Grand Trailer Park Taverna 

When people now ask where my favourite burger joint is, the response is going to be Grand Trailer Park Taverna.  

I was lucky enough to be able to share two of their burgers - the Chunk Double Double and the Francis Underwood.  The Francis Underwood consisted of a beef pattie, cheese, tomato and kettuce - all topped off with a pattie of Mac n cheese - absolutely delicious.  And the Chunk Double Double, well it was pretty much the best burger I've ever had. The beef pattie was juicy, the cheese was gooey, the bacon was crisp but not overcooked and the jalapenos added a delightful zing.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it. However the chips, unfortunately, were nothing to write home about - soggy, flavourless and all around dissapointing.

Luckily the same could not be said about the peanut butter waffles. Two waffles stuffed with peanut butter parfait, whipped cream, fresh strawberries and smothered with salted caramel sauce - this desert was delicious! The parfait itself didn't quite compare to Supernormal's - but the overall desert wasn't overly sweet and offered a delicious range of tastes and textures. 

The decor was another highlight of this venue. Set up like an outdoor trailer park, its fairy lights, chandeliers and indoor trailer booths, gives it an overall American rustic vibe that makes you feel like you're 100 miles away from Melbourne.

If looking for a good burger - definitely make your way over to Grand Trailer Park Taverna. 

Food: 4/5 - the chips let it down 

Decor: 4/5

Service: 3/5

Total:11/15

Verdict: Love - get around to trying it soon

Movida Aqui

The Movida group is a Melbourne institution. Serving up Spanish tapas (or tacos if you're hitting up Pacos), it's been a delight to Melbourne patrons for years. 

To the shock of many, throughout my years of dining out at Melbourne I had never been to Movida. It was time to set the record straight as I made my way to Movida Aqui for dinner. I had heard that Movida was overpriced and overrated, so I didn't go in with the highest of expectations.  But, in a word (well four), it's definitely the new fave.

The staff were incredible - warm and welcoming, attentive and helpful, and knew both the food and wine menu like the back of their hand. 

To start with I had the potato bomba filled with chorizo and the corn cakes with spanner crab and paprika pate (on of Movida Aqui's latest additions to the menu).  The bomba was absolutely outstanding. Crisp on the outside but delectably creamy and salty (from the chorizo) on the inside. And the corn cakes,  by far one of the best tapas I've had in Melbourne. Amazingly balanced and just bursting with flavour, I would highly recommend this dish. 

For main we shared the duck and mushroom paella, and the pork belly with black pudding and cannellini beans.  The paella was incredible - bursting with flavour and the juicy duck just fell off the bone.  The pork belly was also delicious - a well balanced dish with a variety of textures. 

Desert was plum sorbet and honey saffron icecream.  As the last dish of the night it didn't dissapoint. The plum sorbet was tangy and refreshing and the honey saffron icecream was creamy and fragrant.  Topped off with some homemade fruit bread, the dish was complete!

Movida Aqui was more than a delicious meal - it was an outstanding experience.

Service: 5/5

Food: 4.5/5

Decor: 4.5/5

Total:14/15

Verdict: the new fave

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Supernormal

Supernormal is one of the latest additions to the Andrew McConnell collection.  This wasn't the first time I had been to Supernormal and after having such an amazing experience the first time, there were high hopes going in - luckily the place didn't disappoint.

Even though being a Friday night the venue was busy and bustling, we still managed to secure two spots at the bar straight away.  The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, even offering us the option of a sommelier to come over and help us choose our wine.

To eat we shared the lobster roll, slow cooked Szechuan lamb with spring onion pancake and coriander paste, sautéed greens in black bean sauce and the peanut butter parfait. The lobster roll was nice, but not as amazing as last time. The lobster had something akin to a  soft shell around it which was both unexpected and unpleasant (I obviously have not prepared a lobster before or I would have known what it was, but I am pretty sure it was not meant to be there).

However, the lamb was incredible.  The flavours were explosive, with the zesty coriander past and the fragrant Szechuan sauce - and the lamb just melted in the mouth.  I would highly recommend getting this dish if going to Supernormal.

Supernormal is also home to my favourite desert in Melbourne - the peanut butter parfait.  A perfectly balanced desert with its salty peanuts, gooey rich salted caramel sauce and sweet peanut parfait - I could easily eat this every night of the week.

All in all it was an excellent night and a restaurant I look forward to returning to.

Service: 4.5/5

Décor: 4/5

Food: 4/5

Total: 12/15

Verdict: Love - rush out and try it soon.