So Long and Thanks for All the Fish

Michael and I will be leaving Australia in a few days to return to the Bay Area, which prompted me to reflect upon the many unique experiences and valuable lessons derived from my time here in Sydney.  Foremost among them are the following, many of which I will dearly miss and always remember fondly.

 

Centennial Park – Sydney does great parks and Centennial Park is an especially fine and sprawling specimen.  Many of my favorite days in Australia were spent on the bank of a quiet little pond on the outskirts of the city with a book or a game of Scrabble while James splashed around after ducks and chased the ball.  Always a crowd pleaser on a sunny day.

http://www.centennialparklands.com.au/

 

Danks Street Depot – A perennial favorite and the one Sydney restaurant that I wish I could take with me when I go.  This place never fails to satisfy.  The freshest produce and best quality ingredients prepared with integrity and imagination.  I especially enjoy their Bar Food Nights featuring themed menus once a month on Thursdays.  Their Mexican Bar Food Night was a triumph and provided – hands down – the best Mexican food I’ve had in Australia.  I’m picking the head chef, Jared Ingersoll, as one to watch.  If he doesn’t end up with a signature line of sustainably-grown, responsibly-hewn and beautifully-crafted wooden salad bowls and nubby, organic cotton kitchen towels, I will be shocked.

http://www.danksstreetdepot.com.au/

 

Cafe Sopra (Fratelli Fresh) – Just across the street from Danks Street Depot in Waterloo, this rustic but refined first floor eatery with a massive menu written by hand on an impressively scaled black board is the perfect place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon lunch.  Sadly, for the moment the Waterloo location is only open on Saturdays, but the new Potts Point version is a good second bet.  As mentioned, the menu is just dizzying in dimension – ranging from a light but aromatic osso buco in bianco with gnochetti and gremolata to a rich and satisfying crockery-baked smoked chicken farfalle with whole grain mustard and leeks.  Fantastically coy little salads – cavalo nero, shaved brussel sprouts, and crisp prosciutto mounded beneath a poached egg dressed with aged balsamic and peppery olive oil – are also on offer alongside more traditional antipasto features.  I prefer the atmosphere of the Waterloo spot for dining – it affords more elbow-room and has better ambient light – but the Potts Point destination has a better grocery set-up which is very attractive for the multi-tasking dining/shopping option it presents.  This place is not to be missed.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/restaurant-reviews/sopra-at-fratelli-fresh/2005/11/11/1131578221002.html

 

Pasta Emilia – I am now thoroughly spoiled for pasta having had this exceptional boutique shopfront just up the street from our place in Bronte providing handmade fresh pasta and fabulous sauces.  Anna-maria, the proprietor, is a wonderfully warm personality with an infectious smile.  She makes all the pasta and sauces herself and I have found she is always ready with serving suggestions and recipes to augment her flawless creations.  My personal favorites include the duck and porcini ravioli with truffle cream sauce and her pre-made lasagne with béchamel and bolognese (just put it in the oven – what’s not to love!).  She also hosts dinners (often in conjunction with Hudson Produce) to commemorate traditional festas of Northern Italy – do yourself a favor and get on that mailing list.

http://www.emilia.com.au/

 

Hudson Produce – Hugh Wennerbom, slow food wrangler and providor, is a force to be reckoned with.  On his farm, he raises much of the fruit, veg and meat he delivers to discerning restaurants and private clients in the know.  By happy accident, our apartment is located just above Hudson Produce HQ, which I have to think is the only reason we have even an inkling of these hand-crafted and home-grown treasures.  Based on what I can gather from my self-guided neighbourhood watch (I am a culinary stalker in the making!), Hugh spends much of the week on the farm trellising broad beans and coddling piglets before heading back to the Eastern suburbs heavy with his bounty.  The operation appears to be manageably sized – private distribution is driven by circulation of a weekly email with gallows-humor and tongue-in-cheek descriptions of the latest hiccups on the farm along with romantic photos of this week’s culinary features (faces and all!).  We’ve enjoyed wonderful Taralga Farms jam, pork sausages, fresh fish, farm-reared beef, and wonderful La Barre olive oil.  As though that weren’t enough, Hugh is also a retired chef and hosts periodic dinners using his excellent raw materials at a funky diner location in Chippendale – they always go over a treat.  If I were to judge, I’d say Hudson Produce is poised to quickly outgrow its banks and it will be interesting to see how Hugh manages to do more on the farm while developing the distribution side; although, in fairness, both Hugh and his lovely, unflappable wife, Mary Ellen, have ambition and ability to spare.  If anyone could increase the scale of this business without a skip in their stride, it’s them.  Remarkably, there isn’t a website to send you to, but if you’re truly interested, you can leave me a note and I’ll see what I can do.

 

Work/Life Balance – The best lesson I’ve learned in Australia is to insist upon and fiercely defend an appropriate work/life balance.  Coming from the Bay Area, I used to think that work/life balance meant eating at least once a day and not sleeping on the floor of your office.  The Aussies seem to understand that your work should not define you.  Now to see if that’s an import I can get past US Customs.

 

Bronte & Clovelly Beaches – I can’t pretend we’ve had the best beach weather while we’ve been here (judging by the foregoing, the weather has, however, been ideal for stuffing our faces!), but on those rare days when the sun shone bright, it was a special treat to be able to lather on the SPF +400 and walk down to the beach from our little apartment.  James Brown in particular will miss his walks down to the cliff-side park for ball chasing with a postcard-ready backdrop of the ocean.  He may not appreciate the view, but I certainly do.

 

Fare thee well Australia and many thanks to the locals and ex-patriots alike who did so much to make me feel welcome while I was here.  A special thanks to Madeleine, Sterling and George, who rented us our apartment in Bronte; they have been a wonderful source of information on all things Aussie and have demonstrated remarkable patience in dealing with us “yanks.”  Thanks also to Hugh, Mary Ellen, Henry, Adelaide, and Winnie for suffering our proximity with grace and humour (and an affectionate ear-tousle to Nelly, their dog, who just never could trust that we didn’t have some nefarious plot in the works).