lunchosaurus

It’s no secret that Melbournites love their pubs, and amongst the leafy streets of North Fitzroy there’s nearly one on every corner. The Tramway Hotel is one of many historic watering holes in the area, with the building dating back to the 1960’s. The veneer hasn’t changed much but I would bet the food has. Their main deal is the Burger Bar, which while it may not seem very interesting, is far more innovative and high quality than that chewy old $25 parma you had the other night. Practically everything on Tramway’s burger menu has something special about it, whether it be fried haloumi or sriracha (spicy Thai sauce) mayo. For the Traditionalists there are steak sandwiches and classic burger combinations. While for our vego and vegan friends there are delicious options like Quinoa and Hummus or the Portabello Mushroom burgers. If the choice is all too much, and I can understand why, then rock up on a Tuesday and get the Tramway or Quinoa Burger for a mere $12. Then spend that money you saved on a beer; the range is impressive.

As well as burgers, The Tramway does share plates, salads and a few select Mains too. I settled on the burger special; a Pulled Pork Sandwich ($18) which promised…slow cooked barbecue pork shoulder teased from the bone, topped with coleslaw, tomato, Spanish onion, Cos lettuce and aioli, served with a side of Napoleone apple cider chutney and chips. In the flesh (mind the pun) the burger proved itself worthy of its gorgeous description. While not mentioned above, the chips (wedges I’d say) were by far the best I’ve had in an age. “Bay and rosemary salt” might just be why. The cider chutney; sweet and aromatic with cinnamon set off the honey-smoked flavour of the pork, while a bitey, garlicky coleslaw completed the picture.

Pulled Pork Sandwich ($18)

My dining partner opted for the Lamb and Haloumi Burger ($18), so brace yourself for another mouth-watering description; Char-grilled lamb and burghul pattie, topped with grilled haloumi, almondnaise, lemon and mint yogurt, tomato, Cos lettuce, Spanish onion and chips. While it’s very hard to go wrong with grilled haloumi, this burger earns bonus points for blending the lamb with burghul for a really soft, wholesome texture. All burgers come in La Madre buns, although to be honest I’m not sure what the fuss is there. It is good to know however that they’re also available gluten free. Just make sure staff don’t clear your plates before you’re finished, they were a bit handsy with us and we lost some of those amazing rosemary wedges in the process.

Lamb and Haloumi Burger ($18)

Apart from really exciting burgers, The Tramway Hotel has a lot to offer in terms of atmosphere. While it is definitely a pub, it doesn’t have that dingy vibe. The large windows let in floods of light, which sheen from the polished floors and clean tables. At the time the music was upbeat, indie-folk, and the staff sort of are too. It’s a very friendly sort of place where you could bring a friendly friend and do friend things. Like play Monopoly or Scrabble, both of which are available at a coffee-table by the door.

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 3.5/5

Ambiance: 4/5

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Oct

The Lounge, Melbourne CBD

Where: L1, 243 Swanston St Melbourne

When: Mon,Tues 11am-12am, Weds, Thurs 11am-3am, Fri 11am-6am, Sat 1pm- 6am, Sun 6am-1am

Contact: (03) 9663 2916

Vego :)

Payment: Cash and CC accepted

If you’re from Melbourne you no doubt have been to or at least heard of The Lounge. For over 20 years this venue has been feeding, watering and boogying the locals. It interests me that this iconic venue isn’t in fact, really crap by now. Their capacity to reinvent themselves by showcasing local artwork, music and by tweaking their menu often enough has kept The Lounge from melting away when the 90’s did. Vibe-wise, they manage to keep Average Joe happy with their relaxed balcony, tap beer and pub-meal options while the more artistic-minded punter can enjoy the showcased work and ever-changing ceiling features (currently upside-down, plastic, potted plants). Foodies can order beyond the realm of the steak and parma and vegetarians will never go hungry here.

We rocked up for after work drinkies and food, and sat ourselves out on the balcony which now sports thick glass windows which can be lowered or lifted depending how much breeze you like in your hair. The large tables and generous floor space are great for large groups. It is unfortunate that smokers dominate the balcony, which detracts from any amount of fresh air you may have had the opportunity to inhale while out there. If you can ignore this it is nice to sit and watch Melbourne light up as Friday night begins.

Cajun Chicken Burger ($13.00)

We ordered the nachos ($13.50), a plate of dips ($12) and the Cajun chicken burger ($13). In what I can only assume was an unintended mishap, the burger arrived an hour after first ordered, long after the other meals were eaten. Timing aside, the burger was good; the lemony, spiced fillet was juicy and the bread wasn’t dry and dusty like so many pub burgers can be. The pink mayonnaise or “Southwest Sauce” was a little weird, probably because it was sweet. They could do better by using the aioli usually served with their fries instead. The smoky flavours of the char-grilled bun and fillet however, brought the whole thing home nicely, tasty good.

Dips ($12)

The nachos were a fantastic array of colour all in a comforting gooey pile. All the best comfort food comes as a pile doesn’t it? The only questionable factor was the $13 price tag, at fifty cents more than the burger with chips I had to wonder how even their pricing was. Also why was the burger listed under “Light Meals”? It wasn’t really smaller than the “main meals”. The dips, also rather expensive at $12 were alright. While the babaganoush was delightfully garlicy and sloppy the hummus was a bland paste, stiff enough to snap the dukkah crisp I was attempting to scoop it with. The pieces of grilled bread were herbed and salted nicely.

Nachos ($13.50)

I’ll probably always go to The Lounge because I find it to be consistently acceptable; the food, the staff and the music create a decent socialising spot where your attention is focused on the person you’re talking to because you have the space to relax, and the time to sit there as long as you like. Because you’re not going to be hurried out because there’s a line of people waiting for your table, nor are you going to cop a lecture from a waiter about where your steak used to frolic and which organic greenery it munched on before it was cooked for you. The Lounge is accessible, unpretentious and fuss free.

Food: 2.5/5

Service: 3.5/5

Ambiance: 4/5

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