Frank and Connie's Kitchen is located in Hepburn Springs, only 3 minutes from Daylesford in the beautiful Spa capital of Australia. Caliopi Buck, chef and owner, creates fresh seasonal dishes, drawing upon her experience in French, Greek, Middle Eastern and South American cuisines. Frank and Connie are the names of Caliopi's greek grandparents and dining with her is like pulling up a chair in the family home. Smaller and larger plates of food are designed to share. Everyone is catered for especially those with dietary requirements. Just call up before you arrive so Caliopi has time to prepare something for you using what is currently in season.
“There are no printed menus at Frank and Connie’s. Just an ever-changing list of dishes chalked onto the blackboard above the open kitchen. There is a lot of Greek influence but this is not a Greek restaurant. She bakes her pita bread daily and this could be served with tzatziki and roast pumpkin dip. Yes there are spanakopita fingers and saganaki with honey but there could also be the very un-Greek slow roasted lamb ribs served with Argentina’s own chimichurri sauce. Or you could have barramundi served with beans cooked in a tomato sauce.”
“Four generously piled swordfish tacos are elevated to excellent thanks to “Connie’s” salsa — a chunky concoction with great creeping heat, while Buck shows deft balance in a sweet-sharp salad of green beans and soft roasted pumpkin with pickled shallots and golden raisins. It’s a lovely vegetarian counter to the naughty lamb ribs, crisp skinned and crunchy, with melty meat underneath. Chimichurri comes as a side to dunk the bone-handle ribs into.
To finish, Nana’s cookie recipes get a workout (as does her baklava) but it’s Buck’s frozen vanilla slice that wins the day. A spiced apple puree sandwiched between layers of vanilla-flecked ice cream, the slice comes topped with a milk sorbet that adds cool creaminess; nutty dark choc rubble for crunch. Just like the restaurant, it’s understatedly sweet and lovely.”
“Another example of Hepburn’s re-emergence as a culinary destination is this endearing weatherboard cottage along the main road. Young owner-chef Caliopi Buck changes her menu weekly, which is all about shared plates of contemporary fare: think tacos with Chinese-style duck leg and pickled cucumber and slaw, lamb ribs with chimichurri, and a Flintstones-sized rib eye.”
“The World’s Longest Lunch was held on Friday 16th, with the region boasting no less than three venues hosting a long lunch. All three events were booked out and enormous sums of money were raised for local charities. One of the stars was Caliopi Buck from Frank and Connie’s Restaurant in Hepburn Springs. Her dessert of chocolate and rhubarb was a complete triumph. ”
