Overview
Throughout August, Private Dining Room (PDR) will bring Mondays to life with a collaborative lineup of Australian culinary talent at Fitzroy restaurant Messer. Presenting some of the best chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers and winemakers from across Australia, PDR is a dining experience where renowned chefs from several restaurants work together to offer a joint menu with paired beverages — including this series of five-course feasts.
Flipping through the Rolodex for August, PDR welcomes chef Paul Farag from Sydney's acclaimed Fish Butchery, while South Australia's Brianna Smith of The Summertown Artologist and Chris Chilvers of Penny Hill Winery combine their talents.
Not to be outdone, the Melbourne contingent includes winemakers Jasmine Wakely (Le Timbre Wines) and Brodie Comer (Yugen Wines), pastry chefs Kay-Lene Tan (Tonka) and Eigin Ting (L'Hotel Gitan), as well as members of the Messer team.
With restaurants remaining as competitive as ever, PDR founder and sommelier Tim O'Donnell hopes to foster a collaborative atmosphere and give chefs the chance to create menus that go outside the confines of their workplaces.
PDR was launched by O'Donnell in 2015, and while the secret's been out for a little while now, the event's strictly limited seating keeps each dinner an exclusive affair.