WE WON! You can see our review, and the full hot50 list, in the Weekend Australian here.
Who would have thought that Hare & Grace would turn out to be such a fine – and popular – restaurant? It gathered the most votes out of the 16,000 cast in our online poll of readers’ favourite restaurants.
Perhaps it’s because the kitchen instability of last year is sorted now, or that head chef Adam Liston is such a gun at interpreting boss Ray Capaldi’s vision.
Whatever. The proof is on the plate in ambitious yet accessible food that stimulates rather than alienates with its subtle use of avant-garde tricks and techniques. So a tranche of juicy pork belly layered with black pudding looks like a slice of cake and comes with a piquant preserved “plum” that’s actually beetroot; and perfect South Australian prawns get even better with delicate partners of jasmine, aloe vera, lychee and red chenopodium flowers.
Less esoteric is the 300g Wagyu burger, priced at $44 but fully loaded with fries, cornichons and onion rings.
While we’re not sure of the whereabouts of the hare, there is grace in the quirky, hunting-lodge style of the dining space. The sleeper of 2012.
Must-eat: 1/2 shell scallops, garlic aioli, breadcrumbs, lemon
Congratulations in getting the recondition you deserve. Wishing you all the best success in 2013. From a fellow cheif and Caterer in Melbourne.