Chronicles

This week. You and your mum doing these three things.

We’ve spent the last month trying / revisiting 5 places that we think are just perfect for a crisp wine and cheese plate.

Discussing the topic of tea seems to always revolve around two areas; its health and its origins. We’d like to add one more to that, its cool factor.

So the old V-Day has yet again crept up on you and you've got nothing planned. Enter Gazebo in Elizabeth Bay. They've catered for two likely scenarios

Small Irish Dexter. We’re not referring to a wee lad named Dexter, we’re talking about an awesome little cow that makes velvety smooth milk. They’re the world’s smallest and smartest cows and you can find them on the hills Robertson in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

El Loco at the House, The Cove at Sydney Opera House, Meliora Farm @ EQ Markets and Beached as Sunday Sessions with Gastro Park and Rochdale Cider.

Aquavivas Men riding upon fish, an antique organ pump and as many quirky little el fresco areas as you can poke a stick at. Modern Australian with a colonial Portuguese influence could describe what you’d be putting in your mouth, and you’d be sitting (or standing) inside a two level terrace with a colonial-style parlour. You favourite live music is sorted too. Just grab an eclectic spiced cocktail relax. Ok?

New: Rooftop cocktail bar. Modern Southwest Mexican. A bright shock of colour through hand painted tiles and murals.Shopping centre. Huh? Yep Bondi Junctions El Topo is all of this but best of all, it's fun. Oldie: Your favourt restaurant in Rushcutters Bay is now serving brekkie. Expect hangover worthy dishes like salsiccia with pecorino scrambled eggs. Do & See: The Village, Potts Point. $1 oysters. Oyster eating competition. Game on. How many oysters could fit into your gob in an hour? Just quietly we could do at least 100. Out of Town: Woolongong's only pub, The Illawarra Brewing Bar, has 5 different pumpkin beers. Head there now.

New: Vasco in Surry Hills. They say: “It’s only rock’n’roll but I like it,” we say – dark, grungy, yet still a tad classy, like a bad biker boy with a heart of gold. Oldie: Flour and Stone is gingerbread heaven.Bright colours, hot-air balloons, penguins, dinosaurs, monkeys, and clouds. The taste is like a punch of ginger, yet oh so sweet with the perfect density, with just a touch of fluff. To Do: Matchbox wines are popping up with their own cellar door at Kitchen by Mike. Taste wines “inspired by the gamesome gallantry of the quintessential gentleman.” So, we’re not really sure what that means either, but we’re intrigued. Out of town: Cherries. Those little red balls of pure summer. Celebrate these little fallas by heading down to the National Cherry Festival at Young and popping a few in your mouth.

New: Baccomatto Osteria has opened in Surry Hills and is welcoming everyone who wants to stuff themselves silly with fine Italian fare, washed down with a drop of vino, of course. Old: If you’re looking for ramen heaven, look no further. Menya is the place to be, with big bowls of steaming Shoyu broth with fresh ramen noodles swimming and other goodies such as sweet corn and tempura. Do and see: If you like your bread and coffee on a rooftop, surrounded by the creative souls of Surry Hills – then check out Quadrangle Rooftop Market with more design, fashion and arty stalls than you can poke a stick at. Out of town: Push your Newcastle snobbery aside and visit Restaurant Deux, all in the name of making your stomach happy with a stunning, fine dining experience.

New: Barbeque. Rooftop. Cocktails. Can’t get much more summery than that. It’s not quite Bali (unless you pack a blow up kiddies pool to splash about in), but we have a thing for rooftops and barbeques here in Sydney. Sweethearts Rooftop just seems so fair dinkum ‘Strayan. Old: For your weekly dose of #cheeseporn (yes, we just made that up and hashtagged it), you’ll want to stop by Formaggi Ocello. This is #cheeseporn (oops, we did it again) at its best, and you can even do an Italian cheese and wine pairing night. Happy days. To Do: It’s already established that laneways in the city are on the new ‘cool’ places list. But The Rocks area doesn’t usually make an appearance. Until now. Village Bizarre has changed all that. Out of Town: At Esca Bimbagden Restaurant, you can enjoy tasting plates matched to wine with rolling hills and green valleys in the background. Not too shabby at all.

Co-founder of Brasserie Bread, Michael Klausen, started cooking when he was 12-years-old. By the time he was 20, he was a professional cook. He set up Brasserie to honour artisan baking, so it’s fair to say he knows a thing or two about bread. You’d also think he’d know a thing or two about sandwiches. We’re sick and tired of soggy ham and cheese between two pieces of soggy cardboard for lunch, so we asked him where his top five sandwich spots are. Thank goodness for the bread master.

Stripper pole. Greek food. Graffiti.You'll find it all on the second level of the Newtown Hotel, where eccentric, rock ‘n’ roll-style Greek eatery, The Animal, has just opened. Catch some rays in the outside beer garden or take in the leather and animal print finishes inside. Try the wood roasted suckling lamb washed down with deadly cocktails, such as the Bigger than Jesus. Just remember: don’t feed the animal. You have been warned.

You’re hanging for a coffee and something to eat... but your beard also needs a trim. What a dilemma. If only there was a place that did both. Cleveland’s Salon & Cafe hear you. They’ve combined the two in a hygienic, glass dividing wall kinda way. No chance of hair in your food. This is the kind of place where Hemingway would have hung out and you'll feel just a little bit cooler for dropping by.

So we're thinking you should pay a little visit to The Forresters this week. Head up stairs and you'll notice that there’s been a little change. A Jamaican Bar and Kitchen has moved in and its name is Queenies. You'll see bizarre tropical kitsch decor with thatched ceilings with mismatched images in frames, including a woman in her birthday suit lying on a stuffed tiger. The food is Pan-tropical - there's a whole lot of jerk on this hands on menu - the drinks are fruity (but definitely not lacking in alcohol) and the the music is loud. This is what a Voodoo diner looks like.

Is this new nightspot a small bar, an LA style lounge or a Kings Cross club? We think it’s neither. Yet all three of these things at the same time – yes, quite a bizarre concept. There’s the deer head on the wall, the exposed brickwork and random vintage bookshelves, vinnies style lampshades, picture frames of black and white naked ladies, old rugs and lounges of small bar style chic. Yet there’s also the black booth area that screams Kings Cross, complete with disco ball and dance floor lights, and DJ that make you think club or lounge. But regardless of what this place is, we think you should head there and order the Fontanebleau cocktail. Let us know what you think.

Caryn Griffin is a Sydney based artist inspired by the charisma of quirky figures and interesting sorts of people. Coming from a Fine Art background, Caryn has recently become more intrigued by the experimentations and freedom possible in the graffiti world of bright colours and spray paint. She captures an essence of spontaneity and truth. Caryn is a contestant in Art Battles – www.artbattles.com.au

Comp winner Hayley Brown reviews a Sydney favourite

Salt Meats Cheese is a temple. A food temple. It’s in a warehouse in Alexandria and it may possibly become your new place of worship.

Rebecca Knights-Kerswell is lucky enough to be a chocolatier and the genius working behind the cauldron at Coco Chocolate. She’s a local Sydney gal who studied chocolatiering in Edinburgh, and even ran a store there, before returning back home to spread her love of chocolate all over the lower north shore.

Festival of The Voice, Bondi Openair Cinema, Water Polo by the Sea, Wine and Cheese Festival at the WInery

When my girlfriend spies a Brazilian / Italian restaurant in Coogee, it’s so new we can’t find anything about it online, except a Facebook page with no phone number.

We all know York Street has more basement level bars than you could throw a vodka tonic at. But what if we told you that the latest edition was actually on a roof? There’s room in your world for this. Welcome to The Rook – your new favourite rooftop industrial glam, late night restaurant/bar with city views , top shelf cocktails and oh lobster three ways.

Stepping into a domain that’s been mostly monopolised by dodgy kebab shops, Frankie’s Pizza has launched on Hunter Street. But serving a proper slice of Napoletana-style pizza for $5 is a mere backdrop here. That’s because it happens within the best damned rock ‘n’ roll bar to appear within the CBD. It’s like someone photocopied the Annandale Hotel, and put it walking distance from your office. And added pizza.

Listen... can you hear? That's the sound of Annandale residents breathing a sigh of relief. Everyone's a wee bit excited about the opening of a new wine-bar-slash-restaurant. In a previous life, this double-storey venue was Vicini, but following a face-lift and revamped menu it has re-emerged as Sede. There's a sophisticated dinning room up stairs for those who like to linger over a delicious meal and a comfy wine bar down stairs for a more casual affair. All wines here are available by the glass making this place a nightmare for indecisive people like your mate Davo but perfect for the rest of us wine lovers. Instant hit.

Meet Leigh Hudson, he owns the Chef’s Armoury store in Alexandria. The place you go to for quality Japanese knives or hard to find ingredients. He’s worked as a professional chef in Australia and is the first non-Japanese person to be certified in Knife Repair & Sharpening by Japanese knife house Aoki Hamono (Sakai Takayuki). We’ve got a hankering for Japanese today and thought he might have a few tips… so he told us where to go.

Uncle Ming’s is different. There’s no other way to describe it. But that’s not a bad thing. This Shanghai speakeasy joint is hard to find, but once you get there, you’ll be glad you discovered this underground secret den. Nibble on some dumplings while you down a cocktail teapot or two, and then get into them again when you finish your evening instead of stopping at Maccy D's on the way home. We’ll bring the fun, you bring the opium.

When a 3-Michelin star chef hits town it’s worth a standing ovation. When that 3-Michelin star chef has made his name by cooking for Di Caprio, Mendez, Ford, Minogue, Beyoncé, Travolta and Mr ‘shot down in a blaze of glory’ it’s time you sat down and ate with Italian gusto. Heinz Beck is the most awarded Italian chef in the world, holding more stars than anyone else. And you, dear reader, can have dinner with him.

Everyone loves a good pop-up, and as of yesterday, Startled Art popped up their very first exhibition in Sydney. Art can be playful. Art should be playful. Which is why you’ll be able to fiddle with some of the artwork on display (no need to tell the kiddies to put their hands in their pockets). Startled Art takes pride in breaking down the walls of the gallery space and showing art in unexpected settings. Pop-in to this pop-up. It will turn your expectations of an art exhibition upside down.

New: Kaya has opened on the old Rambutan site. It's decked out in pine and graffiti and it just might be your new Japanese hangout. Oldie - Tios Cerveceria is not only full of dudes behind the bar, but the name also means dude in Spanish slang. Very appropriate. They've changed their menu from burritos to pizza. There's also ‘shiiiirrrtttsssss oooff!’ Yes, you heard. A bell is rung, shirts come off- followed by some interesting dance moves. To Do: Hunter Valley Uncorked Balmoral is the home of wine for this Sunday, with some food thrown in for good measure. Bring a picnic blanket as scoring a table is hard work and make sure you don’t drive. Out of Town: You need a random roadtrip. Ever heard of Wellington NSW? It has mountains, 2 rivers and some caves. Besides nature, you should head there this weekend and check out the Cactus Café and Gallery. Bitter and Twisted Beer Festival is on at Maitland Gaol this weekend. There'll be the usual beer fun with food to match and music by Ash Grunwald.

Something New: The Rabbit Hole Bar & Dining is just that, your very own rabbit hole in the city. One that's full of cocktails, boutique beers and a delicious food menu. Oldie: If you’re going to mix Vietnamese and tapas what would you call it? Vapas. That’s what Bay Tinh Vietnamese Restaurant is calling it. They're doing 6 course degustations of Vapas, paired with quality grog. Do & See: Music, sustainable food, good old fashioned community spirit topped with a bit of sun. Yep the Surry Hills Festival is on tomorrow. Out of Town: Do yourself a favour. Head to the Hunter Valley this weekend, knock back a few drops of the finest and drop in to Muse for some top nosh. It’s part of a winery, so you luckily won’t have to stop quaffing for long.

New: The G.H. Mumm Champagne Spring Carnival Bar has popped up at the Bellevue Hotel Drop in on Saturday to catch the Caufield Cup over some nibbles and bubbles.Giddy up. Oldie: Ormeggio at the spit was recently awarded Two Chef Hats in the SMH Good Food guide. They do amazing fine dining Northern Italian fare in a sun drenched room on a pier. Oh and you can book through AgendaTables for 30% off. To Do: Head to Pizza in the Piazza on Sunday for pizza heaven with masterclasses, pizza gymnastics (yep) and food stalls galore. As part of the Crave Food Festival, Secret Foodies are having a French themed street party tomorrow. Sydney Craft Beer Week also kicks off tomorrow. There’s beer paired with food degustations going on, beer and chocolate, a beer ladies only high tea (yes – really) and something called Beer lovers guide to extreme beer. Beer-rific action at its best.

Bayswater Diner is the latest and greatest American style restaurant to open. It's the love of Peter Lew and Nicole Galloway - the guys behind Barrio Chino and Fei Jai. Although diner is in the name we think this place is a classier take on good old fashioned American fare. Munch on Budweiser Steamed Mussels and Clams, Shrimp Gumbo or if you don't mind getting a little dirty, go for the Half Rack Hickory Smoked Pork Ribs (with slaw & potato salad). But it may well have been the drinks here that really won us over - three words - The Hoover Manhatten.... Pork fat washed Makers Mark, maple syrup, Maraschino Cherry, Antica Formula. Yep, a cocktail take on that American favourite: pancakes with maple syrup and bacon. Strange at first, and then strangely addictive.

This week. You and these four things.

They call this the ArgyleXchange and it’s a concept, space, dining experience(s) featuring Japanese restaurant Sake, the steak lovers paradise The Cut, French-Med Ananas and the bars represented by The Argyle.

Brooklyn Boy Bagels, Bottleneck Bar & Eatery, The Urban Bee Hive, Summer of Riesling

Monopole, Naked Indiana, Aboutlife, Destino

Senyai, Manly World Food Market, Flickerfest, Paradiso,

The Bondi Deck, A fish called Coogee, Sydney Festival Day 1, Wendy's Secret Garden

There’s a new ramen king in town and there’s a few things you probably want to know. Like are the noodles perfectly cooked? Is the broth silky and rich? Will eating here change my life. Yes, yes and yes.

If we were to tell you that a new restaurant had opened at a hotel in the city you probably wouldn't be interested. Fair enough... Perhaps we could change your mind if we mentioned that Hamish Ingham from Bar H was involved? The Woods is it's name and it's decked out in all things cool (there's a cow-hide feature wall) and pumping yum things like house-made pork cheek bacon. We can guarantee you that if you go down to The Woods today you are sure of a big surprise. Go on try it.

Ah Santa Barbara. How do we describe you? The best we could come up with is US-Asian, tropical Tex-Mex trailer park, Chinese takeaway, with a splash of American Roadhouse. Whatever it is, it's good. Chef Jamie Thomas doesn't believe in cutlery, He understands the importance of being able to hold a beverage in one hand whilst eating. Good call. We suggest you head on down to the old Piano Room site, grab yourself a Santa Colada (rum, coconut puree, pineapple and Amaretto) and munch on a Dragon Dog. What's that? Well within the cheeks of a bun sits a slow cooked, then deep fried, crunchtastic octapus tentacle. Not to be missed.

If Tintin and Snowy needed a refreshing beverage on the North side they would head to The Botanist. It’s jungle chic. It’s Californian explorer. There’s a moss green feature wall, walking sticks on a rack, stacks of wooden panelling and enough plants to fill a greenhouse. And the bathroom smells like flowers. Then there’s the cocktails. They have the best looking drinks menus we’ve seen in a while, with handy botanical pictures of what’s what. You’ll probably go for a jug, like the Pimms one, and you’ll have chop sticks handy to help you get the fruit out. Flag one of the waitstaff in shorts, and order some food that knows what it’s doing (start with nachos served with a hot melted cheese pot).

You don’t usually see the word ‘tapas’ next to the word ‘Asian’. But before images of potatas bravas with Pad Thai chucked on top come to mind, let us stop you there. The word ‘tapas’ in this concreted Kirribilli joint means small – with the Spanish washed out of it. No need to ponder those flavour combinations. What you’re left with is small dishes of Asian hawker-style food. Sounds much more attractive, doesn't it?

You love a good dessert. You read menus backwards and look for the word 'chocolate' obsessively. You're our kind of person, which is why you're the reason why we've put this list together of the top desserts in Sydney. Make sure you book a trip to the dentist before reading.

Summer is coming and the sun is beginning to shine - it must be ‘Prosecco Time’. #proseccotime Brown Brothers Prosecco is zesty and fresh. It can be enjoyed as a pre-dinner drink or over the entire course of the meal, offering a lighter style partner to food. Prosecco complements food flavours that range from freshly shucked oysters, Vietnamese chicken salad or a cured meat platter.

After hours.There’s a deliciously naughty ring to these words. The thought of being allowed to run amuck in a bakery after closing time. While you won’t quite be given free reign to roll around in dough or eat as many pastries as you possibly can, you will be given a glimpse into a different side of Bourke Street Bakery. The below street level location makes it just that little bit more seductive. Such a tease. It’s a touch of Paris in the middle of Potts Point.

So, you love animals.... eating them that is. Ethically and sustainably of course. But it's oh so confusing sorting out the good from the bad. Well lucky you have us. We sat down with Grant Hillard at the new Feather & Bone digs in Marrickville to find out how you can consume meat and egg in an ethical and sustainable way.

I admit, I had already decided what we were eating before we entered the self-proclaimed ‘Tokyo Pop’ paradise adorned with neon colours and origami art. None-the-less I pretend to meander over the menu while enjoying our first cocktail of the evening. Mine is a Harajuku Girl: a chilled martini of watermelon, coconut and Bombay Saphire with, importantly, a cute name.