colossal loam

Last Saturday our Victorian road trip took us to Drysdale. This unknown place for me is not far from Geelong, a small town with gorgeous architecture, interesting wine makers and and irresistible funeral cars. At least the silver Tucker's Mercury my eyes were able to scan from my car seat.

We picked a day of parades, which made us spend almost forty minutes going through downtown Geelong, and arriving late to our gastro-rendez-vous. The countryside landscape often was a bit bucolic, as we got closer to Loam's headquarters.

Getting a table was a very last minute plan, which we weren't really counting on, but a sudden cancellation opened a brilliant opportunity for our palates. Bill Downey told me about it las time I saw him at his place for lunch, too.

It was a grey day on a grey gravel road, known as Andersons road, right before arriving to our desired destination.

The first bites were four interesting examples of "amuse-boucherie": cured meats and mussels were the most basic ones.

Squid, ink and unripe tomato sauce, with an intriguin 2008 d'meure chardonnay, all the way from Tasmania.

The stripy trumpeter on an avocado paste, under a fine layer of pork fat plus anchovie was a real revelation. A 2009 Meridies Soave classico was ideal.

I have always loved sea urchin, so popular in Asturies. But this was going to be my first Victorian sea urchin with silverbeet, broad ben flower and chiken skin, together with a 2009 Alpha Box & Dice " Golden Mullet Fury" 50% muscadelle and 50% chardonnay from South Australia.

A real tasty shocker were the duck tongues with salsify, chickweed and horseradish. A 2010 Paradise IV chardonnay from the Moorabool Estate winery located in Batesford, Victoria, was another happy discovery.

My first Hopkins River beef ever, with Jerusalem artichokes and beach herbs, topped with tongue was genuinely mouth watering. A 2008 Vogel shiraz helped defining the whole process.

A piece of Mauri Taleggio cheese surrounded by fermented cabbage and wild honey, perfectly matched a 2010 Best's pinot meunier.

This dessert almost concluded such a mind blowing afternoon: mandarin, almond, coconut and young pine jelly drops, which worked really well with a 2010 Massolino moscato d'Asti.

Finally a couple of not exactly mini lemon tarts with dried blue berry crams on top arrived. Our Loam induction was a colossal success.

Perhaps this could be our top wine quartet of the afternoon, which may not have  the same positive impact without this fascinating food...