A slice of Cipro – pizza al taglio

Having been asked quite a few times about my favourite dining experiences in Sydney recently, I was surprisingly short on answers. For anyone who asks now, it's without a doubt a recent early dinner at Cipro – pizza al taglio in Alexandria.

Cipro is the casual Italian brainchild of former Rockpool Bar & Grill head chef Khan Danis and partner (and creator of Rockpool's famous date tart) Catherine Adams. It seemingly followed into south Sydney in the footsteps of fellow Rockpool alumni Mike McEnearney's Kitchen by Mike in nearby Rosebery.

Cipro's pizza concept strays from the Sydney norm of thin-based, round Neopolitan style pizzas to a Roman style on a thick base, still baked by wood fire but formed into large rectangular slabs to be served by the slice.

Pork sausage, spicy peppers and olive pizza from Cipro – pizza al taglio, Fountain Street, Alexandria

At $12 a rectangular slice, it's some pretty extravagant pizza to be had in a converted warehouse space. Pre-prepared and displayed mouthwateringly behind a glass cabinet, there are a number of colourful topping options that seem both modern and very Italian.

Dining in the airy restaurant space looking into the large open kitchen, we opted to share the fennel scented Italian pork sausage pizza slice with colourful, softly roasted capsicum and pitted Sicilian olives. The pizza slice gets reheated and dressed up with fresh parsley and olive oil, going some way to justify the price tag.

I hadn't had a thick-based pizza for years and the last one I did have was probably a franchise-delivered one. Cipro knocks thick-based pizzas out of this world. With a well-crisped bottom, the thick base is unexpectedly airy, softly chewy and not at all unbalanced in ratio to its toppings.

There's a seriously good, herby tomato sauce beneath the toppings and the thick slice is capable of holding more toppings than your Naples-style thin base – they certainly load them up at Cipro although a lot of it falls off when you pick up the slice. I resorted to cutlery to slice through the crisp-bottomed base, remembering that thick bases weren't so bad after all – in fact, the pizza was sublime.

Caprese salad

Not wanting to fill up on pizza only, we explored the rest of the quite substantial and relatively standardly-priced menu, with a full page of desserts that I regret not leaving room for. But at least I was able to discover what has to be Sydney's best take on the classic Italian insalata Caprese or Caprese salad.

Featuring a ball of fior di latte mozzarella, torn and scattered over beautifully ripe, tri-coloured heirloom tomatoes, topped with young basil leaves; I think it was the quality of tomatoes, the addition of pitted Sicilian olives and pickled onion rings, and the finally the balsamic vinegar dressing that made the salad simply spectacular.

Wood fire grilled lamb loin chops with caponata and crispy polenta

A lot of the main meals feature a stint on the wood-fired grill or oven, which I hadn't entirely expected but certainly wasn't complaining about. Lamb loin chops are rarely seen on dinner menus outside of the home so it was a delight to receive three of them off the wood fire grill, burnished with a charred aroma that had us salivating.

Much like very well-seasoned lamb chops off a barbeque, there was a pure homeliness about battling the tendons and fatty rind for the tender meat on the bone. The lamb loin chops were served dry with three perfectly golden, crisp cubes of deep fried polenta and a smattering of mushy diced vegetables in a sweet caponata.

Prawn linguine with cherry tomatoes, snow peas and parsley

The generous prawn linguine was hands-down the best seafood pasta dish I've had – ever. Without the support of a tomato base, a lot of prawn and shellfish pasta dishes are insipid at best with bits of garlic, parsley and white wine for flavour.

Cipro's prawn linguine was a superb dish in its own right and not just the pasta category. Brimming with chunky pieces of fresh prawns, sweet cherry tomatoes and julienned snow peas, it was properly seasoned with loads of parsley, garlic and a whole red chilli.

Every mouthful was a burst of flavour – firm, sea-fresh prawns or juicy tomato quarters – with the well-olive-oiled linguine. There was nothing that could be improved, save for an addition Cipro's sensational house-made chilli paste for those wanting a bit more of a spice kick.

Their opening hours – recently updated to midday till 9pm on Tuesdays to Fridays, 10:30am till 9pm on Saturdays, and 10:30am till 6pm on Sundays – indicate that the owners have some more family-friendly hours than the industry generally, which rather suits the casual air of Cipro being more the neighbourhood restaurant. With its serious restaurant quality, Cipro has certainly captured my slice of the local dining pie, or should I say, pizza.

Spring into Vapiano - and win a free meal

It's been more than nine months since Vapiano landed in Sydney and judging by the numbers of happily self-serviced diners I see every time I pop in, the quick and fresh pasta and pizza offering has certain appeal to the CBD's suits and visitors alike.

I like Vapiano for the minimal waiting times for food (basically no wait for a seat), and meal and ordering flexibility. I also like getting the Innocent Bystander moscato every time I visit, which reminds me of sweet lollies in spring.

Spelt fusilli pasta gamberi con rosso from Vapiano Sydney, York Street, Sydney

In light of Vapiano's first spring in Sydney they've introduced a number of main specials just for the season - and you and a friend could try them for free in a Food, Booze & Shoes giveaway (full details at the bottom of this post).

Pumpkin soup

The first of the spring specials menu is, perhaps oddly, pumpkin soup, served with a selection of cream, parmesan cheese, garlicky croutons or basil on top; the latter of which fill the restaurant in pots for diners' own picking and garnishing.

While I'm more than happy to move away from soups after winter, admittedly we might still have a few cooler days and evenings ahead of us. The thick but not-too-heavy pumpkin soup is quite the large serving with good consistency, while the buttery garlic croutons were my highlight.

Pasta gamberi con rosso - prawn and tomato pasta

As with all of Vapiano's pasta options, diners can choose their preferred pasta shape for the prawn and tomato spring special.

The conchiglie frilled shells are gorgeous to look at but I ended up with the spelt fusilli spirals which was also my first taste of spelt pasta. Noticeably more grainy than normal pasta, I'm not sure I would choose spelt over plain, especially in a subtly sauced pasta dish like the prawn and tomato.

Chilli would be highly recommended with this pasta dish, which can be requested when ordering from your very own Vapiano chef. We also picked a fair bit of the basil pot on our table to add to the tomato sauce with several whole prawns.

Pizza Poporano (image courtesy of Vapiano)

The spring special for the pizza menu is the Poporano which features a tomato base and toppings of bresaola cured beef, shaved parmesan cheese and rocket.

The bresaola, made in NSW, is the salty, air-cured feature of the pizza although perhaps a little sparse on the thin, crisp base beneath a shower of rocket leaves.

Risotto pollo levanto - creamy chicken risotto

Our carb fest continued with our tasting of the fourth main special; a well-seasoned chicken risotto cooked to a perfect al dente state.

With cream, bacon, onion and plenty of chicken pieces, the risotto was my favourite of the four spring specials, which I again covered with freshly-picked basil leaves at the table - for both fun and some greenery for my meal.

White chocolate cheesecake with salted caramel and honeycomb

I just couldn't squeeze in dessert, which is definitely one for the super-sweetooths. The glass serving of cheesecake with a biscuit crumble base was studded with white chocolate pieces and if that wasn't enough sugar for you, it's topped with a thick salted caramel and honeycomb pieces.

Vapiano's spring specials are available from now until 31 October 2014 - spring in to Vapiano Sydney to check them out or win a spring menu tasting for two people here.

Giveaway - Vapiano spring menu tasting for two!

Food, Booze & Shoes and Vapiano Sydney are giving away spring menu tastings for two - to include one main special and the white chocolate cheesecake dessert.

There are four to be won on the Food, Booze & Shoes Facebook page - make sure you like the page AND the Vapiano giveaway post to be in the running to win.

Four winners will be selected randomly on Sunday, 28 September 2014 at 8.30pm AEST and notified via Facebook. Winners will need to provide a mailing address within 4 days so the vouchers can be posted in the mail. Good luck!

Terms & conditions
Winners' vouchers are for use at Vapiano Sydney only. The voucher entitles the winner and their guest to a choice of one spring menu item each and the white chocolate cheesecake dessert.
Entrants must like both the Food, Booze & Shoes Facebook page and the Vapiano giveaway post to enter the giveaway validly.
No bookings required to use vouchers. Vouchers must be used by Friday, 31 October 2014.

Vapiano Sydney

Food, Booze & Shoes dined as a guest of Vapiano.

All-you-can-eat Pizza Autentico feast

Posted by Hendy

An existing concept applied to a different cuisine sees Italian restaurant Pizza Autentico recently open in the quiet laneway space in Surry Hills that used to be the funky Japanese Uchi Lounge.

Marrying the philosophy of Italian cuisine as simple, quality and fresh food with the (rather foreign in Sydney) concept that food should be priced reasonably, owner Hamilton Kings established Pizza Autentico as an almost churrasco-style Italian restaurant.

The communal dining table at Pizza Autentico, Brisbane Street, Surry Hills

Pizza Autentico's core offering is unlimited, all-you-can-eat pizza and pasta for lunch ($15) and dinner ($20), served in what we know in Sydney as churrascaria style, with food doing the rounds of the room and diners electing of servings of their desired dishes. Additional starters are an extra $9 while a dessert taster is another $4.50.

But hold off before thinking this is another average, all-you-can-eat venue. Diners at the communal table can choose from a rotating variety of 12 traditional pizza and five pasta options that are brought around the table over a 1.5 hour sitting (vegetarian or vegan options separate).

The focus is on traditional toppings and varieties using simple, fresh ingredients - some sourced from  from Salt Meats Cheese in Alexandria. Don't come expecting any lamb, chicken or pineapple on your pizzas.

House made bread

The restaurant space is welcoming with simple, honest decor in quite a minimalist feel starring a long, communal dining table that extends the length of the dining room - perhaps the very same table of its former Japanese tenant. The framed black and white photos on the side wall are worthy of exhibiting.

A basket of house made bread is served upon your arrival, as if you needed more carbs to start an all-you-can-eat carb fest. The bread is at least crusty and makes for good dipping in the olive oil that is part of the olive trio board.

Trio of olives - olive oil, olive tapenade and marinated olives

The board presents a small offering of extra virgin olive oil, olive tapenade - made with olives and nothing but olives - and another small bowl of black olives, kickstarting the palate for a Italian feast.

Tenuta Valpolicella wine

To match its pizza and pasta offerings, Pizza Autentico has a selection of only Italian wines as well as Italian-influenced cocktails. The Tenuta Valpolicella from the norther Veneto region in Italy was a light and slightly fruity red wine.

Margherita pizza

Medium-sized, thin-based pizzas sliced into six slices would make their way around the tables, starting with a margherita pizza that was light with subtle hints of oregano through the thin layer of cheese and tomato.

The light flavours made the margherita pleasantly easy to have in the first instance.

Valtellinese pizza: shaved beef, rocket and shaved parmesan

The Valtellinese pizza featured shaved bresaola cured beef on each slice dusted with shaved parmesan. Being simple and humble in flavours, it allowed the shaved beef topping to really shine.

Orecchiette norma: pasta with eggplant and ricotta

The first pasta that I tried was the orecchiette norma featuring firm eggplant pieces and a light napoli tomato sauce mixed through the al dente pasta. Ricotta cheese added some creaminess to the Italian staple pasta.

Spaghetti bolognese with shaved parmesan and chili flakes

Interestingly, given the all-you-can eat option, you only get one plate for the night. You end up with a bowl that combines the sauce from the previous pasta with the new pasta; at least giving the next pasta quite a unique flavour.

The classic spaghetti bolognese was what you would expect from a traditional bolognese: loads of hearty tomato sauce studded with beef, all soaked up by thin spaghetti pasta.

Classic spaghetti bolognese

As expected, I had a rather messy bowl especially after twirling the spaghetti. Dried chilli flakes offered on the side gave the bolognese extra punch.

Trofie pesto: trofie coated in basil pesto sauce

The last pasta I had before carbing-out was the trofie pesto. Pesto has always been a favourite pasta sauce of mine.

In this case, the pesto mixed with the napoli sauce from the previous orecchiette and spaghetti servings, with the wait staff candidly explaining how there is an Italian sauce combining the best of pesto and napoli sauce.

My first time seeing and having trofie, it had a soft, buttery and doughy texture, contrasting with the coarsely chopped pine nuts pieces of the pesto. This was my favourite of the three pastas I sampled, and completely deserving of another serve.

A wall installation depicting Italy

Pizza Autentico is an interesting new concept focused on simple and traditional Italian dishes at a price point that's considered cheap in Surry Hills. And if that's not enough to feast on, the churrasco all-you-can-eat style should sort you out.

Food, Booze & Shoes dined at Pizza Autentico as a guest, with thanks to Evans Media.

Moving up: Upstairs at The Bank

Sydney pubs are moving on up and out of the past – from upmarket gastro pubs to hipster-friendly renovations, the pub experience is moving beyond just schooners, TAB screens and stale carpet.

As part of recent renovations at The Bank in Newtown, the huge, multi-faceted venue now comprises the front street-level bar, back beer garden, a mezzanine level and now Upstairs – a Wednesday to Saturday late night venue focused on cocktails and live music.

Pinball machines at Upstairs at The Bank, King Street, Newtown

Climb the stairs from the separate street entrance or the internal pub flight to find a large, dark and nostalgic space with nods to rock and live music history – I could envisage rockers and their groupies hanging out Upstairs in the comfy booths and couches or playing pool or the pinball machines.

Upstairs outdoor seating

There's also a bright, wood-clad balcony with prime seats looking out over King Street and all its oddities - a perfect space for warm autumn afternoons and nights.

The Upstairs space

A sophisticated cocktail list has been put together by Jeremy Shipley, group bars manager for The Bank's owner, pub group Solotel, and also co-owner of Darlinghurst small bar, Hinky Dinks.

It's pretty much a dedicated cocktail bar, miles away from the usual pub cocktail list; perhaps representative of a growing appreciation for cocktails among today’s drinking crowd.

Penicillin-ita

I started with the Penicillin-ita; a tequila play on the Penicillin cocktail, with honey syrup, lemon juice and ginger beer accompanying Herradura Reposado and a mezcal float. The cocktail, served in a pretty cut crystal tumbler, had an underlying sweetness that smoothed over the punchy hits of tequila.

Mid-West Sour

The bourbon based Mid-West Sour is a seriously good twist on the classic whisky sour using pink grapefruit juice on top of lime and falernum; shaken with egg white and bitters and served classically with a maraschino cherry.

Latenight Daiquiri

The classic lime-based daiquiri could have been more sour for me, with Havana Club Anejo shaken with fresh lime juice, agave nectar and peach bitters, served up in a dainty coupe glass.

Two Birds Golden Ale

Despite the excellent cocktails on offer, that's not to say there isn't a great selection of Australian craft and imported beers at the Upstairs bar, with the Two Birds Golden Ale from Geelong being a good choice for a fruity, medium-bodied brew.

Hot beef jerky

There's a very decent Upstairs bar menu for when a few drinks get you in the mood for food. Utilising the same kitchen as the downstairs pub and beer garden offerings, it's a well-rounded menu spanning snacks and share plates, things sandwiched between bread and pizzas – the latter two of which mirror the pub options.

A perfect bedfellow with beer, the beef jerky was surprisingly good with cocktails too. The dry strips of beef, peppered with chilli flakes, tear into stringy pieces that are salty, meaty and deliciously chewy.

Smoked oyster tin, crème fraiche, tabasco, crackers

Not a favoured seafood delicacy of mine, the tin of smoked oysters was served with a tower of soft oat crackers, crème fraiche and lemon in a pretty presentation on a wooden board.

Fried chicken, kewpie mayo, kim chi

Continuing mine and Sydney's infatuation with fried poultry, the fried chicken wings looked like a flour-dusted and fried version I make at home but with better spice seasoning and probably just as un-photogenic.

The wings were beautifully juicy inside and matched spectacularly with kim chi fermented cabbage and of course, Japanese mayonnaise which seems to go well with everything.

BBQ duck sausage rolls, HP sauce

The sausage rolls were a winner with an unexpectedly chunky duck meat filling and HP brown sauce. Encasing the gamey filling was the best part of the four round slices – the insanely flaky and buttery pastry which by the end showered the table messily in golden flakes.

Crumbed mozzarella,'saltimbocca', tomato vinaigrette

The idea of fried cheese had me won although the mozzarella balls didn't really reach that desired oozey or stringy state.

Crumbed mozzarella,'saltimbocca' insides

With a slice of ham crumbed within the cheese ball and a tomato sauce (rather than a vinaigrette) on the side, the concept works but needs just a little tinkering; perhaps a different, more easily-melting cheese or longer in the deep fry.

BBQ pulled pork, red cabbage, chipotle, mayo with shoestring fries

From the 'bun stuffers' part of the menu came the epically-sized pulled pork burger and fries – ideal for a big appetite, sharing or pre-diet week.

With a shiny, sesame seed-topped bun stabbed through with a knife - to cut and to hold it in place - it was about the largest burger I've seen in Sydney; chock full of smoky BBQ pulled pork and shredded red cabbage, finished with a spiced chipotle mayonnaise.

King crab club sandwich, McClures pickle crisps

On the other end of the scale of sandwiches was the king crab club sandwich; a triple-layered, toasted white bread sandwich with more lettuce and tomato in it than crustacean. The crab seemed to be minimal in a paste form, with some crunch and flavour from crisp-fried pancetta bits.

The highlight of this dish was the McClures potato crisps; a US import of dill pickle flavoured crisps. The flavour of these chips is unbelievably spot-on, combining the sandwich accompaniments of potato crisps and a pickle.

Speck, (mushroom), roast onion pizza

The Bank offers pizzas on tomato or white sauce bases, and we opted for the bartender’s recommendation of speck, mushroom and roast onion on a tomato base.

The rectangular pizza arrived with a liberal topping of melted mozzarella cheese and a notable absence of mushroom. Nonetheless, the speck and onion made for a tasty combination on the medium-thick crust; though why the rectangular pizza was cut into hard-to-manage triangular wedges was beyond me.

Juke box

With the drinking and snacking crowd picking up from 7.30pm – and licensed to open until 5.00am – Upstairs at The Bank is well placed to capitalise on the late night crowd that's perhaps moving out of the CBD precinct and moving up from the usual pub night out.

Food, booze and shoes dined at Upstairs at The Bank as a guest, with thanks to Agency G.

Avast, me hearties: it's The Angry Pirate

The Redfern small bar scene has a new first mate - The Angry Pirate on Redfern Street recently joined the burgeoning community along with nearby small bars Arcadia Liquors, The Dock and Hustle & Flow Bar.

Reaching Redfern's shores in December 2013, The Angry Pirate takes a kitsch-free approach to its theme with just a few parrots for colour, and bar and tabletops made impressively of aged wood beams sourced from what was once a Pyrmont wharf and a former Sydney ferry.

The bar at The Angry Pirate, Redfern Street, Redfern

The bar's name comes from a Captain Pugwash episode that owner Peter Groom and his co-owner mate happened to be watching as the bar was coming together. This merriness and light-heartedness transfers to the cocktail menu which lists classics and crowd-favourites with a pirate twist.

Grog Zombie

The Grog Zombie is served in a fabulously vibrant tiki cup and features The Angry Pirate's own 'grog' - spiced rum that's aged in oak. It's shaken with a tropical array of pineapple juice, passionfruit puree, lemon and lime juices and house bitters, served with a flaming passionfruit cup of a rum float.

Surprisingly, the Zombie's not overly rum strong but is heavy on the passionfruit, and completely and utterly appropriate as a drink to start the night - just remember to blow out the flame before sipping from the straws.

Pirate's Tea Party

The tall, icy Pirate's Tea Party cocktail is a refreshing concoction of vodka, gin and rum with elderflower and iced tea classics of lemon and mint and just a hint of earl grey tea. Its lightness is ideal to wash down the complimentary bowl of buttery, spiced popcorn.

Angry and Sour

Sounding a bit like a dumped partner, the Angry and Sour is the bar's take on an amaretto sour with the sweet addition of pomegranate liqueur. Shaken with amaretto, rum and lime, the vanilla and egg white foam join for a smooth, creamy finish to the tangy, slightly nutty cocktail.

The Angry Pirate front

If you don't feel like walking the cocktail plank, The Angry Pirate has uber-local beers on tap - Newtown's Young Henry's or Chippendale's Grifter Brewing - as well as plenty by the bottle, and a brief but interesting selection of wines all available by the glass.

The menu talks pirate, as does a 'sail' that acts as the bar's front curtain, while there's an adorable lounge set up at the back of the bar with barrels for tables and other cute but not over-the-top pirate-ness.

Hispaniola pizza

There must be an true Italian pirate in the galley as The Angry Pirate's food menu exclusively comprises house-made pizzas, and they're pretty legitimate. They're thin, a bit pale but with a fantastically chewy base, and all have San Marzano tomato bases and use fior di latte cow's milk mozzarella.

Our Hispaniola selection comes with a scattering of properly spicy, hot Spanish chorizo, cut moderately thick and crisp from its short time in the oven. It makes for a good drinking partner between two and there are plenty of options, including vegetarian toppings and even a vegan cheese option.

"Polly want a cracker?"

If The Angry Pirate is anything to go by, it looks like it's going to be another big, fun, exciting (and ultimately, more sensible and responsible) year for small bars, especially as today marks the commencement of the state government's "tough" new legislation regarding licensing and the sale and service of alcohol.

Excluding small bars, the sudden changes are going to make for an interesting couple of months, particularly in our city's busiest night spots. We'll all be watching closely with interest but for now, me hearties, get thee to The Angry Pirate for a cocktail, pizza and fun, responsible night out.

Food, booze and shoes dined as a guest of The Angry Pirate.