Settle in at the Summertown Aristologist

Ah, the Adelaide Hills region. You’ve heard it before but we’ll say it again; in Adelaide we’re unbelievably lucky here to be surrounded by picturesque coastlines on one side and rolling hills laden with fresh produce, roaming animals and boundless wineries.

Heading just half an hour out of the city will take you to The Summertown Aristologist, a new food and wine bar that’s quickly earning its name as a must-see destination in Adelaide’s culinary scene.

The food is created using produce gathered from the kitchen garden or local farms nearby and the wine is ‘vin nature’, meaning all natural and created without chemical or technical intervention. Everything here is designed for sharing, be it the tables, the bottles or the never-ending plates of incredible food.

The Summertown Aristologist

The Summertown Aristologist

The Summertown Aristologist is the passion project of wine enthusiasts Anton Van Klopper from Lucy Margaux Vineyards, Jasper Button from Commune of Buttons wines, Aaron Fenwick from Magill Estate, Blackwood and Orana with Head Chef Thomas Edwards leading the food creation.

Aaron was quick to greet and seat us upon entry at a large wooden table in the centre of the room. Keeping his previous experience in mind, it’s wise to trust Aaron to guide you on a culinary journey through the blackboard menu rather than choosing the items yourself.

Venturing down this degustation-style road, we were treated to unique dishes created using native produce of the highest quality. Saucisson prepared and aged in the cellar below was served alongside fresh bread, churned butter and house-brined pickles. A creamy, chilled zucchini soup with almonds redefined what zucchini could taste like and left us mopping up the last dregs in the bowl with any leftover bread.

White beans, bone broth and kale

White beans, bone broth and kale

Though we were far away from the ocean, seafood was thrown into the mix with tasty mussels resting on a bed of leek and egg yolk with some toasted bread making for a perfect combo of salty and fresh. Smoked ribbons of lamb complimented the sweet flavours of beetroot and tomato, and a dish of white beans soaked in bone broth with kale blew our minds with the meaty flavours coming from the soft, almost rice-like beans.

Reading dessert up on the chalkboard, we couldn’t quite picture what was going to come out from the kitchen next. Berries, fig leaf and cultured cream turned out to be a delicately balanced dish of sweet cherries and strawberries tossed with an icy fig leaf sorbet, while the brunt butter and honey ice-cream was sweet and creamy, tasting a little like honeycomb and perched atop a bed of apricot halves.

Of the wines that we sampled that evening, two stood out the most were the Jauma ‘Peekaboo’ Petulant Naturel, a refreshingly tart wine made from Grenache and slightly sparkling, very easy to drink, and the Cacique Maravilla ‘Gutiflower’, a fresh white blend from Chile that was again slightly sparkling.

Jauma 'Peekaboo' Petulant Naturel

Jauma ‘Peekaboo’ Petulant Naturel

The Summertown Aristologist creates beautifully simple dishes with ingredients that need little encouragement from the chef to let their flavours shine through. Rather than relying on complex cooking processes, exotic ingredients or meat-heavy plates, the creative minds behind the venue are putting together meals with flavour palettes that you’ve never experienced before.

Head on up to Summertown to experience this culinary journey of food and wine yourself from 9am until 9pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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