Unlike some of its South American neighbours, Argentinean cuisine isn’t about eating marathons of meat – this was nothing like the gaucho (meaning cowboy) grill I had in mind! No flames in view, only crisp white tablecloths and a distinct European feel. Our waitress recommended an Argentinean Cabernet Sauvignon from the Mendoza Valley ($14/glass) to compliment my ‘must-have’ steak. We started with traditional Empanadas ($8.50), a pastry filled with ground beef, olives, boiled egg and spices. The Provolone ($16.50) –  essentially grilled cheese but not in the Americana or Croque Monsieur sense – is fried on the grill until it’s crispy on the outside and oozing on the inside, then served with chunks of bread. We’re told to eat it quickly – which is not hard! The Fillet Steak ($36/200g) is a fist full of meat, honoured on a white plate with a small salad garnish. It’s honest meat and cooked to medium-rare perfection. My dining partner was recommended the Tres Lomos ($30) a trio of meats: lamb, pork and chicken. The highlight is the pork, marinated in Chimmichurri: a sauce of parsley, garlic and ‘secret ingredients’. Finally, their Crème Caramel ($12.50) is petite but with a dollop of dulce de leche – thick Argentinean caramel – it will keep me coming back for more.

Gaucho Grill
71-73 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst
Ph: (02) 9360 6662 www.gauchogrill.com.au
Argentinean $$

It may come as a surprise, but not all Brazilian has to be an endurance test in protein consumption. Petiscos or ‘tasty foods’ at this small bar accentuate an excellent list of cocktails including Sydney’s best Pisco Sour ($16). On the sweeter side, the Picante Caipifruta ($16) rolls cinnamon and pineapple with a hint of chilli; but be warned, the ease of drinking these South American temptations seems directly proportional to the intensity of the hangover. Throw ‘em back as you pop light, airy Bacalhau ($10) salt cod balls into your mouth; and devour Portuguese Chorico ($12), a chorizo made with peppers not paprika. Or be sensible and drink from the uncompromisingly South American wine list – the delicate Argentinean 2007 Trumpeter Torrontés ($9/glass) is a beauty! Moving on to my second revelation – not all tiny balls are molecular! Nevertheless, the soy tapioca ‘caviar’ topping the clever Peruvian Ceviche ($12) are still amazing. There’s also moreish Marinated Quail Eggs with White Anchovies ($8) and well-handled Bolinho de Arroz ($13) or Parmesan rice balls; but do leave room for picahna! Combine the tasty slices of grain-fed Espetinho ($10) with Cassava Chips ($6) for an exotic steak-and-chips experience; then wrap things up with yummy house-made Coconut and Tapioca Ice Cream ($5).

Boteco
421 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills
Ph: (02) 9318 2993 www.boteco.com.au
Brazilian $$

In case the cooler weather hasn’t reminded you, Autumn’s on the way. So this week I thought I’d arm you with some foodie adventures to help you savour the last dregs of Summer.

Fun With TOYS
Sydney Seafood School are heading into Autumn with some exciting guest chefs. Manager Roberta Muir is particularly excited to be presenting a class with four members of the TOYS (Taste of Young Sydney) collective: “I think TOYS is one of the most refreshing things to hit the Sydney food scene in years.” Get a look at the future of cooking seafood on the 14th May 2011 with Dan Hong (Ms G’s), Darren Robertson (ex-Tetsuya’s), Morgan McGlone (ex-Flinders Inn), and Monty Koludrovic (Bécasse). Other new faces in this program include the talented Colin Fassnidge (Four in Hand) and the engaging Tomislav Martinovic (Tomislav).
www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au

Baba With Bloggers
Food blogger Jennifer Lam (Jenius) believes that these days “everybody talks about Lebanese charcoal chicken and toum (garlic sauce), falafels, tabouli, fattoush”. She might well be right – most people I know have certainly gone beyond the kebab shop. If you’re keen to take your knowledge of Lebanese cuisine to the next level, join Jen and cooking instructor Norma Dakhoul for a guided Granville adventure. Jen finds it amazing that “people can get a true taste of Lebanon only 22km (approx 40mins) away from the CBD.” Priced at $80/head, your tour will include exciting tastes like manakeesh (popular for breakfast), Lebanese cheeses and a sumptuous banquet lunch.
www.iatemywaythrough.com

Cook the Regions
Learn to bake your own Focaccia and whip up a Ligurian Mussel Soup under the capable tutelage of Luca Ciano at a special class celebrating the regions of Italy.  Take along a couple of girlfriends and make a fun night of it at the Casa Barilla Cooking School in Annandale. Your $90/head class includes antipasto and Prosecco on arrival plus dinner and a bag of Barilla goodies to take home.
www.barillaaus.com

Cake with Kids
Having children doesn’t have to mean dining at home! Children (aged 5-12) get their own special Kids High Tea ($32/child) menu at the Sir Stamford at Circular Quay. Adults get a range of menus, and I’m sure champagne can be arranged while your littlies dine on scones with jam and cream, poached chicken sangers, chocolate and coconut crackles, fairy cupcakes and a banana and berry split. You might want to ask for two spoons…
www.stamford.com.au

Design-a-Degustation
Create your own personalised degustation from the cooking of Sydney’s top chefs in the scenic surrounds of Centennial Park. Taste of Sydney 2011 is their third event, so the formula should be nicely honed. New chefs this year include Manu Feildel who brings the cuisine of L’Etoile and Tony Bilson who will be representing both his eponymous Bilson’s and Number One, with dishes like Grilled Merguez with Cous Cous, Ratatouille and Harissa. Favoured Taste of Sydney veteran Jared Ingersoll will be introducing his new restaurant Cotton Duck, as will Spanish darling Miguel Maestre who recently took over the pans at Kings Cross’s Aperitif.
www.tasteofsydney.com.au

Meat and Beat
Finally for the perfect warm-up to Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, follow the throbbing beat to Churras on Oxford Street. The dancers, drums and capoeira of Rhythm Brazil will entertain you as you chow down on a festival of meat, every night from the 28th February until the 3rd March.
www.churras.com.au

“You’re new to Brazilian? Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you,” echoes from a neighbouring table. And take care of you is exactly the Brazilian passadores do; their skin glistening as they man the churrasco before a back-lit image of Christ the Redeemer. The formula has been refined over the last year – no more stop/go, just a steady stream of skewers in a carefully orchestrated samba that avoids repetition. Rodizio ($39.50/head) includes a range of sides. The standouts are the black beans and the super-sweet ripe bananas; but the farofa helps the fat go down. As well as now allowing you to dine downstairs with a view of the always-entertaining Oxford Street, they’ve also added few new entries to the barbeque procession; so keep your eyes peeled for golden hunks of haloumi, and beef with Gorgonzola sauce. I also recommend tender chicken hearts, tasty pork neck, beef rib and the amazing mushrooms. Salty food makes cocktails necessary, so throw down a Passionfruit Caipirinha ($14) or a fresh lime Caipiroska ($12). Freshly sliced berries make the Strawberry Caipirinha ($14) a form of sweet relief. Wrap up with tiny balls of condensed milk – Beijinho ($2) - so good they must be illegal.

Churras
219 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Ph: (02) 8084 2151 www.churras.com.au
Brazilian $$$

The maddening aromas of charcoal and meat captivate me every time I drive past. It’s taken me a while though, because Brazilian places are often a festival of meat without much else going on. I will now eat humble pie. The sides here are amazing – from intensely garlicky Couve (kale) to the Salada Dois of beetroot, blue cheese, Brazil nuts and orange segments, to the palm hearts and heirloom tomatoes of the Salada Tres – you need to request them all. They’re free with the Traditional Churrasco ($42/head) – it’s the same price for everyone, yes, even if you’re vegetarian/pescatarian. The rotating skewers come out according to a detailed whiteboard, ensuring each wave of diners gets the full shebang. Pace yourself – beyond a butcher’s shop of meat (the best being the Picanha or rump cap) there’s also grilled prawns, moist fresh Basa wrapped in banana leaves, cheese bread, polenta fingers, banana, cassava and tasty poultry. The only thing more exciting is the drinks! Amongst pages of cocktails you’ll find the quaffable creamy coconut and vodka Batida ($13) milkshake. Indulge in a flight of Caipirinhas ($36/3 x 240ml), or sample pleasant pear and lemon sours in the Luciana ($15), named, according to our personable and handsome Brazilian waiter, for a waitress with a pear-shaped bottom.

Braza Churrascaria
13 Norton Street, Leichhardt
Ph: (02) 9572 7921 www.braza.com.au
Brazilian $$$

When you’re a fat, 36 year old food critic, and a lime green hoon car pulls level with the window of your little, red Honda Jazz, smiling briefly before staring straight ahead and going about the business of turning the corner quickly, is actually a pretty reasonable response. After all, you might take the girl out of Bankstown, but you can’t take Bankstown out of the girl!

When the man, whom I later found to be an officer of the law, asked me why I did not follow his ‘courtesy directive to turn my stereo down’ I considered explaining in terms of fat embodiment why when someone I don’t know says something from a vehicle such as his own, it tends to be best not to listen… but I felt the concept might be alien to him. I settled for saying: “It was a really excellent song.” Who knew this would enrage him to the point of giving me a $150 fine for playing Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance (courtesy of the wonderful Starfuckers DJs) at less than full volume on my factory-issued, small car stereo at 8.45am last Monday morning.

When I first read about the ‘Anti-Hoon’ legislation, I certainly didn’t think about it in the same way I worried about Matthew Evans getting sued for defamation over a bad review of Coco Roco at Sydney’s King Street Wharf. Perhaps I was a little hasty in my analysis? Maybe I was just more interested in tasty foods… but when legislation starts sliding into matters of taste, everyone’s in danger.

Here are a few things that leave a better taste in my mouth:

Velvety Smooth
Take your favourite chocolate on a spiritual journey at Boon Chocolates.  You will be guided in matching aged spirits to Fanny Chan’s exceptional chocolates with the help of Alexx Stuart of Finerpoints. This luxurious tasting adventure includes Boon’s infamous El Galeon hand rolled chocolate cigars, and it will set you back $70/head with options to attend on the 16th, 20th, 23rd and 30th October.
www.boonchocolates.com.au

Cheap & Cheesy
Claudia McIntosh is an enthusiastic and accomplished cheese expert. Enjoying her expertise usually comes at a corporate price through her company McIntosh & Bowman. So when I say the cheese and wine tasting on Tuesday 9th November at Helm Bar is cheap, I mean it’s an absolute bargain at $20/head! Dive in and get cheesy!
www.helmbar.com.au

Free & Breezy
The Ravesi’s Wine Club is back again on the 13th October from 6.30pm with wines from Cloudy Bay Vineyards in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. In the pleasant surrounds of the Drift Cocktail Bar, you’ll pay nothing to be guided through their range with free nibbles, plus an offer to enjoy a 2-course meal in their restaurant afterwards for just $35/head.
www.ravesis.com.au

Somewhat Squeezy
People like myself flock to the Sydney Food and Wine Fair at Hyde Park North each year because it’s a great event for a great cause. Saturday the 30th October marks the twentieth year of the food and wine industry giving back to the AIDS Trust of Australia. If you need more tangible enticements, stalls this year include Café Sydney, Tempus Two, Flying Fish, Longrain, Icebergs Dining Room & Bar and Quay. Presale tickets help avoid queues, but arrive early to avoid disappointment!
www.aidstrust.com.au

Beery Knowledgeable
If you fancy yourself as a beer connoisseur, Guinness are bravely opening themselves up to criticism by offering you the chance (Australia wide) to tell them when their pints aren’t being poured correctly! Jump on to The Black List and spill your guts about where to find the perfect pint. Beyond furthering the good of dark beer, you can also win yourself prizes like a handcrafted wooden surfboard by Andrew Wells!
www.blacklist.guinness.com.au

Eat the Weekend Away
These tasty treats are just a hint at the varied treasures on offer at the Marrickville Festival on Sunday 24th October. Take a trip to Illawarra Road between 11am and 5pm and you’ll find over 25 stalls spanning Mexican, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, African and Brazilian food.

One day earlier, and perhaps closer to home, is the Double Bay Food and Art Festival on Saturday 23rd October. A special market hall in Guilfoyle Park is the place to be to graze your way through some of the suburb’s finest gourmet offerings. After 2.30pm it will make a miraculous transformation into a pop-up wine bar. Make a weekend of it!
www.doublebayonline.com

Handsome Brazilian men bearing sixteen different skewers are the main attraction here – it’s called Rodizio ($35/head) and is the Brazilian method of continuous service. All concerns about hygiene are headed off at the pass with each diner getting their own set of tongs to sample the wares of the smiling crew; along with bottomless sides including addictive creamy banana, crisp cassava, crunchy polenta, salad and one of Sydney’s better black bean mixes. In case you call a halt before getting through all of the options, make sure you try the dish the Brazilians come here for, Garlic Rump Cap or ‘picanha’. The beef fillet, soothing honey cinnamon pineapple, tasty coconut prawns and chicken legs also won my vote. The setting is quite elegant in a masculine way – dark red walls set off manly meaty pleasures. They’ll even do a skewer or two for visiting vegetarians ($25/head). White Sangria ($28/jug) is my drink of choice; along with a lot of water – it’s salty stuff. Lucky there’s always room for dessert because proud owner Alessandra Costa’s Brigadeiro ($2) and Beijinho ($2), condensed milk balls with chocolate and coconut, are to die for. Loosen your belt and enjoy the music (Mon/Tue/ Thur) with a feathery Passionfruit Mousse ($8) too.

Churras – The Brazilian Barbecue
219 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Ph: (02) 8084 2151 www.churras.com.au
Brazilian  $$$-$$$$