Launceston Restaurants

[drron]

Friday and back to Geronimo which I am happy to recommend.It's menu is also set up with snacks,small and large plates which they do call sharing plates.We began with a smaal plate and a snack plate.

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Scallops,parsnip puree,confit parsnip and pancetta-delightful.Wood fired lamb ribs and mint jelly which are great.
Then a large plate.

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Chicken roulade,mushroom and marscapone duxelle,pomme duchesse,cauliflower puree and roasted cauliflower.Really nice.
We decided to cut back a dish so we could try their desserts.

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Blood orange cake with brown sugar ice cream-decadent.Bruleed white chocolate with cardamon and rhubarb ice cream-very tasty.But both large desserts.
Washed down with another Tassie Sav Blanc this time the offering from Gala Estate.

 

[drron]

Saturday and the 40 minute drive back to Beauty Point but to the Riviera Hotel run by a woman and her 2 daughters.An awesome team.It is a hotel and the restaurant works like most hotels-line up,order and pay for your food then wait.The time waiting was quite short.We washed down our seafood with a Wineglass Bay Sav Blanc.

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We began with a dozen oysters kilpatrick but ended up with 14.Succulent oysters.

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Then the seafood platter for 2.

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Two large pieces of flathead beautifully cooked.An underrated fish.4 scallops each,salt and pepper calamari,garlic prawns and smoked salmon with chips and salad.All done exactly right.Certainly filled us.
The recommended restaurant in Beauty Point.
And the view from my window.

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The hotel.

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[drron]

Sunday and we decided to eat at the Clarendon Arms in Evandale.Now it is very busy for Sunday lunch as the Evandale markets are held every Sunday.Seeing Christmas was only 2 days away we booked.Put at an inside table for 2 with 2 large family tables.Boy were they noisy.One table had no spatial awareness and kept bumping into mrsdrron's chair so we eventually asked to be moved outside.That is definitely the place to be if it is fine.
We washed our food down with a nice Piper's Brook pinot gris.

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Mrsdrron had one of the specials-Christmas quail which was very nice.

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I though made a mistake.Another special was a Tasmanian scallop pie.As our previous meals had all been good I mistakenly assumed this would be good.This is what was served.

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Firstly it is not a pie.OK to serve a pie in a ramekin if a pastry top.not some bread crumbled on top.Secondly the filling was the worst I have tasted.Way too much curry powder and the consistency of glue.So do come here but never order the scallop pie.
The fat chips were nice.

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We moved outside for desserts.Mrsdrron had a cold citrus souffle.Neither a souffle or citrus but OK.

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Whilst I had a gin and tonic lemon tart.

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A nice citrus tart but no hint of gin or tonic.
However this is a nice place to have lunchoutside on a nice day.If coming on a Sunday then book but specify an outside table.

 

[drron]

Christmas eve and off to the casino and their second restaurant-Links.Has a buffet plus limited a La Carte menu.Now I rang to book this night and also next Saturday at their best restaurant-Terrace.But was told you didn't have to book for this restaurant.Turns out you do and it was full but as we turned up early we could be fitted in.In fact I had to wait 10 minutes for the buffet started.The food was out but no lining up until it was 6pm.Staff well trained at the Federal Hotels School of Charm.
So the hot selections.First the roasts-beef and turkey and second BBQ chicken wings.

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All the meats were moist and quite nice.From the roasts I had the turkey.The woman next in line asked for a slice of ham whilst my turkey was being sliced.Sorry we have beef and turkey tonight.But I want ham.By then I was putting the cranberry sauce on my turkey and the woman said What's that.Cranberry sauce.What a stupid thing to put on turkey.The staff member was looking at me with a-I hope she's not with you look.

Next beef parmigiana.the least interesting of the selections.And white fish in Thai green curry.

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No spice in the fish dish but fish perfectly cooked and a nice flavour to the sauce.
And Harissa chicken drumsticks.Again no spice but lovely taste.

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Before I had got to the buffet mrsdrron had her chicken salad from the menu.Large and very nice.

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[drron]

And a large choice for desserts.

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Plus there was Christmas pudding.
Cost $33 so I reckon pretty good value for Tasmania if you enjoy buffets.

 

[drron]

Boxing day and not many places open.The Star of Siam was open so we walked there.They had a public holiday menu-much shorter than the regular menu but the prices included the surcharge which was reasonable.
We had a bottle of Ninth Island pinot grigio.

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And shared a pad Thai with chicken,beef in oyster sauce and a coconut rice.Good tastes,speedy service and reasonable value.

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We like this place so haven't tried any other Thai place.

 

[drron]

Thursday and we decided to try a new Japanese restaurant a short block from the hospital-Kosaten.It is a Hobart restaurant and recently opened this branch in Lonnie.A sushi place where dishes and drinks are delivered by train.First up was the wine.A Ghost Rock sav Blanc.A nice wine.

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The first dishes delivered.

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Salmon sashimi and tuna sushi.

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The salmon-as it should be in Tassie was excellent.
Then one of our favourite Japanese dishes not found too often-miso marinated eggplant.Plus edamame.

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The eggplant was excellent.
Then another 2 favourites.Chicken Karaage and tempura soft shell crab.

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Again very nice.
To be continued.

 

[drron]

Kosaten continued.
The final plate that night was miso marinated lamb cutlets.A new one on us.However I forgot the picture.

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Though mrsdrron hadn't finished her cutlet.

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For the observant you might notice a BA F amenities bag.
Everything is ordered on an Ipad so this is what that dish should look like.

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A couple of days later I had a really busy day but had 30 minutes to spare just after 1415 so went back and they were still serving lunch.Not busy at that time.

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And here comes my first dish.

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So kingfish sashimi with chilli and lime plus tempura oysters.

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Both delightful.
So really recommended if you like Japanese food.Book for dinner unless you go early.

 

[drron]

Friday and we try another restaurant that gets good reviews-Brisbane Street Bistro.When we originally looked at their menu we decided against it as many spicy dishes.but the menu changed and enough for mrsdrron to get a choice.An amusee bouche was a pomegranate and pickled carrot salad.Unusual.

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Mrsdrron had as an entree the scallops and caramelised pumpkin whilst I had the octopus salad.

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Both dishes were good and the octopus was streets better than the Stillwater dish.
For mains I had the fish-pink snapper.Mrsdrron had the confit duck leg on a cauliflower puree.

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Again both very good dishes.My fish looked overdone but the skin was crispy and lovely whilst the flesh was moist and perfectly cooked.
Washed down with the third Moorilla Sav blanc we have tried.this was the best.

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So another recommended restaurant.

 

[OATEK]

We all appreciate you putting in the hard yards drron

 

[drron]

When I am by myself I cook my own food most of the time.But when mrsdrron joins me it is time to eat out.Hopefully this becomes at least a guide.Any other contributions welcomed.
But now to Saturday and my birthday.We went to the Casino again but to their "fine dining"restaurant-Terrace.
We both started with scallops in the shell with Paris butter and salmon roe.

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Could have been good but overcooked.
Mrsdrron then went with oysters with prosciutto worcestershire sauce.A bit pretentious.

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Even more overcooked.Though long waits for dishes so possibly left under lights for a prolonged time.
I went with the quail-only slightly overdone.

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I then had a main-pork belly with a roll of mashed potato.Sadly once again overdone.

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Mrsdrron went for a third starter-Spring bay mussels with onions in an emulsion sauce and pastry.The first dish not overcooked.In fact served a little less than luke warm.

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At least the fries were cooked properly.

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The best parts-a bottle of Ghost Rock pinot grigio and watching the birds on the terrace.

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Definitely not recommended.

 

[Mr_Gimlet]

@drron, is Launceston an expensive place for eating out in geenral? Navaro's seems quite expensive even by Melbourne standards.

 

[drron]

Tasmania is expensive.Though with our meals made more so by having a bottle of wine.
I really don't think that any more expensive than Sydney or Brisbane.don't often eat in Melbourne.

 

[drron]

Mrsdrron's last night and we went to Cataract on Paterson.Really jumping on the weekend and you need to book.Started with our Tassie sav blanc.

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I had a really nice view from my seat.
The toilet or a store room.

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Mrsdrron started with scallops on cauliflower foam.

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Whils I had the salt and pepper squid.

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Mrsdrron then had the slow cooked ribs.Really good.

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Whilst I had the crumbed scallops.

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Really good comfort food and is recommended.

 

[drron]

So I am working in Latrobe but on the friday mrsdrron was with me we spent the night in Launceston so we could go back to Novarros.It was just as good as before.We had a bottle of White Rock Pinot Gris with our meal-this was very good.
So mrsdrron had the scallop special again-she calls it heaven on a plate.For mains she had the Blue Trevalla.

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I started with another special-sqid ravioli.For mains I had a main size duck tortellini.Both beautiful.

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The only sad note was that Brett who works the front of house is leaving and going back to be a VA FA.He will be missed.

 

[drron]

To complete our 24 hours away we had lunch at Kosarten.Good Japanese.Started with salmon sashimi and edamame.

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Then one of our favourites-miso glazed eggplant.

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And another favourite-tempura oysters.

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Finally deep fried soft shell crab and waygu tataki.

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Another thing I like about tassie even at cafes or cheaper restaurants you can usually get a glass of reasonable wine.Mrsdrron had a glass of sav blanc whilst I had a glass of Storm bay pinot noir.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

We have recently sold our famous ‘Tassie Wash’ in Wellington St, Launceston and will be heading there for a last hurrah on May 31. They day we bought this site in 1993 saw us eating and drinking late into the evening at the Jailhouse Grill so what better place for the last hurrah than to visit again.

Now as much as I hate paying for wine when I cannot BYO I think I can stomach these prices:

 

[JackMiles]

We have recently sold our famous ‘Tassie Wash’ in Wellington St, Launceston and will be heading there for a last hurrah on May 31. They day we bought this site in 1993 saw us eating and drinking late into the evening at the Jailhouse Grill so what better place for the last hurrah than to visit again.

Now as much as I hate paying for wine when I cannot BYO I think I can stomach these prices:

View attachment 161139

Hi Cruiser,
May I ask if you went to Jailhouse, and if those prices are/were current on your visit? I've just looked at the wine list from the website, which looks to be the same one you lifted that excerpt from, and it is dated Nov 2016. There are some *exceptional* prices on it! But wondering if they have update the actual in-restaurant list...

 

[drron]

@JackMiles a little late but here is the current Jailhouse grill premium red wine list.Pricesup a lot.
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But to my review.No reds for me I had one of the Boag's stable of beers as you do when in Launceston.
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I wanted to try a few of their dishes so I had 3 entrees.First the pickled octopus.A bit chewy but OK.
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Then a scallop and bacon skewer.The scallops were good but don't need the bacon.
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Then their little serve of pork ribs.They were really nice.
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Will go back when mrsdrron comes down.

 

[drron]

Another restaurant I tried was Alida.it is owned by the Joseph Chromy group and named after his late wife.The restaurant with my glass of red.
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The red is Winstead winery's 2017 Lot 16 pinot noir.I really liked it so had a second.

Winstead Vineyard, Tasmania

I did spoil another guests night.A little after this that larger table close to mine was occupied by my registrar,his family and inlaws.Oh well.
I started with the scallops in the shell with chorizo and garlic butter.i liked them.
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For mains I had the small eye fillet.You can get most in 200,300 and 400Gm serves.
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It was really good and cooked to my liking,medium rare.I also had sides of garlic potatoes -divine- and honey roasted carrots.
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It is a very good restaurant in a funny location - the Penny Royal tourist developement.
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However I did a bit of research and the Penny Royal is a Joseph Chromy developement.

Our Namesake - Alida Chromy

Alida Chromy was the wife of Josef Chromy and his life long business partner. She helped him start and run his businesses and was a founding director at

alidarestaurant.com.au

Josef Chromy — The JAC Group

Will definitely be going back.