I recently went to Stumpy Gully Vineyard / Dining for a family lunch, and it was...fine.
I'm not sure if post-pandemic and lockdowns etc I've become used to a 'get in, eat and leave' sort of scenario, but it felt somewhat slow.
From arrival at 1:00 pm to leaving at 3:35 pm, it felt like a very long service for an entree, main and dessert.
The menu was small, 4 things on the entree, 4 on the main and 3 on the dessert.
Often when I'm going out eating somewhere I'm not taking photos of the food, as I'm eager / wanting to eat. I'm not a food blogger. (I'm not sure what I'd call my writings here, but not food blogging).
I was asked multiple times if I wanted to drink, no, I was happy with the sparkling water. Which was Italian and tasted fine, tasted of nothing really. I'd have preferred a locally produced sparkling water, there's a few that are Mornington Peninsula-based.
After ordering we were served slices of bread, which I'd assume was baked there, it had a good chew and soft interior. The butter was also made there and had a fennel pollen dusting. I'm willing to bet that herb pollens is a big thing for chefs trying to find something new, as soon as I heard them say it I thought I'd heard of it before. A while ago browsing the Essential Ingredient I found Dill Pollen for sale, it's out of stock, but it's $82 for 28g of the stuff.
I opted for the 'House Made Cotechino Sausage' as the entree, I like others at the table saw it, googled it and then...when it eventually came out to the table were a little perturbed. We'd all assumed it would be a single sausage, but instead it was a slice (albeit a chunky slice) of a large sausage - think slightly larger than a Polish sausage in diameter. It was served with a handful of beans, and a small leaf of radicchio.
Then, after some wait, the mains came out.
I had opted for the duck, unlike my fellows who chose the steak.
I like to cook, so if I'm out and about opt for stuff I'm less likely to cook at home.
The duck breast was quite large, perfectly cooked. It had a few forest mushrooms (tiny), pumpkin crisps, chickpea cream and tuscan kale.
I've never really been a fan of kale, despite its prominence in the last 10 years or so. I've tried a few times to cook with it at home, and tend to just opt for spinach, or if not, silverbeet. I've just found that it's a very bitter unpleasant vegetable, that you need to put a lot of stuff into to get a nice vegetable output.
Pumpkin Pie, with apple something beside it.
This kale was fine, it had been cooked in some sort of stock I'd assume, or had been salted and buttered and wilted, but retained a deep green colour.
Lastly I opted for the Pumpkin Pie, which had an...unappetising texture.
Very, if not extremely loose in its texture.
I have a photo of this, as I opted not to eat it.
I could have, it wasn't inedible, but what's the point of eating unless you're going to enjoy it?
The views from the dining room are nice.
Their front door is big, but easy to open.
Their dining chairs are uncomfortable, and I needed to keep moving to be comfortable.