Workshop Espresso, Sydney CBD

Maybe its my optimistic nature that helps me believe that a great coffee and a hit of carbs can turn the most awful of days around. Okay, I do skate the thin border between caffiene afficionado and full blown coffee bean fiend..but there is no doubt that sitting down and enjoying a good brew can bring even the most dazed and confused zombies back to normal.

Workshop Espresso is the at the halfway point between my office and Demos' building. Sure is convenient! Located within the Galleries Victoria complex on George Street, right across QVB is this small hole in the wall with a super strong following. In the short time I've been working in the city, there has never been a time where I have been the only one waiting for a coffee alone and without a line.

You could easily walk past this unnasuming nook in the heart of town without noticing is, that is, if it wasn't for the faithful following queued up for a caffeine fix. Before work, at Lunch or to help combat the standard 3:30 pm mush - Workshop Espresso saves CBD zombies one espresso at a time.

Turkey and Crispy Pancetta toasted roll, $9.50 Picollo Latte, $3.50

Now I did briefly mention earlier that carbs, just like caffeine can turn a day around. This Turkey Roll is perfectly built with Sonoma bread which is stocked on hand. This roll can satisfy the biggest of lunchtime carb cravings with the salty crunch of the pancetta and lean turkey slices. But if your feeling a little precious at the start of the day, I'd say that this would cure a mean hangover too.

I know we Empty Fridgers need to change it up a bit with out coffee selection but I have no doubt in my mind that I will always be a picollo drinker. Full Fat/Leaded milk because I CBF asking for skim! After numerous visits, I realise that I am so at one with the Workshop Espresso following. The flavour is rich and bold hitting you with gusto and leaving a faint flavour to linger, putting an end to those caffiene cravings.

I do enjoy escaping to this little cafe when there is an opportunity to get out of the office. Light fills up the long and narrow space and reflects all throughout the warehouse inspired interior, reflected in the corrugated steel walls. This actually gives the cafe a sense of warmth, especially as you perch up on the bar stools and watch city life buzz by.

Opera Kitchen, Sydney Opera House

Opera Kitchen is not your ordinary food court - it is an iconic food court. Tucked between two Australian Icons - the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, this kitchen is a stellar destination. It is the latest addition in the Opera House precinct, just underneath the Opera House concourse. It features bite-sized menus of popular restaurants such as Becasse, Charlie & Co, Cloudy Bay Fish Co, Misschu and Kenji Japanese in another section. Given the choice of 4 eateries - of course we would try each!

Located on the lower level of the Opera House, next to Opera Bar - It is an ideal place to spend a hot Summer's day with a crisp glass (or bottle..) of Australian Wine or down a beer (or two..) Many people avoid this area of the city because it is too touristy - ie. crowded and expensive. And when you are dining in Circular Quay on a budget - sometimes your only options are Mc Donalds or City Extra. Well, not anymore because you can enjoy the view without sacrificing your tastebuds.

Charlie and Co. Burgers, Westfield Sydney CBD

 Hamburgers. I could write endless sonnets about my love for this food group. I have always been on the hunt for new tasty burger varieties - some fancy, some obtained at a drive through counter at an ungodly hour. Burgers are little patties of happiness in a bread bun, and word on the street is that the newly opened Charlie and Co. has burger affecionados falling truly madly deeply in love with their offerings.

 

Navigating your way through the newly opened Westfield Sydney is hard enough when you get distracted by shiny objects - but Demos and I were on a food mission. The last time we visited this centre was during their opening weekend and I was traumatised by the crowds, distracted by Gucci and pretty much lost in a "Christian Louboutin Opening Soon" daze. It was desperation to try Charlie and Co. that drove us there that day but it was just far too crowded and I just had no sense of direction. Its the first time a shopping mall defeated me (only because I was weakend by hunger). This time I kept my focus, and I sucessfuly led Demos to level 4.

Since we both rushed to get there after work, we luckily beat out most of the thursday night shopping crowd. We were seated almost immediately, but noticed there was a long line of office workers ordering to go. The menu tells the tale of Charlie - the man who gave the human race fire. Well not really, the story is that our mate Charlie "invented" the hamburger by sandwiching the meatballs he was selling in between bread. The rest as they say is history, but thanks to Justin North his legend lives on - with a side of fancyness of course.

Fries with Parmesan and Truffle Oil $8 - i'll get to this soon!

Black Star Bakery, Newtown and their Epic Ginger Ninjas.

First off, Happy Long Weekend. Personally, I don't know exactly what the Public Holiday on Monday is for - but thank you New South Wales. Its been a long week for both Demos and I - the work days are just getting longer and longer! We plan to have as much fun as we can for the next 3 days and we hope you guys do too! I don't think I have been excited for a long weekend in Sydney for a while. This is actually the first break we have had in the last year where we haven't spontaneously decided to jump on a plane. Thinking back, this exact time in 2009 we were in Hong Kong, Macau and China. In the last 12 months we travelled to New York, LA and Vegas, I went to Amsterdam and recently we visited Japan and Singapore. All these travels involved food of course, and these next few days will be no exception. Okay, back to earth Gianna, stop rambling and lets get to these Black Star Ninjas.

So dear friends, If you are out and about this weekend and happen to be in the vicinity of Newtown, please drop in to Black Star Bakery because it is EPIC. Here, let me show and tell you why..

 

As soon as you walk in you can just smell the coffee and the pastries - if your not hungry to start off with then you definitely will be after the first 1.5 minutes. There are tarts, pies, cakes..sweet or savoury you'll find something that will tempt you. One mistake that we always make when we come here is getting in too late. By 3pm, the good stuff can sometimes be gone - one day I will get there early enough to try the lamb shank and red wine pie! Its a tiny place but full of old school mis-matched charm. We always sit outside on the footpath in hopes of snagging the coveted Gnome table, but alas, it is always taken. 

On our first visit I spot the ninja's displayed on the counter. "That's you" I say to Demos. How can you resist a gingerbread man kitted as a ninja? The plan was to buy them all and build a ginger army, but we had to be practical. (Demos note : Domo would get jealous and eat them silly.)

The coffee here is 10/10. Even the macchiato tasted very creamy, with the perfect amount of punch. The barista's are super friendly and work non stop - you can tell that most of the patrons come here for a daily coffee hit.

In this particular visit, we are joined by our lovely friends Lu and Emannuel. This was the day before my birthday and Luisa had just got back from her Euro summer holiday, I stole bites from her pistachio macaroon as she told me about the all the amazing food in Paris. Well I bet they did not have gnome tables and ginger ninja's there.

 

Black Star Chocolate Eclairs

 Black Star Blue Cheese and Fig Jam Brioche

Demos and I share the quiche lorraine, as previously mentioned we missed out on our Pies and Sandwiches. What a delicious afternoon snack! The pastry is perfectly flakey and so buttery in flavour - it cured weekend 3.30-itis.. when your a bit peckish after lunch and you don't want to spoil dinner.

Blackstar Pastry is a bit tricky to find, its located in one of the back streets across from the Newtown train station. Its a small cafe, not as small as Bourke St Bakery, but seating is prime and there might be a short wait to get a spot. It sure is worth it though. The cafe itself is across the road from the Courthouse, off King Street. Big Love to my awesome amigos who spoilt me rotten for my birthday! Nothing like roaming the streets of Newtown because you forgot where you parked your car!! 

  

So friends, what are you upto this long weekend? As I rush to finish this post, Demos is waiting on the couch. I woke him up bright and early to head to the Growers Market today in Pyrmont, and then off to Signorelli Gastronomia for some Brunch. Today, I also nabbed the last spot for a food photography course at the Australian Center of Photography. Phew! Thats the plan until mid-day and its close to 9am! This is all part of the Crave Sydney Food Festival - I already love October! Have fun everyone!

Black Star Pastry 277 Australia St Newtown 02 9557 8656

The Wine Library, Paddington

Please don't get the wrong idea about me because for doing two consecutive posts on Wine Bars.. its not like that, really.. I promise - I have a valid explanation!

And if thats not enough, I actually visited the new Wine Library in Paddington twice in one day. All in good reason though..its was a Friday (hooray) and I celebrated my birthday last Sunday the 12th of September, so this was a kick off to the epic birthday weekend that was to come. Thats the excuse i'm going with.

The Wine Library is a new addition to the Woolhara end of Oxford St. The beauty of Paddington is that a place which would seem like a tiny shoebox from the frontage actually expands further and further back. They worked their work magic on this property - a well designed space that has a serviced bar, a few tables in the back section, an awesome cured meat closet (you'll see what I mean later..) as well as access to a garden courtyard. 

I've driven past on numerous occasions at night and wondered "What is that new place, why is it always busy and why haven't I been??" Luckily for me, its a hop skip and jump from the office - a perfect venue for a quick friday birthday lunch with my lovely G-Star girls! They are just as excited as I am to try this new place and to get away from our desks!!

Lunchtime was not busy at all, we grab a table in the back section with the awesome view of the "Meat Closet". A small tiled room displaying the imported cured meats and tempting everyones tastebuds! One can only guess that this little tiled room used to be a bathroom.. creative indeed! 

The photo on the right..wow where do I even start? My Epic birthday lunch aka everything Gianna could wish for on a plate - A stracchino and black truffle quesadilla. This right here made my birthday. It was ridicuously creamy, but with the right amount of saltiness. My fellow eaters were baffled as to how I could consume a dish so rich on my own! I love truffles - the smell, the flavour - I would order anything with truffles if it was on the menu. This is Wine Library's version of a truffle grilled cheese sandwich. If someone asked me what I would have as a final meal, this quesadilla would be on the list.

We were impressed by the quality of the wine list (finally, a place for proper wine in Paddo!) as well as the super friendly service. Maybe it was the midday red wine, the excitement, or it may have been the quesadilla that I didn't even think to take any more photo's at lunchtime. I figured I would be back soon, "Ill make my mental notes and take more proper photo's then". 

Fast Forward to 6 or so hours later. After some after work Birthday drinks and pizza at the London Pub on William Street (another Paddington Favorite) I was back, and this time with Demos in tow. I simply could not resist going back and to share the excitement with my other half. We were worried that we would'nt be able to get a seat because the small space was completely full! The bar simply transforms at night, dimply lit by the lights behind the bar and the bottle cut outs on the wall and ceiling. I absolutely love the attention to detail that was put into the interior. After a 5 minute wait we were seated at the bar with a perfect view of the wine selection and the open food prep area. 5 minute wait on a Friday night? Pinch me i'm dreaming!

We start off with the Sweet Potato Crisps ($5.00) and the bowl was empty in about two minutes flat. Such a morish snack, a tastier but probably an equally naughty version of the Smiths Thins chips - but not as salty of course! It went so well with the wine we chose. Demos tried the Delas Cotes du Ventous 2007 a red wine from Rhone Valley, France ($10/glass) and I wanted to try the Moric Blaufrankish 2007 from Austria ($14/glass) 

I spotted "Truffles" on the Menu again and this time its with the Chicken Terrine with Truffles and Pistachio and Pickles on the side ($13) A small portion, but still enough for two people to share and have a taste. The bread that comes with it is delicious - and looking around I notice that every dish comes with a different type of bread. This particular sourdough compliments the dish, which is packed full of flavour unlike some of the terrines I have tried before. Im glad we ordered this! Good things come in small servings!

Looking over the Menu, I still am a little bit confused as to what cusine this restaurant serves. Wine Library is the little sister of the very popular Buzo Italian restaurant in Woolhara, so there is a strong Italian presence. However, there seem to be a few mediterranean and spanish influences as well. One of the specials this evening was a Lamb Kafta with traditional Tzaziki ($3.50 /each). With Demothenis aka Iron Chef Greek proclaiming that this had to be one of the best Tzaziki dips he has ever tasted we knew we were on to a good thing. 

The night is never complete until the Jamon comes out. Wine Library does a mean Salumi selection - The Embuditos Y Queso ($20) is a selection of cured meats with a cheese. It also comes with a serve of Pan Con Tomate, a crunchy toasted sourdough soaked in tomato, garlic and olive oil. The meats were sliced   tissue paper thin and we received a selection of prosciutto, salami and coppa. Delicious indeed, although I would avoid this place if you are anti carbs because there is so much bread EVERYWHERE! No doubt we'll be back again - most likely this friday. It was a perfect start to an awesome birthday weekend.. and there will be more birthday meals to share. Its wednesday night and I still havent fully recharged (and digested) after the weekend of fun and food! 

Its only mid-week and I find myself counting down to Friday. It feels like a longer than usual week, but at least I have another visit to The Wine Library to look forward to! If you are in the area, feel free to drop me a line - I will love any excuse to run over for a glass of red..or two. 

Hey, don't judge me - i'm still on Birthday mode. 

The Wine Library, 18 Oxford St Woollahra (02) 9382 1600 

Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Late