A GOOD local restaurant can be surprisingly hard to find, so it’s always good news when such a business hangs out its shingle. The checklist goes a little like this: the successful local should feel effortlessly relaxed, like an extension of your home; a place where you’ll be entirely comfortable dropping by, whether spruced up or slightly dishevelled and grumpy after a hard day at the coalface.
In the north corner there’s Next Door Diner, a gently idiosyncratic dark-hued local in a converted Northcote pharmacy. It champions artisan produce (big-flavoured Plains Paddock lamb is a menu stalwart) and seasonal eating not by blustering about it but by dishing up the sort of skilfully cooked, vibrantly flavoured food that can have you plotting a return visit mid-meal.
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The seasonal, produce-driven menu is sourced from specialty producers around Victoria, such as Plains Paddock lamb and Frattali Olive Oil, the bottles featuring a photo of Mr. Frattali himself on the label. The theme even extends to the décor, featuring tabletops made from the old Northcote Bowl lanes and lamp shades hand painted by local artists. It's enough to make you self-conscious about travelling across town to visit, but don't worry, those are the kind of food miles Next Door are cool with.
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