Taste tour ... Deli 9 serves a range of gourmet delights..
Approaching the Latrobe Valley, there is little to dispel its reputation as a place of dirty coal-fired power stations and open-cut mines.
The characterless, modern main streets of Traralgon don't augur well either as I search for my first stop on a foodie trip of the area, Neilsons restaurant. There it is, the sole remaining period building on the strip, in a town - an entire region - where heritage has been decimated by the electricity industry's rapid 20th-century expansion.
Stepping inside Neilsons' Federation-era building is like entering another world, or at least an old-school Carlton terrace restaurant. Its period charm is pepped up by warm, contemporary touches, including original artworks.
A window offers views of a classic 1970s Ford and the chicken joint across the street, while the menu offers a window on to local produce prepared with modern Australian flair (including some molecular gastronomy, such as apple-cider foam). The wine list also has a local focus, dominated by well-priced Aussie drops, including several from the immediate Gippsland region.
As each tasting-menu course is savoured (the delicate cup of creamy, truffled cauliflower soup a highlight), preconceptions about Latrobe Valley foodie holidays melt away. And after a night at the stately Montfort Manor nearby, with its antique furniture, luxe swimming pool and breakfast next to a vase overflowing with fresh roses, it's clear that the valley isn't all smokestacks and coal.
By day, Traralgon's town centre still lacks character but a little exploration soon reveals numerous gourmet destinations. On the fourth Saturday morning of each month, the Traralgon Farmers' Market offers an inexpensive taste of the region. Delicious cheeses, jams, chutneys, fresh fruit and vegetables, honey and a stall selling a remarkable range of potted herbs are among the bounty.
Don't linger too long at the market because many shops and cafes close around lunchtime on Saturdays and aren't open on Sundays. Deli 9 is a boon for self-caterers with refined palates: offerings include products by Maggie Beer and Yarra Valley Preserves, imported goodies (particularly from Italy) and a substantial selection of fresh cheeses, smallgoods, olives and the like.
For dining in, good options include Gusto Divino (an Italian restaurant that also runs cooking classes); Retro Home Cafe and Furniture (comfort food and vintage kitsch); Cafe Aura (from cafe nibbles to enormous servings of contemporary pub-style fare); and Iimis Cafe (smart and modern, serving Mediterranean dishes). For sweet tooths, Pieces of Cake is pure temptation.
Ten minutes up the road in Morwell is the original Pieces of Cake, as well as the Latrobe Regional Gallery's So Swish Cafe. It's small but punches above its weight, offering classic urban cafe fare, from hot breakfasts to quality wine, coffee and cake.
After refuelling, the gallery is well worth a look for its temporary exhibitions, permanent collection (including impressive glass works) and paintings on permanent loan by artists such as Brack, Nolan and Boyd. Admission is free.
Following a stroll through Morwell's substantial rose garden, I'm back on the road. Power stations and open-cut mines are frequently in view when driving around the Latrobe Valley - one road actually passes within metres of Yallourn power station. They quickly become part of the landscape, though it's still a surprise to see, above the vines and between the trees at Narkoojee winery in Glengarry, cooling towers and smokestacks in the distance.
Once again, the valley defies expectations, as Narkoojee wines clearly aren't tainted by the winery's less-than-idyllic location. Here, in 1980, Harry Friend planted some vines on his parents' dairy farm as an experiment. These days, the cows are long gone and acres of his cool-climate vines produce 13 varieties of wine. There are cellar-door tastings or enjoy a glass for $5. The generous cheese and fruit platters are an ideal light lunch.
If you fancy something more substantial while sampling a local drop, consider Traralgon Vineyard. Though the restaurant and cellar door are new and modern (with expansive views soon to be augmented by a lake), management generally takes an old-fashioned approach.
From winemakers that focus on the inside rather than the outside of the bottle, to unpretentious food that's more Latrobe Valley than Yarra Valley (gourmets may find some dishes, such as the green, slightly rubbery lemon-lime cheesecake, under par), it's an approach that's popular with locals.
Even more down-to-earth pleasures can be found at Waterwheel Orchards (250 Fishers Road, Boolarra; look for the "raspberries" sign or, like me, you may drive up and down a longish dirt road for a while).
From December to February, pick your own berries, including silvan, logan, black, young, marion, American bramble and boysenberries, while May is the time to fill your bucket with tamarillos and kiwi fruit. Fruity products, including jams, are available year round and there's a good chance of seeing koalas, which are common in the area. Waterwheel's bushland setting is a world away from much of the Latrobe Valley, which apart from electricity-related infrastructure is mostly cow-dotted pasture.
Brigadoon Cottages in Newborough is another escape, with comfortable, self-contained cottages that are surrounded by pretty gardens amid acres of bush. Sadly, I didn't see Brigadoon's resident wallaby but the birds make a joyous natural alarm clock. One very determined blue wren chirps and pecks at the window as I enjoy the abundant breakfast provisions.
Other places to stay in the region include Tarra Valley Rainforest Retreat, where Swiss-born chef/proprietor Roman Manser offers chocolate-appreciation classes. His truffles and other sweet treats are also for sale to those passing through.
If your appreciation leans towards beer, try the tours and tastings at Grand Ridge Brewery in Mirboo North, which also serves lunch. On the way, stop in Yinnar and pop into arc, an artist-run space in an old dairy. Stroll through the gallery and consider buying something inedible for a change: the gift shop offers local artists' work, including jewellery and pottery.
Is it time to eat again? Gippsland TAFE's Morwell training restaurant, Waratah, puts the region's next generation of chefs on show (check www.gippstafe.vic.edu.au as hours vary), or go with one of the valley's most reputable establishments, the Terrace Cafe.
Part of the bland Century Inn function centre, this restaurant rises above it all with a sophisticated mod Oz menu and wine list that strongly favours Gippsland suppliers. Though my one visit suggests something of a fixation with finely chopped herbs, it's otherwise subtle, palpably fresh, fare.
After two days in the valley, I head home, stuffed to the gills and with a new, much more positive, opinion of the region.
The Latrobe Valley is no Eden but for Victorian foodies in search of something new, it's well worth a weekend.
At the end of it all, especially if a lack of refrigeration prevents buying perishables as you go, drop by Gippsland Food and Wine in Yarragon. Right on the Princes Highway about an hour from Melbourne, it's a great place to buy tasty souvenirs of the Latrobe Valley and get you thinking about even more gastronomic pleasures waiting throughout Gippsland.
Patricia Maunder travelled courtesy of Destination Gippsland. See inspiredbygippsland.com.au.
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