A French takeover at the Aristologist
The Summertown Aristologist is at it again with its kitchen takeovers – this time, the beloved Hills restaurant is bringing over the crew from Porcine for a one-time menu collaboration on Tuesday July 11. For the uninitiated, Porcine is a Sydney pork destination, where chefs Nicholas Hill (The Old Fitz) and Harry Levy (Don Peppino’s) break down whole Berkshire pigs and use every element of the 60-kilogram carcass in their bistro-style dishes. The set menu for the Aristologist collaboration is still under wraps but we’re told to expect the likes of pâté en croûte and pithivier with fallow deer and red wine. Porcine sits above bottle shop P&V’s Paddington store, so the P&V team – including co-founder Mike Bennie – is coming along for the ride to sort the wine list (and bringing some special bottles). Book a spot online: $125 per person gets you a set-menu dinner and a welcome drink.
More Gallic fare
It’s a good time to be a Francophile in Adelaide. The Big Easy Group’s latest concept, late-night brasserie La Louisiane, opened on the weekend (eye the first look here) serving French classics like cheese soufflé, snails, steak frites and crème brûlée, with live jazz and build-your-own Martinis until 2am. Plus, Bastille Day is approaching on July 14, so you can expect plenty of Gallic celebrations around town, including a set-menu dinner at La Buvette and a two-day program of free and ticketed events at the Central Market. Across the weekend of July 14 and 15, the market will play host to live French music, pop-up crepe and champagne bars, a Monet-inspired paint’n’sip class, the Smelly Cheese Co’s Cheese After Dark event, and some special new products by French trader Les Deux Coqs.
A familiar collaboration
Sunny’s Pizza is teaming up with the crew behind Familiar – a pop-up dinner series by Africola Canteen’s Joel Tisato, Regent Thai’s Kevin Te and Hazel’s Hugh Mitchell – on a New York-Italian menu on Sunday July 16, with some Familiar tweaks. So “expect cold-cuts and lots of mozzarella but don’t be surprised when you experience fermentation and smoke”, hints Tisato. There’ll be a classic pepperoni with chilli, an oxtail parmy, banana pepper poppers and some fancy cheese sticks. There’ll also be DJs playing from 5pm till late. Book a table here, and remember to head next door to 1000 Island after dinner for kick-ons – the cocktail bar is launching a Margarita menu that night with four variations (a Tommy’s, a spicy Marg, a watermelon one, and another with charred pineapple) going for $12 each.
Story time at the library
The State Library’s heritage-listed late-Victorian Mortlock Chamber (the one that kinda looks like a Harry Potter set) is the setting for a pop-up gin bar this month. Local craft distillery Storytellers will be serving up its award-winning gins with mixers, nightly from 5pm to 11pm, until July 23. The free-to-enter pop-up coincides with Illuminate Adelaide’s City Lights event, making it the ideal pit stop for a drink pre- or post-tour. The bar will also host a series of ticketed events across the month, including an interactive tarot experience on July 15 and a silent disco on July 22. For more information, check the @storytellersatthemortlock Instagram page.
A new menu blooms
Since opening in 2020, inner-west eatery Bloom has been lifting Adelaide’s brunch game with share plates like skewered mushrooms cooked over the coals, and charcoal chicken with soy, black vinegar and celeriac puree. But after noticing a shift in dining habits this year, with a trend towards simpler, classic comfort foods, the chefs have rejigged the menu. While the woodfired hearth will remain the kitchen’s focal point, the five-page menu has been trimmed down to one for all-day dining, including new additions like a fire-toasted baguette stuffed with roast porchetta (or fried haloumi); a golden, flaky croissant filled with pork sausage, scrambled eggs, iceberg lettuce and curry mayo; a burnt leek and mushroom okonomiyaki served with a fried egg; and mapo tofu dumplings in mushroom broth with udon noodles, charred corn and Asian greens. Make it boozy by adding 1.5 hours of beer, wine and “brunch punch” for an additional $45.
