Just dined here tonight. A lovely, stimulating experience all around. No crickets, though there was wallaby. Wine pairings were wonderful. Highly recommend.
Hobart's awesome. Almost like bits of a mini-Melbourne, with it's own Tassie oddness. For MONA alone it would be well worth a visit, but the fine dining scene is really impressive for a mid-sized city in a small state.
Since this is the New York Times with readership all over the world and not, say, the Melbourne newspaper, it would be much more helpful not to assume that readers know the tiny island of Tasmania is a state within Australia.
This is further complicated with the dateline reading "Hobart, Tasmania." It gives the impression that Tasmania is a separate country, further supported in the article which refers to Hobart as the capital without mentioning Australia. A mini-map would add to the article as well.
Also, in one of the photos a blackboard is shown with puzzling words on it and not everyone is identified in the caption. This should be explained.
I've been to Hobart and while the food text is fine, it would be better to paint a larger picture for the NYT global audience. Hobart is seriously off the beaten path and most people go to the haunted prison from the British Empire and the flora/fauna, Tassie Devils.
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@ lechrist Southern California
You make a very good point. Lack of knowledge of world physical and political geography of the world is a big gap in Usan ( = American) education.
Having never been to Tasmania, I doubt that its climate can support haute cuisine, even if the descendants of the Transported from England and of the more recent settlers are attuned to the Occidental good gastronomic tastes.
Good luck to the chefs who use "fermented crickets" and to the patrons ready to consume them.
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