This is a little back in time when the the Falcon family was young and Adelaide’s late night binge run was par for the course. This is more about family dynamics and interacting with the surrounds and smallness of Adelaide.
It was something that did not seem to be a routine amongst families. They are however popular with uni student especially those in nearby student digs. It also appealed to those coming from an event or a night out. A late snack before calling it a night as the rest of the city is slept.
There are two locations that are in the equation. One in North Adelaide and the other just off South Road at Mile End. I am sure the mention of these locations would give the game away for some. They are both somewhat of an institution in Adelaide. So lets get into the meat of it, pun deliciously intended.
AB in North Adelaide
AB or atomic bomb though terms such as abortion, abomination etc have got into the mix for the name of this treat. Let’s stick to atomic bomb as it more appealing yet devastating palate wise for a late night snack. Anyway everyone calls it AB.
AB is a platter of chips and yiros meat, tossed together. The yiros (beef) meat comes off the hot rotating vertical spit and then fried lightly. This makes the meat more crusty and provides a better texture to munch on. Yiros is Greek in origin but AB is Adelaide’s own. The chips have been to freshly fried. The final act is to liberally squirt tomato, barbecue and garlic sauce all over it.
Just one important caveat though. Consume it before the chips becoming soggy. The three sauces are also a must for that AB unique taste. One of the cafe also adds the Tzatziki, a white dip spread of strained yogurt. I am not sure if they still add this but it works.
Not exactly an appetising or appealing sight for the uninitiated. It is also a food blogger’s or a food photographer’s least favourite photo because the colours do not come out right. In contrast some well placed and colourful capsicums can make even a plain salad look photogenic.
Plastic forks are provided and a platter serves more than one person or a group. Patrons just have to let them know the numbers in their group. They will organise it with the right platter size.
The 2 AB cafes
Only 2 cafes, both at O’Connell Street at North Adelaide serve the AB. Just to be clear, AB can only come from these 2 cafes. It is like the bottle of champagne that can only be named if it comes from the Champagne district of France. Except this is by convention and not by the force of law. Interestingly most outlets serving this have respected the convention by calling theirs something else.
The North Adelaide Burger Bar, known also as the Red and White Cafe and the Blue and White Cafe are the two that serve ABs. Both claim to have done the original but it is also likely that students of Lincoln College and St Mark’s College, University of Adelaide can claim that credit.
Apparently the students turned up to one or two of the cafes sometime in the 1980s and asked for the combination. It did not require any special preparation as both the chips and the Yiros are available separately. All it required was putting it all on one platter, freshly cooked and squeezing the hell out of 3 sauce bottles. Each college also claimed turf on their cafe of choice in the early years.
The Falcon family have tried both cafes and they are just as good. Albeit to be fair, a proper Yiros is streets ahead in terms of a proper meal and taste wise. AB at North Adelaide is just a break in the monotony of normal life;. And just like the students, an excuse to gather and a snack meant for a group out of one platter.
Pies and more at Mile End
Vili’s is located at Manchester Street, off South Road, Mile End. It is a food institution in Adelaide and South Australia and well regarded. It would be remiss of me not to dedicate a post solely on Vili’s . I will do this later but it important to mention Vili’s when it comes to Adelaide’s late night binge run.
Most Adelaideans and South Australians are familiar with Vili’s pies which are available everywhere including supermarkets but not many know of this late night oasis. Cars are constantly coming in and out late night at their carpark, breaking the still night silence of Mile End. The customer profile is quite wide but my guess is mainly those who are visiting after a night out or someone finishing a late evening shift.
They serve not only their pies and snacks they also run a kitchen that serves meals from a menu. It is not a restaurant setup but a service counter with a few tables and chairs. Their pie factory is behind the service counter thru a door and you are getting freshness best of all.
One thing that was obvious to me was how friendly and efficient the staff are. They can remember multiple orders at one go and it comes out right each and every time. All with a smile. There is also a sense of community when dealing with the staff.
The family routine
So this post is not the culinary angle in the main but something else.
Though the Adelaide’s late night binge run is not something other families do as a routine, it was for us for years. Every few weeks or so and usually after 11pm or past midnight someone in the family will raise it. Always on a Friday or Saturday and never planned. And be frank, there was no particular reason other than to break the monotony of a quiet and somewhat dull night.
First there is a rush to change into decent casual wear. Followed by everyone piling into the car. The level of enthusiasm from all is quite a surprise. The pounding of the stairs as they rush to their rooms to get changed says much about this enthusiasm. Which location to visit is an after-thought after the car leaves the driveway.
I do have to mention that during the hot summers, this takes a break as the weather earlier in the day would have sapped the best of us. The high heat of the day probably numbs the brain somewhat.
The family bond
It not just hunger or the food, there is the element of family bonding that is evident. The banter begins on the journey to the picked location. It can be on anything from sports to politics to a tempting offer in JB Hi Fi. The banter continues after we park the car and walk towards our intended outlet. The air at night is either cool or cold depending on the season. Occasionally we see some interesting characters walk by and on one occasion the biggest dog ever – an Irish wolfhound and it was ever so gentle led by its owner. On most nights, not a soul in sight until we approach the outlet.
After the order is placed, the banter continues. The stay is usually short as they are just late night snacks with a drink and not full meals.
These occasional Adelaide late night binge over the years are therapeutic and one of many family routines that we cherished. It kept us close while enjoying some of the best that Adelaide can offer. The tranquility of a quiet and serene Adelaide while the city slept is something to hold on to.
There are no house rules but as I write this I realised it that we had not done it when a family member is away. It is probably because it would be deflating if a member of the family was missing. We always did it together.
No effort, no planning
It does make me wonder if other families have a similar routine that they do every now and then that takes no effort, no planning but everyone enjoys it. I am no talking about a run to the family shack at Goolwa. That would require some planning and some logistics with effort and certainly consensus.
There you go, taste of suburbia for one particular family. Maybe there are other hidden gems to add to Adelaide’s late night binge runs.