A La Grecque
T 03 5289 6922
Some people think it weird that I travel far for food. But heck…why not? And when you can experience such beautiful simplicity like a meal at A La Grecque, then the drive there is the least of your worries (the drive back having tried to restrain oneself from getting blind on their wine list is the only other difficulty!). So I would suggest an overnighter or some strong restraint if you venture down this part of the coast.
Run by Kosta of Kostas of Lorne fame, this easy Greek/Mediterranean restaurant sits on a hillside in Airey’s Inlet that drops steadily down to the ocean below. It misses out on most of the view though - but the sea breeze and welcoming hospitality of the staff sure makes up for it. On the day of our visit, the sun was shining warmly, the breeze was cool, and there was no other option but to sit outside on the grass, the shade of an umbrella keeping most of the UV from us.
First up for me was a hearty slab of grilled Kefalograviera with a pear and fig chutney. The chutney was certainly flavoursome and sweet, but I much prefer this dish with just a strong squeeze of lemon juice and a hunk of complimentary Greek bread (which was damn good!).
For mains I went the lamb keftethes (meatballs), potato fourno (baked and herbed) and yoghurt cucumber salad. As you can see it was a simple dish - but bam, it all tasted bloody marvellous. The lamb was tender and nicely spiced with garlic and parsley and the taste of a charcoal grill, the potatoes roasted as only the Greeks can do, and the yoghurt cucumber salad a nice tart compliment.
Along with this we ordered a roast pumpkin, baby spinach, pine nut salad with a ras el hanout dressing. This was just an absolute winner of a side dish - one which I shall try to replicate at home.
As with most patrons at A La Greque, Kosta will probably swing by your table and have a chat and make you feel welcome. And so he did with us - making the whole experience a lot more personable. Time just seems to slow down when you come to this neck of the woods. So just sit back and enjoy the good things in life.
Written by mellie on
February 2nd, 2007 | Tags: Greek, restaurants | Category: Uncategorized
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February 23rd, 2007 at 10:03 am
oh goodness that looks gorgeous! sounds like a must do next time I feel like getting out of melbourne!
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Hi there truffle - it is certainly a must do for a day trip being only an hour an a half (to three quarters) out of Melbourne. But if you’re going to drink (…and it is so hard not to under those conditions), then figure on staying the night down there. Or going with a non-drinker
March 1st, 2007 at 5:44 am
Look i have to say i love my roast potatoes with keftedes as much as any other greek does, and in fact a major disadvantage to not living close to the olds anymore is that i don’t get to eat this sort of stuff often, but can i just say the portion you’ve shown there is imho less than satisfactory! Three keftedes???? That’s it??? It’s not even a decent meze portion let alone a main. Maybe i’m a guts (and just a little hungry at the moment) but i’d be feeling a little bent out of shape if that’s all that was brought out to my table. Having said that, its probably best i stop browsing food blogs when i’m hungry. Btw love your blog and always look forward to your new entries!
March 1st, 2007 at 10:13 am
Hiya serenity later - it actually wasn’t too miserly. I think the scale is kinda wacky, but the plate was huge, so each keftedes was about half a fistful.
But I must admit that I did raise an eyebrow at the brevity of the plate (ie. there was a lot of white space). But once I tucked in, it was more than satisfactory. A case of quality vs. quantity.
And yes, reading food blogs when hungry can lead to all manner of evil food cravings.
…i so need an almond ricotta cupcake with lemon royal icing right now