A Day in New York, in Sydney
Spend the day gorging on these signature foodstuffs for a holiday at home.
Another year about to pass in which you were unable to book in that holiday to New York? Fortunately, the ultimate Metropolis has so influenced this city that you can easily find something local to comfort your stationary self. Just squint — and spend a day stuffing yourself with these signature foodstuffs — and you'll be fine.
Breakfast: Brooklyn Hide for a Bagel
We've never been big bagel lovers here in Australia. Our carb fixes in the mornings customarily come from toast or crumpets with vegemite. But this could all change since the guys at Brooklyn Hide have moved into Surry Hills. These kids are going to make sure that Sydney knows a thing or two about the way a bagel should be: New York style. All in all, the bagels reward: they offer a texture that is desirably chewy, not overly doughy or dry. Us Sydneysiders could become quite the bagel-connoisseurs before we know it. One thing we are critics of already, however, is coffee. The talented blokes at Little Marionette are supplying the beans and the team here are pouring a fine cup.
226 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills; Mon - Sat 7am - 4pm; www.facebook.com/brooklynhide
Lunch: Chophouse for NY Steak
Forget everything you thought you knew about a steakhouse, and go and try Chophouse in the Sydney CBD. Described as a tribute to the New York-style steakhouse, Chophouse removes itself from the regular gimmicks of steakhouses and instead exudes a level of class through its service, food and contemporary setting. It’s not so much for meat lovers, but more for those who appreciate quality produce. The F1 wagyu striploin ($55.90) is 300g of the finest beef from the Rangers Valley in NSW. Chophouse’s chefs have treated the cut, four on the marble score, with the upmost respect. The caramelised surface of the meat from the grill has an oaky flavour, which matches with the juicy steak and red jus.
25 Bligh St, Sydney NSW 2000; Mon – Fri 12pm - late, Sat 6pm - late; www.chophouse.com.au
Dinner (for bohemian wallets): Soda factory for a dog
What you’re looking for is a kitschy neon sign reading 'Bobby’s Boss Dogs'. Bobby's draws the comparison to New York’s Crif Dogs, the entrance to clandestine East Village cocktail lounge PDT, and lives up to the latter’s reputation. Pull on the handle of the Coke machine for entrance to the bar, a dimly lit industrial expanse lined with inviting booths and comfy mid-century sofas. For just $9, the Johnny Drama (beef sausage topped with bacon, sour cream, avocado and tomato salsa) straddles the line between gourmet and good old-fashioned grub. It's busiest on a Tuesday, when the dogs are a dollar.
16 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills; Mon - Wed 5pm - late; Thur 5pm - 2am; Fri 5pm - 5am; Sat 7pm - 5am; sodafactory.com.au
Dinner (for mafia-sized wallets): Momofuku Seiobo for everything
Momofuku Seiobo is not some homage to NY culture; it is a genuine piece of the NY dining landscape and probably the world franchise we're most lucky to have (Sydney was the first Momofuku restaurant outside NY). Headed by David Chang, the restaurant is a world leader in high/low fusion dining, with such items as their famous pork bun (pork belly, pickled cucumber and hoisin sauce, but special). They only serve a set degustation, priced at $185 for dinner, and reservations can only be made 20 days in advance, once the system opens at 10am. But it's still less hassle and cost than a plane ticket, right?
Ground level, The Star, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont; Lunch Fri - Sat, Dinner Mon – Sat; http://momofuku.com/sydney
Drinks: Harlem on Central for cocktails
With its blacked-out windows and lack of signage, Harlem on Central is not Manly's most easily-found nightspot, but it's certainly the area's coolest. The bar is a tiny high-class hideaway with a Prohibition theme running consistently through the drinks, decor and service. Excellent table service delivers strong, tasty and beautiful-looking cocktails made from an array of exotic-seeming spirits that will baffle even the most dedicated boozehound. Low lighting, cool jazz beats and small tables for two render Harlem On Central a seriously intimate venue, one that easily conjures up images of shady Mafia-boss types doing deals in the back booths, or fortunes made and lost.
9-15 Central Avenue, Manly; Mon - Sun 5pm - Midnight; www.harlemoncentral.com.au
Late night bite: Frankie's for pizza and beer
Half dive bar, half New York-style pizza parlour, this is definitely a step away from the cocktail and whiskey specialities of Shady Pines and Baxter Inn, the last openings from Jason Scott and Anton Forte. In fact no cocktails are served other than a frozen margarita ($10) slushie style, but spirits and mixers are, along with a fairly basic wine list. Frankie’s is all about craft beer from Belgium, the U.S., Australia, Scotland and Denmark. There’s a good range of ales, lagers and ciders of varying flavour, alcohol strength and price – we were digging the Lord Nelson ($8) and the Weyerbacher stout ($12) from the US. The pizza itself is more chew than crunch and generous at $5 a slice — it’s not right up there with the original but is a perfectly satisfying beer absorber. The best news about it is, in a city that has a distinct lack of good late-night drinking venues, it’s open (and serves pizza) till 4am.
50 Hunter Street, Sydney; Mon - Sun 4pm - 4am; www.facebook.com/Frankiespizzabytheslice
By the Concrete Playground team. Top image: joiseyshowaa via photopin cc.
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