Not a DeLorean in sight, but it was still back to the future, as Peter Kelso, assisted by Martin McMurray, gave us old-fashioned, and therefore comforting, food to match some interesting wines.

As canapes, the old standby of gravlax with mustard dill mayo on toasts proved once again popular, as did a mini lavoche spread with potted anchovies, or pounded anchovies blended with unsalted butter with a slight kick of cayenne to help things along. Comparisons to Peck's paste, in a nice way, flowed, proving a little does go a loooong way. Served with them, along with the staple and ever reliable Lustau fino sherry, was a 2008 Mitchell Watervale Riesling, fully developed but still showing a bit of grip and style.

The main course was a reversion to colourful presentation of the kind beloved by former members of note. Lamb backstraps were seared and briefly baked before being sliced and served in a ring on a bed of green sauce surrounding a roasted slice of eggplant topped by half a roasted tomato. The sauce was revealed as a cream base enriched principally with sage. Some contrasting flavours and textures, with the lamb (mainly) good and pink, despite inevitable backstrap variation, and a good match with a choice of a 2009 Dao Alvaro Castro red from Portugal, made on an indigenous grape, and a 2002 Alkoomi cabernet from Frankland River in WA. The import was the more interesting of the two, a bit short on the finish but showing some drying savoury characters up front; whilst the Alkoomi, although showing good sweet dusty fruit in the better bottles, was also definitely showing its age.

The highlights came with the cheese: first, the cheese itself, a mature Comte from the Alpes-Rhone region of France, a wonderful deep gold colour, firm but not crumbly texture and, above all, a lasting sweet nutty flavour which kept going. A bitter leaf salad with a sharp vinaigrette balanced by pieces of sweet ripe figs and toasted walnuts went well, as did a 2010 Coldstream Hills pinot from the Yarra, with characteristic nose and good upfront fruit with some bottle development; and, at least with good bottles, a 2000 Tyrrells Vat 47 chardonnay, the still relatively austere acid balanced by developed stone fruit flavours which matched the cheese very well and proved that whites with the right cheese are often the way to go.

The lunch concluded with a quality Yurgachef medium roast coffee from Ethiopian beans, rich dry characters in the mouth balanced by some citrus acidity on the back palate.