Don’t Lose Heart at Harvest

My heart split into a million pieces when I first had my heart broken. The world felt as if it had crumbled into dust and I felt like I had fallen from God's grace. Time moved slowly as did the healing of my heart. I was relatively young at the time but even back then I struggled with the concept that somehow, someday I might just find a powerful love like that again.

These days I am no longer the train wreck that I was for several years after the split and I have had the light go on about one very important fact. I believe that having your heart broken is an essential factor in finding ‘the one’ or, in my case, ‘another one’. Recent research has proven the fact that people that have experienced long –term relationships have an advantage in the dating world. What I have learnt is to take a big picture view of my former relationship and learn from it. I have looked at the relationship in context, thought about what it was that was missing or, that I needed to have in a partner that I didn't even realise at the time. I truly believe that I am much smarter now at picking the right guy for me and, am a better partner now than I was before.

I went with my close friend and her partner for dinner at Harvest in North Fremantle. Still giddy from the excitement of being in their new relationship, I picked Harvest as a good spot for them to return on their own for a more romantic date minus the ‘spare wheel’. Harvest is a modern European restaurant that touts using only fresh produce and an edgy menu designed to push your taste-buds to the limit.

Housed in a little historic cottage, the fame of Harvest’s owners Miles Hull (ex Little Creatures) and Clint Nolan (The Regent Sydney) raised the stakes and we expected to be wowed at this unpretentious establishment that was guaranteed to dazzle. Decor at Harvest is boudoir chic, red velvet, crystal chandeliers and dark wood create a dramatic backdrop for your dining experience. Harvest even has an indulgent private dining room complete with a wine wall and antique forged candelabra.

Cocktails at Harvest are sensational. We started off the evening by ordering a pitcher of Pimms no 1 with lemonade, cucumber and orange, a glass of bloody bubbles ( blood orange juice and champagne), a mandarin & coriander caipirinha and I had a watermelon, passionfruit vodka, campari and basil cocktail.

For dinner we had a crispy skin gold band snapper, beetroot & quinoa salad with rhubarb sauce, wagu beef with veal tongue and bread salad, rolled chicken breast stuffed with popcorn and mushy peas and fennel and, fresh cut chips. All the dishes were a visual feast and tasted out-of-this world. It almost made up for the hour that we waited for our drinks to arrive and the forty minutes it took to chomp down on our meals.

Service at Harvest was appalling. There is a saying that all good things come to those who wait but after our hour and forty minutes even the spectacular sounding desserts couldn’t get us to stay. On the dessert menu were a couple of magical creations such as white chocolate and parsnip semifreddo, decadent doughnut, lime curd or how about thyme cheese cake tart with pistachio and honey ice cream?

I truly believe that having my heart broken has increased the probability of me finding the right love that lasts. So, I am going to give Harvest another chance and keep the faith that it will be better the second time around.

Passion Rating★★★★★
Food:★★★★☆
Service:★☆☆☆☆
Ambiance:★★★☆☆
Overall:★★1/2☆☆

Bask in la belle époque at Balthazar

There are certain moments in life where you just want time to stand still, like the instant when you look into the eyes of your beloved for the first time, walking down the aisle on your wedding day or, celebrating the birth of your child. These are the moments that go deep into your heart and leave you forever altered in a marvellous way.

Balthazar is one Perth wine bar that is known to have this effect on people. Open for about ten years, it’s one of those places that doesn’t advertise, is rarely written about, but that everyone knows is one of the most memorable dining spots in town. Housed in the historic Lawson Building, this Howard Street legend beckons only the most discerning crowd.

Walking into Balthazar is reminiscent of a French-style bistro from the early 1900s. Dark chocolate furnishings, rustic taverna-style chairs, red silk lampshades hung upside down and art-nouveau wall paper adorns the walls. The owners of this establishment are clearly serious about their wine. It is estimated that Balthazar plays home to about 500 bottles which are displayed throughout the restaurant. This allegiance is testament to the name of the restaurant – Balthazar is another word for wine cellar.

The atmosphere at Balthazar is sultry and sophisticated helped in part by the mood lighting which seems to flicker like candles in a darkened room and the strains of jazz piano and Ella Fitzgerald singing the blues. My elegant finance-guy and I are die-hard romantics and Europhiles so this restaurant was right up our alley. Balthazar made me reminisce about times I had spent in Paris and trips made to the market in the south of France on my bicycle. It reminded me of how important it is to relish the simple pleasures in life.

To start we ordered the tasting plate – a medley of dates stuffed with foie-gras and wrapped in crispy prosciutto, beetroot tart with crème fraiche, rabbit and pork terrine with pistachio nuts. These morsels were sublime. The freshness of the ingredients and the delicate flavours of each perfectly presented parcel titillated our palates in anticipation of what was to come. A mango sorbet in between courses was the perfect refresher. We closed our eyes and moaned with pleasure at the sweet reprieve of the chilled mango in our mouths.

For our mains, it was unanimous - duck breast with cherry mustard, duck leg crepe and madeira sauce came highly recommended by our charming server Patrick. His suggestion of the smoked Amelia Park beef, celeriac, blue cheese and peppered popcorn was equally right on the money. Perfectly cooked the duck breast was plump and pink, fanned out on the plate. The duck leg crepe was slightly crispy and richly flavoured by the madeira velouté. The beef was succulent and contrasted beautifully with the crunch and spice of the peppered popcorn and celeriac mash.

Balthazar presents a chic Bohemian mystique evocative of la belle époque where poets such as Baudelaire, Rimbaud and Toulouse Lautrec, also known as the so called “gentlemen of the Moulin Rouge” got sloshed on absinthe and used it as a means of persuasion.

Absinthe is a drink derived from the Artemisia Absentium plant and other spices such as liquorice. Coined the “the green fairy” by poet Rimbaud, it is said to be capable of evoking vitalizing effects with sexually enhancing aphrodisiac charges enjoyed by Bohemian drinkers in the 1800s.

I will definitely be going back to Balthazar and recommend they put some of that magic love potion on their menu. Personally, I didn’t need the help of a magic potion on my date, but just in case in you need a Plan B here’s one of my favourite absinthe cocktail recipes:

Surprise Sex

1/2 measure absinthe

2 measure apple schnapps

1 measure sambuca

1 measure bacardi

1/2 measure vodka

To taste apple juice

Add ingredients to a shaker, add apple juice to match personal taste. Stir and serve.

Passion Rating★★★★★
Food:★★★★☆
Service:★★★★★
Ambiance:★★★★★
Overall:★★★★☆

Get your Soul Fed at Cantina 663

Break-ups are a bitch. No matter how you slice it, whether it’s you that calls it off or them it is no less painful. It’s an interesting phenomenon how our hearts naturally go out to the person that got dumped. For me, saying good bye to someone special is heart-wrenching. Even if you know that they are not for you, the fact is you did get together because of some pretty dazzling qualities they showed you that are hard to forget, you connected deeply and it can hurt like hell.

A person very dear to me once told me that their definition of true love is your soul's recognition of its counterpoint in another - some of you may also recognise it as the line used by Vince Vaughan in Wedding Crashers to hit on unsuspecting female targets, dateless and looking for love. But really, this quote begs the eternal question. Is there really one person out there for you, or, are there many suitable mates for one person? My theory is that when we feel as if we have found our one and only love in our partner or spouse, we stop looking and being open. We cease to be aware of other potential soul mates around us. I like controversial theorist Barrie Dolnick’s definition of a soul mate as "someone who reflects or matches your energy and your path in life. ... whose power and potential are complementary to your own”.

But is the imminent notion of soul mates restricted to those we have had as lovers? Have you ever noticed that there are certain people who enter your life at a particular time for a reason that becomes apparent later? I have had a number of soul friends in my life, flitting in and out when I have needed them the most and leaving a lasting memory and the gift of being loved.

To commemorate the departure of one of my soul friends, a group of us went out to dinner at Cantina 663 (www.cantina663.com) in Mount Lawley. Cantina 663 is one of those rare places you go back to over and over again for the incredible food prepared using fresh, organic produce and cooked with a conscience. The food is inspired by what is best and in season and the wine list reflects the diversity of Italy, Spain and Portugal.

The locale itself is housed in Astor Lane. You can take a seat at the distressed, tobacco leather banquettes inside the restaurant or settle in at one of the tables that stretch into the arcade. The decor is rustic Spanish and creates the feeling of being in a well-worn cantina – ‘cantina’ is the Spanish word for wine cellar or saloon. It is warm, quirky and mixes just the right vibe of grungy cool and über chic for Mount Lawley’s ‘too cool to care’ glitterati.

Cocktails at Cantina 663 are sensational. My crew tried the Hendrick’s gin, tonic and cucumber and Espresso martini while I savoured a deliciously refreshing gin sour with maraschino cherries and went back for round two. Other tantalising offerings include a cantina house made sangria with brandy, Spanish gin, limoncello, lemon, lime, orange, clove, cinnamon, vino and soda or, what about the Midnite in Sicily – Appleton rum, ginger liqueur, averna, bitters, lemon and lime.

To start, we ordered the char grilled olive bread, the salumi platter with house pickles and duck liver parfait with onion jam. The bread was designer charred and had a wonderful smoky flavour. The salumi platter was a welcome surprise of hot and cold meats– Serrano ham, warm Italian blood pudding, grilled chorizo and house-cured bresaolo (cured beef). The meat tasted gutsy and packed a punch – a hearty dish for the strapping men at my table. The duck liver parfait at Cantina 663 is iconic and did not disappoint – creamy and decadent, the duck liver marries perfectly with the sweetness of the onion jam smeared on the seared bread.

For mains Mr F – shredded dude # 1 had the house-made pappardelle with rabbit, sweet corn, bacon and mascarpone; Big W – shredded dude # 2 chowed down on the baked salmon with cider, potato, almond and french beans while shredded dude # 3 Dizzy-O and I knocked back the slow cooked lamb rump with bean stew, thyme, pecorino and lemon. All our meals were noteworthy but the house-made pasta with rabbit was definitely the star of the night!

Service at Cantina was friendly, fast and furious. We got booted off our table at 8pm. Here’s hoping that this was just a once off experience at Cantina 663 and that the charm it is known for doesn’t get blown away by its increasing success.

Despite the abrupt ending to our evening, we had a great night at Cantina 663. The meals are real soul food - simple, nourishing and keep you going back for more. Cantina 663 is also a good place to go for a quiet date and some real conversation. Who knows you may even find your soul mate. Rumi, the famous Sufi poet has a great poem about finding your one true love – he says “lovers don’t just find one each other, they are in each other all along.” Makes sense to me.

Passion Rating★★★★★
Food:★★★★☆
Service:★★☆☆☆
Ambiance:★★★☆☆
Overall:★★★1/2☆