Our good friends Jan and David invited us out to lunch. They suggested Wild Rocket @ Misty’s because they’d visited for Christmas dinner and thought it was wonderful. You’ve heard Wild Rocket @ Misty’s mentioned on the blog before because the owner/chef, Peter Brettell did the Chef, the Blogger and the Photographer workshop with me last year.
I love that Pete makes everything in house – all the breads, chutneys and sauces, plus he butchers and ages all the local beef he uses. He’s a nose-to-tail chef who wastes nothing.
I also visited there with Lorraine Elliott from Not Quite Nigella and I was eager for a repeat performance. We went in two cars because we needed to get back to work after lunch and we followed David who followed his GPS and we went up the mountain the back way. It was one of those trips where the car twists so much around the curves that you’re sure your bottom will get there before your head arrives.
We were right on time and while we were waiting for our drinks I took some photos of the outdoor seating area and the garden. Since I was there last, Pete and his wife Belinda have put edible plants everywhere. From chillis to broad beans to sweet corn and every herb imaginable, there’s a little spot somewhere for each one.
Each garden bed was perfectly cared for with no weeds and no plant looking a little thirsty. That’s no easy trick when you have a busy restaurant to run as well as small children to raise.
We ordered a lot of food and I apologize for all the photos but honestly, you wanted to see how cool it was, am I right?
Starters were avocado and scallops which both John and his dad ordered and within a very few minutes both their plates were clean.
Jan and David ordered the salmon and prawn roulade which was a tasty square of salmon with a prawn tightly wrapped around it and holding it all together were a ribbon of carrot and a piece of nori. It was really pretty to look at and they enjoyed the combination of flavours.
When I heard the soup special of the day I was intrigued and just had to try it. It was potato and beetroot and it was a lovely color. The soup had a bit of heat but not as much flavor as I had hoped for. I wanted to taste more beetroot.
Jan ordered soft shelled crabs but first asked our server if the shells were crunchy. They were deep fried and beautiful.
David chose the cuttlefish and it was well cooked and seasoned. It was very much like calamari, David said. I don’t think I’d ever had cuttlefish before and the presentation in the cone was cute.
John and Rob again ordered the same thing – the ploughman’s lunch which has a bit of everything. John ate every bite but Rob struggled with the amount of food on his plate.
The beef and pork meatballs in a fresh tomato sauce came to me along with roasted potatoes. The potatoes were a bit different in a meatball dish but it all worked together quite well.
Now you’d think that after all that food AND wine that we wouldn’t have room for dessert but you’d be wrong. There were two espresso panna cotta desserts,
one creme brulee for John – who we all know doesn’t eat sweets but he ate the whole thing AND the cookie too,
and one warm double chocolate brownie with homemade vanilla bean ice cream for me. When I moved the plate for the photo, the ice cream fell off its perch. I wasn’t about to try to put it back.
Yes, we waddled out of there full and happy and trying to decide where we’d dine next. If you’re visiting the Sunshine Coast of Australia and you’re looking for a top spot for lunch or dinner —
Wild Rocket @ Misty’s
142 Main Street
Montville, QLD 4560
(07) 5478 5560
G’day! Looks like a terrific food day Maureen, true!
By dessert, I would have more than full and waddled out of the restaurant too!
Cheers! Joanne
holy cow, you’re quick, Joanne!
oh mine…my mouth is watering! Great place and fantastic food…:) ela
Looks like a wonderful place – the double chocolate brownie with homemade vanilla bean ice cream looks beautifully presented – lol @ the ice cream fell off its perch. 🙂
Wild Rocket @ Misty’s is my kind of place. I love travelogues like this where the destination is a restaurant. Maureen, you’ve captured Chef Peter’s work beautifully. X marks the spot at the Sunshine Coast of Australia, because I want to waddle away from Misty’s too!
John’s eating dessert? You’re a bad influence. 😉 Sounds like a fun day. Great dishes, too. I can never resist soft shelled crab, so that’s probably what I would have ordered. I love restaurants that have their own gardens! Sounds like a terrific place — thanks.
The photos of the plants and the recipes are wonderful! =)
I would have waddled out of there too!
It looks like a great place. I just finished eating a late lunch (hot buttered toast, scrambled eggs with feta cheese, crispy bacon and orange juice) and I still wanted to eat EVERYTHING that you guys ordered. I’m curious what was in the ceramic spoon in the espresso panna cotta dessert picture. And the crunchy chocolate covered thing as well. 🙂
Meatballs and brownie? That’s my idea of the perfect lunch! I need to venture more when I’m at the coast. There are so many wonderful places around.
What a lovely restaurant and diverse menu. The scallops look divine. That and that dessert would fill me all night.
I must make it to Australia……..have to try this restaurant in person. Bucket List are you listening?
Oh Maureen – these photos have me drooling! The desserts have me licking the screen (no lie)!!! I wanna come visit this restaurant PRONTO!
Oh Maureen – these photos have me drooling! The desserts have me licking the screen (no lie)!!! I wanna come visit this restaurant PRONTO!!!!
I love the sound of this restaurant, Maureen, with how everything is made in-house and how nothing is wasted and how they’re growing some of their own produce. I think I’ve driven that back road to Montville before and yes, it’s windy and you do wonder how many more turns before you’ll arrive. But when you arrive in Montville, it’s so pretty. I think I’ve told you that that’s where Carl’s brother lives with his wife and three kids. I’m pleased to hear you took time out for socialising at such a lovely spot even if you had to time-keep and rush back to work xx
Yummy! What a lovely place!
Beautiful surroundings, it seems like such a relaxing place to enjoy good company and good food. The serving sizes look generous too and the desserts had me salivating!
Maureen, this looks like a fun place to visit. It reminds me of one we go to often called “Molly Ward’s Garden” . Haven’t been there this year but now that I’m thinking of it, I will. 🙂
I love food which is presented well and is colourful. Great desserts – naughty ice cream.
I adore restaurants with such a charming atmosphere and the food looks good too. I’ve never had cuttlefish either and when I saw the photo I thought it was calamari. Warm double chocolate brownie with homemade vanilla bean ice cream would have been my choice ending for the meal as well ~ where ever the ice cream lands.
oh boy I would love to be invited.
Charming, quaint, and adorable food. A perfect place for some truly relaxed time, this is my kind of place.
Yum – what a wonderful little restaurant. Sounds like a fun lunch and delicious too! Love the desserts – but I am partial to dessert!
What an awesome restaurant, the food looks delicious, especially the rich looking soup!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I am sure glad you did take those photos Maureen, they are indeed lovely! Too bad about the soup, it actually looked like a bisque to me so I was surprised that it was beet. How nice that your friends invited John’s father too, I’m glad he is doing so well to be able to go out to a nice place to eat. We’re moving JTs dad into a long term care facility on Wednesday, hope it goes well. He’ll have to lose the cat (it’s awful, poops everywhere so no one wants it) and we’ll take some of the furniture with him, but it’ll be stressful. Maybe I’ll suggest we all go out for lunch afterward to help alleviate the stress of it all.
I have very fond memories of my time there with you and John!!:)
Wow…what a lovely place to dine. All the food looks drool worthy. 🙂
I can see why you went back again! The food looks amazing…and it’s wonderful when it tastes as good as it looks, too!
Oh I would love to visit here!
What an amazing place and the meals look so good too!
The salmon and prawn roulade is so special!
I need one of everything, please! Looks like a great place. We need one of those in our neck of the woods!
Really nice shots of restaurant food and what great presentations. I’ll take that plate of cuttlefish please.
This looks like you had a fantastic experience captured by your photos. Everything looks absolutely mount-watering, Maureen. I’d take a bite of each . . . sharing is so delicious!
I’d never had softshell crab until I came to Australia, but I’m absolutely in love with them now. 🙂 This sounds like such a delicious and beautiful and inspiring place.
Love the ploughman’s – it looks extra special. The crab would also be on my list of things to try, making sure of course to save room for the chocolate brownie. Delicious. Thanks for the virtual visit.
All that beautiful food is making me soooo hungry. I haven’t had lunch yet. How fun is that to meet up with other bloggers!
That soup looks interesting, I’m surprised by how bold and rich the color was. What a great meal!
The ploughman’s lunch looks gorgeous! I really need to visit the Sunshine Coast one of these days…
Now this is my kind of place to eat! Seafood, seafood and more seafood, sounds just divine, my mouth is watering.
Krissie x – http://pearlsofstyle.blogspot.com.au
Dear Maureen,
The charred toast looks so crisp and would have been brilliant with that beetroot soup.
Looks like you had an enormous time. That ploughmans is huge. I love all of your photos Maureen, they are fantastic
What a meal!!! That’s a lot of great looking food, but I’m at all surprised that you couldn’t pass up dessert.
Such a great place for a lunch with friends, Maureen. I can honestly say that I would have enjoyed every one of the plates that you showed us. Each looked delicious!
Looks like such a lovely place for lunch! The food looks amazing. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Very cool. Wish I lived nearby. (That couple must never sleep!)
This looks like such a quaint restaurant full of cheer—and good eats. I love the sign that you posted! Everything looks delicious.
We had the pleasure of dining at Wild Rocket and it’s was sensational! That delivered in every possible way and continued to wow our expectation with amazing food that was inventive and delicious ! Great job to the chef and staff for making such a huge impact in a small town!