When it comes to treating yourself to wine and decadent local eats, the Hunter Valley is a top-notch choice. And with the 2019 return of the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Festival, there's now an even better reason to get away for a weekend (or two) of fine wining and dining. With more than 40 events across May and June, the Valley is showcasing its best wine and produce — think guided winery tours, tastings galore and much more. Foodies can work their way through Semillon and sushi, tuck into some comfort food and brews at Smoky Sundays, or jump on a seven-course journey that will figuratively take you from ocean to paddock. Looking for something more hands on? Head down to Briar Ridge Vineyard, where you can make (and taste) your very own blend of red wine, or heighten your sense of smell at Scarborough Sensory Schooling. Fancy a taste of history? Wander over to Pepper Tree Wines for some museum release wines at its tasting experience. Closing the festival is the Burning of the Barrel on Saturday, June 29 at Glandore Estate, promising lots of wines, brews and eats and a giant bonfire to warm up by as the sun goes down.
While NSW's restrictions are easing somewhat, with restaurants, cafes and other food-first venues reopening with restrictions from May 15, we're still a little way off being able to head underground for just a shot of cognac, a shit tinnie and shooting the shit at a bar. This exact scenario is what we're missing at Ramblin' Rascal Tavern, Sydney's cognac- and corn nut-doused dive bar. So, we've asked Bar Manager Dylan Ruba how we can attempt to recreate a small slice of that experience at home: the drinks. If you've frequented Ramblin', you've more than likely had your cognac, short, neat and consumed in one shot, but when you're at home on the couch watching Mad Men reruns (as Ruba has during lockdown), you might want to try something a little… longer. Ruba's run us through three of his favourite drinks to make at home, which are riffs on a few of Rascal's signature cocktails. They're "tried and tested with a bit of at-home flair" according to Ruba — and they're drinks you can make without fancy cocktail shakers, stirrers or julep strainers, too. Also, because Stanley Tucci is now synonymous with quarantine cocktails, we couldn't not ask Ruba his opinions on the now-infamous shaken double shot gin negroni. "Look, I'm never one to judge someone on how they like their drinks," said Ruba. "I can't say that's how I'd do it, but props to Stanley for standing by his own ways and preferences." How would Ruba make his ideal negroni? "Equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, and stir it down over ice with a slice of orange." Easy. [caption id="attachment_515137" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Ramblin' Rascal Tavern[/caption] SEASON 6 Tart, but sweet. Orange peel is an ingredient often used in the crafting of gin, and stewed fruits help bring out those forgotten flavours. 45ml gin 30ml lemon juice 10ml sugar Teaspoon marmalade Prosecco Lemon twist You can make the Season 6 one of two ways: shaken or blended. For shaken: pour all ingredients into a jar (or a cocktail shaker if you have it) over ice, put a lid on it, shake. Strain into a coupe or flute (or, frankly, a mug if it's what you've got) and garnish with a dash of prosecco and a lemon twist. For blended: chuck all ingredients into a blender with ice. Blend. Pour slushie into glass of your choice and top with a dash of prosecco and a lemon twist. GERI HALLIWELL Really, really easy one, it's a bit like a dark and stormy or moscow mule, but a bitter, spicier version 30ml Martell Blue Swift 20ml lime juice Cracked pepper Ginger beer Lime wedge Build in a tall glass with ice, add 'one spin of the pepper cracker' worth of pepper, top with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge. BLUE STEEL This is a heavier drink, bit like at an old fashioned but instead of using bitters — which not many people have at home — it has nutmeg and vanilla, which we've all got lying around from baking. Nutmeg also helps brings out the flavours of Martell Blue Swift, which has been finished in bourbon barrels. 45ml Martell Blue Swift 10ml sugar syrup A few drops of vanilla essence Small pinch of nutmeg Lemon twist Pour all ingredients into a short glass, stir down over ice. If you don't have a stirrer, you can just use a teaspoon. Garnish with a lemon twist. Make it and serve it all that one glass.
You know that feeling when you're loving an exquisite meal so much that you don't want it to end, and you're also content in the knowledge that there's still plenty more in store? That now applies to The Bear. Season one of the hit restaurant dramedy left everyone ravenous for season two, then that second effort did the same for the upcoming third instalment. Season three hasn't aired as yet — it's due in mid-2024 — but fans can rest assured that season four is reportedly also already in the works. As per The Hollywood Reporter, season three and season four of the series — which was one of the best new shows on television in 2022 and one of the best returning shows on TV in 2023 — are being filmed back to back. So, while there was no big announcement about The Bear getting a fourth season, it's being shot straight after season three. The reason? To ensure that new seasons can keep airing annually now that its cast and crew are in demand thanks to the series' massive success. Accordingly, after The Bear season three arrives this winter Down Under, season four will be dished up in 2025. As for where both seasons will take Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, The Iron Claw) on his quest for culinary perfection, you'll have to wait until they each make their way to your streaming queue to find out. Season three hasn't locked in its exact launch date as yet, other than June in America. Fingers crossed that the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series returns in Australia and New Zealand at the same time. In the past, there have been delays for Down Under viewers. Season one hit in June in America, then in August in Australia. With season two, US audiences still had a June date, while Aussies and New Zealanders had to wait till July. If you've missed The Bear so far, its first season jumped into the mayhem when Carmy took over the family diner in Chicago after his brother's (Jon Bernthal, We Own This City) death. Before returning home, the chef's resume featured Noma and The French Laundry, as well as awards and acclaim. In season two, Carmy worked towards turning the space into an upscale addition to his hometown's dining scene, with help from the restaurant's trusty team — including Ayo Edebiri (Bottoms) as fellow chef Sydney, plus Ebon Moss-Bachrach (No Hard Feelings) as Richie, aka Cousin, aka Carmy's brother's best friend. Also key to The Bear: truly conveying what it's like to work in the hospitality industry and weather a restaurant kitchen's non-stop pressures. In both of its seasons so far, The Bear's creator Christopher Storer (who also has Ramy, Dickinson and Bo Burnham: Make Happy on his resume) has expertly balanced drama and comedy — and, in season two, he also delivered spectacular self-contained episodes that featured everyone from Olivia Colman (Heartstopper) and Will Poulter (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) to Bob Odenkirk (Lucky Hank) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Haunted Mansion). Guest stars aside, The Bear's regular roster of talent also spans Abby Elliott (Indebted) as Carmy's sister Natalie, aka Sugar — plus Lionel Boyce (Hap and Leonard), Liza Colón-Zayas (In Treatment) and Edwin Lee Gibson (Fargo) among the other Original Beef staff. There's no sneak peek available for The Bear season three or four yet, but check out the trailer for season two below: The Bear streams via Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand. We'll update you with an exact season three release date when one is announced — and the same with season four. Read our review of season one and review of season two. Via The Hollywood Reporter.
It's hard not to fall in love with Excelsior Jones. The friendly cafe sits in what used to be an old corner store in the inner west suburb of Ashfield and is a welcome addition to a quiet neighbourhood that was, before Excelsior, devoid of a local haunt. Having to compete with popular neighbouring Marrickville and its drawcards of Cornersmith and Coffee Alchemy, Excelsior Jones is no doubt something the locals here will want to keep secret, especially with such a top-notch crew on board. Co-owners Anthony Svilicich and James Naylor are both ex Le Monde, so too is the barista, Julian Beresford, who is steaming out their own custom blend of Five Senses coffee to perfection. Also on board to bring a touch of brilliance to the modest menu is Adrian Borg, who previously held stints at Assiette and District Dining. The compact menu is a cracker. House-cured salmon hash with pearl shallots, fried buckwheat, poached egg, and fresh herbs ($16) is nourishing and tasty to say the least, while the bacon and egg sandwich with capsicum relish and aioli ($10) will please any fan of this staple. For those who love a crunchy granola, go for the house-made version with roasted seeds, nuts, and creamy yoghurt ($10), and if you're around for lunch, try the chicken salad with black sesame, avocado, and bean shoots ($15) or a slow-roasted lamb sandwich with salsa verde ($14). Feeling nostalgic? Your undoing could be a malted milkshake ($6.50) or a spider ($6), a real tribute to the classic milk bar days. But it's the cheeseburger that will win over the famished ($16). The tomato relish could be the crucial component, or perhaps it's the fried spuds that accompany this time-honoured favourite. Either way, it'll be hard to wipe a smile off your face afterwards. The open space uses white wooden furniture with raw textures, and big windows help to highlight the abundance of air and space. Both James and Anthony are incredibly enthusiastic about providing a place where locals and people from all walks of life are welcome and feel comfortable, and the atmosphere definitely reflects this. They're so passionate, in fact, that the name 'Excelsior Jones' came from historical research Anthony did into the area. Formerly the name for the street, before the current Queen Street, Anthony thought the pairing of the two words had a nice ring to it and slight mystique. Moreover, in Latin, 'excelsior' translates to 'ever upward'. You get the point.
It's a yearly pattern: Halloween passes by, orange decorations are replaced with a sea of red and green, and suddenly we've all been hurtled into the throes of Christmas. To add its own taste of festive cheer, Krispy Kreme has announced that it's lighting up four of its stores with Christmas displays — and, to make the occasion even more jolly and merry, it's also giving away 4000 free doughnuts. The giveaway is running on Friday, November 29, which is when Krispy Kreme stores in Penrith in Sydney, Bulleen in Melbourne, Redbank Plains in Brisbane and Myaree in Perth will be hitting the switch on their seasonal lights. The chain calls these displays 'Krispymas', and they'll be lit up for nearly a month, shining bright until Friday, December 27. To snag yourself a signature glazed freebie (Original Glazed doughnuts are being given out), head to one of the aforementioned stores on Friday, November 29. In Brisbane and Perth, the activities start from 6.30pm, a choir will sing at 7pm, the lights turn on at 7.30pm and the free doughnuts will also be given out at 7.30pm. In Sydney and Melbourne, the fun will kick off at 7pm, carols will begin at 7.30pm, and the displays and free doughnuts will commence at 8.30pm. While 4000 doughnuts will be available nationally, that's 1000 at each of the four outlets. So, if you want to kick off your Friday night with a free sweet and doughy treat, you'll want to get in relatively early. They're on offer until close or until stocks last, whichever comes first, and there's only one available per person. Krispy Kreme's free doughnut giveaway is happening at the chain's stores in Penrith in Sydney, Bulleen in Melbourne, Redbank Plains in Brisbane and Myaree in Perth on Friday, November 29. For further information, head to the Krispy Kreme website.
In the two decades that Gelato Messina has been in dessert business, over 4000 special flavours have made their way through the chain's gelato cabinets around the country. Yes, that's a lot of frosty and creamy scoops. To celebrate some of these oldies but goodies, the chain brings a selection of these flavours back every now and then — and, sometimes, it busts out its entire top 40 greatest hits. That's happening again this winter, so you'd best make room in your freezer. Lucky Sydneysiders, Melburnians and Brisbanites will be able to treat themselves to a treasure trove of limited-edition gelato flavours. While, in the past, the greatest hits specials have been a buy-in-shop-only deal, the chain went with preordered tubs in 2020 — so no one had to worry about long queues and empty cabinets — and it's doing the same thing again this year. Gelato fiends can preorder 473-millilitre tubs of the 40 flavours from Monday, June 27. You'll then need to pick them up from Sydney's Rosebery, Tramsheds, Bondi, Darlinghurst, Norwest and Brighton Le Sands stores; Melbourne's Fitzroy and East Brunswick stores; and Brisbane's South Brisbane store between Friday, July 8–Sunday, July 10. Individual tubs are filled with just one flavour and will set you back $16, or you can get three for $45, six for $85, nine for $125 or — if you have the freezer space — 20 for $260. Wondering which flavours are available? Messina has dropped the full list of faves making a comeback — and it's stacked with deliciousness (just like your freezer will be). Jon Snow (white chocolate gelato with dark chocolate mud cake and almond praline), Fairy Bread (toast and butter gelato with 100s & 1000s) and Robert Brownie Jnr (milk chocolate gelato, chocolate brownie and chocolate fudge sauce) will all return in tub form. So will Hodor (peanut and milk chocolate gelato with caramel brownie and caramel fudge) and You Make Me Unicorny (milk gelato with vanilla poundcake and 100s and 1000s clusters), too. Love Messina's takes on other beloved desserts? Have a Gay Old Time riffs on Golden Gaytimes, the lamington and pavlova flavours recreate the obvious as gelato, and so do the Anzac biscuits and apple pie varieties — and they're all on the list as well. Good luck trying to choose just one, or even a mere few. Gelato Messina's Greatest Hits will be available to preorder on Monday, June 27 with pick up between Friday, July 8–Sunday, July 10 from Sydney's Rosebery, Tramsheds, Bondi, Darlinghurst, Norwest and Brighton Le Sands stores; Melbourne's Fitzroy and East Brunswick stores; and Brisbane's South Brisbane store.
This sleek-yet-cosy cafe on Rangers Road is just a stone's throw from bustling Military Road, but feels worlds away. So although you're spoiled for choice when it comes to brunch spots in Neutral Bay, At Neutral is well worth a stop in. Expect the usual suspects on the breakfast menu, but with some unique dishes thrown in such as the Za'atar roasted eggplant with sunflower seed cream, roasted cherry tomatoes, crispy curry leaves and dukkah on toasted sourdough ($19). Or, if you're after an OTT brekkie, order the lobster toast served with citrus creme fraiche, pickled fennel, finger lime, fresh greens, anchovy oil and 63-degree egg ($21). Coffee here is from local roastery Calibrate Coffee and, for the sweet tooths among us, there's a selection of pastries on offer, too — think house-made muffins, friands and flaky croissants.
One of the most-stunning parts of New South Wales, and Australia, now boasts a new reason for locals, Sydneysiders and interstate visitors to make a date with its spectacular scenery — and a new way to get immersed in its heritage-listed wonders. Everyone should visit the Blue Mountains at least once in their life. Everyone should combine that trip with soaking in Blue Mountains National Park. And now, everyone should also hike along Blue Mountains' Grand Cliff Top Walk. Back in 2019, it was announced that the popular trail — which passes many waterfalls and lookouts on Gundungurra Country, and offers up some dazzling views of the national park and its many eucalpyts— was getting up upgrade to the tune of $10 million. It's taken some time, but the results have been unveiled. Walking the full new stretch now means taking a two-day, 19-kilometre journey, including along more than 4000 steps and ten kilometres of track that have been newly added. Among the highlights: the rainforest, falls such as Wentworth Falls and Katoomba Cascades, and peering out over the Jamison Valley towards Mount Solitary, for starters. You'll also potentially spy everything from lyrebirds and yellow-tailed black cockatoos as you wander between lookouts, including on restored 100-year-old sandstone paths. And, the Three Sisters Aboriginal Place is on the walk as well. If you're keen to experience the entire new Grand Cliff Top Walk, it's suggested that you take an 11-kilometre stroll on the first day, beginning at Wentworth Falls, with Gordon Falls at Leura your destination. Then, on day two, you can enjoy an eight-kilometre walk that kicks off at the same spot, heading to Scenic World at Katoomba via the Three Sisters. The entire route is planned around access and accommodation, so the idea is that folks can spend two days putting one foot in front of the other is scenic surroundings without needing to carry a huge backpacks or take camping equipment with them. Walkers will also find public transport handy at either end, as well as dining options. If that still sounds like a massive endeavour, you can make your way along sections of the track as half-day or full-day walks instead. There's also guided tour options, starting with a two-hour hike with a NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service ranger. Find the Grand Cliff Top Walk in Blue Mountains National Park, starting at Wentworth Falls and ending at Katoomba. Head to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website for further details. Images: R Brand.
At about 70 calories per shot, gin is among the lowest-calorie alcohols out there. It provides cocktail aficionados all the more reason to pair it with something comparatively unhealthy. Like, say, ice cream. With that in mind, let us introduce you to the Negroni Float, a cocktail created by the fine people at Melbourne Gin Company. The innovative drink combines the Italian stallion cocktail (that is, the Negroni), with vanilla ice cream to create what is essentially a soft drink spider, but alcoholic for adults. If you're convinced that gin is your arch-nemesis and will never grow to like the spirit — this is an excellent gateway drink. The sweetness and slight bitterness of the Campari and blood orange soda is a concoction that may just win you over. We can't promise that you'll be able to successfully order it over the bar, but you can sure make it at home. Here's how. THE NEGRONI FLOAT INGREDIENTS 30ml Melbourne Gin Company dry gin 30ml Campari CAPI blood orange soda vanilla ice cream blueberries ice (optional) DIRECTIONS Over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, add the gin, Campari and blood orange soda. Garnish with blueberries, and it's good to go.
You don't need binoculars or a deerstalker cap to be a sleuth. If you're keen to investigate new cases at the press of a few buttons, all you really need is a stacked streaming queue. TV mysteries and dramas are full of whodunnits, after all. And, while they're filled with on-screen folks trying to get to the bottom of many a thorny predicament, they're also all perfect for letting viewers play armchair detective at home. Perhaps you're excellent at spotting tiny foreshadowing details? Maybe you have a great feel for television's twists and turns? Or, you could just love escaping into a series, lapping up all the minutiae and seeing if you can pick what's going to happen next? Whichever category fits, we've paired up with streaming platform Binge to take care of your next five viewing picks. They'll have you puzzling along as you're watching — including via a 14-day free trial for new customers.
If you're a devourer of books and words, you can look forward to feasting on a hefty lineup of talks, workshops, panels and more, when the Emerging Writers' Festival returns for 2022. After all-digital instalments in 2020 and last year, the fest will be back to hosting a jam-packed program of IRL events, though handily, a stack of them will also be accessible online. Running from Wednesday, June 15–Saturday, June 25, this year's edition has events for all varieties of lit-lover and writing enthusiast, featuring over 150 artists. EWF favourite Amazing Babes will see a cast of familiar faces sharing stories about the women, real and imagined, who've helped shape their lives; while the return of the National Writers' Conference will deliver a day of panels, workshops and pitching sessions headlined by the likes of Yassmin Abdel-Magied, and award-winning author and editor Jennifer Down (Bodies of Light). On Friday, June 17 and 24, you can head to State Library Victoria to be serenaded by stunning soundscapes and spoken word for Bodies of Sound, while on June 23, the Scienceworks Planetarium hosts a special full-dome screening of Starlight followed by the sharing of responsive works by two emerging writers. You can also up your own writing skills with an array of masterclasses and workshops covering everything from zines to narrative audio, catch inspiring exhibitions and readings, and celebrate all things mateship at performance-meets-speed-friending event Best Bookish Friends.
Since making her movie debut as "girl in a blue truck" in Dazed and Confused, then popping up in a Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel, Renee Zellweger has enjoyed quite the career. She belted out a tune on a rooftop in Empire Records, told Tom Cruise that he had her at hello in Jerry Maguire and became everyone's favourite romantically challenged Briton in three Bridget Jones flicks. Then, she razzle-dazzled her way to an Oscar nomination in Chicago, before nabbing a coveted statuette for Cold Mountain. It's an impressive resume. So, when we say that Judy may just be Zellweger's best work, we don't make that statement lightly. Stepping into a famous figure's shoes might be one of acting's most difficult feats, especially when that person is cinema royalty, but Zellweger doesn't ever feel like she's just impersonating Judy Garland. Rather, she wears Garland's ruby slippers as if they're her own — and they fit perfectly. Technically, because Judy is set in the year leading up to the eponymous star's death, Zellweger doesn't literally don that iconic pair of footwear, with the film enlisting newcomer Darci Shaw to do the honours in flashbacks to Garland's teenage years. Zellweger doesn't need glittering shoes to inhabit the part, though; with nuance and intensity simmering through her performance, she shines brighter than any jewel-toned item of clothing ever has. While the aforementioned leaps back into the past show where Garland started, the expectations placed upon her and the destructive impact of her showbiz childhood, Judy spends the bulk of its duration in 1969. Garland is 46, with more than four decades of experience to her name, but she's scrounging for work. Deemed unemployable by Hollywood's insurance agencies, which nixes her cinema stardom, The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis and A Star Is Born talent sings and dances through touring stage shows instead. Both broke and homeless, she's trying to provide for two of her children (Bella Ramsey and Lewin Lloyd). So, when she reluctantly takes a long series of gigs in London, it's largely to earn enough cash so she doesn't have to keep travelling away from her kids afterwards. Given the above state of affairs, plus years of using prescription pills to stay awake and to get to sleep (and drinking as well), Garland isn't in prime physical, emotional or mental health during Judy's period of focus. Remaining in the public eye since she was two has clearly taken its toll, understandably. And, while Garland knows this, she's addicted to the thrill of being in the spotlight — and she has an ego to with it, too, as her interactions with her British minder (Jessie Buckley) demonstrate. Still, what a joy it is to spend time with Zellweger's version of Garland, and not only when she's wowing crowds while strutting across the stage. In an always hypnotic, often heartbreaking portrayal that illustrates the star's on-stage strength and behind-the-scenes sorrow in tandem, Zellweger turns every scene into a revelation. Watching as Garland dotes over her youngest offspring, attends a party with her twenty-something daughter Liza Minnelli (Gemma-Leah Devereux) and falls swiftly for her fifth husband (Finn Wittrock), viewers see the yearning heart of someone who just wants to love and be loved in return. In her messier moments, of which there are many, we feel the kind of aching pain that all the cheering fans in the world can't fix. And, when she's crooning a greatest-hits collection from across her career — including 'Get Happy' and, of course, 'Over the Rainbow' — we understand why she keeps doing what she does even when it's almost killing her. For existing Garland aficionados, the result is like trotting down the yellow brick road — you can bask in all the glorious details you've ever wanted, while also getting a glimpse behind the curtain at the stark reality behind the magic. And if The Wizard of Oz is your only real frame of reference for Garland, Judy wholeheartedly explains that the now-80-year-old classic was neither the beginning nor the end of her tale. Accordingly, in adapting stage musical Over the Rainbow for the screen, director Rupert Goold (TV's The Hollow Crown) and writer Tom Edge (The Crown) have hit the biopic jackpot. There's a sense of formula at work in Judy's storytelling, as can happen in showbiz portraits, but it captures its subject in a winning way. And, come next year, Zellweger will likely be winning plenty more awards for her efforts — for such a captivating performance that does justice to a legend, she deserves to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C61wB6DTwiA
As part of the flurry of new streaming services competing for our eyeballs, FanForce TV joined the online viewing fold during the COVID-19 pandemic — with the pay-per-view platform not only screening movies, but pairing them with virtual Q&A sessions as well. That's a point of difference all year round, but the service also goes the extra mile for National Reconciliation Week, which is when it hosts the Virtual Indigenous Film Festival. In 2022, that'll take place between Thursday, May 26–Monday, May 30, all solely online. The returning event will showcase five titles: the first two episodes of TV series Firebite; films My Name is Gulpilil, Off Country and Wash My Soul in the River's Flow; plus shorts by up-and-coming First Nations talent. That means you can watch your way through an array of Aussie content focused on Indigenous stories, spanning both dramas and documentaries — and exploring race relations in the process. Sessions will also feature guest speakers, with filmmakers Tanith-Glynn-Maloney, Molly Reynolds and John Harvey among those doing the chatting. And, viewers can tune in on a film-by-film basis, or buy an all-access pass to tune into everything. Top image: Firebite, Ian Routledge/AMC+.
We in the media received a funny but perturbing press release a few weeks ago regarding what's perhaps the Sydney Theatre Company's most anticipated production of the year, Waiting for Godot. "[The cast have] been waiting for a man who will never turn up," it read. "They’ve been waiting for director Tamás Ascher." Oh most fortuitous of tragedies! Lacking probably the most important person on set has never looked so promising. After Ascher was ruled unable to fly from Hungary due to an injury, rehearsals proceeded in an uncertain manner, with STC artistic director Andrew Upton running the room and eventually stepping wholly into the director's role, Ascher's translator and dramaturg Anna Lengyel acting as something of an Ascher-by-proxy, and everyone involved trying to interpret the text in the spirit of Ascher but without getting too servile about it (actor Richard Roxburgh writes amusingly of the experience for the SMH). Fortunately, through all that, they've pulled off a ripper of a Godot and absolutely one of the year's most memorable shows. The play is famous as the defining work of absurdism on stage, capturing the utter pointlessness of human existence in its form — in other words, not the most enjoyable comedy around. And yet, in this team's hands, it's a consuming, almost fun three hours. Waiting for Godot is, in case you missed it, about two guys waiting for Godot. Occasionally they meet another two guys, who are not Godot. Vladimir (Hugo Weaving), usually called 'Didi', and Estragon (Roxburgh), or 'Gogo', are chums, or at least have been bound together beneath this barren tree for some time — the habitual odd couple. When the spectral, silent and decrepit Lucky (Luke Mullins) enters, pulling his imperious master Pozzo (Philip Quast) by rope, then… well, then nothing. It has no consequence. But it's a spectacular diversion. After intermission, much the same thing happens, though the words are different and the tree has grown three leaves. Playwright Samuel Beckett was notoriously controlling over how Waiting for Godot was performed, and his estate continues that vigilance, meaning that you pretty much know what you're going to get with a production of Godot. Without huge leeway for interpretation, a lot of the interest comes from the pairing of actors, and Weaving and Roxburgh are sublime. Not only are they heavyweights of Australian drama, they're hilarious together, with an easy chemistry and camaraderie that led Ascher to envisage them in the roles while they were all working on Uncle Vanya in 2011. Roxburgh's Estragon is the grumpy, sincere clown of the piece, while Weaving's more with-it Vladimir still has wide-eyed optimism and relish. Their performances are not totally but nearly naturalistic, such that their tete a tetes seem quite coherent; it might not be Beckett's ideal, but it is appropriately earthy for a contemporary Australian audience. More flourish comes from the magisterial Quast (you can get an idea of the man's sheer presence in this clip from his famous performance as Javert in Les Miserables) and Mullins, who is unrecognisable as Lucky. After being utterly abused and put upon, Lucky is required to speak just once, and to see it is basically traumatic (in a good way). This is a once-in-a-lifetime cast of talent. Complete with a set by Zsolt Khell (one of Hungary's leading stage designers and a frequent Ascher collaborator) that could take up hours of your attention on its own and beautifully intense chiaroscuro-casting lighting by the wonderful Nick Schlieper, STC's Godot is definitive. Absurd beginnings have produced magnificent ends. Image by Lisa Tomasetti.
The legends at Harry's in Surry Hills are launching a mouthwatering addition to their food offering: a new rotisserie and grill that will be feeding hungry guests with classic roast meals. The world-leading rotisserie manufacturer, Rotisol Rotisserie, has touched down on Australian soil to cure the chook cravings of hungry Sydneysiders everywhere. Group Executive Chef Danny Corbett has curated the rotisserie menu to include juicy chickens served half or whole, succulent Kinross lamb legs and slices of Berkshire porchetta on fresh sourdough baguettes. The sides include familiar favourites like fries and fresh cos salad or rotisserie potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, creamy mash and classic veggies. The new rotisserie and grill selection allows groups of two and above to dine banquet style, tucking into fat roast potatoes, pork sage and onion stuffing alongside fresh salads and vegetables alongside their choice on meats. "Our new menu is a celebration of Australian produce, featuring free-range, ethically sourced chicken, porchetta from Berkshire pigs in northern NSW, and Kinross lamb direct from Holbrook, hand-picked from Hampshire Down sheep" Corbett shares. For guests wanting to switch things up, Harry's is also offering its signature chicken or pork in taco form, adding a flavourful kick to your meal. The extended menu also boasts pastrami and pickles, Merguez sausage roll and potato scallops with malt vinegar to really drive home the traditional chook shop dinner vibes. Group Drinks Director, Joshua Reynolds has mixed up a new signature cocktail offering to complement the new dining menu. The Bees Knees takes inspiration from Parisian bars in the 1920s, with "wild eucalyptus honey bolstered by the juniper, piney citrus notes of the gin, balanced delicately by the fresh lemon juice", Reynolds explains. His other creations include the rose and elderflower spritz, a refined lychee martini, and Harry's jungle rum punch. "We've added the Harry's spin on it, spiking it with vast amounts of fresh passionfruit and a touch of almond." Reynolds adds. But wait, there's more. Harry's Rotisserie & Grill is shouting lunch for local roast lovers through a street level takeaway window. On Thursday, October 10, you can grab a free Hot Chicken & Gravy or Porchetta and Lamb roll! Available on a first-come first-serve basis, from 12–2pm, or until sold out. And the Harry's offers don't stop at the rotisserie oven door. Dining deals are on the table all week long with $10 Burger Wednesdays, $5 Taco Tuesdays and more pub classics everyday. The refreshed menu also features a new grill section including quick Minute Steaks, 300g Five Founders rump steaks or a Scotch fillet for Sydney carnivores with a big appetite. Harry's Rotisserie and Grill is open now. For more details, visit the Hotel Harry's website.
The once majestic, Egyptian god-like, white ibis has fallen in status to become the lowly, festering bin chicken that gets about looking like privates on a decapitated swan, making noise, and generally being straight-up gross. Champion for the underdog David Johns, who on the surface would look like just a guy who makes videos on YouTube for fun, is also apparently an expert on the subtle wonders of the notoriously grotty airborne horror show. The filmmaker has put together this delightful, short, Planet Earth-like documentary on the lives and stories of the common bin chicken. Behold. There's a brief moment where you feel you might start to feel for the plight of the white ibis, all alone in the big city, misunderstood, and universally loathed. But then there's the "regurgitated bin juice", and all pity is tossed into the wind. If we are truly to be stuck with the bin chicken until our days are done, and the time of the ibis rises, at least we've stuff like this to laugh at.
For a few nights in May, The Annandale Hotel will be taken over by bourbon cocktails, burgers and art by some of Australia's most impressive young artists. Sip on a Wild Turkey Kentucky Firebird — a bourbon cocktail that's been live-smoked with American oak wood chips, and combines bitter and sweet with Grand Marnier, Cinzano Rosso and Maraschino. Josh Arthurs (of the legendary burger pop-up Burgers by Josh) will be serving up a bourbon burger to match. The Wild South Burger (inspired by turkey and bourbon) is loaded with wagyu beef, chipotle mayo, sweet and sour pickles and Wild Turkey peach and barbecue sauce. There will be some barrels about, too — decorated with a unique gallery of artworks from Australian artists including ARIA award-winning musician Bertie Blackman, street artist and sculptor Will Coles (he's the guy who sculpts washing machines and balaclavas into the city) and mixed-media legend Nikolaus Dolman. It's all to celebrate leading Australian talent who embody the ethos of 'doing things your way', just like three generations of the Russell family have done in creating Wild Turkey American bourbon for over 100 years with their own traditional distilling process. Really, it's just a good chance for you to see some great art, try out a few bourbon cocktails and eat a delicious burger at the Annandale Hotel.
To celebrate the launch of the IKEA PS 2017 collection, IKEA will be hosting a free underground exhibition in Paddington. The walk-through exhibition will showcase unique insights into the IKEA design process, and will include a series of workshops and inspirational gallery walls that bring to life the stories behind the products and the creative process behind IKEA PS 2017. The collection is brought together by 17 urban designers (two Australian designers) from around the world — showcasing 50 pieces that focus on the notion of flexible, open living. It's full of furniture and textiles that fold up, pack down and roll up for small living spaces. Designers were challenged to explore new materials and production techniques perfect for a multifunctional home. Within the collection, there are innovative pieces like a chair made out of cushions and a quilt that transforms into one. Marbled vases are made from recycled glass — as environmentally friendly as they are beautiful. The collection explores the future of design as it accompanies the changing nature of the home. As part of the exhibition, held in the Eastern Chamber of Paddington Reservoir this week, Australian designers Kate and Joel Booy (of Studio Truly Truly) will be hosting a design Q&A that focuses on exploring creativity and harnessing innovation in design. Each morning of the exhibition there will be a Sunrise Mindfulness workshop, where guests are invited to morning mindfulness and meditation sessions, and a Furnishing with Light workshop will explain how light can be used as a means of design in the home. The exhibition is open from 9am - 7.30pm on Thursday February 9 and Friday February 10, and 9am - 4pm on Saturday February 11. It takes place in the Eastern Chamber of Paddington Reservoir. Register for workshops here.
Update Monday, June 12: East 33 is looking to help you through Sydney's latest lockdown with its winter range of oysters, as well as oyster and champagne packages and at-home cocktail recipes via Instagram. By now you've probably mastered the art of pickling and tried your hand at bread baking. And sure, becoming a whiz in the kitchen is great and all, but sometimes it's important to treat yourself a little — even in iso. Whether you've finally organised your bookshelf, reached that work deadline or just made it through the day, it's worth celebrating the small wins. So, next time you're in need of a little at-home indulgence crack open a bottle of bubbly and order yourself a tray of some of the finest oysters around thanks to East 33's new next-day delivery service. A collective of Australia's major Sydney rock oyster farmers located along the NSW coast, East 33 usually supplies some of the country's — and the world's — top restaurants. But with the temporary nationwide closure of restaurants, bars and cafes, East 33 has changed tact with its new service 33 Delivery, meaning you can have a fine dining experience from your couch. If you're an oyster fan, you already know that Sydney rocks are the considered some of the best of the bivalves. And, for a limited time, East 33's dropping them to your door at reasonable prices, with free delivery. Do yourself, your partner or your housemates a favour and order some stat. You can either get them shucked or unshucked, with prices starting at $59 for a tray of two dozen. If you want to sample Sydney rocks from up and down the coastline, opt for the East 33 Tasting Pack ($69) which features eight from northern NSW, including Nambucca, Hastings River and Camden Haven; eight from the central coast regions of Port Stephens, Manning River and Wallis Lake; and eight from the south coast areas of Merimbula, Pambula and Lake Wapengo. Delivery is free and is available across Sydney's inner suburbs, eastern suburbs, inner west, north shore and northern beaches. To see all shipping locations, head here. East 33's new next-day delivery service is available across a heap of Sydney suburbs for a limited time only. For more information and to place your order here.
The names Sonny Day and Biddy Maroney sound more like superheroes than commercial illustrators, but with their forces joined they become webuyyourkids. Kirstie Sequitin talks to Sonny ahead of their appearance at Semi-Permanent Brisbane. Have you had any negative reactions to the name webuyyourkids? Um, a few. If we had thought more about this before we started we probably would have called our selves something else. I think we get more raised eyebrows and "Sorry, did you say webuyyourkids? " than anything. It's always funny calling up a company up and them asking where you are calling from. What would you call yourselves otherwise? "Fishfingers" could work? How do you come up with concepts for each piece? In particular, the Best Coast print with the skateboarding legs coming out of the head of a cat and Washington's 'Clementine' video... Good question, there's always an idea or something that comes to mind when we first start on an image. With Best Coast, we knew they loved cats so we started there. The skateboarding legs are female and that just seemed like a natural theme there. And we were just trying something new with composition. Most images come together quite naturally. Clementine was just a simple graphic that popped into my head listening to the song and we just filled it out and built it up with references to the dead miner's daughter from the traditional Clementine song. I guess we're lucky it never feels like we have to go looking to hard for ideas or concepts - they usually just reveal themselves when you are considering the band / music / product / company you're working for and the brief you've been given. Who or what's been inspiring you and Biddy lately and how does it come through in your work? Loads of people, I think we are really into a lot of Japanese psychedelic stuff from the 60s and 70s at the moment and I think that's showing up in the work we are making. Tadanori Yokoo, Keiichi Tanaami are probably the most well known. Peter Max and other designers from the late 60s as well. I think that we are trying to simplify the work that we make too - Enzo Mari is an Italian designer from the 50s Biddy recently stumbled across doing a Google and he's great. I think the influence of all these artists' colour palettes and their approach to simple shapes and strange compositions is very apparent in our work. Your work is so multi-faceted, what's your favourite and least favourite medium or aspect of each medium to work with? Sonny - I love drawing in pen and pencil - I only work in mediums I like so can't list any I don't. Biddy - I do everything on the computer, so - Photoshop! Gig posters and animations are the most fun jobs we do. You've got some pretty high-profile clients - Tourism Victoria, Qantas, St Jerome's Laneway Festival, amongst others - how did you catch your big break? Many jobs have come through our agency the Jacky Winter Group - they are constantly working to bring their illustrators work. And the rest is through someone seeing and liking a job we've already done, or us having worked previously with that client before. For example Laneway Festival came to us after seeing our Popfrenzy posters. The Qantas job came to us as we'd worked with the designer previously when we did the Dungog Film Festival poster. We got the Dungog job because the client wanted a picture of a cow and they liked the cow/bull we drew in the Clementine video.... You'll be sharing your pearls of wisdom at Semi-Permanent next Friday, but can you share the one imperative piece of information that every creative should know before they start their career? Do stuff for yourself, make work for yourself and try to have fun. Don't stay up too late. Drink lots of water. That's about six things isn't it? Finally, why is your Nine Lives exhibition called John Carpenter? I don't think I've even seen any of the Halloween movies... It's called John Carpenter because we've made a series of work that are based on some of his classic movies from the 70s and 80s. I wanted to make some images in reaction to those films, and this seemed like a good time to do it. Sonny and Biddy will be talking as part of the Semi-Permanent conference at the Brisbane Convention and Entertainment Centre this Friday. Image credit: Les Savy Fav screen print (2011) by webuyyourkids
One of Australia's most celebrated artists is the subject of a new exhibition on its way to Sydney after a premiere at Melbourne's National Gallery of Victoria. Co-presented by NGV Australia along with the Art Gallery of New South Wales, John Olsen: The You Beaut Country celebrates the incredible work of the eponymous painter, who for more than 50 years has captured the breathtaking Australian landscape in a way that few other artists ever have. On display at AGNSW from March 10 until June 12, the exhibition is focused primarily on Olsen's output from the 1960s, after the artist spent three years travelling around Europe. Alongside these works visitors will find a number of more recent pieces, including paintings, prints and watercolours. As always, the exhibition will be complemented by a number of gallery events, including a public conversation with the artist hosted by the Gallery's director Dr Michael Brand, guided tours and artmaking workshops that draw on Olsen's art for inspiration.
After playing two balloted shows that sold out faster than you could say "Best New Music", The xx have made good on their promise that they would come back in 2013 to sate the appetites of everyone who missed out. Now that they've released their second album, Coexist, the buzz around the trio is only louder. But Jamie Smith, Romy Madley Croft, and Oliver Sim are capable of being heard above the din by turning up the volume on one of the most valuable (and most underrated) instruments of all — silence. Their strength is seen through the gaps between bone-chilling reverbs and papery vocals, and they're sexy because they don't specifically mention sex. That's not to say The xx don't get noise. They get much of their inspiration from London's dark techno dance scene, and Jamie and Romy both have thriving satellite careers as DJs. The trio's bankability is bigger than ever, so be sure your credit card is handy and your clicking finger poised when tickets go on sale at noon on January 15. More information on the Handsome Tours website. UPDATE: Thursday, April 4, at Festival Hall in Melbourne, and Sunday, April 7, at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney have sold out. New shows have been added at Festival Hall on Friday 5th and the Hordern on Saturday 6th. There are still tickets available to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday, April 9. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_nW5AF0m9Zw
British comedian Eddie Izzard once suggested humanity reaching the moon was proof that God didn't exist. "Because," Izzard says, "if you invent some creatures, put them on the blue one and they make it to the grey one, you f***ing well turn up and say well done." Well, whether it was missed by any celestial beings upstairs or not, if you're keen to commemorate all things space and reminisce about our voyage into infinity and beyond, make tracks to Sydney Festival to celebrate 50 years since the moon landing. From gravity-defying aerial performances to cosmos-themed installations, we've jotted down some of the best ways to explore the city and commemorate that time we got to "the grey one" half a century ago. And what's more, each lunar happening below is completely free.
UPDATE: JANUARY 30, 2020 — Due to "current community health concerns", organisers have postponed Burwood Chinatown's Lunar New Year festival. The two weeks of celebrations will now run from May 18–30 to coincide with the dining precinct's birthday. The 1000 free bubble tea giveaway will also go ahead, but slightly later on Friday, May 22 and Friday, May 29. Free bubble tea. Mochi doughnuts. Fried chicken. Burwood Chinatown is throwing one tasty party to celebrate the incoming Year of the Rat. The inner west dining precinct's Lunar New Year celebrations kick off on Thursday, January 23 and run all the way through till Saturday, February 8, with different after-dark happenings each day. As well as nightly ping pong games, you'll find pop-ups from Dirty Bird and Demochi Donut on Thursday, January 30 and Friday, January 31 from 5pm–9.30pm, and 2 Smoking Arabs and Duo Duo Ice Cream the following week on Thursday, February 6 and Friday, February 7 from 12–9.30pm. Dragon and lion dance performances will fill the area on Saturday, February 8 and 500 free bubble teas will be given away at 6pm on Friday, January 31 and again the following Friday. To snag yours, just head along to the Burwood Chinatown grounds (via Clarendon Place) and pick up a milk or fruit tea courtesy of the precinct's six bubble tea makers: Chatime, Cha Ball, King Tea, Milk Flower, The Burwood Hotel or The Whale Tea.
Showing your love for Gelato Messina's wares is easy. When you're not tucking into its regular scoops and nabbing its specials, you can don its merchandise line or get saucy with its personal lubricant. And, you can sip your way through Messina cocktails, too, including the returning Easter option that Cocktail Porter will bring to you. No, a ready-to-drink tipple won't arrive at your door. Instead, this Messina DIY drinks kit lets you whip up your own boozy beverages — and, because it's that time of year, you'll be sipping the end results out of an Easter egg. You read that correctly, because what's the point of being an adult at Easter if you can't combine sweet treats with alcohol, and do so in quite the OTT (but delicious) way? Going big on salted caramel, this kit helps solve the familiar dilemma everyone has had since they hit drinking age. No one likes choosing between tucking into an orb of chocolate and having another beverage, after all, and now you don't have to. One note: there isn't actually any gelato as part of the pack, but the cocktails do use Messina's popular dulce de leche topping as a pivotal ingredient. So, you'll get that, as well as Baileys, cold-drip coffee and Mr Black Coffee Liqueur. You'll also receive chocolate Easter eggs, obviously, which you'll pour your mixed liquids into — as well as pieces of salted caramel popcorn to pop on top. You can pick between two different-sized packs, with the small kit costing $80 and making five drinks, and the large costing $145 and making 12. Cocktail Porter delivers Australia-wide, if that's your Easter drinking plans sorted. To order Cocktail Porter's salted caramel Easter egg cocktail kit, head to the Cocktail Porter website.
The relentlessly relentless Mary's is gearing up to bring together some of Australia's best chefs and wine makers for Jump in the Fire, a new monthly event that champions boutique drops and creative versions of the mighty burger. As with all happenings at Mary's, you can count on a fast pace, a lot of fun and loads of noise. Stealing its title from the fourth track of Metallica's debut album Kill 'Em All — a long-standing Mary's favourite — the event will take place on the last Monday of every month, when the typical hospitality worker's weekend begins. While some evenings will involve pre-dinner masterclasses, others will be dedicated to wine appreciation. Lurking in the corner will be locals DJs and bands. Jump In The Fire kicks off on Monday, 27 August, with a South Australian collaboration, starring South African-born, French-trained chef Duncan Welgemoed of Adelaide's Africola alongside wine maker Taras Ochota of Ochota Barrels, Adelaide Hills. They'll be pouring new releases and museum pieces, serving French Dip Burgers and listening to the Dead Kennedys from 6pm. In September, Victoria will take the reigns, when chef Josh Murphy travels from West Footscray's neighbourhood eatery Harley & Rose, accompanied by sommelier Campbell Burton of Campbell Burton Wines, a wine distributor dedicated to small-batch, organic drops. Both previously worked at Fitzroy gastropub Builder's Arms. Come October, it'll be Tassie's turn, with representation from Hobart-based chef Luke Burgess (ex-Garagiste, Gun for Hire, Handsome Man) and Roger and Sue of Living Wines, a small importer that specialises in organic, biodynamic European wines. Finally, as the last Monday in November bids farewell to spring, Sydney will strut its stuff, with the entrance of the powerhouse Italian sibling duo of Paddington's 10 William Street: sommelier Giovanni Paradiso and head chef Enrico Tomelleri.
Famous for its 55-minute workouts and worldwide following, Barry's Bootcamp has become a fitness heavyweight since first setting up shop in West Hollywood back in 1998 — and now it's bringing its studios to Australia. From September 2018, Sydneysiders will be able to put themselves through Barry's high-intensity interval training sessions in Surry Hills, Martin Place and another yet-to-be-revealed CBD location. Then, in early 2019, the brand will set up its first Melbourne location. If you're a gym junkie, celebrity obsessive or just familiar with the term "Barry's body", then you'll have heard of Barry's. Already active in 18 cities around the globe — including Los Angeles, New York, Milan, London and Dubai — it's claimed that the studio's sessions burn over 4000 kilojoules. That's thanks to a regimented program that incorporates 25 minutes of treadmill work, 25 minutes of strength and conditioning with free weights and resistance bands, and then a five-minute cool-down. The focus of each class changes daily across Barry's weekly schedule, with each session targeting a different muscle group. As extra motivation, Barry's classes are held in high-energy red rooms, complete with mood lighting and the kind of music you're more likely to hear in a nightclub. Adding to the vibe, each location features its own bar serving up locally designed shakes and smoothies — and patrons will also be able to buy workout outfits onsite. "From the time the client arrives in studio to when they're ready to leave, we've accounted for every step of their visit to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience," says Australian head of operations Heston Russell, who's overseeing the brand's local launch alongside fellow fitness guru Blake Bridges. That might be their aim, but we're guessing everyone else's involves working out and finding a new spot for luxe gym Instagram posts. Find Barry's Bootcamp at Sydney's Surry Hills, Martin Place and another yet-to-be-revealed CBD location from September 2018, and in Melbourne from early 2019. Visit the Barry's Bootcamp website for further information.
If you're watching a film in a darkened theatre without some sort of snack in your hand, are you really at the cinema? Lovers of popcorn and choc tops certainly don't think so. And while whipping up a bowl of popped corn kernels in the microwave is a rather easy way to help recreate that movie magic at home at the moment, enjoying a choc top — a proper cinema-quality choc top, not just your own attempt — isn't quite that simple while Australian picture palaces are temporarily closed. To help satisfy Australia's choc top cravings during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoyts has been delivering them (and popcorn and other movie snacks as well). Other cinemas have been selling the desserts, too, such as Melbourne's Cinema Nova and Sydney's Golden Age Cinema and Bar. But if you'd just like to grab a few from the supermarket, you'll now find Bulla's choc tops in Coles' freezer aisle for a limited period. It's the first time that Bulla's choc tops have been available outside of movie theatres, with different flavours on offer in different states. Ice cream fiends in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania can lick their way through mint, vanilla, salted caramel, and cookies and cream varieties, while Queenslanders, Western Australians and South Australians can opt for mint, vanilla, choc fudge and boysenberry. https://www.instagram.com/p/CArIHWhgWUg/ Bulla and Coles haven't revealed just how long the choc tops will be on the freezer shelves; however the fact that the majority of cinemas aren't aiming to reopen in Australia until mid-July might be a good guide. Find Bulla's choc tops in the Coles freezer aisle for a limited time. For further details, visit the Bulla or Coles websites.
What do we love? Summer, obviously. Pashing the pool boy. Palm trees. Pina Coladas. But how will the ice cream-licking public know that we love these things? We need some fresh accessory, some new sartorial canvas with which to advertise our priorities in life. "Aha," muse Soludos and We Are Handsome simultaneously. "We shall bring summer to the feet of the people." Hence, the We Are Handsome x Soludos collection, comprising the first-ever digitally printed photographic espadrilles. The evocative collection is the latest collab by Soludos; past partners in creative crime have included Opening Ceremony, Mara Hoffman and Bassike. Not to be alarmist, but this is a limited edition exclusive to Australia and the US, so it might sell out stat. It's got four classic WAH prints adorning the breezy 100 percent cotton uppers of espadrilles ($67) as well as hot sexy derby-style lace-ups ($81). The numero uno design is arguably the vintage Miami Hideaway lace-ups, which, let's face it, you should probably just wear on your hands because they're too good for feet. WAH director Jeremy Somers honours the Paradise and Tropical prints with this most noble creed: "Living a never-ending summer is what both Soludos and We Are Handsome are all about, and nothing personifies this better than the iconic image of the humble, but fantastic palm tree." Indeed. And who's that, prowling through the foliage? Why, it's the Vagabond, an escapee from Siegfried and Roy's. "Whether it’s a panda, eagle or lion face bikini bottom, I’ve always loved the unexpected, bold tongue-in-cheek attitude and vivid '80s-inspired photo print design of We Are Handsome," says Soludos founder Nick Brown. "It's been a really fun process working with We Are Handsome and we have ended up with some wild designs that capture both brands' love for all things summer." Amen, and can we please have a music video with Solange dancing in these? It just feels right.
It's time for natural wine drinkers and Australiana lovers to unite, with a new country club-style vino bar arriving on Enmore Road to help kick off 2023. A blockbuster crew of accomplished hospitality mainstays is teaming up to bring the Enmore Country Club, a neighbourhood bar drenched in 70s throwback nostalgia, to the Inner West from Tuesday, January 17. Taking over Cottonmouth Records' former digs at 182 Enmore Road, the 70-seat venue arrives with Dan McBride and Dynn Szmulewicz at the helm. You may have had a wine or cocktail at one of McBride and Szmukewicz's other beloved Sydney venues like Redfern's The Sunshine Inn and The Little Guy in Glebe. Adding to the firepower behind Enmore Country Club is natty winemaker Doom Juice's Creative Director Zachary Godbolt. The mastermind behind the wine brand's colourful and memorable visuals has come on board as the head designer for the new Enmore spot, leading the charge with its retro dive-bar aesthetic. The space has been given a full revamp with the bar set to live up to its name with fresh wood cladding, brass finishes, custom tablecloths from Defy Designs and a handmade resin bar top. As you would expect from a venue associated with The Sunshine Inn and Doom Juice, you'll find plenty of natural wines on the menu. The ever-evolving vino list will be projected onto the walls in order to facilitate any new drops that the team may get in. Complimenting the wines will be a seasonal cocktail list printed on the country club's coasters and a selection of local beers. McBride and Szmukewicz have also created a signature drink that plays into the country club energy: a house-made spiked cherry cola. The duo has also promised that there'll be some special surprises and hidden Easter eggs for when patrons being to roll in — but you'll have to take a visit to find out what they are. Find Enmore Country Club at 182 Enmore Road from Tuesday, January 17. Images: Angus Bell Young.
While New South Wales started easing out of lockdown a few months back, life definitely hasn't returned to pre-COVID-19 normality. Take the entertainment industry for example, with live performances still rare and cinemas operating in a socially distanced manner. But, come next week, the state is loosening some of its restrictions for theatres, picture palaces and concert venues. Along with other entertainment facilities, all three will be able to increase their capacity — hosting seated sessions up to 50-percent full. Announced today, Friday, September 25 by NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin, the change in patron caps has been agreed to by the Premier's Major Events Taskforce — as a way of both giving punters more events to attend, and to help the arts sector get back on its feet. "For workers across the full spectrum of the performing arts — from box office staff to ushers, from technicians and roadies to the artists — this change means more jobs," said Minister Harwin. "For audiences, it means we can soon enjoy the experiences we have all missed so much during the pandemic." Accordingly, venues that have already reopened will be able to welcome in more folks, while those that are yet to relaunch post-lockdown might now be able to so. Either way, patrons won't be gathering in massive groups, with the 50-percent capacity only available to a maximum of 1000 tickets. All relevant venues also need to have COVID-safe plans in place, and continue to abide by public health requirements. As for when the change comes into effect, the government announcement simply flags next week as the kick-off date — but the Sydney Morning Herald reports that it'll start on Thursday, October 1. The news comes just over a week after NSW announced that the state's major stadiums would be able to host 50-percent capacity crowds, but only for major outdoor events. That'll kick off on October 2, and is clearly timed to coincide with the NRL finals season. And, as also announced today, NSW will allow function centres to up their numbers for corporate events as well — to whichever is the lesser of 300 people, or one person per four square metres. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Coogee Pavilion, Merivale's revamp of the old Beach Palace Hotel, is set to open its first phase on July 24. If you've had mixed feelings about the mega group's growing expansion into Sydney's suburbs, they're determined to charm you: the plans for the ground floor of Coogee Pavilion sound less public house, more funhouse. Overlooking Coogee Beach, the Pavilion will of course focus on seafood dining, with fresh catches, a raw bar and an oyster counter. But then there's Vinnie's Pizzeria (serving up woodfired creations from Merivale's pizza maestro Vincenzo Biondini), a fresh flower stall, Will & Co coffee cart, a cocktail bar, a juice bar and a gift shop. The games area is perhaps the most surprising element of the venue. It's in big part for kids, but the promise of "beautifully refurbished" 1950s ping pong tables, petanque, a giant hand-painted Scrabble board and old-school arcade games suggests they've fun-seekers of more refined tastes in mind too. The area will even include a movie theatrette and barber. The 1887 building encloses 4500 square metres of space, which explains how they're able to promise all these fabulous things. The upper two floors will continue to be developed over the coming months. The ambitious plans for the venue have been developed by a design team including Kelvin Ho of Akin Creative, Amanda Talbot plus Justin and Bettina Hemmes. Coogee Pavilion ground floor will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and more from Thursday, July 24. Its opening hours are 11am - 11pm, Monday – Thursday; 11am – 3am, Friday; 7am – 3am, Saturday; and 7am - midnight, Sunday. Update July 22: The revised opening date for the Coogee 'Pav', as we may as well start calling it already, is July 24. Image: Santa Cruz beach promenade, many moons ago.
One of the things that make the humble sandwich so great, is that you don't need to pull out all the stops to make it delicious. This unassuming little sandwich shop in a CBD food arcade proves that with its classic and gourmet options. A classic lunch bar, Northies (as the hordes of city workers who frequent call it) lets you choose your bread or wrap (there's white, brown or wholemeal Vienna loaves, and a few different sourdough and ryes for an extra 50 cents), then pops fillings like crunchy chicken schnitzel, slow-cooked pork shoulder and five-spice marinated grilled lamb between two slices. With sandwiches starting at $10, you can add a bunch of extra salads or sauce, plus chips and a drink and still keep it under twenty.
As all at CP know — and passionately dedicate our work lives to — this city is much more than the iconic landmarks that first spring to mind when you hear 'Sydney'. Of course, the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach are breathtaking, but there are places hidden in plain sight that visitors (and locals) tend to overlook when getting out and about. And more than a few that, unexpectedly, could see you flexing those creative muscles. Together with Archie Rose, the much-loved Rosebery-based distillery, we've uncovered life drawing nights in CBD pubs, watercolour classes in distilleries and jewellery-making workshops in art galleries that'll help you discover Sydney a little differently as you unleash (or hone) your artistic side. TAKE A CREATIVE CLASS IN A ROSEBERY DISTILLERY First up, why not head to Rosebery and lean into the right side of your brain with Archie Rose. The distillery — which boasts the likes of Lemon Scented Gum Gin and Eau de Bee Honey Spirit as well as its stand-out signature range — also hosts a variety of classes that bring out your inner artist in a deliciously different environment. There's the Dynamic Ceramics with Klaypots class, which tasks you with shaping your own ceramic pieces while drinking in your surrounds (and bespoke Archie Rose cocktails) over two hours. You'll be guided by ceramicist Karina Goudie and leave with three glazed pieces heading off to get fired. If painting is more your thing, Harvest Inspired Watercolour Painting will see you making a start on your portfolio. You'll also take home your paintbrush and watercolour pan, so you're sure to achieve master status in no time. And for those looking to add a festive touch to their home, the Spirited Christmas Wreath Making Workshop invites Peony Story's founder and chief designer Nikki Zeng to the distillery to guide you through the construction of a European-style Christmas wreath. Expect preserved foliage and everlasting blooms aplenty — the perfect serve alongside your welcome G&T. Once you're in the space, don't be surprised if the creativity firing in your brain ask you to take it another step further — and Archie Rose's Tailored Spirits offering allows you to do just that. Choose the botanicals for your own customised bottle of gin, or play creative director and design the label for your own bottled cocktail. And if you've ever wanted to create your own spirit, you can even have your own cask of whiskey made. Pick your base malt, spirit style, cask type and even the strength, before the resident experts carry out your orders and have your bottles on their way to you in two to three months. [caption id="attachment_877756" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @september___studio[/caption] THROW CLAY IN A DARLINGHURST FLORIST Just as we have actor-slash-musicians and editor-slash-writers, there are venue versions of the slashie. Head to Darlinghurst to find September Studio, a delightful florist-slash-ceramics-studio. Spend Sunday afternoon — or your after-work hours on a Tuesday, Thursday or Friday — in the Boundary Street corner spot for an introductory ceramics class. In just under 90 minutes, you'll have been shown the ropes of wheel-throwing and hand-building by ceramicist and September Studio owner Bryce Heyworth. By home time, you'll have two hand-crafted pieces — and for an extra $15 on top of the $75 class, those pieces can be trimmed and taken to the kiln. If one session isn't enough, $50 will get returning students an hour in the floral-filled space. You'll have access to the wheels, clay and Heyworth's expertise, all while surrounded by clay vessels carrying leftover stems. Darlo is a hot spot for some of the best bars in town, so make a night of it and nab yourself an after-class sip at Love, Tilly Devine, or catch up with your mates over Italian snacks at Fortuna. [caption id="attachment_877560" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simi Eliott[/caption] TAKE UP GLASSBLOWING AMIDST THE MARRICKVILLE BREWERY PRECINCT It's time to branch out and familiarise yourself with a fascinating new skill: glassblowing. Nestled in the heart of Marrickville's brewery precinct, creative studio Among the Trees hosts contemporary glass artist Mark Eliott as he conducts classes that showcase the wonders of glassblowing. If you just want to dip a toe in, head to Class Bento and book a spot in the taster class. Over 2.5 hours, you'll get to try your hand at sculpting glass in the flame (after Eliott demonstrates and takes you through safety demos, of course) using a rainbow of borosilicate rods, before you take home two glass objects to show off at your next gathering. There's also a full-day masterclass that will give you more time to get creative and refine your stretching, blowing and creative techniques. And since you're in Marrickville, go grab a brewskie at one of the nearby breweries — The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre, Batch and Stockade are all within walking distance. SPEND A NIGHT NUDE LIFE DRAWING AT A CBD PUB Always wanted to have your own Rose and Jack moment and draw someone like one of your French girls? Head to The Attic — inside CBD fave ArtHouse Hotel — on a Monday night for a nude life-drawing session. Each week, models of all shapes and sizes get their kit off in the name of you getting artsy. The casual classes, ideally situated in close proximity to the bar, allow you to go with your creative flow or request guidance from the night's approachable host. You're free to use provided supplies or experiment with colour, textures and mediums by bringing along your own supplies. Entry is $7, vibes are high and the bar's fully stocked — the recipe for a cracking start to your work week. [caption id="attachment_877589" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ash Durden[/caption] MAKE A PIECE OF JEWELLERY IN A NORTHERN BEACHES ART GALLERY If there's a class to truly induce a feeling of accomplishment, it's one where you can hand-crafted your own jewellery. One set in an art gallery near the ocean surely only adds to the allure. HAKE House of Art is the recently opened gallery in Dee Why that celebrates and supports artists while creating a place "where art comes to life and is breathed into our community". As well as regular exhibits — with local artists like Lucinda Jones and Neil Tomkins — the creative space hosts jewellery house The Fifth Lane's silversmithing masterclasses (which are accompanied by beer, wine and nibbles). Tommy Lane, the head maker and owner of the jewellery biz, fronts the $175 sessions and guides you as you make a piece of your choice — fine stacking rings, a chunky ring or silver bangle (you can even upgrade to 9ct gold, you fancy thing). You'll heat your metal, bend it into your desired shape, try your hand at soldering and then file and sand to achieve a lustre of your liking. There's no experience needed, just a desire to learn and willingness to get hands-on. In 2.5 hours, you'll have created your new wearable piece in a space dedicated to creative expression. FYI: The Fifth Lane runs classes on the Central Coast and North Coast and in other Sydney spots, too. RECORD THE NEXT HIT PODCAST JUST MOMENTS FROM PARRAMATTA ROAD Whether you've got the bones of a tip-top investigative piece in your back pocket or you rate your group chat's chat 10/10, timing's everything in the release of a podcast — so you should book this cosily furnished Camperdown recording studio, stat. Just far enough away from the bustle of Parra Road, this space is equipped with two kitchens, bathrooms, chill-out areas and space enough for 30 people. Recording equipment is provided, as is a whole host of instruments — vintage guitars, drum kits and a grand piano, specifically. At $150 per hour, and with a four-hour minimum, you'd best get your script drafted, your guests (or co-hosts) locked down and begin planning the release of what's sure to be the next hit poddy. If you're looking to get creative in Sydney, an arty masterclass at Archie Rose is an ideal spot to start. Head to the website to book your spot. Top images: Ash Durden (second); Simi Eliott (third, student is Ali Vandeness)
Sometimes, dumplings are all about the maestros behind them. Such is the case with Sea Bay Restaurant. Chinese owner Robert Guan has perfected his craft, dishing up tasty north-western classics and some of the gooiest dumplings around town. The traditional steamed pork and vegetable dumplings ($13.80 for 12) are some of the best we've had, and the spring pancakes ($13.80) will satisfy your cravings. Alternatively, the dumpling beef soup ($13.80) will do you nicely. Image: Trent van der Jagt
Do you have the time to listen to Green Day live? Do you now have 'Basket Case' from the California-born band's iconic 1994 album Dookie stuck in your head? To celebrate three decades since releasing one of the records that defined the 90s, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool are returning to Australia to play it in its entirety — and to also bust out their American Idiot album from 2004 in full as well. If you're a Green Day fan, welcome to paradise come March 2025, when the band will hit up stadiums in Sydney, Melbourne and on the Gold Coast. We hope you have the time of your life getting a blast of 90s and 00s nostalgia, complete with 'When I Come Around', 'Longview', 'She', 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams', 'Wake Me Up When September Ends', 'Holiday' and, yes, 'American Idiot' echoing through Engie Stadium, Marvel Stadium and CBUS Super Stadium. [caption id="attachment_972774" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alice Baxley, Apple Music[/caption] While the visit is part of the group's global The Saviors Tour, which is named for their 14th studio album Saviors, they're clearly happy to keep working through their best-known tunes — and, while they aren't on either Dookie or American Idiot, 'Minority', 'Brain Stew' and 'Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)' have been on Green Day's recent setlist overseas. "We've never been more excited to unleash new music than with Saviors, a record that's meant to be rocked live, together. And we can not wait to return to Australia, it's been way too long. So let's thrash," said Green Day, announcing their Down Under visit. [caption id="attachment_972776" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Flickr.[/caption] In support, also bringing the 90s and 00s to mind, fellow California-born group AFI will share the stage on Green Day's three Aussie gigs in 2025. It's currently a great time to hear beloved albums in full live in Australia, given that Green Day's tour comes just days after The Killers announced their own trip for late 2024, including playing Hot Fuss from start to finish at some gigs. [caption id="attachment_972775" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alice Baxley[/caption] Green Day The Saviors Tour Australia 2025 Saturday, March 1, 2025 — Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Monday, March 3, 2025 — Engie Stadium, Sydney Wednesday, March 5, 2025 — CBUS Super Stadium, Gold Coast Green Day are touring Australia in March 2025, with presale tickets available from Monday, September 16 (at 1pm for the Gold Coast, 2pm for Melbourne and 3pm for Sydney) and general sales from Friday, September 20 (at 12pm Gold Coast, 1pm Melbourne and 2pm Sydney). Head to the tour website for more details. Top image: Raph_PH via Flickr.
The Greater Sydney region has already spent more than a fortnight under lockdown to help combat the region's latest COVID-19 outbreak and, despite an end date of July 16 being announced, that doesn't look like stopping any time soon. In fact, restrictions have been tightening as case numbers keep tightening. The latest rule to get a tweak: wearing face masks. Effective today, Tuesday, July 13, folks in the Greater Sydney area — which includes the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour — will need to wear masks in all common areas in residential buildings. That covers apartment complex lobbies, foyers, lifts, stairwells, corridors and shared laundries, and applies whether you live there or you're a visitor. Basically, the only place you don't need to mask up is actually inside your own home, once you've passed through your own front door. Residents of these regions are already required to cover up in all indoor non-residential settings, as well as indoors in public settings, and on public transport. Again, unless you're at home — and actually inside your own home, not in common areas outside — you need to mask up indoors. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1413981428480675850 Folks in Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour are currently only permitted to leave the house for four specific essential reasons: to work and study if you can't do it from home; for essential shopping; for exercise outdoors; and for compassionate reasons, which includes medical treatment, getting a COVID-19 test and getting vaccinated. As it always does, NSW Health has been updating the COVID-19 venues of concern list, and will continue to do so as more places keep being identified. Anyone who has visited these venues during the times specified are required to get tested and self-isolate as per NSW Health's instructions. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. For more information about the current mask rules, head to the NSW Government website.
Start firing those synapses and thinking with your problem-solving brain, because there's now a doozy of an escape room in Glebe and you're going to want to hit it up. Boasting three different escape scenarios — an ancient tomb, a pirate adventure or a vampire theme — the new escape room complex, MYST, is the country's largest. And, it has more than enough to keep you wanting to come back for more brain-twisters. MYST also features a fully immersive three-hour theatre experience, set in an ancient palace during the Qiang Dynasty. To celebrate this exciting new activity popping up in Sydney, we're giving away escape room experiences for three lucky people. You'll score an escape room experience of your choice for you and your friends (the teams can be up to 10 people) — so best start assessing your mates on their logic, teamwork and problem-solving skills (it's time to be ruthless). This won't just be a fun activity — your lives are at stake if you don't escape in an hour. Well, not really, but you will end up fully immersed and taking things very seriously. And if you don't win? Head to the launch party on Friday, May 31. There'll be free drinks, canapés and a tour, and you won't have to use any brain power. To be in the running, enter your details below. [competition]722482[/competition]
A literal underdog tale about scrappy canines, a plucky orphan and a pooch-hating politician with an evil scheme, Isle of Dogs isn't just Wes Anderson's latest movie. Filled with heart, humour and witty dialogue, this doggone delight is the most Wes Anderson-esque movie the acclaimed filmmaker has ever made. Anyone who's seen any of his previous flicks knows exactly what that means, with the writer-director's work almost comprising its own genre. Think quirky quests about spirited characters following their own paths, set in worlds that cleverly expose humanity's desires and fears. Then there are his signature visuals, complete with symmetrical compositions that look like they belong in a gallery, and distinctive colour palettes anyone would love to plaster all over their own walls. Constructed with the tail-wagging enthusiasm of man's best friend, all of these familiar components fall into place in the stop-motion animated wonder that is Isle of Dogs. And that's before Anderson trots out his other trademark: an A-list cast. For this walk around the block, he's joined by regular collaborators Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, Bob Balaban, Harvey Keitel, Frances McDormand and Edward Norton, plus Anderson newcomers Bryan Cranston, Greta Gerwig, Scarlett Johansson, Liev Schreiber, Yoko Ono and Ken Watanabe. Throw in a story written with The Darjeeling Limited co-scribes Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman as well as The Grand Budapest Hotel actor Kunichi Nomura, and the end product couldn't feel more like an Anderson movie if it tried. Set 20 years into the future, Isle of Dogs begins in the fictional Megasaki, as the Japanese city faces a difficult doggy dilemma. Its howling furballs are infected with dog flu and snout fever, sparking fears that the virus could soon spread to humans. Hailing from a long line of cat fanciers and hardly keen on pooches, Mayor Kobayashi (Nomura) decides to banish all canines to Trash Island. To demonstrate his commitment to the cause, he even exiles his own family pet: a short-haired oceanic speckle-eared sport hound by the name of Spots (voiced by Schreiber). That's the setup. But Anderson's film really starts barking once the action moves to its offshore garbage pile — the actual isle of dogs. There, abandoned pooches fight for food, form packs and try to survive, as the mayor's orphaned 12-year-old nephew Atari (Koyu Rankin) discovers on his mission to find Spots. He's assisted in his task by Rex (Norton) and a ragtag gang of misfit mutts, including ex-baseball mascot Boss (Murray), one-time dog food spokesdog King (Balaban) and admitted gossip Duke (Goldblum). Gruff outsider Chief (Cranston) isn't thrilled about helping the boy they dub 'the little pilot', but he knows a lost puppy when he sees one. With a former show dog (Johansson), an oracle pug (Swinton), robo-hounds, and a crusading American exchange student (Gerwig) also playing their parts, Isle of Dogs isn't short on antics. Anderson fills his narrative to the brim like an overflowing bowl of dog treats, spoiling viewers like he'd spoil his own animal companion. It's an approach that matches his lovingly detailed images, which surpass even Fantastic Mr Fox's animated splendour. Aesthetically, every second of the movie delivers something gorgeous and glorious — be it the lifelike puppetry of its central canines, a particularly meticulous sushi scene, or fond odes to Japanese filmmaking icons Akira Kurosawa and Yasujirō Ozu. Indeed, even if Isle of Dogs hadn't paired its eye-catching contents with smart, timely parallels — a power-hungry leader, discarded population and trash-filled land mass make it impossible to miss the film's political, social and environmental commentary — it'd still make an ace addition to Anderson's oeuvre. That said, there's one area where the director shows his own limits. While Anderson is a seasoned master at combining exquisite visuals, lively voice work, an engaging story and a memorable message, a couple of his choices give pause (not paws) for thought. Isle of Dogs oozes affection for its location in every intricate element and never uses Japanese culture as decoration – but translating canine chatter into English while offering Japanese dialogue without subtitles threatens to marginalise the country the film is paying tribute to. Similarly problematic is Gerwig's character, who swoops in to help Megasaki's residents battle the mayor's nefarious plan, and sticks a little too closely to the white saviour trope in the process. Thankfully, she's never the main attraction, in what proves an otherwise charming tale about a determined boy, his undying love for his beloved pet, and a whole island of adorable dogs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlakrjfzCig
Arguably the best weekly comedy room in Sydney, The Comedy Lounge at Surry Hills' Cafe Lounge is fast becoming a comedy institution. Having recently rung in their fourth birthday, Monday nights at The Comedy Lounge are always enjoyable, and for just $10 – or $8 if you're a penny-pinching student – we can see why. However, despite the consistent funnies being served up every Monday, it's Sunday nights that have recently been making a splash. On the Sabbath, Barry Award-nominated (that is, nominated for the best show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival) comedian John Conway hosts John Conway Tonight, an absurd deconstruction of a late-night TV show done live. Joined by regular collaborators and comedy young guns, Sam Campbell, Aaron Chen and Will Erimya, and boasting guests like The Chaser's Craig Reucassel, there truly is no other show like it in Sydney. Oh, and best of all — it's free. If eccentric live pseudo-chat shows aren't your thing, stick to Mondays and you never know who might 'drop in'. Recent surprise appearances by Wil Anderson and Stephen K. Amos show that The Comedy Lounge is always worth checking out.
We've all been there. It's a 40-degree day and you're hanging out for a cold beverage but you're fresh out and the bottle shop feels like miles away. You can venture out in the hot sun, risking heatstroke or you can sit back, unwind and summon your own personal delivery driver to deliver a chilled frothy right to your door. Alcohol delivery service Jimmy Brings is making that second option a reality that won't break the bank, with $2 delivery throughout summer. Jimmy Brings offers delivery on a range of alcohol, including summer standards like Furphy, Corona and Four Pines, an expansive wine list, plus gin, vodka, whisky and Aperol just to name a few. The beverage that's all the rage right now, seltzer, is also available if you find yourself in need of an on-demand White Claw. If you're out of snacks or need a bag of ice for your esky, Jimmy Brings can save you a trip to the servo, too, by delivering Red Rock Deli chips, Lindt chocolate, Red Bull, limes, Berocca and ice to your door. It's a great solution to keep in your back pocket for the inevitable time when you forget to bring ice to a barbecue or are out of Red Bull before a night out. To get cheap delivery, you'll need to download the app and enter the code 'summer' — then your delivery fee will fall to just $2. To check if delivery is available in your area, browse the menu and download the app, head to the Jimmy Brings website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Yes, it's winter and, yes, it's cold, but Sydney has so much to offer that the cooler weather is not an excuse to hibernate. To coax you off the couch, the harbour city's new seasonal program, Sydney Solstice, is bringing a stacked lineup of food- and art-filled events across the CBD, Darling Harbour, Oxford Street, Newtown and beyond. And, if you love listening to music IRL, you'll be pleased to know that Sydney Solstice's music program is massive, too. In partnership with NSW Government via Destination NSW, we've cherry-picked some of the finest gigs from our world-class music industry that you won't want to miss — from dazzling audio-visual experiences to gay anthem-fuelled raves. So, bust out your dancing shoes (and your warmest coat), it's time to hit the pavement.
It's been a big year for Sydney hospo group Merivale. On top of reopening The Newport back in March, they've rounded out the year by opening their long-awaited Oxford Street double venue Fred's and Charlie Parker's and also buying Botany Road's Tennyson Hotel for a cool $37.5 million. And to top off a huge 2016, they're opening another new venue today, Monday, December 12. In April of 2015, they bought the iconic Queen Victoria Hotel in Enmore — and now, 19 months later, they're ready to open her back up. Like Fred's and Charlie Parker's, the Queens Hotel (as it's now known) will comprise of two venues: a restaurant and a bar. Downstairs will be home to Queen Chow, a Cantonese restaurant lead by Papi Chulo duo Christopher Hogarth and Patrick Friesen and dumpling master Eric Koh, formerly of Mr. Wong. The menu is packed full of twists on traditional Hong Kong street fare like salt and pepper cuttlefish and silken tofu and prawns with chilli bean mayo. They'll also have a whole roast duck with plum sauce on the menu, and a typhoon shelter crab, which is deep fried and served with garlic, chilli, black bean and pulp from soybeans. Dayum. If your tastes run more towards delicious pillows of filled dough, the dim sum menu has been lovingly designed by Eric Koh, guided by his 30 years of dumpling experience. He'll be serving up steamed, baked and fried dumps for lunch, dinner and late night supper — the latter of which should really be a legal requirement of all bars. And once you've gorged to satiation at Queen Chow, head upstairs to The Smelly Goat (excellent name, team) for some bizarre cocktail combos. We've got a lot of faith in the Merivale team (we recently drank a cocktail flavoured with grass from Centennial Park at Charlie Parker's), so we're willing to give their weirder inventions a try — like the Dutch Courage cocktail with carrot, Maker's Mark and white wine. Could go either way. But we're champing at the bit to try the Moloko Plus – it comes with Crunchy Nut milk, white rum and cardamom. Sounds very Momofuku Milk Bar and totally acceptable to drink at breakfast. Naturally, because it's Merivale, you'll be sipping these concoctions in supremely well-styled surrounds. The bar will have a salon feel with fabric-lined walls and black timber panelling, plus an onyx bar top and taxidermy bird boxes filling the space. It's been done in collaboration with Merivale regulars Amanda Talbot and Kelvin Ho of Akin Creative, who have also styled the downstairs restaurant as well. The Queens Hotel is Merivale's first venture into Sydney's inner west, so it'll be interesting to see how to the venue is received by locals. End-of-year drinks, anyone? The Queens Hotel opens at noon on Monday, December 12 at 167 Enmore Road, Enmore. It will be open for lunch, dinner and supper seven days a week. For more info, visit merivale.com.au/queenshotel.
Sydney not-for-profit, Table (previously Nourish Talks) is partnering with the Sydney Seafood School to bring you two all-star cooking classes and the chance to help your community at the same time — each ticket sold will raise funds for their new educational cooking program that benefits women affected by domestic violence. The two classes will host an A-list lineup up chefs for guests to learn from. The first class, held on May 23, will feature the infamous Danielle Alvarez (Fred's) and Mike McEnearney (No. 1 Bent Street, Kitchen by Mike) and the second class, held on May 29, will be run by native cuisine expert Jock Zonfrillo (Orana) and hospitality gurus Jemma Whiteman and Mike Eggert (Good Luck Pinbone). Guests will receive hands-on cooking lessons from these incredible chefs, as well as dinner and wine to follow. Tickets for the classes are a whopping $200 per person, but, to be fair, are going to a good cause —each ticket sold will allow Table to sponsor one woman to take part in their new six-week Kitchen Table Cooking School, which will be offered in ten safe houses and drop-in centres in Sydney. The not-for-profit is focused on bringing good food and good people together through a range of social outreach projects.
Sydney Contemporary is a biennial art fair in its inaugural year to be held in the newly expanded Carriageworks. Put simply, an art fair is a no-holds-barred, flat-out, art-buying frenzy. Galleries set up in booths under one roof and vie for the attention of collectors. They're like incredibly cool, high-end trade fairs and they're terrific fun. At Sydney Contemporary you'll be able to flit from stand to stand, seeing works from each gallery's stable of artists, chat to the gallerist and check out the incredible lineup of programs, guided tours and workshops on offer. Kelly McDonald, assistant curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Sydney Contemporary panelist explains, "Sydney Contemporary affords the opportunity to make the work of Australian artists available en masse within the context of international galleries. It's fantastic that visitors can come and see the broad spectrum of artists working today and hopefully be introduced to the work of artists they may not otherwise have encountered". Read all about the exhibitors, artists, buyers, visitors and, of course, very cool events in our Bluffer's Guide to Sydney Contemporary. Image: Kate Mitchell, Getting Through It, 2O12, Single-channel High Definition digital video production still (Chalk Horse gallery)
Each year, at the turn of winter to spring, Hindus celebrate Holi, a festival exalting colour that leaves participants saturated in bright hues. Holi serves as the inspiration behind the Color Run, a unique 5k race touring 18 United States cities. Runners are invited to join the "3.1 miles of color madness" that comprise the untimed Color Run purely for the sake of a good time. The only race requirements are that all participants wear a white t-shirt and be willing to be greeted with a blast of coloured pigment upon completing every leg of the race. The pigment, made of 100% natural food-grade cornstarch, is colour-specific for each portion of the race. After the first kilometre, runners are splattered with yellow; after the second, they are doused in blue. And so it continues until the end of the 5 kilometres, when each runner is covered head-to-toe in a brilliant mish-mash of every hue imaginable. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZWsfHC-0d6A [Via PSFK]
It has been 65 years since Godzilla first rampaged across through Tokyo, and the super-sized creature isn't done wreaking havoc just yet. Like comic book characters and Star Wars, the king of the monsters is a cinema mainstay. The scaly critter is also asserting its place atop the kaiju food chain in the latest trailer for Godzilla: King of the Monsters. If you haven't kept track of the Japanese figure's many, many screen appearances, this is its 35th. It's also the sequel to the last American-made Godzilla film, which hit screens back in 2014 — and this time, the giant critter isn't the only behemoth rampaging through cinemas. In what promises to be quite the hefty creature feature, Godzilla: King of the Monsters sees the eponymous figure enlisted to help the planet against a heap of the beast's own enemies, including Mothra, Rodan and the three-headed King Ghidorah. At one point in the new trailer, it's mentioned that there are at least 17 monsters, which will be sure to keep Godzilla and the film's human cast — including Vera Farmiga, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins, Kyle Chandler, Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Thomas Middleditch, Charles Dance and O'Shea Jackson Jr — rather busy. Yes, plenty of oversized creature mayhem is in movie-goers' futures come May 30 — and more next year as well. Godzilla: King of the Monsters will be followed by another monster mashup in 2020's Godzilla vs. Kong, pitting Godzilla against a certain giant ape in a film that also acts as a sequel to 2017's Kong: Skull Island. Partially shot in Queensland, it stars Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Julian Dennison, Kyle Chandler and Demián Bichir. Check out the latest Godzilla: King of the Monsters trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW3xYYJ6NoE&feature=youtu.be Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
Life for Sydney's ever-growing gluten-intolerant community has gotten a whole lot easier thanks to Café Free. It's a lower north shore diner slinging a 100-percent gluten-free and-dairy-free menu. Owner Zoe Doyle has spent 15 years developing her recipes, featuring an eclectic mix of GF dishes that are hard to do well — including waffles, doughnuts, pasta and burgers, to name a few. The cafe spent three years in Mosman before recently moving over to larger digs in Neutral Bay. Fans can expect the same quality, house-made eats and a regularly changing menu to boot. The all-day breakfast includes cinnamon waffles with bacon, peaches and maple syrup, as well as a free-range bacon and egg roll covered in smoky Texas barbecue sauce ($12 each). A wide range of gluten-free toast is also on offer, including white, seeded, chia-teff, Turkish and fruit breads. For lunch, the gluten-free (and dairy-free) fish and chips is hard to pass up ($16), as is the prawn penne with zucchini and basil pesto ($15), the Portuguese chicken sliders ($14) and the sliced beef fajitas with avocado ($15). Those with a sweet tooth should tuck into the cakes and pastries, with lemon meringue tarts, cinnamon scrolls and even gluten-free doughnuts up for grabs. To top it all off, Café Free is also slinging dairy-free loaded shakes ($14) in salted caramel, mint chocolate, strawberry and vanilla flavours — topped with a GF doughnut and marshmallows, of course.
