Where's Rita?

As well as starting a totally new career path recently doing reception at a backpackers, Rita has been offered the job of Food Editor at Tasmanian Life magazine – as a direct result of this blog.

This has lead to my interviewing three diverse but extremely interesting local hospitality identities last week.

The first was Matt Alcorso – Head Chef at Catch Restaurant. The second was Sean Dunn, Marketing guru for Boks Bacon, and the third was Geoff Copping – owner of Blue Skies Restaurant. I also met and had a great (albeit brief) chat with Sally Legosz, Director of Herbaceous Tours. I will write more about those chats here soon.

Added to that, I popped along to the fundraising (for the Tasmanian devil population preservation) Devil of a Dinner Divine Degustation at the Elizabeth Function Centre last night – starring Tetsuya cooking first and main courses, and featuring other of my favourite chefs: Matt Starkey (Monty’s), Iain Todd (Piccalilly) and Paul Foreman, as well as Aaron Gillespie from Launceston (ex HGC), and Will Goodman (Function Centre) - both of whom I didn't know but am sure I'd like if I ate their food!

I didn’t eat, but was there to report for Tasmanian Life on the evening – from Rita’s perspective. I’m still forming those perceptions, but gained some great side-stories. $180,000 was raised (to help the devils) from this dinner - what a massive amount - and well done to all concerned.

From the above, you will understand why it is that Rita has been so silent online recently. Hopefully that will change as I get my head around this new Food Editing direction.

Today at the backpackers, a representative from Lonely Planet came in to check us out. We had a lovely chat about food in Hobart, and after our chat I recommended he try Blue Eye for dinner tonight – my fingers are crossed that they didn’t let me down, and that he loved it!