Carlisle Bar

When I received the invite in my inbox, my interest was already piqued. Any mention of 'tapas' or 'cocktails' and I'm pretty much there with bells on. Tonight The Carlisle Bar was launching their new cocktail and bar food menu, much to the delight of myself and my fellow blogger compadres. The latest revamp of the Sapphire Lounge site, Carlisle is a newbie boasting 3 different bar areas which are also available for functions.  

A cocktail production line was in full swing for most of the night. A great action shot, photo credit: The Carlisle Bar

Starting with bubbles in hand, there was a nice relaxed environment in which to mingle. It was nice to see a mix of the old hands (of which I probably am one now) and newer bloggers on the scene. It was nice to swap recommendations and blogging advice.  What can I say but these are my people! As the first course was announced, cameras and phones were at the ready...

This course definitely brought it. Haloumi, home made by an 86 year old Greek yaya who 'supplies' only to a handful of Sydney venues. I think that just about seals the deal. The balsamic glaze was super sweet, but again that haloumi was so pillowy, with just the right amount of give. Really top notch

Clover Club cocktail (left) with Aviation gin, lemon, raspberry and egg white (photo credit: The Carlisle Bar) and of course that incredible haloumi again, up close and personal (right)

The event had gotten off to a great start and I couldn't help but wonder what an excellent marketing platform this was. Instead of hiring PR big wigs why not just invite a bunch of very snap happy bloggers?! Brilliant idea. The menu designed by chef Chrys Xipolitas is very easy to eat (logistically) and mixes together Mediterranean and Asian flavours. In a flurry of hashtags, a dSLR scrum and  chinking glasses we pondered the pros and cons of each dish. All accompanied by the sounds of a live band fronted by singer Angelina Ciccotti. 

With a short but tangible delay between courses, next was the crispy prawns. The prawns were under-seasoned by themselves but the dipping sauces made all the difference. The wasabi 'aioli' which everyone called the mayo was lovely but almost too light handed in the spice department. A little bit more and it would have been bang on

The beverage accompanying the battered prawns, Eastside fizz - Beefeater gin, lime, mint and Perrier water. Almost like a lemonade with a hint of gin, definitely my kind of cocktail and my favourite of the evening

Beef tenderloin - rolled in mixed peppers, barbecued and served medium rare with a bourbon jus and garlic crisps (left) and Spice Chicken - thigh fillets marinated in 'secret sauce' and BBQ'd (right). Unfortunately the beef looked a lot nicer than it tasted, which is not to say it was bad necessarily. It was cooked well but lacked any real flavour apart from pepper (photo: The Carlisle Bar). The chicken was a bit of a downer, being quite dry and bland but we shall move swiftly on...

To drinks! South of the Border cocktail with tequila (!), Mezcal, passionfruit, lime and vanilla. This one was a had a big (no huge) whiff of tequila in there. It definitely got better as you went. Credit: The Carlisle Bar

All in all, the night was a great success. A very hungry bunch of bloggers were treated to a sneak peek of what The Carlisle has to offer. Ignoring the fact I was still hungry after the 'degustation' (which it certainly wasn't), we left pretty well hydrated (if you know what I mean) and it was all served gratis. Definitely a bit of fun away from the stuffy 9 to 5. 

The main bar with its dramatic marble back drop

As always, thanks for reading!

xGourmand

Gazi

Gazi has a bit of a ring to it and it's not just the din coming from inside. George Calombaris' new-old venture is stirring up a storm, serving Athenian style street food or vromiko. Shunning the fusty traditions of the table-clothed (namely The Press Club, which is reopening on Flinders St), Gazi is a casual venue oozing style. Located in the heart of the central business district, Gazi is a restaurant for all occasions (including take-away, office slaves). Not taking itself too seriously, it is destined to become a go-to for Melburnians and visitors alike (me!). 
  

Stepping in, you are hit with a trendoid crowd of suits and heels. This is lunch hour ramped up a few notches

The restaurant is named after the Gazi district in Athens, an industrial turned hipster area. The restaurant site itself has undergone a complete transformation itself, being completely gutted and (half) done again. The ceiling itself is unmistakeable; adorned with an undulating sea of terracotta pots. Oak booths along the windows look to have been 'knocked up', the exposed concrete adding a grungy, too-cool feel.

Another snapshot of Gazi's interior by March Studio, also credited with the ridiculously good looking Baker D. Chirico in Carlton Photo: Australian Design Review

In such a refined setting, you'd almost expect a two course lunch with glass of wine. If it weren't for the noise, the energy from the open kitchen and general hubbub and cheer you'd think you were in for fine dining. But no, the food is put together in a matter of minutes as meat is carved of the rotisserie and dishes are quick-fired in your direction. It is all about good food and drink for the masses with minimal fuss. Ouzo is optional, of course. Gazi is the very best of a souvlaki shop distilled and bottled.

Chicken souva with parsley, onion and mustard mayo and side of chips ($8.50). Unfortunately there is a distinct lack of greenery in this souva and I had to transplant some lettuce into it. I will mention though that the chicken is succulent and pull-apart tender

The Bend-Over Box ($27.50): the most popular lunch option, these babies were flying off left, right and centre. For when you want to try a bit of everything (or getting hangry)  there's a selection from the rotisserie, grilled fish of the day and a sweetie to finish

Signed, stitched, delivered: my photo editing skills are reaching a whole new level here (jokes, obviously). The taramasalata (fish roe dip), swordfish and chicken (both with delicious walnut dressing) and chips (topped with salt + feta) were the highlights

George Calombaris is another who seems to be amassing an empire in Melbourne. Gazi is Greek food for the everyman, to be enjoyed with a few drinks and the best of friends. Calombaris himself, was seen to be enjoying a coffee there the day we visited. He has succeeded in creating something thoroughly modern in a quickly shifting food culture.

After the rush: there is a frenetic 2 hour window on weekdays as the suits march in for a quick 'business' lunch (booze included)

More notes on Melbourne to follow <3
Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

Amateur Dramatics

Roll up, roll up!
I'm sharing with you today my visit to Neild Avenue, a Mediterranean style 'taverna' (err, it's anything BUT). One of my many 'locals' in Darlinghurst. This show is brought to you by the team behind Icebergs Dining Room and North Bondi Italian Food - two Sydney stalwarts. Rock. Solid.

Open sesame! Set in a huge space (read: total understatement), you feel like you've just entered a studio backlot, with bar attached! Source: Neild Avenue

The restaurant is massive, to say the least. Spread over a large industrial warehouse space on the ground floor, there is also a private dining room upstairs with room for 16 AND a separate bar. Sheesh kebabs! The design is quite impressive, the restaurant space is punctuated by huge wooden 'canvases' depicting depicting cartoon characters from an imaginary sci-fi epic. It's pretty out there but it looks great! Each table (in designer's black) has a little recess to hold cutlery and condiments. The quilted black leather booth seats are the perfect finishing touch.

This is totally the money shot, the aerial that I would never have been able to take myself! The interior sure has that wow factor. It was very reminiscent of a movie set (having never been on one before but you know what I mean). Source: Neild Avenue 

The pomegranate mojito, (requisite) cocktail goodness!

Drink in hand, the wait staff are dressed white overalls (a bit of a signature of the Maurice Terzini (owner)/Robert Marchetti (chef) restaurants. With a solid knowledge on the menu (so extensive it fills an A3 page) and a jovial attitude, we got a cheeky "Señores, ni hao ma?" early on. The menu has something for everyone, there's a focus on platters of seafood, vibrant salads and swathes of grilled meats. It's a meat lovers paradise and totally geared for sharing down a long table.

Now, down to business:

Salad Quinoa of tomatoes, parsley, fresh/toasted chickpeas, mint dressing. This salad was a surprise highlight. The freshest baby tomatoes (so tiny + cute) and parsley, the texture of chickpea in a slightly acidic dressing - I couldn't get enough of this one. I may just have to attempt this at home!

Spiced Half Roasted Duck (left) and Slow cooked goat chops (right): the duck had a nice and crispy skin but the flesh was rather bland. We were looking for succulent and juicy! The pilaf rice & parsley salad did not really marry the dish well. The goat chops had a nice accompanying mild dressing

Whole Salt Baked Snapper Portofino Style with Lemon oil, ligurian olives and thin cut potatoes. This fish was exceedingly tiny, it was a challenge to share between 6! And it was missing a huge chunk of it when served! This dish was quite unexpectedly salty, yes it was baked in salt but usually the salt doesn't permeate the flesh. It was also a little on the drier side. The mandolined potato slices were a nice touch

Baklava goodness (right) and Goat's Yoghurt (right): the baklava with Persian pistachios looked divine. I always find them a tad sickly sweet, lucky they were so tiny then! The yoghurt was the healthy option/detox, doused in cinnamon. This one had a bit of preserved lemon in there and felt like a bit of a breakfast-dessert - a bressert.

P.S. Those first two options were for wimps. This is what I went for:

To appease the inner child in me: the Prune Sundae! Prune gelato, organic prunes, chocolate sauce, almond Chantilly. The ice cream was just churned and the warm chocolate sauce was TDF (to-die-for)! This was an old fashioned treat with the prunes to make you feel better. This serving size was certainly enough for two, my fellow diners had no hesitations in helping me out!

And there we have it, a massive meal in a massive restaurant. We pretty much rolled out of this place, clutching our food babies. Sad to say, the food here often looked better than it tasted. The salt baked fish that had been recommended to us by said overalled waiter was a bit underwhelming. Top marks for design that is let down by food that falls just short.

Thanks for reading!

xGourmand