Jacqui's Food Fetish

One year ago today I published my very first blog post.  I was so nervous! Would anyone even see it, let alone take the time to read it?  Would anyone even care what I had to say – and maybe no one does, but I started writing just after returning from my Top 100 tour of regional Victoria and my first post was on Provenance in Beechworth.

It’s one year on, 107 blog posts later, and what a year it’s been. I literally haven’t stopped eating!  Well, I’ve always eaten way too much, but now that I’m blogging, it’s eating with a purpose!  And, now I have a legitimate use for all of those photos that I feel compelled to take of every dish that’s put in front of me.  One thing’s for sure – I have far less spare time now.  It’s one thing to dine out and take photos – it’s another thing to sit down afterwards and write about the experience.  Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes I’m sitting there staring at my laptop screen willing the words to come.  But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

People have been so supportive and I’ve received lots of great comments.  I’ve had the opportunity to meet some great people – restaurateurs, chefs and fellow bloggers – all good people doing what they love – and of course, I’ve had some excellent meals!  It was also the year of Instagram – the natural extension of Jacqui’s Food Fetish.  Nine months ago I started and I never knew anything could be so addictive!

I’ve continued my Top 100 Quest with great gusto.  My year ended with another 4 Top 100s over 4 nights between Byron Bay and Noosa:  Three Blue Ducks, Fleet, Paper Daisy and Wasabi.  Now I only have 10 more to go and I will be able to say I have dined at every restaurant on the 2016 Gourmet Traveller Top 100 list.

I still need to get to:

Melbourne: Minamishima, Lume

Regional Victoria: O.My

Sydney: Guillaume, Lumi, Acme, Sokyo

Regional NSW: Biota

Brisbane: Goma

Far North Queensland: Nu Nu

It means a fair bit of travel over the next few months but I’m DOING IT!  Everything’s already booked in! And then, to mark the achievement, I’ve decided to celebrate with a dinner at the original Rockpool in Sydney – the current Number 1 restaurant on the list – what better place!?

Anyway, Happy Birthday to Jacqui’s Food Fetish.  Thank you for your support, enthusiasm and encouragement, and for following me and/or reading my posts.

Below are some happy memories and memorable dishes from 2015.

A fab meal at Fleet, Brunswick heads! King prawn, black garlic, bronze fennel

I was blown away by this dish: Tagliatelle with blue swimmer crab, blackened corn, black garlic and crustacean foam from Osteria Oggi, Adelaide

My article in the Gourmet Traveller, September 2015 issue

The star of the show – 150+ day dry aged beef rib on the bone 500g from Firedoor, Sydney

I got to meet Dan Hunter of Brae (formerly of Royal Mail Hotel)

The excellent charcuterie plate at Vardon, Adelaide

Fillet of Angus beef, truffle & oxtail pithivier with scorched shallots (with sides of roasted potatoes with truffle salt) at the Grand Truffle Luncheon, Adelaide

Free range pork ribs with lemongrass, kaffir lime, chilli, eggplant and green beans – from my favourite Thai restaurant in Adelaide – Sukhumvit Soi 38, Adelaide

One of the best dishes I’ve ever had: Waguy rib, fermented cherries, beetroot, radicchio, red wine hollandaise from Aubergine, Canberra

So many great dinners including all of the guest chef dinners at Africola

Cured swordfish, pickled cucumber, wasabi, soy and sesame, native finger lime from Ezard, Melbourne

I got to meet Neil Perry

Egg pasta with lots of truffle from a truffle restaurant in Turin, Italy

“Shnoodles” from Maid Mice, Unley Road, Adelaide

Lunching in Portofino: Spaghetti alle vongole, Portofino Italy

Chicken with black truffle butter – loved this dish from Co-Op Dining, Perth

The amazing abalone at Franklin, Hobart

I got to meet Peter Gilmore of Quay and Bennelong

Loved our meal at Café Paci, Sydney

Little Grilled Bird – Thankful for Gondola Gondola’s great quail! (Adelaide)