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Morsels: Game of Thrones dinner, Pheast opens, Meet The Maker

Natasha Rudra

Dine like Cersei Lannister of <i>Game of Thrones</i> ... The Durham Castle Arms in Green Square is hosting a theme night on August 9.
Dine like Cersei Lannister of Game of Thrones ... The Durham Castle Arms in Green Square is hosting a theme night on August 9.Supplied

Ottoman and Grant Burge
This Friday at Ottoman take in a four-course dinner with the winemakers of Grant Burge. It's a Meet The Maker dinner featuring Craig Stansborough, who's been named Winemaker of the Year by the South Australian wine society Barons of Barossa. He's also chief winemaker at Grant Burge. It's four courses matched with six wines. Broughton Street, Barton. Friday, August 1, at 6.30pm. $120 a person, bookings on 6273 6111.

Pheast in Manuka
A new restaurant's opening in Manuka on the site of the old Charlie Black's, on the corner of Flinders and Furneaux streets. This one's called Pheast and it's designed to be a casual dining place with pub-style food. Owner Adam Ninnis describes the menu as modern Oz with a twist and a few comfort food favourites like lamb shanks and schnitzels. It will also serve its own brand of organic coffee, Pheast Espresso. And, in a welcome move, there's no watching the clock to work out if the kitchen is still serving lunch or dinner – Ninnis says he plans to serve food from 10am-10pm every day (perhaps closing a little earlier on Mondays and Tuesdays). Ninnis is no stranger to the hospitality industry – he also owns the eatery at the Capitol Golf Club in Narrabundah and says he's expanding a little with the Manuka restaurant. Pheast is set to open Friday, August 1, depending on paperwork.

Game of Thrones night
The Durham Castle Arms in Green Square is hosting a Game of Thrones theme night on Saturday, August 9. There's going to be a three-course menu inspired by the fantasy epic series, which features a roast and lemon cake. It's $25 a head for the dinner. There will also be prizes, "live mediaeval music" and general debauchery. Dust off your fur cloaks, sheath your swords and let your beards go extra wild. Just don't bring a pigeon pie or a raw horse heart (see what I did there). The Durham, Green Square, Kingston. The party starts at 5.30pm on Saturday, August 9, and bookings are on 6295 1769.

Meet the winemaker: Craig Stansborough on August 1.
Meet the winemaker: Craig Stansborough on August 1.Supplied
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More truffling
Even the Canberra Environment Centre is getting in on the truffle action. There's a Cooking with Truffles workshop happening on Saturday, August 16. It's hosted by Owen Saddler, owner of Dream Cuisine in Fyshwick, who will show you how to make a potato and truffle gratin and a traditional French rice pudding with truffle. The class runs from 10am-2pm and includes lunch with a glass of wine. It's at the YMCA Bush Capital Lodge on Dryandra Street, O'Connor.

It's a Jumble
Keep an eye out for a little anthology of food memories and stories from writers, many of them Canberrans who still live in this city. The linking thread for all these writers is that they are migrants or the children of migrants and their stories are filled with exploration of cuisines old and new, forging relationships with family, self and society. There's a foreword by Benjamin Law and contributors include former Canberra Times journalist Claire Low. It's called Jumble and volume one is all about Taste. It was "crowdfunded" by editors Yasmin Masri, Farz Edraki and Zoya Patel through Pozible. Jumble Vol 1: Taste will be launched on Wednesday, August 6, at 7.30pm at the ANU Food Co-op. 3 Kingsley Street, Civic. Tickets are $10-$15 (free if you were a Pozible supporter). Or buy the book for $30 and get in free. Stay tuned for more.

Book of the week
The Australian love affair with Italian food is a deep and longstanding one and cookbook publishers and authors know there's a rich vein of recipes to mine for simple, beautiful Italian cooking. The latest offering is Little Italy by Nicole Herft, which features finger food from around the nation. There are tiny veal cutlets, mini fritto misto cones, individual Caprese salads in pots. Herft also features plenty of dolci, with little zabagliones, mini limoncello and blueberry trifles and fruit tartlets. It's out in August. Hardie Grant, $29.99.

PUB FOOD: Public in Manuka is now serving breakfasts on the weekend from 9.30am-11.30am.

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Default avatarNatasha Rudra is an online editor at The Australian Financial Review based in London. She was the life and entertainment editor at The Canberra Times.

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