Don't be shy, take some home
Sharon Grealey20/05/2009 12:00:00 a.m.
Strawberry Fare, 25 Kent Terrace
THE great thing about Strawberry Fare is the doggy bags.
Whether it’s the main or dessert you’re struggling to finish they always offer you a take-home option on a plastic plate with glad wrap over the top.
It gives the restaurant that feel that you’ve just been to a house party. The BYO licence drives that feeling home even more.
Strawberry Fare is the everyman’s restaurant. At the tables we spot at least five couples; a young group of women with one man; a couple of nuclear families; a man alone; a bunch of gaggling teens, plus a mother, daughter and grandmother combo.
Having previously been there on a date, with school and workmates, and family I recommended a meal for Gran (warm pumpkin salad) and Mum (lamb salad). The diced roasted pumpkin is a delicious complement to the honey-cured bacon pieces, pumpkin seeds, creamy Danish feta and moreish honey mustard dressing. It’s a light meal that needs no entrée or you’ll never make it to dessert.
The lamb salad is always a winner – thin slices of lamb loin marinated in red wine, served with gourmet new potatoes, sweet garden peas, feta, mesclun and vinaigrette.
For the main event I chose the healthy option of a veggie stack. Chargrilled capsicum, eggplant, artichoke, courgette, mushrooms and olives drizzled with lemon dressing on crisp ciabatta smothered in textural hummus.
Leaving space for dessert (there’s more than 20 to choose from) requires restraint.
Mum picked Italian dessert tiramisu with savoiardi fingers soaked in marsala and espresso, layered with mascarpone. Hers was the least rich, and easiest to finish. Gran chose the benoffee pie – a honey biscuit base filled with caramel and topped with freshly cut pear, plus chocolate sauce and whipped crème.
My choice trumped the lot. The chocolate and English toffee pudding included chocolate brioche and soft English toffee baked together perfectly. Served with crème anglaise, vanilla cream, strawberry and passionfruit I groaned with every bite.
My guests finished their desserts two days later at home – how sad to think those delights might have gone to waste had we not been offered a take-away plate.
Like a good house party, we felt looked after and welcome at Strawberry Fare.
“Her mother must be proud,” my gran said as the waitress walked away with out plates. Fantastic service.
THE great thing about Strawberry Fare is the doggy bags.
Whether it’s the main or dessert you’re struggling to finish they always offer you a take-home option on a plastic plate with glad wrap over the top.
It gives the restaurant that feel that you’ve just been to a house party. The BYO licence drives that feeling home even more.
Strawberry Fare is the everyman’s restaurant. At the tables we spot at least five couples; a young group of women with one man; a couple of nuclear families; a man alone; a bunch of gaggling teens, plus a mother, daughter and grandmother combo.
Having previously been there on a date, with school and workmates, and family I recommended a meal for Gran (warm pumpkin salad) and Mum (lamb salad). The diced roasted pumpkin is a delicious complement to the honey-cured bacon pieces, pumpkin seeds, creamy Danish feta and moreish honey mustard dressing. It’s a light meal that needs no entrée or you’ll never make it to dessert.
The lamb salad is always a winner – thin slices of lamb loin marinated in red wine, served with gourmet new potatoes, sweet garden peas, feta, mesclun and vinaigrette.
For the main event I chose the healthy option of a veggie stack. Chargrilled capsicum, eggplant, artichoke, courgette, mushrooms and olives drizzled with lemon dressing on crisp ciabatta smothered in textural hummus.
Leaving space for dessert (there’s more than 20 to choose from) requires restraint.
Mum picked Italian dessert tiramisu with savoiardi fingers soaked in marsala and espresso, layered with mascarpone. Hers was the least rich, and easiest to finish. Gran chose the benoffee pie – a honey biscuit base filled with caramel and topped with freshly cut pear, plus chocolate sauce and whipped crème.
My choice trumped the lot. The chocolate and English toffee pudding included chocolate brioche and soft English toffee baked together perfectly. Served with crème anglaise, vanilla cream, strawberry and passionfruit I groaned with every bite.
My guests finished their desserts two days later at home – how sad to think those delights might have gone to waste had we not been offered a take-away plate.
Like a good house party, we felt looked after and welcome at Strawberry Fare.
“Her mother must be proud,” my gran said as the waitress walked away with out plates. Fantastic service.
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