Who would have thought that a CBD watering hole in the West end of Perth city would lead a double life as a good restaurant? Well, that is certainly the case with Bar One when it's not catering to the throng of thirsty suits on Friday nights.
I caught up with my friend and mentor, Dario, for a long overdue lunch, and Dario, who is a believer in Steve Scaffidi's prowess as a restaurateur, suggested we check it out.
I was most impressed. Excellent service from the moment I walked in. Despite the fact that the place was busy, we were well attended to, not just at the start when hearing about the specials, but also when we wanted to order the wine, and subsequently our meals. There was even the one guy assigned to our table, which is what you would normally associate with a well run restaurant.
The style was bistro, but the food was modern continental. One would normally expect a wooden board full of sliced cured meats when you order the antipasto platter. But this was a tasting plate of 5 morsels. I ordered the duck (always a good test of e basic skills of the chef) and Dario got the lamb braised in red wine. The duck was excellent - succulent, soft yielding flesh that easily teased away from the bone, which suggests a couple hours of rendering in e oven. Love it. Dario's serve was not for the faint of appetite. A hugely generous serving that was served paso buck style, with bone and marrow to boot!
We had a delicious sangiovese from Southern Italy. Dario said something profound - when he drinks a good wine, it takes him away to the location. Smell the earth taste the air. Listen to the people, as if you were standing there.
It was well worth the walk, not just for the food, but more importantly for the impartation of wisdom!
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