D ning n En rtainment DINE IN HARMONY ON Summer days have come and gone in a flurry of Transport yourself to a little part of Italy while excitement and now Autumn is descending like a enjoying their casual and relaxed dining experience.
blanket of cool relief.
Temperatures are dropping, darkness is arriving a little earlier each night andour seasonal produce is hitting a bountiful high.
Kitchen gardens that supply many of our localrestaurants have come to life after enduring a longdry summer and some delicious Autumn flavours are now appearing on the menus.
Over this time, Easter arrives and is ideal to bringthe family together and share a relaxing afternoonof sensational Peninsula food and wine.
Manyvenues have special menus planned and someeven have Easter egg hunts for the children somake sure you book early to secure a place on thisspecial day.
Another event that everyone MUST celebrate isMother s Day or Mother s May as we like to call it.
Surely every Mum deserves more than just one dayof pampering All Mum s and Grandma s should be well and truly spoilt at this time of year and I mlooking forward to an indulgent family gathering atone of my favourite Peninsula restaurants.
We were also recently reminded of the cultural diversity we have in Australia with A Taste of Harmony and National Harmony Day encouraging people of different cultural backgrounds to share food and stories together.
In our region, we are fortunate to have many topChefs hailing from overseas shores and sharingwith us their amazingly authentic dishes from manyparts of the world.
So for all those ardent armchair travellers out there, rest assured that you canexperience cuisine from a multitude of countrieswithout having to step a foot off Peninsula soil.
Let s Visit Italy....
Everyone is talking about DOPPIOZERO, a newcomer to our restaurant scene at the old Coolstores property in Moorooduc.
Opening in January, word has quickly spread that this new venture by Claudio and Marisa of Ciao Bella fame is the place to go for authentic Italian cuisine including their sensational thin based pizzas.
With an intimate wine bar alongside spacious contemporary dining, relax and enjoy some of their amazing antipasto or famous Nutella and banana dessert pizza with family and friends.
56 56 For those closer to Balnarring, CIAO BELLA continues to offer their award winning pizza range with daily specials inspired by produce from their onsite kitchen garden.
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Autumn 2014 Closing in early April to make this venue even more Bella , make sure you book early for a table whenthey reopen for dinner on April 12th Another hugely popular Italian eatery isMANHATTAN IN MORNINGTON offering an extensive menu of modern Mediterranean inspiredcuisine.
Thrilled to welcome two new Chefs there will be some fabulous changes to their Autumn menu including the return of seafood boullibasse andtheir delicious duck risotto.
Italian born pastry chefChristian will be preparing some mouth-wateringlyauthentic pizzas and desserts while Kate Sheltonwill be introducing some country style recipes, manyof which can be found in her cookbook Love of a Laminex Table .
Make sure you jointheir facebook page to stay in touch with great eventshere like Wednesday night live entertainment from the sensational Chris Fatourus and Thursday night movie nights where you can vote for your favouritemovie screening.
Or France....
The new look BISTRO MAISON AND LARDER BAR has just re-opened its doors with agorgeous new funky image.
Local artwork appearson the walls, handmade cage lights adorn the ceilingand high bar tables provide a great space to indulgein a few cocktails and share plates.
Their lighterstyle menu has moved away from heavy Frenchflavours with many shared and single items such asthe heirloom tomato salad or paella of prawn andsnails.
Perfect for an after work cocktail or glass ofwine, also check out their well stocked larder with many speciality items for salewhich are produced in house.
Up in the hills, LA PETANQUE will transport you to the rollingcountryside of Tuscany or Provence.
With floor to ceiling windows and amazingviews overlooking the estatevineyard, this destinationprovides stunning Frenchfood prepared by Head ChefDaniel Kerekes.
New to their Autumn menu are entree dishes like seared Atlantic scallops with celery, green apple, radishes, Thai curry gel and wasabi sorbet orfor main course Free rangeOtway pork belly with blueswimmers crab dumpling, sauerkraut, apple jelly, sweet and sour glaze .....absolutelydivine and well worth a visit Around Balnarring, LE BOUCHON has become firmly entrenched in the dining scene since openingin 2013.
Both unpretentious and French, the teamhere deliver outstanding dishes in a casual Peninsulaatmosphere.
With the cooler weather approaching, some enticing warming dishes will start appearingon blackboard specials.....onion soup, boeufbourguignon, cassoulet and rabbit casserole are just some of the delicious offerings planned.
Their classic French menu will still be available and if you re looking for somewhere special to take Mumon Mothers Day, book in early here.
Planning ahead, Bastille Day on 14th July promises to be very specialso get a group together and enjoy a fun celebration.
A Taste of Asia....
If Asian is something you ve been craving, GINSENG in Frankston always hits the mark.
With a menu inspired from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Vietnam and Thailand, this is an outstanding restaurant on the Peninsula.
Their extensive menu has many favourites includingwasabi king prawns, homemade dim sim or pantossed calamari in spicy salt.
Customers are welcomed like members of the family and it s no surprise that many have been returning for years.
Some Great Australian Pubs..
Sometimes we just feel like a good pub meal andit s great to know we have many to choose from around the Peninsula.
Located far and wide from Mornington to Portsea, many have both indoor andoutdoor seating plus live entertainment scheduled.
Starting in Portsea, the iconic PORTSEA HOTEL has some great events planned over the comingmonths.
From 17-21st April, they will be bringing in a touch of inner city hospitality with their friendsfrom the Botanical in South Yarra setting up on the top deck.
Easter Sunday sees The Portsea BeachClub return with a range of home grown live musicto enjoy plus on Saturday 17th May they are hosting Lord of the Beers as part of Good Beer Week.
Heading into the cooler months, they will have arange of fabulous packages on offer so keep a watch out on their website and facebook page.
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