Maccas, KFC out as tiny bars lead northern beaches revival
First they brought down KFC. Then global fast food giant McDonald’s fell. This is the story of how northern beaches residents are changing the face of their suburbs by choosing quaint little bars over world-dominating corporations.
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Oh Manly, the suburb where KFC and Maccas can’t survive but small bars are welcomed with open, loving arms.
The Cumberland opened its doors this week, the third Manly venue from hospitality veteran Matt Clifton (Donny’s, In Situ), flaunting a distinct speak-easy style.
The 75-seat bar is hidden behind a 1920s fridge door at Cove Deli and down a spiral staircase. The space took 18 months to complete.
The bar is full of antiques, collected by Clifton on his travels around the world.
“The beer taps are Bishop and Babcock from Cleveland, 1892,” he said. “All the door handles are from the 1800s, everything is solid brass, the old marble benchtop is the original-style marble that they used, the dumbwaiter has its original parts, (these are) Ukrainian bunker lights, the toilet cisterns are from the pre ’20s, the urinal is pre ’30s — everywhere you look there is something that’s authentic.”
He is a multi-venue owner in this posh suburb, but Clifton is originally a country boy from Tullamore in central west NSW.
When last at the family farm, Clifton nicked a bag of freshly-shorn wool and will use it to adorn a sheep’s whey vodka cocktail.
The bar’s name pays homage to Cumberland county, established in 1788, which takes in most of metropolitan Sydney.
“Sydney used to be county of Cumberland and every county provided a different commodity like wool or tea, so the cocktail list has a wool cocktail,” he said.
For foodies, the deli offers antipasto boards, delivered downstairs via a vintage dumbwaiter while a separate bar kitchen serves tapas.
The Cumberland is open seven days a week from 5pm until late.
BAR’S INSTAGRAM INFLUENCER SLAP DOWN
Seeing influencers get shut down is a serious guilty pleasure and Circular Quay bar Bulletin Place pulled off a devastating take-down earlier this week.
Owned by Tim Philips and Rob Sloan, the cocktail bar has a long list of accolades, including being named as one of the top 100 bars in the world, several times — the entire world.
So when they received a message from a helpful “influencer” offering to promote their bar, they said “sure!” — but as with everything that seems too good to be true, there was a catch.
The influencer, who had about 37,000 followers (not a groundbreaking amount), then offered a couple of posts in return for free drinks.
But when Bulletin Place replied with a curt “thanks, but no thanks”, it was the influencer who saw red.
“Never actually saw your bar, I’m booked out anyway with all the other relevant bars in Sydney,” he replied, simultaneously making no sense while shooting himself in the foot.
Not to back down, Bulletin Place replied: “We were just listed in the top 100 bars in the world. ‘Booked out’ — I’m glad margaritas can pay the rent, you peasant.”
That’s when the exchange was stepped up another jaw-dropping level.
“Hahaha I don’t drink margaritas I’m not a homeless c. t or a p. sy,” the influencer said. “Good luck with your sh. ty bar that you think is so great but know (sic) one knows about.
Anyway I’ve got more relevant bars to talk to, thanks for messaging back though with such a nice response.”
It seems they do not teach “how to accept rejection and move on maturely” at influencer school.
This exchange has been a major trigger for venue owners recently, who are all operating in an extremely tough time for small businesses.
Famous restaurateurs including Matt Moran, Maurice Terzini and Justin Hemmes all run “no freebie policies”.
PICK OF THE BRUNCH
The Grumpy Baker is slowly growing a Sydney cafe empire, and his Israeli roots have helped him predict the trends.
Michael Cthurmer opened his first bakery-cafe 20 years ago on Oxford St in Paddington.
He now has seven sites, including his brand newie at Neutral Bay, and a factory at Marrickville. Unbelievably, he is still on the hunt for more locations.
“We’re looking at opening another five,” he told Delicious Sydney. “The next one will be at Bilpin, Blue Mountains and we’re hoping to have it open by December.
“But we’re always looking for perfect locations — Manly, Mosman, Cronulla.
“Out west it would depend where, as long as it’s in a good site, we don’t mind.”
Originally from Israel, Cthurmer migrated to Australia almost 30 years ago and opened his first bakery to satisfy his hankering for the foods he grew up on — namely shakshuka and falafel — which are now hot cafe scene items.
“I had a good childhood, I loved it,” he said. “My family are still there and we go there once a year to visit.
“My Dad used to take me to the bakery and we’d buy something literally straight from the oven and that’s what I was missing.”
Shakshuka in particular is king of the brunch menu at the moment, a baked-egg dish with Middle Eastern origins.
The dish is made by setting eggs in a rich tomato-based, spiced sauce and baking.
Most venues serve it straight out of the cast iron pan with fresh, crusty bread or pita to mop up the yummy leftover sauce.
Shakshuka is available in plenty of cafes across Sydney, but Cthurmer, dubbed the “grumpy baker” because of his early starts, learned the traditional technique from his mother.
“I grew up on it, I just learned how to make it from home when I saw my Mum making it,” he said. “(The secret is) patience, let it cook slowly, build it up, let it simmer slowly and then it will have all the nice flavours.
“And a bit of love, too.”
CULT DISH YOU MUST TRY
Pork rolls — aka banh mi — have a very specific set of rules to follow, if you ask a fanatic.
1. The bun must be so crusty it explodes into a cloud of crumbs when you bite in;
2. Chilli, coriander and that incredible mystery sauce — and lots of it;
3. The freshness of cucumber and shallots (both cut lengthwise) and carrot (grated or thin strips both fine);
4. Pork that can actually be identified as pork.
Then, of course, it all must have the correct ratios and be distributed evenly inside the roll.
Marrickville Pork Roll does all that and more.
This tiny hole in the wall on Illawarra St is a cult favourite, with foodies travelling from all over Sydney. Even in torrential rain and howling wind yesterday, it still had a steady stream of customers.
While the shop is tiny, the rolls are huge and a bargain at $6 a pop. Definitely deserving of the hype.
BATHING BEAUTY TO REOPEN
Balmoral’s Bathers’ Pavilion is to become the go-to hotspot over summer.
After nearly 10 weeks of heritage renovations at the beachside restaurant, owner and chef Serge Dansereau will reopen the doors on Friday, October 4.
While the bones have remained untouched, the 1920s building has undergone some significant changes including an upgraded dining room and a new all-day bistro, lounge and bar area.
The refreshed kiosk will serve everything from snacks to picnic hampers and beach towels. And, for the first time, diners on the first-floor terrace will be able to watch the sunset.
The kitchen team has also had a refresh with Dansereau joined by returning head chef Cameron Johnston and pastry chef Kumiko Endo (Attica, Tetsuya). Cam Fairbairn and Jess Mead, both from Acme, were snapped up for managerial roles.
WE’RE UDDERLY OBSESSED
Sydney’s love affair with cheese is set to intensify with the return of the Bon Fromage festival. And this year organisers will be offering lactose lovers a literal ton of free cheese.
More than 30 varieties of cheese will be on show across the three-day festival at Carriageworks, Eveleigh from October 18 to 20. The venue will be transformed into a cheese marketplace and wine bar from 10.30am till 6.30pm each day and 5pm — 7.30pm on Friday night.
The idea of the day is not so much about pigging out, but for people to learn more about cheese and experiment matching cheeses to wines.
Cheese can have a slight edge of snobbery around it — and in some cases a steep price tag — so organisers are looking to take away those barriers.
The event is free but there is currently a wait list. Register at europeancheeses.com.au
NOODLE BAR TO STIR THINGS UP
The last of the Darling Square retailers are dribbling through and Delicious Sydney can reveal Iiko Mazesoba will open mid-November.
Japanese inspired, Iiko will specialise in ramen with a twist — instead of broth the restaurant will mixed their house-made mazesoba (mixed noodles) with sauces, fragrant oil or special vinegar.
Some menu items might be for the more adventurous — flavours include matcha green tea, beetroot and squid ink with sides of karaage fried chicken, DIY potato salad and sweet Japanese shaved-iced dessert. The fitout, by Oro Design, is on theme with Japanese pop culture references.
THE MOUTH — REVIEW: STEAKHOUSE CHAIN MAKES THE CUT
Meat & Wine Co. Circular Quay
Intercontinental Sydney, 112 Macquarie St, Sydney
Never eat at chains. Never eat at chains. Never eat at chains.
If The Mouth were to issue a set of rules for dining out, number one would be … well, you get the idea.
But rules are meant to be broken, particularly when it’s 9pm on a Monday, friends are in from interstate, and it’s either check out the restaurant in their hotel lobby or clomp all over the CBD hoping someplace will take us late on what’s traditionally “chef’s night off”.
Thus Meat & Wine Co, a convivial chain of steakhouses around Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, which is actually somewhat hopping on a Monday night.
And yet.
The service is startlingly good when, given its captive audience, it could just as easily be indifferent.
There are warm welcomes and a space made for a party of four with no booking.
Our waiter is friendly, across his brief, and keeps things moving, noting the approach of the kitchen, and then bar, closing times.
We order a very reasonably-priced bottle of 2009 Plantagenet cabernet sauvignon from the Great Southern region — another of The Mouth’s rules: wine from WA is a safe bet no matter the vintage — and without looking at the menu, he immediately tells us he’s out of that year, but they’ve got a 2014, and would that be OK?
More than OK, actually. For once, none of the old hope-you-don’t-notice switcheroo.
The steaks? Well here’s a third rule from The Mouth: If unsure of a kitchen, always order one degree of doneness less than desired.
An eye fillet comes out startlingly cylindrical, but perfectly rare as ordered, though an accompanying blue cheese sauce ordered in a fit of gluttony doesn’t have much grunt.
“New York” steaks — that’s a sirloin, son — are more than serviceable with a green peppercorn sauce.
A slab of ribs out of the Flintstones looked great, but The Mouth had his hand slapped away when he attempted to try one in the interests of science. Draw your own conclusions.
Decent chips, sides of mac and cheese and some baked cauliflower thingo rounded things out, though all three needed a hit of salt. Oh well.
The verdict?
Yes, there are better steaks and better steakhouses in Sydney, but you’ll pay for the privilege. As far as meat and wine go, Meat & Wine Co does what it says on the tin.
LICENSED: YES
CARDS: V MC AE EFT
OPEN: NOON to 10PM DAILY
PRICES: AVERAGE
VEGETARIAN: LITTLE
WHEELCHAIR: ACCESS YES
NOISE: OK
PRO: OUT OF STOCK
CON: HONEST ABOUT IT