Georgio’s Ricotta
Available from Bill’s Farm, Shop 17-18 Deli Hall (Queen Victoria Market)
Phone 03 9328 2003
I don’t know who Georgio is, but heck, he makes a damn fine ricotta! You can pick a tub of the good stuff at Bill’s Farm at Vic Market. The supply is haphazard at best, so if you see it, grab it and eat it…quickly. It is apparently made in Thomastown, so I’m wondering whether it might a little pet project of someone over at Pantalica or Floridia Cheese? Either way it absolutely rocks - it is wickedly creamy, a little nutty, semi-sweet with a delicate texture. Spread simply on toasted baguette, it has to be one of the best ricotta’s around.
Written by mellie on
October 4th, 2008 | Tags: Bill's Farm, Georgio's Ricotta, Queen Victoria Market, ricotta | Category: food items, markets
| 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
| Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL
October 5th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Hi Mellie
Bria recommended your blog and I’ve really enjoyed reading it. It’s very well-written and the food descriptions evocative.
Do you have any favourite stalls at Vic Market? (meat, fish, deli and/or veg)
Cheers, Caroline
October 5th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Hi there Caroline - welcome to tummy rumbles!
Hmm…favourite stalls at the Vic, eh? Arggh….there are just too many! As it’s my local, I venture there at least weekly and I must admit to being a bit of a market hussy - I roam around looking for what’s best on the day. I don’t often pay much attention to the shop names - but what I might do over the next little while is to write about a few of my favourites.
And yourself?
October 9th, 2008 at 12:54 am
Hi Mellie
Sorry for the late response. Between a hectic work schedule and a toddler (not in that order!), time just escapes me.
It would be great if you could write about a few of your preferred stalls (even by location).
I have some favourites, but I’m not sure if that’s the result of their excellence or my familiarity with them (coupled with my chronic laziness). I love the grated parmesan at the pasta stall (I know - pre-grated parmesan? What a heathen). The pterodactyl-sized organic, free-range eggs at the organic chicken stall in the deli section are a must, while the spicy lamb boreks from the deli borek stall provide the necessary sustenance to brave the surging, elbow-flailing hordes at the Polish meat counter. As for fruit and veg, count me in as one your slutty entourage - whatever looks edible on the day (including some of the gorgeous young male stallholders!).
Cheers
Caroline
October 9th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I know this is off topic but have you guys had fried chicken Korean style. That is like in http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/07/dining/07fried.html. I would die if this was in available in Melbourne.
October 11th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Hey there Allen - n’ah, unfortunately I haven’t heard of Korean style fried chicken. But my mouth was watering from the description over at NY times!
Hmm…perhaps a good business idea? There are so many Koreans in Melbourne, it would probably go right off!
October 12th, 2008 at 7:02 am
Hi again Caroline - thanks for alerting me to your market tips! I too am a lover of pre-grated parmesan (it seems to pack a greater punch), and I’m Italian! I poo-poo anyone who says you have to grate it fresh off the block - bah! I usually get my eggs from the organic fruit stalls, so I must go check out the pterodactyls. And yes, the Polish deli is a fav of Dan’s especially - he just LOVES the wedding sausage there.
A couple of my favourties:
. If you’re in the meat hall standing at the doors looking out to Elizabeth St. The first shop on your left against the far wall is a meat shop, and I reckon have some of the best beef (and sometimes goat) in the market. From memory I think he’s croatian (don’t quote me on that), and he dry hangs his own meat. Delicious.
. I regularly visit the organic butcher who is in the same aisle as above, just further up on the left hands side (walking towards Queen St). He has really good sausages, and his Otway Pork is great.
. For fish, I am usually drawn to what looks freshest on the day, but there is a place that’s on the outer wall - the last fish shop before it turns to meat - that is on the left walking up towards Queen Street. He usually has great ocean trout/salmon, and his crabs/crustaceans are not top shabby either.
. I regularly get chicken from The Chicken Pantry in the deli hall, and Roo from the dude next door.
. Bread I generally get from the really busy corner bakery/shop opposite the Deli Hall chicken places.
. Bill’s seems to be my new place for pastrami and cured meats, athough I think the stuff over at the deli further on from him towards the meat hall, on the corner right, is also good (see…this is now getting confusing! I should commit their names to memory!)
. Love the Warrnambool Butter at Curds and Whey (is that the one!?!?) - big blocks of it are displayed on the corner of this stall.
. Fruit and Veg - up in Shed B near Peel Street there is a fruiterer called G&C Fruit & Veg (I think), that have the most wonderful range of meditteranean produce. But they are only open on the weekdays and Saturday. Otherwise I generally get my stuff from the handful of organic stalls near Therry Street. Ripe, red tomatoes of course come from the Tomato Stall, and asian type veg (kankung etc) from the further up from that on the corner towards Queen Street.
. Love the nuts, museli, nut butters and yoghurt from the Nut shop (next to the cake/biscuit corner stall) in the Deli Hall.
And I think that is it! I love just going to the market and generally running around to look at what’s good, and then being inspired to cook from what is best on the day. I love it