Reviews
City Messenger
A cut above the rest in town and the 'burbs, Food Kylie
Flemming
Adelaide's hospitality scene is sizzling after a boom
year of hot new restaurants and bars opening their
doors.
Sally Neville, restaurant and catering SA chief, says
we've seen more restaurant, cafe and bar openings than
ever before. "They've been experienced operators, too,
who have a much better chance of survival as opposed to
previous years when a lot inexperienced people have
opened up but closed quite quickly," she says.
The 2007 LIght Year award winners are:
Extreme Make over: a three way tie between the Maid &
Magpie Hotel, Stepney; blue collar watering hole turned
designer pub, Brompton Hotel; and the Duke of Brunswick,
in Gilbert St, now the Brunswick.
* all categories are not listed.
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The Advertiser - the Adelaide
magazine
cool dining, Urban cool, words by Anna Flanders and
Rebecca Dettman
the vibe: Formerly the Duke of Brunswick, this mid
1800's vine covered pub tucked away in Adelaide's
south-west corner is enjoying a renaissance. Fitted out
with contemporary and art deco style features, there's a
sunny, stylishly furnished dining room with high-backed
bench seats, embossed motif wallpaper and a comfortable
vibe, and two bars: a new open-plan front bar, and the
quieter saloon bar, which has retained the original
polished terrazzo features along with wooden floor
boards, a working fireplace, ornate ceilings, elaborate
velvet armchairs and period chandeliers.
the crowd: The Brunswick has enjoyed a local clientele
for years, but its new vibe has begun to lure a more
distinguished, corporate set - you might spot George
Gross and international jetsetters tucking into the slow
roast duck during a business lunch.
the Buzz: Brothers Scott and Jason Lawrie (formerly
behind the Duke of York on Currie Street) purchased the
establishment late last year and renovated it
them-selves from scratch. "We wanted to retain the
feeling and features of the old hotel - up market, but
not over the top", says Jason. A young head chef,
Patrick Cummins, has created a new menu of classic pub
fare (think Coopers Ale Battered flathead, parmigiana,
crinkle-cut chips) "restaurant-y" dishes, which include
a gluten-free option. Open seven days from 11am.
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Review - City Messenger
VIBE, Eating out by Kylie Flemming
Throughout the naughty nineties, my former editors and
their scallywag mates used to spend countless hours at
the Duke philosophising, debating, gossiping and putting
away copious amounts of grog.
The Gilbert St pub has been owned at various times by a
farmer named Bill Ryan and a butcher called Steve
Cimarosti and his wife Julie, who apparently still live
across the road. Which may not mean much to anyone
except to say that this pub has some history in the
southwest corner of the city, dubbed by one wit as the
Beirut end of town.
Fast forward to 2007. The Duke is now called The
Brunswick and has been given a stylish but sympathetic
make over by new owners Jason Lawrie and brother Scott,
who took over the pub late last year. The boys have
added some of the modern features people now expect from
hotels without taking away any of its character. There's
no stainless steel or industrial chic, just some nicely
polished floorboards and pretty smart spruce-up.
Initially, I didn't recognize the dining room which now
has taupe/olive coloured walls, a spiffy upholstered
banquette and walls with post-modern art.
We had primarily gone there because word is getting
around that the food is pretty good. About 18 years ago,
City Messenger legend Aloysius O'Mahoney and former
editor Des Ryan reviewed the hotel and ate potato and
leek soup ($2.50), filet mignon ($9.75), chicken breast
($8.75) and one - no, probably 17 - bottles of Pewsey
Vale Cab Sav at $14.
Times have changed, prices have risen a tad, but all in
the all, the spirit remains the same. Chef patrick
Cummins combines classic pub meals (schnitzels, fish and
chips, calamari) with other more modern, restaurant-
style dishes (slow roasted duck, for instance). Its a
menu to make everyone happy. Specials on this day
included a duck cassoulet pie, Coopers Ale-battered
tommy ruff and a curious sounding Mexican schnitzel with
guacamole and jalapenos. There's also a list of 10 or so
mezze nibbles to share. We enjoyed a plate of crab meat
wontons, perfectly grilled chorizo sausage and smoked
salmon, baby capers and dill mayo.
Our waitress, Teresa, made a big difference to our
night. She was patient, friendly and good fun - a
shining example of relaxed Aussie service. For mains, I
selected the crispy skin chicken breast with two white,
meaty breasts stuffed with a mix of tomato, basil and
bocconcini. The chook, drizzled with an interesting
almond and saffron sauce, was resting on a bed of rich
roast capsicum, rocket and red onion confit. Delicious
flavours and a steal at $17.90.
My friend went with the lamb rump, fat slices of juicy
pan-roasted meat served with a timbale of lemon, pine
nut and currant cous cous with a warm chickpea salad and
dollops of babaganouj. A terrific Middle Eastern dish
nicely cooked, a generous portion and well presented.
The flavours all worked together but were a tad
one-dimensional - nothing some mint or a dollop of that
fabulous spice girlz moroccan jam wouldn't fix.
The wine list is well rounded with plenty of labels to
suit various budgets. We had a Reschke Cabernet
Sauvignon which was a distinctly Coonawarra drop.
Desserts - we shouldn't have but did. A Dutch chocolate
tart was dreamy, served with a proper fruit coulis,
while my friend easily worked her way through delightful
red wine and vanilla bean poached pears served with
ricotta cake and almond biscotti.
The Duke still has it - even if, like a lot of city
pubs, its lost its title. The food here is built on a
comfort food foundation with a generosity that makes it
good value. My former editor is moving back to Adelaide
soon. Look out for him and Aloysius propping up the bar
any day now.
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Bar Review - The Advertiser
Bar Scene, Peter Wood - 'Backstreet hides a city gem'
Sometimes it's worth stopping at those tiny backstreet
bars which hide in the heart of Adelaide. The Duke of
Brunswick is one of those places newcomers could
accidentally stumble into and form an instant bond.
Heading out of the CBD in Gilbert St, the pub appears
just as the street starts to feel like a residential
district, making you question how long it has been there
and how many times it has gone unnoticed. If its a
quiet, intimate night people are looking for, the saloon
bar is a cosy place to kick back with a nice bottle
without the usual front-bar noise. But make sure you are
actually in the saloon bar - first timers might mistake
the area for the front bar. Some restored furniture sets
the room apart from the run of the mill pub look, with
carved wooden backs and rich, red colours. nearby, an
open fire roars during the winter months. It's not one
of those that hides behind glass, making patrons wonder
wether it's gas powered or not - you can hear the wood
crackling away and spare logs are stacked along side the
hearth like it's a alpine cabin. The room is dressed in
a recently painted mix of whites and greys, teamed with
wood and intricate wallpaper. The saloon bar separates
the front bar patrons from the diners in the restaurant.
Above the fireplace, the specials board tempts patrons
to sample the bar menu while above the beer taps, the
drink specials also beckons. Staff will recommend a meal
from the specials list but the usual menu selections are
worth a look. The 400g scotch fillet only just nudges
the $20 mark and the rest of the choices are below that.
For a less filling, but special experience, the slow
roasted duck should suit the gourmands. The front corner
of the hotel looks more like a front bar with less mood
lighting and more stainless steel. However it still
retains the charm at the heart of the hotel. The room is
setup with a two sided bar that seems to cater for two
crowds. On one side, you get the impression the patrons
have called the Brunswick their home for years. On the
other, there are people discovering the pub for the
first time. In the front bar, another open fire is
integral to the atmosphere and always seems to be lit. |
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The Brunswick
open 7 days from 11am
207 Gilbert Street Adelaide
p. 08 8231 9741
f. 08 8212 1514 |
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