Pizza Mario, Surry Hills

 The Sydney Pizza Festival (8-28 July, 2013) is a showcase of the top authentic Italian pizzerias in Sydney and first under the microscope is Pizza Mario (417-421 Bourke Street, St. Margaret's Complex, Shop 9 Ivy, Surry Hills). Shyly tucked away off Bourke Street at the quiet intersection of Church Lane and Little Bourke, the Napoletana styled (fluffy but crispy, 1cm high edge crust) Pizza Mario serves three different types of traditional pizzas. They offer the usual Neapolitan tomato based pizzas (pizze Rosse), a variety without the tomato sauce known as 'bianche' and 'calzone', which is essentially a folded pizza. Matty T. becomes the third wheel to the Berny & Patty tricycle for the night and although it may not show on his face, there is no doubt in my mind that he couldn't be more excited to be stuck with us for the night.

Sweet Vespa

 Once inside, you're greeted with the kitchen area and the wood fired oven towards the back where the magic happens. Two meat slicers are the ends of the front counter to freshly shave aged prosciutto
and pancetta onto the pizzas. Matty T. is instantly impressed by the wood fired oven as our noses reluctantly follow our feet to the dining area.

There's no messing about for the pizza from
the oven to the counter

  We sit down and are welcomed by the super friendly wait staff and handed our customised menus for the night. Throughout the Sydney Pizza Festival each restaurant provides the deal of a pizza from the menu + a choice of beer/wine/soft drink for a measly $20!



 Matty T. grabs a glass of 2011 Zaccagnini Montepulciano D'Abruzzo and Patty opts for the 2010 Zaccagnini Bianco di Ciccio both which went down really well with the pizza. Being the designated driver for the night, I reluctantly sip on my lemon lime bitters through the cardboard straw that matches the table cloth.

Drinks
Red, Lemon Lime Bitters, White

 All the pizzas were available from their menu and I had eyed the Margherita 'Extra' down instantly because buffalo mozzarella and I are best buds. Patty feels like some pancetta and we pick the prosciutto for Matty T. as he is still in awe of being that missing corner to our triangle.

 The pizzas came out in record time and we begin with the only one of our Pizze Rosses (red), Margherita 'Extra'. Definitely the most traditional combination of all pizza toppings and they did a wonderful job of focusing mainly on the quality of the tomato sauce and pizza dough which is how it should be! The pizza base is transformed into the softest flour based bed with tomatoes, basil and buffalo mozzarella all sleeping on top. Super tasty and it hits the spot on all levels, makes me consider raising my own buffalo in the backyard right next to the pizza oven.

Margherita 'Extra'
Tomato Sauce, Buffalo Mozzarella, Fresh Tomato & Basil

Try not to get lost staring at the buffalo mozzarella

 The first of our two Pizze Bianches (white) is the 'Pancetta'. Covered, but not overpowered by the three cheeses, this pizza was vibrant and full of flavour. The dough itself is soft and flavoursome throughout the pizza, even to the edges meaning no gross crusts. My only suggestion is to eat it quick, before it gets cold!

Pancetta
Mozzarella, Ricotta, Fresh Tomato, Thyme,
Pancetta & Pecorino Cheese

 The second of our Bianche pizzas was the 'Speck e Fontina'. A simple combination of three toppings, two cheeses and one meat. The fontina cheese gives a distinctive nutty taste through the entire pizza and the freshly cut, paper thing slices of prosciutto on top just made it that much better. It reminds me of a tray of bacon strips from 'Epic Meal Time' slapped onto a delicious pizza. Sorry Mr. buffalo mozzarella, I know we're best friends but I think this was my favourite of the night.

Speck e Fontina
Mozzarella, Speck (smoked prosciutto) & Fontina Cheese

 We finished off the night with some Gelato Messina which had two amazing flavour specials of the week in 'C is for Cookie' and 'Twixed' (sorry no photos, we munched it too quickly) which went down well with the customary 'Tiramisu' scoop. A great night for the tricycle with Pizza Mario doing a fantastic job in kicking off the Sydney Pizza Festival for 2013. I've got some more pizza lined up in the next few weeks so hopefully the following experiences will be just as good!


Bunny Rating-
Category: Pizza Festival

Pablo's Charcoal Chicken and Ribs, Surry Hills

 Cleanliness and exceptional service are not words often associated with a typical chicken shop, but don't let the neon signage fool you outside Pablo's Charcoal Chicken and Ribs (664 Crown St, Surry Hills). The three brothers of Adrian, Damien and Brendan Shipp team up together to eat, breathe and sleep ridiculously good service and with this in mind there is no doubt that they deserve a special mention. Located in the heart of Surry Hills on the intersection of Cleveland and Crown, Pablo's has been satisfying Pat's and I's chicken craving for the past year or so. Once inside, you're greeted with a warm welcome and instantly the super clean stainless steel bench top reflects your face (so make sure you're looking good).

Takeaway Menu

Outside

 In MAN-eating tradition, Pat and I have bypassed the salads on each visit, however I must admit they do look quite appealing. They have the usual suspects such as coleslaw but also offer some alternatives such as beetroot, spinach and feta salad.

 

The stainless steel blinds you (in a good way)

 Ahhh ... the chicken roll, it gets me every time. A slightly toasted white roll jam packed (not literally with jam haha ...) with fresh chicken pulled off the bone, finished off with lettuce and mayo and comes with an option of chilli sauce. To be honest, the chilli sauce should be mandatory on this roll because it doesn't taste half as good without it!

 

Chicken Roll
Fresh Cut 1/4 Chicken, Lettuce and Mayo

 My favourite burger from here is the Portuguese Burger. Honestly, the entire burger just tastes super fresh and it leaves you wanting more after each bite, chilli is just an extra bonus.

Double Portuguese Burger
Marinated Chicken Breast x 2, Chilli, Tomato, Lettuce and Mayo

  Pat's favourite burger is the traditional Pablo's Burger which is pretty much a chicken burger with the lot.



Double Pablo's Burger
Chicken Breast x 2, Tomato, Beetroot, Bacon,
Cheese, Lettuce and Mayo

  Pat munching away, nom nom nom.

 These sauces are seriously good with accompanying any of their burgers, roast chickens or chips. My favourite two are the;

• Piri Piri Chilli - similar to chilli oil and has a mellow burn.
• Lemon & Garlic - I honestly don't know whether I prefer this one compared to the garlic sauce at El Jannah because it's that good, but the lemon gives it that something little extra.

Sauces
Dutch Mayonnaise, Homemade BBQ, Piri Piri Chilli

 Comes wrapped up in layers of wax paper, how it should be!

Chips
Additional Aioli/Lemon & Garlic Sauce

 A couple of refreshments from the fridge to wash some birds down our throats.

 

 It's quite amazing how such simple devices/instruments can capture one's minds, for example this ridiculously convenient pedal operated sink located at the back of the store. Efficient, clean, smart and the best invention since fried chicken.

 

Pedal Operated Sink

 The charcoal chicken is moist but I still think it lacks that charcoaled flavour we all know and love, nevertheless this is incredibly scrumptious with their homemade chilli sauce lathered onto it. Somehow on each occasion we order chips, our small serving is upsized into a potato mountain.

1/2 Chicken and Chips

 As mentioned earlier in the introduction, the customer service at Pablo's is ridiculously good and comes second to none. Cutting a long story short, Pat and I had come in one day raring to go for some ribs which were unfortunately sold out. Weeks later we returned and the Shipp brothers had remembered our misfortune and when we ordered a rack of ribs, they threw in an extra half rack for us so that Pat and I could eat our previous sorrows away.

 Unfortunately however, they won't be the cheapest rack of ribs you'll ever rip through but they certainly do an amazing job in fulfilling that rib craving. The meat comes off the bone clean and it is cooked perfectly on top of the same coals they use to roast the chicken.

 

Rack of Ribs with Chips

 There is no fresher charcoal chicken around and definitely not one with service that can top Pablo's (but do let me know if you find one). The food they serve is comforting and you won't ever leave feeling disappointed. While there is so much more I could ramble on about Pablo's, ultimately the final message is: 'This is no ordinary charcoal chicken'


Bunny Rating-
Category: Cheap Eats

Jones The Grocer, Westfield Sydney

 Finally, exams are over and food blogging may resume back to normal. We begin with Jones The Grocer (Level 5 Westfield Sydney, 188 Pitt Street, Sydney), an international brand sourcing gourmet food around the globe. The exposure of Jones The Grocer has taken to the shores of New Zealand, Singapore, Qatar and United Arab Emirates. Its flagship store opened in Woollahra, Sydney in 1996 and has now recently relocated inside Westfield Sydney. With a bakery/café doubling as the face of the store, the grocer (mainly knick-knacks) and seating for the restaurant is located just inside.

Entrance

 Jones, offers a wide selection of meals from breakfast through to dinner along with a range of cheeses and antipasti boards. Andrew, Patty, Jenny, Justin and I were served from a variety of wait staff, all seemingly backpackers with little experience which was disappointing given the formality of the restaurant.

 We begin with our drinks! The drinks were pretty average, after taking a sip of Justin's iced chocolate it was comparable to drinking plain milk straight from the carton. Andrew's berry smoothie was better made at home but I guess you can't expect too much!?

Iced Chocolate

Chocolate Milkshake

Berry Smoothie

Iced Berry Tea

 Food! Is there a better sight? Anyhow, everyone at the table had their eye on the ridiculously appealing;

'Angel Hair Pasta with Blue Swimmer Crab, Chilli, Rocket, Garlic & Grana Padana'

only to be told that they weren't serving the dish that day. Disheartened, we settled for the following:

 To begin proceedings we have a delicious and generous beetroot salad.

Roast Beetroot, Roast Tomato,
Baby Spinach, Walnuts & Goat's Feta ($14)

 For an instant heart attack at the table, I ordered the foie gras with toasted brioche. You can't really go wrong with foie gras and this was no exception, smooth and velvety in texture with that intense rich flavour. A little unappealing and messy though as I had to scrape off the solidified layer of fat from the refrigerated, prepacked foie gras cup. Pickles were a little odd with the combination and the brioche was as dry as a dehydrated desert, but with slabs of foie gras dolloped on it went down considerably better.

Foie Gras Parfait with Toasted Brioche & Pickles ($18)

 Andrew's substitute for the angel hair pasta was the orecchiette (from orecchio, meaning ear because of its shape) with braised beef. I ended up with a quarter of his pasta with both Andrew and I agreeing that it was a little bland, but the textures and combinations weren't too bad.

Orecchiette with Slow Braised Beef,
Madeira & Shaved Truffle ($21)

 Jenny's veal schnitzel was something that I didn't get around to trying because she was out of reach on the table. To be honest doesn't seem very appealing on the plate but Jenny said it was alright.

Parmesan Crumbed Veal Schnitzel
with Hot Mustard Coleslaw & Fresh Lemon ($22)

Panda & Cakes and Boy

 Justin and Patty order the appetising burger and it definitely looked the part when it arrived at our table. A salty-sour dipping sauce, thick cut chips and a mountainous sesame bun topped burger. After stealing a few bites from Patty's it was no doubt a delicious burger but nothing too special to rave on about. The truffle mayonnaise seemed to have disappeared from the burger, maybe it ran away...

Australian Wagyu Burger with Bacon, Gruyére, Truffle Mayonnaise, Pickles,
Mustard & Caramelised Onions on a House-Baked Bun with Jones Chips ($22) 

 

Open Kitchen Area

 A super collection of hung and dried deli meats on display smack bang in the middle of the store and it was definitely an intriguing centrepiece.

 

Cheese cabinet at the end

 

 Along the side wall lies the various gourmet food products including Jones pasta sauce and a variety of little trinkets like speciality cooking books. 

 With breakfast, lunch and dinner, a bakery/café at the front, kids meals and a selection of meats, cheeses and groceries available, Jones The Grocer really does offer that something special when it comes to visual experience but unfortunately the food didn't really live up to our expectations of gourmet dining. We probably won't be back in a hurry unless there is a sudden craving for crab pasta but nevertheless it was a great Sunday lunch with the family.


Bunny Rating-
Category: Dining