Wine and Walls

I’m definitely a part of this foodie wave and I love it.  I have always eaten food for pleasure not fuel and my move to Melbourne last year cemented this passion.  I love dining at all the newest and hottest restaurants, but also take solace in finding grungy bars and hidden cafes.  In my apartment I have more cookbooks then novels and my salt is the prettiest colour pink you ever did see.  My obsession with all things delicious has developed and blossomed and now instead of just focusing on the aroma of the dish laid in front of me or the ‘legs’ of the wine poured into my glass I also take note of the stool I’m perfectly perched upon or the couch I’m sleepily laying on.

It’s not a new idea that your surroundings affect your perception of a new experience and place.  The room you are in can make you feel elated, bored, happy or depressed, just like music can.  So it makes sense that it would also affect your dining experience.  Earlier this year I went to San Telmo in the CBD with a friend and we sat at the bar, I was enjoying everything immensely until one detrimental swizzle of my bar stool.  This natural movement left with me with splinters in my knee; I was jaded by the blood dribbling down my calf.  Instead of leaving the restaurant musing about the food I went home and searched the bathroom cabinet for some tweezers needless to say I won’t be returning.  On the same note I have fallen in love with Commercial Roads latest gem; Tall Timber (not a splinter yet).  The white wooden interior reminds me of a beach house and the minimalist theme keeps you focused on the fresh treats on the counter as opposed to the busy street outside.  The whole place makes you feel warm and happy and ensures my return as well as spreading the love about this new hotspot.

Business owners need to take into account what their decor reflects and whether the vibe they are trying to portray is being received.  It’s not just the more obvious decisions either, i.e. a lounge in Coda would be a debacle, but the little things that make a difference as well.  I love that Cumulus Inc., CBD, has bag hooks at the bar and Casa Cuiccio, Fitzroy, has coat racks by the door.  These little touches make the whole dining experience more pleasant.  As far as the sourcing of the products goes I’m no snob to the hipster, recycling approach either, I am a greeny after all.  I love the used sofa and grandma’s crocheted cushion (given that it’s clean) as much as a sexy, sleek new stool, as long as it sends the right message and reflects the soul of the establishment.

As a future bar owner (one can dream) I’m starting to fantasise about stools and bulbs as much as I am the tapas menu and cocktail list.  I take real note of what does and doesn’t work in the places I dine.  As a result of this new interest my online shopping has turned from blazers to furniture.  My eye is drawn to bright and unique products to feature on a simple backdrop.  The feeling of the place would be fresh and colourful without being clinical. There would be flowers and champagne alongside new stools with vintage cushions.  One thing is for sure and that's where I will be shopping, Relax House.

Don't touch my vino

Now I don't claim to know everything about wine, I would love to know it all and claim the respected sommelier title but I'm many bottles away from this yet.  That being said I can tell the difference between varietals, name the more obvious tasting notes and I know what I do and don't like.  The day that I could tell and appreciate the difference between a $5 bottle of a $50 bottle of wine is one of my favourite transitions thus far.  It in turn turned me into a teen who drank to "get loose" to an adult who drank for pleasure, so please waitress at ************ pub don't try to mess with this. 

Now I understand that in hospitality we all tell little white lies sometimes or don't know the answer so make it up, "yes I'm sure that is skinny milk".  But you cant blatantly lie to a customer when they have pulled you up.  The other night me and the lover where having drinks at this scandalous pub and I was enjoying a beautiful glass of pinot noir.  I then asked the waitress for another and was brought a glass of red which was not poured at the table.  From the smell I knew it wasn't the same, the taste AWFUL.  I figured she swapped my delicious red for the house.  When she returned I asked her what wine she had given me, she didn't know but said she would ask...(didn't know? how could this be?) she returned and said it was the same as before and "even from the same bottle" (snide tone)  this I knew to be a lie because the first was poured in front of me and the bottle was emptied.  Long story short in the end I was given a new wine but it tainted my view of the place and made me realise how dear my wine is to me.

I'm not a wino by no means (yet) but I do love and appreciate a good drop.  I'd rather go to a winery then a beach any day.  I realise that in hospitality we don't always get it right, we may need to ask questions or bluff.  But please, find out the vintage, winery at least one flavour and match but don't try to switch the wine on me!   All in all don't lie to me about my vino.