8 Oct 10
Stumbling across a new cafe is always a good thing. Stumbling across a cool new cafe after getting lost cycling on a hot day is even better.
And this is exactly how we discovered New Day Rising. It can’t be more that 3 metres square, including the ‘kitchen’, but it has all you could want from a local cafe. I felt like I’d stepped into Brunswick East’s version of the secret garden - with an ‘outside comes inside’ feel, exposed brick, wood furnishings and lotsa flowers, and of course the compulsory record player.
We ordered the novel sounding ‘CLT’ - a bagel with marinated smoked coconut, avo, tomato and rocket - and it was A-mazing. One of those meals when the whole is so much greater and more delicious than the sum of its parts. These are people who have put some real effort into their vegie menu, and with nothing on it costing more than $10 I will be working my way through it. Mmmm, maybe next I’ll have the grilled cheese with provolone, fontinia, garlic and basil, or the the cassoulet-style beans with fennel seeds, garlic and tomato …. ah hell, why not go crazy and add the persian feta!
I’ve heard all good things about the coffee but it wasn’t really what I was in need of after my ‘not to plan’ bike ride. I can say though that at $3 it might well be the cheapest coffee in the area. So fingers crossed it’s good.
I’ll definitely be looking for a feed and coffee in this tiny space again.
Rating: Worthy of many repeat visits
Alex
New Day Rising - 221D Blyth St, Brunswick East
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new day rising
brunswick east
cafe
3 Dec 09
As a great mathematician once put:
(m + t)L = TW
Monday plus Tuesday multiplied by the universal constant Laziness equals Takeaway on Wednesdays. And tonight it was time to try out the new pizza place just up from Danny’s Burgers on St George’s Rd.
Al Albero has been open barely a fortnight, but judging by tonight’s standards it’ll be around for a very long time to come.
The pizza was exceptionally good.
Treading an unusual but inspired line between thincrust and deep-pan, the dough was both light and substantial, crispy without any of that deep-fried flavor you get at a domino’s or similarly inferior pizza chain. (The chef keeps his off-cuts to turn into sourdough which he says goes for $3 a loaf.) And toppings-wise the philosophy is very much a case less is more.
We had half portabello mushroom, meredith feta and fresh thyme and half salami, olive, chilli and mozzarella, both on a base of tomato sauce which was as rich as it was abundant (which is exactly how I like it!) Both halves were superb - especially the former - but I’ll be doing my best to resist the temptation to repeat my order when I head back again. The slow-cooked lamb sounds particularly tantalizing.
Al Albero is not just a cut above the rest of the takeaway currently on offer in Fitzroy North, it is a destination in its own right. (Although, as it doesn’t have any seating, your best bet will be to grab a six pack from Piedimonte’s and head over to Edinburgh gardens for a picnic.) Pizza tends to fall into one of two very distinct and equally unsatisfactory categories in my experience. Either it is big, cheap and dirty or insubstantial, fancy and unjustifiably expensive. The pizza at Al Albero is both and neither. It is stout and refined, and at $15 for a large pizza which provides more than enough for two it is also a real bargain.
Rating: crustalicious
James
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fitzroy north
james
pizza
review
takeaway
crustalicious
1 Dec 09
Being the well-organised person I am, I arrived at work last Monday with a delicious serve of pasta bake a la Jamie (Oliver) that I had made on Sunday. But after an unexpected lunch invitation from a close friend who I rarely get the opportunity to see, I left my lunch safely in the staff room refrigerator to be enjoyed another day. Come Tuesday lunchtime, I went to the fridge to retrieve my pasta bake. Horror of horrors awaited me though. My lunch was nowhere to be found. Bewildered, I stumbled out of my building in need of a lunch capable of making up for my disappointment.
The quaint, comforting environs of Sparrow’s Nest (95 Queen Street) fit the bill perfectly in my time of need. The small, but light and airy space, dotted with avian references and a row of sunny irises in milk bottles lining the window sill comforted me instantly. After perusing the cabinets of pizzas and baguettes and the menu of pies, bruschettas and a soup special, I settled on an avocado salsa and smoked salmon bruschetta ($8.90).
The soft green of the avocado against the orange-pink of the salmon made for a beautiful colour combination as my lunch was delivered to my table. The buttery texture of the avocado and salmon against the crunchy toasted bread was equally satisfying. A fine red onion dice, some coriander and squeeze of lemon juice tossed through the avocado raised the two key ingredients to hero status - enhancing the combination without overpowering their beautiful flavours.
On previous visits to Sparrow’s nest, I have enjoyed a cheese and spinach borek - which I suspect was not made in house, but delicious none-the-less- and a sensational creamy tomato soup served with fluffy potato dumplings. I have so far resisted the variety of cakes and pastries alluringly displayed on the counter, however I think my will-power may wilt when I next visit this delightful cafe.
My most recent visit has reassured me that I can always find a thoughtful, delicious and well-priced lunch to satisfy whatever mood I find myself in, making it a favourite lunch time destination during the working week.
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lunch
review
kat
30 Nov 09
Tonight I tackled a culinary task that has always made me nervous. Butchering a chicken is one of those skills I feel I should be able to do with a few deft blows of my knife, but a slight squeemishness and an inability to believe that I could turn a whole chicken into 6-8 beautiful cuts has prevented me from trying, until now.
After planning to make two separate chicken dishes for dinner this week - each requiring different cuts - and needing to make some stock, I decided now was time to conquer my nerves. So, armed with a basic knowledge of avian anatomy (thanks in part to my zoology degree) and some words of wisdom from Stephanie (Alexander), I did some more research! A video courtesy of youtube (How to Chicken Butcher from foodease.ca) gave clear, easy to follow instructions. Now I had no excuse.
I procrastinated a little further by removing the bird from the fridge, washing it, patting it dry and placing it on the chopping board, where I contemplated it just a bit longer. Lifting my knife, I made two incisions between each leg and its adjacent breast, until I reached bone, as my trusty youtube instructor taught me. Next to dislocate the legs - possibly the part I had been dreading most. However, the sound of crunching bone was not as disturbing as I had feared. Another couple of cuts, and the legs were freed. Following the rib cage, I then removed each plump breast from what was left of the bird. After separating the wings from the breasts and the thighs from the drumsticks - success! I had 8 beautiful cuts, and a carcass for my stock.
So successful was my butchering, that I have pledged to only buy whole chickens from now on. Not only more economical, butchering your own birds makes you think more creatively about your cooking, appreciate where your ingredients come from - and makes you feel like a real professional!
Kat
Notes
in the kitchen
kat
- Get a tea bag
- Add boiling water
- Wait
- Remove tea bag
- Add a dash of milk if desired
- Sugar’s for losers
- Drink with timtam
james
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drink
james
