There are French accents on the floor at Brisbane’s first licensed fromagerie, which is replete with its own bistro and wine bar. Breton-born co-owner Tony Launay mans a walk-in cheese room – its shiny shelves stacked with everything from aged Comté and triple-cream Brillat Savarin to pungent washed-rinds. It’s complemented by the Orangery, a pared-back, cheese-oriented bar where diners can take a matched flight – three 50ml-pours and three 30-gram portions of cheese.
A robiola from northern Italy, say, paired with a Barbera d’Alba, a chunk of smoky scamorza with a Stone & Wood Pacific Ale, or perhaps a Victorian moscato with a Trinity Cellars Jersey Brie. All-day dining is offered in a neat, bistro-style room set with replica Starck Ghost chairs and teal banquette. Breakfasts run from the likes of sweetened goat’s curd with warmed grains and poached spiced pear to an omelette filled with provolone, goat’s cheese and red cheddar.
The combined lunch and dinner menu offers seasonal cheese selections and the likes of classic cacio e pepe with linguine, twice-baked soufflés, and a baked Camembert fondue in a cob loaf. There’s a decent charcuterie board, too – fielding fennel salami, prosciutto and papada de cerdo, with a generous helping of olives and pickles, if surprisingly scant sourdough. And for those times when too much cheese simply isn’t enough? Grab a three-cheese toastie from the takeaway window to eat on the way home.
Fromage [The Cow] 14 Park Rd, Milton, Qld, (07) 3157 8367, fromagethecow.com.au
