“We dropped the good from the name,” says Wilson Shawyer, acknowledging his new surroundings away from Goodwood Road.
After staking his claim along the busy thoroughfare with his wine bar Good Gilbert, its spin-off Good Burger and neighbourhood restaurant Asha, Shawyer has turned his attention to the west with his latest venue Gilbert’s Wine & Grill, which soft-opens in Torrensville tonight. Although keen-eyed fans will still recognise some Good tropes, like the profusion of prints on the wall, the orange and green colour scheme, breezy bi-fold windows, and a beloved menu item or two.
It’s the third venue Shawyer’s opened this year, and “the last one for a while”, he’s quick to flag. “I feel very broke and very tired,” he admits. “But I’m not alone, I have two wonderful business partners who feel the same way.”
They are chef Ash Peek (who’s been steering the kitchens at Good Gilbert and Good Burger since closing his suburban cafe OFP) and Stephen Tzanakis of burger chain Burgertec. Just as Good Burger moved into the former OFP site, Gilbert’s Wine & Grill has moved into a former Burgertec site, in a location Tzanakis had seen potential in for a long time.
“He had 70 to 80 square metres of front-of-house capability, which was completely underutilised in a takeaway business model,” says Shawyer.
The trio had initially planned on opening an American-style sports bar. But in the current climate – and in an effort to get more bums on seats – they decided a more wide-reaching concept was needed. “Where the market is and the economy, it’s very difficult to designate ourselves essentially a drinking-only venue, and a fairly niche venue, being a sports bar.”
Instead, they’ve launched an American-inspired grill and wine bar, drawing on old-school New York and LA steakhouses and saloons like JG Melon, Dear John’s and Gramercy Tavern. “We all have a very keen interest in American dining,” says Shawyer. “But it also has an upmarket twist and an Australian feel, so we’re not appropriating anything and claiming it as our own.”
When the restaurant officially opens for bookings next week, you’ll be able to choose between cuts of steak (sirloin, T-bone, Scotch fillet and a whopping 750-gram rib-eye) with a sauce of your choice (including bearnaise and chimichurri); plus beef short rib with a coffee-caramel glaze; Cuban-style pork chop marinated in vibrant, citrusy mojo sauce; and half a roast chook with lemon and thyme sauce.
There’s naturally a focus on meats, but plants are also heroed in dishes like pickled zucchini with stracciatella and hot honey; summery stone fruit and heirloom tomatoes with mint, basil and orange blossom labneh; and a classic cobb salad. “Given the fact we’ll be open for lunch every day, we wanted to have lighter options on the menu,” says Shawyer.
There are also fun, nostalgic snacks like prawn cocktail lettuce cups, a fried mortadella sandwich, and the return of Good Gilbert’s lasagne sticks (like a mozzarella stick, but with layers of pasta sheets, Neapolitan sauce and bechamel – crumbed, fried and served with marinara sauce). “They went bunta at Good Gilbert,” says Peek.
“You can’t have a grill place without burgers,” he continues. So the team’s included a tight edit of the Good Burger menu – including a double smashburger and a fried chicken number with hot honey and jalapenos – which you can order in or take away. But we suggest you save enough room for the peach cobbler, Basque cheesecake or limoncello tiramisu.
Wine also gets main billing, and you can expect a similar ethos to Good Gilbert and, eventually, over 200 wines. There’ll also be seasonal cocktails, beers on tap, and a selection of tinnies.
“We’re all so pumped,” says Shawyer, who also acknowledges the journey this year has been. “All of us and our working partners agree no more, this is it. We’re going to stay on course for the next 12 months and really solidify what we’re doing.”
Gilbert’s Wine & Grill opens officially opens on Monday, December 2 for lunch and dinner.
