Thursday, May 19, 2011

OVERFLOW CAFE WINE BAR

445 Blackburn Road
Mount Waverley

http://hghotels.com.au/hotelbrucecounty/wine_dine.html

Tonight’s dinner saw E & hubby having a childfree dinner at Overflow Cafe Wine Bar, one of the Hotel Bruce County’s two restaurants in Mount Waverley.  Previous visits have always been enjoyable so there were high expectations of a good night.

Dining at Overflow reminds me of being invited over for dinner in a friend’s loungeroom.  A wall-mounted tv screens AFL above an open fire surrounded by couches.  A wine cellar fills one corner and the walls are covered with colourful prints that complement the decor.  It all has a very homely feel and seems to be popular with couples and large groups alike.

I’ve got to hand it to the staff...on a busy Saturday night at almost full capacity they didn’t miss a beat.  The service was excellent with the little touches standing out.  New cutlery was provided after our entrees, the water constantly refilled and we didn’t have to ask for dessert menus or the bill.  There was a slight error with the bill, but this was fixed courteously and promptly. 

WE ORDERED
For entree I ordered the Garlic Herb & Cheese Bread.




For main course I had Slow cooked pork belly with white bean cassoulet & mustard fruit dressing.



For dessert I had Chocolate hazelnut crêpes with candied oranges & chocolate ice cream.

Hubby ordered from one of the two set menus.  For entree he had Salt & pepper calamari on an apple, cucumber, mint & coriander salad with a palm sugar & chilli dressing.

For main course he had the Black Angus burger with mature cheddar cheese, bacon, onion, beetroot, tomato relish and chips.

For dessert he had Individual berry & passion fruit pavlova with chantilly cream.

The Set Menu also included a choice of two side orders so we went with the french fries with tomato relish.

We both ordered Chai Lattes to finish up.

WE THOUGHT
The Garlic & Herb Cheese Bread, a mini loaf full of melted cheese and herbs, was moreish with great flavour.  I could have eaten more!

I can’t go past pork belly on a menu and I was pleased that this version had the crackling intact.  I wasn’t so keen on the white bean cassoulet, it was like a thick minestrone soup, but this was just down to personal taste...beans just aren’t my thing!

The crepes were light and fluffy with fantastic chocolate orange flavour.  The ice-cream was very chocolatey and tasted home-made.  A real winner and a great way to end the meal.

Hubby thought the salt & pepper calamari was tender with the salad being particularly enjoyable.  The burger was slightly dry in the middle but the chips were crunchy with the tomato relish being a highlight.  The pav was great.

I loved the complementary chocolates that came with our chai lattes and thought they were a nice touch.  Unfortunately we both found the lattes to be watery and flavourless, the only letdown in what otherwise had been a top meal.

WE LIKED
The attentive service and good value of the set menus.

WE DISLIKED
The Chai Lattes...but we’ll forgive them seeing as the rest of the meal was so good.

WILL WE RETURN?
Definitely.  If you’re sick of the ratrace that Saturday night dining often entails and you like to hear yourself talk then this is the place for you.  With great food and service and ample parking, Overflow is a cafe that deserves to step out of the shadows of some of its better known but poorer performing contemporaries in the area.

9/10




Overflow Cafe Wine Bar on Urbanspoon

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