January 23-26, 2010: Port Fairy

Cindy together with I, similar the bulk of Australians, decided to plow the Commonwealth of Australia Day vacation into a four-day long-weekend, together with trekked off to Port Fairy to laze around. It's a prissy niggling town - clearly good ready for foodie tourists, alongside maybe the highest density of Good Food Guide hats per capita of anywhere inwards Victoria. We didn't focus likewise heavily on the fine-dining (although in that place is some other transportation service coming well-nigh our i fancy repast for the weekend), instead surviving on a heady mix of local cafe food, trail mix together with chips.

The weekend started off alongside a wander roughly the town - it's an interesting mix of historical buildings, trendiness together with natural beauty. We focussed mainly on the natural beauty, heading through some prissy niggling wetlands on the agency to Griffiths Island.

haloumi together with grape salad, which got us through until morning.

On Sunday, I somehow convinced Cindy that hiring bikes together with riding for thirty-odd kilometres was an awesome idea. So, afterwards a fairly forgettable breakfast nosotros laid off for Koroit on 2 of the hardest bike-seats always built. They were basically simply hard-plastic. Throw inwards a pedal that cruel off inside the kickoff kilometre, together with things weren't looking good. Luckily, the The Girl alongside the Dragon Tattoo.

All nosotros had the lay out energy left for was a dinner outing, which volition live the plain of written report of its ain transportation service shortly. Our Port Fairy jaunt was a pretty ideal long weekend - a fighting of physical activity, lots of reading, likewise much sun, some proficient nutrient together with a niggling fighting of nature.

January 25, 2010: Merrijig Inn

Michael mentioned that Port Fairy seems to convey a high density of Good Food Guide-hatted restaurants for a province town as well as afterwards having such a lovely experience at Beechworth's Provenance, nosotros made certain to develop aside to a greater extent than or less fourth dimension as well as coin to plow over 1 of them a go. Merrijig Inn took our fancy, based on an my sushi fondness vs the wakame dish at Provenance) but this hitting only the correct banking corporation complaint for me - subtle saltiness, to a greater extent than or less compaction from the samphire as well as a gentle herbiness. No rubbery textures at all!

boisterous bunches we've been eating at home! But it was the apple, to a greater extent than or less roasted to a greater extent than or less pureed, that had Michael moaning amongst appreciation. I intend of beetroot equally to a greater extent than of a wintertime vegetable, but to a greater extent than or less low-cal touches ensured this wasn't equally good heavy on a warm night.

To closed the savoury business office of the meal, nosotros were given 'carrot, hazelnut, brie, flowers as well as herbs'. It was thence pretty as well as cheerful looking, but beneath that festive veneer seat an overpoweringly rich cheese. Nothing could stand upward up to it! I wished for a drinking glass of matched sweet-and-sour vino that powerfulness cutting through the cloying brie.

Dessert was 'orange, sheep's milk, basil'. The sheep's milk had been churned into a thick icecream, surrounded yesteryear orangish segments, orangish jelly, dehydrated orangish meringue drops as well as grated orangish cake, thence covered inward a light-green snowfall of basil granita. It was really refreshing, only barely sweet, as well as an ideal palate cleanser - Michael loved it, though I flora the basil a fleck overwhelming.

We finished upward belatedly amongst coffee, tea, as well as picayune hazelnut chocolates. It was a fine, fifty-fifty exciting, meal. Though it was a picayune curt on protein, I didn't experience a lack of anything equally I ate - the onions, beetroot as well as cheese were all substantial as well as at that spot was overall a feeling that this chef loves playing amongst vegetables. I liked that most of the dishes had relatively uncomplicated flavor themes, amongst multifariousness coming from the grooming methods as well as resulting textures. As a dedicated sweetness molar the dessert didn't quite come across my expectations, but it upheld that same touchstone of fresh flavours as well as contrasting textures.

Glancing a neighbouring tabular array as well as looking straightaway at the bill of fare online, I tin dismiss watch that the vegetarian bill of fare has been created nearly independently of the touchstone tasting bill of fare - exclusively the beetroot dish looks similar it powerfulness endure a 'same, but without the meat' imitation. Even improve - it's $30 cheaper per somebody than the omni version! The exclusively drawback is that nosotros weren't offered a develop of matching wines (these are available amongst the touchstone tasting menu).

I don't know if or when we'll honour ourselves eating extravagantly at Port Fairy again, but if nosotros did I'd honour it difficult to select 1 of the other hatted restaurants over a repeat see to the Merrijig Inn.

Address: 1 Campbell St, Port Fairy
Ph: 5568 2324
Fully licensed
Price: vegetarian tasting bill of fare $75 per person
Website: www.merrijiginn.com