3 hours ago
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Orson has given travellers a new reason to visit the Mornington Peninsula township.
Contemporary$$
Chefs Sarah Cremona (ex-Moke, Laura) and Ryan Spurrell have opened modern Australian diner Orson, with stunning heritage features and a strong sense of place running through the menu. Locals have watched excitedly as the chef couple transformed the foyer of Rosebud’s 1928-built Broadway Theatre into their debut restaurant. (The theatre itself is undergoing a separate restoration, led by local arts collective Barnacle Studios.)
The produce ethos is “local first”. Wakame from Dromana’s Southern Seagreens accompanies cured and charred mackerel in an umami-powered entree. Different textures of local Mushroom Forestry fungi – maybe maitake or lion’s mane – pair with a terrine of braised leeks and nori, which looks a little like a sushi roll. In the warmer months, expect dishes starring Flinders mussels.
The seasonal prix-fixe menu lets you choose your own adventure from two ($65), three ($89), five ($100) or seven ($130) courses. Bar snacks are available a la carte. Think oysters, charcuterie and a take on sabudana vada, the Indian fritter made with potato and tapioca pearls, dressed up with spanner crab and green goddess.
House pours are just as locally minded as the food, with beers from Dromana breweries Jetty Road and Two Buoys, rum from nearby Jimmy Rum and vodka from Rye’s Penni Ave. An on-tap spritz will round out a cocktail list of Prohibition-era classics, while wines include stalwarts of the region such as Ten Minutes by Tractor pinot noir.
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