Where? - 298-300 Brunswick St. Fitzroy
Price? - $22
Website? - www.thestonehotel.com.au
Reviewers – Lee, Nikki, Stefo
I was a bit nervous to head back to Fitzroy - The last time we were here we crowned a new king ... Any pub that was to follow that well and truly had their work cut out for them, so best to pick a pub that we had heard a lot of good things about before even leaving the house - We loaded up the Parma Bus and headed to Brunswick Street's Stone Hotel.
From outside the Stone's bright white facade is striking to say the least, and the interior is no less impressive. I don't think they have heard the word "Plaster" in this pub as everything is exposed. Exposed brick, exposed bluestone, exposed steel beams in the roof. Brightly lit with a welcoming vibe and plenty of space to stretch out.
We took a seat and checked the menu...
The menu description kept it simple, no clues as to what we were gonna receive there. We placed our orders and eagerly awaited the arrival of our dinners, We noticed a sign advertising a "Beer Garden" upstairs so we did some investigating ... beside what would be an outstanding function room we discovered what I would call more of a "rooftop courtyard" than a garden, but pleasant none the less. Cosy yet spacious and all that you really need if you're desperate for a fix of beers in the sun.
The tap list at the stone is relatively impressive - Plenty of options to tickle almost any fancy from the simple to the craft. Mountain Goat, 4 Pines, Young Henrys ... the list goes on.
About 15 - 20 minutes after ordering our meals hit the table...
I was a bit hesitant when I saw what looked like a not-so-great schnitzel, but hot damn looks can be deceiving. Plump, juicy chicken breast with crumb that carried a fantastic crunch throughout. Very thick and perfectly cooked - This is how I like my schnitzels. Outstanding
The toppings were just as impressive, and equally deceiving. When I first saw the odd orange-tinted napoli I was hesitant, but again proven wrong as it was absolutely bursting with flavour - Rich, creamy and plenty of it.
The cheese was probably the weakest part of the dish, but by no means bad. Plenty of it, but it didn't really pack any punch and could have definitely used another few minutes under the grill.
Its a good thing that we're ending on a positive note though, because the ham was absolutely amazing - By far the star of the topping trio. Rich, smokey and packed with a solid punch of flavour, definitely elevated this parma from great to fantastic.
The chips were on par with the parma. Beer battered delights. Perfectly cooked, well seasoned, served beside the parma and even delivered with a pot of sauce for dipping... What else do you want?
The first few mouthfuls of the salad were outstanding. For a basic garden salad of lettuce, onion, cucumber and tomato it was absolutely packed with flavour from being very well dressed in an extremely sharp dressing, very heavy on the lemon juice. It was extremely enjoyable to begin with, but quickly became overpowering, back off the lemon juice just a tad and this would be a salad on par with the other elements on the plate.
“Delicious juicy parma - the flavour from the ham was amazing. I love a lot of dressing in the salad but this was a little too much for my liking”
“A lot of positives in this parma. Thick juicy bird, tasty chips and a zingy salad. I would have liked my cheese under the heat a bit longer and maybe a blend of cheese to spice it up - But these are very minor criticisms of what is an otherwise great parma”
I enjoyed this parma immensely, and would have absolutely no qualms shelling out another $22 to try it again. Even better, the Stone offers a $15 parma night on Wednesdays - Outstanding value for an outstanding parma.
Welp, looks like Fitzroy has delivered the goods once again! I was very happy with the quality and flavour of this parma, and with the pub itself - A great spot to stop into for a pint, a feed and a good time. Worth checking out.
Pros
- Amazing flavours throughout a quality parma
- Top notch chips
Cons
- Salad dressing a little sour