The Curious Squire, Adelaide’s own James Squire restaurant, has always been home to the kind of deliciously satisfying food that well-accompanies beer and cider. However, the chefs behind the scenes at The Curious Squire have truly outdone themselves this time with amazing full-bodied food bursting with the flavours of South America.
Head chef Drew Akins has been helping the restaurant trace back to it’s South American roots by referring back to his own experiences and creating food that he loves using inspiration from famous dishes in America.
Mr Akins says,’The updated menu features more authenticity and originality, with the addition of traditional Southern American dishes such as Meatloaf, Chicken and Waffles and of course the Mac and Cheese Sundae.’
The Adelaidian was lucky enough to be invited to test out five of the amazing new dishes on offer, and this is our verdict.
Sweet Potato Fries and Fried Green Tomatoes
Everyone loves a good sweet potato fry with the compulsory aioli on the side, but it’s easy to get these guys wrong (case in point: remember when Maccas tried to do sweet potato fries? Yeah.). However, these fries were great. Not too thick, which would make the mushy sweet potato interior to the crisp fried exterior ratio off, but not too thin, which would make the chip too hard and crunchy, these fries were the perfect size for a sweet potato fry. The seasoning on the outside was generous and tasty but didn’t rely on excess salt for flavour, and the aioli was fresh and tangy. The accompanying fried green potatoes were an interesting addition, crumbed and crunchy on the outside but fresh and juicy on the inside.
Pulled Pork Quesadillas
The flavour in these quesadillas provided by the eighteen-hour pulled pork is insane. With the punch the pork pulls, not much else is needed in this dish to make it amazing. Inside the crunchy quesadilla casing with the pork is simply a handful of jalapenos, which added an extra element of spice to an already great dish. A word of warning though, if you’re not terribly great with spicy food, you’re going to need a whole heap of their signature Orchid Crush Cider to get you through this dish!
Chicken and Waffles
Oh. My. God. Absolute mouthgasm with this one. Essentially KFC on a waffle with bacon, pickles and maple syrup, this beauty can rescue any bad day and solve any problem. The chicken was so tender and perfectly spiced and fried, the waffle was firm and offered suitable support for the chicken, the bacon was crispy and the pickles perfectly topped off the meal with a little bit of fresh salty. All coated in amazing maple syrup (not the Cottees kind, the authentic stuff Drew Akins assured us), this meal is not for the faint of heart, as you can literally feel the diabetus coming on. However, despite the unhealthiness, it’s worth every bite.
Blackened Cajun Kingfish
The assortment of spices crusted to the outside of this tender fish blacken when being smoked, giving the fish it’s dark exterior, so don’t be alarmed thinking it’s burnt. The fish pulled easily apart and was wonderfully fresh, which was played on by the accompanying homemade salsa. This dish is a much lighter and healthier option on the menu, so if you’re not looking for a big feed this is what you’re after.
S’mores
Dessert was s’mores, aptly titled so as when eating them you want ‘some more’ (ha). Perfectly toasted mashmellows and warm nutella are sandwiched between two dry biscuits, making the perfect finish to this feast. Be careful when eating though, as it can get really messy!
As well as these options, other new items on the menu are the Mac and Cheese Sundae and the classic American traditional Meatloaf. One of the specials on the board we happened to notice was also a traditional New Orleans gumbo, which is on out list of things to try next from this amazing venue.
All images from Adelaide Food Central, as we did a really good thing where we brought a camera but forgot an SD card.
Cover photo from The Curious Squire.
