DINING THE GLENELG PUBLIC HOUSE 2454-2460 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach 4218 07 5575 2284 shoestring fries as they are known here, scattered with Parmesan cheese. To ramp things up, order a side of the smoky hot tomato sauce to lift the fries straight to indulgent food nirvana. Thankfully, all the sides are vegetarian – most of which are so tasty and generous they constitute meals in combination. Seriously, the honey baked pumpkin wedges with pistachios are so sweet and buttery they cover savoury and dessert terrain at once. The sharp and responsive service adds to the enjoyment of choosing one of the five steaks. They’re all smiles and button ups, while the guys’ beards are benchmarks for the lumberjack look. But brains over beauty is important here. Tom, the bar manager, describes which part of the cow cuts like the Black Onyx petite tender and Rangers Valley chuck tail are from. The funny sounding Brunette Downs oyster blade is, for instance, “the meat connected to the shoulder blade,” Tom says, making a chart of himself. “It’s succulent without too much marbling.” The decision to go with the petite tender pays off. Popular among blood lusty beefeaters, it’s served on a stark white ceramic plate with a sunny cheek of lemon and pot of chosen sauce. About the size of a hand and three centimetres thick, it’s certainly work to finish. But its lean, peppery savour, rich with sauce and spliced with citrus, hooks you the whole way through. I’ve not known a gnocchi with as much liability as the one at the Glenelg Public House. The entire (scarce) vegetarian crowd depends on it. But this artful tumble of cubed pumpkin and gnocchi pulls through with buttered pillows of smooth potato and truffled pecorino. The sunflower seeds also add texture and tie in the dish’s ‘from the farm’ vibe. The wine list offers a lot of room to grab the cork and frolic around with. Apart from the obvious varietals, it follows a modest but worldly motif, with some smart sauvignon blanc blends and perfumed tempranillos peppered throughout. If not just for the exquisite pinot noir glass in which it’s served, order the 2013 Wild Rock ‘Cupids Arrow’ pinot noir from Central Otago, a sustainably grown, softly tannic wine that might battle with the steak but sings with buttered vegetables. And now we reach the part diners in this kind of place seldom remember: the dessert menu, which only covers lemon, cheese and chocolate in three succinct dishes, all reasonably priced. Sure, there’s lemon tart with vanilla bean ice cream and a cheese board that would have Will Stud nodding his head, but the ‘oh my’ moments really come from the hot chocolate chip cookie with chocolate ice cream. A rough, soufflé-like ‘cookie’ served in a miniature cast iron pan, its flavour and presentation resembles Sara Lee baking in a campsite. The velvety contents melt as the spoon falls through the surface, and are suddenly chilled with a kiss of decadent ice cream dusted in chocolate. The Glenelg Public House didn’t join the game to please all parties. In its niche, it appeals to locals looking for a personable service team, a round of diverse beers and a table of honest, hearty food – a place where the button ups are partly undone. Sometimes we can judge a book by its cover. pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 109
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Six
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