Mildura Highlights - Stefano's Restaurant

Last night at Mildura and we were looking forward to a nice dinner at Stefano's Restaurant. The restaurant was awarded two chef's hats in the Age Good Food Guide 2007/2008. Love the atmosphere of the place. Converted the cellars of the Mildura Grand Hotel into the restaurant, with a seating capacity of approximately 60 diners.

You really have to book ahead and I mean really ahead if you want a table for the night. The place was packed full on that night. There are people from all parts of the country. On our right an adventures couple from Perth, drove all the way to see Victoria's outback for the fun of it. Sleeps in their swagman at the back of their ute, decided to drop in for a decent meal. On our right a couple from Sydney, to get away from the fast pace of city life.

The menu changes daily and it is a restaurant where you do not get to choose what you want from a menu. You get what the chef fancy to serve for the night, a five course Italian style banquet. But what a treat. Oh! you do however get to choose your wine. Margaret discovered Moscato, a dessert wine.

Waiter: "Do you have any special dietary needs?"

By that, he means what do you like not to have in your meal, such as nuts, eggs, milk, gluten, etc.

Us: "No problem. We eat everything except livers, everything else should be OK with us. Then again we do not like kidneys, stomachs and things of that sort. Everything else we can handle, except maybe chicken feet."

Waiter: "Not to worry, they are not part of tonight's menu."

We breath a sign of relief, afterall we do not get to choose our meal. Feeling a bit hungry by now we were looking forward to our first dish. Till then, there is always the warm soft bread and butter. Then out came our entree, rabbit meat served with preserved cherries.

Us: "Uh. Did we also mention, no rabbits."

Well, we did enjoy the entree and every other dish after that. Found the Zucchini flowers yummy. Margaret had the beef and I had the suckling pig. Double yummy!

Menu for the day, 30th. December 2009.

Terrine of Rabbit
with Preserved Cherries

Zucchini Flowers filled with Baked
Ricotta & served with Prosciutto di San Daniele

Pasta al Pesto
with Potato & Green Beans

Suckling Piglet or Beef
with Seasonal Greens

Bavarois with
Poached White Peaches


The menu is subject to the whim of the chef...

A photo of us with the man, the chef. You can "catch" him in Stefano's Cooking Paradiso, a PayTV programme for the Lifestyle Food Channel.

Website: http://www.stefano.com.au/