Postcards and Morsels from our Sydney Trip - Day 1When my Twitter friend and fellow food enthusiast, Karen Lateo @VanityFare1, learned that Peter and I had planned a quick trip to Sydney after visiting Warilla and Wollongong, she threw herself into gear and organised what would be an outstanding itinerary of food tasting and dining. I've compiled our trip and the event into a series of postcards and morsels, starting with lunch at Bombora Seafood Restaurant on the Wollongong Harbour. Wollongong...On to Sydney...Next stop, Sydney. Coffee is an essential part of life for us! Before meeting up with our tour guide, Karen, we pop in to Reuben Hills in Surry Hills and try one of their Salted Caramel milkshakes, which was referred to by @Gosstronomy on Twitter as 'sweet Jesus, that's good'. Indeed, it was not bad at all. We would like to try the Dogg's Breakfast next time, which is an ice cream sandwich with a serve of the salted caramel ice cream. Reuben Hills opened on New Year's day and was two years in the making, according to Nathan Borg, who co-owns the establishment with Russell Beard. 'We have created a place where we can roast and cup; a great place for people to come for coffee and food, and a great place for us to work'. Visit the web site for more information. And so, The Tour begins... day oneKaren picked us up outside The Sebel and our two-day Sydney tasting and dining tour began. We started at Fratelli Fresh, in Danks Street, however (note to self), no photographs are allowed without advance notice and the prior written approval of management. The produce is very good. For Canberra readers, it is 'Wiffens' quality. There are three levels, which include a very busy cafe, Sopra, and cooking classes. Next stops were Sonoma Bakery and then Danks Street Depot, where we enjoyed a coffee and shared a superb bread and butter pudding! Then on to the mind blowing 'fine family butcher', Victor Churchill, in Woollahra. If you haven't been, you must indulge your senses and visit! And make sure you try the Biltong Wagyu. As you will see from popping in to the web site, Victor Churchill's is quite an experience. The store offers butchery and cooking classes, gourmet seminars and tours of the shop. All of the staff are qualified butchers and/or chefs and the produce on sale (both fresh and cooked) is simply amazing. A visit to Jones the Grocer was on the agenda and I had promised to pick up some cacao for a fellow Canberra blogger. Peter hadn't yet experienced the Sydney Fish Market, so we enjoyed a whirlwind tour of the stores and then sat by the water to devour some freshly shucked (unrinsed) oysters for afternoon tea. Delicious! Osteria BallaOn Friday evening, we treated ourselves to a meal at Osteria Balla, Stefano Manfredi's latest venue at The Star, a contemporary, 'fresh and fun' restaurant where he promises (and delivers) 'simple dishes cooked with great ingredients'. Here is a snapshot of just some of the dishes we enjoyed. The verdict: an amazing and delicious day, which concluded with a superb meal at Osteria Balla. Thanks so much to Stefano Manfredi and his very knowledgeable and attentive team. And many thanks also to our wonderful tour guide, Karen Lateo. What a wonderful trip. Very envious. You have shared it wonderfully and with gorgeous photos. The food looks so fabulous. I bet that fellow Canberra food blogger is overjoyed that you were so kind to pick them up some cacao that can't be found in Canberra. I think food runs is a new enterprise! I need heaps of things at the moment that can't be found here.
Lizzy
9/1/2012 07:28:56 pm
CK, thank you! We will have to get together very soon!
Carmen
9/1/2012 07:09:31 pm
Hey Lizzy - you are amazing..love the photos...and I want to know...how do you stay thin when surrounded by so much devine food.....????
Lizzy
9/1/2012 07:29:45 pm
Hey Carmen... well, actually, I am kinda busting out of all my clothes at the moment. We need to go walking and cycling ASAP! 9/1/2012 07:18:32 pm
I love this Lizzy...just my kind of trip, its all about the food :)
Lizzy
9/1/2012 07:30:37 pm
Hello there Jane... indeed it was about the food. Wonderful! Thanks for popping in. 10/1/2012 04:55:49 am
Looks like an amazing trip!! Wow. I'd love to go to Sydney some time.
Lizzy
10/1/2012 07:44:33 am
Hello Katherine! It was an amazing trip. Yes, you must visit when you can.
Lizzy
10/1/2012 07:54:49 am
Yummy! 10/1/2012 08:56:58 am
What a lovely trip you had Lizzy! I live in Sydney but have not been to some of these places so thanks for the wonderful reviews!
Lizzy
10/1/2012 09:01:21 am
Indeed we did. But wait, there is more to come.... 12/1/2012 11:50:28 am
I hang my head in shame. A Sydney girl that is very jealous of how much you fitted in to one day. I still have never visited Jones the Grocer. Hangs head again :(
Lizzy
12/1/2012 12:29:14 pm
Aw... we are like that in Canberra though. Time poor means you don't always get to do those things. Thank you for popping in : ) 13/1/2012 06:29:21 pm
I live close to Victor Churchill and am happy to pay a bit extra a get a quality product! Used a local butcher and twice had off meat the next day, that has never happened at Victor. Apart from that the quality of the meat is top line. Less is more!
Lizzy
14/1/2012 05:39:32 pm
Hi there! Oh, you are soooooo lucky and I am envious! The quality of the produce at Victor Churchill is amazing! 15/1/2012 10:05:21 pm
Off to Osteria Balla for lunch tomorrow. Having just seen you photos i'm am going straight to bed so i can be there sooner ... sort of!
Lizzy
15/1/2012 10:10:15 pm
Oh Rachel, please let me know how you enjoy it! So delicious! Comments are closed.
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Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion. Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes; postcards and morsels from my travels; conversations with cookery writers and chefs; and news on food, cookbooks and cooking. - Liz Posmyk
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NB: I use Australian standard measuring cups and spoons in my recipes.
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