SA eateries shine in national restaurant awards

Two of the country’s most respected lists are The Australian’s annual Hot 50 Restaurants (compiled by food writers John Lethlean and Necia Wilden) and Gourmet Traveller’s Top 100 Restaurants, part of their yearly Restaurant Guide. While New South Wales and Victorian restaurants dominated proceedings – with Melbourne’s Attica and Sydney’s Rockpool taking out the top spots in The Oz and GT respectively – it was interesting to note the rise of South Australian restaurants. Seven local eateries made The Oz’s Hot 50 (which doesn’t rank the restaurants from one to 50), up from six last year. Jock Zonfrillo’s Orana was the only restaurant outside of NSW and Victoria to make Gourmet Traveller’s top 10, while Penfolds Magill Estate came in at number 11. Magill Estate and Orana (along with the Barossa’s Appellation) were the only SA restaurants to get two stars from GT. The seven South Australian restaurants to make The Oz’s Hot 50 are: Orana, Magill Estate, Fino Seppeltsfield, Peel St, Etica, Africola and Botanic Gardens Restaurant. As The Oz notes, “South Australia continues to punch above its weight with seven entries in the Hot List, the highest outside Melbourne-Sydney”. Melbourne’s Attica was unsurprisingly named the country’s Hottest Restaurant by The Australian, but two SA places took home awards in The Oz’s Hot List: Hottest Value went to Jordan Theodoros’ Peel St (The Daniel O’Connell under previous Head Chef Phil Whitmarsh took out this honour last year) while Fino Seppeltsfield was named Hottest Service, and took out the state Hot award for SA. Surprisingly, Fino Seppeltsfield didn’t make GT’s Top 100, which contained five SA destinations: Orana (10), Magill Estate (11), Appellation (54), Africola (60) and Peel St (81). Six SA restaurants made GT’s list last year. Much has been made of the rise of quality and exciting dining options in Adelaide and South Australia, and these honours prove this. In its 2013 list, for example, only four SA eateries made GT’s Top 100 while five SA restaurants made the 2014 round-up, but the highest-placed restaurant was Appellation at 44 and in 2013, Celsius was SA’s best coming in at 54.   Gourmet Traveller’s Top 10 1: Rockpool, NSW 2: Attica, Vic 3: Brae, Vic 4: Quay, NSW 5: Vue de Monde, Vic 6: Momofuku Seiobo, NSW 7: Sepia, NSW 8: The Bridge Room, NSW 9: Cutler & Co, Vic 10: Orana, SA   SA (Adelaide) Top 10 1: Orana 2: Penfolds Magill Estate 3: Africola 4: Peel Street 5: Botanic Gardens Restaurant 6: Hill of Grace Restaurant 7: Press Food & Wine 8: Chianti 9:Andre’s Cucina & Polenta Bar 10: Jolleys Boathouse   SA (regional) Top 10 1: Appellation 2: Hentley Farm 3: Fino Willunga 4: Leonards Mill 5: The Lane Vineyard 6: Fino Seppeltsfield 7: FermentAsian 8: Salopian Inn 9: d’Arry’s Verandah 10: The Bridgewater Mill gourmettraveller.com.au/events/restaurant-awards/2015/8/2016-gourmet-traveller-restaurant-awards-winners/   The Australian’s Hot 50 Restaurant Award Winners Hottest Restaurant: Attica, Vic Hottest Chef: Brent Savage (Bentley), NSW Hottest Classic: Pilu at Freshwater, NSW Hottest Service: Fino Seppeltsfield, SA Hottest Value: Peel Street, SA Hottest Wine Program: Billy Kwong, NSW Hottest Regional: Paper Daisy, NSW Hottest Dish, LuMi theaustralian.com.au/life/food-wine/restaurants/hot-50-restaurants-2015