Over screaming I want my summer back? Let’s try to adjust. Leaves have been spotted falling from the trees, meaning autumn is right around the corner. Let’s just make the best of the hand we’ve been dealt…

The Family Meal
All right, I’m feeling moody too. Rain in summer fills me with horrific memories of being trapped around a dinner table in a tiny cabin with my family. We’re isolated in some godforsaken corner of the south coast where the rained out beach was the only entertainment. If you can relate, head to Kika Tapas in Darlinghurst on a Tuesday night, and let their Spanish flair help resurrect the concept of a family meal. They’re pulling recipes from Ferran Adrià’s (El Bulli) cookbook The Family Meal – basically a collection of the staff meals they prepared and shared before they opened the best restaurant in the world (for five years). Sitting around a communal table, you’ll be offered up dishes like Catalan Style Turkey, Saffron Risotto with Mushrooms, and Yoghurt Foam with Strawberries, making a three-course meal for the bargain price of $25/head. You might even win a copy of the book itself.
www.kika.com.au

Foodie Trails
One of my projects last year was reviewing produce stores for The 2012 Foodies’ Guide to Sydney [RRP $29.95]. To make an adventure of it, I chose places in the Sutherland Shire to encourage myself to make a day of it and explore everything the area had to offer. If you’re after a wet weather plan for the weekend, why not pick up a copy and retrace my footsteps? With some clever parking you’ll be ducking the rain into shops like Cronulla’s Mountain Valley Meats, an old school butcher specialising in range-reared meat. Dijon Foods is also well worth a visit, but you might want to make sure you have a spare seat in the car for all the bulk gourmet food supplies (available below Eastern Suburbs prices) you’ll buy. Pack your togs just in case you spy a gap in the clouds, they have pretty beaches down in that neck of the woods too.
www.dijonfoods.com

Doona Diving
One of my favourite wet weather sports happens in bed. To ensure you don’t have to get out of yours unnecessarily, a clever company called Jimmy Brings has taken responsible service of alcohol to a whole new level, delivering late night liquor and condoms. Imagine if you will, a night with your special someone, a long lead in, and just before you’re ready to roll, you run out of er… beer. Co-founder Nathan Besser explains: “We’ve all been there. It’s 10pm, you’re about to finish your last beer and even if you had the inclination to schlep to the local bottle shop, it closed its doors hours ago.” He’s got a point – don’t risk your life driving drunk to get more grog, or your health by fucking without a condom – especially when your new mate Jim will have ‘em both to you in a jiffy. “Everyone needs a Jimmy in their life,” Besser says emphatically.
www.jimmybrings.com.au

Food’n’Flicks
Just when you thought there was one activity rain couldn’t bugger up, The Australian Film Festival decide to show an outdoor movie under the stars on Clovelly Beach on March 10th! You might want to wear your swimmers to that one! All jokes aside, they’re also offering some indoor films at the iconic Randwick Ritz, and an even tastier alternative, The Spot Food and Film Festival from 1-8pm on Sunday March 11th. I’m told that Randwick’s many cuisines – Indian, Italian, Thai, Indonesian, Moroccan, Bangladeshi, French, Greek, Mexican and Spanish – will all be represented in a jam-packed street fair, supplemented by an array of sweet treats like sweet and sour liquorice, and Greek honey doughnuts. We can only hope they’ve lined up some equally tasty films, as we’ll all clearly need to sit down and digest.
www.australianfilmfestival.com.au

In a building adorned with some of the most striking images in the country, it’s a clever designer that made this restaurant a stark, minimalist space. Floor to ceiling windows let in the only thing that could possibly compete – nature – with a striking aspect overlooking Woolloomooloo and the Royal Botanic Gardens. Of course being an art gallery first, and a restaurant second, it should be no surprise that menus here revolve around what’s on display. Since ‘Picasso’ is the name on everyone’s lips right now, they’ve taken a Spanish-inspired jaunt, obvious in entrees like Sardines with Manchego Crumbs, Sorrel and Radicchio ($22), but less apparent in Beef Carpaccio with Nasturtium Flower, Goat’s Curd and Confit Lemon ($23). The latter is a light, interesting combination that (quite pleasantly) conjured lemon meringue for me. Spanish Pearl Barley with Wild Mushrooms, Zucchini Flower and Murcia Al Vino ($28) let down the silky mushrooms and creamy goats’ cheese with overcooked pearl barley. Eschew desserts for a Selection of Spanish Cheese with Fig Chutney and Muscatels ($22), mostly as an excuse to linger over well-priced wines, like the 2009 Plantagenet Omrah Rosé ($39/bottle). After all, appreciating obscure art is often easier with lubrication. A ‘Lunch with Picasso’ ($75/ 2-course) package is available via Ticketek.

The Restaurant
Art Gallery of NSW, Art Gallery Road, Sydney
Ph: (02) 9225 1819 www.artgalleryrestaurant.com.au
Modern Australian $$$$

With flights to Melbourne down around the hundred-dollar mark from a variety of airlines, it’s the perfect time to pop down for a gastronomic adventure.

Part of the foodie fun in Melbourne is exploring the little lane ways, which are littered with tasty places to eat. Il Solito Posto (www.ilsolitoposto.com.au) is down one such alley. Inside the dimly lit, subterranean space, you’ll find steaming bowls of spaghetti enriched with seafood and set off by simple tomato sauce. Wash them down with a ruby red Te Kairanga Pinot Noir ($52/bottle).

Visiting in the depths of a Melbourne winter, my evening entertainment favoured indoor pursuits, like intimate cocktail bars. Hairy Little Sista (230 Little Collins Street) is the place to sink into a comfy brown couch, sip on a cocktail complimented by sharing dishes like the Montadito ($12.50) toasty with morcilla. A few doors up, the older sibling Hairy Canary (212 Little Collins Street) is less atmospheric, but boasts a killer cocktail list. I suggest Skipping After The Moustached Green Fairy ($20) featuring the multilevel palate punches of absinthe, lemon peel, coffee beans and jalapeno!

Not quite as warm and inviting, but worth the trip down an excellent alleyway of street art, is The Croft Institute (www.thecroftinstitute.net). Alongside some of the best tunes I heard all weekend, check it out for the groovy science lab theme, complete with a handy examination table in the Department of Female Hygiene upstairs. Drink the Pear Cider Crumble ($17).

By day, wandering the diverse architecture of Melbourne is also thirst inducing. Save your liver by punctuating your tourism with coffee breaks – but bear in mind this city is serious about coffee! Social Roasting Company (www.socialroasting.com.au) is a funky yet comfy space, filled with people who not only love the bean, they also know a lot about it! Besides the good karma from drinking Australia’s first not-for-profit roasted coffee made by gun baristas, they also do a ripper Tasmanian Spreyton Fresh apple juice.

Buoyed by surviving that, head down a few more blocks (making sure to detour down Union Lane for more excellent street art) to Sensory Lab (www.socialroasting.com.au). If you thought the last place took their coffee seriously, here you break the Ten Commandments if you ask for sugar (don’t contemplate milk)! Choose coffee from whatever god-forsaken corner of the planet you like, made by syphon or slayer. I tried Columbian ($8) and the Rolls Royce Panamanian ($10) in the syphon – it’s pretty much coffee brewed like tea. Frankly whilst I live to look as serious about coffee as these people, when push comes to shove, I like milk and sugar.

Amped on beans, and so you can say you did some non-food-related tourism, check out the No Vacancy Project Space (www.no-vacancy.com.au) for emerging artists and the excellent collection of design books at the NGV Shop (www.ngv.vic.gov.au/visit/ngv-shop) in The Atrium at Federation Square. Directly across the road you can check out even more awesome graffiti, stencil art and pithy signage in Hosier Lane while you wait for a table at MoVida Bar de Tapas Y Vino (www.movida.com.au). Even in Sydney circles, this place is so well known and well reviewed, I probably don’t need to say any more.  Except perhaps that I loved it from the first slurp of Mount Zero Olive Oil to the last swallow of 2010 Bindi ‘Composition’ Pinot Noir ($21/glass). The Croqueta ($4.00) and the fat, char-grilled octopus with chickpeas and chorizo called Pulpo ($18.00) were my highlights.

You can try out modern Maltese at Maha Bar & Grill (www.mahabg.com.au), part of the The Press Club Group stable owned by Masterchef judge George Calombaris. Dishes like Duck Bastilla ($30) are certainly good, but it’s a pricy entrée if you ask a humble visitor like me.

Frankly I was more excited by Flower Drum’s new entry, Chin Chin (www.chinchinrestaurant.com.au). The Roti ($6) are the best I’ve had in Australia, and don’t even get me started about the Massaman Curry of Coconut Braised Hopkins River Beef Brisket ($19)! It is however currently Melbourne’s it-spot, so don’t expect it to be easy to snaffle a table.

If you luck out, go check out the all-girl kitchen crew at Huxtable (www.huxtablerestaurant.com.au) over in Fitzroy. They’ve all done time in produce-driven Wellington, and geez it shows in the Kingfish Sashimi with Apple, Horseradish and Dill ($21). Also over that way is a great French creperie called Breizoz (www.breizoz.com.au) doing gluten-free (think buckwheat) crepes served with alcoholic ciders from Brittany.

Or brave the ring of fire at Spicy Fish (209 Little Bourke Street) who have the best darn Kung Po Chicken ($16.80) I’ve tried.

For a more accessible down-market bite, head in for some late-night poutine at Lord of the Fries (www.lordofthefries.com.au). If you haven’t been to Canada, that’s chips with cheese and gravy, and they’re hella good!  There’s also the neighbouring Spanish Doughnuts (www.spanishdoughnuts.com.au) who bastardise churros every which way. Okay, they’re not exceptional, but when drunk-food calls, I listen.

Finally if you need to walk off the effects of all this eating, what better reason to walk than to a shoe store for a spot of retail therapy? Sole Devotion (www.soledevotion.com.au) is the sole Aussie importer of the uber-cool John Fluevog shoes. That said, if you have a second stomach for desserts, the cakes in the window of the Hopetoun Tea Rooms (www.hopetountearooms.com.au) had me cursing my too-full stomach. I guess there’s always my next bit of southern exposure!

As the weather cools off completely, Sydney comes alive with festivals guaranteed to tempt you out of hibernation with a range of arty eats…

Food’n’Film
With Ferran Adrià’s El Bulli slated to close for good this year, interest in the famous kitchen is at an all time high. If you’re keen for a fly-on-the-wall peek behind the scenes, Sydney Film Festival has just the documentary for you: El Bulli – Cooking in Progress.

Super precise German high definition will allow you a very well focused look at the man himself. Cringe at the palpable tension lining the face of the always-deferential Oriol, Adrià’s right hand man. Giggle at the trembling army of stagiaires who work in his kitchen for free. Get a gander at dishes you’ll probably never have the opportunity to eat; and take bets on which new techniques will be picked up by Sydney’s hippest bistros by summer. I’ve got my money riding on a crunchy ice vinaigrette or two.

If the El Bulli documentary leaves you with more questions than answers (it does forgo the usual voice-over narration), pick up a copy of Lisa Abend’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentices [RRP $29.99]. In the interesting and engaging book, Abend uncovers the reasons these stagiaires leave some of the world’s best kitchens to work for no pay doing incredibly repetitive tasks. If you get a chance to read the book before the Sydney Film Festival, you’re guaranteed to smile every time you hear quemo echo through the busy kitchen.

Sydney Film Festival are also premiering Jiro Dreams of Sushi, another foodie flick which takes you into the world of octogenarian sushi master Jiro Ono. His restaurant, if you can call his ten-stool basement eatery such, is possibly the smallest three-star Michelin restaurant in the world. Pathos in the film is provided by the plight of his fifty-ish year old son Yoshikazu, who is still an apprentice!

Since both of these films would be hard work on an empty tummy, the kind folk at Sydney Film Festival have also lined up a series of Dining Delights. A range of rather excellent restaurant partners are offering up everything from dainty dumplings at the handily located Chef’s Gallery, to companion sushi at Sake in The Rocks. Every restaurant will be providing a thirty-dollar special to make your food’n’film night out a real bargain!
www.sff.org.au

Vivid Flavours
While we’re talking art and culture, Sydney (in case you hadn’t noticed) is also in the midst of the Vivid Festival. If you hurry, you can take in the illuminated sails of the Sydney Opera House from a new angle, whilst enjoying a meal at Fort Denison. Dinner, including dishes like Muscovy duck in forest mushroom broth with homemade gnocchi, plus wines and water taxi trips will set you back just $85/head.
www.fortdenison.com.au

Wintery Delights
Jean-Michel Raynaud has also given us all three great reasons to leave the warmth and comfort of our homes, in the form of three new seasonal macarons.  So tempting were the flavours I rushed into Baroque Bistro to try them myself. Jean-Michel explained the decadent Black Truffle Macaron uses $600 worth of truffles in each batch of 300, adding somewhat ruefully: “It’s an acquired taste, but one I have not acquired yet.”

In my mouth, the rolling earthy flavour was so good; I wanted to weep. If you’re not a fan, head for the creamy, wet pear centre and lingering chestnut notes of the Pear and Chestnut Macaron; or the intensely fragrant Chai Macaron made using T2 Chai.
www.baroquebistro.com.au

Birthday Shout-outs
A big birthday shout-out goes out to Amnesty, who turned 50 last weekend. They celebrated with a Taste of Freedom event which saw foodie ambassadors like Adriano Zumbo and Christine Manfield encourage Australians to hold candlelit dinner parties across Australia. If you’re kicking yourself for missing the chance to raise a glass to freedom, you can always go and sign up as a member. Surely we can find half a million Aussies that care about justice? I do…
www.amnesty.org.au/50

While we’re talking birthdays, Australia’s oldest botanic garden is about to turn 195! The Royal Botanic Garden will be throwing an unforgettable birthday party on Monday 13th June – the Queen’s birthday. The day will be packed with kid-focused entertainment, which includes eating over a thousand mini cupcakes with a floral theme! They’ll be the work of Cake Art, who will also be responsible for a huge cake decorated with real flowers.
www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au

Whiskey Whispers
Finally, tonight I popped my nose in at Tokonoma and was mighty impressed with their array of whiskey cocktails. One I didn’t get to try was Tim Philips’ Royal Autumn Flip, which won the Gentleman’s Cocktail Sydney round of the World Class competition. If you’re keen to drink a world class cocktail yourself, head to the finals at Rockpool on the 7th June. There you’ll experience five-course with cocktails from ten of the country’s best bartenders. Your votes will even help determine the winner. Book in fast on (02) 9252 1888 because at $185/head, it’s sure to sell out.

It’s a delight to see Miguel Maestre* return to the modern Spanish tapas that first excited me about his cooking. Take the Grilled Mushrooms ($10) as a case in point. A medley of shitake, Swiss brown, oyster, king brown and button mushrooms sautéed with garlic, topped with an egg, and delivered to the table with love, pride and a liberal helping of Spanish sex appeal. Who knew Miguel had an even more handsome brother? Carlos Maestre is wonderfully warm on the floor, and a passionate advocate for his mother country’s cooking ingenuity. A jug of crisp apple and lychee laden White Sangria ($35) will fuel your seduction. He’s single (at least for now). Wrap your lips around a trio of Cucuruchos de Jamon Serrano ($19) – crisp cones filled with decadent potato puree – while you contemplate something much more wicked. First I suggest a little wine – the Vionta Albarino ($12/glass) is a beauty – and some Huevos Crujientes ($22) with chorizo, egg and little cubes of potato (for stamina). Then, if you take along an (attached) girlfriend, she can have Churros con Chocolate ($10) while you swallow creamy Leche Frita ($10) milk fritters sitting under a scoop of dark chocolate ice cream. Half way through, swap plates – I hear it drives men wild.

*Please note: Miguel Maestre was hired as a menu consultant in the initial stages of this venue. He is no longer associated with it, though his handsome brother is still on the floor.

Argyle Bazar
18 Argyle Street, The Rocks
Ph: (02) 9247 5500 www.argylebazar.com
Spanish/Tapas $$$

Slice of Spain
Sharing food is a great way of getting to know someone. As you pass the paella across the table, you’re sharing more than just a meal; you’re sharing a bit of yourself and your culture, giving them a taste of who you are. Get to know your workmates better by participating in this year’s A Taste of Harmony. Simply set a date between the 21st -27th March, and get everyone to bring a dish of food to share. Register your event on the website below, and while you’re there, share a story about food and cultural diversity. If you do, you might get to share a bit of Spanish hospitality by winning a meal at the handsome Miguel Maestre’s new restaurant Aperitif. Now there’s a man I’d like to share er… share a meal with.
www.tasteofharmony.org.au

Piece of Portugal
One of the biggest foodie events on the inner west calendar each year is the Bairro Português Petersham Food and Wine Fair. This year it falls on Sunday 13th March; so head on down to the area known as ‘Little Portugal’ to stand cheek-to-cheek with other hungry residents. While you queue for life-giving sangria, send your companion to get some of the spicy chorizo and barbecued sardines you can smell wafting by. Don’t depart before you’ve thoroughly explored the area’s amazing Portuguese tarts. For my money, the best ones come from Sweet Belem.
www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au

Two Italian Interludes
Go sample some of the new, unpretentious Italian street food at Hugos Bar Pizza. Or, better yet, book out their new Private Dining Room and take along fifty of your friends! Executive Chef Massimo Mele explains the menu shift: “Italy is made up of many regions with very distinct characteristics. Every town, every village, has its proudest specialty.” They’ll be bringing them to you in dishes like Mozzarella in ‘Carozza’, a crumbed cheese sandwich and fried Baby Calzones stuffed with smoked ham and buffalo ricotta.
www.hugos.com.au

February was a big month for Sarina and Micah Rodgers, who moved their Avoca Street bistro Elysium to ‘The Spot’ in Randwick. Their new space is larger, and includes an affordable chef’s table and a traditional wood-fire pizza oven. The menu is still Modern Australian, but there’s a distinctive Italian twist with dishes like Strozzapreti Pasta with Prawns, Calamari and Puttanesca Sauce ($16/$24). Puttanesca by the way is the ‘prostitute’s pasta’, invented by sex workers to serve their hungry clients, presumably after their other urges had been satisfied. Sarina and Micah are also running a new Italian trattoria called Porcellino at their old site.
www.elysiumrestaurant.com

French For Famous
Head to the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth on Friday 8th April for a chance to dine on a menu prepared by one of Europe’s original ‘master chefs’, Albert Roux. One of his many claims to fame is opening Le Gavroche, Britain’s first ever Michelin-starred restaurant. For the one-in-a-lifetime chance to drink red wine and eat four-courses of Roux in Sydney, you’ll pay $169/head. The hotel’s staff are already excited! Food and Beverage Director, Alastair Mead tells me: “The kitchen brigade always look forward to learning and experiencing working alongside chefs of this calibre. The younger more inexperienced chefs get very excited and animated!” I’m pretty excited about this one myself!
www.gardencourtrestaurant.com.au

But Wait, There’s More
If you thought this European invasion was over, you ain’t seen nothing yet! Keep your eyes peeled at Westfield Sydney for the latest Euro entry – Quarter Twenty One – by Justin and Georgia North (Bécasse). It’s slated to open at the end of April, and will include a modern European restaurant, a retail shop and a cooking school. My mouth is already watering at the idea of a take-home pack of grass fed organic wagyu lasagne and your dessert will also be taken care of, as Bécasse Bakery will be right next door. I highly recommend their addictive salted caramel, peanut and banana tart.
www.westfield.com.au/sydney

STOP PRESS – Head on down to Martin Place for lunch on Friday 11th March, where Caritas Australia will be teaming up with Doyle’s on the Quay to provide you with a simple meal of fish and rice. This is what millions of people all over the world survive on! So eat the fish and throw them your lunch money – with it Caritas Australia will try and make a better world for everyone!
www.caritas.org.au

Fully Customised Bowl
I’m starting my boozy brekky column this week with a breakfast that really has made me a convert – Muesli4Me! Not only is it fun to customise your own muesli, the products that arrive soon thereafter really represent the best mueslis I have tried! Mostly this is due to really stellar ingredients – though I don’t mind saying my own blends both turned out very well! I also tried out one of their pre-made Chocolate Lover ($10.20/470g) mixes with the assistance of two special guest reviewers. Miss Eva Pavela (12 years) said: “I would eat another bowl because it tastes nice and it is chocolaty.” Her sister, Mary (10 years) said “it was nice but there are too many nuts!” I could see what Mary was getting at – with nuts this fresh, there’s a whole lot of chewing to do! Making a family blend (or two) would be a great way to get your kids excited about a healthier alternative to the sugary breakfast cereals saturating the market. Matter of fact, I found them pretty exciting too.
www.muesli4me.com.au

Make Mine A Jug
Ease into the festive season with some good boozing practice at the new LotForty Sangria Club. They’ve got red and white sangria in ten buck jugs every Wednesday or Thursday night. If you need snacks, two plates of their tasty tapas with a jug will set you back a mere thirty bucks. My beautician can’t stop talking about this tucked away Darlo gem, so I am itching to get back in there for some Spanish style seduction myself!
www.lotforty.com

New Brekky on the Block
Unless you’ve had your head under a rock, by now you know all about Justin North’s famous Wagyu Burgers at the new Westfield Sydney. If you’ve already been there and done that, there’s a new enticement – midweek breakfasts from 8am. Pop in on the way to the office for a decent croissant from Le Pain Quotidien (I frequent the one on Norton Street); or a posh bacon and egg roll with homemade chutney from Michael Moore at Eat Deli Kitchen. If you’re on one of those ‘carb-free get a hot bikini body in five easy weeks’ diets, I hear Top Fruit does the best fruit salad in town.
www.westfield.com.au/sydney

Birthday, Booze & Brian
Down in The Rocks, Wine Odyssey Australia hit the two-year milestone late last month. If you haven’t gone and had your own self-directed tasting at their sophisticated wine taps, here’s another reason to check them out. They’ve just appointed Brian Villahermosa as Head Chef. I last saw him at Kirribilli’s Catalonia where he wowed me with a beef cheek dish set against parsnip and vanilla bean puree with a coffee soil, so I am sure he will come up with a cleverly enticing menu of small plates to match to the four hundred odd all-Australian wines on their list!
www.wineodyssey.com.au

Eat, Tweet & Win
You’ve got until Xmas Eve to eat for a good cause, Tweet about it, and hopefully win yourself a voucher to dine out again from StreetSmart! By adding a $2 donation to your bill, you’ll also be helping the homeless, using new social media technology for a good cause, and supporting your favourite restaurant with your own mini review. One of the reasons I am a keen supporter of StreetSmart myself is that every single dollar you donate in the 258 participating restaurants goes directly to support disadvantaged people.
www.streetsmartaustralia.org/TweetYourStreetEats

Beer & A Bite
While we’re talking about new technology, beer drinkers may like to know that Cascade Brewery Co have launched a free add-on for your iPhone that will help your drinking. Cascade Brewer’s Nose is ideal for the beer fan who has a thirst for knowledge, containing info about a whopping five hundred Aussie and international brews. So download it and put its beer and food matching skills to work next time you’re having some grub in a pub or restaurant about town!
www.cascadebreweryco.com.au

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

Recently relaunching, with a resolute Catherine Andreo spending more time in her own kitchen, has resulted in a better-realised menu that really confirms Cru54’s spot on Sydney’s Spanish circuit. Leap into a selection of tiny flavour bombs like creamy Woodside Goat’s Cheese with Sweet and Sour Onion Compote ($4) or Pinchos of Spanish Anchovy with Tomato, Parsley & Manzanilla Olives ($6), while you explore Catherine’s well-chosen list of boutique wines. From a soft, fruity 2008 Alectum Albarino ($10/glass, $44/bottle) to the enchantingly smooth 2005 Cosme Palacio y Hermanos Tempranillo from Rioja ($54), there’s a lot to like. Add a bowl of paprika-dusted Spencer Gulf Prawns ($22) and a Whole Grilled Chorizo ($7); it’s aged in house and a spicy respite from the bullshit paprika sausages passed off elsewhere about town. Balance the proteins with a generous bowl of Chickpeas with Sautéed Spinach, Pistachios and Macadamias ($12) punctuated by sweet plump Fino Sherry-soaked raisin bursts, before tucking into a savoury, charred Sherry Glazed Pork Belly ($22). Even the ubiquitous Patatas Bravas ($11) have been stylishly updated by a relish of roasted cumin seeds, parsley, garlic and a splash more vino blanco. All I could fit after that was a liquid dessert of Pedro Ximinez Nectar ($8). Damn.
Cru54
54 Foveaux St, Surry Hills
Ph: (02) 9281 1054 www.cru54.com.au
Spanish $$$

Spain Revisited
Surry Hills residents will be happy to hear that a revamped Cru54 Kitchen and Bar reopens on the 3rd August with personable owner Catherine Andreo as Executive Chef. Catherine explains: “This time around I am assuming an Executive Chef role, and am drawing strongly on the country and the cuisine that has inspired me so much… I want diners to feel as though they’ve been transported to a different place.” The restaurant has received a face lift too, with Spanish murals covering the walls in intense reds and oranges. Expect your palate to be tantalised by Spicy Chicken Wings with Basque Capsicum Relish and Jamon Croquettes with Romesco Sauce. Her wine list punches above its weight with a broad selection of wines from France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.
www.cru54.com.au

Eat New Zealand
The last time I visited Wellington I was amazed by the food; and every cup of coffee I was served over the course of my five-night visit was great! So their annual foodie extravaganza Wellington on a Plate taking place from August 14th-29th already sounds fairly tempting. Apparently they think some Aussie visitors would be sweet as, because they’re offering us all a two-course lunch with a glass of local wine just for showing your boarding pass and passport! Mecure Wellington’s Brasserie 345 is offering up a Kumara and Smoked Fish Bake with Rocket Salad followed by a Pecan Tart with a glass of Martinborough Wine. You can also stay in the hotel, just a hop, skip and a jump from the trendy Cuba Street from a low $71 per night! Remember to pack your appetite; with over 90 restaurants taking part in the festival, you may need to have more than just three meals a day!
www.wellingtononaplate.com

Mudgee On The Move
Speaking of winter breaks, nothing says warm and cosy better than a cottage in wine country with a glass of red, a cheese plate, and a hot tub. While most people know about The Hunter region, have you ever considered a trip to Mudgee? It’s the third largest grape-growing region in NSW with over 40 cellar doors, around 6 certified organic wineries, and a great foodie culture! If you don’t believe me, head on down to Olio Mediterranean Brasserie for a mini cellar door experience on Wednesday 1st September at 6.30pm. For $60/head you’ll taste homemade preserves from Angela’s Edibles, Ormiston Free Range Pork and High Valley Cheese on a series of Mediterranean inspired canapés while you drink Mudgee wines and vote on Olio’s first regional wine list! Owner Nicholas Aspros explains: “I wanted to marry a selection of interesting wines with local Mudgee produce to offer guests an opportunity to taste the region without the travel.”
www.olio.com.au

Italy With Gusto
The Council of Italian Restaurants Australia (CIRA) reads like a who’s who of Sydney’s best Italian chefs and restaurateurs, including Beppi Polese (Beppi’s Restaurant), Armando Percuoco (Buon Ricordo) & Giovanni Pilu (Pilu at Freshwater). They’re having their annual festival on Sunday 12th September at Sydney Seafood School. The day celebrates regional Italian cooking with food and wine tastings and cooking classes. Try risotto, Italian cold cuts including salami and prosciutto, antipasti, formaggio (cheese), pasta and dolci (sweets).
www.cira.com.au

Worldly Visitors
Sydney will play host to a number of wonderful international chefs during the month of October as part of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival. One arrival I am particularly looking forward to is Musa Dagdeviren from Ciya in Istanbul. He’s been referred to as one of the most fascinating Turkish chefs today, and he’ll be cooking up a Turkish feast with Somer Sivrioglu from Efendy on the 12th-17th October. At the bargain price of $65/head for world-class food, it’s sure to book out quickly.
www.efendy.com.au

Cheese World
Take a trip around the world all in one evening with Astral Restaurant’s decadent cheese trolley. Restaurant Manager Jean-Baptiste Robert will guide you through their 18 unctuous selections personally, assisting you in choosing your own perfect plate of cheese. My mouth was watering as I watching him gently scoop out the almost runny Brillat Savarin, while cheesy aromas wafted over our table. While you’re there, check out the new Ethical Foie Gras Menu that I road test in the review section this week.
www.astralrestaurant.com.au