‘Ordering a burger here seems weird': Our critic reviews Cutler's flexible new menu
I still think Cutler is, at its heart, a classic fine dining restaurant. The moments of true brilliance are all in the serious cooking, the dishes that require more than just good ingredients and pretty plating, the ones that can only be produced by chefs who aren't just talented but also extremely well-trained in classic European technique.
How does Cutler, which was built on a fine dining foundation, remain relevant in a city that's far more interested in casual eating?
I don't envy McConnell and the conundrum at the heart of Cutler. It is, at its best, a fantastic restaurant, worthy of icon status. But it has none of the grand drama that makes Gimlet so of-the-moment, and I'm not sure if it will ever settle into a more casual persona. I wouldn't want it to! We have lots of restaurants that fit that bill, many of them thanks to McConnell.
I would love to think that Melbourne is diverse enough in its dining needs that a quiet, grown-up, understatedly sexy fine diner would still be essential. I'd love to see Cutler settle into that role – not necessarily to return to a degustation format but to lean into the quiet luxury it does best, to be unabashedly fancy and let go of more casual ambitions. But alas, that may be wishful thinking on my part. The people want burgers.
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The zoo wants to 'imitate the natural food chain of its carnivores' and promises 'nothing will go to waste'. The zoo wants to 'imitate the natural food chain of its carnivores' and promises 'nothing will go to waste'. Credit: The Nightly A zoo is calling for people to donate their unwanted pets to help feed their caged predators. The Aalborg zoo in Denmark put out the call on Facebook saying it wanted to 'imitate the natural food chain of the animals'. The latest appeal focuses on small animals including guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens but the zoo also takes horses which are slaughtered for feed. The horses must be a 'maximum of 147 cm at the withers' and not have been treated for illness in the previous 30 days, and have 'horse passport' which is where they are registered to a national database. Those who donate can earn a tax deduction for the value of the horse. The move comes days after a German zoo shot dead 12 healthy baboons that it could not longer keep for lack of space and reportedly fed them to other predators at the zoo including lions, sparking protests form animal rights groups. The Aalborg zoo says the live pets would be 'gently euthanised' and fed to its carnivorous animals, with 'nothing going to waste'. 'Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs make up an important part of the diet of our predators - especially in the European lynx, which needs whole prey, which is reminiscent of what it would naturally hunt in the wild, ' the Facebook post reads. 'In zoos we have a responsibility to imitate the natural food chain of the animals - in terms of both animal welfare and professional integrity 'If you have an animal that has to leave here for various reasons, feel free to donate it to us. The animals are gently euthanized by trained staff and are afterwards used as fodder. That way, nothing goes to waste - and we ensure natural behaviour, nutrition and well-being of our predators.' Camera Icon A European Lynx needs whole prey. Credit: Adobe stock / Joris Machholz - Pia Nielsen, deputy director of the zoo, told The Guardian: 'For many years at Aalborg Zoo, we have fed our carnivores with smaller livestock. When keeping carnivores, it is necessary to provide them with meat, preferably with fur, bones etc to give them as natural a diet as possible. 'Therefore, it makes sense to allow animals that need to be euthanised for various reasons to be of use in this way. In Denmark, this practice is common, and many of our guests and partners appreciate the opportunity to contribute. The livestock we receive as donations are chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses.' The public appeal has divided opinion, with some opposed but also many supporting the idea. One person wrote, 'Imagine giving away your pet/animal as fodder, it hardly gets more disrespectful and unworthy than that...' Another gave their take, 'A country is only as progressive as the way it treats its animals. - Mahatma Gandhi. Feeding pets is absolutely unacceptable.' One person who had donated their horse was a fan, 'Took a horse to the zoo, a few years ago. It was the quietest and most serene way it went down. It was the best experience for both horse and I. Sweet staff who took care of it in the finest way, and grateful for the donation. It could definitely be recommended.' Another took the opportunity to have a joke, writing 'What if you have gotten tired of some of your children this holiday????' The zoo responded, 'Your children are very welcome at the not as food... here we only accept animals with feathers or fur.'
