Jamie's Italian, Sydney CBD

I think any parents out there reading this will understand completely when I say that making it to your child's first birthday is a very significant milestone. It's one of those times in your life when you breathe a huge sigh of relief and say "Phew... We made it!" I'll be posting soon about little Roman's birthday picnic, but this post is about our parental celebration :)

To celebrate making it through our first year of parenthood, Mr Ladybird and I headed to Jamie's Italian on Pitt Street in the Sydney CBD last week for lunch (by ourselves - wahooo!) Sure, having lunch with Roman is nice and all... but so is just the two of us. No stress over high chairs; cutlery being jabbed in the eye, or glasses being sent flying from the table... just the two of us, like "the old days"!

I really enjoyed this meal. The vibe at Jamie's Italian is stylish and unpretentious. And the food is much the same - simple, delicious, and nothing over-the-top. Just good honest Italian food. Service was prompt and friendly too, which can often make or break a dining experience! We started with complimentary bread and lovely olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

For entrees, we both had the zucchini flower special ($14.50)... a scrumptious stuffed and deep-fried zucchini flower with a rich tomato sauce and rocket pesto. I'm not usually one for anything deep-fried, but I can never say no to a good zucchini flower. The crumbed exterior was wonderfully crisp and crunchy, a nice contrast to the creamy interior of the flower.

For mains, Mr Ladybird enjoyed the pasta special - ravioli with asparagus, peas, mint, lemon zest and watercress $18.50. I enjoyed a small Pumpkin pasta ($12.50) which was wonderful.

Oh yes, and a cheeky side of Polenta Chips ($8.50).

And for dessert, Mr Ladybird and I shared a portion of rich Special Tiramisu ($9) coffee flavoured trifle with orange mascarpone and chocolate. Heaven!

All in all a lovely treat to ourselves on our son's first birthday. Thumbs up, Mr O!

I'll post again soon with some snaps from our little one's birthday celebration (and the cake of course!) Till next time...

Ladybird x

Jamie's Italian
107 Pitt St, Sydney
(02) 8240 9000
http://www.jamieoliver.com/au/italian/

Kazbah, Balmain

If there's one thing I absolutely love about Sydney, it's the absolute variety of brunch spots across the Sydney. No matter what you like for breakfast, you're bound to find a place that takes your fancy. Kazbah in Balmain does just that, but with a Middle Eastern flavour.

Trawling through (and finally cleaning up), my camera's memory card of some 1000 photos, I stumbled across pictures of our breakfast there in September of last year. Just a couple of weeks shy of Roman's arrival, I couldn't resist taking Mr Ladybird out to celebrate his first Father's Day... it seems like so long ago, how time flies!

Kazbah has a number of locations in Sydney, but has been open in Balmain since 1998. I love the atmosphere there - the colours, the flowers, the lanterns.. it all gets you in the Moroccan mood, even early in the morning. They are open for breakfast from 8am and offer their breakfast menu until 3pm! Their breakfast menu is extensive (you can check it for yourself here) with dishes ranging in price from around $15 - $20.

We started off with some drinks, of course. A coffee for Mr Ladybird ($4) and a juice of the day for me, in this case, a watermelon juice (a bit steep, I felt, at a hefty $6.50!)

And for the most important meal of the day, Mr Ladybird happily tucked into his brilliant Breakfast Tagine ($19.50) -  Roast Pumpkin, spinach, roast capsicum, roast tomato, caramelised onion, feta and eggs, all served with turkish toast.

At 8 months pregnant, I was feeling like I was just about as big as humanly possible, so I threw my usual dietary caution to the wind and indulged in the French Toast (usually comes with bacon, I ordered mine sans swine), glazed baby figs, double cream and apple cinnamon syrup ($18). Looking at this photo has me drooling all over again!

All in all a most enjoyable breakfast with prompt, friendly service. So next time you're looking for a place for breakfast and you're a bit tired of the stock standard breakfast menu options, Kazbah is well worth checking out. Be sure to book though, they get very very busy on weekends!

Til next time, dear readers...
Ladybird xxx

Kazbah
379 Darling St, Balmain
(02) 9555 7067

Café Morso, Pyrmont

With a baby now only weeks away in the Ladybird household, I increasingly find myself contemplating my soon-to-be life as a mother. I find myself thinking about activities and favourite past times that will soon be a little more difficult to fit in whilst juggling life with a newborn bundle of joy.. One of these things would have to be the pleasure found in spontaneously going out for brunch on weekends after a lovely sleep-in. Of course, I am immensely looking forward to the changes my life will soon bring, and I simply cannot wait to meet our little one.. But as my belly grows and my due date comes closer and closer, I am keen to enjoy squeeze in as much of these simple pleasures as I can!

With this in mind, Mr Ladybird recently took me out for a lovely surprise breakfast at Café Morso in Pyrmont. The cafe is located at the beautiful Jones Bay Wharf overlooking the harbour, close by to iconic Sydney restaurants such as The Flying Fish and Doltone House. Cafe Morso also happens to be quite the high achiever, with swagful of awards to its name, including Best Breakfast Restaurant in 2009 and 2010.

And when you see the menu, you start to get an idea of what the fuss is about.. I am tempted by the french toast with pear compote, mascarpone and chocolate ganache, but with baby's nutrition in mind I opt for the sautéed wild mushrooms with truffled scrambled eggs and Sonoma sourdough ($16) and an orange juice ($5).

My Ladybird opts for the beautiful soft scrambled eggs with gruyere cheese, semi dried cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs on Sonoma sourdough  ($16), a side of baked beans with onion jam and relish ($2.50) and a latte ($3.80).

A great spot for breakfast, particularly with the weather warming up. Worth checking out!

Cafe Morso
Lower deck (west side), Jones Bay Wharf
Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW
Ph: (02) 9692 0111
http://www.cafemorso.com.au/

Monday - Friday 7am - 4pm, Saturday & Sunday 8am - 2pm

Harvest Café & The Byron at Byron Restaurant, Byron Bay

Last week I travelled to Byron Bay in northern New South Wales with Mr Ladybird and my in-laws for a short break. Byron Bay is located in northern New South Wales, and is only around 2 hours drive from Brisbane. A few years ago when we still lived in Brisbane, driving down to Byron Bay for a night or two was something I would look forward to tremendously, and since relocating to Sydney I have missed that convenience a lot. With recent flooding on the Pacific Highway, our drive from Sydney to Byron Bay ended up taking almost 13 hours... but it was worth it.

It was so lovely to visit Byron Bay again, and (don't tell anyone) but I think winter is the perfect time to visit the area. Blue skies, sunshine and warmer temperatures, less crowds, not to mention the beautiful landscape - stunning beaches, pristine forest and the breathtaking hinterland - there's a reason why you feel great after visiting such a pristine part of the world.

Byron Bay is also a great place for foodies to visit thanks to the great array of eateries offering the best of local produce. I'll be posting more on the food on offer at Byron Bay, but first here is a little look into two places I visited during my stay.

First, Harvest Café, which is located in Newrybar in the Byron Bay hinterland. This cafe is situated in a renovated house with sweeping balconies, and boasts a beautiful ambiance.

Sitting outside on the balcony under heaters was nice, and there is also seating available indoors.

I just loved the look of the sofas by the fireplace - so cosy...

We visited Harvest for breakfast on the weekend. We were keen to dine somewhere outside of town, and outside of Bangalow, so Harvest seemed like a good option. We started with coffees - a cappuccino ($3.85) and a latte ($3.85).

Celebratory grazing at Rubyos, Newtown

Last week I had the pleasure of dining at Rubyos in Newtown with my sister, 'Coco', and Mr Ladybird. It's not often that I get to see my dear sister and it was as a belated birthday celebration for her that we headed to Newtown on a blustery and cold Sydney evening last week.

You may recall my previous post on Rubyos last year, when I covered a fantastic degustation brunch there (to read this post, click here). Given this positive experience, I had high hopes for our dinner, and we weren't disappointed. As always, the ambiance was lovely, and I never cease to admire the restaurant's artwork...

The Rubyos menu offers a vast and tantalising selection of tasting dishes that are best shared by a table. This is my favourite way to enjoy food - a variety shared with loved ones ... not to mention the fact that it is a wonderful way to avoid what I like to call 'order envy' ;) There are plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans which is fantastic, but there are plenty of options for the carnivores too, including a star anise braised pork belly dish for all you pork belly fanatics!

First we start with some breads with the 'Double dipper' - Turkish bread toasts with the chef's dips of the day - a delicious pesto and hummus style dip ($8.50).

The dishes then come out progressively, starting with the lighter ones first. We start with the Salad of grilled autumn vegetables topped with mesculin, toasted buckwheat, and a lemon and sage vinaigrette ($14.50)

Next, the Panfried haloumi topped with watermelon, coriander and mint salsa, and chilli oil drizzle ($16.50). What an unexpectedly fabulous combination - a real highlight.

Cumin dusted tofu topped with chimmichurri sauce and an amarillo pepper salsa ($15.50)

For Coco, the Rosettes of atlantic salmon glazed with fennel and pinenut pesto, with a wild rocket, shaved fennel and sundried tomato salad ($25)

Lightly steamed green beans with a burnt orange and black olive dressing ($11.50)

And one of my favourites of the evening - the Crispy New York style crushed chats tossed through fresh herbs and seasoned salt ($9.50). Sooo delicious, I could happily eat these bad boys every day...

The 'bump' and I champion the dessert cause, and I enjoy the Pecan and chunky green apple pudding with rum and raisin ice cream and maple caramel ($13.50). A delicious warm and soft pudding - ideal on a cold winter's night, and great ice cream (as close as I'm going to come to a drink for a few months yet!)

Mr Ladybird and Coco opt for some hot drinks to finish instead - a mocha ($4.50) and a hot chocolate ($4.50) ...

All in all a great meal at considerably good value for the quality of food and the overall experience. A nice venue for celebrating a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary. And the service? Attentive, friendly and efficient by Liz and the team. I definitely recommend the Rubyos grazing experience to others.

Rubyos
18-20 King Street, Newtown
(02) 9557 2689
http://www.rubyos.com.au/



Ladybird x

Vina Vegetarian Restaurant, Newtown

Mr Ladybird and I headed to Vina Vegetarian Restaurant on Wednesday last week. Things can be quite busy at this time of year, so we were keen to have the night off from kitchen duties mid-week. Newtown was absolutely bustling for a Wednesday night! The ambience at Vina is not the drawcard at this family run business however the the food is.

I was keen to go to Vina for dinner in part because I had a hankering for some vegetarian sweet & sour 'pork'and I was sure that Vina would offer something similar on their menu. I'm not normally one for fake meat, but the veg version of sweet and sour pork makes me go weak at the knees! What can I say...? It's a guilty pleasure...

Once seated we peruse the extensive Vietnamese menu over some Jasmine tea. Vegetarians and vegans are certainly spoilt for choice here, so it takes us a little while to decide on what we want!

We order, and a short while later our entrees arrive. we hungrily tuck into the lightly fried tofu and vegan spring rolls. Both are delicious, particularly the crunchy spring rolls. Neither is too heavy so we still have a healthy appetite for our main dishes.

For our mains we order a mock chicken curry and mock pork in a sweet and sour sauce. The curry is delicious, but the mock pork dish is a bit disappointing - not quite the crunchy, deep-fried balls with sticky sauce that I had envisioned... Despite this, it is great to get a good serve of fresh vegetables in each dish.



All in all, a good meal from Vina. The staff did incredibly well to manage the restaurant when it so busy, and they are always so nice that it's ok if you have to wait a little bit. Vina is also a little better value than Green Palace Thai Vegetarian further up King St in Newtown, so do give Vina a go if you're looking for vegan/vegetarian options in Newtown.

Vina Vietnamese Vegetarian Restaurant

395 King St, Newtown NSW

(02) 9557 0456

Ladybird x