Strangers Project 2. Who the hell are you?

Strangers Project 2. Who the hell are you? @ atyp last night and tonight at 7pm

Idea: go check out an experimental piece of theatre, creative development, warehouse production or work in progress. If my experience last night was anything to go by, you'll be pleasantly surprised. 

Wednesday night, a theatre company's launch party for 2011, last night Miss Feathers was off to see a play. It's been a busy week! The Strangers Project 2. Who the hell are you? is a creative development piece performed by teenagers at atyp. This is an international script writing and performance project, which is a taste of what will come in 2011 when they have finalised their piece.

You could tell that these teenagers had devised this piece themselves, with collaboration with other teenagers in other countries. There were many mentions of facebook, as it was one if the main tools, alongside skype, that they used to communicate with the other theatre companies and to devise their work. Lots of mentions of relationship status updates of "it's complicated," the process of accepting and ignoring friend requests and relationship breakdowns all online. CCTV was one of the themes that kept coming up from the theatre group in Wales, so the Sydney group decided to include a piece about that and the idea of Big Brother. There was a poem/ song about McDonalds and there were a few songs that they sung about the notion of strangers, connecting with one another and communication.

If they manage to get funding this will turn into a full scale production in 2011. Here's hoping to that! The impromptu Q & A last night was great, as we got to hear all about the creative processes behind it. We found out that some pieces of dialogue were straight from the strangers2 facebook page that they've all been chatting on. Such an interesting and relevant piece of theatre. If you get the chance, check it out tonight!

The Arias

Idea: Attend an event on a comp ticket. The Arias @ Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sunday 7th November, 2010

Better being in the crowd, or watched on tv? Tv for sure! Well, this is one blog entry that Miss Feathers doesn't have many positive things to say about. At least it didn't rain. At least I had my friends with me. At least it was close to my ferry ride home. At least they had an amazing lighting display. At least I didn't faint from being penned in (although it was  close call). At least... At least... hmmm ok, I think I've run out of positive things to say. Well, it's going downhill from here.

So here's the real lowdown. The Arias is not made for the crowd that is smooshed into viewing areas. A band that I love (Blue Juice, who I've seen perform amazingly dozens of times) were forced to perform a terrible, terrible set. The music levels were all wrong, their mics didn't work for quite some time, and when it did, it was just all wrong. The techies responsible for all of the performances up until Powderfinger should be shot. Really. The performers looked embarrassed. The crowd looked embarrassed. It was just all so wrong. Did they do a run through before the event? It didn't look like it. Only the larger acts appeared to have had a tech run. And by then the audience wasn't really up for it. For something like the Arias, I expected better. It appeared to be amateurs hour. They clearly had spent all of the rehearsal time getting the amazing lights to work and camera angles to pan from. Because, from the screen, it looked pretty good. But when you took a look around you, it was another story.


There was no alcohol sold (only the VIPs got some). Not that I'm an alcoholic, or that my social activities have to involve the consumption of alcohol, it just didn't have much of a party vibe. There just wasn't a vibe. Except for the 4 teenage girls squealing every time a camera came near them who attempted to destroy our eardrums (wow, I'm really sounding like I need a good cup of tea and a crossword right now).


The Sydney Harbour Forecourt always looks amazing on film, but it just wasn't the right venue. We had to stand the whole time, in our little pen. Some of the hosts, were, well... interesting. No one really knew what was going on. Powderfinger even accepted an award whilst at the bar, wondering, "what's that for?" The audience couldn't even see the awards being presented, and sometimes the camera crew didn't even know where to film. It was all very haphazard, especially if you think about how much it would have all cost. I just expected better.

I love a comp ticket, and I have no complaints whatsoever about that. I also love trying new things and going to different things. I feel that I can tick this box (and most likely not need to do it again). I just wonder how they got it so very very wrong? Well, that's my whinge, I promise to not make a habit of it!

Bluejuice

Powderfinger

Grasshopper!

Dinner in the kitchen @ Grasshopper open Monday – Friday lunch and dinner

Myself, plus one decided to brave the weather (I don’t think the sky got the memo that’s it’s November!) and headed out in search of a dodgy laneway. Temperance Lane to be precise. Yes, located between the R M Williams and Oakley stores on George Street is Grasshopper, a Melbourne style laneway bar that is one of Sydney’s bars of the moment.

Split into two sections, the bar and the restaurant, the only way of finding Grasshopper is by knowing where you’re going. You’re not really going to stumble across it accidentally. This adds to the appeal of Grasshopper, which has such a great vibe and is so different from other drinking holes in the heart of the city. Trashy bars or dingy pubs anyone? Not for this blogger. 

We decided to try out the bar section first, which by just a bit after 6pm when we arrive, was already completely packed. Not busy. But packed. You can tell that word of mouth spreads fast about new bars in Sydney. Although both the food menu and wine menu (by the glass) is quite limited, you can tell that they have carefully selected everything that appears on it. They also serve only one type of beer: Peroni. If you are a beer drinker and Peroni isn’t your thing, I might suggest heading elsewhere for an after work drink. We grabbed our glasses of wine, managed to quickly snap up a perch on a 70s style armchair and stool beneath a funky lampshade, and settled in to our black and white kung fu wall papered surrounds. 

Having only opened this year, Grasshopper has some great quirky touches like serving table water and cocktails in jam jars. There are old records as coasters, book-like menus and playing cards as business cards. These all combine to make Grasshopper an interesting drinking venue. Finally Sydney is getting some places with some character!

After our wine, we decide to head on up to the restaurant area. I was excited by the idea of the eating area that is essentially a large slab of stone on which you’re seated on one side, with the kitchen on the other. It’s an open kitchen, so we can happily chat away to the Head chef Richard Duff as we eat. We can see absolutely everything going on in the kitchen. I'm not sure how the chefs feel about being so watched. Richard explains every meal that we’ve been served, sometimes handing the meals straight to us, answering our questions, of um… “what’s that?” I’ve never eaten in such close proximity to the chef that has made my food before. We got to watch our soufflé rise in the oven, our herbs being expertly cut and the tempers sometimes rising in the kitchen (in a controlled way). I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun. You can't get this on tv. We were part of the action. It’s such a small kitchen (as the entire place is tiny), but so smoothly run.

The menu... hmm. I want it all!

From the specials board we ordered the grilled asparagus, balsamic vinegar reduction with parmasan cheese so share. The asparagus was amazingly grilled to perfection and served in such a simple but delicious way. 

Grilled asparagus with balsamic reduction and shaved parmasan

For my main I ordered the salmon with peas and broad beans, which was grilled and lightly smoked. This was perfection. The right sized portion, plated well and the Salmon wasn’t too overpowered by the other flavours on my plate. You were left with the feeling of having just eaten food that was not only tasty, but also good for you. This doesn't happen often in restaurants. It was just all so fresh.

Grilled salmon with peas

Plus one had the Steak au Poivre. Again: cooked perfectly. It was an extremely tender pepper crusted steak. The side of a hashbrowns with bone marrow in it (as strange as it sounds) was also extremely delicious. This side being one of our “what’s this” questions, which our chef was only too happy to answer. 

Steak au Poivre

It’s quite lucky that we didn’t have anything negative to say, as I feel that it wouldn’t have gone down too well (even if it had been whispered between the two of us, as I think he may have heard!) Our position also lead us to food envy, as every plate that zoomed past our noses had us perving on it. A habit of mine that I really must give up, but all the meals looked amazing. I just couldn't help myself. The prawn cocktail (quite different to how it sounds) is on my list for the next visit. Watching those prawns being grilled and then garnished had me drooling. We also watched quite a few of the raspberry soufflé’s rise in front of our eyes from inside the oven and then walk past our noses. We just had to have one of these. The soufflé, also from the specials board, was light and fluffy, as they should be, and had a great fresh raspberry coulee to serve with it. We demolished it in what felt like seconds.

Before the top is taken off

After the top has been taken off and the raspberry coulee has been poured on.

Is Grasshopper a place I would visit again? For sure! Miss Feathers is already planning her return visit. It didn't win best small bar this year for nothing! Richard told us that we just had to try the cheese plate on our next visit, as he began cutting them up, and I wouldn't want to make the chef angry!

Sydney Food & Wine Fair: get your eat and drink on

30^th October 2010 from noon to 5pm Sydney Food & Wine Fair @ Hyde Park

Good food, good wine, sunshine, picnic rugs and entertainment. It must be the Sydney Food & Wine Fair, which was celebrating turning 20 this year. I often think that there is nothing better than sitting somewhere in the sun, either beach or park and devouring loads of tasty food and delicious wine with good people. This is why Sydney Food & Wine Fair always appeals to me so much. Especially because I haven't been able to go to many of the Crave International Sydney Food Festival events, bar the night noodle markets. Although this may have been because tickets to the progressive dinners sold out in hours.

There were cooking demonstrations by Masterchef contestants, some dance lessons by some reality dance show contestants (can you tell that I don’t watch much tv?) and music that surely the older people there would have enjoyed. But that wasn’t why we were there. We were there to drink, eat and lie in the sun digesting. Which we did. And there was plenty of space on the grass to do so.

Tempus Two’s wine was perfect for the mood. I had the fruity Moscato, which made me think it was summer already. We settled down with this and Wildfire’s lamb, peas and cannelloni with goat’s curd and a Thai style salad (from I can’t quite remember where?)

This was followed up by some serious lying in the sun, reading the free Sydney Morning Herald weekend paper and devouring pavlova from Bill’s. The pavlova was a definite highlight, crunchy and chewy with yoghurt and strawberries, so that it wasn’t too rich, and was served in a generous portion. Much larger than most of the other serving sizes, some of which could have been eaten in one mouth full.

Four in Hand’s offering of fish looked great, but we didn’t quite get around to trying it out. Fish being on the list of foods to avoid by my fellow food lover in crime. I did however, manage to sneak Café Sydney’s  trout, orange, beetroot, salmon roe salad past his eye. This was perfectly light and fresh to suit Saturday’s weather. (See image below).

I’ve been dying to try out Lucio’s hatted restaurant and their hot and spicy barbeque wings looked tempting, but we already had a BBQ planned that night. So it will have to wait until another time. Ben and Jerry’s Ice cream (not exactly a hatted restaurant) proved to be extremely popular, due to the strong sun and everyone was in a relaxed chilled out mood. The only suggestion I would have for the event organizers would be regarding the positioning of the coupon sales, as they blocked the pathway. The only negative comments heard all day was about this, because everyone knows that Australian’s don’t like queuing and walking through and potentially squashing plants in parks.

We had a few more glasses of wine and then headed off home to start preparing our BBQ. A great day of food, mild heatstroke, wine and oh did I mention the fab food? 

Victoria's Secret Showcase event

Fashion Palette, Pink Ribbon Day & the Cancer Council NSW presents: Victoria’s Secret Showcase, Friday 29th @ Piano Room

Idea: Attend a random launch/ event

Free pink fairy floss, other pink candy, pink champagne (noticing a theme here?) and the chance to see Sydney’s (take note, not the real) Victoria’s Secret Angels? Yes please. We were there in a flash.

Although we had to leave before we got to see the run way show, we got to donate some money to a charity and have lots of free stuff! Always a good start to the night. This is the beauty of random launches. The free stuff. And the Piano Room was the perfect venue for this, live music (even if the singer wasn’t the best), big old fashion looking chairs, the odd large horse statue. There were lots of teetering women in heels and a few models floating around.

These are the perfect kind of events to go to before heading out to other places, all boozed up for free. So my suggestion, why not try attending a random launch? Go on, it might be fun.

http://www.ineedhits.com/

Secret Foodies at Mumu Grill

27^th October @ Mumu Grill

Last night I wrangled up the girls to head out to a secret location to dine with fellow food lovers. This of course being a Secret Foodies event. Secret Foodies event number 11 to be precise. You get a theme for the night, last night’s being “don’t panic it’s organic,” the area of Sydney that it will be held in (North of the Bridge) and then await further instructions. The text a few hours before the event told us the location was Crows Nest and then 1 hour before we get the address of the restaurant. It was Mumu Grill!

This is the second Secret Foodies event I’ve been to, and they’re always a lot of fun. Most dishes are share plates, so that you get to try a great range of meals, there’s a drink involved (normally a cocktail) and the chef or owner of the restaurant talks you through what you’re eating.

Last night was a bit of a meat fest. If you were up for a salad, you were at the wrong place. Mumu Grill is Sydney’s only sustainable steakhouse. This means that everything is organic or sustainable, and a lot of the produce is local. They also have a great wine list to match the food.

The Slow Roast Prime Rib of Organic “Red Poll” with Kipfler Pots and Horseradish Cream was a good hearty meal, and the crunchy potatoes were amazing. The asparagus entree was cooked perfectly, and the Brown Sugar Pavlova with Pineapple and Passion Fruit Sauce was a standout. The only meal that I didn't enjoy as much was the suckling pig, but that's just down to personal taste, as pork, crackling and coleslaw (all of which were in it) aren't really my thing.

We got to meet some interesting people on our table, and Alex, aka Ms Darlinghurst, leads the night with her bubbly personality. You can’t avoid getting caught up in the fun. Oh, and did I mention that you get to wear masks! To keep it all very secret of course. We all share a story about the weirdest thing that we’ve ever eaten, a wasabi Kit Kat being one of them, and Ms Darlinghurst asks our chef about all things food. All round it was a great night. Plenty of food, great wine and lots of fun.

Try out a "meetup"

Want to try something new? Friends seeming a bit boring? Want to push your comfort levels? Well get into meetups. It’s a great way to make new friends and try new or weird things. Although, I will point out that some meetups are better organized than others. With some meetups, the organizer hasn’t created any events for months, or they forgot they had even created one. Oops. 

But if it wasn’t a bit hit and miss, where would the fun be? There’s no guarantee as to the type of people that are going to turn up, or the quality of the events. But even if the people all turn out to be a bit of a snore, what better way is there to brush up on your “I’m listening to you intently face?” Great practice for your next date or work meeting. Or you could find all about someone’s lint collection or the fact that they break out in a sweat at the thought of eating food that is the colour orange…

Some ones that I like:

Secret Supper Society:

This one is a bit of fun. You get to eat some very yummy food at a secret location. Unless you byo a friend, chances are you’ll be eating with a stack-load of strangers. I say just hit up the alcohol if you get an unlucky table. The Seafood night I went to was great, and my table full of new friends ended up stumbling to the Winery in Surry Hills afterwards. Good night, well… the parts that I remember.

Under 35s Fun:

This is quite an active meetup, with lots of activities posted. So there’s most likely going to be something you’re interested in.

There’s also ones dedicated to boozing it up, reading it up, as well as other activities like salsa dancing in Sydney. I say give one a go, just to see what you think.