Good Living - The Growing Cult of the Food Blog

It's great to see Good Living publish a story on food blogging. It's the first decent article on blogging and food and wine I remember them ever doing. (I'd link to it online but it is not up yet!)

It's a shame they had to lift an Observer article though. Surely there's a better story here if it were written by a local journo about the local scene. There is a small sidebar with a few references to local Blogs (Sean gets a mention).

Links: Good Living, The Observer

The Grind - Favourite Cafe site

I just came across this fun little site created by Crema Magazine/ Citysearch.

Not a bad little idea although I bet few people actually know it exists. I was was pleased to see that my favourite Bondi cafe (Skinny Dip) made an appearance. I'm sure Sean thinks the same about his fav.

As a North Shore worker the absence of any listing north of the harbour is disconcerting. Does that mean that there are no cafes of note north side? Years of working here would suggest so ...

Nick's Bondi Beach

It's been a while since I've been to Bondi Beach. There's a few old favourites there; Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Moorish Restaurant & Bar, Brown Sugar, Sydney best pizza at Pompeii's and my favourite Sydney cafe - Skinny Dip.

One of the things about Bondi Beach that I could never figure was why one of its best located cafe/restaurants could never work. Sitting attached to the pavilion, facing square onto the beach, is a superb location for a restaurant. Over the years the space has been wasted by overpriced and tourist targeted fish and chips.

I'm pleased to see that Nick's Bondi Beach is now taking over the space. Out goes the old rectangular row of tables with drop plastics sides and in its place is a new glassed rotunda with views to both ends of the beach.

Here's hoping that Nick's can finally make this space work.

Best Pizza Joint

I'm inspired to post today after reading Sean's Sydney Food Diary blog on Pompei's at Bondi Beach. Look at the pics and you'll see one of Sydney best pizzas - the "Prosciutto e fichi" (excuse the spelling).

I don't get to Bondi much these days so Haberfield's La Disfida and Napoli In Bocca get me by. I've just discovered Il Casale in Balmain and it's more than good.

It's just that they are missing that something special that Pompei's has ...

Sydney Restaurant Reviewers

This recent post on Benjamin's Christie's blog about the Heat in the Kitchen show on SBS got me going. Ben raises a number of points (the dearth of Sydney restaurant reviewers I agree with).

Ben's point of of view is from a restaurateur (fair enough - he is a Chef). Mine is from a diner. Restaurant reviewers are a great beast and opinion differentiates the average review from the great. As much as I like all review, sites simplistic sites like Eatability.com.au do end up disappointing me. For example, Eatability.com.au is chock-a-block full of "It's gr8t - best ever" type posts. That doesn't help me one iota except possible to steer me away from the venue.

Reviews from Mathew Evans I respect. The guy calls a spade a spade. The real criticism is that there are not enough reviews of the sway of Mathew. The Sydney media scene is such that I don't think there will be anyone that truly has the sway of the Good Food Guide/Good Living reviewer.

In the aggregate I think its possible that 1,000 bloggers can achieve the same effect. Bring it on I say ...

Sydney Foodie - Blog Number One

So blog number one. It will be a simple one. I plan to blog on Sydney restaurants, Sydney blogs, the restaurant scene and chatter about food in Sydney.

I'm looking forward to it ...

sf