Brewtown, Newtown

When I first heard that Berkolouw books in Newtown was shutting down I have to say I was more than a little sad. It was a great bookshop in an amazing warehouse type space made even more amazing by the Ramen Bar that was open on the ground floor for a brief period a few years ago.

I am pleased to say that Berkolouw has been replaced by an equally great café, Brewtown.

For me it is the staff that make this place one of my favourite new cafes in Sydney.

Don’t get me wrong, the food is awesome and the coffee is second to none but EVERY SINGLE staff member I have interacted with on my various visits here could easily win an award for the Nicest Person in Sydney. Working in a super-busy café with customers galore streaming in the door all day must be hard work, tiring and frustrating at times. I know I dream of opening a little hole-in-wall café but in reality I just couldn’t do it. I’d be grumpy and tired. Not the crew here…as friendly as can be and they always seem to have a smile on their face.

Recently I paid Brewtown a visit with my buddies Ms Chicken and Mr Shawn – they were busting out of their Street Food world for some proper café fare.

Whilst I waited for them to arrive one of the lovely waiters sat down with my and explained the Cold Brew Coffee method as I was curious about it (which I’ve totally forgotten already - derp). I wasn’t convinced so he offered to get me a sample to try. See! NICE! I have to say this was a great drop – the flavour was quite mild, and nutty with a lovely mellow aftertaste. It is almost like tea with its subtly.

All that aside, I just HAD to have an iced-coffee. Old habits die hard.

Because I'm on a diet (ahem) I decide to try and order something "light n easy" and the poached chicken salad is the perfect order. The salad comes with quinoa and roasted cauliflower that is nutty in flavour and moreishly crunchy. You'll also find some pistachios and ribbons of zucchini hidden in there. All in all a good salad that feels really healthy to eat...so good I've had it twice already.

Ms Chicken decides to have breakfast for lunch, always a good option. I was too busy scoffing my salad to pay attention to the menu but I did notice some delicious looking field mushrooms and crispy polenta sticks on the plate. And of course the perfect, oozy yolk-porn worthy poached egg.

Mr Shawn ordered the veggie burger that he said was pretty good but a bit more of something saucy/juicy on the bun would've been great. Perhaps a beef patty...kidding, kidding!

Because I'm always thinking about what I'm going to eat next  I decide it's prudent to order a cronut for dessert before we're even ready to contemplate what to eat for lunch. It's a wise decision as by the time we're ready for our cronut they've all sold out and ours is the sole cronut in the dessert cabinet...just waiting for us.

I've tried a few Zumbo cronuts and I wasn't a fan of his interpretation of the half doughnut half croissant. It was too oily and I didn't get a sense of the croissant half of things. I am happy to report that the Brewtown cronut is great -- light and fluffy with a great croissant texture and cinnamon doughnut flavour.

Brewtown Newtown is at 6-8 O'Connell Street, Newtown.

Suzy Spoons, Newtown

Suzy Spoons is a new vegetarian "butchers" and cafe that has opened up in Newtown.

Now the words "vegetarian butchers" will have some rabid omnivores scratching their head in confusion and dedicaetd vegetarians (and flexitarians like me) clapping their hands in delight.

Suzy Spoons makes various vegetarian meat substitutes like fakin' bacon, sausages and chicken schnitzels that give vegetarians, and others not wanting to eat meat all the time, some options other than salads and vegetable stacks. For someone like me who likes to eat meat free quite often but finds it quite hard to put together a lot of meals without meat these products are really useful. They are also really tasty.

As well as making all of their products on site, Suzy Spoons has a cafe area where you can pop in for a bite to eat.  There are a range of lunch options on offer - salads, burgers and sandwiches.

I'm still feeling like a bit of a fatty boombah after my Grand Eating Tour of Europe, and now Christmas, so I'm really pleased to see a bunch of salads on offer.  The salads come in three different sizes and I've chosen the small salad - with a slice of bread (or four) on the side which they are happy to accommodate even though it's not a menu option. I MUST have carbs at lunch. MUST.

I'm keen to try the salad that comes with a smokey rasher of fakin' bacon, lentils, kippfler potatoes, walnuts, baby spinach and basil dressing as I'm still wanting to find a bacon substitute that doesn't taste like old socks. This salad great - very fresh + light and the fakin' bacon was really smokey, had a nice flavour and a good crunchy texture. I'd happily add this to pastas or salads at home.

My lunch buddy, Miss Chicken, is also in a salad kind of mood and orders the tempeh, chickpeas, roast veggies, cous cous and mixed lettuce in a vinaigrette dressing salad. I love tempeh - fermented chickpeas that are made into a sort of "meatloaf" and the tempeh here is GREAT. I really love that the salads here are quite substantial - there's more to them then just lettuce and tomato.

Suzy Spoons is at 22 - 24 King Street, Newtown.

Mary's, Newtown

I'm trying to wean myself off of racing around trying to get to all the new "hip" places that open up in Sydney. Let's face it, it's tiring, costly and I'm getting kinda fat existing on a diet of sliders, tacos, fried chicken and cheesy fries (I think I've just listed my death row meal right there).

But when I saw a picture on Instagram of the cheeseburger at Newtown's newly opened Mary's -- part pub + part greasy American diner -- I just could not resist the junk food lure. I'd had heard talk that the cheeseburger at Mary's was as close to my beloved Shake Shack burger that you could get here in Sydney.

Mary's is located on Mary Street (no guesses where the name came from). It's a street I've walked down a thousand times before yet I've never really noticed this building before. Apparently it's had a million previous lives but I'd go out on a limb and say that this is by far the tastiest.

The space is fairly large, made more so by the addition of a mezzanine level that offers table services. We decide to sit downstairs (where you order at the bar) as it's closer to the bar for my beer loving companions (and closer to the loos for me)! I love that the place is still a bit rough around the edges and hasn't been tarted up too much -- it gives it that slightly Melbourne edge that we all love so much. It reminds me of what Newtown "used to be like" before the Max Brenner's and Gloria Jeans moved in.

I'm proudly told by Mr Shawn and Miss Chicken that Mary's serves Young Henry Beer - a local brew.  I feel pleased I can reply that Parramatta now has its own brew house and The Boy has given it his tick of approval. I have a sip of the Young Henry's - it tastes like...beer.

The menu is fairly small which makes ordering a breeze.  I get heart palpitations just looking at all the fast-food (but done in a kinda slow way) goodness. I'll have one of everything please!

First order up is a plastic basket lined with greaseproof paper that somehow manages to contain the pool of creamy, oozy Mash + Gravy ($5.00). It looks a bit like something The Colonel would make but it's WAY beyond anything he could ever serve up. The mash is so creamy it's almost liquid and the gravy is nice and peppery. The thing with mash + gravy is that it's perfect for dipping things in to -- like Fried Chicken ($16.00 for half a bird). This chicken was great! The peppery note in the batter is what really made it for me along with the combination of moist meat and crunchy outer.

Our burgers arrive snugly wrapped in greaseproof paper. The basket is piled high with hot, crunchy chips that have the perfect amount of salt on them (FYI, chips dipped into mash + gravy = an OMG moment).

I opted for the Cheeseburger ($14.00) and Miss Chicken went with the Mary's burger (also $14.00) that comes with a bit of salad on it. Mr Shawn embraced his inner vegetarian and ordered the 'shroom burger ($12.00) which I had a bite of - loved the big, juicy, meat field mushroom that they've used in lieu of a meat patty.

Now onto the cheeseburger.  It's wrong  of me to compare it to Shake Shack as it's really nothing like it (I'm told that honour goes more to the Mary's Burger which I'm going to try next time).  If I had to make a comparison I'd say it's similar to a McDonald's cheeseburger - soft bun (though Mary's is a buttermilk bun) with a thin patty, tomato sauce, melty cheese, onion and my beloved gherkins. Unlike Macca's though the patty has real flavour to it -- it's quite smoky and peppery and the super soft bun is like biting into air.  As soon I finished my last mouthful I was wondering if I could order "just one more"?

Mary's is at 6 Mary' Street, Newtown.

The (new) Marlborough Hotel, Newtown

Miss Piggy dined as a guest of The Marlborough Hotel for her first two meals. On the third visit she cracked open her wallet and bought her own lunch. True story.

Even though I walk past The Marlborough Hotel in Newtown every few weeks or so I failed to notice the whole place had shut down for a full renovation and make over. I think my eyes were distracted by that “other” Newtown pub that has also had a recent make over and ended up bright green like a radioactive frog.

The "new" Marly is bright, light, airy and fun. It’s also feels much more feminine than before with the decor (both inside and out) reminding me of a garden party. There are loads of comfortable upholstered couches, hanging baskets of flowers and astro turf . Gone are the dark, masculine booths, carpet and wood that adorned the old Marly. Don’t worry though boys as you can still get beer on tap and a good blokey feed. 

I like how "fun" the food options are at the new Marly Kitchen. It’s really good mix of that diner craze that is popular at the moment (cue the cheeseburger with fries) and good pub staples like steaks and schnitzels. It’s the best of both worlds.

The new menu also has some fun twists on regular pub items such as “chip nachos – there’s not a corn chip in sight. I really got a chuckle out of seeing the “Backyard Platter” listed on the menu – a perfect mix of Aussie BBQ favourites such as Jatz with cheese, cabanossi and dip – perfect food for sharing over a beer or three on a sunny Sunday (or Saturday) afternoon in the beer garden.

The new menu also has a REALLY large selection of vegetarian options on the menu which is a rare sight at a pub (or anywhere really). On my first visit I’m with VegeTARAian so we try a few of the non-meat options. We’re planning to come back with a bigger vegetarian group soon as there are SO many vegetarian choices we hardly made a dent in things.

Tara is keen to try the Vegetable Schnitzel ($17.00) which is something VERY VERY rare to see on a menu anywhere. We’re told the schnitzel is made from “seitan” which Tara pronounces like “satan” (who staunch meat eaters might think concocted this “non-meat” schnitty) but I thought it was pretty good. The flavour is good (quite nutty) and the texture was somewhat meaty (like a sausage perhaps) but more “bouncy” which makes sense seeing as this product is basically pure gluten. We had the vegetable schnitzel with a side of mushroom gravy (all their gravy’s here are vegetarian) along with some stellar, creamy mash, and fresh, crunchy batons of vegetables.

The minute I spied the Chip Sandwich on the menu ($8.00) I knew that I HAD to have it. The chef tells us it’s something that he’ll often eat in himself while working in the kitchen so he thought why not put it on the menu. I tell you the man is a genius! This simple, but delicious sandwich will bring back memories for just about every poor uni student or British backpacker who has whipped themselves up a chip sambo to ward off certain starvation.

The Nacho Fries ($18.00) are a tasty and interesting twist on your regular nachos. We have all the usual suspects - salsa, guacamole, cheese and beans - adorning, not crunchy corn chips, but big fat steak fries. The creamy guacamole has a mild heat to it and the salsa is vibrant and colourful, offering a burst of freshness with every mouthful.  I really loved the spicy beans -- they have a good amount of smokey + spicy = tasty! And can I just say how much I LOVE liquid cheese. I kinda want to burst into the kitchen, find the liquid cheese bottle and empty into my mouth. But, that would be wrong (or would it)?

I'm back a few short days later I really need to try the cheeseburger as I'm still on my quest to find a Shake Shack doppelgänger. Whilst there are loads of meaty options on the new Marly Kitchen menu I need to get my cheeseburger craving sorted first before I can move on. 

The cheeseburger is very substantial and it comes with fat, steak chips - so I think it's pretty good value for $16.  It's gloriously messy to eat and my little rectangle of wax paper looks like something akin to a crime scene by the time I'm finished - a good sign of enjoyment I'd say.  The burger comes on a sweet, pillowy brioche bun (as they all do here) which is soft and fluffy from being steamed before serving. The juicy pattie is generously sized with a hint of pepper and is blanketed in a layer of melty cheese AND my beloved liquid cheese. The whole lot of topped off with a squirt of tomato sauce + mustard. I am happy!

I brought my meat-eating work buddy along so that I could get snaps of some other options for carnivores but she was too tempted by the Veggie Burger not to order it! This thing is HUGE and a much less messy affair to eat than my lovely cheeseburger (or perhaps she is just a more coordinated eater). The burger has a flavorusome veggie pattie, sweet potato, beetroot and tomato amongst other things and my friend says that it's really good.  I didn't spy any liquid cheese on there though...perhaps because I ate it all?

I'm back again, this time for a Friday team lunch (paying my own way this time FYI).  The courtyard is really nice area to spend our lunch hour -- a nice respite from our artificially lit cubicle farm.  I'd already decided last visit that I was going to order the steak sandwich ($18.00). The Marly's steak sandwich is a departure from the type of steak sambo I'm used to seeing.  The steak was thin ribbons of tender meat - not the huge chunk of steak I was expecting (making it really easy to bite through). Other than that it had all the usual suspects - lettuce, tomato, beetroot, cheese + big fat steak chips. I cannot get enough of these chips!

I also knew from my last visit that I really NEEDED to try one of The Marly's waffles (all $8.00) each.  I'd had my eye on the pulled pork waffle but when one of my teamsters hinted that she'd like to try the fried chicken waffle I was happy to go halvies (after all a waffle AND a steak sambo is a bit much even for me).  The waffles themselves were quite crunchy, but softened up thanks to a generous dollop of gravy. The fried chicken was EXCELLENT, so excellent that I was sad I was sharing. The batter was super crispy, and just a bit peppery and the tender white meat was still nice and moist.

One of my colleagues had the fried chicken burger -- I'm getting this next time for sure if the chicken inside is anything like the chicken that comes with the waffle.  And here's a picture of a salad - just to prove they do salads (or deconstructed prawn cocktails actually).

 The Marly Kitchen is on the ground floor of The Marlborough Hotel -145 King Street, Newtown.

Guzman y Gomez, Crows Nest + Newtown

Miss Piggy dined as a guest of Guzman y Gomez.

I've sadly never been to Mexico so I really have no idea what "real Mexican food" tastes like. Ergo, I do not know if the food at Guzman y Gomez is authentic or not.  Nothing is covered in tonnes of melted cheese, and the Burittos have rice in them...so that's pretty authentic sounding to me. What I do know however is that every single Guzman y Gomez store I've ever been into is packed to the rafters with Spanish speaking employees, so that's got to be a good nod towards authenticity (no idea if they're Spanish or Mexican, but that's not the point really.  I have no point, it's just sometimes it's hard to start off a blog post so this seemed as good a way as any).

I was lucky enough to be given a few vouchers that allowed me to eat at Guzman y Gomez THREE times. Arriba!  I was meant to wait until The Boy and I could hit up this Mexican canteena together but we never got it together so I took VegeTARAian instead. You snooze you lose.

My first visit was to the Crows Nest store and we kicked things up with some snacks.  The delicious guacamole + corn chips ($5.00) seemed like a good place to start. The corn chips are quite salty which I LOVE and are not the artificial yellow colour of those Doritos we're all addicted too.  Tara and I also shared the Barramundi Quesadillas ($7.50 for 2). I was really happy to see a fish option on the menu as it meant a few more options for me, the Selective Carnivore. The Barramundi is sustainably farmed too, so props to Guzman y Gomez for that. 

The Burritos here are HUGE, but I had no trouble polishing off my half of this Veggie Burrito ($10.50) despite all the snacks we'd indulged in. The burritos come crammed full of rice, black beans, cheddar cheese and salsa. Guacamole is normally $2 extra, but with the veggie burrito it's included. Score! We washed all of this down with some Mexican soft drink called Jarritos ($4 a bottle). I love the Mandarin flavour, but the Guava was a tad sweet (I'm sweet enough).

Fate had it that The Boy and I were back in Guzman y Gomez territory a few weeks after Tara and I betrayed him at the Crows Nest store.  We were just looking for a quick bite to eat so both choose the Mini Burrito option ($6.50) which is perfect if you have a small appetite or aren't looking for a big burrito feast.  It was the Barramundi Burrito for me and the Chicken Burrito for The Boy. 

It seems to be apparent that I have developed a "thing" for the Barramundi at this place as it's not long before I am back (at the Newtown store this time). This time I opt for a Burrito Bowl ($10.50)...or Naked Burrito...or Burrito without the wrap...or Gluten Free Burrito.  Call it what you will, but man this stuff is GOOD - it's basically just a huge, rice filled salad that will keep you going for the rest of the day.

Sadly the vouchers have now run out...but I'll be back and spending my own coin on MORE Barramundi goodies.

Guzman y Gomez are all over the place - check out their website for locations.