Alma Tavern, Norwood 19th November 2009 - PASS!

I had been despairing for months. When I embarked on this journey to discover the schnitzellian delights of our fair city, I was full of hope and promise and the excitement that comes before eating an awesome schnitzel parmigiana.

Alas, my optimism was shortlived. As the weeks grew into months, the parmi's came and went, underwhelming me at every turn. And it did not matter where I went, even heading up north, because the disappointment knew no geographical boundaries.

So, when I popped into the Alma Tavern last week with a few bro's for a quick bite, little did I know I was going to have my faith in our fair city restored.

I ordered the Alma schnitty, which I was told was fabled in these parts (I'd heard that before). When it came out, I could see that it was one of the best looking schnitty's I had seen in a while. It wasn't overcooked for a start, no singe marks. The breast itself was a great size, very thick and took up most of the plate. The sauce was plentiful and tasty, and it topped a very large piece of delicious looking ham.

But how did it taste? As good as it looked thankfully! Great texture, the thing went down almost as good as the beer I had with it. I don't need to be scientific with this, it was just damn good. I won't even mention the chips (they were good too).

As far as rankings go, this is right up there with the Mawson Lakes schnitty, possibly even higher ranked. Whatever the ranking, you should get on this, it's good grub!

Grange Hotel, Grange 31st Oct 2009 - PASS (barely)

When you live in Grange, you realise one indomitable fact very early on - There are no restaurants.

That may not be technically true, but it is pretty close. What you do have in Grange is pubs, although there are too few of those as well. One such pub is the Grange Hotel, which stands proudly on the seafront, overlooking the Grange Jetty. The hotel has done itself up over the past few years, and with this make-over came a very crucial change - a pricier menu.

Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty decent menu with lots of variety, but we're here to critique schnitta ala parmigiana. It was a busy night, so when the schnitty came out, I was surprised at how well it presented. On closer inspection, I saw it was a victim of the same errors that had befouled my meal at the Brauhaus a week earlier - It was slightly burnt.

Did it affect the taste? Aye, it twas so. The sauce was fine and so was the cheese, but you could get past that textural crunch, and slighly overcooked interior. Given my disappoint, you know there was only to be one saving grace for this overcooked chook - the chips.

Once again (disappointingly), the chips had to step in and save the day, which these did with aplomb. Crispy and well-cut, they rescued the meal from the brink of ignomy (okay that's overstating it a little). Besides that the staff we're very friendly and the atmosphere was okay.

I'm a little worried about the state of the Schnitzel nation at present. Here's hoping my next outing serves up something a little more special.