Review: Gary Balkin
AT A GLANCE…
Gambaros Seafood Restaurant 33 Caxton Street
Phone 3369 9500
Hosts: Michael, John & Donny Gambaro
Licensed
Parking: On premises
RATING …
Food - 17
Wine List - 18
Service - 17
Ambience - 17
Over 50 years ago, at a time when most readers of The Independent were each a twinkle in the eye of a spawning oyster, there were three seafood havens in our Brisbane town – a Sandgate restaurant named Baxters (famous for its fresh mudcrab, oyster soup and black rye bread and where one could dine privately in a curtained-off alcove), a plainly furnished, totally unpretentious South Brisbane noshery Burleigh Marr’s (famous for its oysters shucked to order, and of course its sandies and mudcrab), and a tiny takeaway café (famous for its fish and chips and fresh crustaceans) run by the Gambaro brothers in Caxton Street, adjacent to the then small pub.
Whew, what a puffy statement! But the seafood was so exciting and good in those 1950s havens that we were all breathless with superlatives when describing the respective experiences at the three icons. In this 21st Century, only Gambaros lives on to sate our sense of seafood heritage.
The Nineteenth Century Baxters just faded away ever so sadly; Burleigh Marr’s, then also the great wholesaler to hundreds of hotel and restaurant outlets, suddenly closed its bustling diner when Burleigh Marr the man himself sold at a price he could not refuse. However the Gambaro boys, Michael and Dominic, steadily worked away, and they built an extended room next door for a small number of diners. This mushroomed in popularity, and the extensions gathered steam over a couple of decades. The fare was consistently very good, the Gambaros worked hard and were “always there” as genial, versatile hosts, cooks and waiters.
They also invested in prime New Farm property, operated a supermarket on the corner of Brunswick and Sydney streets, while their fresh, well-cooked unpretentious food in Caxton Street won over legions of fans. When Gambaros became licensed, the offerings were less than a dozen wines. But demand grew rapidly, new premises were built across the road in Caxton Street, and more renovations over the years built the business into what it is today – one of Australia’s most popular seafood restaurants. I have dined on Gambaros seafood twice this year – firstly in October at the Paddington Hotel bar celebrating the annual “Mad Monday” for the Broncos’ wiser and older generation – yes, the 1990s premiership players, coaches, staff and directors like to reflect and rejoice but drink comparatively moderately these days. Then after a few schooners Alfie Langer and Chris Johns arrange, with the Paddo’s blessing, some seafood from Gambaros for the 30 or so “good ol’ boys”. Michael Gambaro rolled up this year with platters of scrumptious prawn cutlets, crumbed whiting, calamari and sea scallops.
The Caxton Street godfather patted Wayne Bennett on the back, as they are indeed old friends (Wayne was given his first job as a 14 year old at their New Farm supermarket), and Michael, genial as ever, was assured that we all loved his seafood. I regarded it as superb. Fresh produce, still with the whiff of sea-salt and with the texture of perfection.
Last week, I visited Gambaros for a restaurant review, along with an Irish colleen born in England. Colleen, though English if you get my drift, embraces all things Irish with great enthusiasm. Michael was at the door, greeting us each by name, as Colleen is a local regular, and Michael has known me since the 1950s fish café days and later as a fellow seafood restaurateur at Pier Nine.
I didn’t reserve a table, but arrived at 5.30pm to ensure we’d be accommodated, supposedly anonymously. We were seated in a warm, welcoming manner in the exquisitely furbished restaurant, offered drinks, the classic wine list and the menu. Throughout the evening, the waiting staff and management were very professional, unobtrusive yet helpful and pleasant.
The menu is a far cry from the original, even that of the 1980s, featuring innovative dishes as well as those of the retro style. I was interested in how the average diner out celebrating, but on a limited budget, would fare, so we ordered accordingly. Colleen started with a Chandon champagne-style wine ($11) while I was keen on a draught Cascade light ale ($3.50) to go with her entrée of Crumbed Sea Scallops ($25.50) and my Old-Fashioned Crab Bisque ($12) with crab meat laced with brandy, drizzled with cream. The scallops were pronounced juicy in Colleen’s practised Celtic twang while I was glad the Irish Dish suggested I should order the damper croutons on the side, as the crunch really worked with the strong texture of the delicious, potent bisque.
For mains, I opted for the 20 year old house favourite Michael Special Barramundi ($36.50), dipped in parmesan, egg and cream, crumbed and pan-fried; and Colleen ordered the entrée sized garlic prawns ($25.50, $37.90 main), flambéed with brandy, shallot greens and cream, with a timbale of saffron rice. My barra was good, and the prawn I was offered had perfect texture though I considered the garlic cream a little bitter. I love garlic, but it’s horses for courses, neigh?
More innovative dishes include the Schezuan Pepper Crusted Yellow Fin Tuna with avocado, pickled ginger and wasabi mayo @ $25.50, and for the same price Ceviche of Clearwater Scallops and compressed watermelon. While I sipped my Bleasdale Potts Catch Verdelho, Langhorne Creek S.A. @$7.50, m' Irish pal-tra-la happiy giggled her way through a glass of Forest Hill Boobook unwooded Chardonnay, Great Southern W.A. @ $8.50. Good drops, with the giggle juice winning by a half-head, so thought m’ Colleen.
Mine Hosts in 2009 are Michael, John and Donny Gambaro, as Dominic retired several years ago. The Gambaro family also operate their wholesale market at South Brisbane and a café at New Farm on the site of the old supermarket shop. This café is run by youngest brother Frank, and it’s a good local seafood café for we New Farmers, especially when the efficient Frank is on the job there. Fresh fish is not so abundant here, except for the easily accessed Atlantic salmon.
If one is lucky, one can arrive early to buy fresh local snapper, but an unsympathetic laugh may greet you if you arrive too late in the day. But I can really recommend Frank’s snapper in crisp batter when he has the fresh fish in store.
