The Australia Times

ST KILDA’S PIZZA E BIRRA

12 September 20223 August 2018 by Connie Lambeth

Review: Pizza E Birra – Melbourne Words and Images by Daria Kill-Smith Pizza E Birra shimmers brightly at the Fitzroy St junction of Canterbury Rd and Grey Street St in St Kilda. A black and white, 1950’s deli-style shop frontage of glass bay-windows showcases a rear wall of wine laden shelves above the bar, with … Read more

FRATELLI FRESH UNVEILS HUGE HARBOUR-SIDE FOOD AND DINING EMPORIUM

22 October 202222 May 2018 by Connie Lambeth

Fratelli Fresh opens this Friday – Darling Harbour, Sydney

Fratelli Fresh opens a vibrant Italian food and dining emporium this week in the heart of Darling Harbour, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner options, as well as a destination for all occasions.

Opening at 7am on Friday, 25 May, the flagship Fratelli outpost is located below the International Convention Centre Sydney Theatre, opposite the Chinese Gardens, and accommodates over 550 customers. A 100-seat beer and wine garden brims with citrus and olive trees and offers a front-row view of the busy harbour-side precinct.

Serving house-made Neapolitan pizza, pasta, gelato and rotisserie-roasted meats, the menu showcases premium produce from local partners, including Vannella Cheese, Salumi Australia, Sonoma Bakery, Mecca Coffee, as well as Italian hero brands, Baci chocolate and Campari, and iconic American craft beer pioneer, Goose Island Beers.

The first 2500 customers to buy a coffee, specially blended for Fratelli by cult roaster Mecca, will receive a complimentary Fratelli Fresh KeepCup, entitling them to $1 KeepCup coffee for the first 30 days. Breakfast customers will also receive $1 coffees for the first 30 days. Fratelli KeepCup holders are entitled to $2.50 coffees thereafter. Mecca is also providing specialised nitro coffee on tap, a cold, frothy brew infused with nitrogen gas.

Every time a customer purchases a drink in the first month they will go in the draw to win one of four bright red Scomadi scooters. One winner will be drawn at 6pm every Friday, over the first four weeks.

A Meet the Maker calendar of complimentary tastings featuring Mecca, Sonoma, Vannella Cheese, Ross Hill Wines, Campari and Goose Island Beers spans the launch weekend of Saturday, 26 May and Sunday, 27 May, with performers adding some live vibes to the opening days. See the full opening weekend program here.

Fratelli Darling Harbour offers a convenient grab and go selection of Sonoma breakfast toast and pastries, fresh salads, pastas, and Roman-style pizza by the slice. Slow-cooked, spit-roasted meats, including porchetta and lamb shoulder, take the rotisserie lunch menu and fresh-cut Sonoma sandwich selection to the next level.

The emporium is home to a decadent dessert bar and cioccolateria, featuring treats such as tiramisu, tortas, panna cotta, biscotti, sfogliatella, hand-made truffles, chocolate bars and cannoli with three flavours of filling: salted caramel, ricotta and chocolate, all created by Italian Head Pastry Chef, Riccardo Falcone. A gelato bar stars 15 flavours, including Snickerone, caramelised fig and mascarpone, almond, Nutella, and mint choc chip.

Take-away enthusiasts can select from the whole menu and meals can be delivered by Uber Eats and Deliveroo.

Fratelli Fresh Darling Harbour has added a little pizzazz to the drinking experience with Australia’s first Campari Bar that showcases an impressive line-up of cocktails, including seven spritzes and six negronis available on tap. A tap takeover by Goose Island will see an evolving six beers by the iconic brewery flowing through the venue and heralds Fratelli Fresh as the exclusive Australian partner to showcase a broad range of its craftmanship.

Another premium partner is Ross Hill Wines from Orange, NSW, which serves Fratelli’s cool-climate house wine. The wine list includes five whites, five reds and one rosé by the glass and carafe. Over 80 Australian and Italian wines by the bottle are showcased in the on-site vinoteca, ready for purchase and to be enjoyed with a meal.

The venue boasts an adult-skewed games corner, including ping pong, jenga, shuffleboard and foosball. An events calendar is packed with gastronomic experiences, including pizza, pasta and cocktail masterclasses, coffee workshops, and tastings with key partners.

Daily food and drink specials include all-you-can-eat classic pizzas on Tuesdays, $20 carafes of wine on Wednesdays, $20 endless antipasti boards on Thursdays, and a daily happy hour of $5 espresso martinis, negronis, spritzes, house beers and wine, alongside $5 classic pizzas. See the full list of daily specials here.

More information & bookings: fratellifresh.com.au/.

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

Connie Lambeth

The Australia Times News

Editor GOURMET – Food/Wine/Events

theaustraliatimes.com/news

literallyconnie@bigpond.com

READ MORE ON THE NEW FRATELLI FRESH – DARLING HARBOUR – PLUS MORE PICS!

ROCKPOOL BAR & GRILL, SPICE TEMPLE & ROSETTA UNVEIL PRODUCER SERIES – MELBOURNE

20 August 202219 April 2018 by Connie Lambeth

Rockpool Bar & Grill, Spice Temple and Rosetta restaurants Rockpool Dining Group’s premium Melbourne restaurants are paying tribute to Victoria’s bountiful, seasonal harvests with a Producer Series of events that span regional and seasonal dinners, wine pairing menus and hands-on cooking classes and culinary experiences. Headlining the Producer Series this May is a Rockpool Bar … Read more

THE VALENTINE’S DAY WOW FACTOR AT SYDNEY’S GPO GRAND

3 December 20222 February 2018 by Connie Lambeth

GPO GRAND – SYDNEY

GPO Grand’s Personal Restaurant Butler is a world first service that promises to truly wow your significant other.

The bespoke system makes GPO Grand the leading location for Valentine’s Day this year, by enhancing your dining experience and allowing for patrons to astonish their dates with an array of indulgent surprises. Choose to lavish your beloved with long stem red roses, Champagne on arrival, a personalised hand written card, or a box of hand crafted chocolate truffles when booking. GPO Grand will do all of the hard work for you with the service provided free of any additional fees or charges, promising a spectacularly memorable experience at every step of the way.

Indulge at Prime Restaurant and share a 1.5kg grain fed Tomahawk steak with your lover or enjoy a three course cheese and wine pairing experience at GPO Cheese and Wine Room. Valentine’s Day has its origin in Italy and our romantic al fresco dining options at Intermezzo will make you feel like you’re in Rome, or soak in some Spanish flair at Postales guaranteed to impress your special someone.

Peter Petroulas, Managing Director of GPO Grand commented, “The Restaurant Butler service was a world first when it was introduced in 2016. It remains an inherently special experience, unique to GPO Grand Restaurants. We are very proud to offer this service which has become an integral part of what we do”.

The Personal Restaurant Butler service is available across all GPO Grand Fine Dining restaurants which include Prime, Intermezzo, Postales, GPO Cheese and Wine Room and Subterranean, accompanying the various special Valentine’s Day Menus on offer, which make GPO the perfect venue to enjoy a uniquely exceptional evening.

GPO RESTAURANT BUTLER SERVICE ADD-ONS

Single Long Stem Red Rose $35

Half Dozen Long Stem Red Roses $70

Dozen Long Stem Red Roses $98

Personalised Card $5

Box of 4 Chocolate Truffles $12

Box of 12 Chocolate Truffles $30

NV Gosset Champagne on arrival $24 glass / $135 bottle

About GPO Grand

GPO Grand is an award-winning collection of 14 restaurants, cafes and bars located at Sydney’s premier address, 1 Martin Place. GPO GRAND | No.1 Martin Place | Sydney NSW 2000 Telephone (02) 9229 7700 | Online & Restaurant Butler Booking: www.gpogrand.com | Email: mail@gpogrand.com

**Information & Images Courtesy of GPO Grand

Connie Lambeth

The Australia Times News

Editor GOURMET – Food/Wine/Events

www.theaustraliatimes.com/news

literallyconnie@gmail.com

MELBOURNE’S TUTTO BENE WINS BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT

19 November 20229 December 2017 by Connie Lambeth

TUTTO BENE – MELBOURNE

It’s been a big year for multi award-winning Italian restaurant and gelateria, Tutto Bene. Melbourne’s beloved risotteria has again won the respected Best Italian Restaurant at the 2017 Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) Awards for Excellence.

This is the sixth time Tutto Bene has won this award, cementing its position as one of Melbourne’s most consistently applauded eateries. The award adds to a successful run for the restaurant, which launched a series of sell-out risotto masterclasses over winter and completed a major renovation and expansion in 2015.

Owners Luis Pampliega and Tamara Volkoff have run Tutto Bene since it first opened in 2004.

“We feel very lucky that we’re continuing to be recognised by our industry. After twelve years in business, it’s not easy to maintain this level of regard and we couldn’t be more proud of the entire team – a true reflection of the hard work and passion they bring on a daily basis,” says Luis.

“But of course it’s what our customers think that matters most. We would not be successful without our amazingly loyal clientele.”

Tutto Bene’s menu, which is always an impressive mix of classic and seasonal Italian dishes, is full of new creations thanks to Head Chef, Nathan Scarfo’s, recent trip back to his family roots in Italy.

“I’ve returned from my trip inspired. My family have a little farm in the south of Italy. Cooking there is simple, raw and uncomplicated. Every piece of produce has a million uses,” he says.

This approach has brought about an array on new dishes that incorporate Tutto Bene’s no-wastage approach. New seasonal dishes are incorporating every element of produce, with highlights including freshly shucked oysters with peach Bellini granita, carrot arancini with edible soil, lemon spaghettini with blue swimmer crab, basil pesto and pistachio and fried zucchini flowers with roast pumpkin, peppitos and mustard fruit. Everyone’s favourite risotto dishes remain on the menu, with some varieties campaigned for by customers resulting in four risottos never leaving the menu since opening in November 2004.

The Italian summer cocktail menu includes a range of signature aperitifs such as the Tutto Bene Mule (vodka, lime juice, Nonnina grappa, ginger ale and mint) and Terrazza Campari (Campari, orange and pink grapefruit juice). These delicious cocktails are only $10 during happy hour (3pm-5:30pm daily) and $15 all other times.

Excitingly, Tutto Bene’s award winning gelato is transforming for the holidays with festive gelato flavours including ginger bread, pavlova and trifle, available from 1-27 December.

The Tutto Bene restaurant is open seven days, until late. Bookings can be made by calling the restaurant on 03 9696 3334. Bookings for Christmas and New Year’s functions are filling fast, call or email admin@tuttobene.com.au to ask for a function pack.

**information & Images Courtesy of Tutto Bene/Fuller PR

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times News

Editor GOURMET – Food/Wine/Events

E: literallyconnie@gmail.com

E: connie.lambeth@theaustraliatimes.com.au

W: editorcsl.com

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Read on for info on Hosting End of Year Functions, New Year’s Eve etc…

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