Autumn in Black Rock

Autumn is a beautiful time of the year, and some of my most favourite memories are associated with it. It was always holiday time for Caroline and myself when we were in the UK and chief among these was a fly-drive to the North East of the USA, where we saw the breath taking colours of the fall. Autumn in Melbourne is also beautiful, especially when summer lingers like it is this year. Today was a bright sunny day in the mid 20'sC, perfect for a walk by the bay.

We drove the short distance to Black Rock, and had a coffee before walking. We tried Cafe Odo which is right on the corner of the Beach Road and Balcombe Road and I had a great long black, full bodied, decent strength, gentle, with a pleasant after taste. There were plenty of snacks that all looked good and some bigger sized meals. I think this is a regular haunt for many cyclists stopping on the Beach Road, but by the time we got there, I guess many had been and gone.

Sun glistening off the waves at Black Rock

We then took a walk along the bay to Ricketts Point which is a couple of kilometres. The bay has beaches and rocks along it at this point so it is interesting to almost anyone. There were snorklers, swimmers, people looking in rock pools, walkers, runners, dog walkers and families enjoying a glorious day in early autumn. The deep blue sky reflected off the water, giving it a beautiful blue appearance, and the combination of resting sea birds such as Cormorants, Silver Gulls, and Albatross with a group of Black Swans added to gentle feel to the day.

The view to Rickett's Point

Rickett's Point has a cafe and rest area, which was really busy, not a big surprise for a sunny Sunday afternoon. We had an ice cream, admired the view and walked back to Black Rock and the car. Taking into account that Caroline has a bad back, and that I ran 13km yesterday and was feeling pretty stiff, this was the perfect day out. A gentle walk along the bay on a beautiful autumn day.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

For many, an ideal Sunday afternoon involves a Sunday roast dinner, a glass or two of wine or beer, and sleeping it off while the TV runs a film that everyone's seen a few times, or some cheesy series (Little House on the Prairie comes to mind). The traditional Sunday lunch takes a bit of effort, though, and some cleaning up afterwards. So today, I went out with Caroline, and our great friends Nick and Zoe, in a search for a great Sunday roast dinner in Melbourne.

Now the first thing that should be mentioned is that a traditional roast dinner is not complete (at least for us English) without a decent Yorkshire Pudding. However, we've come to accept that the typical Australian roast dinner doesn't necessarily include a Yorkshire Pudding and may include some unusual vegetables such as pumpkin which we wouldn't have in England.

The crackling on the roast pork looked amazing (courtesy of The Roast Kitchen)

The natural place to look for a Sunday roast would be a pub, and it was the first thing we all thought of. You start going through all the pubs in the country you've visited that aren't too far from home. But a quick google search for "best Sunday roast Melbourne" brings up a place not too far from here that specialises in roast dinners. The Roast Kitchen is in Kew and sounded too good to be true. So with a nothing ventured, nothing gained attitude, we headed North out of Caulfield and in about 15 minutes were parked outside and salivating. Walking in the door, you are first hit by the smell which tells you that things will be good. You are then greeted by a counter which houses the meats and vegetables in hot plates and which looks amazing. Chicken, lamb, turkey all look amazing. The pork has a beautiful layer of crackling, and would have been my choice if it hadn't been for the "special board" which announced Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding! Unbelievable!! Both Caroline and I had to look no further than this. I had roast potato, carrot, sweet potato and peas as well as gravy (delicious) and wholegrain mustard condiment. I think the only difference on Caroline's plate was a roast onion instead of the sweet potato, and a small dollop of mashed potatoes. Nick and Zoe both wanted the lamb which looked succulent but they also wanted the Yorkshire Pudding. It was no trouble for the friendly staff.

The food was excellent, the meat cooked tenderly and succulently, the vegetables still full of flavour and the gravy thick and tasty. I don't think any of us could face the stodgy desserts that were on offer (eg, apple crumble and custard) so we took a drive to nearby Canterbury and dropped into my favourite chocolate shop in Maling Road, Xocalatl. If you want to indulge yourself in chocolate heaven, then you won't go far wrong here. There was an impressive array of eggs on display for Easter, and of course, a great cabinet full of speciality chocolates, but a hot chocolate was enough. I had an orange chocolate hot drink which was rich and to die for (in fact, I probably will die when I next run!), and Caroline had her favourite chilli chocolate.

Drool, slaver, drool (image by yourrestaurants.com.au)

It was a fantastic way for me to start my holidays, on a binge with my beautiful wife and our best friends eating great food at reasonable prices.Has our search for the perfect roast dinner already concluded? Well, I doubt that as there are always other places to try. Now, I'm off for a snooze....