TEN THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT HEAD CHEF ANTHONY TELFORD

By Gigi Cigar

Anthony Telford is our favourite head chef. He is passionate about food philosophy, has a wicked sense of humour, runs a very well-managed kitchen, and is loved by the team. Many of our regulars already know about his pink frilly apron - he dons it while talking to guests. But there's a lot to the man behind the apron that most don't know about. Read on for ten interesting things about Telford...

1) He's a farm boy! He grew up on a farm with his parents and two brothers on the east coast Australia. His dad was an agricultural scientist.

2) DIY food: On the farm, his family milked cows, grew mixed berries, had a full avocado orchard of male and females, vegetable patches, and bred cattle. They picked and slaughtered everything they ate themselves... "If it moved, my mum would put it in a pot and bubble it!" Anthony said. "All this was happening at home before permeaculture became the "in" thing and before "organics" or "farm to table" became popular buzz words and phrases."

3) From Tragedy Came Triumph: Anthony's mum died from cancer when he was 14 years old. In a house full of farm boys - 3 brothers and a dad - someone had to prepare meals so Anthony stepped into the kitchen. It was the unfortunate start of what has become a very rewarding and successful career in food.  

4) His Food Philosophy: All this helped to fuel his deep respect for food. He subscribes to the farm to table ethos and is committed to buying direct from the farmer as much as possible. "The farm-to-table philosophy has moved on from just being about our carbon footprint. It's more about supporting the local farmer, for us to all to feel more community-minded, and ultimately because we're getting rid of the middle man who is used to fondling our fruit and veg unnecessarily!" says Anthony.

5) Committed to diners experience: Anthony goes personally to Eveleigh Markets in Redfern each week (on his day off) to hand pick the best produce for PDR restaurant guests each week, direct from the farmer.     

6) Fathers day is a big: Anthony Telford has SEVEN children! Hense the wicked sense of humour no doubt! At home, when the whole tribe is in, he is producing 27 meals (3 x 9 including himself and his now ex-wife)... that's 189 meals a week for immediate family alone!

7) Baked beans: "Chefs rarely get invited to dinner parties but I will eat pretty much anything someone else cooks... as long as its done with love. I'm very happy to be served up baked beans at a dinner party. If you're opening that can with love and you mean it, I'll eat it with joy!"     

8) Dinner party advice: For home chefs, I'd say: "Don't show off for anyone... stick to what you know when friends are coming for dinner. If you feel like the lord of lasagne, stick with the lasagne and do it well!" 

9) TV and Food Media: Anthony has done loads of it. He was a regular on Ready Steady Cook (channel ten), he was the David & Kim Show resident chef... and he's written two cook books!  

10) New blog! You can catch Anthony's food and chef-like ramblings about fresh produce, farm fodder, kitchen capers and more each month on his  new blog that will be included in our newsletter each month. Stay tuned to get a whole lot more of his knowledge and passion from October. Stay tuned.       

To experience Anthony's farm to table inspirations, book for lunch or dinner at Public Dining Room today. Phone 9968 4880 or online at publicdiningroom.com.au 

WINE AND THE ART OF DRINKING... IN SPRING!

By PDR Somelier Stephen Thompson

I would never tell anybody what they should or shouldn't be drinking, everyone has their own palate and beliefs. However, this spring, these are my musings... and I know I would enjoy every single wine mentioned below! 

Spring is the season of re-growth. The birth of a new beginning. As the weather warms, our food becomes lighter and therefore our wine selections alongside. Slow cooking, rich sauce reductions and hearty red wines will be fondly farewelled until the cold nights of next year appear.

Spring to me (I am European) evokes thoughts of oysters, broad bean’s, asparagus, seafood treated gently and new season lamb. Naturally, our wine selections should fit accordingly.

This spring, I’m thinking muscadet, riesling, gruner veltliner, viognier. And in reds – cabernet franc and the Southern Rhone’s Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre.

Muscadet, at home in France where the Loire River meets the Atlantic, a naturally ‘salty’ character is simply perfect with freshly shucked rock oysters.

Riesling is wonderfully versatile. Citrus fruit and blessed with minerality – think a pebbled plucked from a fast flowing mountain stream. Great options are found in South Australia, ACT region and in Europe – France, Germany and Austria. Crisp and refreshing in youth but left on the vine longer much greater texture can be found. The best rieslings can last for decades.

Gruner Veltliner is Austria’s native grape. It’s sauvory, herbaceous in style, and exhibiting a natural peppery spice. Great examples are appearing in Victoria’s King Valley more frequently. I recently matched lobster and seasonal radish with a Gruner Veltliner and it worked seamlessly.

Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. The Southern Rhone is home to the Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier white blends and Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre reds. The whites are ‘heady’ and aromatic in style – perfect for a first date! Lunchtime and seafood... hello! The Barossa is famous for its G/S/M blends. Softer than straight Shiraz, the fruit is more restrained, clever oak barrel work helps, the wine is ‘funky and earthy’ and suits well to a chargrilled steak fresh off the BBQ.

Finally, I have to mention Cabernet Franc. Blended in Bordeaux, but wonderful as a single varietal in the middle Loire. Clean, pure and herbaceous, exactly what I’d match with a rack of new season lamb and spring vegetables.

Until next time, drink well and be merry!

THE GUILLAUME ZIKA INTERVIEW. WHAT CAN PDR DINERS EXPECT NEXT?

By Eloise King

Public Dining Room's Michelin star chef Guillaume Zika's 5 course Discovery Degustation sold out recently in just 48 hours. But who is Zika? And what can Sydney diners expect from his next offering? The answer is one magical night in Paris...  

Note: Guilluame's french-english has been left in unedited so you know you are consuming the french man's authentic thoughts, fully. 

Eloise: If you could explain the Michelin dining experience in three words, what would the be?

Guillaume: Creative, perfection, consistency 

Eloise: Where did you learn to dish out this kind of Michelin experience for diners?

Guillaume: I was Head Chef at “Hibiscus Restaurant” in London (2 Michelin star) and prior to that, worked at “Per Se” Thomas Keller in New York City (3 Michelin Stars), “Le Grand Vefour” Guy Martin in Paris (3 Michelin Stars), “Le Moulin de Mougins” Alain Llorca in Mougins (2 Michelin Star) and “Relais Louis XIII” In Paris (2 Michelin Star).

Eloise: You're new to Australia and cooking for Sydney diners for the first time ever. How did it feel when eight weeks worth of your Discovery Degustation dinners at Public Dining Room sold out solid in just 48 hours?

Guillaume (in unedited French-English): I wasn't expecting this at all, it is a very good things on the fact that people are interested on my food. But it is a lot of pressure for me, it's easier to be disappointed in a meal if people have high expectation of it. Even if the meal was good, people are more critical. I am very passionate about cooking and I have been very happy when such positive feedback comes back to me after they have experienced my degustation at Public Dining Room recently. 

Eloise: How do you expect your next Friday night weekly offering - A Night In Paris - to be received by PDR guests?

Guillaume: The food will be much more simple, beautiful, and I will be less risky on the mix of flavour cause when you have to choose out of an a la carte menu, most of the time people go for the safe dish unless you are an adventurous personality type. That is why a Discovery Degustation menu can be good! A Night in Paris, however, will be something new for the PDR diners. Everyone knows French food, but no one really knows it so my goal on my cooking is to transmit culture, to make you travel to France through your palate... When your spoon goes to your mouth with a warm Roquefort, crunchy candied walnut and the cold sour Granny Smith apple jelly, you will be experiencing Paris... I know it.

Eloise: Many high-profile Sydney chefs who have been to Europe for the sole purpose of becoming Michelin star trained, including Mark Best (Marque), Collin Fassnidge (Four in Hands), and Sam Aisbett (Quay). These chefs tell me that the Michelin restaurant training is tough, gruelling and tends to change people in a way that "separates the men from the boys" in cheffing. You have only ever worked in Michelin star restaurants. What do you believe are the main skills and/or qualities that Michelin restaurants tend to produce in chefs?

Guillaume: Michelin star restaurant is a crazy industry, the rhythm is so hard that you need to be young and healthy to survive, the mental conditions are extreme too, especially in Paris, all the chefs have strong skills, have worked in Michelin restaurant in the past, and try to be better than you. The competition is crazy! I remember one of the waiters of "Le Grand Vefour" (3 Michelin star in Paris) telling me that he couldn't be a chef, because to be chef, you need to be very strong in your head, it's a constant fight. But on the other side of it, you learn discipline, rigour, consistency, perfection, how to dress properly, to work smart, to respect produce and recipes. You also discover so many premium quality fish, meat, herbs, vegetable that you never heard of! This is the beauty of our job, the infinite way to learn. You also work with people who have amazing skills. You learn different techniques, my sous chef at Le Grand Vefour, Thomas l'Hérisson, used to tell me all the time, "there is 3 way to cut fillet this fish: the good way, the bad way, and my way." You realise why you are working so hard when you see chefs with bad training and backgrounds coming for trial in the kitchen, messing it up and doing sloppy work. The Michelin star kitchen is just another world professionally.

Eloise: Australia and Europe have vastly different climates and very different produce as a result. What are the biggest differences you notice with Australian produce?

Guillaume: The seasons are different, and some vegetable or fruit are longer in season here cause the sun is more out than in Europe. The fish is also very different cause it lives in warm water, so it obviously different. 

Eloise: What have you been most impressed by, or most enjoyed, about working at Public Dining Room?

Guillaume: I really like working with Public Dining Room's head chef Anthony Telford, he as a large knowledge on the Australian produce. Being a father of seven children he is a man who knows how to control himself and he will only speak out or blow up when it comes to the big important things that he has passion for around food. He knows how to manage himself in the kitchen well and he is the reason that there is such a strong team at Public Dining Room who have all worked together for a long time. That doesn't happen if the head chef only knows how to be a ball-breaker. 

Public Dining Room were sorry to see so many people turned away from the Discovery Degustation. Today, however, is a happy day as Guillaume's next highly anticipated offering titled A Night in Paris becomes available to PDR newsletter subscribers here first. Available 7 weeks only from Sept 13. To book, phone 9968 4880 or online at publicdiningroom.com.au