It only seems like yesterday that Pilot restaurant was nominated for Gourmet Traveller's Best New Restaurant and now it's younger sibling, Such and Such, has been shortlisted for the same award.
Just months after becoming Canberra's only two-hatted restaurant, the team from Ainslie's Pilot opened Such and Such in January 2023, with co-owners Ross McQuinn, Dash Rumble and Mal Hanslow keen to flex different muscles in the city restaurant.
Pilot was nominated in 2020, and now Such and Such has been named one of the country's nine best new restaurants. Dash Rumble has also been shortlisted in the Restaurant Personality of the Year.
Rumble said while it's nice to be recognised, the strength of both ventures is the team behind the scenes.
"It's not just the three of us, it's not an individual thing. It's really important to appreciate everyone who keeps both places running," she said.
"Such and Such has only been open for six or so months and we're really proud of what we've achieved here already but we hope we'll be here in 10 years time.
"This recognition is nice but we've got a long way to go."
Rumble says former boss Gus Armstrong, who she worked for at 86 when she was first starting in the industry, was instrumental in guiding her early career, and former general manager of Sydney's Momofuku, Kylie Javier Ashton.
"They both just let me be myself," she says.
"I love hospitality, I love my job, it's not always sunshine and rainbows, but I hope my enjoyment of running the restaurant, managing staff and meeting guest expectations shines through at every service."
The Gourmet Traveller citation recognised her dedication to team work.
"Dash Rumble has a clear vision of what good service looks and feels like. You'll spot it in her teams - an assemblage of invested, energetic, young professionals setting a high standard for hospitality in the bush capital that's full of wit and sparkle."
Of Such and Such it said:
"Expectations ran high when the team behind Pilot announced plans to open a second venture ... While it's more colourful and casual than its older sibling, the shared DNA is obvious in a flexible menu that's as playful as it is considered, and in an outstanding beverage program that has more than just one finger on the pulse."
Gourmet Traveller editor Joanna Hunkin says the awards have always been about celebrating the very best in Australian dining.
"This year's finalists represent the changing face of the industry and how Australians want to dine," she says.
"Wine bars serving serious snacks, top chefs moving to the regions, and hyper-local, produce-driven menus are just some of the key trends we're seeing."
The finalists in Australia's longest-running restaurant awards hail from all six states across six categories including Best New Talent, Best New Restaurant, Best Wine Bar, Best Destination Dining, Restaurant Personality of the Year and a brand-new category, the Readers' Choice Icon award.
The winners will be announced at an exclusive ceremony at the acclaimed Sydney venue Brasserie 1930 in the luxurious, newly-opened Capella Hotel on August 21.
State winners will also be announced. In 2022, Pilot was named the ACT's best restaurant ahead of Bar Rochford, Corella, Onzieme and Wilma.
Other awards presented on the evening will be the peer-voted Chef of the Year, Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality and the night's top award, Restaurant of the Year.
