Last Thursday, a collection of Canberra’s finest food writers and bloggers collected at Marble & Grain to sample the new season menu, and get a feel for a new direction under Chef Danny Russo as a gastro-pub that presents high quality dishes in a relaxed setting.
With a deep love of cooking and experience of some of the world’s best restaurants from London to Marseilles to Rome, Russo is spending his time in Canberra to develop a range of dishes that celebrate the cooler weather with hearty flavours and straightforward cooking.
As the invited guests stood and chatted, the staff of Marble & Grain circulated the room with trays of piping-hot Truffle & Parmesan Arancini Balls, while large boards filled with cured meats and olives were placed within easy reach to get appetite’s ready for the adventure ahead.
Once seated, it was time to work our way through the menu in search of the treats for the evening. We decided on the Seared Scallops and the Duck Terrine. The scallops were, as you would expect at a restaurant of this standard, wonderfully delicate. Served with cauliflower puree and super-thin potato chips, it was as texturally diverse as it was flavoursome.
The Terrine too was a lot of fun to play with. The dish was brimming with colour due to the heirloom beetroots and vibrant green of the baby leaves. Line this up with the thick-cut bread prepared on the char-grill and all at the table were more than happy to have a taste.
Mains were next to arrive. Lamb Cutlets can be a disaster in the wrong hands, but at Marble & Grain there is no need to be concerned. Moist and tender, it felt almost possible to suck the meat right off the bone.
Nor were there any complaints from those who ordered the Ocean Trout Fillet. Served atop a light broth filled with diamond clams and leeks, it showed just how well this fish can be prepared for winter weather.
“Where’s the steak?” you may ask. Well, on this occasion, each group of four diners had the opportunity to share in the Butcher’s Board. Surely consisting of a couple of kilos of nature’s best, the board presented a dazzling array of venison sausages, marrow, blood sausage with fennel, medium-rare Wagyu rump and roasted onions… as well as some char-grilled corn for good measure!
Working our way through this was a treat for the senses. When washed down with a glass of the Morgan’s Bay Shiraz Cabernet, it was a match made in heaven.
For dessert? Well, a modern take of the classic Bombe Alaska provided a great sense of fun, and it’s always hard to go past a White Chocolate Brulee. While dessert might have looked a bridge too far after the Butcher’s Board, it was well worth the effort. Both dishes lightened the palate and prepared us for the trip home.
All-in-all Marble & Grain is well on the way to achieving their stated aim of bringing the best flavours into their fabulous-but informal-dining experience. With food like this, we’d be happy if it stayed winter all year!
