Lunch @ Charcoal Lane

Since our last visit Charcoal Lane has finally got its liquor license - about time too - and while perusing the wine list Paalo couldn't help but order this Lemon Myrtle Beer to try.


I'm not a beer drinker so you'll have to take Paalo's word that this is an enjoyably refreshing style of beer - the lemon myrtle adds citrus notes which in turn makes it quite cleansing.

There's a few new dishes since were last here but it always begin with excellent bread rolls



hot from the oven - lovely.



A good level of spice and acidity from the capers, hazelnuts add a sweetness to balance. The wallaby is lovely and lean and really, if you eat beef tartare don't go all funny over eating wallaby.



It's a warm day so the combination of blood orange granita and oyster works well.



The smoked eel brandade is actually that little ball sitting front and center on the plate, there's a few others studded through the dish.  It's a really clever alternative to using salted cod and it's something I wouldn't mind trying myself.



Frequent eat-ors Al and Elle recommended the yam fritters and I can see why. Crisp yet moist and fluffy on the inside they combine wonderfully with the bush tomato chutney. You could easily gorge yourself on plates of these.



The davidson plum sauce went perfectly well with the rich, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly - an australian twist on the classic pork and plum sauce. Nicely crisp crackling too. The green papaya salad provides a cleansing element to the rich pork.

For dessert, we couldn't go past this:



Naturally the various components deserve a close-up and they taste every bit as good and more than they look
















After this visit we can easily say that this is the best place to eat on Gertrude Street by far.


The details:

Charcoal Lane
136 Gertrude Street
Fitzroy

Phone: 03 9418 3400

Open:
Tuesday to Friday: 12pm - 3pm and 6pm - 10pm
Saturday: 9am - 3pm and 6pm - 10pm
Sunday: 9am - 3pm

web
www.charcoallane.com.au