Late Dinners at Father's Office @ Saturday, June 06, 2015

Note - This post covers four visits, mainly dinners after 11pm, hence the strange & experimental lighting.



Early April on a Thursday Afternoon



Father's Office has a 20s Bootleg Theme with well-groomed waiters in bow ties and suspenders (a bit hipster) and girls with headpieces (headbands really) feathers, and sequins! They're a bar and resturant, with a balcony. A very popular place for the suits after work, and for parties late at night. This is Jas's era. Welcome to the 20s! 




The restaurant is opposite the bar, and almost as loud as the bar at night. 




The Bar



Key Lime Pie $7
Creamy Kaffir Lime Tart with Meringue & Fresh Chantilly Cream

Our first visit was early in April, a meeting over beer and pie. The pie was good, with 80% meringue and 20% pie. But I think this is the lemon meringue pie, I didn't really taste the lime. And I know lemon meringue when I taste it, I had too much of it at an event... 




That's not a juke box, it's a cigarette vending machine. I've never seen one before. 






It's nice outside, if the smokers weren't out there too. In winter there's outdoor heaters.
Bar stools, tables for 2/4 around the side, and barrels as tables.



I'm told the thing on the left is a photocopier (?) but the thing on the right is definitely a radio.



Thursday 14th May - Late Dinner




Post-show dinner! At Father's Office, at QV open late. They have a special offer that we've been trying to take up. " 1/2 price a la carte meals after 11pm Wed-Sat when seated in the dining room." What's the catch? The last train leaves at midnight (except Fri, but then it doesn't do the loop)!

Father's Office was perfect for where we came from with Modern Millie in NY 1922. As you may have guessed the food here's American! Hello Boston Pie, Key Lime Pie, and hopefully Pumpkin in Winter! 



Man Burger $20*
Milk bun smeared with fried dijon mustard, topped with  a 200 gram grass fed Queensland yearling MSA certified black  angus beef  patty, 2 pieces of  Swiss cheese, a layer of  beer battered fries, 2 more pieces of  Swiss cheese, a fried egg,  a full middle rasher of  free range and gluten free bacon and chipotle mayo. Served with a side of  shoestring fries.

Introducing Esme, a new companion, who as you guessed is a rare female, as all my friends are guy, except a couple I see. She had style and likes food! She also has brains! And doesn't subscribe to the bf of the month club.

Esme loves her burgers and had the 'Man Burger' which she almost finished except for half the bun. That was a big burger! I'm very impressed. The waiter was too, as he said he couldn't finish it.




Crispy Skin Salmon $23*
Pan seared and roasted Tasmanian salmon topped with citrus crème fraîche
 and laid on a bed of  pistachio, craisins and cherry tomato quinoa salad.

Having a healty-ish day I order the salmon, which I love. The skin was perfectly crispy and I really liked it, great price too at $12. The salad was more of quinoa with the three ingredients listed. Needs sauce of some sort, though a squeeze of lemon shall do. Needs more sauce (for the fish and quinoa), cranberries and a third element. Also some dill for deco. But if you're after healthy but still tastes go, go for this.




Salted Caramel & Popcorn Panna Cotta $8*
Our classic panna cotta is topped with fresh light popcorn, sticky salted caramel 
and chunks of  homemade honeycomb. The perfect salty-sweet balance.

Yes we can serve, eat and pay in 10 minutes or less! The panna cotta was nice and simple, if not a little plain. Needs more salted caramel sauce! I can see this panna cotta in a savory dish...



Our waiter tonight was Tony, and we were the only people in the restaurant. He was great with recommendations, and was friendly and memorable. 


The only thing missing is milkshakes! We'll be back on a Friday.



Friday 15th May - Late Dinner

Dinner again at Father's Office, it was loud! Too loud for me, and we were in the restaurant area, not the bar. We arrived at 11.35 and the order taken 22mins later. Not impressed. But our lovely waitress said they were very short staffed that night, which to me still isn't cool. Because everything too so long we had to take a cab home, and it cost almost as much as dinner! Because you were short staffed, I missed the train and that cost me $30+. 

That aside we were starving and fortunately I stopped for coffee and a croissant along the way. While jas made a ah move to stop and charge his phone. What kinda fool thinks I'm going to wait for him?! In psych we are told not to dwell on past mistakes and to move only forwards. Well history tells me next time I'm going alone.




Sweet Potato Wedges $7*

More like thick cut fries (think Grill'd almost) served with sour cream, but no sweet chili (they don't have that). When angry we make bad decision, like not reading the menu and getting extra chips...



Father's Office Sampler $28*

x2 Piece Pork Belly + x2 Piece Arancini Balls + x4 Piece Cinnamon Calamari + x4 Piece Kansas Wings + x4 Piece Buffalo Wings + x4 Piece Polenta Cubes - With accompanying condiments

Jas had the sampler, with very hot wings. He liked it, didn't say much as unless pressed - like an orange on an orange juice. He wants to come back with the boys.



Eye Fillet $25

250 grams of  Victorian grass fed MSA certified prime beef cooked medium rare, pan seared and roasted, topped with  onion marmalade. Served with hand cut sweet potato wedges and house made jalapeño pepper coleslaw

I had the eye fillet which was twice as big as expected! I did finish it though between bites of sweet potato chips (not wedges). For me it was too much, and the middle 2cm3 was chewy. The coleslaw was crazy hot! One taste and I didn't eat the rest. Hotter than the wings jas suggested.




By this point we were both very very full and dessert was a bad idea...




Deconstructed Boston Cream Pie $9*
Our speakeasy twist on the 1920’s classic, indulge in all the elements with layers of  thick vanilla mousse, sticky chocolate glaze and fresh whipped cream.

Dessert in a jar isn't deconstructed to me. The flavours were the same, but I guess presentation wasn't. This was 100% American and like most of our foods will ensure a great taste by clogged arteries. :P Enjoy with caution.




Butterscotch House Made Ice Cream (2 Scoops) $4*

The flavour of the night was butterscotch. Yum! Sadly it was a bit oddly textures with icy chips, and made with condensed milk with a grainy taste. This was odd, and a strange ice cream that was not that creamy, but oddly icy.




Cherry Chocolate Crumble Pie $9*
A classic all American cherry pie covered in a crunchy chocolate and 
rock salt crumble served with homemade pecan and maple ice cream.

The choc cherry pie was perfect! A true classic that is a favourite of mine. It's cherries and sauce in a tart with mainly a nutty ice cream on top. I'd share this between two and eat fast, before the ice cream melts. Of the four dessert I've tried (this, boston pie, key lime pie, panna cotta) this is the only one I'd reccomend.



We'll be back again but be sure to bring the car and call to see if they're short staffed. There was also a party of 18 there at night, they arrived after us and I think waited even longer than us.



Friday 22nd May - 11pm Dinner




I do like the ceiling, gold foil, it reminds me of a bathroom we covered in gold cellophane foil.




Earl Eastside Cocktail $15




Trio of Sliders $17*
Buffalo Chicke, Chesseburger, Pulled Pork
Served on a brioche bun, with a side of shoestring fries

It is a known fact that small things are cute. Like slider sized sliders! Cute snack or canape sized burgers in sets of three served on a decorative board with a side of shoesstring fries. With a sour cream dip, though we prefer tomato sauce and request a jar of that.




Pork Ribs (Full) $28*
Full rack of free range Otway Ranges porl ribs marinated overnight with our secret spiced rub and slow roasted. Finished off with our housemade smoky Kansas City BBQ Sauce.



Served with potato salad and coleslaw. The potato salad was basic. Coleslaw not hot.




Crispy Skin Salmon $23*
Pan seared and roasted Tasmanian salmon topped with citrus crème fraîche
 and laid on a bed of  pistachio, craisins and cherry tomato quinoa salad.

Not feeling like a burger, salad or something fried I had the salmon again. Served with quinoa which reminds me of cous cous. I love the combo of cranberries and pistachios. It was just as good as last time, but I think there's less quinoa



Rocky Road House Made Ice Cream (2 Scoops) $4*

Dessert was ice cream and cheesecake. I love cheesecake. But first the ice cream, there was butterscotch and rocky road. As we had the prior last time we had the rocky road this round. It's not the flavour that's the issue as I thought, but method. Condense milk based rather than milk/cream with an icy tone. Nope.




S'mores Cheesecake $7*
The traditional homemade NY cheesecake served with 
toasted marshmallows and a slightly sweet Chantilly cream. 

My description: a milk chocolate cheesecake that isn't too rich or dark, with the texture of smooth peanut butter. Topped with a slab of marshmallow - blow-torched of course, but not melted.  

But the cheesecake. The cheesecake, was delicious! There are only a couple dishes that taste like home and this is one of them. But note you will die if you eat this alone, this is made to be shared between two. And I look forwards to coming back with Miss Hawaii. 



Note - The dessert menu has changed, no more "key lime (aka lemon meringue) pie" but there's S'more's cheesecake! Also new is the cinnamon sweet potato wedges. Yum! 

This week was busier than the last, with no party of 15 but instead smaller parties filling up half the resturant. Service was very good, and wating times fine. We didn't die while waiting unlike last week. 

Will we be back? Yes, though bring the car. I wouldn't travel just for dinner, but only when coming from an event or often the theatre.



Are you a fan of late night dinning? What would you order for dessert?

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