September 2010
14 posts
Sydney Italian Festival - Opening Night
Doltone House,
Pyrmont.
The Bon Vivant was lucky enough to get two tickets to the Opening night for the Italian Festival. The festival, in its seventh year is a celebration of Italian excellence in design, food, wine and culture. Held at the very impressive Doltone House in Pyrmont the festival gave us all a sneak peek of what to expect over the next six weeks up till 13th November.
The food,...
10 tags
Macaron Masterclass with Adriano Zumbo
By Rebecca Johnstone
Blessed are the pastry-makers. Those mad scientists of gastronomy, with their inverted sugars, exact temperatures and their gelatine/gelan gum/agar agar/pectinH/iota carrageenan/many other forms of gelling agents. In my mind, blessed they be, as they are just so much something I am not. I have a love/hate relationship with baking: I love the exactness of it and love baked...
15 tags
Weekend Wine Picks - 24.09.10
Annie’s Lane Chardonnay 2009
Clare Valley
Once upon a time I used to be an ‘ABC’ - anything but Chardonnay - but as my palate has grown and, in all seriousness, I drank more and more wine, this iconic and misunderstood varietal grew on me. Chardonnay is a fantastic food wine and nowadays I tend to drink a glass of this with dinner more than anything else it seems. This little...
6 tags
Hoochie Mama Cafe
Hoochie Mama Cafe
156 Missenden Road, Newtown
Danny Ryan
Hoochie Mama is an ecletic mix of 1950’s roadside diner and ultra trendy modern day coffee haunt. This is very fitting given Hoochie sits just a block away from King St down on Missenden Rd, Newtown. Hoochie pushes itself as a genuine “third place” rather than a pokey “hole in the wall” coffee joint. Here, you can actually...
11 tags
Sabbaba
By Rebecca Johnstone.
Sabbaba
82 Hall Street, Bondi Beach.
Last week my brother turned 15. He was offered his choice of anywhere in Sydney to go for dinner, provided we could get in the following evening (that basically ruled out anything with a Hat, to which my father’s wallet breathed a sigh of relief). Birthday dinners are always a special thing in our family, so I was looking...
12 tags
Weekend Wine Picks - 16.09.10
My two picks for this weekend are both Taylors wines. Taylors, who are based in the Clare Valley, are a company whose wines have been growing on me as of late. A family owned winery with a strong portfolio of quality wines. Taylors was classed as a 5 star winery in the recent James Halliday wine Companion 2010. The two wines here, I think highlight the strength and versatility in the Taylors...
6 tags
Ad Lib Bistro
Ad Lib Bistro
1047 Pacific Hwy, Pymble
Ad lib bistro is a modern Sydney adaptation of the classic Parisien bistro. Basking in the glory that comes with being crowned a one-hat restaurant in the Good Food Guide 2011, Ad lib is open and bright meaning that unlike a traditional French bistro it can be vibrant and busy without leaving you feeling squashed under the crush of fellow diners. This turned...
11 tags
Radicchio and Gorgonzola Risotto
By Becca Johnstone.
Serves 4.
Wine match: A lush Coonawarra Cabernet.
This is my slightly altered version of a delicious Maggie Beer recipe (which can be found here). I love bitter flavours – Danny can attest to my Campari convictions – and the tart bitterness of radicchio paired with the sharp creaminess of gorgonzola just seems to work! Maggie uses lemon zest and lemon thyme, but I prefer just...
13 tags
Weekend Wine Picks: 10.09.10
Rolling Shiraz 2008
Central Ranges NSW
14%
$12-17
This wonderfully cheap and cheerful 2008 shiraz from Cumulus Wines has a deep crimson hue to it. Sourced from vineyards around the Orange area, the Central Ranges tag attached to this bottle indicates these vineyards are at altitude of less than 550m that defines the Orange growing area. This ripe and young shiraz exhibits vibrant dark berry...
Bon Vivant: Noun
A person who devotes themselves to a sociable and luxurious lifestyle. Late 17th century: from French, literally ‘person living well’, from bon ‘good’ and vivre ‘to live’ - Oxford Dictionary
Epicure: a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment. Especially good food and drink - Princeton Wordnet Press.
Welcome to the Bon Vivant Blog, a joint project between Becca Johnstone...
19 tags
Straight from the top shelf; The Johnnie Walker...
The Johnnie Walker labels: The Red, The Black, The Green, The Gold and The Blue.
“The Water of Life”
By Danny Ryan
I honestly believe you can judge a man based on the look in his eyes, the friends he keeps and the Scotch he drinks. Every man should at least have one bottle of top notch scotch hidden somewhere that they only break out on special occasions. Personally I...
14 tags
Hurricane's Grill and Bar
Harbourside Shopping Centre
Darling Harbour
There is something bizarre about parking your car in a multi-level car park, walking through the blaring halogen lights of a Mirvac shopping centre, past souvenir stores and odd boutiques, to get to an actual ‘sit-down’ restaurant. It just feels like you should be queuing for popcorn and choc-tops, instead of behemoth steaks and dinosaur ribs. But I...
10 tags
Weekend Wine Picks - 03.09.10
Jim Barry Watervale Riesling
Clare Valley 2009
$13-$20
From the Watervale sub region of the Clare Valley, this is a classic example of the famed clare valley riesling from one of the regions most famous winemakers. This Jim Barry riesling exhibits all the characteristics of the Clare with a sweet floral or perfumed nose with the wine exhibiting lemon and lime juice flavours and a tart...
