Bloodwood

For my birthday this year I received a great gift from good friends of mine - vouchers to dine at Bloodwood, in Newtown. Things being as they are when you have young kids and limited access to babysitting it took until my partner's birthday (3 months later) before we got there. We had been pre-warned about lengthy waits due to Bloodwood's popularity and policy of not taking reservations for parties of less than 8. It being Wednesday, we were reasonably confident this would not be an issue. As it turned out, shortly after arriving we were seated at a table for two in close quarters with our like-numbered co-diners. The few vacant tables there were filled within the next hour. 

Bloodwood is industrial, yet intimate, with interesting recycled glass, wood and metal suspended from the ceiling and comfortable cushions and soft lighting closer to the floor. With plates designed for sharing, a substantial portion of the menu is vegetarian. We began with rum cocktails (their list is exciting and extensive) and wonderfully tangy luxe light rye sour dough bread ($3). Following the insistence of friends who had dined there previously (and a work colleague who happened to be there that night), we ordered the polenta chips with gorgonzola sauce ($9). They were everything a good chip should be - chunky, salty, crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. As a fan of fromage but not so much the blue variety, I was initially hesitant about dipping into the gorgonzola sauce. I was quickly converted, enjoying its creamy piquancy against the chips.

Next, my partner tucked into some swordfish carpaccio ($18) while I enjoyed the lion's share of the socca - chickpea pancake, spiced pumpkin, quinoa, persian fetta, fresh herbs ($18). Its unassuming presentation as a nicely constructed pumpkin pizza belied its complexity. It was assertive in musky, spiced flavour and interesting in texture, thanks to the besan in the crust and the feathery, fresh dill. Our last savoury dish was the baked mushrooms served in paper with red wine, garlic, cream and farro ($18), a rich combination of exotic mushrooms, creamy, garlic wine sauce and a sprinkle of chewy grains. They were simply outstanding, but we sorely needed something to soak up the glorious sauce (the sour dough would have done nicely, but I made do with the spoon).

To complete our celebration, we needed dessert. Once again, a recommendation from a work colleague (my parter's this time - is there anyone who hasn't been here and loved something?) dictated ordering the Bloodwood trifle ($14), comprised of poor man's orange, pound cake, port wine jelly, champagne anglaise, yoghurt mascarpone. Our first choice, however, was immediately obvious to both of us - chocolate, caramel peanut torte with banana mousse ($14). Foolishly, we tasted the torte first and then greed got the better of us and we inhaled it in its entirety. It was rich, sweet, bitter and luscious with dark chocolate, savoury, crunchy and salty with peanuts, smoky and fragrant with caramel and banana...the poor trifle didn't stand a chance. It was nice, and probably would have garnered more appreciation had we eaten it before its decadent companion, but as things played out, it was no match.

Overall, we were very happy with our dining experience. Apart from the high standards reached by the food, the service was exemplary - polite, attentive (our water glasses never fell below a quarter full) yet unobtrusive.

Bloodwood is located at 416 king st. newtown 2042 - (+61 2) 9557 7699.  It is open 5pm onwards on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Mondays and from midday onwards onwards on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (closing at 10pm on Sundays). It is closed Tuesdays.

Jamie's Italian

For my 40th birthday, my partner and I were looking for somewhere new to try for a special, childless (!) lunch on a day we would otherwise be at work. After canvassing various options, we decided to try out Jamie's Italian, near the corner of Pitt and Hunter Streets in Sydney. As usual, I looked at various reviews of the restaurant and found they ran the gamut from bemusement ("waited too long for average food") through to culinary rapture ("best...pasta....ever!"). Knowing we couldn't book, we chose to arrive near the start of lunch service (11:30ish). There was no queue (hurray!). We were shown to our upstairs table by a friendly waiter, left to peruse the menu while taking in the low lighting, graffitied walls and the bustling kitchen below. Then the feasting began in earnest.

To start, we had Vegetable antipasti for 2 ($10 each), fetchingly laid out on a wooden plank atop two large, rustic tins of Italian tomatoes. As seen in the first photo, the spread included bruschetta topped with eggplant capanata; buffalo mozarella with olive oil, chilli and herbs; grilled, marinated and pickled vegies (eggplant, fennel, capsicum, Sicilian green olives, mild chillies & caper berries); Italian coleslaw (shaved root vegetables with chilli, lemon & mint) and pecorino on flatbread with chilli jam. The variety was great and on the whole, it was a tasty introduction to what lay ahead.

When the opportunity to eat stuffed zucchini flowers presents itself, I must act on it. To wit, we shared a special entree (second photo) - Courgette fritti - zucchini flowers stuffed with fresh ricotta, smoked mozarella with a rocket pesto on a bed of roasted tomatoes ($14). For me, this was the dish of the day. Sublime!

For main course, I had to try the fresh pasta. It was gratifying to have a few different vegetarian choices. I ended up settling on the Pumpkin panzerotti - homemade half moons filled with roasted pumpkin, ricotta
& parmesan served with chilli, rosemary butter sauce & crushed amaretti  ($12.50 entree/$19.50 main). It was the crushed ameretti biscuits that drew me in - I love a good savoury/sweet combination. The pasta was well-made and the flavours were good. My partner, feeling he should order the pasta, sheepishly went for the Burger Italiano ($19.50) - Wagga Wagga beef with fontina cheese, salami, soft lettuce, tomato salsa, dill pickles, chilli & fried onions. The look on his face confirmed that he had indeed been transported to Burger Heaven.

The Italian beer was good, too!

Overall, we both really enjoyed our food. It is not a fine-dining establishment, but that was not what we were looking for. It was comforting, familiar food, but at the same time, special. There are also (happily) enough compelling vegetarian options on the menu to make me look forward to going back to Jamie's Italian for more.

Happy birthday to me!

Darley Street Bistro

As a former denizen of the Inner West, the Botany View Hotel was a place I might go to for Hair of the Dog and local music on a Sunday afternoon. Now, thanks to a bit of a scrub-up and the excellent addition of Darley Street Bistro, this place has become somewhere to treat the kids and visiting relatives to an earlybird gourmet meal at a reasonable price. Unlike many other bistro menus, there is variety to be found in the vego options, so I can enjoy the rare luxury of agonising over my choice.

The first time I came here I had Pumpkin and goat's cheese ravioli tossed with roasted peppers, lemon and gremolata topped with grana padano ($20; pictured). This generous helping of home-made pasta was delicious and satisfying. More recently, I enjoyed the Haloumi stack with roasted capsicum, sweet potato, mushroom, green zucchini pesto, roasted tomato vinaigrette and wild baby rocket salad ($19)- a tasty, lighter meal, which I supplemented with pieces of a shared Vego pizza topped with cheese, roasted tomato sauce, chilli and lemon and rocket salad ($12 special; pictured). The latter is particularly good with a frosty glass of Bulmers Pear Cider or White Rabbit (both available on tap at the bar), as are the Hand made vegetarian spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce ($11 special). One day soon I will try the Vegetarian roasted beetroot salad with oranges, summer greens and roasted hazelnuts and extra virgin olive oil ($16). They also have a Veggie wrap special. For a tiny kitchen, Darley Street Bistro produces a dizzying array of plates that delights my (extended) vegetarian/omnivore family.

There is limited, communal seating downstairs so if you are bringing the little ones, make sure you have someone to help you upstairs with the pram. Bookings are recommended (they have high chairs).

Darley St Bistro is located at 597 King Street (corner of Darley Street) Newtown NSW 2042. To book, call 9517 1133.

Yulli's Bar

On the weekend, my partner and I had the rare opportunity to venture out while my mum babysat in order to celebrate our 9 year anniversary. We had tickets to a show at Enmore Theatre but we were on the lookout for somewhere new to try for drinks and an early dinner. On the strength of a recommendation in a recent Sydney Morning Herald article on vegetarian fine dining, we thought we'd give Yulli's Bar a try.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/fine-dining-for-vegetarians-20100914-15a6e.html

Yulli's is a small, boutique beer and wine bar with an exclusively vegetarian menu located opposite the Clock Hotel in Surry Hills. The draught beer and cider come from NSW microbreweries and the extensive wine list predominantly features NSW wineries. Being beer lovers at heart, we sampled many and particularly enjoyed the Wicked Elf Witbier from Little Brewing Company, Port Macquarie. The food was awesome! The menu consists of share platters and mains. We opted to share and found by the end of a few beers and four dishes, we were very full indeed! The mixed chip plate was a great partner to the delicious beer, featuring crunchy onion rings, taro, sweet potato, lotus root and beetroot chips as well as a variety of condiments (rosemary salt, mint raita and tomato sauce - I am a sucker for condiments). One of the specials of the day that we thoroughly enjoyed was shitake mushroom wontons with a spicy plum sauce. We also devoured panfried haloumi and steamed leek and ginger dumplings. The food was beautifully presented and the service was very friendly and fast.

Perhaps it was the beer, the food and the love of a good man with whom I was celebrating a relationship milestone that rendered me misty-eyed and full of gratitude as we left Yulli's that evening. I know that a big part of that feeling came from realising I had found a place that really spoke to my sense of self: the beer-loving vegetarian.

Here's their lunch and dinner menu.

Oh, and Lloyd Cole was great too!

Jasmin One

I love cooking but sometimes the cupboards are bare, my inspiration is low or I am just not in the mood. The challenge is to find a cheap, reliable alternative. We are regulars at Jasmin One, a fantastic, family-friendly Lebanese restaurant in Punchbowl, NSW. We can feed our greedy family of 4 (2 adults, a 3 year old and a 1 year old) on 1 mixed plate with chips ($20: $15 for the mixed plate and $5 for the chips). The mixed plate, as the name suggests, contains a mix of meats and vegetables, but is carefully laid out so as to allow the hungry vegetarian (me!) clear, meat-free access to all vegetarian components. As pictured above left, the mixed plate includes baba ganoush, homous, marinated chickpeas, tabouleh, grilled chicken, grilled lamb, kibbeh, Lebanese sausage and the best falafels I've ever eaten (so far). This is accompanied by pickles and condiments, including homemade intense garlic sauce, chilli sauce and tomato sauce for the (unnecessary, but delicious) chips.

If the idea of taking food from a plate that also contains meat grosses you out or if you are catering for more vegetarians and less omnivores, they also do a vegetarian mixed plate (right), which substitutes the meat with extra falafels, more tabouleh and a generous helping of foule (delicious, lemony, garlicky fava beans). If you want to grab something smaller and portable, for $6 they do tasty falafel rolls, consisting of their excellent falafels, pickles, salad and tahini sauce wrapped in Lebanese bread.

The service at Jasmin One is friendly and fast and they also have plenty of high chairs.

Jasmin One is located at 224 The Boulevarde in Punchbowl, (02) 9740 7866. It is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner, but has limited hours during Ramadan.