Jaz (00:11):
Hey there and welcome to this episode of My Mate In... Where we talk about not the most fancy places but the places that really bring you joy to visit your local favorites and I say this almost every episode it doesn't need to be the fanciest it just needs to be a place that you really enjoy. But today I do wanna tell you about one that I really enjoy that is also a little bit fancy. So in Northcote, there is a place called Estelle. It's been around for a long time. It's a Scott Pickett restaurant. Estelle is my favorite special occasion restaurant. It's described as modern Australian cuisine. Uh the thing I really enjoy about it is they have seating around the chefs. You can sit and enjoy a cocktail and watch while your food is being created by these really talented chefs who make these really beautiful and delicious dishes.

Jaz (01:07):
If you haven't had this experience before of sitting up at a counter and watching ch - you know, really talented chefs at work honestly is such a treat. The thing I love about it is twofold. The first is from a food perspective to see this really high quality, delicious, beautiful food get created and just the gorgeousness and the skill and mechanics of even just watching a chef ad different herbs or you know, final touches to a dish. I just find it so satisfying. It's like this extra level of satisfaction from having a delicious meal, getting to see it being created. I always feel a little bit awkward like I, um, you feel like the chefs are right there and I don't wanna bother them while they're creating food, but I have been told they're quite happy to have a bant and, and conversation with people. The other aspect of what I really like about it is just appreciating like the project management of how a kitchen is run.

Jaz (02:06):
So for a while, the head chef on occasions where we have gone in is Chef Georgie and Chef Georgie is just like this incredible human to observe leading a team of talented people of multiple different stations and responsibilities in the kitchen to successfully create good food within tight timelines to a full restaurant. And I remember this experience kind of being heightened after getting obsessed with the Bear series and the dynamics of chefs in a kitchen and communication and you know, going in after that because we had tried this experience before and then going in afterwards and just kind of having a chuckle where you think because you watch a TV series, you get this inside glimpse into an industry or what a job is like or you know, the culture of being a chef, creating high quality food. This is the kind of place where you could go for a romantic night, you go for an anniversary.

Jaz (03:02):
If you have friends visiting and you wanna show them how, how great Melbourne food or how cool High Street is, head over to Northcote, book a table or sit up at the bar and you just know that you're gonna get high quality food and have a really good time. The cocktails are also really delicious. I could actually talk a lot about how much I enjoy Estelle, but with the intention of creating punchy little episodes to just, uh, maybe introduce you to places to try that you may not have had knowledge of or, uh, kind of been inspired to try yet, um, I think I'll finish up there. Go to Estelle, use the chance to get a little dressed up. I don't want you to think it's too bougie, but it is, it's a really nice place. Uh get dressed up, have some cocktails, enjoy good food.

Jaz (03:51):
Yeah, I hope that you're doing well and taking care. See you next time.