Gastronomy Guide: On The Road to Freycinet

After our great Long Lunch at Josef Chromy, it was now time to check out of the apartment we had stayed in for four nights. We were headed to Freycinet National Park to stay at the Freycinet Lodge. The drive from the Launceston airport to the apartment was very short - only about 10 miles. The drive to Freycinet would be over 100 miles, so it was time to really test my "correct side" driving abilities. While we were at the Long Lunch, we chatted with several locals who were very interested in our Tasmanian road trip. Since we were at a winery, the topic quickly went to discussing other wineries and ones that would be on our way to Freycinet. Two were noted as being exceptional. One was Milton, which was known for great rose and the other was Devils' Corner which had some great sparking and whites. We were up for the challenge!!

Given such a momentous task, we needed a filling breakfast. My wife found what was called the highest rated restaurant in Launceston so we had to try it!! It was a short walk from the apartment, so I drove the car, parked on the street and we found Samuel Pepys.

What struck me was that they were a 100% gluten free restaurant.

I was surprised by this based on all the items that had some kind of bread - including their famous Bunskys.

A road trip always needs more caffeine!! Another long black with some excellent crema!!

This Bunsky was something I just had to try. While they had a few breakfast bunskys. I went with one from their all day menu which was made with salami. And of course some chips with an aioli for dipping. For being gluten free, the bread had the texture and structure of regular gluten bread. I think it may have used quinoa for most of the grain since it had a great crisp texture. I would compare it to a bagel that had been put on a flat top grill and pressed until crispy. But thinner and not doughy. I have a feeling they keep their recipe a closely guarded secret. The salami was spicy and salty, perfectly complimented by the aioli. The chips were crisp and well seasoned - and the aioli had just a hint of garlic so it didn't overpower the chips.

Salami Bunsky at Samuel Pepys.

My wife ordered the breakfast with poached egg spinach and mushrooms. I liked that they kept the mushrooms a bit al dente so that had some bite. The egg was nicely poached which made a delicious hybrid sauce when the yolk and the aioli combined. So good - and definitely the highlight of breakfast.

Breakfast Bunsky at Samuel Pepys

The first winery stop was at Milton, known for their rose. It was setup on a beautiful vineyard with a deck that looked over the water. They had a full kitchen here as well, but I was still full from my Bunsky so didn't try anything. We did sample all their wines and picked up two bottles. The Pinot Noir Rose was exceptional. Some fruity notes with a subtle bite. The Riesling was the most surprising. Most rieslings I have had before are on the sweeter side. The riesling grape that grows in Australia must not have as much sugar since it was much dryer, but more complex that any other I had tried.

Milton Pinot Noir Rose and Reisling

The next winery stop was at Devil's Corner. This was a huge space next to their vineyard and we happened to come on a day when they had live music! We had only planned to stay for about 30 minutes, but when we saw they had live music, oysters and pizza, we knew this was going to take an entire afternoon to truly experience everything they had to offer.

They had Pacific oysters and we just had to order them!! So delicious - even better with the live music.

We also tried a savory thin crust mushroom pie. This really respected the mushrooms. Mushroom flavor in each bite. I don't think it was a mozzarella cheese but something milder.

We were now ready to head to our hotel Freycinet Lodge. This was located right in the Freycinet National Park. Our room looked right at the water from the deck!! We were lucky enough to have a complimentary mini bar so I tried one of the local beers Cascade. It was a decent pale ale, but needed more hops. I also had some local potato chips - of as they call them here, crisps. Have you heard of these Pringles? Didn't matter the brand, it was all about the scenery. We even had a couple of visitors for Happy Hour - a kangaroo and her joey!!

Dinner tonight was at the restaurant in the hotel. We had pre dinner cocktails on the back deck with great views. This was a smoked old fashioned. Really delicious bourbon - every better views.

Now a picture that is a bit more artistic with the blurred background. ;-)

Appetizer (or entree as they would say in Australia) was abalone which is a very common mollusk here in Australia. Unlike other mollusks such as mussels, abalone only have a single shell. They attach themselves to rocks or other structures. Similar to other mollusks which get cooked, abalone really rely on the flavor of the liquid used. They don't have much flavor other than just "ocean". The texture is much like the neck of a quahog clam - a bit chewy but pleasant. The preparation here was butter infused with garlic and herbs. The addition of the fresh dill really helped with the freshness. And the asparagus added some needed crunch to the dish. I really enjoyed these.

My wife ordered a filet with seasonal vegetables for her main dish. It was a flavorful steak and the vegetables were really outstanding. We had heard many people talk about how Tasmania is really proud of the standards they use in farming and it really shows in the produce we found.

I ordered a seafood fettuccine. The pasta was okay. I don't think it was house made, although I don't think Tasmania is supposed to be renowned for their pasta skills. The abundance of seafood was impressive. There were lots of large pieces of perfectly cooked salmon. four large mussels and many morsels of calamari!! The sauce was similar to what I associate to a Lobster Thermidor. This had some hints of paprika and garlic. Unlike other seafood sauces I have had, I appreciated that this one was not gunky and thick. It was enough to cling to the pasta but not too thick so that it solidified on your plate.

We paired our meal with a delicious Pinot Noir from Maclean Bay. This was dry and light enough to cut through the creamy pasta sauce without punishing the delicate seafood but also had enough bold notes to compliment the meatiness of the steak.