Restaurant reviews

A recent issue of the Australian's weekend magazine set out to list Australia's "hottest" 50 restaurants.

Obviously, a list of 50 restaurants, Australia-wide, is a somewhat different (and more rarefied) proposition than the Good Food Guide.   I was reminded of the days when I eagerly checked each new issue of the Good Food Guide to make sure that none of my favourite restaurants had been listed, on the basis that, if they had, they would put their prices up.

No such dangers with the Australian's listing.   I don't think there's the slightest risk at all that any of the restaurants in this neighbourhood would have come even close to being considered.  I had only heard of a handful of the Victorian listings, and have only ever actually eaten in two of them.

While it's good to see quality being recognised,  I am not sure that the characteristics of at least some "hot" restaurants are likely to appeal to me.  For example, one restaurant is complimented on the "subtle use of avant-garde tricks and techniques".   All is not lost, another gets marks for "astonishingly good, deceptively simple food".  But, for the time being, it looks unlikely that the Australian's list will overtake Good Food Guide as my reference point when I have good eating in mind.    And for day-to-day eating-out, I'm happy to rely on personal recommendations as well as "trial-and-error".   Moreover, the fact that an establishment isn't listed anywhere except on Eatability (or similar) will continue to be no bar at all!