The Australia Times

Pamper your Pooch at ‘Yappy Hour’ this Sunday!

13 September 202224 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Sydney Pooches ‘Paws for Yappy Hour’ at Fratelli Fresh

Pooches get ready to be pampered!

Yappy Hour launches at select Fratelli Fresh restaurants this Sunday 27th August from 3pm-5pm, and there will be free Yappitisers for you and your doggy friends.

If you’re in the vicinity of our Fratelli Fresh restaurants at Alexandria, Crows Nest, Potts Point, Walsh Bay, or the newly opened Fratelli at the Entertainment Quarter, stop for a sniff at their al fresco dining spots, and enjoy complimentary Aqua Panna water, and treats courtesy of dog food specialists Billy + Margot and Farmers Market.

During Yappy Hour, $1 from every beer, wine and cocktail sold will be donated to Furry Friends Forever Rescue*, helping pooches and other animals less fortunate than your pampered selves.

Your human companions can take advantage of their own Happy Hour from 4-6pm, and enjoy $5 wine and beer, $7.50 Negroni, and $10 select cocktails (Happy Hour is available at all Fratelli Fresh restaurants in Sydney).

While they enjoy a range of authentic antipasti, pizzas, pasta and more, the canine contingent can dig into wholesome treats, including Billy + Margot nutritious, all-natural iced treats (think: dairy-free, dog-friendly ice cream), available in three likeable flavours, and newly launched in Australia. Other treats included Farmers Market soft and chewy Meaty Bars in beef with peanut butter, and beef with cheese flavours, which are made with natural ingredients.

Fratelli’s furry friends, Bear the brown Labrador, and Harlem the leggy Great Dane-cross, have already taste-tested the doggy treats and given them a big round of appaws.

“This is a bonafide Yappy Hour deal,” says Bear. “I devoured all the treats in the shortest amount of time imaginable and they are truly pawesome, irresistible treats.”

Harlem says: “Gluttonous labradors aside, there will be plenty of treats to go round thanks to our generous friends Billy + Margot and Farmers Market, and we encourage you to take advantage of our pawsitively lovely, pooch-friendly, al fresco dining spaces at Fratelli Fresh.”

Book your table: fratellifresh.com.au/reservations/

Information & Images Courtesy of Rockpool Dining Group – Rachel Lebihan/Fratelli Fresh

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times GOURMET News – Food/Wine/Events

E: literallyconnie@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram @tatgourmetmag

Read on to find out participating Fratelli Fresh restaurants, plus info on Furry Friends Forever Rescue…

Australia’s Most Opulent Champagne Lunch!

13 September 202223 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

SYDNEY FOOD & CHAMPAGNE LOVERS… Saké Double Bay offers free-flowing Dom Pérignon at Australia’s most opulent Champagne lunch, from Saturday 26th August. Saké Restaurant & Bar Double Bay is dialling up the decadence with free-flowing Dom Pérignon, where from Saturday, 26 August, guests can indulge in a carefully curated lunch menu ($75pp) every Saturday and … Read more

Lunch on the Run with Saké’s Bento Box Express Lunch

13 September 202222 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Saké’s Bento Box Express Lunch

Review by Celeste Iuliano…”a real stand-out”.

It can be hard to grab a satisfying lunch on the run. The good news is that you can ditch your sad servo sandwich, because Saké Restaurant & Bar has recently launched the Bento Box Express Lunch at their five locations across Melbourne and Sydney.

Part of Australia’s largest dining group, Rockpool Dining Group, Saké upholds the brands’ reputation for quality and innovation. Their bento box is a creative and refined taken on the traditional Japanese workers’ lunch, featuring modern classics prepared with fresh ingredients. The many elements of a bento box naturally guarantee that you’ll be spoilt for choice, however Saké’s version rotates on occasions to keep things interesting!

The Bento Box currently on offer comes with miso soup, sashimi, nasu dengaku (miso-glazed eggplant), popcorn shrimp, and ginger garlic chicken. It’s hard to know where to begin when everything looks so good. Fortunately you’ll start your meal off with a generous serving of warm, slightly salty edamame seasoned with nori chilli. These humble soybeans are a favourite snack in Japan, where people often enjoy them with a good beer at their local izakaya. Saké offers two fantastic Coedo beers on tap to help you wash them down – Shiro, a smooth white beer with a hint of banana, and the sharper Marihana.

Once you’ve whet your appetite, you’re ready for the main event! The nasu dengaku has a deliciously sticky coating with 5 types of sesame seeds, and is a fantastic introduction to the bento box. As for the chicken, it’s sous-vide for 12 hours then flash fried to give the skin a light crisp. Its flavours are delicate, with the mushrooms in the dipping sauce giving it a nice umami. Of course, the seafood is the hero of the meal. The sashimi is fresh, with the salmon being a personal highlight, and the popcorn shrimp is a fun addition – springy and chewy with the light acidity of yuzu juice cutting through the creamy coating.

You’ll definitely be feeling full and happy at this point, but there’s always room for dessert. The final element of the lunch is a delicious scoop of green tea ice-cream, made fresh in-house every 2 days.

This is an express lunch, so of course you can take it away to enjoy in the comfort of your office. But, if you find yourself with some time up your sleeve, there’s no better way to escape these cold winter days than by savouring your meal in the transportive restaurant. The choice is yours.

The Bento Box Express Lunch is available daily from 12pm-3pm at all Saké restaurants

sakerestaurant.com.au

**Celeste Iuliano was a guest of Saké Restaurant & Bar, Flinders Lane, Melbourne. She is a regular writer for The Australia Times Gourmet News, and loves nothing better than checking out the latest menus and tasty morsels around her city, as well as attending awesome events, sharing her experiences with readers. Her last fab review? The Donut & Beer Fest!

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Images Courtesy of Thomas Bindley/Saké Restaurant & Bar/Michelle Campbell – Minc Communications/Rockpool Dining Group

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Events

E: literallyconnie@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram @tatgourmetmag

**Read on for the Bento Box Express Lunch Menu & Additional Pics…

ZUMBO & TIBBALLS SET TO GET TASTEBUDS RACING AT ANNUAL WINTER CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND!

13 September 202217 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Michelton Chocolate Festival This Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th August

Mitchelton Wines and The Ministry of Chocolate will again partner to deliver the Mitchelton Chocolate Festival on the grounds of the iconic winery over this weekend!

Bigger and better than last year’s inaugural event, the winter festival will again be headlined by celebrity chefs Adriano Zumbo, Deniz Karaca, Kirsten Tibballs, Kylie Millar and Arnaud Vodounou and will be held on site in Nagambie in the heart of the Goulburn Valley. The celebration of all things chocolate will also showcase the best in local wines and produce together with established, Melbourne-based chocolate companies.

The Ministry of Chocolate owner and head chocolatier Drew Maddison, said that the event would be another step up from last year’s incredibly successful event, expecting to attract more than 8,000 visitors over the weekend which would be a huge boost for local tourism.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Adriano Zumbo and Kirsten Tibballs back this year, as well as many more elevated chefs and industry leaders to be involved in this celebration of all things chocolate. We’ll also be holding the much-anticipated chocolate and wine paring classes in the iconic Mitchelton Tower.”

“The grassy outlook of Mitchelton Wines will again be lined with colourful marquees brimming with mouth-watering treats and the best knowledge of all things chocolate and sweet. Guests will also have the opportunity to walk through one of Australia’s largest and rarely seen underground wine cellars.

**The family-friendly event is free to enter and will include an exciting Children’s Zone complete with jumping castle and petting zoo.

For more information please contact Drew Maddison on 0488 771 992 or visit http://www.micheltonchocolatefestival.com.au

Information & Images Courtesy of The Ministry of Chocolate/Michelton Wines/Circus Media – Taylar Lavars

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Hospitality/Events

www.theaustraliatimes.com/news

literallyconnie@gmail.com

https://www.instagram.com/tatgourmetmag/

Read on for additional info & pics on the Michelton Chocolate Festival…

Tea Lovers Rejoice!

13 September 202216 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Sydney Tea Festival Serves Up the Best Sunday 20th August

The ultimate celebration of speciality loose leaf tea, the Sydney Tea Festival will sweep the city this Sunday 20th August. Discover, experience and connect with speciality teas from Australia and beyond.

Returning to Carriageworks, the one-day event will feature a new do-it-yourself tea blending station, and an interactive tea ceremony performance, together with a fresh program of workshops and talks hosted by leading industry experts.

THE TEA MARKET

Festival-goers can wander the tea market and taste a huge range of speciality loose teas and tisanes including premium, single origin, organic and rare teas; healthy herbal blends, chocolate, chai, and iced teas; and a range of locally grown and globally sourced teas.

Tasting tea will be a breeze with the festival’s signature porcelain cup appearing again. Valued at $5 and included in every adult ticket, this cup will allow visitors to taste their way through the day.

In addition, food on offer will cater to those seeking both sweet and savoury bites, with a range of food purveyors and trucks boasting global cuisine and tea inspired creations.

Also on the day, visitors can participate in the ‘Tea with a Stranger’ tea ceremony performance, hosted by members of Ueda Sōko Ryū Australia. Festival co-founder, Corinne Smith, describes the interactive experience as a way of facilitating deep connection, openness and communication.

“Tea with a Stranger encourages people to leave their digital self behind and step into the vulnerability of face-to-face human connection facilitated by the sharing of tea,” Smith said.

DETAILS

Date & Time: Sunday 20 August 2017 9.00am – 4.00pm

Location: Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh

Cost: Pre-sale adult entry $15.50 (including all fees and charges)

Door-sale entry $20.00 (plus credit card processing fees)

Workshop tickets $48.00 and Talks $15 (including all fees and charges)

Kids Under 12 Free

All tickets include a festival tasting up (valued at $5)

Visit: http://www.sydneyteafestival.com.au/

Social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sydneyteafestival/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sydneyteafestival/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teafestivalsaus

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/sydneyteafestival

Information & Images Courtesy of Nicole Warwick – Liquid Ideas/Renee Creer – Tea Festivals Australia – Photographer: Alana Dimou

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Hospitality/Events

Enquiries: literallyconnie@gmail.com

Follow us on Gourmet News Instagram: @tatgourmetmag

Read on for More Pics, Additional Info on Workshops with the Tea Experts, plus Festival co-founder Renee Creer…

2017 DONUT & BEER FEST: WINTER EDITION – THIS WEEKEND!

12 September 202215 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Batman Royale, North Coburg

Melbourne – 19th & 20th August

Australia’s first donut & beer festival is back: bigger, badder & hol(e)ier than ever!

Due to popular demand, Donut Fest returns to Melbourne this August with a brand new Winter Edition.

Inspired by the donut festivals of America, our Donut Fest has a local twist. How to make something more Australian? Just add beer! Aside from an official bar hosted by Manchuria, the festival welcomes a range of craft brewers to their local line-up of local and independent donut vendors. There will even be a doughnut-friendly beer made from sessional ale with a touch of caramel malt developed exclusively for the festival by Kooinda Brewery!

DONUT FEST: WINTER EDITION 2017 Line-up

Sweet Vendors: Doughnut Time / Lukumades / Nuts About Tella (Nutella donut burgers)

The Hungary Boy / Honey Dee / Ostrich and the Egg / Dip’d (mini donuts)

Ahhh, Donuts! / Dandee Donuts / (hot jam donuts)

Uncle Donut / Jamm’d / St Gerry’s / Goldelucks (gold croissant donuts/“dossants”)

Krumbs (glow in the dark donuts)

Penny for Pound / Jamm’d / Señor Churro / Simply Gluten Free and more…

Savoury Vendors: Giant Springs (spring rolls) / El Jefe (South American) / Hangi Boys (traditional New Zealand cuisine) / Gnocchi Bar (glutenfree vegan gnocchi donuts) / The Real Jerk (Carribean) / Twisted Mac (mac ’n’ cheese) and more…

Beverage Vendors: Kooinda Brewery / Square Keg / Gageroads / Stomping Ground / Odyssey Craft Brewing (beer)

Those Girls (hot apple cider) / Wimmera Hills (mulled wine) / Welshman’s Reef (wine) / Manchuria (beer, wine, spirits, cocktails)

Koffee Kartel (coffee) and more…

Yet Donut Fest is not just another food market; they take the festival part of the name to their fried food-laden hearts by showcasing varied entertainment all weekend long.

THIS HOLEY EPIRENCE INCLUDES:

Live music
Donut eating competitions with prizes
Best Donut Award judged by a panel of experts
People’s Choice Best Donut Award
Miniature Donut Museum with a Donut Wall and art installations that take after L.A.’s wildly popular Museum of Ice-cream
Savoury Food Vendors experimenting with a homage to the donut shape
Beer and cocktails exclusively developed to complement donuts
Donut styles from around the world: Argentina, Greece, Hungary, South Africa, America, Denmark, Australia, and even Nutella donut burgers to Glow in the Dark donuts!

Donut Fest likes their donuts iced, but there’s no need for festival-goers to be. Winter warmers on-site include hot chocolate, mulled wine, plenty of outdoor heating and cheery festoon lighting. The huge new venue – the industrial warehouse of Batman Royale – means Donut Fest will be housed partially inside and undercover. Also kids under 12 can join in the fun with free entry.

Donut Fest: Winter Edition is on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August 2017 at Batman Royale, 14 Gaffney Street, North Coburg.

Two sessions each day – 11am to 3pm and 4pm to 8pm both days.

Early Bird Tickets (just $10) are on sale now, full price $15 (kids under 12 free).

Tickets include fast entry and a taster of the official festival beer.

BOOK TICKETS NOW: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/

**read below re: cashless payment system if buying tickets on the day

Information & Images Courtesy of Donut Fest/Inka Creative – Dee McNamara

facebook: facebook.com/donutfestau

instagram: @donutfestau

twitter: @donutfestau

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Hospitality/Events

Enquiries: literallyconnie@gmail.com

Follow TAT Gourmet News on Instagram: @tatgourmetmag

Read on for info on the fest’s cashless payment system, chosen charity FairShare, founder Ngoc Le and more pics…

Rosetta Brings Sophisticated Italian Dining Experience to Sydney

11 December 202211 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Rosetta Opens in Sydney Tuesday 15th August

Rockpool Dining Group’s Rosetta Ristorante will radiate Italian coastal elegance and deliver a sophisticated dining and bar experience over three levels, plus a panoramic outdoor terrace, when it opens for dinner on Tuesday, 15 August.

Rosetta Sydney has a delightful seafood riff that sets it apart from its award-winning Melbourne sister. An easy-going gracefulness spans a curvaceous ground floor dining room, with a sweeping terrace and bar that overlook the city with views to the harbour. Stairs lead to a split-level bar, then on to a sensuous mezzanine dining room creating multi-functional spaces for business meetings, celebrations, after-work drinks and exclusive events.

The menu charts an adventurous seafood course through crudo, antipasti, pizzette, pasta and secondi, showcasing produce from sustainable suppliers and farmers, including Marine Stewardship Certified yellowfin tuna landed in Mooloolaba, and King George Whiting, John Dory and squid from Corner Inlet, Victoria.

Spaghetti alla chitarra, king prawns and pistachio (1)

Beautiful milk-fed veal from southern NSW is the hero meat component, punctuating the menu in dishes such as vitello tonnato, veal tartare, osso bucco and cotoletta.

Contorni such as Sicilian caponata and baby carrots with stracciatella, embody the group’s philosophy of selecting the finest produce and handling it in a simple and respectful manner. A heavenly collection of house-made dolci, including cassata, cannoli, panna cotta and Torta di Verona, is flirtatiously Italian in every way. True to Rosetta’s Italian roots, bread and pasta are made in-house every day.

Playful aperitivo cocktails, such as the Cold Drip Café Americano and slushy Sgroppino, usher in a drinks menu that oozes la dolce vita. Bellinis are a centrepiece, rotating seasonally with different fresh fruit blends. The drinks list also includes aperitivos, digestivos, a bitters section with five variations of Negroni, classic Italian and local beers, over 30 gins and an extensive collections of whisky (and whiskey), grappa, brandies and rum.

Rosetta’s wine list is an exploration of the regions of Italy showcasing the classics and some of the more diverse. Home grown Italian varietals feature throughout with many local favourites rounding out the selection.

Rosetta Ristorante: 118 Harrington Street, Sydney. 02 8099 7089. rosettarestaurant.com.au.
Lunch: Monday-Sunday 12-3pm. Dinner: Monday-Saturday 6-11pm, Sunday 6-10pm. Terrace Bar & Mezzanine Bar: all day dining.

Information Courtesy of Rosetta/Rockpool Dining

Images: Jason Loucas

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Hospitality/Events

Enquiries: literallyconnie@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram: @tatgourmetmag

Read on for Additional Information on Interior Design, Bars and Sultry Vibes at the new Rosetta Sydney…

Melbourne Foodies Keep Sunday 19th November Free for the East Malvern Food and Wine Festival!

13 September 202210 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Mark your diaries because the 2^nd annual East Malvern Food & Wine Festival returns to East Malvern’s picturesque Central Park on Sunday 19 November 2017, from 10:30am to 5:30pm!

Last year more than 3000 Melbourne foodies and wine lovers came together for an amazing day in the park, sipping and savouring over 100 wines and an extensive array of cuisines from specially invited local and regional culinary exhibitors and artisan producers.

East Malvern Food & Wine Festival in Central Park. Photos by Fiora Sacco copyright reserved 2016

This year will showcase a vast range of exquisite wineries from more than 15 Bendigo and Heathcote regions including Balgownie Estate, Tellurian Wines and Farmer and the Scientist. There will also be a new local craft beer and cider producer alley featuring Two Birds Brewing, Barrow Boys Brewing, Bad Shepherd Brewing Co and Captain Vanzibar. So come and enjoy a unique and intimate experience, meet the passionate winemakers and brewers and learn about, taste and purchase their premium award-winning wines and ales.

Feast on local Melbourne favourite food trucks and pop-up restaurant stalls including Richmond Oysters & Seafood Tapas, Riserva, Nepal Dining and That’s Amore Cheeses, and bring your shopping baskets and stock up on the best of Victorian produce, including locally produced cheeses, gourmet condiments, bespoke Christmas puddings and other festive season fare from artisanal producers such as NOGO Sauces, Tolpuddle Goat Cheese and Farm Foods, Josh and Sue, and many more.

We also have a full day of family and children’s entertainment planned, including roving entertainers, live music performances and magician master classes.

Don’t forget to bring your fur kids too and treat them to gourmet doggie morsels from the Canine Wellness Truck.

Entry is FREE and wine tasting glasses and ticket packages are available starting at $20, including a souvenir wine glass and tasting tickets.

EVENT DETAILS

When: Sunday 19 November 2017, 10:30am – 5:30pm

What: East Malvern Wine and Food Festival

Where: Central Park, Corner of Wattle Tree and Burke Roads, East Malvern

More information: www.eastmalvernfoodandwine.melbourne

Social Media:

www.facebook.com/eastmalvernfoodandwine

>#EMFWfestival

@eastmalvernfoodandwine

Information & Images Courtesy of East Malvern Food and Wine Festival/Matt Fraser – Cardinal Spin

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Hospitality/Events

Follow us on Instagram: @tatgourmetmag

Read on for Additional Information & Pics…

HAVE A ‘DAISY’ ON WORLD TEQUILA DAY

12 September 202221 July 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Monday 24th July In honour of this day of international importance, El Camino Cantina is celebrating with a week’s worth of tequila-inspired offers until Sunday 30th July! Throughout Tequila Week there will be tequila flights, a limited-edition Daisy Margarita, as well as three exclusive Tequila Week tacos, seasoned with tequila-doused dressings. Tequila Flights (15ml tastes of … Read more

Holy Duck!

13 September 202212 July 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Holy Duck!

by CHEFS GALLERY

Words by Daria Kill-Smith

Images Courtesy of Holy Duck!/Cardinal Spin & Daria Kill-Smith.

Les petits was the theme for the night, beginning in the little lanes of Chippendale – once a grungy centre of Sydney, now a trendy hub for inner city occupants, uni students, and hipsters too hip to eat at home. L’etiole accompanied me on this tasting and she was warned – leave your inner vegan at the door for there will be no room at the table for edible-consciousness – the bounty of the Holy Duck! promised meat, meat, and more meat, and it did not disappoint. Duck, steamed in a dumpling, roasted whole (sans bone if desired), or crisply filling a pancake, joined short-ribbed roast beef and stir fried wagyu, alongside double-cooked, roasted or barbecued pork – which included two types of crispy crackling for the true adventurers. For those preferring the white-meat option, there was the choice of whole spring or Sichuan-style chicken; crustacea in the form of spanner crab, steamed scallops or butterflied king prawns; and two types of fish – steamed orange roughy or fish of the day.

L’etoile and I decided to try our hands at as many taste dishes as we could and started with, what else, duck – encased in light and crispy spring rolls with the shining balance of mushroom and vegetable; that perfectly offset the special entree of the day, deep-fried spanner crab wontons with dipping sauce. We were mindful not to forget the lighter option of steamed scallops, although each of our dishes maintained the healthy food pyramid with the inclusion of micro-greens: alfalfa sprouts with sesame seeds, snow-pea shoots, and zucchini discs with smooth golden garlic and crunchy fried millet! We finished with crispy rice balls heaped with what else – duck – plus rocket, radish and red cabbage salad which was drenched in a sweet dressing; and fiery Sichuan Hot & Numbing Chicken – fat little pieces of wings with hidden heat bombs of Sichuan peppercorns and whole dried chilli. But L’etoile required a non-meat protein and we ordered a serving of Handmade Salt & Pepper Egg & Spinach Tofu – AMAZINGLY smooth and creamy and topped with coriander leaves and fresh chilli – and unanimously voted as the dish of the evening.

Sadly, we missed full platters of barbeque and roasted meats, and were loathe to order a dessert neither of us could finish, but the sight of those dishes being served to fellow diners didn’t need tasting to know the verdict would be none other than delicious. Les petits morsels and a reasonably priced menu – little wonder the Holy Duck! is a popular venue.

**Daria is a Sydney writer with a palate for tempting food and tasty events!

Holy Duck!

The Old Rum Store

2-10 Kensington St

Chippendale NSW 2008

holyduck.com.au

Instagram: @holyduck.au

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Hospitality/Events

Follow us on Instagram: @tatgourmetmag

Check out more tempting photos from Holy Duck!…

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