Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island
Corner of North Terrace and Thomas Willson Street
In 2006, I did a quick trip to KI with my Mum and kids before moving up to Cairns. We had a great time, and a highlight of that trip was Dudley Cellar door at Cape Willoughby. They served us a "bucket of prawns" in bright yellow sand buckets...........fantastic. I was so inspired by this innovative way of serving up prawns, I copied them for Christmas that year!
Although the Cellar door was in a magnificent location close to the lighthouse at Cape Willoughby, alas it seems the regular tourist does not wander as he should, and they have moved to more central and convenient Penneshaw . The ferry to the mainland docks in Penneshaw, and despite the less charismatic cellar door, I was pleased they had moved. What better way to pass the time waiting for the ferry than to have lunch and wine!
The restaurant is open and airy, complete with Dudley wines and the usual tacky tourist honey and other KI products. There is plenty of room, and I can only assume the occasional bus must stop for tastings.
Dudley has a wide range of wines. Chardonnay, Cab Sauv, Shiraz, Sauv Blanc and a Rose. Their Porky Flat Shiraz is fantastic, and their Sauv Blanc is a good stand-by.
Wandering around the restaurant, you get a real comfy, home feeling. Walls are adorned with photos of regulars enjoying a night out with live music, and with Xavier Rudd and then Jack Johnson playing in the background, one could expect good music on their live entertainment nights! Fantastic flora and fauna photos are everywhere, very appropriate for the natural experience of Kangaroo Island.
The Slow Roasted Shoulder of Lamb ($18) was seasoned with cumin, garlic and herbs served with pumpkin, pine nuts, baby spinach, hommous and KI coriander chilli jam. A very good "comfort" food, the presentation was simple and fresh.
The platter ($35) shared by my kids (with a bit of Mum's fingers into that goats curd) was great. Marinated Kangaroo olives, Barossa Valley curd, cheddar, prosciutto, mettwurst, pickled onions, sundried tomato and cashew dip, dukkah and toasted turkish bread. Although the inclusion of local produce is always appreciated, the price was a bit steep for what was presented.
I had the Kangaroo Island Fetta and Pea Fritters )18) with smoked Atlantic salmon, lemon and mustard aioli and rosted cherry tomatoes. I was pleased to see they used Island Pure Fetta... a fantastic sheep cheese. I absolutely love their Haloumi. The fritters were slightly over-cooked, so a bit rubbery but all in all, I really enjoyed this lunch. Nice and light and fresh, my glass of Grassy Flat Sauv Blanc enhanced the flavours beautifully.The staff were attentive and quick, and we had a very enjoyable, casual lunch. The convenient location will ensure the success of this restaurant. Its limited menu really works ... simple, and fresh. I just hope come summer they put those buckets of prawns back on the menu!!
Regardless of the 
The day we were there, the state of the Murray was all too obvious, with a substantial sand bar emerging from the middle of the river. The struggle for the Murray's survival is an environmental disaster, and as pelicans and black swans work there way down the once flowing waters, it is a reminder of what we could lose. It isn't for the sadness of the Mighty Murray that brings us to 
I ordered the special of Baked 
Amongst our group, we ordered the FLT, a quirky acronym playing on the BLT, with soft sourdough bread, pan fried fish lettuce and tomato. The presentation of this "
The casual Fish and Chips, the perfect lunch for a casual shore-line restaurant, was presented simply. The only complaint here, was the batter was a little dry, overshadowing the marinated fish. Love the "real" chips!
The Vietnamese shredded vegetable salad with 
The fried fresh squid was perfect. It seems the portion of this dish has gotten bigger, which is great as it was often commented as too small for the price in the past. The squid was so fresh, not rubbery....... tasting of the ocean. Perfect. The light batter wasn't over-powering also enhancing the beautiful taste of the squid.
Even the child's meal was a work of art. Presented beautifully again on the signature wooden board, the meat was cooked perfectly. Absolute value for money!
I don't remember the name of this dessert that we all had a taste of but WOW. Coffee, custard, almonds..........
Somehow I didn't find the taxidermied heads offensive of all. They seemed to blend in well with the dark wooden tables and high ceiling. 
It was so difficult to choose what to eat. Unique combinations and so many things I hadn't tried before made for a very tough time to make a decision!
We started with a selection of relishes served with naan breads ($9). We were so hungry I think we would have appreciated more of everything .. more bread more dips... 
I finally chose two entrees (which apparentely is what I ALWAYS do?!) settling firstly on the Kedergee. I had read a couple reviews of this dish, and was interested to try it. I had never tried, although had heard of kedergee so decided it was a must on this evening. Kedergee is slow cooked spicy rice and in this case, was accompanied with seared prawns and scallops, and finished with sour cream and dill. ($12). There was heaps of flavour in this dish, a soft peppery finish gave it the bite it needed. I really enjoyed it, despite not being the usual sort of thing I would order. The seafood was fresh in particular the scallops were sweet and juicy.
I followed the kedgeree with the Tandoori Quail. It was served on broken wheat porridge with saffron sauce ($10) and was magnificent! Wonderful flavour and cooked to perfection, I loved this dish! So reasonably priced too.
We ordered mango chutney and raita for condiments of course. We recieved a huge amount of raita, and a tiny bowl of mango chutney. Much to our disappointment, the chutney consisted of one big chunk of mango in a small dish! Not really enough for four hungry people drinking wine late at night!
Fellow diners ordered a curry and the duck dish, both with nods of approval. The only complaint I got was the duck was slightly over-cooked, making it a bit too dry. 
One of two pubs in Port Elliot, the Hotel Elliot stands out as a great place to meet up with friends. The decor is sleek yet comfortable with large open doors opening to an outside courtyard. A great spot for a cold Coopers in the summer.
We arrived just before six, and despite being early. The waiter was happy to take our order and get it into the kitchen. The place was already relatively busy, with the after work knock-off drinks crowd. The laughing and the constant steam of arrivals made for a great atmosphere.
I ordered Wood Smoked Barossa Pork Kassler Chop. ($19.90) It was served on braised red cabbage, rhine potatoes, gravy ad apple chutney. It was absolutely FANTASTIC. The apple chutney was spicey and sweet and the red cabbage gave just the right combination of flavours. Accompanied by a cold Pale Ale, a dish I would highly recommend.
From the outside you would be fooled into thinking this shop would have little to offer other than some deep fried spring rolls and perhaps Western style sweet and sour pork drying in the 
A huge range of dry goods are available. Conveniently, they have generally separated all goods according to countries they are from. Japan, China, India etc. Even Korean foods are available!
While paying for my yummy treasures, I am so pleased with the friendliness and idle chit chat that always takes place here. Locals come and go, grabbing the paper, kids come in for an ice cream, and an elderly Chinese lady reaches for some unidentifiable frozen goods. Somehow, the staff know most everyone that comes in either by name or face ....everyone is acknowledged with a friendly hello.