Had I known that the Adelaide City Council had finally locked the great Howard Twelftree (above) behind bars, I woulda had a bit of a word in the pink shell-like of Adelaide Lord Mayor Martin Haese when we met at his opening of the extension to the Beirut Boulledrome, the west-enders' petanque piste on South Terrace near West Terrace ... as you can see, the plaque in the great Twelftree's memory has been locked away:
This plaque, in the Gouger Street entry to the Adelaide Central Market opposite the stylish lift another Lord Mayor, Jane Lomax-Smith organised, took an eternity to arrange, but the perseverance of Howard's mates, like Timothy John and Karen Foster, finally got it cast and paid for and bolted up and launched by previous Lord Mayor, Stephen Yarwood (below).
For 33 years, Howard wrote Australia's wittiest and most informed and helpful restaurant critiques in The Adelaide Preview and its offspring, The Adelaide Review. He died in June 2013. To perpetuate his memory, the Howard Twelftree Award is presented annually to an individual who has made an outstanding and lasting contribution to the gastronomic life of South Australia. The inaugural award went to the chef and restaurateur, Duncan Welgemoed, below, who has since moved from Bistro Dom to open the sensational Africola in the Botanic Hotel. This is one of those very rare restaurants whose zany decor - in this case South African - is matched by the brilliant surprises that arrive on your plate.
The 2015 award will be announced at the launch of The Adelaide Review Hot 100 wines next Thursday evening. To read of Howard's funeral, go here. Otherwise, be content with this image of the two of us hard at work at a champagne luncheon in Neddy's, away back when:
Too many blokes again ... Duncan's portrait is by Andy Nowell; all the other photographs here are by my dear friend and colleague Milton Wordley. You should check his buzzy blog and growing list of fascinating wine interviews and monochrome portraits here.
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