Porteño and Gardel’s Bar: Argentinian, Surry Hills (10 Dec 2011)

358 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Phone: (02) 8399 1440

http://www.porteno.com.au

http://www.gardelsbar.com

More than just a restaurant

The Gardel's Bar and Porteño restaurant was probably one of the dining highlights of 2011 for me. I felt it was more a dining experience than just another bar or restaurant. The fashionably beautiful host Sarah Doyle may have also swayed my opinion along with the lethal Don the Beachcomber Zombie cocktail which is limited to one per customer but our table of nine all had a lovely time of enjoying the set menu overall ($70). The Porteno Pimms Cup ($16) was a refreshing start and for those who want a bit of passive smoke in their cocktail you might like to try the Thank You For Smoking ($22). The good thing about having the set banquet is you don't have to worry about ordering and I think it gave us a pretty good idea of the range of dishes available and left us wanting to return to try more. The Spiced Eggplant and Grilled Tuna with Asparagus and Charred Jalopeño & Garlic Dressing were flavoursome along with the BBQ Calamari with Pickled Green Tomato & Chilli — simple yet tasty. I didn't think I'd like the Blood Sausage with Red Peppers in Garlic but the taste wasn't as strong and bloody as I feared making it fairly pleasant.

The Pork Sausage aka chorizo was very good becoming a table favourite and one I'd definitely happily order again. It seemed many enjoyed the Crispy Fried Brussel Sprouts with Lentils and Mint which might please those who generally don't like eating brussel sprouts. The Grill selection I believe included some 8 hour woodfired pig and grass fed angus beef inside skirt but I can't quite remember. The steak went well with the homemade accompanying sauces for an extra flavour burst but I wish the pork came with more crackling which I missed out on trying. The South American Style Pavlova was an interesting dessert but I do prefer the Aussie/New Zealand version with cream and fresh fruit. We were pretty much full by the time the Burnt Milk Custard with Cumquat Jam & Chocolate Ice Cream was served which had popcorn on the side which didn't quite work for me but I guess it gave that slight salty edge which is popular these days with chocolate. I'd definitely love to revisit and try other dishes on the menu like the beef short ribs, lamb ribs and citrus marinated seafood with cucumber, grapefruit and yellow chilli paste. It wasn't a cheap night but it was a fun night of drinking and eating all under the one roof in a buzzing atmosphere.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Interesting decor, Service was accommodating and friendly, Tasty dishes and a fair amount served for the set banquet, Nicely made cocktails that didn't really hold back on the alcohol

CONS: 10% service charge for group bookings of 8 or more, Set menu required for group bookings, Seating times allocated to groups, Bottles of wine are not cheap but they are pretty good

MUST TRY: Don the Beachcomber Zombie because you're only allowed one

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Sarah Doyle (host) and me

Porteno Pimms Cup - Pimms No. 1, Cointreau, fresh lemon & cucumber juices, ginger ale & seasonal fruit ($16)

Thank You For Smoking - Buffalo Trace bourban, house smoked vermouth, house smoked maple syrup & chocolate bitters ($22)

Don the Beachcomber Zombie - A secret blend of house rums, pimento dram, apricot brandy, absinthe, real pomegranate grenadine, Angostura bitters, a trio of citrus & pineapple juice ($25)

Apparently this means we'll be back — obviously they've gone for a smoke

Bar area

Seating

Decor

Christmas tree

House baked bread with olive oil and pork pate

Spiced Eggplant

Marinated Olives

Empanadas

Grilled Tuna with Asparagus and Charred Jalopeño & Garlic Dressing

Accompanying sauces

BBQ Calamari with Pickled Green Tomato & Chilli

Blood Sausage with Red Peppers in Garlic

Pork Sausage

Crispy Fried Brussel Sprouts with Lentils and Mint

Braised Green Beans, Borlotti, Ricotta and Oregano

Grill selection Pork

Shaved Fennel Salad with Apricot, Black Olives and Amontillado Dressing

Grill selection Steak

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

South American Style Pavlova

Burnt Milk Custard with Cumquat Jam & Chocolate Ice Cream - not sure about the popcorn though

2010 Pinot Grigio Jed Uco Valley Mendoza ($51)

2006 Sauras Select Pinot Noir, Patagonia Argentina ($79)

Desierto Pampa Late Harvest Viognier 2007 ($68)

View of restaurant looking down from Gardel's Bar

The open kitchen — I love a good BBQ

A maze of seating

Old school toilet decor

Bill $1058.20 for nine set menu includes 10% service charge

While taking photos I came across the guys from My Little Cupcake having their Christmas work dinner and one of them recognised me — small world hehe

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Porteño
Gardel's Bar

York Lane: Tapas & Wine Bar, CBD Sydney (8 Dec 2011)

York Lane, Wynyard, Sydney NSW 2000

http://www.yorklane.com

Laneway tapas and bar

Thanks to Richard Elliot for organising a casual lunch catchup at this laneway café he spotted serving a tapas style menu. It’s quite a cosy place with repurposed items like airline trolleys as shelving, railway sleepers as flooring and furniture offcuts becoming stools. The laneway location, creativity and intimacy oozes a Melbourne vibe to me but the service cheekily says ‘this is what Melbourne would want to be like’, and perhaps he’s right, but I'm thinking we're still catching up. It’s smaller than Grasshopper Bar and around the same size as Grandma’s Bar and joins the growing number of small bars around Sydney.

The hand-written menu seemed quite well-priced at first but you’ll need to order a few things to fill up so I think it’s more suited to side snacking with your wine or beer rather than a reasonably priced lunch spot for one. The Haloumi & Pea Fritters with Tzatziki ($9) was pretty tasty and I wondered if slices of grilled haloumi could be another dish worth having on the menu. Four pieces are served with the Duck Pancakes with Hoisin Sauce ($12) filled with fresh salad. I quite liked the Chorizo Hot Pot with cannellini beans, fresh tomato & basil ($12) although wished it came in a sauce of some description to soak up with the crusty bread included. We’re prewarned the Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Sauce ($10) takes 15 minutes to prepare which are quite flavoursome and the chilli deceptively increases over time on your palate. There were a few stray little feathers on my wing which could have perhaps been better cleaned off though. I’d recommend the Pork Belly with Chilli Jam ($12) if you’re after some decent crackling and nicely flavoured meat. Bite-sized pieces of joy for the pork lovers. My Mocha ($3.50) thankfully had a good balance which helped finish off the meal with a sugar note.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Friendly and accommodating service, Repurposed decor and furniture is done well and good for the environment

CONS: Seating can get a little uncomfortable for extended period of time, The smell of a laneway is sometimes not the cleanest

WORTH TRYING: Pork Belly with Chilli Jam, Buffalo Wings, Mocha

DAMAGE: $73.40 for three

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Handwritten menus — now that's dedication to doing it on the cheap

Drinks on offer including beers, wine and spirits

Haloumi & Pea Fritters with Tzatziki ($9)

Duck Pancakes with Hoisin Sauce ($12)

Chorizo Hot Pot with cannellini beans, fresh tomato & basil ($12)

A bit of sauce would help to dip the bread in

Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Sauce ($10)

WORTH TRYING :-)

Some of the wings had a bit of feather still left on it so hopefully they can be cleaned a bit better next time

Pork Belly with Chilli Jam ($12)

WORTH TRYING :-)

Flat White ($3.50), Mocha ($3.50)

Little plates for a little table makes it feel like a tea party

Seating and repurposed decor

Bar

Furniture offcuts, airline trolleys and railway sleepers repurposed

Crates for shelving


Wooden fruit bowls for lamp shades

Tapas style menu from 12 noon, Monday – Friday

Tips lady

A sign of understanding for the ladies in the unisex toilet

Bill $73.40 for three. Records albums ready to play

End of laneway advertising — although I think it's probably overlooked quite easily

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