Melbourne likes to consider itself the food and fashion capital of Australia. Melbourne food & wine festival, LMFF, yadda yadda yadda. So, it would seem, every once in a while, these two cultural show cards merge, and Melbourne foodies adhere to the current cuisine craze, that becomes what I like to call a “foodie zeitgeist” or “food in fashion”. Whether it be popular culture, social media or television, something ignites a passion for different flavours in people, and suddenly melbournites are rushing to eat tacos and burgers like they are going out of fashion. It’s kind of like when skinny jeans or ugg boots came in, but people are running with their knives and forks instead of their bad taste. If you do not understand my current ranting, I shall explain in more detail…
So it all happened around the time of Masterchef last year, suddenly the Macaron bomb dropped and Zumbo turned Melbourne in to a wannabe Parisian paradise. They were everywhere! Predating this came the red velvet cupcake revolution- the whole “high tea” thing, circa mid 2011. Soon after, came the increasing popularity in the belly of pork, most likely, the contributing factor- yep, Masterchef. Infact, Google reported that these three items where the “most googled foods of 2011″… Interesting. Later on, came the greater popularity in street food, particularly Mexican cuisine. Melbourne’s infatuation with the Taco causing Taco joints to pop up all over the place. And furthermore, more currently, came the fast food revolution, and the latest holy craze to encapsulate Melbournites is…The Burger. I don’t know about you, but it seems everywhere I turn, the next joint is serving Wagyu burgers, or at least some kind of burger situation and pictures of people’s greasy, dripping surprises are popping up more and more in my Facebook newsfeed. It’s funny to think actually, that this fast food favorite is now appearing on the menus of restaurants and bars everywhere. And, to cater for the flourishing hunger of this “street food revolution” comes all these food trucks bringing the almighty stuff to us. On another note, as mentioned in a rant by co-blogger Jack, it seems the current favorite, Cider, is the drink of choice to serve with all these fast food favourites. But, I’ll leave those remarks to him. Although, let it be known… Rekorderlig is revolting. And is the new “passion pop” of the bottled beverage world. Rant over.
So, the uprising of the current “food fashions” brings me to write my next post. The Ludlow Formation is one of the newest additions to the drinking holes of Riverside Quay. But not so fast, do not let the location of this place scare you, as, I know, there is a trap you fall in to when dining upon Riverside Quay. Let me paint the picture…The bogans and tourists filter off from their mindless stroll around the tacky opulence of the Crown Casino and later move on to pay top dollar for some shit expensive food because you’re seated by our beautiful Yarra river. Not pointing any fingers… Il Primo Posto. Right? This doesn’t seem to be the case when it comes to The Ludlow Formation. I was pleasantly surprised. This place is sufficiently decked out. Seated bar-side, after a couple of drinks, I order some eggplant chips with avocado dip. A usual favourite. Nice big bowl… I’m happy. Saltiness- tick. Texture- tick. Dip- tick. Mind you, once shared, it didn’t really cure my hunger. So once it reaches dinner time… I’m ready to order the proper stuff. Wagyu burgers appear on their menu. Check. Bowl of fries for the table. Check. Burger is good… the thickness of Wagyu pattie is enjoyable and it is smothered in an appropriately thick piece of bacon. It hits the spot. Fries are really good too. Aioli is satisfying. I am happy with this place. It’s filled with a leisurely crowd, not too quiet and not too busy.
So, in discussing this, I support the fact that dining destinations have to adhere to the current cuisine craze, but some place’s should just stick to what they know. And not start serving burgers because that’s what the indies are eating. 2nd rant over.
All in all, not a lot bad to say about this place. It’s good for any occasion.
Adam
3/6 Riverside Quay
Southbank VIC 3006
eyes on the fries 