From my point of view...

Last week, a group of about 14 ladies and me went to see Bridesmaids at The Event Cinema for Chicks at the Flicks. This movie is absolutely hilarious. You must see it. It is not just a Chick Flick and it is not just a girls answer to Hangover. It is so much more. I would go again to see it if you need a plus one! The movie stars Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph. This is important because I was told about 5 times after the movie that Maya Rudolph and I could be twins. I don't think that is a bad thing but I just don't see it. At All.  Now, to be fair, some comments were made about mannerisms and acting alike but it is still a bit of a stretch, but if 5 people say it, maybe it is true? I IMDB'd her and found out she was born in Gainesville, Fl which is near my neck of the woods. Who knows maybe she is my long lost rich and famous and funny relative? Jackpot!

I just don't see it???(okay maybe in these pics a little) If you do/don't comment below!

Before the movie we hit The Dip, inside the Good God Social Club. They did a great banquet meal for us including more apps than we could eat, mains and dessert for $28. You can barely get a coffee and a nibble for that in Sydney! Service was great, food was great, American style fancy bar food, pulled pork sandwiches, awesome nachos, crazy good double fry fries, salsa, corn on the cob, slaw, beans, and this cookies and creme carmely ice cream thing. The Chevy Chase pitcher of adult lemonade could have held my attention all evening.

4 In Hand

The proverb is: A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. Meaning be grateful for a small real advantage, rather than the possibility of a greater yet uncertain one. Apparently, this phrase came about from medieval falconry, meaning better to have the falcon the predator, than the two birds he was gunning for in the bush. So I figure having 4 in Hand must really be a good thing. And boy is it evah!

I hesitated and I waited so long to go here because I thought it was an over hyped pub. Well, it is a pub on one side but it also features fine fuss-free dining adjoining but very separate from the pub. M says this is his favorite restaurant in Sydney. He picks it over est. What? Full stop. What just happened? Now I loved it, I will go back and soon, but let's not get crazy, the two are so very different it's like comparing Uggs to Hunters. Their both great when the occasion calls but one is certainly not the other. Besides, one of us could barely dine at est. for what we spent at 4 in Hand.

Not to brag, but we had great service AGAIN. What is going on in the universe? I am convinced it is because I wore my brown boots with black leggings, which is very very Sydney-siderish of me, so now I wear them every time I go out! Literally. Every time. Having people be nice to you is just too wondrous to leave to chance by not wearing my lucky boots. Our waitress was helpful, attentive, knowledgable, she recommended a great inexpensive French wine and you could tell she really enjoyed her job and that helped us enjoy the restaurant.



So you can't live on service alone. But you could on their bread and butter, oh so soft in the middle with a crunchy crust and delicious fresh butter. They serve an amuse bouche which was a soup in a cute teacup that was outstanding, no idea what kind of soup, just know it was great! We had the scallops with bone marrow. To die for. I have always been scared of marrow, not sure why, maybe because it is the inside of a bone? But on fancy thick toast, I say bring on the bones baby. For our main we had the suckling pig shoulder, served on a cutting board, to share. OMG, out of this world. It could have fed 3 maybe 4 people(unheard of to have a large portion in Sydney) and every bite was delicious, including the crackling. I never got the whole pork crackling thing, people here are wild about it and they go on and on about it on all the food shows. I thought, no biggie, it is in essence a fancy pork rind or chicharrones? Right? Wrong. I get it now. After eating it. I get it now. I am converted. I am sold. It was crispy fatty piggy heaven. If you think we could not have possibly had room for dessert, you underestimate us/me! M said "no way I am way too full for dessert," but I paced myself as I can not leave a good dessert alone and I had stalked out my choice before I set foot in the restaurant. I ordered the deconstructed Snickers and M ate at least half despite his protests, it was so decadent and so good. So, after 8 years of marriage and 10 years together, the fact he said no way and made a big fuss about being full and still ate half did not even phase me, it was expected, kind of like how you know which side of the bed your going to sleep on no matter the bed. It did in fact register interest in the table next to us, where the lady called him out! That opened up the conversation and we chatted it up and found that her customer is one of M's customers, what a small world. Then the table next to them starting chatting with us. It was truly shocking. I think that was the largest number of Australians that have ever acknowledged and spoken to me at one time. I loved it. I owe it all to my brown boot black legging combo and the brilliant 4 in Hand.

You may not recognize me with my blond "hairdid" and my skinny legs, but I tell you brown boots and leggings can make anything possible! Do not doubt the power!
DO! NOT! DOUBT! THE! POWA! 

Green Chartreuse

Isn't Green Chartreuse tautolgy (add tautolgy to the list of things I just learnt of, e.g of tautology, very unique, PIN Number, joint cooperation, etc)? Nope, it is not tautology it is in fact an incredibly delicious alcohol that I just had for the first time at Low 302 in Surry Hills. In the past I would say, "I discovered great this blah blah blah." But after being called Christopher Columbus, I have dropped that phraseology.

Low 302 describes itself as: A comfortable, cozy and welcoming Cocktail Bar & Restaurant. (Atmospheric comfort by means of soft lounges, low lights, entertaining music and fresh food in combination with excellent drinks & cocktails). I agree with all of the above! We had great service here. Really. Great. Service. I know, I know, it sounds far fetched to have all of this great service in Sydney but it is true...don't call it a comeback! 


We had a cocktail that I am still thinking/fantasizing about and a liquor that I had to look up straight away! Green Chartreuse. The drink is the Vodka Thing: it is like a mojito, no rum, vodka instead, sparkling wine and dry ginger instead of club soda and Green Chartreuse. I wish I had the words to describe how light and refreshing and special this made the cocktail and exactly how it changed the drink. I think I may need to have it again, just for research sake! What the experts on the web say: Proprietary potent classic French high proof multi-herbal monastic liqueur of the green variety. Only three Carthusian monks know the formula of 130 herbs and flowers for the 110 proof Chartreuse at any given time. It is still produced today (now in Voiron) on monastery property as it has been since 1764. It was spawned by the more concentrated and intense Elixir Vegetal, and has itself since spawned a yellow variety (in 1838). Called for in many cocktails, notably the Widow's Kiss. 


I will say, in the light of a 5:30 pm first cocktail it looks like it could use a little loofah on the furnishings, but that is being very very nit picky. Oh, and they charged me $24 for a dirty martini that was not so good. They justified the cost saying it was 2 shots. OK. Whatevah! Nonetheless, I do not have the patience to try and duplicate their precise cocktail engineering work so I will be back very soon for that thing, that thing...that Vodka Thing. 

Not tuna lunch on my picnic rug...

This is not a food blog, by reading this blog you may think I only troll Sydney for the best in playground life, but occasionally I break free from picnic lunches and go out on the town. My table will be for two or maybe more but never ever does my booking include a request for highchairs. More obsessed than I am with finding the best playgrounds, I am obsessed with food(and drinky). I am discovering I am REALLY really obsessed with good food, I am always looking for an excellent restaurant, cool cafe, dive bar, fancy bar, family restaurant to fine dining, authentic ethnic food and everything in between. I have considered spinning off a food blog but I have limited babysitter time and painfully slow metabolism so it would be terribly sparse as a stand alone blog! So, if your like me, you have to fit your eating fantasy life into your regular life this could be the place for you!

I have been to some really great places lately but have gotten so behind on sharing!

I will start with Bodega in Surry Hills. I REALLY love this place despite all the reasons I should hate it including: it is tapas which I find so Y2K and generally overpriced, it takes no bookings and is crazy cramped, one of our four had to sit on a small stool with his back on the next diner. But against all odds I am in love. We went on a Saturday night with another couple, we got there a shade past 6 right when they open the doors for the lucky first seating, we were seated immediately! Had our cab been a few seconds slower we would have been eating with the 8:30 crowd. Which would have been fine for the local bar but maybe not so good for us the next day. So, the food is so incredibly delicious. Table favorites were Sashimi Kingfish Fingers, Steamed buns(the crowd went wild for these little jewels) and the Corn Tamale. We could have all lived without the Chorizo. We had great but pricey wine and really really great service. I am dying to go back, but with so many great places in Sydney to try I will have to live on the memory alone.

Keepin' it local

We kicked off the upcoming 5 day Easter weekend with a little date night. We walked to Hawthorne where we started with amazing entree of ricotta stuffed zucchini flowers paired with the best little German riesling, picked for us by the uber nice and friendly sommelier. He had us at hello when he said, "oh your accents aren't that bad, I thought you had been here awhile." Thanks 'mate' yours is not so bad either! To be sure this is a huge compliment in his opinion.  The food was great, the wine was great, the wine list has wines from places other than Australia! The service was great and it is a 3 minute walk from my house, this could be bad and oh so good. Then we caught the bus for a 5 minute $2 ride down Military Road to Sushi Studio. Yum! Yum! Yum! When can I go back? I can not believe all of this fun can be accessed via public transport or your own two feet and it is all in my backyard!

A perfect "Fall" night let us enjoy wine and dine al fresco!

One man's dim sum is another man's yum cha

 We happened to be sightseeing in Chinatown/Darling Harbor on a Sunday so we seized the opportunity to indulge in yum cha (dim sum in the States). To me this is one of the greatest ways for a group to dine out together. There is constant activity, you get to try new things, the kids are entertained by the passing of carts and the flurry of bamboo baskets. It promotes conversation as you discuss, what you are eating(if anyone actually knows) what you liked, loved, hated and you do not have to decide your entire culinary fate in one step and you get to see everything before you order it. Think how many meals gone wrong this would have saved you and how many you would have done differently had you know what the actual meal looked like vs. what was on the menu. You can move through cravings and whims like a two year old. I want that and that and that and poof instant gratification. We went to a decent restaurant, Emperor's Garden. I am sure there are way better but this is where we ended up and we had a great time! I attached a link to a  list of SMH top ten, this way next time I am in the yum cha state of mind I will be in the know! One thing is confounding to me, if it is a "Chinese word/phrase" then why is it different in US English vs. Aussie English?

I smuggled nuggets in, there was no need as he was happily shoveling down green beans. On second thought, between two children we managed to annihilate 16 nuggets, 1/2 family serve of green beans, 1/2 bowl of rice. This is after banana rama mania, where just a half hour earlier they devoured 8 small bananas. Be afraid, be very afraid when you invite us to dinner!

                                                                              

CH attempts to "hug it out"

                                   

Someone has to protect the delicious little Emperor's Puffs at Emperor's Garden Cake and Pastry Shop! At just $1 for 4 tasty hot and now custard buns this could get ugly! 

You don't have to go home but you can't stay here!

When I was in college some of the "witty" bouncers used to say this clever line when ridding themselves of the responsibility of a bunch of young drunks who thought 2 am was still early. You can apply this phrase to most of the "hotels" here in Oz. Most are not "proper" hotels and you can not no matter how drunk you are stay there. Here is a little background:

The word "Pub" is used in Australia to indicate a bar, also known as "the local". They are often called "Hotel", the reason for this dates back to the days that licenses only allowed pubs to provide alcohol to traveling public, the presence of a few rooms ( who might never be used) then gave some impression that the rules being followed.

To confuse things we also have proper hotels that also call themselves hotels. How can you tell the difference? Well, if you are "gettin pissed"(Aussie slang over served/drunk) and then escorted upstairs via elevator and you wake up with in nice comfy sheets with a $350 room charge to your bar bill, you were at a proper hotel, if you are "gettin pissed"and thrown in a cab in hopes you will make it home or you wake up in the drunk tank at the pokey(that's jail, not an Aussie poker machine room) you were probably at a pub.

LK demonstrates one effective method for "gettin pissed"

$200 and I have to cook it myself?

We hit the Oaks this Saturday night for a little "pre-game activity" (drinks before dinner). We had so much fun sitting under the big Oak outside and soaking up giant Hoegarden Beers that we decided to go back Sunday night for dinner. The Oaks has many different areas to amuse yourself in, the outdoor beer garden, pizzeria, a 1930's lounge, a cocktail bar, a sports bar, and the restaurant. One of us, (male) thought it would be so cool to visit the restaurant and do the very Aussie style thing and cook your own steak on the giant grills. The females were of the opinion, if we put on make up and do our hair, someone else better be doing the cooking.  It should be mentioned that you can go to many of the "hotels" here and CYO, cook your own. After participating in the CYO obsession I DO NOT GET IT! Even though the men cooked, it was still a production and not relaxing or enjoyable in my opinion. At least half the table is up at any given time, ordering food, ordering drinks, gathering cutlery, plates etc, then cooking, then occasionally if more attention was paid to the sports on TV or male camaraderie there was some recooking. Minus the kids food $15, we spent $185 and I felt like I was at a YMCA campout or youth hostel(not that I have spent much time in either). That being said, I love the Oaks for drinks, and the food they cook for you is fantastic. I ordered mussels cooked by a "professional" i.e someone other than my family, they were to die for and such a large serve that two people could have had it as their complete meal. 

Maybe it was the beer talking when we decided to go back for a second night, Cheers to the Party!

Obscured view of the inside grill where all of the CYO fun happens

Cheers to the Party

                             The Ram’s(Aries) celebrate in style

Following some pre-game “posturing,” the adults hit the town to celebrate BD’s birthday and my own April birthday. The night started in a room with a view at the Shangri La Hotel bar Blu. This is the place to see, all of beautiful Sydney Harbor, and be seen by what seemed like all of the 20 somethings in Sydney.  The drinks were DEVINE & DELISH. Momo and I had a Gin/St.Germain/rose martini, LK had his usual, a sidecar, (the drink that’s all the rage for the nursing home set) and BD got a Cosmopolitan which was almost a Carlton Draft due to “same same but different” English. Not to be outdone by the view, the bartender lit the orange for the bitter Cosmo en fuego, muy caliente! From Blu it was off to Rockpool Bar and Grill to enjoy flawless service, very good food and excellent company. Here is my take on RPB&G; the menu is vast, vast enough for many different options, but also vast enough to allow for incredible inconsistency. Example A: Entrees-mussels were excellent and the portion suitable for a party of 4, the Calamari was just ok and the portion was so small we each got one bite, literally one bite each of the just o.k fried squid for $30+. Example B Mains: lamb - to die for, braised beef - crave it for days, don’t toucha my plate kinda meal, bone in rib eye - beefy perfection on a plate, John Dory - boring, plain, looked worse than I would serve up at home for a Tuesday night dinner.  Example C: Sommelier pick of wine for my dinner was the most nothing wine I have tasted in ages, it could have been water if I closed my eyes. It was their own brand which should have tipped me off to the game in play. As a consolation, they bought another glass of something suitable with no drama(sometimes dining in Sydney "no drama" from the waitstaff is the best you can hope for). As we left after a 3 hour leisurely meal we were treated to the other side of downtown commerce, we were witness the oldest profession in it’s negotiation stage, right there in front of Rockpool B&G! For this small town gal, that was just CRAZY! :)

Oh the places you'll go...

when you have a live in free babysitter you can eat and drink your way through Sydney without a care.

To see Black Swan - Gold Class seats...you can sip a martini while reclining in a giant cushy recliner, just press a button and poof a refill! This is the way to see a show! Don't believe it is worth the price...try it.

Otto - pretty setting, overpriced, left hungryish, not starving not quite satisfied

Mamak - Malaysian in Chinatown, very good!

Spice I Am - bring the fire extinguisher baby, great food, great service and cheap, expect to que, expect to crave to go back!

Grecian Blue - Yummy local greek place in Mosman, good service, good food, family feel (near Hannah's Cakes)

Wine Odyssey - Good food, great wine, really fun!

Max Brenner's Chocolate - do I need to elaborate?

Bayleaf Brasserie - bought the Scoopon $30 for $70 worth of food, a smokin deal, Nice Indian place in Crows Nest, very very good, great service

Rockpool - Great drinks, beautiful restaurant, $22 hamburger worth every penny, don't forget the onion rings and try every cocktail you can.

Sashimi from Sydney Fish Market - BEST EVER!

Madama Butterfly in a Cirque World

We checked one off of our Sydney Bucket list this weekend. We went to an opera at THE Sydney Opera House. We went with 3 other couples, we got all dressed up(pics would have been great), headed to a fairly nice dinner at Guillaume at Bennelong, the Opera Houses signature restaurant (as if it being the Opera Houses rest. did not tell you all you need to know...great location, food and service below average even by Sydney standards) and then saw the show.  I have wanted to go to the opera since Julia Roberts, the rescued hooker, got all dressed up in a beautiful red dress and loaned jewels and got to fall in love with Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. For me this was not just a Sydney Bucket but a Life Bucket.  The singing was beautiful, and rich and emotional. The opera house is just so darn cool. The lead Madama Butterfly was all you would think an opera singer should be. I was REALLY bored. I kept thinking hurry up and just get on with it Madama Butterfly, off yourself so I can go home and get in my comfy clothes!!! I should have been able to connect some emotion to a woman having to give up her 3 y.o son, but even me, of cry because someone else cries(even strangers) fame,  did not shed a tear. I was shocked at myself! In addition, there was a groaning and or moaning and or snoring person behind me, so distracting!!! My summary is this...Opera is beautiful and lovely I am so glad I went but it is not a medium that I can connect with, if you got me season tickets for the Opera for my bday check the return policy. Give me The Cirque Love Show any day!

If you wanna ride.... come ride the white horse

Remember that song?

 This is the White Horse Hotel. A GREAT Bar in Surry Hills. A gay bar! Not sure how we missed the clues, you know a giant sparkling stallion on the roof. It was great, the men were all gorgeous, great skin, great hair and impeccably dressed. I mean the bartender had the greatest most beautiful perfect hair. Not perfect in an off putting Bieber Fever kinda way, perfect in a I want to touch it and frame it and put it on a shelf to admire forever kinda way. When will a gay man adopt me and turn me fabulous? I need it desperately! Funny thing, you can not actually sleep at these "hotels" although my parents tried to make a booking at the Hotel Mosman :). It makes me smile everytime I see it.

Sushi here. Delish! 

More drinks here. They had a DJ spinning real vinyl records and the music was so great. American Hip Hop circa early 90's. Think LL(before CSI), Lauryn HIll before she made the fugees mad, you get the idea! I could have stayed for hours. How do young Aussies even know this music? The drinks were GREAT!