's - it turns out that they have a vegan 'made friendlier' six course tasting menu ($60 per person and significantly cheaper than their seven courses 'by the sea') and it's a lot of fun. 

   

The extensive drinks list includes fancy, unique cocktails and mocktails - Michael got into the swing of things with a spicy marg ($22), while I sipped on a sunset tonic ($14). Another popular choice around our table was the nectar of the night ($22), which includes a colour transformation at the table through the combination of butterfly pea tea and lemon juice.

   

We didn't have to wait long before the food started arriving! First came these ultra crisp miniature spiced tofu tacos, with a light salsa and lots of avocado mousse.

   

The Caesar salad tartlet came draped in a fine sliver of celeriac; inside was a smoky, savoury mixture of confit garlic, lettuce, capers and vegan parmesan.

   

The beetroot tartare was a striking square with a toasty nori crouton base, earthy tender beetroot filling, and a little piped avocado on top.

   

The leek croquettes, served with herb oil, might have been my favourite - I love that combination of crispy-crumbed shell and molten interior.

   

Though the charred capsicum crisp was listed first on the menu, it arrived late on. I know these shells best from the dish pani puri, and it was a little jarring to eat one stuffed with roast capsicum rather than potatoes and mint water!

   

The vegan tasting menu climaxes with a pillow-soft bun stuffed with charred lion's mane mushroom and a small side of potato crisps. I doubt it tastes anything like a lobster roll but it's a joy all its own.

   

The gentlest nudge from the wait staff had us ordering some truffle fries ($14), which were served with a terrific truffle aioli.

   

More generally, the staff were an absolute delight - professional, funny and friendly, completely on top of the vegan menu and especially attentive to the one coeliac in our party. The vibe of the venue is a little ostentatious for my tastes and I never imagined the menu would be for me either - but I'm glad to be proven wrong and had a very memorable time at Pinchy's.

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For write-ups of the seafood at Pinchy's, you can read a generally positive account on Whatever Floats Your Bloat and a more effusive review on Olive Sundays.

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Pinchy's

1/200 Bourke St, Melbourne

0420 783 719

menu

https://www.pinchys.co/

Accessibility: We took the stairs up to Pinchy's and, although I didn't notice a lift, there is a wide and shallow ramp inside so there seems a reasonable chance that one is available. Furniture is densely packed, a mixture of booths, low tables with backed chairs and high tables with backed chairs. We ordered and paid at our table. We didn't visit the toilets.

Eat Pierogi Make Love II

 February 1, 2024

   

On a weeknight when the sun was out and we couldn't be bothered cooking, Michael and I walked up to Eat Pierogi Make Love to try more from their menu. Plenty other people seemed to have the same idea, with the restaurant doing a brisk trade!

This time we made sure to try the vegan ziemniak pierogi ($24), stuffed with potatoes, vegan cheese and jalapenos. They were starchy and moderately spicy, and definitely a dish we'd order again. We complemented them with a side of buraki (beetroot; $6), which wasn't as pickley as I was anticipating.

   

The beetroot seemed important since we'd also ordered leniwe or 'Polish style gnocchi' ($26), but this proved to be a gorgeous, green and well-rounded plate on its own. The tender cheese and spinach dumplings were fried in butter, then piled with baby spinach leaves, green peas, pickled beetroot, breadcrumbs and cured egg yolk. In the unlikely circumstance that you're not at EPML to share food, this is an excellent self-contained vegetarian meal.

   

This shared meal left us enough appetite to try a dessert, and I picked the sernik ($14), a dense baked cheesecake served with tangy preserved red currants - it was precisely to both our tastes.

It's great to confirm that there's plenty for vegetarians to mix and match across EPML's menu! We haven't exhausted their options yet and will surely be back for more.

   

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You can read about our first visit to EPML here.

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Eat Pierogi Make Love

161 Lygon St, Brunswick East

8394 5240

menu: food for vodka; small plates, mains, pierogi & toppings; side salads & desserts

http://www.eatpierogimakelove.com/

Accessibility: There is a flat entry with a shallow ramp. Furniture inside is densely packed, a mixture of fixed booths and a high bar with backless stools; we didn't visit the outdoor courtyard or the toilets. We ordered at the table and paid at a high bar.

Cafe Lalibela III

January 27, 2024

   

My last post about Cafe Lalibela, published in 2016, ended with the words: "We really need to go back before 2023 rolls around". Welp. It seems our visits are destined to be rare but they are always relished. This summer we stopped in after dropping some food to COVID-afflicted friends and doing a loop around Footscray Savers.

My past photographs are evidence that the walls have been repainted, but Lalibela maintains the same cosy, family-run atmosphere. We returned to the Beyainetu ($20; up from $14 in 2016 and $12 in 2008) to sample across the vegetarian menu, sopping up misir wot (lentil stew), shiro wot (pea flour stew), yeatakilt (turmeric-stained potato and carrot stew), ater kik wot (split pea stew), and defin misir wot (more lentils) with two huge rounds of injera.

In another blast from the past, Cafe Lalibela was sporting a 'cash only' sign! We and another table were caught short, noticing this only part-way through our meals, but the staff kindly figured out a means of bank transfer. We'll pack our proper wallets next time, whatever year that might be.  

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You can read about one, two of our previous visits to Cafe Lalibela.

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Cafe Lalibela

91 Irving St, Footscray

9687 0300

menu

https://www.lalibela.com.au/

Accessibility: The entry is flat but has a little rail and turn that is probably awkward for prams and wheelchairs to pass. There's a clear path through the middle of the restaurant; furniture is densely spaced sturdy tables and chairs of standard height. We paid at a high counter and didn't visit the toilets.