The room’s dark, you’re wearing a blindfold and you can eat everything. Might sounds like it’s a scene from a strange erotica novel, but it’s really just the experience that awaits you at Sydney’s Dine in the Dark event this May. Located at at Beast & Co, 425 Bourke St, Surry Hills, the event will take you through a hosted gastronomic experience through the heart of continental Europe. Why? Well, studies have shown that 80% of people eat with their eyes, so by eliminating sight, guests will enjoy an elevated dining experience, focusing on taste, smell and touch. So the theory goes. Tickets are available here for $110 per person for 6pm and 8:30pm sittings, each of which are approximately 90 minutes
Archie Rose make some top-notch spirits in Sydney and have since hiot the fast track on their global popularity. This year in 2022, renowned drinks writer and presenter Mike Bennie along with the distillery are bringing the best of Sydney hospitality together for StickyBeak, an inaugural two-day festival of incredible drinks, top-notch food, DJs and curated masterclasses. Made possible by the City of Sydney’s scheme awarding grants to those with a vision to help bring the city back to life, Archie Rose has curated the festival to celebrate Sydney’s rich hospitality industry from Friday 29 and Saturday 30 April, from 5pm – 10pm at Hyde Park Barracks. Local favourites on the line-up include Newtown’s much loved Bloodwood, pasta masters Fabricca, sausage kings and queens LP’s Quality Meats, our friends at Gelato Messina, Morgan Mcglone’s newest venture SUNDAY and newcomers FIREPOP who will be butchering Blackmore wagyu onsite for charcoal-grilled skewers. And that’s just a taste. For more and to sort yourself out with tickets, head to the StickyBeak website
With Sydney Good Food Month taking over the city this October again, it’s time to purge your bodies and get excited for food. Chef Shannon Martinez is joining the movement and getting foodie with Mary’s Underground for an unforgettable night featuring a classic Southern multi-course menu that is refined, delicious and completely vegan, alongside a band specially selected by Mary’s music director Joe Muller. We spoke to him about it. How long have you been vegan and why? I am actually not a Vegan. I think a huge part of my job is being able to experience and try all types of different typed of food and dishes – my job is really experimental. I love cooking vegan food because when I started no one was doing it, no one was really putting in the effort with it here that much. I just love cooking vegan food, I tend to get bored really easily and vegan and vegetarian dishes are a constant challenge to keep creating and generating innovative ideas. It is very scientific – which it makes me feel like each new dish is taking me back to the ‘lab’ to create a cool new challenge What thoughts do you have on how visible and mainstream veganism is now? It’s great! The fact that it’s all over Instagram, in every paper, all the influencers and celebrities are talking about it – its massive! Beyonce did it for a while and I think she is still partly vegan focused in her lifestyle… that is huge,… Read More
Lump the lot into a car and head to Western Sydney Parklands’ Lizard Log, Abbotsbury for this year’s new chef, new food line-up of the Parklands Food Festival. With big food names like Miguel Maestre aka “The Crazy Bull” and Anna Polyviou, it’ll be a new experience for those who’re after a bit of sweet and a bit of savoury. Miguel’s cooking style incorporates ingredients he grew up with in Murcia, the south of Spain, with the fabulous fresh produce of Australia, whereas Anna is the queen of sweets, creating extraordinary sweet treats wherever she goes. Anna’s known for her role as executive pastry chef at the Shangri-La Hotel Sydney and is known for her unique take on desserts and appearances on TV shows like Family Food Fight and MasterChef Australia. Anna has revolutionised patisserie across Australia with her sell-out Dessert Degustations and High Teas, as well as her cookbook Sweet Street. Now in its eighth year, Parklands Food Fest is the flagship event for Western Sydney Parklands, also known as “Sydney’s Biggest Backyard”. The festival is a must-do for Sydney’s food lovers and features an array of food and drink stalls, market produce, free children’s activities, a bar serving up local brews and cocktails as well as live entertainment and a dedicated kids’ zone. Check out more about the festival online.
Until 23 May, The Morrison in Sydney, right on George Street is your swine-tastic destination for all things pork. And it’s damn good. Joining the long list of food themed events and offering The Morrison puts on every year, Pork-A-Palooza will offer its guests a range of porky delights for even the most averted pork eaters. The menu includes whole suckling pigs – yes, that’s right – and pork hotdogs for as low as $1 each on Tuesdays. A top way to begin any week, Pork-A-Palooza is an obvious homage to the hog, with a menu cooked-up by chef Sean Connolly who dubs the humbel swine “his penicillin”. On top of dogs and whole piggies, also on offer are top noshes like chilled pigs head terrine, oysters Kilpatrick with bacon and crispy pork belly with squid as well as optional sides and salads and such. Not to mention, drinks on offer have all been designed by in-house mixologists and designed a menu of Swiney Swigs – sips with a piggy twist including the Don Melon Ham cocktail made with prosciutto infused Bulleit bourbon and the Orchard Spritz, a fruity concoction of Chambord, blueberry jam, lemon and James Squire Orchard Crush. All drinks will go down well with a handful of pork scratching popcorn, free at the bar with any special drinks purchased. The Morrison will be bringing the pork-loving vibe to Sydney from 23 April to 23 May with Pork-A-Palooza. Pre orders for suckling pigs open from 1 April and the full schedule of swine events is listed on the website.
Looking for somewhere special to dine? Then we’ll let you in on a little secret. Overlooking Lane Cove River in the peaceful suburb of Woolwich is Cucinetta, an award winning, hatted Italian restaurant which is just about to launch an exciting new breakfast menu that is guaranteed to please. Sydney born and bred Vincenzo Mazzotta, founder and Executive Chef at Cucinetta, creates unforgettable meals by using methods his forefathers used, applying them to slow cooking, pasta and cheese making. Ideally, you’d like to keep a hidden gem like this to yourself. But it would be unfair not to tell others about this beautifully located restaurant serving up delicious, authentic Italian dishes, including the incredibly fresh pastries, baked in-house. The new breakfast menu due to be launched in early April offers something for everyone. Frankly, they had me at ‘Nutella-filled croissants with white chocolate and hazelnuts’. But the ricotta hot cake with orange mascarpone, poached pear, figs, coconut and nuts is hot on the heels of those freshly baked croissants. Also high on the list of ‘must-haves’ is the super fluffy, brioche French toast, with caramelised banana, ricotta, chocolate and salted caramel. But if sweet dishes aren’t your jam, fear not, as there are a plenty of savoury dishes to satisfy, such as the moreish baked eggs with kale, chorizo, capsicum, tomato, chili and focaccia. The zucchini flower fritters with smoked salmon, cucumber, crème fraiche, and poached egg is another dish that is hard to go past. The ambience at Cucinetta is cheerful by day and… Read More
