Over the top Blog Award

This award was given to me by Ellie from Almost Bourdain, & Karen from Missklicious. Ellie's one back at the start of November (so bad i know!) so i'd like to thank Ellie & Karen for this award this was so sweet of both of them (and such a surprise that Ellie with her blog status would even think to give me this award at all hehe)

I'm sure most of you have visited Ellie's blog at least once (i'm a long time reader and rare commenter!) but incase you havent, please visit her as her site is really lovely with such simple but fantastic photo's and lots of yummy restaurants.

Karen's blog has a mix of food & fashion, travel & life, a great mix if you ask me :)

Anyway i have to answer a list of questions (with one word only) so here i go.. & further below i have given out this award to six others :)

1. Where is your cell phone? pillow
2. Your hair? black
3. Your mother? strong
4. Your father? caring
5. Your favorite food? fries
6. Your dream last night? relationship
7. Your favorite drink? chai
8. Your dream/goal? toned
9. What room are you in? mine
10. Your hobby? exercising
11. Your fear? bugs
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? japan
13. Where were you last night? home
14. Something that you aren’t? selfish
15. Muffins? banana
16. Wish list item? new-oven
17. Where did you grow up? sydney
18. Last thing you did? eating
19. What are you wearing? boxers
20. Your TV? old
21. Your pets? 5
22. Friends? happy
23. Your life? busy
24. Your mood? headache
25. Missing someone? boyfriend
26. Vehicle? nissan
27. Something you’re not wearing? bra
28. Your favorite store? spotlight
29. Your favorite color? pink
30. When was the last time you laughed? annie
31. Last time you cried? sunday
32. Your best friend? richard
33. One place that I go to over and over? cabramatta
34. One person who emails me regularly? richard
35. Favorite place to eat? city
    
    
    nomitlikeitshot a new friend i've made in the blogging world :)
    therawnoodle also a semi-newbie with restaurant reviews and some recipes
    acupcakeortwo a good friend who has a few interesting posts under her sleaves
    notquitenigella a site i log into everyday bcos there's always somethin new to read
    sugarlaced lovin all her baked goodies and home cooked recipes
    blog.peskey.info a friend we go way back who is embracing foodblogging more and more
    trissalicious a friend who has an uncanny way of starting her posts with a story to read

The Coffee Bean

612 Darling Street

Rozelle NSW 2039

After a fun (but very seedy night) out in the city, and a nice sleep in at the hotel, we were all starved for some food in our stomachs. I had never been to Rozelle before, and seen a review on this restaurant, and i had my diary with me so it was time to tick off another restaurant name in my 'to-eat' list.

breakfast wrap w/ bacon, scrambled eggs,

haloumi, rocket & onion jam $13.50

Jeremy said his wrap was good (well he showed it rather than said it, with his nodding and mouth chewing a big bite hehe)

poached eggs, crispy pancetta,

spinach & hollandaise on brioche $14.50

I ordered this like Wensy but gave Richard the pancetta. The brioche was slightly sickening and dry.. but my eggs were poached perfectly.

eggs w/ bacon, sausage, field mushroom

& roasted tomato $16

Richard had a bit of everything, (plus my pancetta) so it was a protein packed meal for him.

All in all, i wasn't at all impressed with the food here, not a place that i would go back too, it just didn't satisfy my breakfast craving. However Richard did enjoy his mixed breakfast plate, so i'd say its not a very good place for a vegetarian, and i think slightly overpriced (but it is close to the city i suppose).

Cantina Bar & Grill

245 Oxford Street

Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Ph: 02 9357 3033

Our good friend Clayton held his birthday dinner here on a warm balmy night in October. With about 10 guests (small & intimate) we had the $50 per person set menu, which was so much food (even for me the vegetarian) so i can't imagine how stuffed everyone else was feeling.

I have never been to a Spanish restaurant that isn't loud and packed with diners, and a few rowdy tables making the place almost impossible to hear anyone from the otherside of the table talking. This adds to the ambience of the restaurant, and its hard not to have a good time :)

Food came out fairly quickly, lots of tapas dishes, starting with salads and dips, then vegetables, then meat, meat & more meat (so much meat!)

baby spinach salad

w/ roast pumpkin, goats cheese, pine nuts

& grilled peppers

I particularly liked the goats cheese as it was extremely creamy with a strong tang on the tongue. The baby spinach leaves were fresh and un-bruised, a lovely fresh salad with a generous sprinkling of pine nuts on top.

chickpea salad

w/ cucumber, grilled peppers, spanish onion,

mint & manchego cheese

The chickpea salad was VERY healthy, and packed a punch with the added onions and mint. I wasnt sure of what what sprinkled on top, but came home & checked the menu- these cheese was light and not too strong on the palate.

Manchego cheese is the most important and well known sheeps milk cheese in Spain. It is aged for 3 months or longer, semi-firm texture, and ranges from being mild to sharp depending on the time it is aged for.

dip plate

w/ white bean, chickpea, beetroot, pumpkin,

eggplant & grilled olive sourdough

With four types of dip in the bowl, i couldn't help but have sometimes 2 or even 3 dip flavours on my piece of bread. My favourite would have to be the beetroot.

panfried haloumi

w/ chargrilled marinated red pepper & lemon

This one piece was definitely not enough for me or anyone else, we all only got one to two pieces each (depending on how quick we were to grab!). The chewy texture and saltiness, and having been panfried, this little yellow piece of cheese is so enticing!

pan fried field mushrooms

w/ garlic, parsley & jerez

The mushrooms were firm and flavour was soaked right to the middle. The pieces were large and at this stage i was starting to feel full already.

dusted calamari

w/ chilli & lime mayo

chilli tiger prawns

cooked in chilli, tomato, garlic & parsley

patatas bravas

potato cubes w/ onion

chilli & tomato sauce

I've had better patatas bravas (@ El Bulli) and here, they just didn't make me feel the same way. Firstly there weas not enough sauce, and secondly, the potatoes were flavorless.

grilled spanish chorizo

w/romesco sauce

lamb & pork baked meatball

w/ garlic, paprika & tomato

paella w/

calamari, clams, prawns,

mussels, green peas & roasted peppers

The paella came out last (not the first time i've seen it come out last) and by this point everyone was really full, and only really picking the mussels out and trying the rice.

With paying $50 per person, i'd say everyone but me got their money's worth, as half of it was all meaty things. El Bulli still stands as my favourite spanish restaurant, but for Richard to have tried all the meat dishes i think he liked this restaurant very much.