Warwick Queensland.
Hello dear readers, I just needed to update you on our latest visit to the Gunyah, because many of you have dined there on my recommendation and enjoyed yourselves. Well it looks like one of our favourite local places to eat is going through a transition, to put it lightly.
To begin with, the young rising star of the kitchen Chef Grant Calvert has left the building, and rumour has it that Grant has bought his own cafe / restaurant. We'll try to catch up with Grant soon. Just the other night Kelly and I decided to go to the Gunyah to celebrate Kelly's birthday and we were totally shocked at how poorly the food was cooked and how quiet and depressing the place was.
We're not sure why but the in house musician has left for greener pastures as well and reservations are at an all time low. As far as our meal was concerned, it was a negative statement in three courses. There was no passion or care in the execution and the quality was truly pathetic.
Because it was Kelly's birthday I couldn't make a fuss. I paid the $109 reluctantly and couldn't bring myself to leave a tip. When we got home I wrote an honest email to the General Manager of the McNevin company in Sydney and I was relieved to receive a great reply from Narelle McNevin the next working day.
The good people at McNevin's are aware of the problem and are working hard to come up with a solution soon. My suggestion was to close the place until things can be worked out but that's not going to happen. I believe a new menu will be launched soon and I hope I can convince Kelly to give it another try. Maybe we will get an invitation for your benefit. Who knows?
So, to all those local Food Trekkers who will miss the good honest food and cosy atmosphere of the Gunyah, keep an eye on our blog for further updates. The Gunyah showed so much promise and we hoped it would become one of the special venues on the Darling Downs. It's not too late for McNevin's to turn it around and reinvent the Gunyah and get back our confidence but in the meantime, if you do go to the Gunyah demand perfection and don't pay for overcooked, burned or mediocre dishes that are over priced. It's the only way they'll learn.
We really want to champion our local food industry and not be too critical, but we know how hard you work for your money and you should be warned if a restaurant is not up to scratch. So I feel bad about the Gunyah but I have high hopes for their recovery.
In the next couple of weeks, Kelly and I are going to dine at a bohemian French inspired restaurant in Warwick that only advertises by word of mouth and opens to the public only once a week to a full house. It's called "joie de vivre - the joy of life" and we cant wait to tell you all about it.
We also continue our series on our Pacific Cruise Food Trek, so stay tuned to our blog and as usual, Bon Appetite.
Karl
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