The Commoner
Disclosure: Alastair and I dined courtesy of The Commoner.
My last visit to The Commoner in Fitzroy was a disgracefully long time ago. It was back in 2009 for a food bloggers’ meet up where the Commoner generously let us use their courtyard and their wood fired oven. How kind is that? Ever since then I’d been meaning to head back for a meal but you know the story – life gets in the way and time passes. So when I received an invite to come in and check out the menu, I was keen as mustard.
Located in Fitzroy on Johnson Street, The Commoner serves food with a Modern British slant. They have an emphasis on fresh and local ingredients and their menu changes with the seasons depending what’s available. The atmosphere in the small restaurant is relaxed and friendly – the décor is eclectic with funny little decorative knick knacks and mismatched vintage plates.
Foodwise, Alastair and I put ourselves in the very capable hands of the owner, Jo Corrigan who fed us well with a parade of dishes and accompanying wines. Anyone can choose the “Feed me” option from the menu, which I always like to do. But if you’d rather choose dishes yourself you can do that too. The menu is divided into “small food”, “more food”, sides and desserts.
From small food, our first dish was Richard’s surprise (padron) peppers ($8). Simply grilled and served with a dusting of salt, the surprise in these peppers is that every now and again you find a spicy one. Otherwise, they’re mostly sweet and capsicum like. The very first pepper I ate was a spicy one, which really got my taste buds working. Alastair was also lucky enough to find a spicy one. Winner winner. 🙂
The boccerones – Sicilian white anchovies on crostini with sweet pepper and aioli ($3 each) – were fantastic. The anchovies were the pickled variety rather than salted, so it was a little crunchy mouthful of slightly vinegary fish complemented by the creamy aioli. Really nice.
I totally swooned over the parmesan and truffle croquettes ($4 each). Made from a cheesey potato mash, they had a perfectly crunchy shell and just the right amount of truffle aroma. I could totally pig out on these things.
Alastair doesn’t eat black pudding, so I had the house black pudding with mash and a hen’s yolk ($10) all to myself. Eaten by itself, the black pudding was quite salty, so it was a genius idea to serve it with mash and egg yolk. It was a very rich dish and probably better shared rather than eaten by one person… (despite the richness I might’ve eaten most of it. Don’t look at me!)
The dish of seared scallops with cauliflower, apple and walnut salad with hibiscus dressing ($16) was spot on – just cooked scallops and crunchy tart apple salad.
We also had a little rabbit pie with wood oven cooked carrots (which wasn’t on the menu). It was a really nice little pie – the savoury and un-gamey filling was piping hot and wrapped in puff pastry. I also loved the carrots that had picked up the smoke from the wood oven.
And as if that wasn’t enough, we shared an amazing wood roast baby chicken with foraged pine mushrooms ($32). The meat was incredibly smokey and tender and I loved the mushrooms.
We also had a couple of sides – a potato salad and a yellow carrot, celery and fig salad with a red wine reduction ($14)
After all that food, we didn’t think we could fit in dessert. But when it came out we managed to find a bit of spare stomach space for beignets crusted with vanilla sugar and served with lemon verbena curd ($4 each). They were gorgeous – so light.
But the star was a bloody amazing brown ale pudding with salted caramel and cream ($13). Oh my god. This is my kind of dessert. I find lots of salted caramel things quite underwhelming, but the pudding was incredible – the properly salty caramel sauce meant that it was sweet and savoury at the same time. So, so good.
There is something so very charming about The Commoner and we had a brilliant lunch. I’m still dreaming about that pudding, and the chicken, and the croquettes, and…
Oh, and do you like movies and silly puns? If you do, every second month The Commoner are adding a movie inspired menu in addition to their normal ala carte menu (the movie menus are $80 for 5 courses, or $120 with matching wines). They sound like a bit of very tasty fun. Starting on 5 April, the movie menu is Claws (inspired by Jaws, of course), a crustacean menu that’s only available in April. Coming up later in the year there’s Whisky Business in June, Back to the Butcher in August, Belicatessen in October and Planet of the Canapes in December. I’m particularly keen on Whisky Business and Belicatessen (swine and cider – oh yes!).
Further reading: Joyce from Melb Hot or Not went to February’s movie menu launch night – Poultrygeist.
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The Commoner
122 Johnston St
Fitzroy
Phone: 03 9415 6876
Web: thecommoner.com.au
Open Wednesday & Thursday for Dinner – 6pm until Late
Friday, Saturday & Sunday Lunch 12pm-3pm, & Dinner 6pm until Late
leaf (the indolent cook)
March 31, 2012 @ 1:43 am
I’m actually still yet to visit The Commoner, even though I’ve been meaning to for ages. Life does get in the way! The food looks pretty amazing.
Agnes
April 1, 2012 @ 10:07 am
The food was really good – it’s such a nice place. 🙂
Fatboo
March 31, 2012 @ 8:31 am
I ate here w my cousins a year ago and it was really enjoyable. My iPhone pictures were bad though so I decided not to write it up. The scallops and rabbit pie looks incredibly good!
Lol @ “keen as mustard”… that’s the first time I’ve heard it. :p
Agnes
April 1, 2012 @ 10:09 am
Hah, you need to make a return visit 🙂 And start using “keen as mustard” as a phrase. 😉
Hannah
March 31, 2012 @ 3:40 pm
I would’ve shared the black pudding with you! And yay, happy memories, because we have a version of boquerones at Movida 🙂 🙂
That ale pudding does sound like awesomeness. Sigh.
Agnes
April 1, 2012 @ 10:17 am
Who says I would’ve shared the black pudding, hmm? 😉
msihua
March 31, 2012 @ 8:44 pm
Ahhh let’s do WHISKY BUSINESS! Ayaaaaa so many events that sound so good!
Agnes
April 1, 2012 @ 10:18 am
Okay, done. 😀
Too many events… my goal to eat out less this year hasn’t happened so far…
EatPlayShop
March 31, 2012 @ 9:55 pm
We have not visited The Commoner, but those movie inspired dinners sound too interesting to miss. Back to the Butcher, hahahaha, must get Hubby to wear a life-preserver orange vest!
And I love that you used the phrase “keen as mustard”. I used to think that it came from the fact that Keen’s makes mustard and curry powders, but apparently the phrase predates that and was first used in the 1600’s!!! *useless trivia buff*
Agnes
April 1, 2012 @ 10:23 am
Oooh good trivia – I always wondered where that phrase came from. 😀
Miss Kimbers @ Fruit Salad and Mixed Veg
April 1, 2012 @ 6:16 am
Just had breakfast but I am feeling hungry again. The chicken looks so tasty.
Agnes
April 1, 2012 @ 10:24 am
Time for second breakfast? 😀
Celeste @ Berrytravels
April 1, 2012 @ 12:18 pm
I’m heading to Commoner for Claws – can’t wait! Esp after seeing all these amazing photos. *drools*
Agnes
April 4, 2012 @ 8:43 pm
Oh yay! Hope you enjoy – look forward to hearing a full report. 🙂
Annette
April 1, 2012 @ 7:21 pm
Terry would hav shared the black pudding with you Agnes –this looks like a nice place….yum yum..
Agnes
April 4, 2012 @ 8:57 pm
It’s a lovely place. And are you sure that you wouldn’t share the black pudding with me? Hehee.
Bladdamasta
April 2, 2012 @ 1:20 pm
Great review
Agnes
April 4, 2012 @ 8:49 pm
Thanks 🙂
Reuben
April 3, 2012 @ 1:27 pm
My favourite Melbourne restaurant for grown-up-casual (is that even a thing?) intimate dining. I eat there as often as I can afford to, and just love pretty much everything about it. Have been visiting regularly since I discovered it soon after it opened, and recently enjoyed the Poultrygeist theme menu – up to their usual outrageously high standards.
I also recently won the caption comp for Claws, so will be happy to report back…
Agnes
April 4, 2012 @ 8:54 pm
Oh congrats! Enjoy Claws – I’m interested in hearing how it is. 🙂
Precise Moment Photography
April 3, 2012 @ 10:40 pm
That food is mouth-watering…
I love back pudding but I’ve never actually had it at a decent restaurant before – it’s usually a morning after breakfast item for me.
I’m definitely going to have to add The Commoner to the list…
Agnes
April 4, 2012 @ 8:58 pm
The food is great – I definitely recommend a visit. 🙂
Thanh
April 7, 2012 @ 8:05 pm
The food and photos look super awesome. 400 pushups and counting.
Agnes
April 8, 2012 @ 4:11 pm
Doh. So many pushups!
How many do you owe me, hmmm?
Trish
April 9, 2012 @ 5:52 am
Ive said it once and Ill say it again. This is my most favourite place in Melbourne. The night we went I couldnt get over how knowledgable and friendy the staff were. They could have served me a plate of no-name licorice bullets and I would have still given it the thumbs up. Luckily they didnt, the food was mag!
T x
Food is our religion
April 9, 2012 @ 11:12 am
This is going on my to eat list when I pay a visit to Melb. The baby chicken looks so well roasted too!