Review: The Curious Squire

Fun for peeps used to silently twittering and texting. To make up for it everyone yells at each other and looks happy.

Curious is part of a top-end beer driven chain. James Squire if you haven’t guessed. There are a few Squires scattered around Australia. There are many beers on tap. There are beertails. Adelaide’s menu is its own. Chef Praveen Pall’s menu to be exact. Praveen also looks after D’Artagnan, a couple of doors down O’Connell Street.

Both places are everything the other one isn’t, if that makes sense. After being re-assured by General Manager Michael Murphy that the butter chicken was not toxic, was the Chef’s family recipe, wouldn’t be slimy like every other butter chicken in the world, I ate it. Glory be. Sharp and tangy. No slime.

You will recognise Michael when you see him. He is one of the few professionals at his trade in Adelaide. A pleasure to watch. He is everywhere and nowhere. The menu is large and set out like an American menu. Tricksy names in America un-nerve me. If they have to market it you shouldn’t eat it, is a good rule when eating State-Side. Baby. So I ordered Nine Tales Con Carne ($14) with trepidation. Why did I worry? This isn’t the US yet, er, baby. A version of chilli con carne appeared. Fabulous.

The boring sounding ‘zucchini fritters’ ($9.50). Fabulous. They were served hot in a frying basket. Hot is the time to eat them up. We ordered a sandwich called ‘The Club’ ($15.50) expecting a club sandwich so I could pretend to be in luxury hotel with Lana del Rey getting ready to strip the mini-bar then fall exhausted etc… A vision I didn’t share with Duck Woman.

It would have led to an attack of the sulks. Even though she talks of naught but George Clooney. What has happened to club sandwiches? Maybe it’s a long time between luxury hotels. The decoration goes wow.

The ceiling, which has looked down on a couple of highly priced stinkers, looks like charred wood. Sigh. What tricks polystyrene can play. Wrong again. The dramatic ceiling “is really” charred wood. It forces the hub-bub straight down. Eerily, on the footpath, a metre from the din – silence.

THE CURIOUS SQUIRE
10 O’Connell Street, North Adelaide

Hours:
Monday – Thursday: Midday – Midnight
Friday: Midday – 2am
Saturday: 9am – 2am
Sunday: 9am – Midnight
8267 6835
thecurioussquire.com.au