Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
price shock of fine dining. Pub grub is also a big part of Melbourne's eating-out reper-
toire, and ranges from a number of upmarket gastropub restaurants to basic counter-meal
service, with nostalgic dishes such as bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potatoes),
steaks, parmas (chicken parmigiana), roasts and curries.
THE GHOSTS OF DINNERS PAST
The site of Melbourne was known for its edible delights long before John Batman set eyes on the natural falls of
the Yarra. The Wurundjeri thrived because of the area's incredible bounty: the wetlands that spread south of the
Yarra were teeming with life, and the river itself brimmed with fish, eels and shellfish. Depending on the season,
Indigenous 'Melburnians' would have eaten roast kangaroo, waterfowl, fish and eel, as well as greens, grubs,
yam daisies and a sweet cordial concocted from banksia blossoms.
The first Europeans didn't stop to notice the veritable native feast they had stumbled upon, but instead quickly
went about planting European crops and tending large flocks of sheep. Although many new arrivals were astoun-
ded by the ready supply of fresh food - especially the Irish, who were escaping the famine of the 1840s - the
early settlers dined mainly on mutton, bread and butter, tea, beer and rum. (Though it's hard to imagine that those
familiar with the gentle art of poaching didn't help themselves to ducks and geese.)
There's no shortage of informal food that's cooked with love and is great value for
money. Cafes often serve heartier dishes at lunchtime, and casual venues with wine li-
cences are not uncommon. Look for authentic dishes from a smattering of cuisines from
across the globe. A steaming bowl of
pho
(Vietnamese soup), a square of spanakopita
(spinach and feta pie), a teriyaki salmon
maki
(hand roll) or a provolone-and-prosciutto
piadina
(Italian flatbread) will probably leave you change from $10 - and without any
doubt about Melbourne's status as a great food city.
The Wine Map of Victoria
by Max Allen is a great visual guide to the topography, climate and most widely
planted grape varieties of the state; it also details 900-plus cellar doors, wineries and vineyards.
