Kindly Yours

A parade of bruschettas . Casual, outdoor embracing, serving great pizzas and family friendly.  The ability to convert part of the beach pavilion at North Wollongong is a stroke of genius - one can swim, surf and have quality food as well. The concept of having cuisine available right on the door step of fine beach sands and views seems to be done well in the Illawarra area - I can readily think of Flanagan's Dining Room, Diggies near the Novotel North Gong and the Austi across the road from the wholesome beach at Austinmer. The location of such restaurants can determine the kind of clientele and the sort of offerings they come back for - and in the case of the Northbeach Pavilion, it is the pizzas, made lovingly inside a blue tiled purpose built oven near its entrance.  The entrance can be a but tricky to find, as there is no access from the beach walkway - one goes into an apparent shower room passage and looks for the access.  The pavilion building i...

A light summer perfect olive oil drenched salad of rocket with Parmesan and cherry tomatoes. The Costa Azzurra has been a long term landmark to the Australian community of mainly Italian background in Fairy Meadow, a suburb several kilometres north of Wollongong CBD, sited beside the narrow Princes Highway. It sits in a interesting and diverse hub with the Leisure Coast markets and nursery as its neighbour and with the  Fraternity Club grounds across the main road. The building may look the same as when I first moved to the Wollongong area, but inside the renovated environment is pleasant, is inviting and provides a more spacious dining experience than years before. The menu may have changed gradually over the years, but the food is ever reliable, harking back to traditional recipes, is ever wholesome, good for family groups and still sensitive to more innovative trends.  The restaurant emphasises its wood fired gourmet pizzas. Rich and yummy, the pork belly s...

The popular tasting plate, with touches of Italian styled veal and pork meatballs; Mediterranean cheese, salmon belly carpaccio with a lime dressing and fennel salad; Aussie barbie calamari with rocket and aioli ; and sheer raw Sydney Rock oysters with a twist of lemon. For a capital city restaurant, Hugos at Manly Wharf has a perfect location, mostly perfect weather and the smell of the oceans wafting in. The staff are friendly and try hard, even on a busy afternoon leading up to the Christmas week. Colours surrounding our table were intense, deep hues of everything, mixed with a brightness and tropicalness anyone would want on a holiday trip.  Our trip was just on the commercial run Manly FastFerry, with a certain striking cleanliness and staff engagement not often found in the Government run services from Circular Quay in Sydney CBD.  The restaurant has tables mainly under a covered out deck, with access to the benign looking sandy beach already filled up ...

Friands, snails, Danishes and Portuguese tarts - the effect of multiculturalism in an Enmore bakery. The familiar standard bearer of the Enmore Hotel still stands sentinel at a busy traffic junction. A  strikingly coloured Vespa on the side of the Great Aunty Three, with smaller servings of noodle soup, the expected banh mi rolls and a buzzing but small customer space. Enmore has a different train line and may be viewed as Newtown's lesser cousin - but it is worth an easy half day's checking out.  You may then find yourself frequenting some quaint, unique and loveable places to hang out, casually, instinctively and naturally.  It is a kind of suburb that grows on a person's psyche, dopes not require much fuss and what thinks about when seeking a change.  If you reside there it provides a village atmosphere. There is entertainment, off the cuff brunches and breakfasts and the fav bar. As its location is outside Sydney centre, it embraces the best and wo...

The escarpment of the Illawarra is not far away on a new concept cafe along Princes Highway in Corrimal, ten minutes north of Wollongong CBD by car. The Drift offers an innovative menu in breads, juices, rolls and fuller lunch and breakfast options. Fried egg over bruschetta , with bacon, dipping sauce and fresh greens. With shades of seaside cabins, little touches of colour and smiling family staff, the Drift has a space that is bright, inviting and buzzing. Yummy - poached egg with mushrooms and rocket on a sourdough. The Breakkie rush - with banana, yogurt, oats, honey, cinnamon and milk One of the specials in its second week of business - black rye  encapsulating ham slices, tomato and a yummy bite. One of my local cafes - The Drift is sited at 244 Princes Highway, Corrimal NSW 2518.  This si about 15 minutes drive north of Wollongong CBD. The cafe is open everyday except on Tuesdays for breakfast, brunch and lunch, closing between 3 a...

In the inner west hubs of Sydney city, the lanes in the boundary between Newtown west and Enmore, including names like Philip, Thurnby, Ford and Wilford, offer amazing and delightful vistas of street art in inspirational and eye catching form.   Most of these feature bio-mechanical forms and visualisation, suggesting of another world in sic-fi, anime, Nordic creatures, Tibetan stylised representations and creatures.  Colours are rich, solid and displayed with powerful strokes. The buildings are industrial and drab otherwise without these spray paint works of devotion and art.   EMOS seems to have done extensive mural work here, although as in any dynamic neighbourhood and practice of so-called graffiti, many of the displays by EMOS have been successively covered by other succeeding artists. This fascinating corner of urban Sydney is not alone with such murals, for you can also catch them along parts of the long and winding King Street in Newtown proper, the Camperdown...