The Spotted Mallard

October 23, 2012

Michael got current of air of the newly opened Spotted Mallard on Mess+Noise in addition to straightaway scheduled it inwards for pub club. The carte du jour looked alright (solid vegetarian options, though zippo vegan or gluten-free was clearly marked) in addition to I suspect Michael wanted to compass the venue for trivia.

The interior is quite striking in addition to hints at the premises' previous lives every bit a French eatery and, earlier that, a Greek marriage ceremony venue. The stained skylights, antique chairs, wall mirrors in addition to lampshade clusters had a few of us questioning whether this actually counted every bit a pub. The musical note of the menu, the bar service in addition to the downstairs bandroom settled it for me. The original vegetarian offerings are a burger in addition to an eggplant parma, in addition to the meat-free snacks currently include marinated olives, spiced nuts, chips, hoummus in addition to fetta on Turkish breadstuff in addition to chickpea fritters.

I checked out those chickpea fritters ($12). They're eerily similar to the ones I enjoyed at Mamasita, though hither they're served alongside a superbly smoky chiptole mayo. The rocket, fennel in addition to pino nut salad rounded out this dish nicely, though I wishing it had been served on something to a greater extent than dish-like - apartment boards simply hateful spills for all but the around dextrous diner.

Michael ordered the Spotted Mallard Vurger ($19), which was a messy but tasty sense - the brioche bun was stacked alongside a grilled portabello mushroom, pickled onion, beetroot, goats cheese, tomato plant relish in addition to rocket. The thick Jenga-stacked chips were amend still, though the coleslaw didn't excite.

The Spotted Mallard has been opened upwards lilliputian to a greater extent than than a fortnight, hence it's hardly surprising that the dining expanse was relatively placidity on a Tuesday night.  Our grouping of to a greater extent than than a dozen pub clubbers had their pick of the tables in addition to in all likelihood constituted one-half of their evening's customers. However, inwards fifty-fifty this not-even-quarter-full circumstance, the kitchen couldn't expire along up. Some of our friends waited upwards to an hr in addition to xx minutes of their nutrient to move served. We wouldn't similar that at a busy restaurant, in addition to it's fifty-fifty to a greater extent than irritating to sense at a placidity one.

Once fed, everyone spoke good of the nutrient at the Spotted Mallard. It's a actually pleasant infinite in addition to the staff are friendly too. Let's promise they move out how to streamline upwards their kitchen operations.

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The Spotted Mallard
314 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
9380 8818
veg dishes $8-19
http://spottedmallard.com/

Accessibility: The Spotted Mallard's dining expanse is located upwards a broad flying of stairs, in addition to about tables are accessed via farther stairs; nosotros didn't encounter whatsoever alternative way of entry. Tables are good spaced. All nutrient in addition to drinks are ordered in addition to paid for at a high bar, hence nutrient is delivered to the table. We didn't catch the toilets.

Los Hermanos Mexican Taqueria

December 4, 2012

Los Hermanos must produce got had the longest pre-opening hype build-up of whatever eating theatre inwards Melbourne - they featured inwards The Age a total 4 months earlier they genuinely opened. They were beset past times delays, amongst their opening twenty-four hours countdown extended a handful of times, to the betoken that I'd sort of given upward on them past times the fourth dimension they genuinely got going.

Thankfully Troy remembered them, together with suggested nosotros hitting them upward for dinner on our means to music trivia at The Spotted Mallard (where my ridiculous inability to recognise the opening riff from Hand inwards Glove toll us victory). Anyway, dorsum to Los Hermanos.

Tucked away inwards the backstreets of Brunswick, it's a minor together with fashionable footling house - at that spot are seats for 25 or xxx people within together with a lovely courtyard out the back. The bill of fare is upward on the blackboard behind the beautiful wooden bar and, later on staking our claim on a tabular array out the back, nosotros wandered inwards to house our orders. The bill of fare doesn't produce got anything vegan past times default but they're happy to accommodate whatever of the vego dishes. I'd approximate a lot (or all) of the dishes were gluten-free every bit well, but nosotros didn't double check.

Cindy together with I gave the veg bill of fare a expert workout, ordering both veggie tacos ($6 each), both veggie sopes ($6.50 each) together with the gorditas ($6.50). The veggie tacos come upward inwards 2 flavours: de hongos (mushroom) together with de calabazitas (zucchini). Both are complemented amongst corn, cheese together with some coriander. The tortillas were first-class together with the fillings fine, but these weren't super exciting.

In contrast, the sopes were laissez passer on notch - they're cornflour-based tarts layered amongst a refried edible bean filling, salsa, cheese together with your alternative of mushroom or zucchini. Next fourth dimension I intend we'll simply double downwards on these guys.

The in conclusion dish was the gorditas (there were 2 of these, but sometimes eating takes precedence over photos). They're footling cornflour discs stuffed amongst beans together with cheese. They were uncomplicated together with delicious (especially ane time I'd got my hands on the hot sauce). 

Los Hermanos is a handy improver to Brunswick - it's fast, inexpensive together with vegan-friendly. The staff are lovely, the atmosphere pleasant together with the nutrient pretty expert - it's non Melbourne's close exciting Mexican place, but its refreshing lack of pretension together with the mightiness to instruct a tabular array without waiting 2 hours instruct inwards worth checking out.

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Something weird is going on - this house has been opened upward for a few weeks instantly together with no other bloggers produce got swung past times to review it (although Two Munch did try, solely to hold upward foiled past times Los Hermanos' ever-changing opening date).

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Los Hermanos Mexican Taqueria

339 Victoria St, Brunswick

9939 3661

veg dishes $6-6.50

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Accessibility: There's a ramped entry means to a reasonably spacious interior (although things instruct a fleck crowded simply about the bar every bit people queue to order). I can't recall if at that spot was a footstep out to the courtyard, but things are relatively apartment together with accessible ane time you're out there. We didn't see the toilets.

Where's The Best Inwards 2013?

Another yr has passed, which agency it's fourth dimension for us to update our where's the best? page 1 time again. It's been a big yr - Cindy sampled all the Auckland had to offer, I binged on Glasgow's vegan pubs and enjoyed roughly to a greater extent than of Brisbane's veggie options. We've too moved house, as well as thence await a few to a greater extent than Brunswick posts as well as a few less Carlton posts inwards the years ahead.

can't-stop choc chip cookies as well as rosemary choc chip cookies), along amongst a suite of choc-peanut delights (peanut butter caramel slice, Reese's pretzels and sniggers bars). She too made a vegan version of an former solid unit of measurement favourite, bienenstich.

bacon 'n' egg muffins as well as tested out our novel oven amongst delicious walnut crusted tofu cutlets. We discovered that ribbons are the best way to bask zucchini amongst this pad Thai salad as well as zucchini ribbons inwards almond pesto. We impressed a potluck crew amongst pumpkin as well as kale harissa polenta patties, recipe-tested as well as roughshod inwards honey amongst pâté en croûte as well as warmed ourselves amongst chilli lime tamarind tofu as well as chipotle mac 'n' cheese amongst roasted brussel sprouts. Our crowning achievement? Probably the ridiculously skillful bbq pork bao.

  BBQ pork bao

In price of eating out, nosotros lost 2 of Melbourne's classic vegan-friendly eateries. The Gasometer (which we've reviewed one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten times) sadly unopen its doors, spell South's run at The People's Market was cutting short. Thankfully, the brains behind the menus at both these places helped brand The Sweetwater Inn an exciting Southside pub for vegans (also maintain an optic out for Smith & Daughters inwards Fitzroy inwards 2014).

 The pie floater at The Sweetwater Inn, South Yarra

A couplet of other former favourites accept morphed - Coco Loco is immediately the Mexican-themed very vegan friendly), spell L'atelier Monsieur Truffe has perish East Elevation, maintaining its past times breakfast excellence as well as provided us amongst a real fine dinner.

Fina's Vegetarian Cafe, A Caterpillar's Dream as well as Vegie Mum all serve fantabulous mock-meat dishes, spell Munsterhaus volition charge y'all upward amongst fresh as well as salubrious delights as well as Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop volition ply y'all amongst vegan pastries.

Stovetop as well as Code Black every bit good every bit longer term success stories Small Victories, Acustico as well as Beatrix.

 Acustico, Brunswick

The Reverence Hotel, The Sporting Club as well as The Spotted Mallard accept joined our ever-growing listing of veg-friendly Melbourne pubs, spell Bayte as well as UAE both offering high lineament Middle Eastern meals amongst plenty of meat-free options.

Shu (twice) has in all likelihood been our almost exciting regain this yr - I can't recommend their Midweek black vegan nights highly enough. Shandong Mama as well as Dainty Sichuan render top notch Chinese eating theater experiences that are a fleck to a greater extent than conventional (if quite dissimilar to each other).

Wednesday black vegan degustation at Shu, Collingwood

We're behind the eight-ball dessert-wise (no visits to Helados Jauja as well as Berrissimo (two, three) accept impressed us amongst their vegan-friendly summery sweets.

Berrissimo, Fitzroy

  

Blog-wise nosotros had a busy year, amongst 207 posts including 132 reviews of restaurants, pubs as well as cafes (for those keeping rail - Cindy wrote 124, or 60% of our posts in conclusion year). Our top 10 almost pop posts published this yr are...

1. Yong Green Food #5
2. Thick golden dahl
3. Lemon & sage white edible bean burgers
4. Carnival cookies
5. East Elevation
6. Hello Aubergine (sadly closed, but replaced past times the fantabulous Good Freakin' Food)
7. Spoon's Vegetarian Butcher (also closed unfortunately)
8. Gong de Lin
9. Tofu-ricotta cheesecake
10. Fina's Vegetarian Cafe

Our 2008 vegan sausage rolls post remains the almost visited page on our spider web log every week.

We've too finally joined everyone else on Facebook - caput over as well as similar us at that topographic point if you're afterward a slightly to a greater extent than interactive where's the beef? experience. We perish on to encounter lovely people as well as brand neat novel friends via blogging - Melbourne has a wonderful veg*n blogging scene, as well as much of it is compiled on Planet VegMel. Thanks for hanging out amongst us inwards 2013 - we're looking forrard to roughly other big yr of eating inwards 2014.