Coldstream Brewery - Coldstream
It has been at least a week since a parma has passed my lips and longer
since I've sat down and written a review. With the parma withdrawals
well and truly giving me the shakes we decided to head out into the
country. The great thing about living in the outer suburbs of Melbourne
is that within half an hour you are surrounded by rolling hills and
green pastures. Passing those hills and pastures we found ourselves
driving through Coldstream where we were greeted by the Coldstream
Brewery. Opening in 2007 the Coldstream Brewery is an up-to-date
microbrewery with the bygone charm of the woolshed from which it was
created. Exposed brickwork and wooden beams surround you and if you're
smart enough to book ahead you can enjoy a meal next to an open log fire
which is a welcome sight on these cold wintery days.
As you might expect the prices here area little higher than most pubs
due to its boutique nature but nothing too crazy. A pint of their own
pilsner was recommended with my parma so I ordered up and sat down for
the wait. Even though the brewery was almost full we didn't have to wait
long for this to arrive:
First impressions were good as it was a really nice size and it looked
tasty. For $24 you get a parma, chips and a cucumber and onion salad.
The chips were cooked and seasoned perfectly and the salad was really
enjoyable. It must have been very lightly coated in some sort of
dressing as it had a subtle yet pleasant taste, although I couldn't
figure out what the dressing was. The breast was an inch thick the whole
way through and juicy as hell. There was plenty of cheese and ham with
only a little bit of naked parma showing. For me there were two let
downs which stopped it from being a great parma. Firstly, although the
crumb was nice and golden brown it lacked any flavour or seasoning.
Secondly the sauce was not much more than tomato soup. It lacked any
real flavour and in turn made the parma a little bland. Yet again we
have a parma teetering on the edge of being great with only a few issues
getting in the way. Here are the scores:
Price: $24
Sides: 4.5/5
Chips: 4.5/5
Chicken to crumb ratio: 3/3
Crumb quality: 1/2
Topping: 6.5/10
Chicken quality: 5/5
Well cooked: 8/10
Appearance on plate: 4.5/5
Value for money: 3.25/5
Totalling the numbers gives the Coldstream brewery 80.5%. If you're in
the area check it out as it has a really nice atmosphere and several
interesting drops of ale freshly delivered from about 10 meters away.
Also a quick mention goes out to the Coldstream Animal Aid which is
about a two minute drive up the road from the brewery. If you're looking
to adopt a pet please check them out as they're doing a great job of
looking after the hundreds of animals that come their way. Even if
you're not adopting why not drop in and give the animals some well
deserved pats! Look out for a review a little sooner next time as I
can't hold out that long again.
Comment: A website on PARMA's rate Coldstream Brewery.
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