With an impressive rebranding campaign came the addition of Gloria Swanston’s Kitchen in 2013 that’s helped turn Lounge into a Mecca for those in search of comfort food in the middle of the CBD. The balcony overlooks busy Swanston Street, with cocktails ready for enjoyment in the shade. Former chef of The Bottom End, Ben Ezra took the reins at Gloria’s to produce a supremely tasty dinner and lunch options, comprising of some of the most mouthwatering comfort food going around. Enter your new best friend: the macaroni and cheese ball. It’s deep-fried mac, cheese and bacon balls served with spicy aioli. If that’s not enough to get your motor running, how about Howlin’ Wolf’s Chicago Beef sliders or their newly permanent potato bombas with chorizo, capsicum, potato mash crumbed and served with brava sauce? Bravo. They also have a variety of pub staple mains, such as a Parma, nachos, and steak sandwiches, but they go beyond that with their Jamaican jerk chicken and Texas-style BBQ pork ribs. From a culinary perspective, the champion of Gloria Swanston’s Kitchen menu is the Kickass Burger. It’s kickass because it’s a straight-shooter: it’s a porterhouse and rump cut 100 per cent beef pattie, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, bacon and double cheese, made just a little bit fancy by the presence of a brioche bun. That’s it. It’s a burger the way nature intended. To give this hero the space it needs to wow your taste buds, Gloria Swanston’s Kitchen has introduced a super Tuesday between midday and 3pm, an offer that has the burger most excellently priced at a mere $8 and served with crinkle cut chips – because for some reason, chips always taste better when they’re crinkle cut. Don’t fret, there are vegetarian options, too, like fried green tomato sliders and the eggplant stack with house-made tomato jam. The kitchen is open all day and from 2pm to 6pm Monday to Friday, it’s student happy hour. When the kitchen closes at 10pm, Gloria Swanston’s Kitchen and Lounge transforms into a club, making it the ultimate day-to-night option.
EDITOR’S PICK
Two words: Kickass Burger.
