The Plough Hotel in Footscray was closed for more than a year, but luckily for the pub built in 1868 and for the community a group of people had a vision and followed it through.
We had visited the Plough a few years ago, and what a different hotel it now is. But back then, the building looked old and tired and the food offered left customers wanting something better.
The Plough has since reopened with new owners and a new lease on life.
Owners of Carlton’s Kent Hotel, Joe Setaro and Tony Adamo, bought the place. Setaro, who grew up in the west, wanted to open a business in the area. The pair joined forces with their manager from the Kent, Melissa Nolte, as the third partner, and voila! Welcome to the new Plough.
The interior, designed and mostly built by Setaro and his wife Tina, is fresh and bright with exposed lightbulbs and slick white tiles, bare wooden tables and black trim. It’s very smart and instantly comfortable. There are two dining areas: the bistro and restaurant, with the same menu available in each. The bistro is perfect for families, and we were greeted by friendly staff who seated us quickly and maintained the efficiency.
The menu is large but easy to navigate, being divided into three main sections — shared, mains and pizzas. The ‘shared’ section is far more than small bites. The lamb cutlets (three per serve, $14) are tender to the bite with a hefty coating of breadcrumbs bound with a touch of mustard. They’re lovely, especially when matched to one of the many local beers on the drinks list.
Freshly shucked oysters from Coffin Bay (six for $16)were plump and buoyant as an oyster should be.
Mains cover the gamut of good pub food. The Plough is very much focused on local produce so you may find pork and fennel sausages from Benalla or Gippsland T-bone steak (450g, $27) cooked to your liking. The salads are interesting: perhaps black quinoa with roasted beetroot, red basil leaves and crumbled ricotta ($15).
I rarely insist you consider dessert, but the salted caramel pannacotta with burnt orange honeycomb is a triumph of texture, sweetness and restraint. It’s certainly worth indulging in, as is The Plough in general.
