Cooking with love in the Victorian alps
Patrizia Simone - Simone's Restaurant - Bright
Simone's of Bright
In a converted Victorian-era house in Bright, three hours from Melbourne in the Victorian high country, Simone’s Restaurant serves up simple food inspired by the region the family has fallen in love with.
It is often said that chef Patrizia Simone cooks with love. She accepts this, but thinks that cooking with respect is just as important. ‘I always try to teach my apprentices that you have to learn to actually see where the food comes from and understand it that way,’ Patrizia says.
‘Go back to the roots of the produce, see how it is grown, feel that bond with the land. That is how you develop love and respect for the produce, and then you cook with passion.’
For two decades Patrizia’s passionate cookery has attracted food aficionados to her home base of Bright, around three hours from Melbourne, in Victoria’s High Country. Husband George looks after front of house. He also keeps an eye on the finances. ‘I would not have survived without his business mind because money means nothing to me. I am interested in produce and cooking and don’t take much care about the bills.
George says, “I can’t believe you paid $300 for these mushrooms!” but I just laugh. We are a good team.’
“Bright is very similar to Umbria – rolling hills, little valleys, pines. It is very European-looking and different to most of the Australian landscape. I fell in love with the place as soon as I saw it.
“We have four genuine seasons, and that is what makes the difference.”
Patrizia’s Favourites
FOOD
"I love to have lunch at Monichino winery. It was a beautiful place with beautiful people and one of the best meals in my life, with everything grown from the farm, but cooked according to Piedmontese culinary tradition.
"Milawa cheese is an icon in our area. It is a fabulous asset. I used to try to source cheese from local ladies who made it in their homes, but now Milawa produces a huge variety of good quality cheeses. I particularly love their goat’s cheese ."
Links:
WINE
"Mount Beauty is a lovely place if you want to drink nice wine, have lunch and see some great views. Annapurna makes good sparkling wine. Gapsted is a beautiful winery, a modern building in lovely grounds that blends with the countryside. I like to sit there with a simple antipasto and a glass of red. One of my favourite wineries in the King Valley is Chrismont in Cheshunt. Their position is superb, their wines are great, and the whole look of the place reminds me a little of the Chianti region. Pizzini make beautiful Italian-style wines.
"Rutherglen is magnificent. I love their fortifieds, perfect for cooking Scaloppine al Porto. Pickled Sisters Café at Cofield Winery is excellent for lunch and I really like Campbells. It is an old family-run winery with nice people and I love their Bobby Burns Shiraz. Brown Brothers is excellent. Their Epicurean Centre has beautiful dishes matched with a glass of wine."
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WALKING
"I love walking but no-one wants to walk with me because I stop all the time. Herbs are my passion, and in spring you just walk through paddocks and you can see magnificent herbs everywhere. I love to walk in the mountains around Bright. You can go up to Mount Hotham and walk around.
"I go for a walk every morning. At mushroom time I like to go walking through the pines. I see deer sometimes when I’m walking in winter, and lots of other wildlife."
Links:
Regions
- Alpine Valleys (VIC)
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