PICKLE IN THE MIDDLE

 By Amanda – On The Chopping Board

Pickle in the Middle

134 Unley Road,  Unley

Hi, my name is Amanda and I must confess, I am addicted to pickles! So as soon as I heard that Pickle in the Middle had opened I couldn’t get there quick enough! I had been keeping a close eye on the opening of this new breakfast and lunch spot since undertaking a pickling course with the owners back in August 2014. Since I was lucky enough to try their delectable pickles back then and learn some of their pickling techniques, I had a good feeling about their new venture, Pickle in the Middle.

Entering the modern, minimalistic and bright new space, we find a table for two along the side wall.  Above us jars of pickles for sale adorn the shelves and my excitement continues to grow! A brief look at the menu and I know exactly what I’m going to order, the ‘Cheese ‘n’ Pickle Toastie’ (was there ever any doubt)! My lunch date takes a little longer but decides on the ‘Kasundi Chicken Sandwich’.

The Cheese ‘n’ Pickle Toastie is described as a parmesan-crusted sourdough bread filled with mustard, zucchini pickles and smoked mozzarella cheese with a side of today’s salad. OMG I’m not sure toasted sandwiches get any better than this! The thickly sliced parmesan-crusted sourdough bread had amazing salty rich flavour and crunch, while the generous filling of layers of melted mozzarella cheese oozed and stretched out at perfect cheesy length. Then the zucchini pickles! So much tang, taste and light crunch bringing such great acidity to this toastie that I was in my absolute element!  The side salad was a fresh combination of rocket, apple and red cabbage lightly dressed in lemon, oil and pepper. This was a refreshing accompaniment to break up the decadent goodness of the toastie.

The Kasundi Chicken Sandwich described as a focaccia filled with Kasundi-baked chicken, roast capsicum, yoghurt sauce and herbed cos was enjoyed by my lunch date. She loved all the delicious indian inspired flavours but had one criticism involving the bread. On this occasion the focaccia bread was very hard and tough to bite through. Hopefully just a one off as the focaccia is baked fresh in house daily.

My lunch date also enjoyed a Red Juice containing beetroot, apple, carrot, lemon and ginger which she loved. I also had a sip and thought it was a sweet, tasty and nourishing juice but I would have wished for it to be colder, as that’s how I prefer to drink my juices. My lunch date did not have this same concern.

To finish we ordered the ‘Sweet Toast’ which is a banana tahini loaf with raw walnuts, whipped yoghurt and candied lemon. We requested for our condiments to be placed on the side, so I’m sure the presentation of this dish is much nicer than ours above. None the less, the banana bread was soft, fresh and delicious. The whipped yoghurt and candied lemon added great creaminess and tang to the bread and the walnuts provided the needed textural crunch.

Overall I loved Pickle in the Middle and will definitely be returning. I just hope I can get past the cheese and pickle toastie on the menu next time to try something different. Although as I’ve previously confessed, I am a pickle addict so I’m not sure this will ever be possible!

+ VEGO/VEGAN FRIENDLY :: 5 vegetarian and 5 vegan options

+ CHILD FRIENDLY :: I didn’t see any children while I was there but I don’t see why you couldn’t bring them along.

+ AMBIANCE :: 4/5  Bright, happy and trendy

+ SERVICE :: 4/5  Friendly and prompt table service

+ FOOD :: 9/10  Fresh, healthy and delicious pickles!

In total OTCB gives Pickle in the Middle 17/20 chops on The Chopping Board.

Amanda xx