Overview
In Victoria, enjoying a meal at a restaurant run by chef Scott Pickett's hospitality group is always a good bet. Whether you're after a European bistro experience at Chancery Lane, modern Australian dishes at Estelle and Matilda, or Thai dishes at Longrain, Melbourne has an option. On the Mornington Peninsula, there's also the eateries at The Continental Sorrento.
Smith St Bistrot is Pickett's French restaurant in Melbourne, too, but it isn't the only place that Gallic dishes will be on the menu under his watch in April. For one night only, he's heading to Brisbane to team up with Woolloongabba's C'est Bon. The date to mark in your diary: Wednesday, April 10.
Keen to experience the Melbourne culinary figure's dishes without a trip south? This is your chance. There'll be sittings at 6pm and 8.30pm, with Pickett teaming up with C'est Bon's own Andy Ashby — after they initially collaborated at Pickett's The Point in Albert Park more than a decade go, where Ashby worked under Pickett — for C'est Bon and Beyond: A French Affair.
Patrons will enjoy four snacks and four courses, with Pickett also bringing Scott Pickett Group Executive Chef Stu McVeigh to help. C'est Bon advises that the night "draws inspiration from the rich history of French gastronomy, with the menu paying homage to classic French techniques while incorporating innovative twists and locally sourced ingredients".
On the snacks menu: oeuf mayonnaise caviar, parfait onion jam brioche, barbecue redclaw with basque piperade and mustard flowers, and smoked potato croissant with truffle. After that, the courses start with Moreton Bay bugs with sweetcorn, kelp and shellfish sauce — and then move on to Murray cod a la Grenobloise with roasted cauliflower and finger lime. Next, dry-aged quail and foie gras pithivier with rouge cherry and chicory will be on offer. Finally, the evening will go out with roasted chestnut 'Mont Blanc' with burnt vanilla crème.
"We're thrilled to welcome Scott and Stu to C'est Bon for this special collaboration. It's been a while since I've seen my old pal and we're excited to offer up a menu that celebrates the rich history and traditions of French cuisine, while also incorporating our own unique influences and creative flair," said Ashby.
C'est Bon, Mitch Lowe
Consider it the meeting of two standout Gallic restaurants over one impressive evening. Expect $135 tickets to sell out quickly, too, when they go on sale on Wednesday, March 6. Pay extra and you'll get wine to match.
Pickett's career has taken him from an apprenticeship in Adelaide in the 90s to opening his own restaurants, hosting TV shows and publishing a recipe book, and collecting ample acclaim along the way — and now, to giving Brisbane a taste of his cooking, even if only for one bound-to-be-popular evening.
Alex Squadrito
C'est Bon, Mitch Lowe
Smith St Bistrot, Shannon McGrath
C'est Bon, Mitch Lowe
C'est Bon and Beyond: A French Affair takes place at 6pm and 8.30pm on Wednesday, April 10 at C'est Bon, 609/611 Stanley Street, Woolloongabba. For more information and to buy tickets from 5pm on Thursday, March 6, head to the C'est Bon website.
Top image: Simon Shiff.