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Good Weekend

The April 6 Edition

THERE’S SOMETHING delicious, conceptually and for the tastebuds, about the idea of a restaurant that serves just four people on any given evening. Or six, or eight, or - let’s really push the boat out here - 10. In an era where many say it’s too hard to run a restaurant and make a living, when consolidation into big corporate entities is becoming the norm, a small but growing number of chefs and restaurateurs are going the other way – opening tiny eateries that allow them to serve their customers in the manner in which they’d like, while retaining a good work-life balance in the process. Dani Valent explores this trend in today’s Food & Wine issue; her story is on the cover of our Victorian edition. And on the NSW cover: Can one restaurateur transform a suburb? Neil Perry is certainly trying. He opened his restaurant Margaret in Sydney’s Double Bay in late 2021. The following year he opened a second eatery next door, literally called Next Door, as well as a local outpost of the Melbourne baking institution that is Baker Bleu. All three have been credited with reinvigorating a bayside area last considered really rocking in the 1980s. And there’s more to come, with a new Perry eatery, plus a bar, slated to open up the road from Margaret in August. So, can food transform a suburb? The Perry Experiment suggests it can. Elsewhere in today’s issue, don’t miss our annual 52 Top Wineries list, published in partnership with wine website The Real Review. Cheers! Katrina Strickland, Editor

11 stories
The April 6 Edition
Top-ranking Yarra Yering is known for its cabernet and shiraz varietals and blends, but especially its Dry Red Wine No. 1.

Australia’s 52 top wineries of 2024

Raise a glass to the highlights of The Real Review’s pick of almost 400 wineries, plus must-try drops, the biggest movers and how the regions fared.

  • by Huon Hooke

At 66, Neil Perry thought he’d be retired. Instead, he’s transforming Double Bay

Can one restaurateur lift a suburb from the doldrums? Three eateries in, with two more scheduled, this one’s trying his darnedest.

  • by Michael Koziol
Greasy Zoes owner Zoe Birch: “If you want to make a million dollars, opening an eight-seat restaurant isn’t the way to go.”

Just six seats a night: What’s driving the teeny-weeny restaurant trend?

As many restaurants consolidate or die, a charming trend is emerging: eateries that serve only four, six, eight people at a time.

  • by Dani Valent
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Lorena: “He’d always ask me if I had a girlfriend. He said to me, ‘Your sexuality doesn’t matter; you’re still you.’”

She came for the cannoli and stayed for the friendship: An intergenerational tale

Sicilian-born chefs Giovanni Laiosa and Lorena Corso bonded over their homeland’s famous sweets, a bond that deepened with shared pain.

  • by Dani Valent
Dicey Topics
For subscribers

Sex before, not after, a romantic dinner – and other advice from foodie Alison Roman

The New York-based cook and food writer on weighing up expiry dates, dining with political opposites – and how history will judge meat-eaters.

  • by Benjamin Law
Modern Guru
For subscribers

My granddaughter pretends she’s running late for work. Should I worry?

Copying parental behaviour is usually just child’s play, writes our Modern Guru. Unless ...

  • by Danny Katz

Beyond scones and sangas: High tea gets a modern makeover

Plus: get ready for the weekend with these fresh diversions.

  • by Various
You can substitute almonds for roughly chopped walnuts in the crumble.

Get ready to crumble with Helen Goh’s rhubarb, pear and fresh ginger pud

Fresh ginger juice enlivens the pairing of sweet, buttery pear and sharp rhubarb.

  • by Helen Goh
You can use baby spinach but English spinach has a far superior flavour.

Julia Busuttil-Nishimura’s spanakopita-inspired artichoke, green olive and spinach spiral filo pie

This vibrant, zingy pie is inspired by Greek spanakopita and also happens to be vegan.

  • by Julia Busuttil Nishimura
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Drink straight after buying: Is the majority of wine made to be enjoyed immediately?

The most popular wines are not intended for storing.

  • by Huon Hooke
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Good Weekend Quiz

Trivia buffs: test your knowledge.

Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-april-6-edition-20240304-p5f9jt.html