Porgie + Mr Jones
It was a windy rainy miserable night in Melbourne, as per usual. We wanted to go out somewhere but only if the venue was warm, cozy, and the food was guaranteed to be great….
This gorgeous little cafe in Hawthorn is quite well known for it’s amazing breakfasts – try getting a table on the weekend without queuing up first.
But it’s the three course set dinner menu that really shows off what P+MJ has to offer.
My parents, Mr and I had all been to P + MJ for dinner before, but hadn’t yet sampled the Winter menu.
It was fabulous! Comfort food that was cleverly disguised as fine dining. Always a good sign if there are only three choices per course but you still have difficulty making a decision. Mum & I finally settled on the caramelised pumpkin, red onion jam and kataifi pastry tart, goats cheese and ‘tincy wincy basil’:
Dad and Mr had the garlic prawns with fennel, caramelised kipfler potatoes and fresh herbs:
Both entrees were sensational – all of us were very satisfied. I actually had trouble finishing my entree, but Mr was more than happy to help out.
Again Mum and I chose the same dish for our mains, ‘happy roasted chicken’ with braised chickpea, pancetta, pomegranate, aged balsamic and toasted sesame:
The chicken was ever so tender and the broth was delicious. Dad and Mr had the Hopkins River fillet with porcini polenta, Rosie’s baby beets and caramelised garlic butter:
What I noticed since my last visit to P+MJ was that the timing of the three courses was much better. The first time I visited for dinner, our meal was over fairly quickly, as the mains were served immediately after we’d finished our entree, and the same with out desserts. This time we had plenty of time to savour our food, drink our wine, relax and enjoy the whole experience. The service was great: efficient, friendly, but not at all over the top. A difficult balance to find.
After a little break to digest our entrees and mains, it was time for dessert. Again, Mum and I ordered the same! Quince, honey and cinnamon crumble with nan’s brandy custard:
Loved the presentation! The crunchy chewy crumble contrasted nicely with the soft quinces. Mr had a slice of the white chocolate and mascarpone tart with roasted pistachio:
Obscenely rich, but in a verrrrrrry good way. Dad had the croissant, date and raisin butter pudding with caramel sauce and vanilla icecream:
The highlight of Dad’s entire meal? The caramel sauce:
Perhaps P+MJ might start selling it by the bottle? Please??
Porgie + Mr Jones have made a very successful transition from funky breakfast cafe to upmarket restaurant. I will definitely be returning to experience their Spring menu over the next few months. A little treasure in the heart of Hawthorn. But shhhhhh….keep it a secret.
Porgie + Mr Jones 291 Auburn Road Hawthorn 3122 9882 2955
Food gobbler. Wine lover. Kitteh keeper. Gen-Y. Fiancée. Twitter addict.
Fighting the war against Leggings As Pants one fashion victim at a time... 
It’s all so pretty. :D