pierrot badmouths: Spottiswoode Hotel

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Spottiswoode Hotel | consider the sauce

Spottiswoode Hotel, 62 Hudsons Rd, Spotswood. Phone: 9391 1330

Quite a few months before our fine Sunday lunch at the Spottiswoode Hotel, we?d dropped in merely in pursuit of ATM facilities.

The Consider The Sauce ethos fully embraces bare-bones, old-school pubs, but in this case the gloomy vibe saw us heading for the exit as soon as our business was done.

Since then, the place has undergone a comprehensive makeover.

We?ve been hearing good things about it.

We?ve checked out the menu at the pub?s website, and found it to be meaty, matey and very good-looking.

We?ve been hearing good things, too, about the size, quality and price of the joint?s Sunday roast deal ? Thanks, Sue! ? so we?re upbeat for our visit.

The renovations have been drastic.

There?s a lot roomy space amid the three co-joined interior eating/drinking spaces.

There?s a lot of wood and vintage brick, comfy-looking armchairs, a big fireplace and a sweet spot outside with umbrellas and a woodfired oven.

And there?s even a room off to the side with pinball machines, into which we later pump a handful of gold coins.

It all looks great and we find the service matches.

The menu runs to a savvy list of pub grub classics and more priced around the $20 mark for main courses.

There?s specials during the week ? steak and a drink on Mondays, F&C and a drink on Tuesdays, parma and a drink on Wednesday and curry and a drink on Thursdays, all for $15. We spy, too, another special scrawled on one of the mirrors ? $16 for a whole grilled with salad and chips.

But we?re here for the $10 roast.

Thus continues this year?s Consider The Sauce romance of the roast that has taken in the Famous Blue Raincoat, the Footscray Club, Bruno?s Coffee Lounge and even New Zealand.

The Spottiswoode roast deal is as good as any.

The serves look a tad modest, but that turns out to be all about the large plates.

The vegetables ? nice selection, cooked but not mushy ? are really tasty.

The meat ? it?s lamb on the day we visit ? is tender and plentiful, although we seem to have struck a portion of the animal that?s quite fatty. No matter.

The gravy is dark and rich.

The spuds are fall-apart tender ? if we have any regrets it?s that we don?t get more than the two halves each we are provided.

But that?s a minor issue considering the price, terrific atmosphere and really fine service that sees the needs of each and every table met with aplomb by numerous staff members.

We?re keen to return to explore the regular menu.