Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Review : Bistro Ortolan - CLOSED

134 Marion Street
Leichhardt

Dinner
Tuesday-Saturday
6pm to 10pm

The Ortolan is a European songbird considered a delicacy in France.
The birds, once caught (using nets), are kept in black boxes (to simulate night) for a few weeks and fed oats & millet to fatten them up. Following this, the bird is killed by being drowned in armagnac. The head is removed, it is plucked and then roasted (for 8 minutes) with its internal organs and skeleton intact.
To eat, drape your head with a linen napkin (to capture the precious aromas), take the entire bird in your mouth & chomp down. The flavour is said to be gamey with foie gras overtones.
The bird is considered endangered in France, so it is now illegal to sell Ortolan.... unfortunately though, it is not illegal to eat them.

Bistro Ortolan is not dissimilar to the bird from which it takes its name, it is indeed a rare (though not so endangered) species in the suburb of Leichhardt.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Review : Clipper Cafe

16 Glebe Point Road
Glebe


 7 days 6am-6pm




We have been hearing good things about Clipper Café for a long while now and as such have made a couple of attempts to visit.


We tried mid week, we tried weekend and all to no avail as the place is always packed.


So, it is 8 o’clock Sunday morning and we are heading off to Leichhardt, we can’t think of anywhere to stop for breakfast & then we remember….Clipper Café.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Review: Oliveto Ristorante & Bar (Birthday Dinner No.2)

Brays Bay Reserve
443 Concord Rd
Rhodes

Lunch
Mon - Fri, Sun: 
12pm - 3pm

Dinner
Tues - Sat:
6pm - 10pm

For work and family related functions where you require a spot that suits everyone in terms of cuisine and location, Oliveto Ristorante & Bar has long been the venue of choice for Buggles & Squeak.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Review: Opera Kitchen

Lower Concourse Level

Sydney Opera House


Daily 6am - 2am


Buggles and Squeak usually like to pair a theatre visit with a spot of dinner prior. This has always been thwarted when one of these shows is on at the Opera House. Some of the dining spots under the Toaster are, quite simply, dreadful - and a dinner at Guillaume or Aria really does require a more leisurely pace. That is why we were quite keen to try out the Opera Kitchen on our latest theatre visit to see 'In the Next Room' at the Drama Theatre (top play, btw!)

Friday, February 18, 2011

Review : Iggy's Bread

49 Belgrave Street
Bronte

Tuesday-Sunday
8am-4pm

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Review : The Bentley Restaurant and Bar (Birthday Dinner No.1)

320 Crown Street
Surry Hills

Tuesday to Saturday
Lunch and Dinner

There is a certain comfort to be had from a long term relationship.....

This is proven when we arrive
at my 'surprise' 
birthday destination.
Of course I should have known, where else but The Bentley, our favourite Sydney restaurant, to celebrate my birthday.

Buggles knows me well.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Review : Pickwick's - CLOSED

129 Enmore Rd
Enmore




Tuesday 8am – 4pm
Wednesday-Saturday 8am-11pm
Sunday 8am-5pm




Despite living relatively close by, we don’t tend to spend a great deal of time in Enmore; we usually drive through it on our way to somewhere else or stop briefly when catching a show at the Enmore Theatre.


A recent visit to Pickwick’s may be about to change all that.


Pickwick’s resides in the premises that once housed Razors Edge (the Razors boys having moved up the road to the Queen Victoria Hotel). The room feels somewhat familiar, but things have been scaled back, most notably the denuded walls which give the space a warm, earthy feel.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Review : Pastizzi Cafe

523 King Street
Newtown 2042

Open 7 days
9am - late

My love affair with pasta ended almost two years ago, when I decided to 'try' & eliminate carbs from my diet. For the most part I have succeeded, pasta & rice have really not featured in my diet at all & potatoes, bread & sugar are very much reduced.
What were once daily delights are now, at most, weekly highlights.
So, when after all this time my thoughts do turn to pasta, I immediately start thinking about the pasta of my mother country, the wonderful ricotta & parsley filled Maltese Ravjul.