The Hub of Excitement
To say The Windsor Hotel has gone through some changes is an understatement; considering I walked straight past it the other day.
The once casual pub has undergone an extreme makeover and don't get me wrong - I think it's great and has come along way from beer and good old-fashioned pub grub.
The place is now a mixture of the original and the new and improved, and I couldn't wait to see what other surprises awaited me inside.
On entry I was greeted by Laura our waitress who led me straight to our table which was outdoors and beneath the hotel's shade sails and idyllic water feature.
I knew then and there that this revamped hotel was going to rock this summer.
It wasn't even six o'clock on a Thursday night and people of all ages were streaming through the beer garden for birthdays, Chrissie dos and after-work drinks.
And after a hard day at the office, I too was rather parched, and asked Laura to kindly get me a drop of the Stella Bella Sauvignon Blanc to sip on while I awaited my dinner guest Scott.
When he arrived our ever attentive waitress gave us our menus from which our meals were chosen.
I was salivating as we looked at the extensive menu which included a variety of dishes ranging from vegetarian, Italian, Indian and modern Australian.
First up was the entrée; Crisp, Fried Field Mushroom Risotto Cakes served with a Calabrese Salad (boccocini and tomato) and sauce remoulade.
We opted to share this meal but it is substantial enough to eat as a main on its own.
Being a lover of all things mushroom and risotto, this dish went down fabulously well.
Served with a Serafino 2004 McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon it married the flavours beautifully and my tastebuds were in seventh-heaven.
Scott on the other hand enjoyed the dish with a Carlei Green Vineyards 2004 Pinot Noir and it must have been good, as he told me over and over it was going to be the dish to beat.
Even though I was still reeling with excitement from the mushroom cakes I couldn't wait for our mains, which were the Baby Chicken and my choice - Fish of the Day.
Being a crayfisherman's daughter I have the tendency to try a fish dish wherever I go, so I didn't see why The Windsor should be any different.
Scott, is also a seafood lover but felt a little duped as I volunteered him to try the Baby Chicken instead. To be fair I decided it was better that we share the meals to get the very best out of them.
The Grilled Pink Snapper served with a warm leek and potato gratin, steamed broccolini, cherry tomato salsa, lemon and dill beurre blanc sauce was absolutely delicious.
Teaming it up with the Forrest Hill Estate Riesling 2006 worked brilliantly and I devoured the dish with gusto.
Scott had the Middle Eastern Spiced Baby Chicken with Turkish-style tomato and parsley salad, hommos and tzatziki.
He did say it was nice on its own, but recommended mixing the chicken with the side dip and accompanying it (the dish) with the Cape Mentelle Wallcliffe Sauvignon Blanc Semillion to get the best out of the myriad of flavours.
Wanting to experience the flavours for myself I tried a little and found them very powerful yet refreshing; it would probably be a good meal to enjoy on a warm summer's day.
Finishing off our mains I noticed that although it was still light and just going 7 o'clock (don't you just love daylight saving) the place was now pumping.
The glitzy and glamourous of South Perth were in full swing with their metrosexual counterparts in tow.
Yep I was right - this is definitely going to be the hot spot this summer. I even spied a couple of AFL players fluttering about the joint.
Manager of The Windsor, Clare, said that the place had become a hub of excitement lately and this was just a quiet day.
"It gets so busy during the weekends but it doesn't really slow down during the week either,'" she said.
"The weather is getting warmer and everyone's coming out and enjoying themselves."
I'll say - the place was going off.
Checking on our desert needs Clare arranged the Icky Sticky Date Pudding and Lime and Buttermilk Pannacotta for us to try.
I'm a huge fan of sticky date pudding and I have to confess I don't mind a little pannacotta either so again we decided it best we share them.
The Icky Sticky Date Pudding was served with muscat butterscotch and vanilla bean ice cream and was matched nicely with a drop of the Peneley Estate Red Sparkling Pinot Coonawarra.
For me, this dish was definitely the winner of the night.
I love sticky date and normally measure it up against my mum's recipe and although mum's will always be the best, this one came very close.
Lastly the Lime and Buttermilk Pannacotta was served with raspberry consommé and almond biscuits and matched with the Castle Rock Late Harvest Riesling from the Porongurup's WA.
This dish had a nice bite to it and the strong lime flavours were extremely refreshing; a sip of the Riesling balanced it out just nicely and it went down oh so well.
Done and dusted for the night I knew I would be visiting The Windsor again soon.
It's relaxing, refreshing and reinvigorated, so pop a date in your summer calendar and see it for yourself - you won't be disappointed.
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