This post show cases some of the food and debate on offer at The Age’s Good Food Month event: Is Fine Dining Finished? at The Point Albert Park.
Hosted by the amazing Dani Valent, the dinner presents contrasting dishes from the fine dining scene, and the current food fashion of the casual, shared, street food scene. The featured chefs will be The Point’s executive chef Justin Wise, and Luke Croston of Gazi, who has done the transition of fine dining to street food. With matched cocktails and wine, the discussion “Is Fine Dining Finished?” is up for all opinions to be voiced.
Gazi
Karpouzi Kup
Do I think fine dining is dead?
No. I don’t think it will ever be. There is always a place for it. People need somewhere to go to for special occasions, to feel special, to enjoy exquisite things they may not at other every day run of the mill restaurants. 
Gazi
Soft shell crab souvlakakia
Beef brisket souvlakakiaBoth exceptionally good. The freshly made pita was so fluffy.
For me, I personally haven’t been many fine dining places. The ultimate in Melbourne I think would have to be Vue de Monde, and I strive to get there to celebrate when I turn the big three ohhh. I would LOVE to go before then, in case (god forbid, touch wood… hug a treeee) I get hit by a bus, or somehow lose my ability to eat solid foods, but from a price point, it’s not something I can afford to do. I have a house now, bills, oh and more bills. Cheap to medium priced thrills are where it’s at for me.
The Point
Pan seared foie gras and pear
2007 Max Ferd Richter Braunberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Auslese, Mosel GermanyThe wine cut perfectly well through the intense richness of the foie gras. For me personally, I’m not sure if foie gras is for me. I have some ethical concerns about it, and eating liver also isn’t one of my favourite things. (Ethics is a whole different can of worms we don’t need to open up here). This is the first time I’ve had so much at once, and for me it’s dish a dish that is lingering in my mind. The creamy texture, the rich, deep taste; it was all new for me.
Matt Beyer, one of the dinner guests made a good point, he said that for a few hours, people can buy into this “other world” when going to fine dining restaurants. He makes a very valid point. You go in, you get treated like royalty, the fresh white table cloths, freshly pressed napkins, crystal clear glassware, shimmeringly shiny cutlery and a certain au du poshness in the air.
The Point
Macleay Valley rabbit, guanciale, pithivier and broad beans
2010 Domaine Geantet Pansiot Bourgogne Rouge, Cote d’Or France
Not only did the dish look exquisite, it came with the flare of fine dining; the pour over jus. Something so theatrical about it we as diners love. Everything was cooked to perfection (even the offal), and really worked in harmony with each other.
Some fine dining places can seem to stuffy for some. I’ve been with someone who couldn’t wait to get out of the place as they just didn’t feel relaxed. I guess this is where the casual fine dining experiences came in.
The current food trend is now:
Line up / wait for a table at the latest hip place because bookings are forbidden. For all of us decent people who actually keep bookings we make, the others ruined that for us, and now it’s eat at 11am, or 3:50pm.
Barely hear your friend’s conversation over the loud music / loudness of other diners
Decide on what food you want off the menu, mostly street food these days
Share your dishes (I’m a big fan of sharing as I can never decide on one thing on the menu)
Order dessert, receive no complimentary petit fours
Gazi
Mastic musk stick, loukoumi, loukamades, hone and sunflower
That’s the difference between fine dining and the new casual food trend; the little extras. The petit four, the folding of your napkin when you leave the table, the education about the wine, and what it means and why you should be drinking that particular vintage with that piece of meat on that particular night.
The Point
Petit Fours
It’s the little things.
♣ ♣ ♣
Well I could rant and rave but why not head on down to the event for yourself and get your two cents in!
Is Fine Dining Finished?
To enjoy a four course meal comparing street food to fine dining, with matching cocktails and wine, as well as discuss your thoughts on the subject, purchase your tickets here.
When: November 26th 2013, 6:30pm
Where: The Point Albert Park
Cost: $145 per person. Tickets can be purchased here.
For more debate, check out Thanh’s thoughts.
Iron Chef Shellie dined as a guest of The Point with many thanks to the lovely Julia at Tink PR and The Point Albert Park,