Morsels: St Isidore closes; Matthew Evans on meat; dinners at Monet, Boffins and Italian and Sons

Long a firm favourite with the Canberra south coast pilgrims, St Isidore combined smart dining with plenty of rural charm. Views to the kitchen garden from the patio, a seasonal menu and a sense of laid-back style, made it a must do destination.

But those eight years also served up a young family and chef Delly and his partner in business and life Thomas have decided there needs to be a better balance for them and their three young children.

Delly is managing witching hour at home before he heads in to the restaurant for the dinner service - he's not sure which is easier.

"We've always had great support from Canberrans when they come to the coast, I went to high school in Canberra, and my own family holidayed down here when I was younger," he says.

"But after eight years it's time to do something else."

That something else will be Small Town Food + Wine, still in Milton, still with a similar philosophy.

"It will be food, it will be wine, it will be a classic stirred cocktail, it will be very cosy," says Thomas.

"It will be a place to meet up for a drink, for an oyster, or a snack or a meal. And it will have the same DNA as St Isidore but will offer a new alternative for the area."

The venue will be a cosy 20-seater, with marble and timber accents. The food will be stripped back and coastal.

Expect mud crab with rice, curry leaves and fried garlic and snacks such as sea urchin roe. The wine list will see an expanded by the glass selection with an emphasis on small producers.

The last service will be August 24.

Get there while you still can.

In recognition of NAIDOC week, Boffins is hosting a dinner on July 11 to acknowledge and celebrate the foods of the bush and Australia's first people. Boffins chef Bernd Brademann has a menu featuring the flavours of bush peppers, kurrajong seeds, peppermint gum and many more. Adam Shipp, Canberra's indigenous gardener, will provide valuable insights on native foods, medicine and growing your own bush foods.

eventbrite.com.au

Celebrate the National Gallery of Australia's latest exhibition, Monet: Impression Sunrise with an exclusive truffle-inspired dining experience from chef Ben Willis of two-hatted Aubergine, Canberra.

In partnership with the Good Food and the Canberra Region Truffle Festival, the four-course dinner will feature truffles at their best, matched with local Canberra district wines from Mount Majura, Lerida Estate, Mallaluka and Bourke Street.

Includes a glass of Perrier-Jouet Champagne and canapes on arrival, curator insights and after-hours access to Monet: Impression Sunrise and a four-course truffle dinner with matched wines.

Saturday, July 20, 6pm, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Special price: $160 for Good Food readers. Bookings: tickets.nga.gov.au

In On Eating Meat: The truth about its production and the ethics of eating it, Matthew Evans (former chef and restaurant critic, and now pig farmer, restaurateur, Gourmet Farmer and food activist) calls for less radicalisation, greater understanding and transparency, and for ethical omnivores to stand up for the welfare of animals and farmers alike.

"Meat eaters need to confront the reality that something dies in their name, and that they should be comfortable with the way it's done," he says.

"But non meat eaters need to reconcile the fact that more suffering happens outside the farm gate than inside."

Evans will be in conversation with Karen Hardy at the National Library of Australia, July 8, 6pm. There will be opportunities for audience questions and book signings. Murdoch Books ($32.99).

Giovanni Angeli of Massolino Winery, Piemonte, Italy, is coming to Italian and Sons for a one-off wine-matching dinner on July 8. The night will showcase the varieties barbera and nebbiolo, and styles of Massolino, which is based in Serralunga in the heart of Barolo and truffle territory. The first shipment in Australia of their much anticipated langhe riesling, along with the two vintages of barolo will also be on the wine list. Italian and Sons have created a menu to represent the regional dishes from Piemonte, from handmade pastas, local Braidwood truffles and dishes from the wood-fired oven.

Food only, $90pp, with wine pairings, $140pp. Bookings on 6162 4888.