Every week I am buoyed by the enterprising ideas the Canberra hospitality industry is coming up with. If you're not enjoying home-delivered dinners from some of our top restaurants, or supporting your local cafe by buying a coffee on your morning walk, or stocking your wine cellar directly from the cellar of places such as Bar Rochford, what are you doing?
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Here's the last wrap up of the (good) food news.
Roch Bottom
Speaking of Bar Rochford, Nick Smith and his team are out of the doldrums and clearing out their wine list. Always one of the most interesting in town, now you can turn up the tunes (there was talk of a Roch Bottom playlist on Soundcloud) and enjoy home-delivered drinks.
There's a rotating range of Roch Boxes - this week's contains negroni and hanky panky cocktails, a Costadila Moz orange prosecco, a Gentle Folk pinot noir and six cans Bodriggy Staunch Pilsener. Good value at $160.
Hippo at home
Fancy doing a whisky masterclass from your living room? The team and Hippo Co has taken its popular masterclass online. It's a 30 minute private tutorial with team member Lucy who'll guide you through whatever whisky flight you like. Jump on to the website, purchase the flight, add in the tutorial and Lucy will come and virtual visit. Plenty of information and banter along the way. If ever there was a time to try their rare antique flight, this is it.
Diner pour deux
Clement Chauvin from Les Bistronomes in Campbell is serving up dinner for two, available for pick up or delivery. Dinner includes a freshly baked baguette, a plate of charcuterie, three choices of main - duck a l'orange, beef wellington or chateaubriand - and then two desserts from a cheese plate, the Mont Blanc or port poached pears. There's a little work to do for the main course but each package contains a recipe card and a link to a video of Clement showing you how to finish the meal yourself. Might be a good way to impress someone you love. $120 for two and there's wine available as well.
Chairman Commissary
If you've been missing your favourites from Lanterne Rooms, Chairman & Yip and Lilotang, the Chairman Group has set up shop at the Lanterne Rooms venue in Campbell.
There's a great a la carte menu featuring the slow-cooked Angus beef curry Kampung style and the wok-fried prawns with pumpkin, cucumber and chilli jam among other things. Or feed the family with the banquet menu, starting from $70 for two, for four courses and rice. They also have some good deals on their wine list. Available for pick-up only, pre-ordering encouraged, visit the website to order, seven nights a week from 5pm.
Canberra gourmet
Husband and wife team Thomas and Larah Heinrich are back cooking together and bringing delicious dinners to your family table. There's a touch of Thomas' fine-dining expertise from Sage Dinings rooms and authentic tastes from Larah's Spanish Filipino background. I'm looking at those eight-hour lamb shanks braised in mulligatawny served with roasted spiced almonds. The meals come packed and sealed in Crayovac bags ready to be reheated at home or frozen for up to three months.
Zaab to a Z
Did someone say cocktails in a bag? Zaab Street Food in Braddon is doing a great range of takeaway. We like the Date Night In pack which holds chicken satay skewers, corn fritters, the OG beef massamum, chicken pad Thai and jasmine rice. And two bags of cocktails. There's the watermelon massacre, jasmine tonic or rose sangria. Dating in isolation was never easier.