Special Attempt - 'The Racecourse Hotel for the Good Friday Appeal'

[info]When? - 2nd of April, 2015

Where? The Racecourse Hotel, 895 Dandenong Rd. Malvern East

Price? - $25 Charity event special

Website? http://www.racecoursehotel.com.au/

Reviewers – Emma, Lee, Nikki & Tim [/info]

Happy Easter everyone!

Now you're all most likely out enjoying the long weekend and not reading about chicken parmas, but this is just a quick update on what we got up to last night.

A few weeks back I heard that both The Racecourse Hotel and The Rosstown hotel were putting on a special event - $25 for a parma and pot from 12 - 9 on Thursday April 2nd, with 100% of the profits going directly to the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

This is an idea I was more than happy to throw my full support behind - I wouldn't be alive without The Royal Children's, so I know first hand of all the good they do.

So last night we loaded up the parma bus and headed out to Malvern East, to the Racecourse Hotel.

Now I'm not listing this as an official attempt as it was a one-day thing, so if anything this is more to raise awareness and give some props to a couple of pubs that did a really cool thing.

We sat down at the table and were greeted by our first Easter surprise ...

Such a cool little touch.

The pub was packed with hungry parma lovers, which gave me the warm & fuzzies. Full details of the event were attached to the front of the menu -

Sounds good to me! we placed our orders and waited for the meals to arrive.

Beer list at the Racecourse is pretty standard, nothing to write home about, but including Little Creatures as the free pot was definitely appreciated.

Shortly after we ordered the parmas arrived ...

I was so glad that they didn't cheap out for the parma deal. Real chicken breast with perfectly cooked crumbs that had an amazing crunch. The schnitzel was big, thick and a great foundation for the meal.

The toppings were also pretty good. The inclusion of ham was greatly appreciated and very flavoursome. The napoli was fine (could have used a little more coverage) and the mozzarella was melted to perfection.

The chips were your standard store-bought beer battered oven chips - The lack of salad meant there were heaps of them, and they were perfectly cooked and seasoned (I didn't realise just how well seasoned they were and proceeded to add salt myself ... my bad)

As I said there was no salad included in the dish, it was available for an extra charge but we chose not to partake.

Even if it wasn't for charity I'd be happy with the parma at The Racecourse - It has just rocketed up our list of parmas to try, as I am very keen to go back and check out how it does in a non-special situation.

As I said this was just a quick review to shine some light on folks that went above and beyond to help those in need, the parma wasn't perfect (although it was damn good) but I'm trying not to criticise too much, as it's all for a good cause.  It was a great initiative that I was glad to be a part of.

Have a great long weekend - Back to regular business next week!

The Other Daze - 'Dinner at Demazzi's'

[info]When? - 31st of March, 2015

Where? - 4/1142 Mount Alexander rd, Essendon North

Website? - http://www.demazzi.com.au/

[/info]

Lets cut right to it - Demazzi's would have to be one of my favourite spots in the Essendon area. We've done a review of the parma in the past - but last night the glorious weather inspired Reviewer Nikki (my partner in crime) and myself to stop in for a quick dinner in the sun.

I mentioned it briefly in the parma review, but Demazzi's signature "thing" is stonegrill, wherein your steak is delivered to your table raw, sitting atop a slab volcanic stone heated to 550 degrees, which you proceed to cook yourself while sitting at the table. It's kind've a novelty, a bit of fun, but there's something fantastic about every mouthful of a steak remaining piping hot from start to finish as if you're eating it directly off the barbecue (which you essentially are).

My one issue with stonegrill is that its work at a time you want to be relaxed. Kind've like the difference between driving yourself or calling an Uber - sure driving can be fun, but sometimes you just want to kick back, enjoy the ride and have all the work done for you. I was in one of these moods last night, so when we arrived at Demazzi's last night I decided to explore some of the other non-stonegrill menu options.

After a recent management change the once bloated multi-page menu has been slimmed down to a two-sided single page - They've trimmed the fat and left a lean, easy to digest selection, First up is the non-stonegrill stuff -

Followed by the stonegrill selections -

Reviewer Nikki went stonegrill and decided on the aged eye fillet, while I landed on the Philly cheese steak burger. The Louisiana spiced crispy chicken burger sounded damn tempting, but I just cannot stomach chicken thigh meat so decided to stick to the safer option (and lets face it, meat coated with cheese is kind've my thing).

The beer list isn't too adventurous. All bottled, but enough to satisfy most palates -

I decided on a Little Creatures. We ordered our meals, kicked back in the sun and took in the scenery of all the almost car accidents at the Mount rd/Keilor rd roundabout. Seeing as the restaurant was relatively quiet (we were there at 5:30) and they don't actually need to cook the steaks, our food was out insanely quickly...

First up, Nikki's stonegrill looked on point -

When the waitress tells you the plate is hot ... she really means it.

The trick with stonegrill is you need to get a bit of a construction line going - Cut off a few slices and let them sizzle away on the plate for a minute, when the one you put on the grill first is ready to go, thats when you cut the new piece off the slab and get that going.

I stole a couple of dips of the mushroom sauce with my chips and it was also damn tasty - rich, creamy and not tight on the pieces of freshly sliced mushroom throughout.

But enough about food that I didn't eat ... on to the cheese steak!

I really enjoyed this dish. The steak was plentiful and oh-so-tender. The cheese was gooey, flavourful and everywhere. It was topped with a creamy mayonnaise that was pretty much a house-made replica of Big Mac sauce and again, worked well with the rest of the elements.

The coleslaw was crisp and fresh and complimented the dish also. I'm normally not a huge fan of brioche - I could take it or leave it over a normal burger bun, but in this case the sweetness wasn't overpowering at all. It was very lightly toasted with just the right amount of crunch - It all just worked. 

Oh and I didn't mention the pickles as I'm not really a pickle-fan, they were promptly picked off and handed over to the wife.

The chips were fantastic. Well cooked, served in a separate fryer basket and dusted liberally with chicken salt and herbs. A great accompaniment for a great meal.

When I went off-stonegrill for my menu selection last night I was a little worried, especially when the eye fillet hit the table I definitely felt a twang of food envy - but all my fears were allayed when I bit into the cheese steak, and I definitely feel that $19.90 is a reasonable price for what I got (deliciousness for under twenty bucks? No problems there) It was a fantastic dinner that I'd definitely get again ... If I have the will to resist the stonegrill a second time.

And now for a smidge of non-review stuff...

Thanks for reading to the end of a review! You, my friend, are made of awesome.

If you're not doing anything tomorrow for lunch or dinner (Thursday April 2nd) then consider getting down to either The Racecourse Hotel or The Rosstown Hotel. Both pubs are hosting a charity event from 12 noon till 9pm on Thursday wherein 100% of the profits from every $25 'parma n pot' deal sold is going straight to the Good Friday Appeal... This isn't a small donation per parma sold, this is all $25 for every parma n pot sold straight to help kids in need.

I had no hand in organising this event, but I wouldn't be here without the Royal Children's, so I'm doing my darndest to get the word out. We will be at The Racecourse enjoying a parma on Thursday night ... hope to see you there!

Attempt #218 - 'Fredricks'

[info]When? - 26th of March, 2015

Where? - 980 Mount Alexander Rd. Essendon

Price? - $10 parma Thursdays ($12 with Salad)

Website? - http://www.fredricksrestaurant.com.au/

Reviewers – Cale, Fridge, Grace, Hayden, Lee, Nikki, Stefo, Tony [/info]

When picking the location for parma reviews each week I try to be pretty balanced. I do my best to pick well known, interesting spots that aren't too close together on consecutive weeks - Just so everyone feels like they're getting a turn.

This week I was selfish. It was a parma review at a spot I'm guessing 95% of you are currently saying "Where the hell is that?" but since they started advertising it I knew I had to know what the parma at Fredricks was like, due to my own morbid curiosity ... I just had to know.

In the middle of Essendon, just after you pass the train station on Mount Alexander Road is Fredricks. For as long as I can remember Fredricks has been the function room attached to the Best Western Alexander Motor Inn, and has garnered a bit of fame in the area for their monthly over 28's single's nights.  I'd never been inside the doors myself however, on the way to a different parma a few weeks ago, I spotted this...

Despite their horrible choice of a grunge-style font for the words "Thursday Nights" my interest was piqued, it took a few weeks to convince everyone else that it was a good idea to hit up Freddies, but last night that is exactly what we did.

Walking into Fredricks I was expecting an empty room ... imagine my surprise when the place was a flurry of activity, For a moment I was unsure we would be able to secure a table, but after some quick re-arranging from the very friendly staff they managed to squeeze us in.

If your group of friends has gone through their run of 18th's, 21st's or engagement parties then you've most likely been in a room like Fredricks. Its your standard function room with bar up one end, dance floor up the other and a massive accordion-style door at the halfway point to divide the room should there be two parties on at once - The white tablecloth laden tables were pleasant enough, I just wish they had've opened up the blinds while we were there - Sure the weather was sucky but I'd like to be able to know if it's night or day while I'm enjoying my meal, having them closed felt like I was eating in a casino.

I glanced at the menu and noticed that there are some non-parma special parmas available at other times...

Twice the price as what we were paying, but a couple of novelty options thrown in for good measure.

But screw that! We're in for parma night - We ordered our meals and stumbled upon the first caveat: Salad is extra. The parma special is just parma and chips with salad or veggies copping a $2 surcharge. Fair enough, we like salad so we all fished around in our pockets for some spare change and chucked in a salad, bringing the grand total up to $12 for the meal. We ordered our meals, kept one eye on the cricket, and awaited their arrival.

The selection of beers was quite limited - no taps available our options were stubbies of Carlton, VB, Crownies, Guinness ... I think I saw a Boags... you get the idea. Stubby of Crown rang up at $6 even.

After about one beer's wait the parmas started arriving from the kitchen...

Chicken thickness varied from plate-to-plate, with mine (pictured) being at about mid-range. It wasn't the best quality schnitzel we've had (the shape of mine was the very definition of "heart shaped schnitzel"), the crumbs had some padding to them, but it didn't feel like they were trying to hide anything. It was competently cooked with no sign of burnt edges.

The toppings that we had were decent, but I would have loved a slice of ham. It's not uncommon for discount parmas to forego the ham - and if the parma is good enough on its own I don't miss it too much ... but I think a slice of ham would've really helped this one along.

The cheese was fine, nothing really to report. The napoli was probably the best part of the dish - liberally applied, fresh and flavourful, the napoli really helped boost this dish from "mediocre" to "not terrible"

Apologies for the shadow, down lights are a pain the the ass!

The chips were okay but I would have loved more of them - the small handful we got wasn't nearly enough and if we hadn't paid extra for the side salad I would've been annoyed and walking away hungry.

For the extra two bucks they sure squeezed a lot into that little salad bowl. Chock-full of ingredients (the olives were particularly tasty), but it was a tad divisive on the level of dressing used - I love a lot of dressing, and this salad was swimming in it ... so I enjoyed it, but others around the table who aren't as dressing-mad as I weren't as pleased ... personal preference I suppose.

If I was stuck at Fredricks on a Thursday night I'd have the parma again - it definitely exceeded the expectations my mind had set for it. Had I paid the full price of $21 I would have been less impressed (although I get the feeling that the full price parma is different to the discount one, as the menu lists the full price version with a slice of ham). As far as discount parmas go it was okay - If we're looking at the Essendon area we've paid twice as much for a parma at least twice as shitty, so I'd happily return to Fredricks than go back there any day.

If you're after a quick, cheap parma fix then Fredricks just might have what you're after - if you want anything more than that you'll probably be disappointed. It was better than I expected, but my expectations were damn low going in.

If you've read this far I thank you for indulging me in reading a review for a place you'll probably never visit, next week it'll be a place a little more well known, I swear!

[pros]

• Cheap
• Tasty, plentiful napoli

[/pros][cons]

• Not nearly enough chips
• Sub-par schnitzel quality

[/cons]

Parma - 5.58

Chips - 4.81

Salad - 4.88

Value - 7.69

Total - 5.71

The search continues...

Attempt #217 - 'The Esplanade Hotel'

[info]When? - 19th of March, 2015

Where? - 11 The Esplanade, St. Kilda

Price? - $19.50

Website? - http://espy.com.au/

Reviewers – Fridge, Lee, Nikki, Stefo[/info]

In any conversation you have about Melbourne's live music scene The Esplanade Hotel is sure to come up. In fact, I bet if I Google "Melbourne's best live music venue's" the first article I find will mention the Espy ... Hold on ... Yes and yes.

It's a pub that I have long considered doing, and last week when I asked around the review team if they would be keen to go, the most popular response by far was "We haven't done the Espy yet?!" It seemed like an obvious one, one we should've done in the first month, let alone on our five year anniversary (Oh, and in case you missed it, this week marks 5 years of ParmaDaze being a thing. Woo!)

So we didn't waste any more time - Last night we loaded up the parma bus and headed to St. Kilda Esplanade and the jewel in her crown - The Esplanade Hotel.

The Espy just screams "live music venue". Gig posters everywhere, black painted walls, torn & mismatched furniture and musical equipment being loaded in and out constantly (either that or someone was just stealing drum sets and we did nothing to stop him).

There's a couple of pool tables and arcade machines out the back of the main bar if you're so inclined, but for our parma we opted to eat downstairs, in the cosy Espy Kitchen. There were menus on the tables upstairs so I assume the food menu is also available up there - but I can't be sure.

We found our table, grabbed the menu and spied our target for the evening -

We ordered our parmas and a beverage. Beer selection is pretty grim in the Kitchen, if you aren't happy with Pure Blonde, Draught, VB, Fat Yak or Cascade you're going to struggle. I ordered a pint of Pure Blonde but was reminded (I've been here before, but always in a much less sober state than I was last night) that they don't serve pints at the Espy, only pots or jugs.

We grabbed our pots and returned to the table. Our very sticky table that was in desperate need of a wipe down. Something about the Espy wasn't filling me with confidence that this was going to be good, I was mentally preparing myself for heart shaped processed crap - Which was why, 10 minutes later when these parmas fell to the table, I was in shock...

Holy crap these parmas looked good! Not to mention damn photogenic, the photos came out great. Which is why you're probably going to have a hard time believing me when I say they were quite a let down.

Cannot fault their use of real chicken breast, not a piece of processed crap in sight, it was real, thick, chicken breast - kudos on them for that. But there was a lot of nude schnitzel around the edges, which I can forgive at times if the schnitzel can hold its own without the toppings - this one didn't. It was as bland as cardboard, and very dry. The crumbs were an odd mixture of both crunchy and soggy and were in desperate need of a bit of seasoning - everyone at the table reached for the salt & pepper shakers straight away.

The toppings weren't much better. I had to check and see if the ham was there as I just couldn't taste it, the napoli wasn't pure tomato paste, but also didn't add much to the dish. The cheese was actually pretty good, kept its consistency well and grilled to perfection.

Don't get me wrong, the parma was edible, but it was like someone had sucked all of the flavour out of the dish, every bite was just more and more nothingness. I will say that the thickness of the chicken definitely helped, I struggled to finish the whole thing - it'd be hard to walk away from this one still hungry.

A bit of a spoiler for the salad section next, but the chips were the best thing on the plate. Beer battered, crunchy on the outside, pillowy potato inside - This is how I like my chips and they nailed it. My only criticism is that I wanted more, that might just be me being greedy but I felt like I could do with at least another half-handful. Other than that a sauce or aioli pot would've taken these boys to the top.

Like the parma, the salad was quite "meh". Garden salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumber and onion tossed through some balsamic. It served its purpose and I appreciated the separate bowl, just nothing to write home about.

For $19.50 I wouldn't be rushing out to have this parma again, The price is reasonable but the flavour just isn't there. However the Espy does run a $14 parma night on Mondays with novelty toppings - I think this would be the only way I'd recommend it, because if you took the parma we had, throw some hot salami and jalapenos on top and you'd get the whack of flavour this parma so desperately needed. That'd be my recommendation - Worth a crack on parma night if you get it with novelty toppings.

This parma was a roller coaster of emotions. I was excited, then worried, then excited again, then let down, then there were tasty chips, then there was a bland parma. It was all over the shop.

One thing you can't fault the Espy on though - It's still an amazing live music venue, an icon of Melbourne and its definitely worth checking out just for that, I just wish they'd start stocking bloody pint glasses.

[pros]

• Great chips
• Thick, unprocessed chicken breast

[/pros][cons]

• Flavourless, bland schnitzel
• Flavourless, bland toppings.

[/cons]

Parma - 4.25

Chips - 7.00

Salad - 4.88

Value - 4.50

Total - 4.98

The search continues...

The Other Daze - 'Breakfast at Arbory'

[info]When? - 15th of March, 2015

Where? - Flinders Walk, Melbourne

Website? - http://arbory.com.au/

[/info]

It may surprise you to know, my dear reader, that I don't indulge in a parma for every meal of the week (a shocking revelation, I know, someone call TMZ). I enjoy a lot of food at other spots that aren't parmas which I have always wanted to share yet have felt bound by the unwritten laws of ParmaDaze to only write about chicken, chips and salad. Well its time for this chicken to spread his wings.

So lets consider this an experiment, this may be the start of a new era for the site, it may be the last time you ever see an "Other Daze" post, as Einstein said in the opening cutscene for Command & Conquer: Red Alert - "Time will tell".

Oh and before we get started I want to make it perfectly clear that these posts, whenever they turn up, will not affect the weekly parma review. You'll still get a full review of a new parma each and every week as usual. This isn't a replacement, its an added extra. Anyway, I've blathered on long enough - On to the good stuff!

I had heard about Arbory a couple of weeks back when friend of the site Jimmies Burgers posted a photo of this amazing looking burger. I looked into the pub in the hopes that there would be a new parma for us to try (there isn't, FYI) and my curiosity was instantly piqued. Built on flinders walk, between the station and the river, running the entire span between the St. Kilda Rd. bridge and the footbridge with all the padlocks on it (the one that Nicholas Cage rode his flaming motorbike over in the first Ghost Rider movie).

After reading about the pub I wanted to check it out, and attempted to stop in for a quick pint before last week's parma review at P.J. O'Briens, directly across the river, but was met with two of the most depressing words a pub enthusiast can hear. Private function. 

So I left it and forgot about it for a few days, until I was in the city on Sunday morning and found myself with the need to kill an hour. It was slightly too early for a beer (although a few blokes I spied at Young & Jacksons on the way past didn't think so) so I decided to kill two birds with one stone - get my brekky on and finally see what all the fuss is about at Arbory.

First up - The use of the space is just plain genius. Yes the pub is narrow, but at no point did I feel cramped. The sound of the trains chugging through the station is almost therapeutic, and the unfettered view of the river is just remarkable.

It was getting close to 10:30 on Sunday morning, and while there were a few people enjoying breakfast it was by no means busy. There was a chill in the air but you wouldn't notice with the abundance of patio heaters, almost one per table.

On wandering up to the bar to order I instantly regretted not visiting a bit later in the day as the bar setup is impressive, with a great range of both tapped and bottled beers. Unfortunately I swapped out my alcohol addiction for my caffeine addiction, ordered a cappuccino and had a quick squiz at the breakfast menu -

I was eating with devoted ParmaDaze regular Reviewer Nikki, she ordered the Mozzarella & Bacon Toastie while I chose the lighter option and went with the Coconut Bircher Muesli. We retuned to our table and soaked in the serenity while awaiting our breakfast.

The cappuccino was fine - I'm not jumping up and down about it but it certainly did its job - I normally like my coffee served a tad hotter than what this was, but thats a personal preference that I can't judge Arbory for. Shortly afterwards the main event arrived -

^ Mozzarella and bacon toastie with fried egg and tomato relish

^ Coconut bircher muesli with vanilla macerated pineapple, coconut nectar & pecans

Instant food envy the moment the dishes hit the table - That toastie looked sublime, and even though the muesli was quite tasty in its own right its hard to go past a bacon and cheese sandwich.

And they weren't tight with the bacon! Generous lashing after lashing filled the sandwich. The egg on top was appreciated but seemed a bit confused - are you supposed to eat it with a knife and fork off the top? to eat it like a sandwich with the egg still on board? or open up the sandwich and slip the egg inside? (the latter being what Nikki ended up doing).

The muesli was great also. The macerated pineapple was sliced so thinly it was almost shaved. I've never been a big fan of pineapple but I think its only because I've only ever had it served in massive chunks - this was the perfect way to enjoy it, adding a subtle and not at all overpowering flavour to the dish. I was also a big fan of the pecans, adding a much enjoyed crunch to the texture of the meal.

And that's all she wrote! I was a massive fan of Arbory and will definitely be back. I'm very keen to drop in and enjoy a few beers on a Saturday or Sunday arvo before the sunny days disappear for the year (and to try those amazing looking burgers).

If you're in the city it's definitely worth a shot (They're open every day from 7:30 if you feel like checking it out) - I've got a feeling Arbory will fast become one of my favourite spots in the CBD. Now we just need them to get a parma on the menu.

Attempt #216 - 'P.J. O'Brien's - Southbank'

[info]When? - 12th of March, 2015

Where? - Southgate restaurant & Shopping precinct, Southbank.

Price? - $19.50

Website? - http://www.pjobriens.com.au/southbank/

Reviewers – Lee, Matt, Nikki, Shanan, Stefo, Tony[/info]

Our relationship with Irish pubs can best be described as "turbulent". We've had the good, we've had the bad, and we've had the ugly (and I know Elephant & Wheelbarrow is technically an English pub, but for the sake of argument I'm lumping them in the "faux United Kingdom style pub" category). Yes there have been one or two anomalies but in general the parmas at Irish pubs have been pretty mediocre across the board.

One time I remember being surprised at the quality of a parma at an Irish Pub was when we visited the P.J. O'Brien's at Melbourne Airport. It was a solid bird let down by disappointing sides, and far better than anything I would have expected to come out of a pub within an airport. Since that day part of me has always wondered "If the mini P.J's at the airport can produce something semi decent, surely the actual P.J's would be far better!

With St. Patricks day on Tuesday next week (aka. the most inconvenient day of the week to get drunk) we decided to kick things off a little early last night, so we loaded up the parma bus and headed to P.J. O'Brien's, Southbank.

If you've been into an Irish Pub in Melbourne then you pretty much know the deal at PJ's. Dark wood, dark furniture, random farming equipment strung up to the walls. There is a more sophisticated restaurant off the side of the main bar, but we decided to slum it and took our seats in one of the cosy snug's of the main area.

The beer selection is pretty bleak, if you're after anything fancier than a Fat Yak you're out of luck. Having said that, P.J's pours one of the prettiest pints of Guinness I have seen in my life - absolutely beautiful and a must try if you're a fan of the dark stuff.

Beers in hand we took a look at the menu -

If you're feeling like something a little off the wall there's also an "Irish Schnitzel" available, which is a schnitty with curry sauce - However the 6 of us remained traditional and went with the standard parma.

20 or so minutes later our meals arrived -

The schnitzel itself was probably the weakest part of the dish. Thick crumbs, thin chicken, the usual processed nonsense. It was cooked well, with no burnt or undercooked areas, however  around the table it was likened to a giant chicken nugget, not a parma. Unfortunately P.J's was not off to a great start.

The toppings were a mixed bag. They weren't tight with the ham and (although there wasn't 100% coverage) there was plenty of cheese that did its job just fine. The napoli wasn't applied evenly, leaving some areas bone dry and others swimming, but the sauce itself tasted like straight leggo's tomato paste.

Chips were also very "meh". Decent serving but they were completely unseasoned - They were saved from being totally beige by the addition of an unsolicited sauce pot for dipping. Sauce pots are a small, easy touch that is greatly appreciated, especially when you don't even have to ask.

The salad, like the chips, was also not winning any awards. Your standard garden salad of lettuce, onion, cucumber and tomato (although some of us got a lot of tomato, others got none). It was fresh, crisp and didn't taste bad at all - but it was a boring side to accompany a pretty boring meal.

If P.J. O'Brien's ran a special parma night and served up the bird they did with a pot? I could probably forgive a lot of the sins this parma was guilty of - but $19.50 and no parma nights that I can see isn't great for what we received.

I like P.J's, It's got a good vibe, and if I lived anywhere in the area I'd probably be dropping in on Tuesday night for a pint in the name of Saint Patrick. Don't ask me why but it reminds me of a pub you'd find in a Casino in Las Vegas (I think its the lack of windows). Dinner in the snug was a great way to enjoy a meal with mates - I just wish the parma had've been better. Other than the processed schnitzel no element of the dish was bad, it was just bland as hell without any standout elements. If they took a hint from their brothers in Tullamarine and used a real piece of chicken I'd have a lot less to complain about, but as it stands I'd rather visit the airport P.J's for a parma as opposed to the Southbank location.

[pros]

• Plenty of ham
• They know how to pour a great pint of Guinness
• Unsolicited sauce pots

[/pros][cons]

• Processed chicken
• Mediocre toppings
• Mediocre everything.

[/cons]

Parma - 3.67

Chips - 4.92

Salad - 4.00

Value - 4.50

Total - 4.15

The search continues...

Attempt #215 - 'The Elms Family Hotel'

[info]When? - 5th of March, 2015

Where? - 269 Spring St. Melbourne

Price? - $17

Website? - http://www.elmshotel.com.au/

Reviewers – Daniel, Emma, Lee, Matt[/info]

**EDIT**14/06/16 - Since this review went live the Elms Family Hotel has closed its doors due to the block being developed into apartments, This parma is no longer available but we'll keep the review live for posterity - A shame that we lost one of Melbourne's most unique pubs.

Here's a bit of troubling news about our search for the perfect parma - We're running out of pubs in the city. It's nothing to be too worried about, our "parmas to try" list is still over 100 pubs long, but of that list only  about five are in what I'd consider to be in the CBD. Sure new pubs are opening every day, there are probably heaps I don't know about and there are always redo's - but its still kinda troubling!

So when I had a hankering to head into the city for parma night this week pickings were slim, but after a bit of time on google maps I spied our target - Elms Family Hotel.

The pubs website doesn't give much away in terms of what to expect when walking into The Elms, So we were really going in blind on this one. Upon entering the pub I was absolutely floored. I've said in previous reviews of pubs around Melbourne that the venue is "like a country pub", but Elms Family Hotel absolutely takes the cake.

I honestly don't know how this pub has survived so untouched in so long. It's a complete anomaly, Elms Family Hotel looks like it hasn't had a thing changed about it since the mid 60's (with the exception of a couple of new TV's). I'm not saying its a bad thing, I love it, its just so surreal being able to sit in a pub and forget you're in the middle of Melbourne. You could just as easily be in Mildura and not be able to tell the difference.

The selection of beers are exactly what you'd expect from a country pub, just the staples - VB, Carlton and I think I saw a Fat Yak tap. There was a fridge with a small selection of bottles and Crown Lager stubbies were on special for $6 - It may have been a small selection but every pint they pulled was ice cold and delicious. It's also worth mentioning that there is a cosy smokers area/beer garden out the back and some tables & chairs on the street for curbside bevvies.

We ordered our parmas at the kitchen window and moved around the corner to the spacious bistro.

That's a grab of the menu from the website - note that since the site was updated the price of the parma has raised to $17.00. Damn inflation!

The parmas arrived quickly - no more than 10 minutes after we ordered we were presented with our meals...

The schnitz was probably the weakest part of the dish, It had a decent circumference but the chicken was quite thin with a thick layer of crumbs. The crumbs had soaked up the majority of the napoli sauce leaving them a bit of a soggy mess. It was processed to the max, but on the plus side it was well cooked. Golden brown and not burnt.

As I mentioned 90% of the napoli was soaked into the crumbs, so I didn't really get to taste it.

There was no ham but plenty of cheese - Which was probably the best element of the parma - It was cooked perfectly and stayed un-rubbery the entire meal.

Props to The Elms for serving their chips beside the parma. They were fish & chip shop style, well cooked and very well seasoned with chicken salt giving them a great flavour - The chips were probably my favourite thing on the plate

The garden salad was basic, but fresh and crisp - plenty of dressing and not short on ingredients. It was a little small but it did its job adequately.

$17 is a bit steep for a processed parma. I don't think I would partake again at full price. There is a $12 parma & pot lunch special on Monday to Wednesday, 12 till 2, That'd be the only time I could recommend giving it a crack for a quick & cheap feed.

I respect the hell out of The Elms Family Hotel for sticking to their guns and maintaining the "country pub" feel. I don't think any pub I have visited in Melbourne does it better. I hate giving pubs I like a bad review, but if you're ever in the area be sure to stop in for a beer and enjoy the trip back in time (no DeLorean required).

[pros]

• Fresh, crisp salad
• Delicious seasoning on the chips

[/pros][cons]

• Processed, soggy schnitzel
• No ham, undetectable napoli

[/cons]

Parma - 3.83

Chips - 4.33

Salad - 3.17

Value - 4.67

Total - 3.97

The search continues...

Attempt #214 - 'Junction Beer Hall & Wine Room'

[info]When? - 26th of February, 2015

Where? - 15 Hall St. Newport

Price? - $23

Website? - http://junctionnewport.com.au/

Reviewers – Fridge, Lee, Nikki, Stefo[/info]

For parmas this week I opened up our map and thought to myself "where haven't we been", keeping an eye out for what I have dubbed "blackspots" - Suburbs in which we have yet to do a parma review.

For some reason my eye was drawn to the west of Melbourne. We've done a few in Williamstown, and a couple in Footscray, but there is a substantial gap in between. I checked the list of suggested parmas to see if we have any in that area that we haven't tried and...

I found the Junction Beer Hall.

I knew absolutely nothing about this pub going in, To be honest I hadn't even heard of the suburb of Newport before this week (I've lived a sheltered life, okay?). But looking at the website it seemed like my kind've place. We loaded up the parma bus, fired up google maps and headed to Newport.

If you frequent the trains on the Werribee or Williamstown lines you will know the Junction as the pub directly across the road from Newport Station. From outside it looks like your standard pub - but I was delighted to find that inside they've done a spectacular renovation, transforming this massive area into an impressive bar. With a beer hall on one side, a gorgeous courtyard in the middle and a calm, elegant wine bar. The night we were there was the Beer Banter special event, so we opted to have our parmas in the comfy and spacious booths of the more subdued wine room.

We quickly checked the menu, spied our target -

... and placed our order.

Shortly after ordering we were delivered some piping hot baguette slices for the table - off to a fantastic start.

Now the beer list in the main bar is phenomenal. 18 rotating craft beers on tap and a book of over 70 local and international beers by the stubby. In the wine room things are a little more focussed on (you guessed it...) the wine list, with only a few tap beers available (Some selections from the Two Birds range was on tap the night we ate. Bantam IPA and Sunset ale if memory serves - no complaints here). The food menu is the same between rooms.

We polished off the complimentary baguette and flatbread with tzatziki entree, both delicious. Shorty after that the main event arrived from the kitchen -

As soon as it hit the table I knew it was going to be quality. Every schnitzel around the table was uniquely shaped so you know its real chicken. The breast was thick and crispy and the crumbs carried a perfect crunch. Some parts of the chicken were slightly dry - but thats a very minor complaint.

What it lacked in circumference it more than made up for in thickness, this was a deceptively big bird that left nobody at the table hungry. When it comes to schnitzels this parma was ready to play with the big boys.

The toppings were solid. The mozzarella was on point and the ham carried a fantastic flavour that wasn't lost in the dish (although the menu on their website advertises prosciutto, which was missed, that needs an update).

The napoli was rich and flavoursome but it wasn't very well distributed on the schnitzels, some areas were dry while others were swimming in a saucy pool. A bit of consistency would've been great.

This is how you should do chips. A massive serving of beer battered beauties, cooked to crunchy perfection and not being smothered by the parma. They could've used a tad more seasoning but salt pots on the table made short work of that issue - If they had've served them with a pot of aioli or sauce on the side it would've put them over the edge.

The salad was perfectly serviceable, but probably the weakest part of the dish. Leafy greens in a tasty dressing. I enjoy onion in my salad and I only got a single sliver while others got more, so luck of the draw on that one. Everything was fresh, it just didn't wow me like the rest of the meal did. Nothing bad, but nothing amazing.

I'd gladly fork our $23 for this parma again, no question whatsoever. Checking their website there is currently no regular parma night listed, but to be honest I wouldn't need one. This parma gets my seal of approval, and its definitely worth putting on your list.

The Junction was an unexpected surprise, A pub for beer lovers by beer lovers. I wouldn't pick such a great craft beer spot to be nestled out in Newport of all places - Yet we have stumbled upon what I'd call the best craft beer spot in West Melbourne (that I have been to, please no angry emails). Do yourself a favour, dump the kids off at Scienceworks, and go check it out... Actually I take that back - Visit the Junction then go with your kids to Scienceworks. Scienceworks is a blast for all ages.

[pros]

• Amazing quality schnitzel, great tasting parma
• Fantastic beer battered chips
• Great range of craft beers

[/pros][cons]

• Parma could be a little dry at times, poor napoli distribution

[/cons]

Parma - 8.75

Chips - 8.38

Salad - 6.50

Value - 7.25

Total - 7.93

The search continues...

Attempt #213 - 'The Gasometer Hotel'

[info]When? - 19th of February, 2015

Where? - 484 Smith St. Collingwood

Price? - $24

Website? - http://www.thegasometerhotel.com.au/

Reviewers – Fridge, Lee, Nikki, Stefo[/info]

I've passed the Gasometer a few times and its always intrigued me. I can't quite say why it was at the top of our list this week, it just was.

The Gaso has a bit of a history. After it opened originally as The Gasometer it became Father Flanagan's, an Irish pub (and you can tell, a lot of the aesthetic of the front bar screams "Irish Pub"). In around 2010 it became the Gasometer again but the menu took on a very "American" theme, a bit of a trendsetter as these days you can't swing a cat in Melbourne without hitting an American themed pub... Until about 2013, when they famously shut down due to being unable to pay the beer bill. But the Gaso is back! The menu still has a bit of an American bent, some Aussie pub staples have creeped their way back onto the menu, one of which is the parma...

The Gasometer has a great atmosphere, with open fireplaces, exposed brick, stone and wood (the building materials, not the beer ... although they do have the beer on tap) and a lot of little nooks and crannies to get lost in, not to mention a massive live music area out the back which was getting set up for a gig while we were there. If you're a regular reader you'll already know that this is how I like my pubs. We took a seat in the front dining area, checked the menu and ordered our birds.

Behind the bar there was an impressive range of taps. Other than the aforementioned Stone & Wood there were (at least) eight taps of different craft beers to sample (most from the Thunder Road Brewing Company lineup) - more than enough to keep a connoisseur happy for an evening.

At pretty much 30 minutes on the dot our parmas arrived from the kitchen...

Damn they looked good when they first dropped on the table, the barely-pounded chicken breast and abundance of shaved ham reminded me a lot of last year's Best New Parma winner, The Wolf & I. We quickly picked up our cutlery and tucked in. It was in the first mouthful that we all noticed what will be the most discussed point of this parma ... the flavour of the crumbs.

They had a tang. A tang that tasted like liquorice, and it wasn't subtle, not at all - every bite was a liquorice-ey smack to the face. After a bit of investigation, we found the culprit, This seed -

These seeds were all through the crumbs. I initially thought they were dried aniseed seeds, but after a bit of discussion on Reddit Melbourne it would seem that there are a lot of similar tasting seeds that look practically identical, the most likely suspects being -

... but whatever it was it completely overpowered the dish. The ham, the cheese, the napoli? All lost behind the punch of this seed. The first few bites I applauded them for trying something different, but by the halfway point I was well and truly over it. I give them points for trying something different, but I'm afraid this experiment has missed the mark entirely.

The chicken itself was phenomenal. Insanely thick and literally dripping with juice as you lifted it from the plate, while it didn't look huge on the plate its a deceptive one as I struggled to finish the whole thing.

The topping were also fantastic. There was so much shaved ham piled on top of the parma that it was almost as thick as the chicken - Unfortunately as I said, all the flavour was drowned out by the aniseed.

Just to see what it was like I peeled some of the ham, cheese and napoli off the chicken and tried them seperately. On its own the ham came to life, it carried a delicious smokey fresh-off-the-bone flavour that was just a delight. The napoli was slightly watery, but tasty and the cheese was grilled to perfection and added a lovely cheddar tang.

The chips were also pretty great. I was pleasantly surprised to receive proper chips as opposed to the "fries" advertised on the menu ( I was expecting Maccas chips). There was a hefty serving and they were well cooked, piping hot and perfectly seasoned (with bottles of tomato sauce available by the bar) - a delight.

The salad was also a bit of a unique experience - I don't think we've ever had bean shoots before. Consisting of lettuce, cucumber, sliced radish and bean shoots it was a fresh and crisp addition to the meal, Only lightly dressed but I don't think it needed anything more.

$24 is a little pricey in general, with but the quality of the chicken and abundance of toppings and sides I would be more than happy to pay that again. I couldn't see any parma night's advertised so I think the $24 will stick all week.

If it weren't for that damn seed in the crumbs I would be calling this parma an early favourite for Best New Parma of 2015 - However the liquorice punch absolutely murdered this dish. Saying that, I would still recommend checking it out, if you can overlook the aniseed flavour every other element of this parma was near perfect... definitely one to keep an eye on, and hopefully they come to their senses about that damn seed ... just look how thick this thing is -

[pros]

• Amazingly thick and juicy chicken breast
• Abundance of mouth-watering shaved ham
• Plenty of well seasoned and cooked chips
• Unique, fresh side salad

[/pros][cons]

• Aniseed-flavoured seed through the crumbs overpowered entire dish.

[/cons]

Parma - 7.13

Chips - 7.50

Salad - 6.75

Value - 6.75

Total - 7.05

The search continues...

Attempt #212 - 'Bridie O'Reilly's $4.50 parma special'

[info]When? - 11th of February, 2015

Where? 29 Sydney rd. Brunswick

Price? - $4.50 with drink purchase (Wednesday night special)

Website? - http://bridiesbrunswick.com.au/

Reviewers – Dale, Lee, Nikki[/info]

The day that Bridie's announced their $4.50 parma special was the day my inbox exploded. Not just my inbox, but I was inundated with messages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram ... basically every form of social media we have (Bridies even sent me a flyer in the post about it after I wound up on their mailing list after their NYE party I found myself at this year).

Everyone seems to be talking about this thing. The Happiest Hour is abuzz, even Reddit Melbourne had an entire post full of heated discussion about the special.

It just seems too good to be true! What's the catch? We had to venture down and find out. Expectations were low. Very low. Surely for $4.50 it could not possibly be good ... right?

We arrived just before 7 to an already pretty packed pub. First up, completely ignore what it says about "No bookings necessary" on the above flyer, this place was already busy and got busier the longer we stayed - I'd say if you're going with a table of 4 or more it'd be wise to book, there were plenty of large "reserved" tables when we were there.

So the process is this - First up you need to order a drink to be eligible for the special. Any drink will do, I ordered a pint of draught for myself and a coke for Reviewer Nikki. We got our drinks and two "tickets" to take to the food service window and exchange for our order.

Now, things get a tad confusing here. On the Bridies latest Facebook post they mention that you now also need to sign up for the "Parma Club" to be eligible for the deal. It doesn't cost anything, just an online form. I did this before we left, only to not be questioned about signing up when I arrived, however when I ventured to the bar later I saw a girl with a clipboard signing people up on the spot. Looks like its a new system thats coming in - better to be safe than sorry, if you're venturing out I'd say signing up is a good idea.

We ordered our meals and returned to the table. I'd say we were sitting for no more than sixty seconds before the boomerang buzzer went off and we were called back to collect our meals - they pump these things out damn fast. I honestly thing this was the fastest order-to-arrival time we've ever seen.

There she is. No salad, but more on that later. The schnitzel was, as you'd expect, processed to high hell, basically an oversized frozen chicken nugget - and the crumbs were actually thicker than the chicken in most places.

You know what? If they just had owned it, served a small bit of chicken with conservative crumbs and said "hey, its $4.50, what do you expect?" I probably would have been more forgiving, but with the shocking excess of crumbs it really feels like they're trying to cover it up. Although I suppose they have no control over the crumbing as these were clearly not house made parmas.

There was clearly enough room on the plate to not stack the parma on top of the chips, we quickly rescued them so you could get a clearer view of what $4.50 buys -

The toppings actually weren't as terrible as the schnitzel. The lack of napoli was almost criminal but I was surprised to see that the parma actually included a slice of ham - that's normally the first thing to do when a parma decided to appeal to the budget crowd.

There was plenty of cheese for such a small parma and it remained un-rubbery the entire meal. Sure it all came out of a package, but I was pleasantly surprised - The toppings weren't great, but they were nowhere near as offensive as what I was expecting.

The pub chips were pretty standard, small serving of pub chips that were just begging for a little salt, there was a pretty comprehensive condiment bar by the food service area (tomato, BBQ, chilli, tobasco and HP sauces all available) yet I couldn't for the life of my find any salt & pepper shakers, which is what these fries desperately needed. But, for a tiny serving of unseasoned chips they were cooked rather competently.

Now, the salad - When I approached the food service window to place our order I was met with this sign...

So its an extra $2 to add a salad, which doesn't seem too bad, until you consider that $2 is 45 percent of the total purchase price of the parma - that seems a little excessive to me, especially when I could see the pre-made salad pots sitting to the left of the service window, unrefrigerated and looking quite small and sad - We saved our cash, all forwent getting a salad with our parmas and are invoking the "You don't win friends with salad" rule for this review.

The value is the big question isn't it! And its hard to argue that this parma is very easy on the wallet. My total bill for dinner at Bridies for two parmas, a pint of draught, a pot of draught and a pot of coke came out to just under $26 all up. That is less than what a single parma cost us last week.

The Salad Rule being invoked means that the value of the parma takes a hit - and can you put a price on giving away your personal information for incessant promotional info after the necessary sign up to the "parma club?". I'd probably only recommend this parma if you were on your last few bucks and really needed a parma fix, I'm looking at you, starving Uni students. Oh look, I just got a text message from Bridies. No, really...

Expecting a quality parma for $4.50 is like jumping into a lion's cage and being surprised when you're mauled by a lion. You're stupid to think the inevitable isn't going to happen - The $4.50 parma at Bridies however is like jumping into a lion's cage and finding that the lion administers a local anaesthetic before tearing you limb from limb. Sure, it sucks - but it's slightly not as bad as you were expecting.

[pros]

• It's only $4.50

[/pros][cons]

• Annoying sign-up process to "qualify" for the price
• Think of the most processed schnitzel you can imagine. Now double it.

[/cons]

Parma - 1.67

Chips - 1.67

Salad - "You don't win friends with salad" rule invoked.

Value - 7

Total - 3.40

The search continues...

Attempt #211 - 'Woolshed Pub'

[info]When? - 5th of February, 2015

Where? Shed 9,T18/161 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands

Price? - $26, with a $22 Tuesday parma night (see review)

Website? - http://www.woolshedpub.com

Reviewers – Fridge, Lee, Matt, Nikki, Tony[/info]

If you're ever walking out of a game of footy at Etihad stadium and think to yourself "I want to have a beer in a massive warehouse", then the Woolshed Pub is the spot for you. Situated around the back of the stadium, between Etihad and the water, lies the Woolshed Pub, and (despite being a massive warehouse) is actually a really well put together spot.

There's a lot of different vibes at The Woolshed. To one side there is an outdoor area that provides stunning views of the bay and Bolte Bridge, perfect for sippers on a summers evening. The opposing side also has tables - minus the view but with a more "beer garden-y" feel. Inside and to the left there is a cosy, very flash looking bistro and to the right is the main event - the wide open, high roofed spaces of the main pub floor. It'd have to be damn busy for this place to feel packed, plenty of room to move with an impressive bar in the middle of everything I just mentioned. All up I was very impressed with this pub's fitout, they've put a lot of work into it, and it shows.

But how was the food? Rather than head into the bistro we opted to grab a table in the main bar - It was a perfect night to eat on the water, but unfortunately that was taken by a private function the night we visited. We took our seats, scoped the menu...

... and placed our orders.

As for beverages to accompany our meal? There are a decent selection of taps -

And things get a little more creative when you head to the bottled stuff. Nothing out of this world (the craft beer enthusiasts may go a little wanting) but definitely a big enough selection to wet any whistle.

I bought a pint when I ordered the meal and about 3/4 of the way through our parmas arrived at the table -

When it first hit the table the schnitzel looked quite small, very small even, but once I cut into it I realised just how thick this beast was - well over an inch in some places, this was pure chicken breast, no processed crap here. The shape of the parmas varied greatly from plate to plate, but all staying relatively the same size.

Very conservatively crumbed in what looked like a in-house made crumb mixture with a lot of herbs and a strong lemon flavour (I'm guessing either lemongrass or straight lemon juice). In the end the schnitzel was still a tad to small for my liking (we'll get to that later), but much more filling than I expected when I first laid eyes on it.

The toppings were an interesting mix. The pancetta was absolutely fantastic (I hate to use this term, but it was the hero of the dish) If you like the salty punch of pancetta then you will love this parma.

The napoli was plentiful and tasty, and if there was more cheese on the parma it would have struck a perfect balance - Unfortunately cheese was the only thing this parma lacked, there was barely a dusting of cheese on top and it really hurt this meal, as I said it caused the napoli to dominate this dish far too strongly, and really highlighted a tomato pastey character that would have remained unnoticed had there been more cheese.

I've said it time and time again, I'm not a fan of fries with my parma. This prejudice was tackled recently when we discovered The Wolf and I, where I discovered that "Maccas chips" could actually be done well, and the Woolshed is another pub that is slowly turning around my opinion. Yes they were fries, but these fries were done well. Served piping hot, in a decent serving and very well salted (with tomato sauce supplied on request). Yes, they were just maccas fries, but these were just about as good as they get.

The salad was a divisive one. I like my salad drenched in dressing, others like their salads crisp and able to breathe. The salad at the Woolshed was definitely the former, so I loved it. Very basic garden salad of lettuce and onion, absolutely swimming in dressing. I liked it, others didn't ... it depends on your opinion (if you care about salads at all).

This is where things are gonna take a turn for the worse in this review. Value. I placed my order for 2 parmas (not both for me, buying for Reviewer Nikki as well) and a pint of Boags ... $63 - $26 each for the parmas. Thats a pricey meatball, especially following last week's extremely good value for money parmas. Like I said this parma was bigger than I expected, but nowhere near Twenty-six-dollars-big. I'm not a tightarse but for that price I expect a top 10 parma ... yes the pancetta was delicious, and that can get expensive, but this just wasn't worth the money.

Saying that, there is a $22 parma n' pot night on Tuesdays. This is a much more reasonable price and I'd be more than happy to pay that for what we got, hell I'd even recommend it if you're in the area on a Tuesday, but other than that its just not worth the ticket price.

The Woolshed was a tough parma to judge. A lot of things went wrong with this dish, yet it wound up being quite an enjoyable meal. I am on the fence as to whether I'd give it my "seal of approval" though. It's a tough one, I think I'm gonna stick to my earlier sentiment of "Yes, if its on a Tuesday" with a clause of "and make sure the weather is nice, because that's a great view as well" ... It doesn't quite roll off the tongue when it comes to sign-off lines, but it'll do.

[pros]

• Thick, juicy chicken breast
• Fries were good (for fries)
• Pancetta was full of flavour

[/pros][cons]

• Minimal cheese
• Expensive

[/cons]

Parma - 7.08

Chips - 5.90

Salad - 5.60

Value - 3.50

Total - 5.83

The search continues...

Attempt #210 - 'Harts Victoria Hotel'

[info]When? - 29th of January, 2015

Where? 43 Victoria St. Footscray

Price? - $19 for standard, $14 for half-parma, novelties vary (see review)

Website? - None that I could find, other than their Facebook Page

Reviewers – Cale, Fridge, Hayden, Kylie, Lee, Nikki, Shanan, Stefo, Tony[/info]

 ** EDIT - 18/2/15 - I'VE CONFIRMED THAT THE PARMA NIGHT SPECIAL IS A WEDNESDAY NIGHT THING, WITH THE SPECIALS BOARD ROTATING TO OTHER STUFF ON OTHER NIGHTS OF THE WEEK - HOW WE MANAGED TO GET PARMA SPECIALS ON THURSDAY IS A MYSTERY TO ME - MUST'VE BEEN A FLUKE! SO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN READING THE FOLLOWING REVIEW... ENJOY!

I'm still not sure what to call this pub. Their Facebook calls it Harts Hotel, Google maps calls it Victoria Hotel, Urbanspoon calls it Victoria Harts Hotel and their are signs up on the building itself that call it Harts, Victoria and "Harts Victoria Hotel" ... However when I called to book the table on Thursday afternoon the lady who answered the phone called it Harts Victoria Hotel, so that's what I'm sticking with (plus it sounds like "Hearts Victoria", and I also heart Victoria).

Walking into the Harts Vic is like stepping back in time. An extremely spacious public bar greeted us with all the staples of a pub I'd love to call home. Exposed brick, old school wood panelling, so-ugly-its-awesome patterned carpet. It feels like a country pub that hasn't changed in decades, yet its tucked away in the middle of Footscray.

Beer options are pretty basic, but enough to get the job done. If you're after anything much fancier than a Carlton Draught then you're in the wrong pub.

Once the crew arrived we moved through the public bar into the bistro, which was already bustling with patrons tucking in to some great looking meals ... I had a good feeling about this place.

We checked the menu...

Spied the specials board...

And placed our orders. A few at the table took advantage of the Aussie and Mexican specials, I stuck with the standard. Also worth noting that we were served bake-at-home bread rolls with tatura butter after we ordered - Have I mentioned in the past how much I love this? If not, I love this.

I wasn't sure what to expect when we ordered these parmas, I guess the fact that a half-serve parma was even on the menu was a clue that we were in for something mammoth.

After polishing off our rolls and a couple of cheeky games at the candy machine in the public bar, our parmas started to file out of the kitchen. Good lord.

First up was the standard -

Second was the Mexican (Salami, jalapenos, salsa and guacamole)

and the Aussie (egg, bacon & BBQ sauce)

These things were huge. I was a little worried that a parma this big, at the price would have to be processed crap - but no, real, unprocessed chicken. The chicken wasn't overly thick, but at the sheer size of this meal it didn't need to be. The crumbs were herbed and not too thick - my only criticism would be that the crumbs were a little soggy, detracting from the rest of the dish - but thats a minor complaint.

The toppings were applied liberally. To be honest I was a little jealous that I didn't go with the Mexican or the Aussie as they both phenomenal (just look at those pictures up there) The three cheese blend used on mine was damn tasty, a perfect mix of creamy and crunchy. The napoli was a little lost in the shuffle but it was there .

One gripe I had was that it didn't come with ham, which normally I would be okay with, but the Aussie and Mexican parmas came with bacon and salami respectively and were both cheaper than the standard - I understand that they're on the specials board, but a slice of ham chucked my way would have finished this parma off perfectly.

Chips were pretty good. Chunky, well seasoned  and well cooked. If the parma wasn't so big that I was so full it hurt to move for hours afterwards then I'd say that the serving was a little small, but I honestly couldn't have eaten another bite if I tried.

The salad, like the parma, was massive. Garden salad stuffed with onion, carrot, cucumber and tomato. Everything was fresh and it accompanied the dish quite nicely, although I would have loved a little more dressing as it got a little dry in parts.

The value of this parma is off the charts, especially for the special's board parmas, $15 for the Aussie, $16 for the regular is just impossible to beat (and we got bake at home rolls as well!) - I would call that cheap for a standard sized parma, but that price for the behemoth we were served? Phenomenal. If you're not a big eater I'd recommend starting on the half-serve. They call it a half serve but I'm pretty sure its bigger than 75 percent of the parmas we have tried - for only $14 you can't go wrong.

Now I don't really have a spot for this, so I want to make special mention of the staff at Harts Victoria Hotel - In over 200 parma attempts I don't think we've ever had a friendlier group of people take care of us. They were warm, attentive, went above and beyond to make sure we were okay and more than happy to have a chat - A fantastic group of people running a fantastic pub.

I'll be back to the Harts Victoria Hotel, and you should check it out as well. It's a meal that any parma lover would enjoy at an old-school down to earth Aussie pub (a dying breed these days). I can't guarantee how long those novelty parmas will be on the specials board so better get down there quick before they're gone! You won't regret it.

[pros]

• Massive
• Amazing value
• Free bake at home rolls
• Amazingly friendly and welcoming staff

[/pros][cons]

• Crumbs were a bit soggy

[/cons]

Parma - 8.36

Chips - 6.61

Salad - 6.66

Value -  9.50

Total - 7.90

The search continues...

Attempt #209 - 'The Alehouse Project'

 

[info]When? - 22nd of January, 2015

Where? 98 - 100 Lygon St, Brunswick

Price? - $19

Website? - http://www.thealehouseproject.com.au/

Reviewers – Fridge, Lee, Nikki, Shanan, Stefo, Tony[/info]

Let me start out this review by saying that I love the Alehouse Project. When it comes to craft beer in Melbourne I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who does it better. Which is why, when I saw this post on Instagram last week -

I jumped on the chance to check it out, seemed like a perfectly fitting parma to kick off 2015.

If you're a fan of beer then you've no doubt already heard about the Alehouse Project, but in case you've been living under a rock, this is a pub with twelve taps of continuously rotating microbrewery beers. Every time you visit there's something new to try and I've yet to sample a beer I didn't like.

This week in particular the Young Henry "Stupid Sexy Flanders" cherry flanders ale was absolutely fantastic - couldn't recommend it more highly, absolutely delicious beer (and probably the best name for a beer I've ever heard).

Feels like I'm wearing nothin' at all... nothin' at all... nothin' at all!

A new discovery last night was the beer garden, way down the back, past the couches and tabletop arcade table, take a right and there is a quaint little spot in the sun, its cosy but comfy, perfect for a summer weekend arvo sesh.

Anyway - I digress. On to the parma.

We arrived, spied the menu...

and placed our orders. It was relatively early on a Thursday evening so the pub was pretty quiet, didn't take long at all for the food to arrive.

Then it did.

The schnitzel wasn't hard to see, thats for sure (more on that later). When it first fell to the table I thought "Uh oh, this is processed shit" But I was surprised to find real chicken under the relatively thin crumbs.

Unfortunately thats about everything positive I've got to say about this parma, and you don't know how much it pains me to write this review as I really like this pub - but it just wasn't good.

The chicken was dry, and there was a pretty noticeable black border around one side of my schnitz. Chicken size was inconsistent around the table, with the one pictured being one of the bigger ones.

There was so much nudity on display here I thought we had accidentally wandered into Schnitz n' Tits. Only 3 quarters of the chicken had toppings on it (thats being generous), and the toppings themselves just weren't good. The napoli was straight from a can, the cheese was like rubber and the ham ... actually the ham was okay, carried a decent flavour.

While it was real chicken underneath the toppings every element of the dish was completely tasteless. We took to loading it up with salt, pepper and tomato sauce in an attempt to bring it back to life, which helped a little, but shouldn't be necessary.

When the menu said "fries" I was expecting shoestring fries (aka. Maccas chips), So I was pleasantly surprised when a side of proper, thick cut chips accompanied my chicken. It was a relatively small serving and they were in desperate need of some salt, but they were decent. Maybe a little undercooked but not criminally so.

The "salad" was just some lettuce leaves tossed in oil, nothing to write home about but it was relatively enjoyable. Since our visit to The Wolf & I my eyes have been opened to the possibility of a good simple salad. Now the Alehouse was nowhere near the Wolf's standard, but I didn't dismiss it as quickly as I once would've.

In this day & age I class anything under $20 as pretty reasonably priced, this one came in at $19, which isn't bad, but when compared to what we actually received it is a bit steep. If this parma was $10 - $15 with a pot of craft beer thrown in I'd be more forgiving, but full price with no freebies for that? Not great.

I really did not enjoy writing the review this week. I love the Alehouse Project and urge you to check it out if you haven't yet.

At the time of writing this the parma has been on the menu for 9 days. It's still a baby, plenty of time for retooling.

If anyone from The Alehouse is reading this, first of all, I'm sorry. Secondly, you've got a good foundation with the chicken you're using. if you upgrade your napoli to something a little less tomato-pastey, make sure you cover the schnitzel in all of the toppings (cheese to the edge!) and season your chips before putting them on the plate then you're on the way to having something decent.

I'm more than happy to come back for a re-review if things improve. Until then, I'll just stick to the beers.

[pros]

• Amazing craft beer pub - possibly Melbourne's best.

[/pros][cons]

• Tomato paste napoli
• Gratuitous schnitzel nudity
• Burnt schnitzel
• Unseasoned chips

[/cons]

Parma - 4.25

Chips - 3.67

Salad - 3.50

Value - 4.25

Total - 3.98

The search continues...

 

2014 Parma of the Year awards

So that was 2014! In twelve short months we celebrated our 200th parma, saw an unholy abomination come out of Red Rooster, we experimented in the kitchen with a Philadelphia cream cheese parma, chicken parma balls and a bacon and tater tot creation. We ate 5 parmas in a week in Hobart, checked out two parma offerings Port Douglas had to offer, started the Chicken Parma Subreddit and launched a parma-centric podcast called Clucking Around! - couple all this with 42 regular reviews and it all adds up to a damn busy year for chicken parmas! And as always, we finish the year up with some awards.

Now we give out two awards each year, Best New Parma, which is awarded to the best parma we have had in 2014, and Parma of the Year, which is awarded to the pub who sits at #1 on our ladder. Both are extremely rare and prestigious awards of nobel-prize like status!

So without further ado, lets start with the Best New Parma...

Best new parma

In the 42 parma reviews we tried this year, one parma stood out above the rest. From the food to the decor to the overall welcoming vibe of the pub itself, this spot stands out as not only the best parma we had this year, but one of my favourite new pub finds of 2014...

The Wolf & I

One thing I am proud of when it comes to our top 10 parmas is that, even though they are all fantastic, they aren't all cookie-cutter copies of each other. Almost every parma in our top ten is unique in its own special way - And the parma at the Wolf & I fits the bill to perfection.

We presented The Wolf & I with their trophy -

And headed into the restaurant section out the back to have another taste of the award winning parma, We waited with baited breath for them to arrive from the kitchen, and, as expected, they were fantastic...

You can read the details of our original attempt here, so I won't go into too much detail, but the liberal lashings of smoked, shaved ham is what sets this parma apart from the others and puts it in the big leagues (not to mention everything else is phenomenal - the salad alone proves that you can have a basic, simple garden salad as a side and it still be damn delicious).

If you haven't yet had the parma at The Wolf & I, I urge you to get down to Windsor ASAP and check it out - If you can do it on their top value "Wolf Pack Thursdays", $20 with a pint, then all the better. You won't be disappointed - and if you're lucky you might get a glimpse of the trophy sitting behind the bar...

Congratulations again to The Wolf & I!

Parma of the Year

There's really no need to build up the suspense on this one, as they have already taken out the Parma of the Year award for 2012 and 2013. You know them, you love them, I love them. The award goes to...

The Imperial Hotel

What is there to say that hasn't already been said? The Impy still offers up the closest example of parma perfection that we have come across.

We didn't stick around try it this year after we presented them with their trophy, as we were quite stuffed from the parma at The Wolf & I, but we could see several hungry diners tucking in to the fine example of a parma that The Imperial has to offer. Massive schnitzel, cheese laden salad, chunky beer battered fries ... I mean look at it!

Need I say more?

Congratulations (again) to The Imperial Hotel! Very well deserved guys.

And with that we are wrapped up for another year of parma reviews at ParmaDaze. It's been a hell of a year and we couldn't have done it without you guys - so if you're reading this, I thank you.

We may be taking a break - but don't despair, We will be back with a vengeance in 2015, with lots of exciting things on the boiler (including but not limited to our five year anniversary ... but more details on that later).

So from all of us here at ParmaDaze, have a fantastic holiday season, congratulations again to The Wolf & I and The Imperial, and we'll catch you in the new year!

Cheers.

Attempt #208 - 'The Carringbush Hotel'

[info]When? - 4th of December, 2014

Where? 228 Langridge St. Abbotsford

Price? - $20

Website? - http://thecarringbush.com.au/

Reviewers – Em, Grace, Lee, Matt, Nikki, Tony  [/info]

Well this is it! our last new review for 2014. There'll be another post in the coming weeks when we present the year's winners with their Golden Chook trophies, but as far as new pubs go this is it until sometime in January. I'll save the thankyous and other sappy stuff until the trophy presentation post, so until then ... to the pub!

Driving around Abbotsford is heaven for pub lovers, and in the realm of this website a bit of an untapped resource - Just driving to this week's parma I made a mental note to add at least 4 new pubs to the list of parmas to check out, but until then, last night we visited The Carringbush Hotel.

Tucked away in the backstreets of Abbotsford, the words "hidden gem" come to mind. This is a pub that just oozes character and old-world charm, It's a pub just the way I like it - cosy, quaint, with a solid craft beer list and lots of little nooks to get lost in for an afternoon.

There's a front bar for drinkin', a dining room for dining (worth noting that the parma is not available on the dining room menu) and a fusion of the two in-between, with tables for food from the bar menu, but without the fancy menu or tablecloths - which is where we pulled up a pew for the evening.

Oh, and if you like your beers in the sun there's also a quaint little courtyard - not too spacious, but enough to get a breath of fresh air with your pint.

We grabbed the menu and spied our target - an even $20 for the parma on a regular night, However its worth mentioning that on Tuesdays the parma, while still $20, comes with a free pint of Two Birds - Which is a great deal if I ever heard one.

We ordered our grub and kicked back with a beer. As I mentioned earlier the beer list is craft focussed, with more than enough to keep you entertained for an evening (The Two Birds Sunset Ale and Mountain Goat Steam Ale were going down particularly well last night).

About 20 minutes later (not bad for 6 parmas) our meals arrived from the kitchen...

No bones about it, the schnitzel was damn good quality. Decent sized, pure white chicken breast with a consistent thickness. It was conservatively crumbed and cooked perfectly, retaining its juiciness and not at all stringy. As far as foundations for a good parma go, this one was on the money.

The toppings were a tad controversial, First up there is no ham, which some people consider a no-no, yet I'm willing to look past it if the parma lifts its game in other ways. The cheese was fantastic, flavoursome and cooked to perfection. Now on to the controversial bit - the napoli.

I guess the issue comes down to one thing - do you like capsicum? as this non-traditional nap has a bunch of capsicum in it, which can catch you off-guard if you aren't prepared for it. I, for one, liked it - I've got nothing against capsicum and thought it added a fresh, interesting flavour to the dish, however a couple of members on the review team weren't big on capsicum in general, and wasn't a fan of the unexpected sweetness that it added to the dish.

I wouldn't say get rid of the capsicum - It added a unique twist to the dish that even the naysayers said they got used to after the initial shock, but perhaps add something to the description on the menu so it isn't as much of a surprise.

The chips were impressive, massive serve of thick cut chips that remained piping hot and cooked to perfection, retaining a hearty crunch and soft, pillowy potato inside. My one complaint would be that they were a little under-seasoned, I didn't see any salt shakers around (although in the pub's defence, I didn't ask). They were good, a pot of sauce or aioli would've made them great.

The salad was another mixed bag the lettuce, cucumber, onion & tomato were all spot on, but I question the decision to add an ingredient we could best identify as fennel - it added an odd sweetness to the salad that I think detracted what was overall a well made and tasty side (although that's my opinion, some of the other reviewers at the table enjoyed it... we are an indecisive bunch).

For $20? Bargain. for $20 on Tuesday's with a free pint of Two Birds? Massive bargain, and would definitely be the day I'd go should I find myself in Abbotsford again. I would definitely go back to the Caro, it ticks a lot of boxes that I like to see in pubs that I frequent, The parma wasn't perfect (a slice of ham would be lovely) but it was a damn good, quality attempt, and definitely one you should be checking out should you get the chance.

And with that we close out ParmaDaze for 2014! Like I said at the start I'm saving the goodbyes for the trophy presentation post that will be up at some point in the next week or so (we're thinking about shifting it from our regular Thursday night so we can have a few celebratory bevvies afterward and not worry about work in the morning). But you'll hear from us soon enough...

[pros]

• Pure chicken breast schnitzel
• Plenty of tasty, well cooked chips
• Unique, fresh napoli (although may be considered a "con" for some diners)
• A backstreets gem, My favourite kind of pub

[/pros][cons]

• No ham
• Was personally not a fan of the fennel in the salad

[/cons]

Parma - 7.47

Chips - 7.17

Salad - 5.59

Value - 6.96

Total - 6.93

the search continues...

Attempt #207 - 'The Courthouse Hotel'

[info]When? - 27th of November, 2014

Where? 615 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

Price? - $15.50

Website? - http://www.courthousebrunswick.com.au/

Reviewers – Fridge, Kylie, Lee & Nikki, Shanan, Stefo [/info]

I had a long intro planned about how The Courthouse Hotel was the last pub on Sydney Road that we have yet to try. Just looking at our map you can pretty much spot Sydney Road from space, like the great wall of China

But then, on the trip up the street that there were at least two parmas (on top of the Courthouse) that we have yet to try - The First & Last hotel and The Moreland Hotel, So it will actually be a bit longer before we can officially say we have "clocked" Sydney Road.

In the trendy hustle & bustle of Brunswick it's easy to miss The Courthouse Hotel, it's an unassuming facade (which can look a little rough and uninviting, to be honest) but once you're inside it has a little bit of character - Not a whole lot, as it is most definitely a pokies and TAB venue, but try as they might a little bit of charm does squeak through.

Beer list is barebones. Draught, VB ... Really nothing more impressive than what you'd get at a game of footy, but enough to get you through a meal at least. If you push past the pokies, the TAB and through the Bistro you'll find a quaint little beer garden tucked out the back - this is where a lot of the aforementioned charm shines through. It's nothing major but definitely a comfy little spot to enjoy a quiet bevvie in the sun.

When the group arrived at 7 the bistro was a ghost town, another two people did come in for a meal while we ate but other than that it was dead. We checked the menu and spied our target on the $15.50 fixed price menu -

We placed our orders at the bar and headed back to our seats. about 20 minutes later the food started to arrive from the kitchen...

To be honest I wasn't expecting a whole lot from the Courthouse, so when the parma was actually made of real chicken I was impressed. It was a little small and not really that thick, but it was conservatively crumbed, well cooked and quite juicy.

The toppings were serviceable - nothing really standout but they all did their job. I haven't really any special comments as they lay firmly in the middle! The cheese was okay, the napoli was okay, the ham was okay. I know that makes for a boring read but I honestly have no praise or critisisms. It was all just ... neutral.

And the chips? They were, wait for it... Okay (the last time I'll use that word, I promise)

Standard pub chips, well cooked and a decent amount, However they were unseasoned (other than a partially unwanted seasoning which I'll get to in a moment) We were provided tomato sauce on request, which wasn't an issue for them.

The salad was actually pretty good (better than okay!) it was fresh, crisp and not tight on the ingredients. It was a standard garden salad with plenty of balsamic dressing. Unfortunately there was a lot of balsamic. Remember that unwanted seasoning I mentioned with the chips? Balsamic. Basically the bottom layer of the chips, the parma, and the salas was soaked in a pool of balsamic dressing. Now I like balsamic, I like a lot of balsamic in my salad - but my chips and parma soaking in it when it arrived at the table kind've marred the experience.

For $15.50? I'm pretty happy with the meal. If I can get away with a meal and a beer for under $20 I'm a happy camper. Its not the best parma I've ever had by a long shot, but if I were locked inside the Courthouse Hotel I wouldn't be against having another parma. If you go down on a Monday night there is a special...

Which is an even better deal (especially with the free pot!).

If the courthouse hotel was the only pub in a country town I would recommend giving it a go - However being on Sydney Road there are so many better options that I'm having trouble giving it the full seal of approval. Like I said, If I were locked in the Courthouse Hotel and had no option but to eat there and not go somewhere else, then I wouldn't be too upset about having to eat the parma again. It's middle of the road, not terrible, actually much better than I was expecting, but still not amazing. Worth a crack on a Monday night

[pros]

• Decent meal for the price, would be better on Monday
• Tasty salad

[/pros][cons]

• Salad dressing invaded all the other elements

[/cons]

Parma - 5.50

Chips - 5.50

Salad - 5.25

Value - 6.50

Total - 5.65

The search continues...

Attempt #206 - 'The Pancake Parlour'

This isn't a picture of the Pancake Parlour we visited, but I'll be damned if I can find a pic of the one we went to online

When? - 20th of November, 2014

Where? All over the place, but we went the one at Highpoint Shopping Centre in Maribyrnong

Price? - $27.90

Website? - http://www.pancakeparlour.com/

Reviewers – Lee & Nikki

You all know the Pancake Parlour, right? I don't need to explain about the ambiance of the restaurant? (and they're all the same, Monkeys and nude ladies flipping pancakes on the walls, and somewhere around there'll be a giant chess set). Well a couple months ago I noticed a tweet that the parma at the Pancake Parlour, which for a long time had been relegated to the dreaded "specials board", had been upgraded to prime, permanent menu status...

I checked the menu on the website and found the description...

A parma served on a pancake? That intrigued me, It never occurred to me that such a thing might work, but at the same time the combination of chicken and waffles is damn delicious, how far off could a parma-on-a-pancake be?

We arrived at the Pancake Parlour last night and took our seat in the booth, I picked up the menu to confirm the parma was there and noticed something I hadn't before... no mention of chips on the menu. It was already pricey at $27.90 ... surely there'd have to be chips. Then I saw this to the side...

 Ugh, No chips.

I wasn't paying over $30 for a parma with chips. Not happening, so we ordered the parma as it is on the menu, no extras.

To Pancake Parlour's credit the service was fantastic, we ordered our meals at about 7 o'clock at they were on the table before 7:10. Although why they still use that archaic "receipt on your table that gets updated by hand as you order new stuff" system baffles me.

Anyways, on to the parma

There was steam still rising off the parma as it hit the table, without the cheese on top it was just a sea of red with a big white hole on the plate where the chips should be - but we'll get to the toppings & sides in a moment.

To be completely honest - The schnitzel itself was pretty damn good. It was a little small for the price ("for the price" is three words you are going to be hearing a whole lot in this review, prepare yourself) but it was pure white chicken breast. Very lightly dusted with crumbs, piping hot and juicy as all hell. It had decent thickness without going overboard - To be honest, other than the size I don't think I have any criticisms for the schnitz. Quite tasty.

As I'm sure you can see from the photos The Pancake Parlour has opted for the unconventional practice of layering the sauce on top of the cheese, or "SHCN" as we call it, although with the pancake at the bottom it has evolved to "PSHCN" - a completely new beast. We've come across the "napoli on top" thing a fewtimes before but never with a whole lot of success - The cheese never seems to get a fair shake when drowned underneath all that nap. Saying all that - this was probably the best SHCN we've had - It's still not my preferred topping layering order, but I wasn't too upset about it. The napoli did kind've overwhelm all of the other toppings, but it was fresh and tasty none the less.

Now for the pancake. I was not sure what I was going to think about the pancake, but to be honest I didn't mind it - I'm not going to be bringing a zip-lock bag full of flapjacks to future parma attempts or anything, but it didn't really detract from the experience at all. Flavour-wise it was virtually undetectable, the only thing it contributed was a slightly different texture on the occasional bite. Take it or leave it, I wouldn't be bothered either way

Despite a massive, gaping white hole on the plate there were no chips served with this parma. As I mentioned before there is the option to order a side of cottage fries for an extra $5.90, but I wasn't shelling out that when I'd already coughed up $27.90 for the parma. We've only come across the "no chips" thing once before, back when we did the Shaw Davey Slum, and the precedent was set in that review (and as voted by the readers) that any pub that serves a parma without chips included gets a zero in the score category for the chips. So thats what PP is getting, zero for chips

The salad was suffering from an issue we've encountered before, something I am officially dubbing "Palmerston Syndrome" as we first discovered it at The Palmerston Hotel. The salad was good, in theory, plenty of lettuce, celery, capsicum and radishes, it was crisp, albeit a little underdressed, but the major problem was that everything was diced into tiny little chunks that just made it a chore to eat. If I have to use my fork as a spoon to eat my salad its no longer a salad - It's bruschetta topping.

The value on this parma is in the toilet. Theres no sugar coating it, it's just far too expensive for what you get. If it came with a side of fries included in the price then maybe I could deal with it, but when the parma was quite small, the salad was so/so and there were no chips on the plate unless I shelled out another $5.90 It's not nowhere near worth the cost. It was a quiet night last night so there was just myself and Reviewer Nikki at the review - I had a pint of coke and Nikki drank water, we got two parmas and nothing else yet our final bill came out to well over $60. I'm no tightass but for what we received that is ridiculous. This isn't The Fat Duck, its The Pancake Parlour.

I went into the Pancake Parlour with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the parma. If money is no object and you don't have an issue shelling out $33.80 for a chicken parma with chips then by all means give it a crack - the parma-on-a-pancake thing is worth experiencing at least once, However unless they either drop the price drastically or chuck on a side of cottage fries I doubt I'll be heading back to the Pancake Parlour for a parma.

Pros

• Fantastic quality schintzel

Cons

• No chips
• Far too expensive for what you get
• Salad diced into inconvenient chunks

Parma - 6.75

Chips - 0

Salad - 3.50

Value - 3

Total - 4.00

The search continues...

Attempt #205 - 'Hotel Spencer'

[info]When? - 13th of November, 2014

Where? Hotel Spencer, 475a Spencer St. West Melbourne

Price? - $16

Website? - http://www.hotelspencer.com.au/

Reviewers – Fridge, Lee, Nikki, Stefo [/info]

Early this week we were planning on hitting up the Pancake Parlour to try the "parma on a pancake" thing that has appeared on their menu. I've got mixed feelings about this, but more on that next week. I was hanging out on the /r/melbourne subreddit of Reddit when the topic of parmas came up and a few suggestions came in - to be honest I'm a bit scared about what the Pancake Parlour is going to serve, so when user Zozozozozoz offered up the recommendation of the Hotel Spencer I jumped at the opportunity to postpone our trip to the Parlour for a week!

I didn't really know much about the Spencer, I think I might had a few drunken pints there after a gig at nearby Festival Hall, but that was ages ago and the pub has undergone a massive transformation since then, re-opening less than a year ago with a brand new look.

Arriving shortly before 7 we managed to just squeeze in on Happy Hour, offering $5 pints of cider, beer and some other drink specials - a great way to start off the night.

The pub was practically empty, Which I was shocked at due to its location and drink prices - We took a seat in the front bar, checked out the menu ...

And placed our orders. As far as beers go the Spencer seems to be putting some support behind craft beers, offering up a tasting paddle for those so inclined. After my $5 pint of Spencer Draught I moved onto the Two Birds Sunset Ale - a delicious drop.

While we waited I wandered around the pub, which is still a functioning backpackers. The dining room was impressive but I can't help but feel like this pub is screaming for a beer garden. I know there isn't much they can do, if they don't have the space they don't have the space. There were a couple of tables & chairs out the front that would make for great people watching - however I feel like they aren't utilising the space to its full potential. Get some umbrellas and solid wood furniture out on the street and you're looking at a fantastic spot for some Sunday sippers.

Our parmas came out relatively quickly, probably due to how quiet the pub was...

When I first saw the schnitzel I thought to myself "crap, this is gonna be processed" - Imagine my surprise when I cut into a juicy, white, real chicken breast! It was a little small but it served its purpose well, wasn't overcooked or overcrumbed... Not blowing my socks off, but a solid way to start the meal.

The toppings were a mixed bag - The mozarella was tasty, but could've used a few more minutes under the grill. The ham was appreciated and added some flavour, however there was virtually no napoli underneath it. It was a tasty parma but I would have killed for a bit more tomato, even resorting to dipping me parma into the supplied sauce pot a couple of times.

The chips were a delight. Hand cut the way hand cut chips are supposed to be, they reminded me of my dad frying up sliced spuds on the barbie when I was a kid. Well seasoned with a sauce pot on all the plates without needing to be requested - definitely the down-to-earth highlight of the meal.

Everyone said the same thing about the salad - We just wanted more. It was fresh, crisp and coated in a deliciously sweet dressing that reminded me of balsamic with notes of honey. However this delicious dressing was served on a couple of lettuce leaves. Nothing more. I know the old saying is "alway leave your audience wanting more" but this was ridiculous.

At $16 I'm putting this one into the "value parma" category - sure it wasn't great, but its price is low enough to forgive some sins. I heard on the grapevine that the Spencer offers a $12 parma Monday - However I can't find any information on the internet to confirm this, If so that's a damn good deal.

We finished off the meal in an unusual way by indulging in a dessert - the chocolate fondant just sounded too delicious to pass up -

I want to call the Hotel Spencer a "hidden gem", but its hardly hidden - it's on friggin' Spencer Street! But it should be busier for a Thursday night. The beers were delicious, the atmosphere was great, the staff were fantastic (attentive and friendly!) and the parma ... its not going to win any awards, it has its issues but overall its pretty good - for the price its definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

[pros]

• Great value
• delicious home-style chips

[/pros][cons]

• Parma was a little small
• Needed more napoli

[/cons]

Parma - 6.75

Chips - 7.25

Salad - 4.75

Value - 7.25

Total - 6.55

The search continues...

Attempt #204 - 'The Golden Gate Hotel'

[info]When? - 6th of November, 2014

Where? The Golden Gate Hotel, 238 Clarendon St. South Melbourne

Price? - $24

Website? - http://goldengatehotel.com.au/

Reviewers – Emma, Lee, Matt, Nikki & Tony  [/info]

The Open Door Pub Co. is a name not many people will have heard of, yet if you read Parma Daze at any sort of regular interval then the names of the pubs in their harem will definitely sound familiar. Some of the best parmas we have had have come out of the ODPC, The Imperial, The Exchange, The Duke, The College Lawn & The Portland Hotel to name just a few - They have a fantastic pedigree when it comes to the parma and the top end of our ladder is littered with examples of that - so when I'm really craving a good bird on any given week, a quick look at the ODPC's stable is usually all I need.

Unfortunately there are a finite amount of pubs owned by the group, and not all of them serve a parma - Of the ODPC's flock of 18 pubs we only have a handful left to try - So I try to ration them out, as once we've done them all there's nowhere else to go ... But this week, coming fresh of a fun long weekend and really hating having to go back to work, I bit the bullet and queued up one of the remaining ODPC pubs - The Golden Gate Hotel.

I think I say this in every 3rd review on this site, but the Golden Gate is one of those pubs that I never really noticed before. There's a stationary store across the road that I got wedding invitations from a couple of years ago which I was at seemingly every weekend for a couple of months, yet stopping into the Golden Gate for a bevvie never seemed to enter my mind (and trust me, when planning a wedding many beers are needed).

The place is very nicely fit out, skilfully renovated with a clean, modern feel while still remaining cosy (it was far to hot to have it running, but there was a lovely looking fireplace in the dining area). I counted twelve taps running different beers, nothing too fancy (Boags, the James Squires, Little creatures, Heineken, Asahii - you know the drill), but easy enough to find something to wet your whistle.

After a refreshing pint in the front bar waiting for the group to arrive we retreated to the near-empty dining room, there were a couple of tables of couples whose hats clearly revealed they had come from the spring carnival, but overall the table booking seemed unnecessary as there were plenty of empty seats.

We got our menus and spied the target -

I've scoured the internet for mention of any sort of parma night at the Golden Gate and have come up empty handed, They do, however offer a $10 steak all day-every day and a "any drink $5" Happy Hour from 4 - 6pm every day.

We placed our orders and waited for the parmas to arrive - which they did, about 25 minutes afterward ...

The schnitzel? Fantastic. Almost impossible to fault. It was massive, the crumbs were crispy and carried an amazing crunch and the chicken breast was pure white - one of the whitest chicken breasts I think I've ever seen. It was thick, unbelievably juicy and steaming hot when served - and remained that way the entire meal.

I will note that when we were waiting in the front bar I saw a couple of parmas come out of the kitchen and they were served with the chips and salad in separate bowls alongside the parma - which was not the case with what we received, I'm not sure if it was because we were in the dining room or they simply ran out of big plates, but it's worth a mention.

The toppings were another triumph, other than some slight nudity around the edges I really have nothing to criticise. The saltiness of the prosciutto worked beautifully with the unique flavour of the cheddar (a cheese we don't often come across on a parma, which worked beautifully). The napoli was plentiful, fresh and chunky.

I'm racking my brain to find something I didn't like about this parma but I'm honestly having trouble coming up with anything - I guess if you aren't a fan of prosciutto it might not be for you, as that is somewhat of an acquired taste - But definitely give it a go if you're on the fence.

The chips received mixed reviews - depending on your stance on shoestring fries or "Maccas chips", as we call them, your opinion may also differ - but I've never been a fan. They were well seasoned and dusted with herbs. The menu touts that they are served "skin-on", I'm not sure why this is promoted as a feature as I can't really see anything the skins add to the dish, other than saving some prep-time peeling potatoes in the kitchen I can't really see the advantage. I wasn't a huge fan, if you hadn't guessed, but other reviewers around the table seemed to enjoy them, so I guess it falls to personal opinion. They do, however, get points for serving the parma with an individual sauce pot, completely unrequested.

The salad was a let down, plain and simple. A massive pile of watercress and onion, drizzled in some oil. It tasted like grass and just felt like an afterthought lumped on the plate, a definite low point to an outstanding parma.

This parma chimes in at $24, which seemed reasonable for the dish I received. I'd have no qualms with coming back to the Golden Gate for another parma and can easily recommend you also give it a go.

Well it looks like the Open Door Pub Co. have done it again. Not their best effort, but definitely a great crack - the prosciutto and cheddar was a unique combination that worked stunningly well. If we just rated the parma itself this would be playing in the big leagues, unfortunately it was betrayed by some so/so chips and lackluster salad - But don't let the sides hinder your enjoyment of an otherwise stellar bird.

[pros]

• Amazing quality schnitzel
• Prosciutto and cheddar combo worked wonders

[/pros][cons]

• Maccas chips
• Bland, afterthought salad

[/cons]

Parma - 8.86

Chips - 6.90

Salad - 4.80

Value - 7.68

Total - 7.42

The search continues...

Attempt #203 - 'The Taylors Lakes Hotel'

[info]When? - 30th of October, 2014

Where? The Taylors Lakes Hotel, 7 Melton Highway Taylors Lakes

Price? - All over the shop depending where you sit, we went the $16 parma n pot in the Sports Bar

Website? - http://www.taylorslakeshotel.com.au/

Reviewers – Lee & Nikki  [/info]

Back when I had just turned 18 The Taylors Lakes Hotel became our go-to for grand final day. I'm not sure why, as it was kind've out of the way, but one year we watched the game there and it kind've became a tradition. For the next 4 years at least it wasn't even discussed where we should go, it was just always assumed we were going to the Taylors, and it was always a fantastic day.

Then something happened and we kind've just stopped. Not sure why, but for some reason or another Grand Final Day at the Taylors just stopped being a thing, and I kind've forgot about it until recently, when I started hearing whispers that they were doing some decent parma deals. Nostalgia kicked in, I thought about all the great times we had at that pub and said "what the hell", lets see what the old girl has got to offer.

Now the Taylors Lakes Hotel is a big complex. With a bistro, cafe, pokies bar, drive through bottle shop, hotel, sports bar and TAB it can be a little confusing. There is a parma available in the bistro - but for this review we stayed exclusively in the sports bar, and although they may be similar this review won't reflect whats available in the bistro.

Walking into the sports bar was like hopping into a time machine. It had been a good eight years since I had set foot into the sports bar at the Taylors, but it was as if nothing had changed. Pool tables to the right along with totally rigged claw machine, TAB to the left and bar straight ahead - The big screen TV that had seemed so massive all those years ago seems a little smaller in comparison with modern technology, but its still a great spot. We grabbed a table and settled in, feeling like I was home again.

Now I mentioned the different parma in the Bistro, but there's also an option in the menu - When I ordered my parma I was asked if I wanted the "Parma and pot deal" or not, I double checked the menu and aside from the $18.50 parma on the menu they have this deal running all the time -

Sounded good to me, so we placed our orders, picked up our free pots and boomerang (that thing that buzzes and beeps when your food is ready to be picked up) and waited for our dinner to be ready

For those that are into their racing legendary race caller Ted Ryan was in house at the Taylors the night we were there, raffling off free beers and giving tips for Melbourne Cup next week. Very entertaining, and created a great, fun atmosphere in the bar.

Before our parmas arrived we started off the night with a pregame of bruschetta pizza ($7.50)

It was quite tasty, I'm not normally big on bruschetta (raw tomato doesn't really do it for me) but I must say this was quite good. An enjoyable way to start off the meal.

Just as we polished off the pizzas our boomerang buzzed a second time - The parmas were ready...

Going into this meal I had pretty low expectations. For $16 with a pot I was expecting a processed, heart shaped piece of cardboard that was more crumbs than fake chicken.

Imagine my surprise when I cut the schnitz to reveal real chicken! not overcrumbed at all, thick and actually quite juicy. It wasn't the best quality chicken but for the price I wasn't complaining, and I was just happy to have real chicken and not an oversized mcnugget.

The toppings weren't great, but not terrible either. The mozzarella cheese was a bit rubbery and the ham didn't carry a lot of flavour (although it was a massive slice, doubled over on the chicken) The napoli was where it kind've fell over though - As I'm pretty sure they just spooned straight tomato paste onto this parma. It was so thick and heavy that it just overpowered the whole dish.

The chips were fantastic. Beer battered and well cooked, with quite a sizeable serving. They weren't seasoned off the bat, but there was a sauce/condiment bar right beside where I picked up the food with every sauce you could imagine along with salt & pepper shakers. A damn enjoyable side that complimented the parma quite well.

When I ordered the parmas I was asked if I wanted it with chips & veggies or chips and mash... I inquired "what about a salad?" at which point I was directed at a salad bar across the room. I put the order through with chips and veggies, not something we often get.

The veggies were okay, A little over-steamed and everything tasted as if it had been boiled in butter - but butter is delicious, and if you aren't worried about heart failure they were actually quite tasty.

The salad bar was pretty simple - a big pot of garden salad that was replenished a few times while we were sitting. Everything was fresh, I didn't see any salad dressing in the sauce bar though (although I may have missed it) so it was a little dry.  The star of the night, though, was next to the salad pot - a big warming basket of bake at home rolls. I'm a sucker for a bake at home roll, so a bottomless basket of them? Winning.

Now I'm sure the Taylors Lakes Hotel doesn't want you abusing their kindness and stacking your plate with bake at home rolls, but its nice to know the option is available - and the bloke who hit the salad bar before me stacked his plate up with at least nine of the things.

For $16 with a pot, salad bar and bottomless bake at home rolls? Thats a pretty good deal. Its not a top-of-the-line parma but if you aren't expecting perfection this is a damn good feed at a reasonable price.

I had a great time at the Taylors Lakes Hotel last night. I went in with low expectations and they were more than surpassed. The pub has a fun vibe, the entree was solid and for the price I'm not complaining too much about the parma - Sure it wasn't perfect, the weakest part of the dish probably was the parma itself - but the supporting cast rallied and made this one to check out. I wouldn't go out of my way to try it, but if you find yourself in the area and feel like a cheap feed and a couple of pints its worth checking out.

I might even be back next grand final day.

[pros]

• Salad bar with bake at home rolls
• Only $16 with a pot
• Real chicken for a value parma

[/pros][cons]

• Tomato paste does not equal napoli
• flavourless/packaged toppings.

[/cons]

Parma - 5.75

Chips - 6.80

Salad - 6.00

Value - 8.75

Total - 6.61

The search continues...