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THE SCOFFER


Thai Nesia, Sydney
For 36 years, in an unassuming corner venue on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst, a small Thai owned and operated restaurant has continued to deliver Thai food with integrity, and while there are some things only a suburban Thai restaurant can manage to do, the food and service at Thai Nesia is spot on. We've eaten in Thailand a lot, and pre covid were frequent visitors, and there is a sense of authenticity here which makes our mouths very happy. There is a certain efficiency I
Feb 16, 20222 min read


Delatite 2020 Dead Man's Hill Gewurtztraminer
I love to stumble on little moments of joy. Heading into a high street Thai place with a BYO capacity, I popped into an independent wine...
Jan 7, 20222 min read


Love, Tilly Devine. Sydney
For the last decade and a bit , Tim Webber and Matt Swieboda have operated Love Tilly Devine at 91 Crown Lane Darlinghurst. Its a small, 1920's prohibition style space doing anything but prohibition. Firstly you have to know where to look, then you have to find it. But the rewards when you do are incredibly rich. Chef Webber has a small but very functional menu. Our most recent visit involved several favourites still available to us - sourdough with whipped white soy butte
Jan 6, 20222 min read


Heirloom Vineyards 2020 Touriga
Zar Brooks is not a man easily forgotten. He is a bold, cheeky chap and someone I spent a bit of time with when a mutual friend was...
Jan 5, 20222 min read


Buderim Ginger Beer & Spiced Rum
It's not often I will pen missives on the RTD market, as they are not a category we are over enamoured with, but, we were alerted to this...
Jan 5, 20222 min read


Frank Mac's - The Rocks, Sydney
For what feels like several hundred years, The Rocks has been heavily dominated by tourists and vagabonds, a veritable melting pot of people, cultures and opal shops, targeted squarely at an ever hungry tourist market, in the area to see a bridge, an opera house and to catch a ferry to Manly or across to the Zoo. This is all changing with a slew of venues opening to return the vibrant inner city hub into a mecca for food and wine. One of those is Frank Mac's - a temple to gi
Jan 4, 20223 min read


Shanghai Street Dumplings, Melbourne.
I remember once queueing for the opening night of a taco place in Melbourne. I said at that point I would never in my life queue for street food again, given how prolific it is. I think standing in a long line, for an uncomfortable amount of time, waiting to eat something as simple as a taco or dumpling is a folly, and on my way to this very venue, I stated that to my two dining companions. I. Dont. Queue. For. Food! I take that back. I would and did join a conga line of
Jan 4, 20223 min read


Colpasso Grillo 2020
Regular readers will know I have a love of anything alternative. Ubiquitous white varietals like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and...
Jan 3, 20222 min read


Siffredi's Spaghetti Bar, Teneriffe, Qld.
Super talented chef Ollie Hansford, formerly of Stokehouse Q in Southbank, combined his redundancy with that of two of his workmates in Aleks Balodis and Stephen Overty, and they opened an unassuming pasta place in Teneriffe. The starched white table cloths and extensive wine store of their past are replaced by a very cute, pastel coloured, minimal fuss venue. But rest assured, this is no suburban hack I want to start at the wine list - a limited number of 12 options and som
Dec 21, 20212 min read


Hesketh 2021 Bright Young Things Sauvignon Blanc
Whilst Savvy B has long been the beverage of choice for inner suburban house mums and tennis playing ladies, I must confess to being one...
Dec 21, 20212 min read


Holly's Garden 2021 Pinot Gris
I've always been a fan of what Neil Prentice has set out to do. Is he a little unorthodox? Yes, and that's what I love about him....
Dec 21, 20212 min read


Patina 2018 Pinot Noir
When we talk about Orange wine, I have to be distinct and talk about wine from the Orange region of NSW, rather than the orange wines...
Dec 21, 20212 min read


Vibe Hotel, Subiaco Perth
Vibe is an occasionally hit and miss mid range 4 star group of properties. There are currently nine hotels across Australia, with Subiaco...
Dec 9, 20212 min read


Bad Shepherd Peanut Butter Porter
You know when you have a mid afternoon craving for the odd peanut butter and chocolate cookie? This beer is not the answer - don't do it....
Dec 6, 20212 min read


Deeds Brewery, Glen Iris
You know that feeling or at least I hope you do, when you have a beer from a brewery which is life changing (I kid you not, we are bloody nuts for this beer.... Pomona's Harvest) and then you visit the brewery that makes it? Yeah, that feeling! The Beer Scoffer has been banging on for months about this beer, as has yours truly, so we had to go and visit Deeds Brewing and see if the venue was as good as the one beer. Oh my stars, we were beyond surprised. Firstly, the Pomona'
Dec 6, 20213 min read


The Lobbyist, Parramatta NSW
Parramatta is going off. Always the 'inland city' as a sister to Sydney, its growth means it is fast becoming a haven for foodies. From great sandwiches to new restaurants, Parramatta is the gift that keeps on giving. The Lobbyist is a very chic cafe, from Ibby Moubadder and the team from Nour and Henrietta's in Surry Hills. This growing group seem to be adding something new every week - with LillyMu and Cuckoo Callay in Surry Hills and sister venue Cuckoo Callay in Newtown
Dec 3, 20212 min read


Ben Haines 2020 Love in a Mist
Many of the winemakers I know are deeply thoughtful and intense individuals, committed to their incredible craft, and singularly focused...
Dec 3, 20212 min read


The Pudding Lady has the goods for Christmas
I don't know about you but I was blessed with two Grannies who could cook dessert. Big Nana was a pastry cook for decades, while little Nana made jams and puddings and pot roasts like nobody I know. Maybe I am romanticising but I always loved being around them when they were making desserts. Sadly my dear departed Mum was not so much a whizz in the kitchen. Food was a function rather than a pleasure. I suspect I was very spoiled because there was always a pudding around - s
Dec 2, 20212 min read


Steels Gate 2019 Estate Blend Pinot Noir
It's fair to say that I am a bit of a whore for a Yarra Valley Pinot Noir. Subtlety and complexity abound, and the hallmarks of bright...
Dec 2, 20212 min read


Its BeerMas time
I like to think I've been dumped by some magnificent women. Sometimes they break your heart, sometimes they take the house but always...
Dec 2, 20213 min read
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