Let’s eat: restaurants from WA to Tassie

12th March 2021 | Eativity editors

Here at Eativity, we’re all about singing the praises of quality local produce. This means we always love to hear about talented chefs and great restaurants that are taking the best produce in their region and using it to create some culinary magic. In this, our latest restaurant round-up, we share some truly appetising offerings from hospitality stars old and new, from plentiful Perth to heavenly Hobart. Book a reservation today, and help support our hospitality industry as it shakes off the shackles of pandemics and lockdowns and gets back to doing what it does best – bringing you a delicious dining experience.

Rockpool Perth celebrates 10 years by heroing WA produce

Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a month-long Best of Rockpool tasting menu showcasing the very best of Western Australian produce.

The menu – which will be available from Thursday, April 1 to Friday, April 30 for lunch and dinner – celebrates the decade-long relationship that Rockpool Bar & Grill has with many of its farmers, fishers and suppliers, who are the backbone of the locally sourced, produce-driven menu at the prestigious Crown Perth restaurant.

Local heroes such as White Rocks Veal supplied by acclaimed Perth butcher Mondo Di Carne, Arkady Lamb, Blue Ridge Marron, native West Australian dhufish and plump pink snapper from Ben Pethick’s fishing trips around Geraldton and the Abrolhos Islands, calamari from local fishing legends Kailis Bros and grass-fed Blackwood Valley beef are menu highlights, alongside an abundance of local fresh fruit and vegetables from Morley Growers Market and premium products from providore Simon Johnson. Legendary Australian farmer and long-term Rockpool partner David Blackmore’s wagyu also features.

For bookings, head to the Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth website, email Perthreservations@rockpool.com or call (08) 6252 1900.

Yin meets yang, north meets south in Melbourne

Renowned Melbourne chefs Shannon Martinez (pictured) and Ian Curley have collaborated to open the new South Yarra vegan and vegetarian bar and kitchen Lona Misa.

In the kitchen, yin will meet yang, north will meet south and oil will meet vinegar. With decades of experience in European fine and bistro dining, Curley will curate the heavily vegan and vegetarian menu offering with vegan chef, author and plant-based poster girl Martinez. Lona Misa will be produce-led and pay homage to Martinez’s Latin roots.

“I’ve known Curley a long time, and we’ve both always refused to come across the river,” Martinez says. “Melbourne hospitality will get what I mean when I say he’s 100 percent southside; I’m 100 percent northside. Finally, the meeting of north and south.

“It’s going to be something else. My style could not be more opposite to his, so Lona Misa is going to be a different take on my food. My flavours and inspiration paired with his polish.”

Martinez and Curley will oversee the menus across the restaurant and bar, working closely with local farmers and producers to source all fresh ingredients.

Lona Misa will open in April within Ovolo South Yarra.

Modern Australian cuisine in Williamstown… or at home

From its days as a neglected industrial area, Melbourne’s Williamstown is now a modern, fashionable seaside suburb known for its proliferation of many notable restaurants and cafes. Here, Porters sits as a local staple that offers diners gourmet, modern Australian fare in a beautiful setting. Porters’ menu focuses on quality and is inspired by Australia’s rich cultural diversity, with produce being locally sourced.

Keeping up with the rising popularity of premium convenience meals, the team is now offering “Porters At Home” packs for those who want to enjoy quality food at home.

Porters initially developed an online store in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 lockdowns as a means to keep the restaurant afloat. However, after its success and the ongoing demand for gourmet convenience meals, the team has decided to continue the offering.

Melburnians can order Porters at Home from the restaurant’s website.

Modern Italian restaurant launches in Hobart

As of last month, Hobart’s growing dining scene has been graced with a new addition, with modern Italian restaurant Tesoro officially opening in the riverside city. Located in the new Mövenpick Hotel on one of Hobart’s principal heritage streetscapes, Tesoro (meaning “treasure”) is a showcase of humble, flavourful Italian fare.

Inspired by the many epicurean treasures of Tasmania, Executive Chef Trent Whelan combines the very best produce from local growers, farmers and makers with traditional techniques to create a menu of modern Italian classics.

You’ll find plates of grilled asparagus with black garlic, parmesan, truffle oil and poached egg appear alongside Cape Grim steaks (dry-aged in-house) and homemade pasta dishes adorned with beef brisket, pomodoro, pecorino and vino.

Risottos of locally-foraged mushrooms and Tasmanian truffle oil can be enjoyed beside pizzas topped with local seasonal ingredients, before you descend upon a selection of mouth-watering dolci, including pannacotta with prosecco and wild berries, crèma Catalana with lemon custard and Tesoro’s take on the classic Italian tiramisu.

To make a booking, head to tesorohobart.com.au or call (03) 6235 9840.