Brisbane food blogger dinner - Tognini's Spring Hill

Full disclosure: I did not pay for this meal.  Tognini’s and Rymill wines were kind enough to provide a group of Brisbane food blogger’s with a delicious 3-course meal and wine.  However, these opinions are mine alone.

Tonight was the first time I felt like a bona fide blogger.  Most of the time I feel like my words and pictures are just absorbed into the internet ether.  My humble little blog isn’t reinventing the wheel, it just putters along in its own little corner of the net.  However, tonight I was able to enjoy a fantastic dinner with a bunch of like-minded Brisbane foodies and bloggers.  And it was my first “freebie”.  I’ve finally made it! :p  Don’t worry I won’t be giving up my day job any time soon…

Tognini’s started out as an Italian deli in Milton 17 years ago. Over the years it has grown and evolved – the Milton store grew larger, added a bistro and started serving lunch and breakfast.  There are now 3 deli/bistros and the Spring Hill branch introduced dinner service in April this year.

Narelle Tognini was our kind hostess for the evening.  We started out with a cheese platter.  Tognini’s is the place in Brisbane for strong, stinky cheeses – many imported from Italy and France.  Our platter had 3 of Narelle’s favourites – a soft washed rind from France (sadly the name escapes me…); a dolche Italian gorgonzola (delicious with fruit toast!); and Testun di Pecora Chestnut, a hard pecorino from Piemonte in Italy.  Served with fruit bread, crackers, dried figs and candied cumquat, I could quite happily have called this dinner.

However, the chef had other plans!  Our mains were served in enormous terracotta platters – even with 14 of us eating we barely made a dint!  Pictured is the valpolicella risotto with Italian sausage and peas.  This was smooth and rich from the sausage crumbled throughout.  Unpictured is the creamy polenta with hickory smoked chicken  (apparently I was incapable of taking a crisp picture, despite several attempts).  This was my favourite dish of the night.  I’ve never been a huge fan of polenta – whenever I’ve made it it’s been grainy and bland.  This polenta may have changed my life.  Unfortunately, one of the chefs (Jasper) explained the secret to its success – cream and butter.  I don’t know why I was surprised…

Dessert was a simple, but beautifully balanced creme brulee.  Is there anything more satisfying then cracking the sugar on a good creme brulee?

Throughout dinner we sampled two wines by Rymill.  I believe the red was the 2004 MC2, which is a blend of Cabernet (Franc and Sauvignon) and Merlot.  The white may have been the sbs – a Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion blend.  I’m not a wine expert by any means but I enjoyed both.

In all honesty, tonight was really fabulous.  It was exactly what I’m all about – hearty, rustic, wholesome food, made with love and eaten amidst good conversation.

Tognini’s Bistro Cafe Deli
Spring Hill Marketplace
Cnr Turbot and Boundary St
Spring Hill
Ph: 3831 5300
Web: http://www.togninis.com/bistrocafedeli.html