1000 people attended Friday's World's Longest Lunch and I was lucky enough to be one of them.
The event, having been in existence for 19 very tasty years, is now not only the longest lunch, but also the longest running long lunch, which is quite an achievement. And it kicked off the
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in fine style.
This year, the table stretched throughout a picturesque Carlton Gardens, alongside the also very elegant and historic Royal Exhibition Building.
The food was a French-inspired three-course extravaganza, designed by Gabriel Gaté. He channeled the flavours of Provence and the South of France, which like Victoria, produces outstanding herbs, olive oil, wine, fruit and vegetables.
The French menu was matched with wines from Yering Station and Yarrabank.
Les Hors D'oeuvres involved rabbit terrine with carrot purée, grilled sardines on crisp baguette with rouille, beetroot-cured salmon on celeriac remoulade, confit of heirloom tomato, spinach oil and Holy Goat curd and a herb and radish salad.
Le Plat Principal was a slow-cooked veal with fennel, broad beans and olives. And by slow cooked, they mean overnight. It was delightful.
And lastly, but sadly not captured by Hipstamatic, was Les Desserts, which was a verrine layered with raspberries, lemon chiboust and pistachio praline, and was accompanied by mini macarons. Those macarons were sweet and soft-centered and an absolute treat.
I ate, I drank, I met Alvin of Masterchef fame and I thoroughly enjoyed my first ever seat at the World's Longest Lunch table.