Girls, if you want to meet a man with refined taste, between the ages of 28 and 55, with enough spare income to drop $200 on what, essentially, is a dinner . . . look no further. For that same $200 investment you can be the only girl among 7 good looking, well-mannered, and hungry men on any given Wednesday evening, just as I was recently in Sydney, Australia. No lie.
Victor Churchill is the most up-market butcher shop in the world. Millions of dollars were spent on its fit out and it looks like no other butcher shop you have ever seen. Butchers work on display in a temperature controlled glass room while dry aging meats hang next door in a similar glass room but with a full Himalayan salt wall in back to promote the aging process. The two are separated by a restored, fire-engine red, antique meat slicer that cost more than my car I am sure. Clearly the art form of butchery and the quality products themselves, are meant to be equally awe inspiring.
Just as awe inspiring to me, the floor is made of three continuous slabs of Calacatta marble cut into individual 1 x 2 in. mosaics for an anti-slip finish. The lighting rivals any stage play and having been there after hours to see first hand, the security system rivals that of Fort Knox.
Oh, and people shop here too. If crazy expensive, highest quality, grass fed beef, or 9+ full-blood Wagu beef isn’t your thing, try some house made charcuterie or free-range chicken roasted on an imported French rotisserie with duck fat roasted potatoes on the side. Or stop in daily between 11-2 for a sausage or hot dog on a roll. I’m sure they are the best sausages and hot dogs you have ever had. Certainly the most expensive. But isn’t it worth it?
Back to the important stuff . . . men eating meat and drinking wine is essentially what Victor Churchill’s, Let’s Cook Meat class is. It’s a demonstration class that runs Wednesday nights from 7-10 where participants sample duck confit, spatchcock, prime aged beef, filet, Wagu (the best by the way), cracklin’ and more — all cooked by a goofy young chef who doubles as a store clerk and clearly loves his job. For other classes offered see the Victor Churchill website. Although to register, skip the online sign up and just call directly. It’s your best chance of getting in and/or a response for that matter.
I personally thought the class was worth every penny and I wasn’t even in the market for a man. The food was great and plentiful. The shop beautiful. The evening fun. You do walk away with recipes although I have never even glanced at them — I was in it for the experience. This was one of the reasons I stayed in the Woollahra neighborhood on my recent trip to Sydney. After class, I simply strolled home a few blocks down the road to my bed . . . alone . . . promise!
This is what goes on behind the scenes at Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey. Cakes of all sizes being made by hand. I don’t normally mix work and blog but I recently got to spend the day “working” behind the scenes at the home of The Cake Boss — touring and learning how to decorate cakes. A tough day on the job — not! A lot of fun — yes! After a brief tour of the very small Hoboken bakery we were off to a much larger facility a few towns over and before long, Buddy himself was showing us how to decorate fondant cakes — sharing secrets and making it look easy. We made a lot of cakes. I won’t say it was hard, but to make a cake look professional . . . it’s not easy. Armed with all the tools necessary to make stunning creations, my partner and I set out to decorate cake after cake. These are some of our better results. Who would have known that my steamer operating skills honed from years of owning a clothing store would come in handy decorating cakes? And please don’t mind the uneven stripes or lumpy bumpy trim. As I said, it’s not easy. But all ‘n all, not too bad for a couple of amateurs, if I do say so myself.
A special shout out to Buddy and his entire staff for a wonderful day!
Part grand old house and part modern glass pavilion, this small hotel is a luxurious treat. Spacious and comfortable rooms decorated with antiques are complimented by beautifully appointed modern bathrooms, including heated floors, free standing tubs, rain showers, Aesop toiletries and piles of fluffy white towels. The open kitchen and dining room sit in the central pavilion complete with grande fireplace and a big white sofa where you can lounge while having a mixed drink or a glass of Tasmanian wine from the well stocked, shared honor bar (complimentary waters, sodas and teas are available in your room and are replenished daily) or indulge in freshly baked muffins and cookies always available for the taking. I dined in house on my first evening and the meal was very good but take note, the kitchen is only open for dinner the latter half of the week. I can guarantee, otherwise, anything you need will be promptly taken care of in this well run establishment.
All this luxury doesn’t come cheap but you can book through wotif.com and save a few dollars off the standard room rates offered by the hotel. Staying in the smaller attic room located in the old house portion of the hotel as I did, will save you even more — but beware, this room’s window overlooks the open kitchen and dining area which goes late and starts up again early in the morning. If you’re a light sleeper, I’d recommend one of the rooms in the newer wing.
Dev’lish Espresso, 137 Macquarie Street — open for breakfast and lunch. Mostly a take out coffee and sandwich shop but there is a small counter for eating in. Be drawn in by the case of spectacular goodies but don’t miss the small menu of hot specialties on the right-hand wall before you decide.
Kawasemi, 109 Main Road — hidden away in a small dark arcade in the northern suburb of Moonah, this is an authentic Japanese restaurant frequented by locals (exactly how I found my way there, meeting friends of friends who live nearby). According to the the chef at my hotel, it’s the best kept secret in Hobart. The food was great, portions large and prices low. It always pays to stray off the beaten path.
I was told whatever I do, not to miss Sweet Envy (341 Elizabeth Street, North Hobart) for pastries and ice cream made by husband and wife chefs who once worked for Gordan Ramsey. As much as I hate to miss a spectacular ice cream opportunity, unfortunately my busy schedule didn’t allow me to get there.
I can’t think of a more lovely way to spend a day. Rodney Dunn and his wife Severine have created the most wonderful cooking school in a converted old school house surrounded by 5 acres of working farmland. The morning is spent visiting the pigs, milking goats, touring the gardens and picking the fruits and vegetables for a several course meal the class prepares in the afternoon, hands on. Anything that doesn’t come directly from their farm is sourced from neighbors and friends in the area. You learn not only great recipes but techniques that will last you a lifetime — and there is no better way to get to know a group of fellow foodies then by sharing stories while working in the kitchen and then sitting down to a fabulous meal together. The only downside is classes book up 4-6 months in advance. I booked 6 months out and then planned the rest of my vacation around this. It was well worth it.
Forget everything you know about a traditional museum. Now imagine, arriving by boat to a fortress, surrounded by vineyards (the oldest in Tasmania) and facing a mountain of sandstone stairs. After your climb, you are handed a specially programmed iPod and let loose to wander down another grand staircase, through a subterranean maze of rooms that house a collection of curious antiquities and provocative modern art pieces – from machines that replicate excrement to waterfalls of politicized words to houses made of human hair.
You have just entered the wacky and wonderful world of David Walsh, an eccentric billionaire whom I suspect is hell bent on turning his little patch into the center of the universe. And he just may succeed, which is saying a lot for a gambler who lives at the bottom of the world. Go, you won’t regret it.
The creative director in me, always on the look out for great packaging, was drawn to Moo Brew’s wonderfully shaped beer bottles with artist created labels after seeing them online. Since, I have sent cases of beer as gifts but I longed to taste the micro brews for myself. So, after visiting the museum I took the Friday afternoon tour of the brewery. There’s not much to tour actually — just a single glass brewing room with multiple stainless steel tanks and fermenting machines. These days most of the real production is done in another location. One of the three brew masters gives you a lengthy description of their history and process while plying you with full bottles of each of their 4 brews and if you’re lucky, a glass or two of some new styles they are working on. For a taste of their uber-special limited edition stout ($600/case) you’ll need to visit the on-site pub and pony up some cash. Needless to say, I walked away a bit drunk but very happy.
Moo Brew is sold & shipped only within Australia as the beer being preservative free and unpasteurized, must remain refrigerated.
Look in the left front window and point to the home baked sweet treat you want. Inside, find fresh made preserves, hand knit tea cosies and baby sweaters galore. I carried my frosted ginger cake on three flights, all the way back home for consumption and boy was it good!
Love & Clutter, 31 Murray Street — if you need a special baby gift and cost isn’t an issue, this little shop has the sweetest handmade dresses. pillows and toys. But in general I found the shop to be extremely overpriced even by Australian standards. For example, quilted throws made from Indian saris that sell in the States for $99 were over $300.
I have a little remorse I didn’t pick up this beautiful handmade cabled scarf which at $135 I thought to be a good price, actually. Go figure.
Oh, and If you do buy something make sure to have it gift wrapped because they do a beautiful job using a combination of craft paper, old sheet music and twine to match the carefully honed vintage feel of the tiny space.