The Food Zeitgeist

G’day folks, Tony here reporting on another quality Italian meal in Sydney.  I recently celebrated my anniversary over dinner at Haberfield’s Dolcissimo Restaurant.  Well, I was not disappointed.  I couldn’t help myself by reading a few Eatability reviews prior to dining there, so it was with mixed emotions that I commenced the evening, as some of the reviewers weren’t too happy with the service, some even unhappy with the food.

As far as I’m concerned, it was a perfect dinner.  Coming in at around $70 for two plus wine (licensed and BYO), it was exceptional value too.  In some Sydney city-east and eastern suburbs equivalent restaurants you’d pay 50% more at least, and likely for poorer quality food.

So what did we eat.  For starters, how about home-made whitebait fritters, and classic penne carbonara.  The fritters were so light they melted in your mouth, complemented by a green salad and mayonnaise.  Just delicious.  The carbonara was rich, creamy, and balanced - not gluggy nor too sweet - with the pasta cooked perfectly, retaining a slight bite to it (al dente)

For “Secondi” we enjoyed the Gamberi pizza, complemented with a rocket and parmesan salad.  Sublimely good pizza.  Thin crust, simply done with large fresh prawns, garlic and chilli, with mozzarella cheese lightly seasoned with chopped parsley.  One of the nicest pizzas I’ve ever had.

For “Dolci” we enjoyed a made to order Cannoli - sweet ricotta filled biscuit with crushed almonds.  We shared that - then each enjoyed some of the finest gelato in Sydney - pistachio, chocolate, vanilla, Zabaglione and coffee flavours.  These guys can justifiably say “Sydney’s finest Gelato” (no offence Ciccio, your gelato rocks, but this is very good)

Haberfield is a gem of a suburb spoilt for choice in Italian food and culture here in Sydney.   It’s so accessible now from the city and east via the Cross City Tunnel - about 25 minutes from the airport.  Earlier I blogged about Napoli in Bocca, just a few doors up from Dolcissimo.  Years ago I visited La Disfida and I noticed it too is still busy so I hope to get back there soon too.  To have 3 top Italian restaurants all busy in one small neighbourhood, really says something about the quality and value to be found.  Happy Haberfield Eating all!

Dolcissimo
96-98 Ramsay Street Haberfield (corner Dalhousie Street), +61 2 9716 4444
http://www.dolcissimo.com.au/
Link to Google Map

G’day folks, Tony here to report that a favourite pizzeria of mine is better than ever.  15mins west of Sydney’s CBD (Anzac Bridge - City West Link) is the incredible suburb of Haberfield.   Haberfield was one of Sydney’s first “1/4 acre block” suburbs settled just after Federation in 1901.  Today it has a strong Italian community supported by cafes, restaurants and quality produce in the local commercial precinct around Ramsay St.

Last night we picked up a takeway pizza from Napoli in Bocca restaurant - the Caprese pizza.  This is so simple - Bocconcini cheese, tomoto and basil leaves.  Thin crust cooked to perfection.  It was delicious.  Here’s how it looks (with thanks to the SMH article here.

We also picked up a spaghetti bolognese and this was perfect - the pasta cooked “al dente”, and the sauce rich with tomato. 

Not surprisingly the restaurant was as usual completely packed - with whole families on long tables down to intimate tables for two.  The atmosphere is amazing here, and the service fast and friendly.

We’ll defnitely be back as soon as we can.

Napoli in Bocca Restaurant
73 Dalhousie Street
Haberfield, Sydney, NSW  2045
P: +61 2 9798 4096
Link to Google Map

Hey there, Tony here thinking about another consistently good dining experience had recently.  Its been a while since posting, as work/family life (and too many good shows, like Kitchen Nightmares and Underbelly) have gotten in the way of updates, not to mention my new found interest in Twitter.

Anyway I’d like to recommend a teriffic italian restaurant in Crows Nest, Sydney: Pino’s.  I’ve been going to this place since the early 1990’s, and have never been disappointed.  Last week, we picked up takeaway, it was Sunday night around 730pm, and the restaurant was packed.  A good sign.  We ordered two simple classics: spaghetti carbonara and a lasagne.  Both were stunning.

The pasta was “al dente” - perfectly cooked with some firmness left, even after taking it home before eating it.  Fresh bacon and cream, and egg - just delicious and definitely a cut above the typical takeaway Italian.

As for the lasagne, it was light, full of flavour and had that feeling of being freshly and carefully prepared.  The person cooking it really cared about the food, and used fresh ingredients.

Pino’s has a lovely terrace out front, the best place to dine-in, where you can enjoy the atmosphere on the street and enjoy a wide-range of Italian dishes.  Booking essential.

Crows Nest is my favourite dining precinct on the north side of Sydney - plenty of restaurants and cafes to choose from.  There’s free parking (try Holterman St car park, off Willoughby Rd) and walk up and down checking it all out.  It’s another gem of an area in Sydney for those who enjoy quality food.

Pino’s Pizzeria Restaurant
49 Willoughby Rd
Crows Nest, Sydney, NSW  2065
P: +61 2 9439 2081
Link to Google Map

Hey there, Tony here to talk about my favourite Bondi bakery.  Formerly known as Wellington Cake Shop, today I popped in to try to pick up some strudel and kugelhopf, and they had sold out.  No wonder, these are the most popular items, plus their teriffic savoury bagels, plain and poppy seed varieties (just add smoked salmon, cream cheese and fresh chives to their poppy seed bagels, just delicious)  Next door is a fruit and vegetable market, which also sells fresh flowers.  A few doors up is Kemeny’s supermarket and liquor store.  This little stretch of Bondi Rd is one of the food villages I was referring to previously, there are seriously good stores here folks, so drop by and wander around.  Anyway back to the bakery, here are the items I’d recommend you try:
- cheese pockets, cream cheese or sour cherry strudel, chocolate kugelhopf
- bon vivant (chocolate slice), Gesztenye Puree (Chestnut Puree - it’s in the freezer)
- cheese sticks, pretzels, plain and poppy seed bagels

 Head up to Kemeny’s supermarket for one of the finest wine selections in Sydney, plus a great deli section.

Parking’s a challenge here, so aim for Wellington St or Waton St where there’s a small car park.

 Wellington Cakes
157 Bondi Rd
Bondi, Sydney, NSW, Australia
P: +61 2 9389 4555
Link to Google Map

Hey there, Tony here with a few pointers as to suburbs in Sydney to visit.  Having grown up in Sydney, initially I would not venture far from my own area, plus trips to the city for special occasions.  Now its become clear to me that Sydney is a city of villages.  For good quality food, everyone will have their favourite local, but why don’t you venture out to another suburb, believe me, delights await. 

Last post I talked about Sydney’s South East, and there’s more talk about there, but I would also recommend the following areas, and in future posts I will highlight a few places at each area that I love to go back to.  So off you go, to:

- Leichardt and Haberfield
- Crows Nest
- Lakemba
- Newtown, Enmore and Glebe
- Petersham
- Bondi

 These are just a few areas that come to mind.  Happy exploring and stay tuned for reviews of key places.

Hey there, Tony here, back as promised with some places in Sydney’s South East I’d recommend.  Firstly, the Cheese Room (see previous story) in Alexandria is going from strength to strength.  This week a delicious salad of roquefort and walnut was on offer - which I haven’t tried (yet) but can’t wait.  Around the corner is the delightful St Germaine Patisserie - just go for the pastries, in particular the croissant and pain au chocolat, but owner/chef Gwenael “Gwen” Lecampion produces quiches, cakes, and delicious savoury sandwiches on baguette bread.  An oasis on a busy inner city road. 

Head south on Botany Rd to Rosebery, left into Epson Rd and you will find Allpress Cafe.  Allpress has proven itself as a stayer, having successfully traded on this spot for many years and just completed an exciting renovation.  Always busy with a loyal friendly staff (Michael the barista is a lovely fellow, and his skills matched with Allpress’ roast is worth queing for) churning out coffee and sandwiches.  The bread, baked down the road at Brasserie Bread in Banksmeadow (itself worth a visit - see below), is superb.  There are numerous fillings matched with a variety of breads (sourdough styles mainly, all good)  Like Tropicana, Allpress has great atmosphere and is worth a sit down lunch or breakfast.

Continuing on Botany Rd, south to Banksmeadow, there is another treat in store.  Croquembouche Patisserie spoils locals with their classic French pastries.  Arrive early morning for still-warm croissants and other baked items.  Come for lunch and enjoy savoury crepes or be surprised with the soup of the day (classic French onion or potato and leek are two favourites) served with a bread roll.  Arrive after work and pick up a whole cake.  I have even seen duck pate, cassoulet ingredients and other savoury items available.  For chocolate lovers I’d recommend the Dark Chocolate Truffle (chocolate mousse with roasted hazelnuts and dacquoise biscuit), available in single serve or whole cake.  The fondant (chocolate cake without flour, covered with rich ganache cream) is a treat too.   Their classic Mille Feuilles (layers of puff pastry with vanilla custard cream) runs out fast, so be quick.

Finally, my favourite cafe in the south-east of Sydney, Brasserie Bread.  Why?  Quality, Service, Passion.  This artisan bread maker (who also supplies Allpress cafe, mentioned above) has shared the product from its wholesale bakery with the general public by opening a retail cafe out front.  Overlooking Botany Golf Course, this place is a gem.   I’d recommend the bacon and egg florentine panini or mushrooms and ricotta bruschetta for breakfast.  For lunch there are Allpress-style sandwiches (all good) and the coffee (also Allpress) is excellent.  They sell all the breads over the counter, including interesting olive oils and condiments.  Don’t miss a visit here when you’re in the area.  It’s no surprise to note that Brasserie Bread won the Sydney Morning Herad Good Food Guide Editors’ Favourite Cafe in 2006  Be sure to check out the cafe’s new website just launched in November 2007.

St Germaine Patisserie
88 Rosehill St
Redfern, Sydney, NSW, Australia
P: +61 2 9319 7161
Link to Google Map

Allpress Espresso
58 Epsom Road
Zetland, Sydney, NSW, Australia
coffee@allpressespress.com.au
P: +61 2 9662 8288
http://www.allpressespresso.com.au/
Link to Google Map

Croquembouche Patisserie
1635 Botany Road
Banksmeasow, Sydney, NSW, Australia
bonappetit@croquembouche.com.au
P: +61 2 9666 3069
http://www.croquembouche.com.au
Link to Google Map

Brasserie Bread
1737 Botany Road
Banksmeasow, Sydney, NSW, Australia
info@brasseriebread.com.au
P: +61 2 9666 6845
http://www.brasseriebread.com.au
Link to Google Map

I was lucky enough to take a short break with the family on the Sunshine Coast away from work, renovations, computers and the Internet for a full week - the thought scared me, but being forced to just enjoy the sun, water and excellent food that the Noosa shire has on offer gave us a healthy reboot.

We go up there every year for the annual family holiday and one thing that is always consistently good is the quality of the restaurants. I guess when your audience are mainly fussy Sydneysiders and Melbournians with high expectations, you’ve got to deliver!

Eating with kids - High chairs, kids’ menus and crayons are definitely OK. In a holiday town it’s kinda important for them to accommodate families, but they do it well with early sessions and an understanding smile. This makes eating out in Noosa with kids really accessible.

There is a lot to cover in this area but if I had to choose one eating adventure it would involve Wasabi followed by Massimo’s.

Wasabi is a great Japanese fusion on Sunshine Beach which was with without a doubt the gastronomical highlight of our trip. Whilst serving the freshest sashimi, nigiri and rolls for the purists, they also confidently throw together fusion in the form of the Escondido : yellowfin tuna, avocado, salsa and bonito flakes and Hiramasa Ponzu : sashimi style hiramasa kingfish, toasted sesame, ginger chips and ponzu. They have plenty of mains options ranging from Tori Teriyaki : marinated free range chicken fillets sauteed in a light teriyaki sauce, caramelized onion and shitake, hijiki rice but I would highly recommend that you go long on the outstanding entree’s and desert. Desert? Yes you heard right. Can you remember when you last had desert at a Japanese restaurant. Serious Chocolate Plate : a selection of four house made chocolate morsels and Nashi Sorbet : house made pear and mint sorbet served with vanilla and lemon custard, black sesame sable biscuits but prepare yourself for the chocolate shot. Served in short black cup and resembling a hit of espresso, the quality of this hot chocolate left me reeling. In fact I walked away from the most memorable Japanese dining experience with nothing but chocolate shot on my mind.

Wasabi on Google Maps

Massimo - It’s getting late and I still haven’t unpacked the dishwasher so this will have to wait for my next post but to all you Gelato lovers out there check back here for what has been called “Simply the most fabulous gelato outside of Italy!“

Massimo on Google Maps

Earlier today I dedicated this blog to my friend Peter Gaioli.  Peter introduced me to this simple, casual place many years ago.  This is my favourite cafe in Sydney.  There are 3 simple reasons for this: atmosphere, service, and food.  Such an eclectic mix of people go to this place I believe it captures the essence of what makes Sydney such a great city - things such as casual setting, friendliness and diversity.  Whether a family with children or an elderly couple and everyone in between, Tropicana serves up simple food, good coffee and even a wine or beer.  From time to time Serge, one of the owners, makes a mean Tiramisu, so watch out for it at the counter.  Failing that, order a ricotta cannoli which is a simple italian biscuit filled with sweet ricotta cream cheese.  The signature dish is the Tropicana Salad (tuna, tomatoes, egg, lettuce and special “Tropicana” dressing) and I usually order that (relatively healthy eating for me).  There’s always a range of pastas and other mains from veal through chicken and fish.  There’s a huge range of sandwiches, either toasted turkish or foccacia bread, to choose from.  The cafe is famous for giving birth to Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival.

Tropicana Caffe
227 Victoria Street
Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Open 7 days, 5amto 11pm
staff@tropicanacaffe.com
P: +61 2 9362 9809
http://www.tropicanacaffe.com/
Link to Google Map

The Cheese Room

Update: May 2008.  Tony here, reporting that I am very saddended by the recent closure of The Cheese Room.  I believe this was a personal decision taken by the Carr family.  I wish them all the best in their future endeavours.  This little slice of Paris in Sydney’s South-East will be sorely missed.  Meanwhile, Campos-coffee lovers can continue to enjoy their brew up at Appetite Cafe on nearby 82 Regent St.  I will leave my original post on The Cheese Room below.

Original Post - January 2008

Hey there, Tony here, back with some terrific news for anyone close to Alexandria, in Sydney’s south-east, which has been steadily growing into another Sydney food-hub in the tradition of Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, and Leichardt.

Today I am thinking about one of the most surprising, exciting and unique cafe/general stores to have come along in 2007.  The Cheese Room, owned and operated by David and Virginia Carr and their children, is situated on Henderson Road Alexandria, opposite the Australian Technology Park, on the corner of Garden St.  A beautiful building too, tastefully decorated and arranged in a way that wouldn’t look out of place in an historic Paris street.

This store has been a revelation to me, due to the simple fact that David and Virginia live with passion.  This passion has created a business focussed on excellence and service which I feel blessed to have access to.  What started as an idea for a retail cheese provedore has quickly evolved into a cafe/restaurant in answer to the locals’ needs.  Air-conditioned inside with communal and private table, wireless Internet access and plenty of seating outdoors.

Firstly, the coffee I am pleased to say is excellent.  Sydney is so blessed to have great espresso now, with numerous roasters and award-winning baristas making espresso all over town.  The Cheese Room is no exception, with Newtown-based Campos Coffee available.  Tristram, an experienced and passionate barista, puts care into every cup, the result being a smooth, fresh shot every time.  Just go to The Cheese Room for the coffee, you won’t be disappointed.  In fact only last week I tried the chai tea, again made with care by Tristram, who had been brewing the tea over a 24-hour period to ensure maximum flavour and impact.  Supplied by the Melbourne-based Larsen and Thomson tea merchants, chai tea is a refreshing, creamy drop for those who prefer their warm beverages caffeine-free.

Secondly, the cafe-style food.  Virginia Carr, who you will see moving back and forth from kitchen to front-of-store with mouth-watering items, is the driving force behind an amazing array of food choices considering one’s first impression when entering the store is that it is a new deli counter.  Available of course are the sandwiches, simple items such as “Croque Monsieur” (toasted ham and cheese with béchamel) which is so delicious that to call it a toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich is an under-statement.  How about a Panini-bread sandwich with Polish ham, cheese and salad, with a tangy Tamarind paste - delicious.  Or a simple salad and brie roll - fresh tasty ingredients served simply but with this quality of ingredients simple is best.  From here it just keeps getting better, for example the “tasting plate” which provides an array of different flavours including olives, double-smoked ham, cheddar cheese, quince paste, gazpacho (tomato-based soup served chilled) with a side-serving of greek salad and crusty sliced baguette.  How about oven-warmed figs wrapped in prosciutto, filled with Capparis’ goats-curd cheese, on a bed of rocket salad, olive oil and balsamic - delicious.  The simple and inventive caprese-style salad of roma tomatoes, buffalo mozzarelle, basil and rocket with prosciutto and large, thinly sliced croutons, makes for a delicious lunch alternative.  There are plenty of choices here and its not just about the cheese.  Virginia makes an amazing strawberry and cream cupcake too.  Even simpler there are croissants, pain au chocolate (chocolate filled croissants) and toast with jam.

No description of The Cheese Room is complete without of course mentioning the cheese.  First, some background. For the past 5 years, David and Virginia whilst rasing their 3 lovely children Mathew, Katie and Eliza and seeing them through secondary school, have maintained traditional corporate jobs (David is an experienced media lawyer) whilst operating a twice-weekly cheese-stall at the Farmer’s Market in Moore Park’s Entertainment Quarter (previously known as Fox Studios, Driver Avenue Moore Park, Sydney)  After a brief stint in Dulwich Hill, reported in Sydney’s SMH Good Living in 2006, they decided to move closer to home in Alexandria, where their continued passion for their work is helping to meet the growing  demand for quality produce.

There is an assortment of local and imported cheeses, (many Australian cheese makers are supported here, such as the excellent Capparis from Gloucester, NSW)  I have tried the Woko Cow’s milk cheese from Capparis, with Bacco’s Leaves (Australian-made biscuit bread) and it reminded me of an excellent brie.  Folks do yourself a favour and head to The Cheese Room immediately.

The Cheese Room
Henderson Rd, corner Garden St Alexandria, Sydney, NSW, Australia
http://www.thecheeseroom.net.au
P: 02 8394 9384
F: 02 8394 9502
M: 0431 706 021
E: david@thecheeseroom.net.au
Open 7 days, 730am-5pm
Link to Google Map

Evening folks, it’s been almost 3 weeks since the last update, which I’m a little disappointed about, but here I am back again.  Although in my last post I mentiond Bellingen, I’ve since returned to my home town of Sydney, and back into the normal swing of all things work and family.  Nevertheless I am motivated tonight to write about gelato as we’ve just returned home from Ciccio and Salvatore La Rosa’s gelateria in Newtown - Gelatomassi.  I first read about this in an SMH article over a year ago now, and have been going ever since.  We love gelato, and these brothers of Sicilian heritage continue to churn out the flavours, with attention to detail and service unlike most if not all Sydney’s gelaterias.  Tonight I enjoyed Pistachio, Zabaglione, Vanilla and Chocolate flavours.

It’s the full experience when you enter this shop along King St, Newtown.  Ciccio remembers your name, makes a delicious espresso, then dazzles you with an array of flavours - the fruit flavours contain fresh fruit ingredients from Flemington Markets (Sydney’s largest wholesale fruit market) and the vanilla (along with pistachio, my litmus test for good gelato) is sublime.

If you think you’ve had good gelato in Sydney, make your way over to Newtown and see Ciccio or Salvatore at Gelatomassi, and prepare to have your culinary senses awakened!

Gelatomassi
262 King Street, Newtown, +61 2 9516 0655,
http://www.gelatomassi.com.au
Mon, Wed-Sun 9.30am-midnight, Tue 3.30pm-midnight
Link to Google Map