Sociali brings Impressionists

THE French influence sweeping through Geelong Gallery is extending to the city’s dining scene, with Sociali Trattoria and Bar unveiling a special menu inspired by the works of artists such as Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

The restaurant, located within Crowne Plaza Geelong, will launch a selection of limited edition dishes on Saturday to coincide with the opening of Discovering the Impressionists at Geelong Gallery.

The exhibition brings together works from some of the leading figures of the Impressionist movement, exploring the artistic revolution that transformed European art in the late 19th century.

 

To complement the exhibition, Sociali has translated those artistic influences into a menu that combines classic French techniques with the restaurant’s coastal Italian style.

The menu comprises a petite beetroot waffle amuse-bouche, alongside kingfish crudo and Meredith goat cheese starters.

The main courses include cappelletti, served with either prawn or pumpkin, thyme and garlic-seared lamb noisette, and confit mushrooms, with honey panna cotta for dessert.

Sociali executive chef Atish Chaudhuri said the dishes were designed to reflect the colour, texture and spontaneity associated with Impressionist art.

 

He said the relationship between French and Italian cuisine also played a key role in shaping the menu, drawing inspiration from Catherine de’ Medici, the Italian noblewoman who became Queen of France after marrying King Henry II.

“Basically, she got the Italian cuisine together with the French cuisine,” Chaudhuri said.

“The French take credit for their cuisine but Italians take more credit because it’s from Italian heritage.”

That fusion is reflected throughout the menu. The cappelletti, for example, pairs traditional Italian pasta with a classic French lobster bisque.

 

Chaudhuri said French cooking’s emphasis on technique and consistency had shaped kitchens around the world.

“The minute a cook enters a kitchen, he owes allegiance to France. The white jacket, the brigade – it’s all French,” he said.

“If I have a béchamel in France, it’d probably be more or less the same in Nepal because the standardisation of recipes is so good, which is not possible in any other cuisine.

“Once you learn French cuisine, it’s easy to master the rest of it.”

 

He said he settled on a combination of dishes for the special-edition menu that could be consistently replicated hundreds of times a night, and enjoyed the opportunity to give a French twist to Sociali’s usual cuisine.

The menu will be available until 11 October and is complemented by four French-inspired cocktails – La Belle Tropicale, Midnight Tea in Paris, Monet’s Garden in Bloom and Pandan in Colours – as well as a curated selection of French wines and spirits.

For more information, head to socali.com.au

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