Bites

The new owners of Subiaco’s Atlantic Restaurant are in the midst of planning some big changes for the venue.

The Rokeby Road restaurant will undergo a renovation later this month, which will include a complete kitchen makeover.

Owner Jeremy Cariss says bringing in better cooking equipment and new fridges will allow the restaurant to cook a wider range of dishes, although the menu will be slightly trimmed down.

Visitors to Atlantic in the past few months will already recognise some of the changes that have occurred since Mr Cariss bought the restaurant from Paul Zisopoulos and Denise DeSanges last year. One of the most significant has been the overhaul, and expansion, of the restaurant’s wine list.

“It’s quite eclectic,” Mr Cariss says. “A lot of bigger wine lists in Perth are uninspiring and we have things on ours that other restaurants just don’t have.”

Margaret River does get a decent showing but alongside things like the Leeuwin Art Series Sauvignon Blanc are wines from across the globe, including plenty from France.

While major renovations are yet to get under way, Mr Cariss tells Gusto that foodies can expect a more upmarket affair with less emphasis on seafood, while at the same time not morphing into another Italian restaurant. Watch this space.

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Millbrook Winery winemaker Tony Davis has taken up the senior winemaking spot at Howard Park, which was left vacant by Michael Kerrigan late last year. Mr Kerrigan quit the role after more than a decade after investing in Margaret River vineyard Hay Shed Hill.

Mr Davis has 17 vintages under his belt, including some at Yalumba, Plantagenet, and Brown Brother, as well as a few stints in the US and France.

As first revealed in WA Business News on December 21 2006, Mr Davis accepted the job late last year. He started at Howard Park last month, joining winemakers Matt Burton in Margaret River and Andy Browning in Denmark. Mr Davis will also be supported by Howard Park chief viticulturalist David Botting.