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