The Barossa Valley in South Australia looks like Napa Valley about 25 or 30 years ago. There are a few small towns and many great wineries to visit. The central town is Tanunda. On a cold winter day this past August (remember the seasons are reverse of north America) I wondered into a warm and cozy restaurant in Tanunda. The 1918 Bistro and Grill is the ultimate wine country eating place complete with wood burning fireplace and slow, laid back service. The place is bright and open with "antique" furniture and a casual atmosphere, almost like dining in someone's home. There are 2 rooms seating about 50 people total so it is not a large place. The menu is a mix of some basic standards and some creative fusion dishes but some of the food seems overworked. The menu is not overly large featuring only 5 main courses, 8 starters and 2 pizzas. For starters the fried parmesan and carmelized onion risotto cake with grilled asparagus, artichoke chips and red pepper dressing was tasty but the risotto cake was slightly overcooked and crunchy. The pizzas are of the "arty-trendy" mold: one pizza has roast potato, blue cheese, cacciatori sausage and rosemary while the other sports pumpkin, spinach, feta, pine nuts and pesto. I wish someone would come up with another word rather than pizza to describe these kind of "pies". Perhaps "baked flatbreads" or "crusty concoctions" would help alleviate any confusion. Other starters include carmelized pork belly with Asian greens, crab and pork dumpling and a braised pork hock with shitake mushroom demi tasse, sesame crumbled lamb brains with baba ghanoush, pomegranate molasses and a salad of crispy pancetta, dill and garlic chips, and tasty sweet corn fritters with a salad of fried shallots, peanuts and Asian herbs with a chili palm sugar dressing. The five main courses on the Winter menu were: filet of beef with wild mushrooms, dauphine potato, fines herbs and a truffle scented glaze, lamb shanks with prune and almond couscous, linguini with prawns, zucchini ribbons, shaved parmesan, basil and a chili tomato cream sauce, chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto with roasted garlic, parsnip puree and a carmalized sherry jus and a coconut tempura garfish with Asian herb and green bean salad. A good wine list features many local producers and service is casual. Lots of winemakers hang out here. Prices are reasonable with starters ranging from 9.50 to 16.00 (Australian $) and main courses from 23.00 to 29.00. 1918 Bistro and Grill: 94 Murray Street, Tanunda, SA 5252. Tel: (08) 8563 0405. www.1918.com.au. Open 7 days. All major credit cards.
Copyright Marc R. Kauffman 2008 - 2011. All rights reserved.