Bossy Boots

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Bossy Boots.

Drawing on the talent of two top Melbourne chefs Bossy Boots delivers generous hospitality and home cooked gourmet food in a contemporary café setting.

Under the guidance of chefs Ben Forehan and Rachael Browne, Bossy Boots are in capable hands. The pair have worked at notable Melbourne kitchens such as Stokehouse, Circa and Dench Bakers and are classically trained having both studied Vienoisserie at E’cole Le Notre, in Paris.

Bossy Boots has a large local following and is known for its relaxed ambience with chic courtyard and large windows  - the result is an inviting bright space. 

The menu is about fresh, honest food, with a mix of brunch and lunch staples and a nod to Italian fare.

Coffee is from Supreme and served expertly from a La Marzocco espresso machine.

Chicken Stuffed Peppers

The stuffed peppers were a brilliant start to our lunch at Bossy Boots. The peppers were bursting with flavour. The dish was uncomplicated but well executed.

Corn fritters with crispy bacon, avocado salsa, sour cream and chives.

The corn fritters had a crunchy golden brown exterior and were succulently sweet making for a great start to the day.

Carrot and macadamia cake

The carrot cake was a sweet end to our visit. The cake was moreish, moist, perfectly balanced and beautifully textured as a result of the luscious macadamia nuts that had been scattered generously throughout the cake and the citrus element in the icing added interest.

Bossy Boots café also offers some delicious take home food options. We took home a delicious chicken pie which we absolutely loved. The pastry was crisp and flaky – a testament to being worked carefully by masters of pastries Ben and Rachael. Rich and hearty with generous morsels of beautifully slow cooked chicken, it was an excellent pie.

Bossy Boots is an iconic café with its own relaxed style, creating a hub that is unique to Brighton and presents a wonderful counterpoint to the inner city, lane way cafes springing up around Melbourne.

Location: 106 Bay Street,  Brighton 

Phone: 03 9596 6825 

Link: http://www.bossyboots.com.au/ 

Cuisine: Breakfast, Salad, Bakery

Autumn @ Royal Saxon

As Melbourne turns golden and the leaves begin to fall, the Royal Saxon in Melbourne’s inner east is serving up a whole new array of deliciously rustic dishes that fuse simple classic flavours with an elegant modern twist. 

The all new Autumn 2015 provides a fresh, enticing experience that make this local haunt a serious dining contender. The Royal Saxon is a Richmond institution that’s best known for its edgy beer garden and excellent nightlife. But this two storey venue on Church Street in the heart of East Richmond also boasts a seriously delicious menu that rivals some of the best restaurants in Melbourne. 

Whether eating in the beautifully intimate restaurant, the upbeat bar or the leafy courtyard, the entire menu is available across the whole venue until late every single day.

The kitchen is in safe hands, being led by Italian-born Head Chef Simone Righetto and his first class kitchen crew. The warm and inviting selection of meals fuse traditional Italian cuisine with the best of fresh and seasonable Australian produce. 

As expected of any great Italian eatery, Royal Saxon is particularly good at producing quality pasta dishes of exceptional quality. The mushroom and ricotta parpadelle special that we had recently was no exception. The parpadelle was exquisitely al dente and when combined with the earthy mushrooms and rich, truffle infused ricotta, this dish was pure nirvana. Seemingly simple but with a great complexity of flavour, this pasta course undoubtedly belongs on the permanent menu. 

Royal Saxon serves some of the best pizzas in Melbourne. The delicately thin crusts have the perfect balance between crispiness and chewiness and the expertly judged toppings are always impeccable. 

Righetto has bought his hearty Italian feel to the new main dishes and constructs them with an air of delicious purity. From the whole snapper fillet that is baked in paper to seal in the succulent aromas, to the premium O’Conner grass fed steak, grilled to perfection and served with a drizzle of balsamic, each dish is prepared to accentuate and preserve their natural flavours – a skill of artistic simplicity which Righetto and his team have truly mastered. 

The menu now features an extensive range of sides and salads from which diners can select and share from. As summer fades and new, fresh options become available, the sides menu is constructed to take full advantage of this by including a vast array of fresh Autumn produce. From cannellini beans and peas to shitake mushrooms and broccolini, with a menu like this there promises to be a little something to suit all tastes.

Our favourite dessert from the new autumn menu, and a definite MUST-HAVE is the Poached pear tart with spiced red wine reduction and cinnamon ice cream. A beautifully decadent dessert, the soft centre of caramelised pears combines with the buttery crumbly pastry, the rich red wine reduction and moreish cinnamon ice cream in perfect harmony - absolutely sublime!

Make the most of Autumn’s cooler months and come sample these new flavours at the Royal Saxon. From something casual in the courtyard to something cosy in the restaurant, Royal Saxon is sure to delight. 

Location: 545 Church Street, Richmond

Phone: 03 9429 5277

Link: http://www.royalsaxon.com/

Cuisine: Italian, Pub/Bar Food, Coffee