Carnation Canteen is an intimate new Fitzroy restaurant led by chef Audrey Shaw, an alumna of Tedesca Osteria and London’s River Café. Sitting on the corner of Gore and Webb streets, the Canteen seats 20 inside and another 20 out the front and in the courtyard. The menu is powered by salt, olive oil and lemon, it changes weekly, and it’s put together simply with fresh, seasonal produce
Here’s what that might look like when you visit, according to Shaw.
Hi Audrey! Who are you and what are you passionate about?
I’m chef and owner of Carnation Canteen, and I’m passionate about produce. Wherever possible, we work directly with farmers and producers, and use biodynamic, organic and strictly seasonal ingredients. For us, the golden trio is olive oil, salt and lemon.
But the most essential element is our water. We worked with Easy Water Solutions to install a three-stage water filtration system. All the water supplied to the restaurant is structured in the way it exists in nature, meaning our ‘tap’ water is the best you can drink.
We also worked with a company called eWater that helped us set up an electrolysed water system. Using electrolysis, saltwater is electrically charged and converted into two solutions: a hospital-grade disinfectant and a degreaser, which replaces our need for chemical cleaning agents in the kitchen.
How about a drink?
There is a recurring question when you walk into Carnation: will it be a Martini or a glass of Champagne? It might be a mulitple Martini dinner; maybe a dirty gin with an olive, or the house Martini: bone-dry vodka with a twist. We suggest a glass of Pierre Peters Blanc De Blanc with miyagi oysters but the Blanc De Noir has a hold on us in the colder weather. By the glass, we showcase a host of local winemakers: Gum by George McCullough in Central Victoria, for example.
What’s the best way to approach the menu?
We post the menu once a week on Instagram. It’s intentionally short: two hungry people could work their way through the whole dinner menu. There might be a few dishes or ingredients that you don’t recognise, but the key philosophy here is taste. Trust us.
I’m here for a good time not a long time.
How about half a dozen oysters and a packet of chips?
Got anything light and fresh?
Charcoal-grilled King George whiting. I butterfly the fish, sprinkle it with salt and grill it skin-side down, then dress it simply with biodynamic olive oil and serve it with a cheek of lemon.
What if I like tasty food but don’t eat animals?
Vegetables are often overlooked or regarded as a side. Here, we celebrate the seasons, and that’s best done with vegetables. There is an ideal preparation method for each vegetable at a given moment in the season. Right now we’re opting for brassicas ripassati: boiled, sautéed and then warmed in the oven. Or tender young fennel thinly sliced and served raw with celery, toasted walnuts and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Name the dish that captures the Carnation Canteen vibe.
Bruschetta, there’s always one on the menu. To make a good one you must have the best ingredients and prepare them with care. Last week it was as simple as Loafer Bread miche grilled over charcoal, rubbed with raw garlic, and doused with olive oil. Sometimes we might serve it topped with braised cavelo nero, or fresh ricotta and marjoram from the garden.
And to close?
We like to say that you can start and end with Champagne. We have a ratafia – a fortified wine made from the final pressing of grand cru chardonnay – made by the cult Champagne producer Egly-Ouriet. Each week, Hunted+Gathered’s Charlie and Harry Nissen drop off a slab of chocolate. This is our gift to you at the end of your meal.
Carnation Canteen, 165 Gore St, Fitzroy, open from 4pm Wed-Sun, @carnationcanteen