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I wanted to write a kickarse review of the Waiters Restaurant, which is considered by some to be one of the quintessential dining experiences in Melbourne. But I have struck a wee problem. See, I decided to enrol in a food writing course at CAE in an attempt to improve my skills. Over class introductions I mentioned that I was a food blogger, and happily passed on the URL without any thought to the consequence this would have on my fragile writers psyche. Now I feel completely and utterly self conscious! And to make matters worse, the Waiter’s Restaurant has been professionally reviewed by my teacher, John Weldon, in Epicure.

Alas, I need to reclaim the original intent of this blog, which is to write about my food experiences in a completely honest and non-conforming way. There is time and place to write things “professionally”, and time and place to just “let it all hang out”.

And as luck would have it, the Waiter’s Restaurant is just the kind of place you can “let it all hang out” in. It is as comfortable to me as sitting in the kitchen of an Italian paesani household circa 1970. There is no pretence about the place; laminex tables, vinyl chairs, wood panelling, crappy carpet (where’s the lino?), garishly bold curtains and faded prints of fruit/vegetables on the wall.

But it’s the delicious smell of slow cooked sugo which first grabs you when you walk in the door (that is if you manage to find the un-signed entrance in the first place). You are here to eat and that’s about it - forget the decor. The food is homestyle and hearty, the wine is house red or white and served in a tumbler, and the wait staff have spunk. Look up at the wall and you will find the regular menu (sans prices), with the usual selection of bolognese, carbonara, amatriciana, scallopini and puttanesca. There is also a blackboard specials menu, allowing you to sample something a little different if you choose to stray from tried and true.

Bruschetta is the first thing to be consumed - day old toasted pasta dura bread, glugged with a generous lick of olive oil. The garlic is subtle, the tomatoes and basil fresh and flavoursome and the seasoning just right.

My main dish came off the specials board - rabbit cacciatore. The tomato sugo tasted exactly how Nonna used to make it - rich, sweet and intense. My only gripe was the little bone shards found throughout the dish. All I wanted to do was to scoop a big mouthful and chow down - but I had to be ever so dainty and cautious to ensure I didn’t end up with a splinter in my throat. That being said, it really was an amazing tasting dish. Just a lil’ difficult to eat.

The Elegant Gourmand went the veal scalloppine in a marsala sauce. I just love the retroness of the dish. Look at those steamed carrot batons, asparagus spears and roast potato/pumpkin. This is a dish that would have most nutritionists jumping for joy (…and most food stylists running for cover!).

The tiramisu (to share) was an absolute knockout - fresh whipped marscapone sandwiched between layers of coffee infused savoirardi and dusted with an overdose of cocoa. It wasn’t the mushy macerated mess passed as tiramisu at most restaurants. In fact, I think this version is one of the better ones I’ve had. It certainly earned its title of a “pick me up“!

Written by mellie on October 10th, 2006 | Tags: restaurants | Category: Uncategorized |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL