The iconic Grand Hotel in Frankston is the perfect location for your next function or event.

The dedicated team at The Grand Hotel Frankston offer three exclusive event packages that can be tailored to your specific needs.  All packages include room hire, bar and wait staff, music/DJ/photo monitor and security, along with a bar tab and an extensive and varied selection of menu items catering to all tastes.

As an added bonus, Frankly Frankston readers who mention this editorial when booking their next function or event will receive a 10 per cent discount.

For further details on how you can book your next function, give the friendly team a call on 9783 7388 or visit www.grandhotelfrankston.com.au.

Conditions apply.

THE GRAND HOTEL
A: 499 Nepean Highway, Frankston
T: 9783 7388
W: grandhotelfrankston.com.au

Your lazy weekend afternoon destination is just a short drive away.  The Craft and Co Farm in Bangholme has a working winery on 8ha and a cellar door, and its second vintage of 40,000 litres will get your weekend popping.

You can enjoy a free tasting of the winery’s 11 varieties, and if you take a tour you might even get to meet a winemaker.

Cellar door prices range from $20-$28 a bottle, and when purchasing a dozen your 12th is free. And be sure to grab a wine hamper for Mother’s Day.

Musicians perform on Saturday and Sunday afternoons while you enjoy your café meal with a crisp wine, and for the froth lovers among you, craft beer is on tap from Craft and Co’s Collingwood venue.

The cellar door is open 9am-5pm Thursday-Saturday and 11am-5pm Sunday. Bookings are essential on weekends.

THE CRAFT AND CO FARM BANGHOLME
A: 170 Riverend Rd, Bangholme
T: 9773 4880
W: thecraftandco.com.au/the-farm/
FB: @thecraftandcofarm
T: @TheCraftCoFarm
INSTA: @thecraftcofarm

This autumn you are invited to indulge yourself for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Thursday at The Boathouse.  Experience the seasonal menu and enjoy either a two or three-course meal with a complimentary glass of wine.

The autumn weather has been perfect for entertaining on the deck with long lazy lunches during the week or on the weekend.

Happy hour is still on the menu every Friday from 4-6pm and is perfect to kick-start the weekend with Friday night knock-off drinks. Enjoy the half-price cocktail menu and relax with an Expresso Martini, a Cosmopolitan or a Mojito­ to name a few of what’s on offer.

Fridays are now even better with The Boathouse Fish’n’Chip Friday offer. Enjoy beer-battered local fish, hand-cut chips, a light salad and tartare sauce for only $20 for lunch or dinner with a glass of house wine.

If you love jazz music and great food, you can’t miss a Frankston Music Festival special event on Sunday, April 30.  Relax and enjoy a ‘Taste of the Peninsula’ platter, followed by a main course of your choice from The Boathouse’s a ‘la carte menu, while listening to the impressive vocals of Ruby Page.  Bookings for the Ruby Page lunch and show are essential on bit.ly/RubyPage

For more information, visit www.theboathouserestaurant.com.au, and follow The Boathouse on Facebook and Instagram @theboathousefrankston

THE BOATHOUSE RESTAURANT
A: 366 Nepean Highway, Frankston
T: 9770 5330
W: theboathouserestaurant.com.au/
FB/I: @theboathousefrankston

By 2015, three of Maria’s five family members had been diagnosed with fructose intolerance after being unwell for many years. 

Their diets needed to change, but Maria found her weekly shopping trip couldn’t be completed in just one supermarket.  Instead, she was forced to search through many stores to find food that was not only suitable for them but was tasty enough for the rest of the family to enjoy.

Determined that others would not have to go through the same search hassles, Maria opened the Fructose Friendly Store in Mount Eliza.  Here you’ll find a wonderful range of food products, including baking and cooking ingredients, snacks, cereals, confectionery, pastas, sauces, soups and spices.  Not only are they all suitable for fructose-intolerant people, everything is gluten free and suitable for those with coeliac disease and gluten intolerance. Many of the products on sale are organic,lactose-free, vegan or nut free.

Maria and her family regularly attend trade shows and food expos as they continue their search for good quality, tasty food that they can all enjoy - and now you can enjoy it too.

FRUCTOSE FRIENDLY STORE
A: Shop 5, Ranelagh Arcade, 20 Ranelagh Drive, Mount Eliza
T:  
W: fructosefriendlystore.com.au

With a bistro open daily for lunch and dinner and an outdoor dining area for those warm autumn days, The Grand Hotel is the ultimate destination to satisfy your hunger and hip pocket.

The Business Lunch menu ($15, including a drink) is available Monday-Friday, and with pre-orders welcome you’ll have time to enjoy your break.  There’s also a tantalising menu available all week for seniors and children.

There are $5 schooners every Tuesday and Saturday, while all Sports Bar meals include a free pot of beer.  The two-for-one menu available to Pegasus Reward members is great value, too.  

There’s live entertainment every Friday from 7.30pm, and the Punters Club every Saturday with $10 entry.  Function room packages are completely inclusive and The Grand Hotel offers varied packages to suit all.

THE GRAND HOTEL FRANKSTON
A: 499 Nepean Highway, Frankston
T: 9783 7388
W: www.grandhotelfrankston.com.au

Newsflash!  Lucky and Nella Ferraro have returned to Lucky’s Deli + Café in Young St, Frankston.

This much-loved husband and wife, who established the gourmet deli in the early 1980s and managed it together for 24 years, have taken over the reins again after a long break.
For Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula, this is wonderful news.

Lucky and Nella are passionate about Frankston, quality produce and excellent service. They are bursting with fresh ideas, new stock and a passion to return Lucky’s to its heyday. There’s a connection here that links back to Lucky and Nella’s history as immigrants in the 1970s.

“We migrated to this country in the late 1970s from Italy and all we had was hand luggage made from cardboard,” Lucky explains. “Frankston adopted us. Frankston has been very good to us. We brought up two kids here and now we are back and hopefully Lucky’s Deli will prosper again.”

The goal at Lucky’s Deli + Café is to provide great tasting food without “those crazy high prices”. Think beautiful cheeses, olives, stuffed peppers, spices, pastas, breads, cooking ingredients from exotic places and much, much more.

 LUCKY’S DELI + CAFÉ
(open 8am-5pm Monday-Friday, Saturday 8am-4pm)
A: 46-48 Young St, Frankston
T: 9781 4605
W: luckysdeli.com.au

Summer is the perfect time of the year to enjoy relaxed alfresco dining on The Boathouse deck.  Book a table with friends and enjoy Happy Hour every Friday from 4-6pm with half-price cocktails and $5 beer and cider (on tap) and house wine.

Stay and watch the sunset across the creek while delighting your tastebuds with the flavours of summer, such as chilled summer asparagus, pan-seared calamari tossed with chorizo, and cappelleti pasta, chilli, olives, tomato and roquette, followed by spiced honey and chocolate bavarois for dessert.

“Our ever-changing menu takes advantage of seasonal and locally sourced produce wherever possible,” says The Boathouse owner Cameron Taylor.

“We have a fantastic cocktail menu featuring old-time favourites like Long Island Iced Tea, Cosmopolitan and Espresso Martini, or perhaps try something new like a Cheeky Applejack or Honey Blonde with Kahlua, Baileys, Butterscotch and milk.”

If you love food photos, make sure you follow The Boathouse on Instagram or Facebook and stay up to date with what’s going on at Frankston’s premier dining destination.  It’s open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

THE BOATHOUSE RESTAURANT
A: 366 Nepean Highway, Frankston
T: 9770 5330
W: theboathouserestaurant.com.au/

FB/I: @theboathousefrankston

The International Cool Climate Wine Show is recognised as Australia’s foremost show for inspirational cool climate wines. The Mornington Peninsula boasts some of the best Cool Climate wine in the world, making it a perfect venue for an international show.

The 17th International Cool Climate Wine Show runs from may 22 – 29, with a Public Tasting on May 22 and the Awards Presentation Dinner on May 26. Buy your tickets now at coolclimatewineshow.org.au

Each year the ICCWS attracts more than 600 wines in 42 classes, including new Italian classes thanks to a recent partnership with the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Entries are open until Friday, March 10. This is an opportunity to benchmark in a show where like is judged against like, where elegant wines with restrained fruit are seen at their best, and where diversity is encouraged and rewarded.

The public can access these wines at the Public Tasting and at the Awards Dinner to be held at the recently renovated Mornington Racecourse. At these events, you can explore wines from 2013 (and older vintages in some classes), compare wines of the same grape variety from different regions, or focus on wines from specific regions or vintages.

Tickets for the Master Class, held in Melbourne at William Angliss, are strictly limited. Chair of judges, Meg Brodtmann MW, will present the gold medal and trophy winning wines, along with her personal selection of unusual, interesting and trend-setting wines.

INTERNATIONAL COOL CLIMATE WINE SHOW

W: coolclimatewineshow.org.au

E: [email protected]

Street food will once again take centre stage when Feast at Frankston Waterfront comes to the Pier Promenade next month.

In what promises to be a gastronomical delight for foodies, Peninsula breweries and wineries will showcase their finest vintages as pop-up bars serve Asian-inspired cocktails and food trucks dispense a delicious array of Filipino barbecue fare, Indian cuisine, Japanese crepes, Indonesian food, sugarcane juice, lobster rolls and more. 

Festoon lighting and lanterns will illuminate and transform the promenade into an environment reminiscent of an Asian-style hawker market, with artisan stalls, live entertainment, amusements and traditional lion dances each night.

Frankston City Mayor Brian Cunial described Feast at Frankston Waterfront as “another not-to-be-missed event on Frankston City’s growing calendar of popular events”.

“Feast at Frankston Waterfront has everything you need set against the iconic Frankston Pier and glistening bay to set the scene for a great time with family and friends,” Cr Cunial said. “With all the sights, sounds and smells of an Asian hawker market, taking in the excitement of the popular street food experience, follow your nose to the Frankston Waterfront for an event that will tempt the tastebuds.”

Feast at Frankston Waterfront is at the Pier Promenade on Friday and Saturday, March 3-4, from 4-10pm and Sunday, March 5, from noon-6pm.  Entry is $2 with children under 15 admitted free of charge.

If it’s pizza you crave, you’ll find dozens of options at Seaford Pizza Lodge.  From meat-lover’s to vegetarian to gluten-free, every appetite is catered for.  And if you’re not in the mood for pizza, why not try a delicious risotto, pasta, chicken parma or schnitzel, salad or dessert.

SEAFORD PIZZA LODGE
A: 112 Railway Pde, Seaford
T: 9782 4699
W: pizzalodge.com.au

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more delightful spot for breakfast or lunch than Beach Café Seaford.

Perched among the dunes and overlooking beautiful Seaford beach, you can enjoy views of the entire bay while you sample daily specials, scrumptious cakes and cookies, hot chocolate or a delicious coffee.

Beach Café Seaford is open seven days from 8am-4pm at Pier Foreshore Reserve, Seaford. Visit beachcafeseaford.com.au

Happy hour at The Boathouse is the perfect way to unwind and get ready for the weekend. Relax after a hard week at work and enjoy a lazy summer afternoon on The Boathouse balcony with half-price cocktails, $5 boutique beers on tap and house wine every Friday night from 4-6pm.

“We have the perfect relaxing setting beside the meandering Kananook Creek under the shade of the acacia trees,” says The Boathouse owner Cameron Taylor. “It’s a great place to come down and enjoy ‘knock off’ drinks with your colleagues, stay for a snack or stick around and indulge yourself for dinner in true al fresco style.”

The gardens, deck and jetty are very popular at the Boathouse over the warmer months. A new summer menu with fresh local produce will deliver you an exceptional dining experience.

As we head into the silly season, The Boathouse Restaurant is the prefect venue to host your work break-up, relax with friends or catch up with family. Larger groups can choose from function packages that start at $47.50 per person with two, three or four courses, so there is something to suit every budget.

THE BOATHOUSE RESTAURANT
A: 366 Nepean Highway, Frankston
T: 9770 5330
W: theboathouserestaurant.com.au
FB/I: @theboathousefrankston

Newsflash!

Lucky and Nella Ferraro have returned to Lucky’s Deli + Café in Young St, Frankston.

This much-loved husband and wife, who established the gourmet deli in the early 1980s and managed it together for 24 years, have taken over the reins after a 10-year hiatus.

Frankston, this is wonderful news.

Lucky and Nella are passionate about Frankston, quality produce and excellent service. They are bursting with fresh ideas, new stock and a passion to return Lucky’s to its heyday. There’s a connection here that links back to Lucky and Nella’s history as immigrants in the 1970s. “We migrated to this country in the late 1970s from Italy and all we had was hand luggage made from cardboard,” Lucky explains.

“Frankston adopted us. Frankston has been very good to us. We brought up two kids here and now we are back and hopefully Lucky’s Deli will prosper again.”

The goal at Lucky’s Deli + Café is to provide great tasting food without “those crazy high prices”. Think beautiful cheeses, olives, stuffed peppers, spices, pastas, breads, cooking ingredients from exotic places and much, much more.

LUCKY’S DELI + CAFÉ

(open 8am-5pm Monday-Saturday)

A: 46-48 Young St, Frankston

T: 9781 4930

W: luckysdeli.com.au

Cameron Taylor took over The Boathouse on the banks of Kananook Creek in Frankston five years ago.  In that time, he has stamped his mark on the iconic restaurant, intent on making it a “special place” in its unique location.  It seats up to 80 guests and up to 140 for cocktail service.

Cameron is a qualified chef with an eye for detail, a passion for fresh, seasonal ingredients and a focus on constantly evolving.  Frankly Frankston sat down with this restaurateur and long-time Frankston advocate (he moved to Frankston in 1981) ahead of the busy festive season to talk all things food, Frankston and, of course, The Boathouse.

Tell us what’s new at The Boathouse.
We have just launched a new cocktail menu for summer (there’s 13 divine options, from Espresso Martini, Black Russian, White Russian and Mojito to the Honey Blonde, Toblerone, Cheeky Applejack and more) and we’ve got new beers on tap, including German wheat beer (Edinger Weissbrau).  We’ve got about 20 different beers and ciders on tap and in bottles ... we’re talking boutique. And as the weather gets warmer the menu will move more towards seafood.  I’m also just about to create a fire pit outside because I think that will create atmosphere.

What are you offering for Christmas?
Christmas Day we are having a nice five-course, simple menu that’s easy pleasy! (Think sweetcorn and leek veloute with char-grilled Queensland banana prawns, smoked tomato salsa and chive oil for entrée; roast porchetta stuffed with currants and pinenuts, potato galette, buttered greens, orange and rosemary jus for main; spiced plum pudding with brandy anglaise, fresh cherries and almond nougat for dessert, plus starters.)

What is the key to your success?
Evolving.  We are constantly evolving the menu, the dishes and the wine. We are always looking for new ingredients, what’s new, the next smart thing and it’s got to be fresh and exciting.  We actually offer a martini as a dessert.

So you like to shake things up?
I’m not afraid of trying different things.

What do you love about Frankston?
I think it offers a lot to everyone, and there’s more than just the beach – there’s diversity, open space and an untapped beauty here with Kananook Creek.  I am an advocate for Frankston.

Have any big-name celebrities dined at the Boathouse Restaurant?
Yes (but he won’t reveal who!).

What do you do when you’re not at the Boathouse?
I’m a Flying 15s state champion.  I sail out of Davey’s Bay Yacht Club with a lady by the name of Sue Thompson and we’re aiming for the world titles in New Zealand next year.  In the warmer months I’m down the beach once or twice a week.

THE BOATHOUSE
Open Tuesday-Sunday, lunch and dinner
A: 366 Nepean Highway, Frankston
T: 9770 5330
W: theboathouserestaurant.com.au
FB /theboathousefrankston

Grants of up to $50,000 are being offered to tempt hospitality businesses to set up shop in Frankston.

The State Government grants are part of a program to transform Station St Mall into Frankston’s new “eat street by attracting destination hospitality outlets that will draw residents, workers and visitors to gather and socialise during the day, in the evenings and across weekends”.

At least three grants of up $50,000 will be issued by the Government to attract businesses “with a clear point-of-difference”.  These could include (but not be limited to) a “landmark” restaurant that offers “a truly unique dining experience - it will be a restaurant that will become synonymous with Station St”; a wine bar, brew house (microbrewery) or entertainment venue that offers associated dining; and a “high-quality franchise with a clear point-of-difference that will attract significant foot traffic to the street”.

The grants are designed to financially assist the transformation of properties in Station St Mall into destination hospitality outlets and can only be lodged for properties in the mall by prospective tenants in partnership with the property’s landlord.  The value of the grant is required to be matched by either the landlord or tenant by way of investment in the property. 

Applications can be made at any time until the funding allocation for the grants program is exhausted.  

Applications will only be accepted online at frankston.smartygrants.com.au/eatstreet  
 

With Christmas just around the corner, The Boathouse Restaurant is getting into the spirit of the season with a delicious Christmas Day menu just for you.

Bring the family and enjoy a four-course Christmas Day lunch with all the trimmings - and you don’t even have to lift a finger.

Start with duck rillette and blackberry jelly canapés, followed by a seafood entrée of your choosing.  Your main is roast porchetta stuffed with currants and pinenuts, potato galette, buttered greens, orange and rosemary jus.  And just when you feel like you can’t fit any more in, top it all off with a spiced plum pudding with brandy anglaise, fresh cherries and almond nougat.

There are two Christmas Day sittings to choose from - either 11.30am or 2.30pm - and a children’s menu is also available with an extra special Christmas dessert.  There are also gluten-free and vegetarian options available by prior arrangement.

Booking are required, so phone 9770 5330 or email [email protected]

THE BOATHOUSE RESTAURANT
A: 366 Nepean Highway, Frankston
T: 9770 5330
W: theboathouserestaurant.com.au/

Christmas is coming and The Deli Stall in Carrum has got everything you need for family get-togethers and Christmas celebrations.

The terms “home-made” and “delicious” are synonymous with The Deli Stall.  Patricia and her team cook from the heart and provide a wide range of European and local foodstuffs that will have your friends and family coming back for more.

The Deli Stall creates perfect platters for corporate functions, end of year office parties or in-home festivities. Finger food, savouries, sandwiches and rolls, or cheese boards and dips are full of flavour and fresh to go. Artisan breads, Polish smallgoods and French cheeses or home-made arancini will get your party started, while spanakopita or baklavas are a great way to begin or end your festive dining.

The Deli Stall also offers Christmas (and picnic) hampers with a twist. Inside you’ll find Australia-wide produce such as Maggie Beer vinegars and chutneys, jams, mustards and pickles plus aromatic coffees, organic produce and even remedy kombucha.  And don’t forget The Deli Stall’s honey glazed ham – order now to beat the Christmas rush!

Whether you’re looking for a heat and eat meal, a sweet bite or a Christmas crowd pleaser, The Deli Stall has got the lot.  See in-store today.

THE DELI STALL
A: 503 Station St, Carrum
T: 9773 3131
W: delistall.com.au
FB: /delistall

Christmas is a time for families, giving, sharing … and pudding!
Grandma’s Puddings is preparing its delicious traditional plum puddings for the inevitable Christmas rush, yet as owners Glenyce Bonney and Nadene Fox point out, eating plum pudding only at Christmas is a crime against good food.  That’s why the mother and daughter team supplies them all year round.

“It is a plum pudding which can be served as a dessert any time of year, but it’s particularly nice in winter.  One hotel purchased our gluten-free plum puddings and was offering it as a gluten-free dessert to have all year round.”

Glenyce and Nadene make their puddings with beef suet, but they also make a vegan pudding as well as nut-free and gluten-free varieties. “We have had tastings of both our gluten-free and traditional puddings available at the markets we attend and have been told by many that our gluten-free puddings taste just as nice as the traditional.”

They also make great gifts – many businesses buy them as gifts for clients or staff, and Glenyce and Nadene are able to personalise the ribbon, a swing tag or label to include the business’s name or logo. 

GRANDMA’S PUDDINGS
A: PO Box 3154, Frankston
M: 0487 352 060
W: grandmaspuddings.com.au

Pop into The Riviera Hotel and be surprised at what you find.  This authentic Art Deco pub in Seaford offers a relaxed bayside atmosphere and top-notch meals that satisfy.

The Riviera is well known for delicious food, a family-friendly atmosphere and service that makes its mark.  This month sees the launch of a trivia night by the Riviera team to get punters talking - and laughing - while knocking back a few bevvies.  QuizzaMe will run each Monday from 7pm for at least six weeks so your Mondays until mid-December - and any end-of-year celebrations or Christmas catch-ups - are well sorted.

The Riviera is an entertainment space for all the family. There’s a well-equipped kids’ playroom that takes care of any itchy feet, making family dining a breeze, while the front bar and sports bar with Tab, Fox Sports and Sky Channel facilities are perfect for adult getaways. The Riviera family bistro has something for every member of the clan.

There’s the delicious chicken parmigiana, fish and chip and garlic prawn pub meal staples, as well as chicken and lamb souvlaki, beef and black bean stir-fry and chorizo pasta. A rotating specials board keeps the tastebuds tantalised, seniors’ meals are spot on and the dessert board delivers on sweet tooth satisfaction. There’s a special bar menu and a new beer garden too, making The Riviera the perfect location for an end of working day escape.

Make your escape to Seaford’s Riviera with family and friends this summer.  It’s open seven days a week.

THE RIVIERA HOTEL
A: 30 Nepean Highway, Seaford
T: 9786 5666
W: rivierahotel.net.au