Masons of Bendigo

Nick and Sonia Anthony have retuned to Bendigo and delivered just what it needed. Drawing on years of cooking internationally and locally, they've created a stylishly casual all-day operation offering up a great range of tasty snacks through to larger dishes and knockout steaks. They've developed a strong network of Central Victorian producers: 95 per cent of Mason's produce is local. Maybe start with fried chicken spare ribs zingy with chilli salt and lime, silky duck-liver parfait on brioche or roast pork bun with Japanese mayonnaise. From the larger dishes perhaps opt for juicy char-grilled jumbo quail with fresh figs and fregola or what might be the best steak for the money in the state - whole and dry-aged from nearby Inglewood - arriving with green peppercorn butter, perfect chips and a lovely little salad. A not-too-sweet trifle incorporating botrytis jelly and mascarpone rounds things out very nicely.