Scott Connolly spoke to The Write Drop for our At The Bar series.
MY CITY
Melbourne. It’s got such an incredible food and wine culture particularly the pubs. What I love is that Melbourne’s neighbourhoods all have a very distinct personalities, and within those neighbourhoods each pub must have its own identity. The pubs that really work in Melbourne are authentic its not one size fits all.
FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY
I first fell in love with dining at 19. I was backpacking with some friends and we stumbled across this little mum-and-pop bistro in Naples. There was no menu. The little old lady waiting on us spoke no English, so we were just sat there while she kept bringing food and put a carafe of wine on the table. We feasted on the most beautiful seafood and pasta. After that I began to understand the importance of food, wine and ambience as experience.
FAVOURITE BAR
Pubs are such a big part of my life, but sometimes it’s nice to sit in a well-appointed
and creative space. Bouvardia on Bourke street definitely scratches that itch. They really
blend art and science in what they do. I like to try as much as I can when I’m there, but I am a sucker for a Major Tom.
DRINK THAT DESCRIBES YOU
I’d like to say something interesting like an old-fashioned, some sort of mix between tart and sweet but I’m probably more like a Carlton draught.
BEST HANGOVER CURE
I’m quite lucky in that I don’t really get hungover very often, it may be that over time I’ve
understood my limits more or it could be that I come from long line of Irish publicans. When I do get a hangover the only cure seems to be to whine about it loudly and frequently until it goes away
BEST INTERSTATE BAR
The Unicorn in Paddington is an institution and possibly the best Pub in Australia. They do
everything well . It looks amazing and is unpretentious. The food is fantastic and the Island
bar is the coolest bar I’m aware of. 10/10
OVERSEAS BAR
Hannah in Formentera. It’s more of a restaurant/bar, but I spent one of the most enjoyable afternoons of my life here. Great food, great wine spent with family on one of the most
beautiful beaches in the world.
FAVOURITE WINE
My all time favourite bottle of wine is the Wayne Thomas Petit Verdot. Unfortunately Wayne
is no longer with us and they stopped making this a while ago but I loved this wine so much.
FAVOURITE WINERY
I grew up on the Mornington Peninsula so I’m very biased. Montalto is great and I go at least once every summer with my Friends I grew up with so it holds a pretty special place in my heart.
Tell us about the inspiration behind the new menu at The George Hotel
A pub menu is a real balancing act. On all of our menus, we try to add something that is a
real throwback to the past but has a modern take. On this menu it’s prawn toast or the
chicken parma/schnitzel that is on the bone.
What do diners want from pub meals?
A pub menu should be comforting and unpretentious, but at the same time it needs executed really well. A trip to the pub shouldn’t require a second mortgage so it also needs to be affordable.
Pair some dishes for us at The George
Sesame Prawn toast – Rob Hall Chardonnay.
Chicken Parama – Pot of Carlton Draught (Tank).
Vegetarian Lasagne – Torzi Matthews “Old Vines” GSM.
How has pub culture changed in Australia?
I would say it has become a lot more inclusive. When I first started in the industry it was very male focused. Over the last decade much more thought has gone into design, menu offer, music and ambience to move it from the musky old front bars that would often feel
intimidating to people walking in.
