This was THE event that may or may not happen in the future and noting that it is a French inspired food menu at a scenic spot in the Barossa, the sister and I jumped straight into bookings. Artisans of Barossa is a little spot that showcases a few individual winemakers under one roof and quite possibly, some of the wines may not be available in your local bottle shop.
I love the view from the cellar door, especially on a sunny bright day where one could easily see the majestic greenery and vineyards of the Barossa. Not much to see at night but still easy to fall in love with the modern interior that couples well with the relaxed warmth that greets you upon entry.
Back to this dinner's story, it is held in conjunction with the Tour de France event and at $40 for an appetizer, two mains and a dessert, surely we can't say no. Both of us eat a healthy portion of food (no more, no less) so be warned if you are expecting a big, fine dining feast. Remember, you are not paying exorbitant prices.
Reservations are done online and you can definitely treat yourself to a glass or bottle of wine at the venue. Reds and whites are both available. The concept of this dinner is akin a long lunch table where you basically sit with people you may not know and start practicing your socializing skills. So let's start with our Stage 2 Dijon a Orleans menu!
Rillettes de Lapin ~ rabbit and pork rillettes served with a bit of chutney on the side. We were a little confused as to whether this would be served at our table but it seemed that it was placed at the front counter, probably as an ice breaker:) A little messy to eat but we managed not to make a mess!
Truite Saumonee au Beurre Blanc ~ salmon trout with white wine and shallot butter sauce served with potatoes. Yummo! My cut of salmon was very moist and tasted fantastic with the butter sauce. As you can see, this piece of salmon is a decent portion size.
On a side note, staff were constantly refilling our table's bowls with slices of baguette bread. Most of us took a few pieces to lap up the remainder sauce on our plate.
Poulet Saute aux Champignons ~ chicken sauteed with fresh mushrooms and served with slices of baked potatoes. I had two and a half serves of this, mainly because everyone else was too filled from the previous main and I would hate to see food get wasted! The mushroom sauce was not gluggy and overly creamy but rather, a lighter accompaniment to the chicken. Some of the other guests found the chicken meat a tad dry although I thought mine was done well:)
Tarte Tatin ~ caramelised upside down apple tart. Can't claim to be French with a tart tatin. The apple pieces were compacted pretty well prior to getting baked. Not overly tart nor sweet and I found it to be the right size for a dessert. Would have liked more but have to admit that sugar is something I need to cut back on;)
Overall, it was a good dining experience that is so worth every penny and I highly recommend going for the remainder two stages if you have not already booked yourself in! Stage 4 looks tempting so you may see an overzealous camera clicking character there;)
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