VICTORIA
Italian Comfort
Another big surprise that Bright serves
up lies in Simone’s Kitchen, and that was
exactly where I was – 98 Gavan Street, a
quiet residential street with none of the
hustle and bustle that one would expect
when arriving at a renowned culinary
institution. I followed my guide up some
steps leading to a charming Victorian
country house. A restaurant manager
welcomed us and we were ushered into a
living room decorated with small dining
tables. I was seated in a smaller room
with just one large table that seats eight
to 10. The interior was – no doubt – not
much of a talking point other than the
fact that it was homely. That was what
made it even more special; it was a rustic
dining experience at its finest without
the pomp and pizazz, made complete by
Patrizia Simone’s presence. Patrizia
started the restaurant with her husband
in 1986, and gained fame as a family-run
restaurant that serves up fine Italian
specialities. Her son Anthony now runs
the kitchen and carries on the tradition
with a creative touch.
We were treated to an eight-course
degustation menu with wine pairing.
Seasonal local produce such as trout,
salmon, olives, berries and varieties of
nuts were showcased as well as regional
produce such as Milawa duck and red
stag. The Harrietville trout paired with
crispy winter leaves was a toothsome
start to the meal and a hint of what was to
come – expect big notes and hearty
flavours with generous portions.
Everything you would expect from a
nonna who demands you eat well. The
gnocchetti raviolono with gorgonzola,
black truffle and crispy pancetta offered
divine spoonfuls of rich, creamy
goodness, while the cured and confit
Milawa duck with smoked eel, eggplant
caponata, arancini and stinging nettle
struck a balance with the heavy and
smoky taste of the meats with the smooth
eggplant and crispy arancini. The
desserts offered a perfect end to our
dinner with a sublime Mt Chocolato with
roasted feijoa, quince crumble, port
ganache and honey shard – a symphony
of sweet and fruity notes with great
textures that engaged the palate.
Sweet Surprises
The next day, we visited another
signature instituition – Bright Chocolate, a
producer of fine artisanal single-origin
chocolate. Handmade with love from the
cosy premises of its factory and store at
8/3 Riverside Avenue, Timo Paternotte
MUST-VISIT SPOTS
En route to Bright, there are a few essential
stops you cannot miss if you love your wine
and cheese. Fowles Wine is a 90-minute
drive from Melbourne CBD, located on 1175,
Lambing Gully Road. Rated a five-star winery
by James Halliday, Fowles Wine gained
recognition for wines that were created to
complement wild game, and is highly
popular with fans who enjoy its Are you
Game? label, including the unique Ladies
Who Shoot Their Lunch range. A tasting
session with a platter of four types of meat
will allow you to appreciate the nuances of
each taste.Advance booking is required
(www.fowleswine.com).
A name that would be
familiar to most, Brown
Brothers is a 126-year-
old family-run business
that adopts innovative
wine-making methods
and experiments with
grape varietals. Currently
showcasing over 60
different wines, Brown Brothers
has a cellar door, a restaurant and an
experimental winery that produces small
batch wines exclusive to the cellar door,
located at 244 Milawa-Bobinawarrah Road.
It was a memorable experience made
special by Katherine Brown, who hosted us
to a lovely lunch at Patricia’s Table
restaurant and shared with us on the family’s
vision and tradition. The dishes served up by
head chef Douglas Elder were superb as well;
the grilled green asparagus, picked oyster
mushroom, black truffle croquette and egg
yolk was fresh and bursting with the seasonal
flavours, paired with a 2014 chardonnay. For
mains, try the duck breast, confit leg, sweet
and sour peppers, smoked cauliflower puree
and walnuts, paired with a 2013 merlot
(brownbrothers.com.au).
To round off the Milawa
gourmet trail, head to
Milawa Cheese Company
at 17 Factory Road, to
sample an award-winning
flight of cheeses. This
family-run business
produce winners that are
lovingly handmade with
non-animal rennet and are
preservative free. Try the King River Gold,
which is soft and has a rich nutty, almost
smoky flavour. The Milawa Blue is a great
introduction for beginners; it has a rich,
buttery flavour considered mild for blue
cheeses. Give the Markwood a try as well; it
is a unique speciality cheese that is
extremely limited and is matured for two
years to produce a complex flavour that is
safisfyingly buttery (milawacheese.com.au).BLAZE THE TRAIL
Bright and Surrounds is a playground for the
adventurous, and offers something for
cycling enthusiasts of all levels. The
ultimate challenge lies in Mount Beauty’s
Big Hill Mountain Bike Park, which hosts the
annual National Mountain Bike
Championships. For a leisurely ride that
allows you to take in the sights, the Murray
to Mountains Rail Trail is ideal. It is a 100km
ride on a track that runs from Wangaratta to
Bright, with distractions such as wineries
and farm gates to warrant a rest.
OTo hire a bike and to find out more about
cycling trails, contact CyclePath Australia
(www.cyclepath.com.au).from Bright Chocolate shared his passion
with us as he demonstrated the skill of
refining, conching and tempering to
produce chocolate that is fine, smooth
and velvety.
Browsing at his store is a pleasure,
with colourful displays of tantalising
cacao beans, nibs, pod eggs, hot
chocolate spoons and freckle lollypops
that appeal to the eye.
From chocolates we turned our
attention to wine at Feathertop, a venue
that houses a cellar door, a restaurant
and deli, a spa and luxury
accommodations – all overlooking
Mount Buffao and the sprawling slopes
of the vineyard. Showcasing produce
from the Alpine Valley, a seasonal a la
carte menu of Murray cod or Mount
Beauty eye fillet can be enjoyed with a
wine tasting session while seated on the
lawn terrace. Or a therapeutic spa
session and massage can be enjoyed as
well to complete your sensory
indulgence. The spa also offers treatment
packages that tie in with a gourmet or
cycling programme.
A stay at Feathertop is most certainly
recommended – with a choice of a stylish
two-bedroom apartment with a modern
designer kitchen, and a large verandah
facing Mount Buffalo; or a one-bedroom
suite with a kitchenette, a spacious
balcony and an outdoor bath.