The River Moruya restaurant, Moruya, NSW

I'd be lost without my food bibles. They can be found in the car, in my handbag, on the bookshelf and on my lap top...

The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, The Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine, the Good Living liftout in Tuesday's Sydney Morning Herald and Vogue Entertaining and Travel.

They tell me where to eat and what to eat. Sometimes I'll disagree with their assessments.Sometimes they can be too affected by food fashion and the 'what's hot right now'. I don't particularly care if I'm sitting on a Thonet chair as long as it is comfortable. I won't frown upon a restaurant that still serves truffle oil even though my bibles tell me it is so yesterday. If it is used deftly bring it on I say! Even so I'd be lost without my bibles... without the wise and witty words from Joanna, Simon, Terry and Kendall. Without your dedication I wouldn't have had many of my most memorable food experiences. Thank you.

The River Moruya is one of those magical places you wouldn't necessarily stumble upon unless you've read one of your food bibles. You have to know it's there... tucked in a carpark behind Moruya's main street but with a deck opening onto the glorious Moruya river. This Chalkers Crossing wine was the standout wine of our south coast road trip. I just love the wines from the cold climate Tumbarumba region. Crisp and citrusy with a big full mouth feel. This was the meal - the food was the accompaniment.

The food philosophy at the River Moruya is to housemake what they can and source everything else locally.

These gloriously fresh salads leaves made every other salad leaf we'd had before taste like grass clippings.

oh to be a rabbit!!!!!

This was an entree of three delicately tempured oysters served on discs of house-made black pudding with a piquant tomato relish. The black pudding was rich and smokey.

House-made bread with nigella seeds

Pan-fried blue eye cod with blue swimmer crab-filled tortellini

Mustard vegetable pickle (Mark's favourite)with Maffra cheddar cheese and biscuits

The River Moruya doesn't follow trends. It sets them. Fresh, local. Quietly letting the ingredients shine not the chef's ego.