Sydney Food Archives - Page 20 of 37

Sydney Food

City Kid Meets Country: Calmsley Hill City Farm

June 10, 2014 / Abbotsbury, Outdoor Play, South West, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

City kids meet country life at Calmsley Hill City Farm. Nestled in a quiet suburb in south-west Sydney, the farm dates back to 1806, when a Land Grant of 80 hectares was given to John Jamieson, a Scottish immigrant, who was the Superintendent of Government Stock at the time. He named the property Coulmesly Hill, but the spelling was later changed to Calmsley Hill. In 1984 Fairfield City Council took up the lease on the land and created Fairfield City Farm, now known as Calmsley Hill City Farm, as a place for families to learn about life on a farm.

The farm features many animal enclosures where you can get up close to farm animals like cows, sheep, goats, chickens, pigs and more. A favorite is the Australian Fauna walk-in, where you can meet free-roaming kangaroos and wallabies. The farm also runs tractor tours for an extra $3 per person a ride.

The best way to enjoy your farm visit is to plan to spend the day there and attend the educational shows. The schedule of events is timed so there is something on every 30 minutes from 10:30am, with a half-hour break for lunch at 12pm.

A sample daily entertainment schedule:

Animal Patting 10.30am
Morning Cow Milking Show 11.00am
Tractor Ride 11.30am (additional $3 per person)
FREE TIME for Lunch
Stock Whip Show 12.30pm
Working Dog Show 1:00pm
Sheep Shearing Show 1:30 pm
Koala Talk/Exhibition 2.00pm
Tractor Ride 2.30pm (additional $3 per person)
Animal Patting 3:00pm
Afternoon Cow Milking 3.30pm

You can also just roam around the farm and see the animals at your leisure. While the farm is quite small, there are a lot of animals and a lot of interactive opportunities.

The farm has baby animals throughout the year, such as this Shetland pony foal Dallas, born late in 2013. The newest baby animals are some multi-coloured piglets.

A small playground situated right in the middle of the farm, next to the barbecues and cafe, is great for entertaining little ones while you take a break (and possibly an ice cream).

Bring your own picnic lunch, or use one of the electric barbecues on the farm to cook your own lunch. You can also pre-order a DIY BBQ pack from the farm. Reasonably-priced take-away food can be purchased at the Farmhouse Kiosk (you can get a hot dog, hot chips and a milkshake for $9).

The shows are extremely educational, as well as entertaining for little ones. We particularly enjoyed the working dog demonstration, where as well as seeing the dogs round up sheep, we learned about the correct way to approach dogs in general, and how working dogs are trained.

Calmsley Hill City Farm
31 Darling St, Abbotsbury NSW 2176
Phone: 02 9823 3222
Open daily, 9am-4:30pm (last entry is 3:30pm)
Get Directions

Prices: Adult $23, Pensioner $16, Child (3-16years) $14, Family $70 (2 adults and 3 children – an internet deal for a family for $50 is currently on their website), Children under 3 FREE. Animal Feed Bags $2.

Amoretti’s Plough And Harrow Park: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, South-West Sydney

May 19, 2014 / Abbotsbury, South West, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Situated in the Western Sydney Parklands Plough and Harrow Park East, Amoretti’s is a great location for families to eat good food while also being able to entertain the kids.

Amoretti’s takes reservations and is used to handling large groups, which is one of the reasons we head there one early weekend morning with a large group of friends and kids ranging from a few weeks old to almost 5.

The weekend breakfast menu offers lots of variety, from Yoghurt and Fruit to French Toast and Egg dishes. All of the food is fresh and flavorsome. The eggs dishes in particular are a huge hit.

Right next to the restaurant is a waterway with a platform where kids can feed the ducks (BYO bread), which is great on mornings like ours, where we had to wait a bit longer than the kids could handle for our food to arrive. A large playground with equipment for all ages is around the other side of the restaurant, which is also good for running out energy either before or after your meal.

Last Bite: A good breakfast or lunch location for families with active kids.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Amoretti’s
Western Sydney Parklands, Plough & Harrow Park
745-899 Elizabeth Drive,
Cecil Hills NSW 2176
Phone: 02 8786 1777
Prices: $$$
Hours: Thurs-Sun Lunch 12pm-3pm, Dinner 6pm-10pm Sat & Sun Breakfast 8am-11am
Get Directions

Mother, What is the Moon? A Book Review

May 9, 2014 / Product Reviews, Product Reviews, Sydney Food / 0 comment

It’s always a lovely surprise to receive books in the mail. I love reading to E and hope she will end up loving literature as much as I do. The particular book we are checking out today is Mother, What is the Moon? by David Griswold, and illustrated by Eliza Reisfeld. The book is perfect for preschoolers, so if you have a kid aged 2 – 5, read on.

Mother, What is the Moon? is full of gentle poetry and beautiful art, presented in an engaging way for little ones. The book tells the story of a young boy, asking his mother what the moon is. Her answer is both wise and whimsical. The moon is a nighttime adventure through snow, fields and streams. It’s connected to the cycle of life and nature, and is a thing of dreams, magic and science, all rolled together.

My 2.5 year old is currently obsessed with the moon. Every night, it’s the same. “Where is the moon?” “I can’t see it!” “It’s hiding!” This sweet book gives me a story to tell my toddler that answers the question “what is the moon?” when the moon, like us, is always changing.

Mother, What is the Moon? has become a new nighttime favourite in our home, among both the adults and our toddler. If you’re going to read a book a hundred times a week, make sure it’s one you’re all going to enjoy!

Mother, What is the Moon? is currently raising funds for its publishing run on Kickstarter. Back it to receive a first edition copy.

Brunch With My Baby was not compensated for this post. We just love awesome kids’ books.

Oregano Bakery; Kid-Friendly Cafes, South Hurstville, Sydney

April 30, 2014 / Hurstville, South Hurstville, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Having seen Oregano Bakery scrolls at many cafes dotted around the Sutherland Shire and yet to taste their delicious goodness we decided to head to the source and sample some treats on a gloomy late Sunday morning. Arriving closer to lunch time the savoury menu appealed and with good cause.

The menu is succinct yet varied with plenty of options for kids and adults alike. We opted for a Cheese Pizza ($6.50) for the children, Zaatar Wrap 1 – Sonia’s Special ($9.00) and a Sujuc Pizza with Egg ($9.00) and this was plenty of food for us all.

Oregano Bakery is modern and very popular with the locals, with many people having familiar conversations with the staff — a good sign of repeat customers! Our intention was to stick around and enjoy a sweet end to our lunch — however Miss Isla had other plans so we opted for takeaway scrolls to eat in comfort of our warm home!

Last Bite: Oregano Bakery is a popular cafe, great for a sweet treat and coffee or some tasty Lebanese food in Southern Sydney with children. Easy going, relaxed with friendly service make this a great kid-friendly place to eat.

Highchairs: Yes – only one visible.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No. But Kids won’t starve.

Oregano Bakery
56 Connells Point Road,
South Hurstville NSW 2221
Phone: 02 9546 3666
Prices: $-$$
Hours: Tue-Sat 7:00am-4pm Sun 7:00am-12pm
Get Directions

Not Bread Alone; Kid-Friendly Cafes, Crows Nest, Sydney

April 22, 2014 / Crows Nest, North Shore, Sydney, Sydney Food / 4 Comments

Pre-baby, Not Bread Alone was one of my absolute favourite cafes. It was a pleasant surprise to find they are also super kid-friendly when I dropped by with E and some friends for brunch. Missy E was treated to her first Babycino ($2). I also ordered her some Hot Chips with tomato sauce ($4.50) in case she didn’t like the other food I ordered. I needn’t have wasted the money on the chips, as she devoured most of my meal anyway — lesson learned, the kid has good taste!

The adults in our party ordered: Lamb Shank (with creamy mashed potato, chef’s greens and a tomato and red wine jus, $20.90), Sweet Corn & Chive Fritters (with crispy bacon, baby spinach and oven roasted roma tomato, $16.90), Free Range Eggs (scrambled, poached or fried eggs with your choice of toast, $10.90) with Oven Roasted Roma Tomato ($4) and Baby Spinach ($4). Whenever I visit NBA, I always get the exact same dishes (the fritters or eggs) because they’re just SO DAMN GOOD. So good that I used to drive an hour or so to the cafe just for their breakfast.

On this particular visit, the staff were attentive and kind, especially to squiggly E who was also struggling with jet lag and a bit cranky. When they saw me taking photos of the food, they helpfully turned the plates to show off the meals to their best advantage (“We just had a lesson in food photography!” they told me. How awesome is that?).

The meal always ends on a sweet note — a few Fantails are always given with the bill. My friends didn’t want theirs, so I happily pocked them all for later (score!).

Last Bite: Always a winner for really great food, plus friendly, considerate staff. Outdoor, protected seating means you can make a quick escape or stroll around the block with fussy kids.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Not Bread Alone
376 Pacific Hwy,
Crows Nest NSW 2065
Phone: 02 9966 9788
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Sat 7:30am-11pm Sun 7:30am-5pm
Get Directions

Rosebud Cafe: Kid-Friendly Cafes Rozelle, Sydney

April 9, 2014 / Inner West, Rozelle, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Inner west suburb Rozelle is literally jam packed with cute little cafes, all vying for your attention. We picked Rosebud at the suggestion of our friends whom we were dining with that day. Arriving at prime lunch time, we had no problem getting a table for four adults, two toddlers and one baby, plus two strollers. Result!

The friendly staff gave the toddlers a few toys on loan to play with (THANK YOU!) while they waited for their kids smoothies ($3.50). Our food was all spot on — Shoestring Fries ($5.50), Omelette with Spinach, Feta, Mushroom ($16), Free Range Eggs (poached, with sourdough, $9), with Haloumi, Spinach and Tomatoes ($4 each side, or 3 sides for $10), Tuna Nicoise Salad ($16).

Last Bite: The perfect spot for lunch with kid. Easy-going atmosphere, delicious food and friendly staff. We will be back!

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Rosebud
654 Darling Street,
Rozelle NSW 2039
Phone: 02 9555 8999
Prices: $$
Hours: Sun-Wed 7am-5pm Thur-Sat 7am-10pm
Get Directions

Burnt Orange Cafe, Mosman + Balmoral Beach, Sydney

April 3, 2014 / Cheese, Mosman, North Shore, Sydney, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

In my pre-baby days I used to frequent Burnt Orange for a light afternoon tea on the way to admire the view at Middle Head. Post-baby, it’s good to know that one of my old fave cafes can still be a go-to when I’m craving scones or something a little more substantial.

The Burnt Orange cafe is housed in an historic sandstone manor overlooking Sydney Harbour. Note: the veranda stretches all around the building but only the front gets the harbour view. If you’re making a reservation, ask for a table overlooking the water, just in case.

I have always enjoyed the food at Burnt Orange. They do simple breakfast, lunch and afternoon/morning tea exceptionally well. On this particular visit, Alec ordered the Linguini with Western Australian Blue Swimmer Crab, Confit of Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic & Red Chili ($28) and I chose the Pumpkin, Goat’s Cheese and Walnut Tart with Melissa’s Carrot Jam and Crisp Salad Greens ($22). My tart was perfection — big chunks of cheese and pumpkin, flaky pastry and crunchy walnuts. Alec’s pasta was cooked beautifully, with a generous amount of crab spread throughout. Delicious.

As for missy E, while they do have a kids’ special (a choice of Crumbed Whiting Fillets with Chips, Pasta Spirals with Fresh Tomato Sauce or Mini Organic Cheeseburger with Chips served with a Smartie Cookie and a choice of fresh Orange Juice, Strawberry or Chocolate Milk for $15), instead we asked if they could make her something with egg since that’s what she was asking for. It was no problem at all, and we very soon had an off-menu boiled egg delivered to our picky toddler.

Now, you can’t stop at a cafe renowned for their treats without indulging. I was hoping for a scone, but sadly they weren’t being served till later in the afternoon. Instead I chose one of the Smartie cookies and shared it with an ecstatic missy E.

Inside the mansion is the Burnt Orange store. While I used to enjoy the adult section, with gorgeous clothes and home wares, this time I gravitated towards the kids’ section, loving the boutique brands and adorable toys. E was particularly taken with the kid-sized mirror pictured below. I would LOVE to go on a shopping spree here and fit out her room. The “Parisian shabby chic” feel is exactly what I would love for her bedroom, and for our home in general!

After our lunch we drove further down to Balmoral Beach. Balmoral has always been one of our favourite beaches because it’s simply stunning. In my opinion, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We noticed on this trip that it is also extremely toddler-friendly — the perfect beach for toddlers, in fact, as it’s sheltered and doesn’t get many waves. The water is calm and clear, and E thought it was amazing. She ran in and out of the water, shrieking with joy. Walk along the pedestrian path to the kiosk for gelato (there’s also a playground right next to it for days when it’s not swimming weather).

Last Bite: Burnt Orange satisfies all customers looking for a delightful afternoon tea or lunch, from toddlers to their doting grandparents.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Burnt Orange
1109 Middle Head Rd,
Mosman NSW 2088
Phone: 02 9969 1020
Prices $$$
Hours: Daily 8:30am-5:30pm
Get Directions

Parramatta Park + Parramatta Park Cafe; Kid-Friendly Sydney

March 31, 2014 / Parramatta, Sydney, Sydney Food, Western Sydney / 0 comment

When meeting a friend for breakfast recently, we chose Parramatta Park Cafe purely due to its location — exactly in the middle of where we each were staying in Hornsby and Liverpool. It’s the first time I’ve been to Parramatta Park since having Missy E, so it was a pleasant surprise to find another great area of Sydney to take a crazy toddler for a fun morning outing.

Parramatta Park is World Heritage listed. It’s the home of Old Government House and has evidence inside the park of 20,000 years of Aboriginal occupation. Parramatta Park became a public park in 1858 — one of the earliest parks in the world.

As well as the cafe we visited, there is a larger (and fancier) restaurant located in the Old Government House, plus several play gyms scattered all over the park. There’s also a stream running through the park, lots of walking paths and plenty of birds to amuse little tiny ones.

Parramatta Park Cafe opened in 2005 to offer locals and park visitors a casual breakfast and lunch option in a tranquil setting. The cafe overlooks the river and plenty of greenery. Grab a seat on the balcony and admire the view with your morning coffee.

Kids are frequent guests at the cafe – evident by the colouring in sheet-slash-menu and pencils that the kids are quickly given. The menu is more lunchy than breakfast, so we chose Kid’s Chocolate Shakes ($3.80) for the toddlers, and both my friend and I decided on the Vegetarian Omelette (with tomato, mushroom, feta and spinach served with sourdough toast, $14). The omelettes were massive, plenty of food for us to share with the kids. We asked for extra plates and vegemite for the toast. The shakes were pretty large as well — which meant plenty for me when E decided she only wanted a few sips. Score!

While we were dining I noticed a local mothers group turn up with their newborn babies. With a lot of room and obliging staff, they couldn’t have chosen a better location to meet for a stress-free breakfast.

Last Bite: A kid-friendly and casual breakfast or lunch option in Parramatta Park.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Parramatta Park Cafe
Byrnes Ave,
Parramatta NSW 2150
Prices: $$
Phone: 02 9630 0144
Hours: Daily 8am-3pm
Get Directions

A Date With The Fish at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

March 19, 2014 / CBD, Darling Harbour, Indoor Play, Sydney Food, Sydney Life / 0 comment

On a hot summer’s day, E and I were invited to take a day trip to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium with some friends. Yes, yes, yes thank you. What a great way to spend a steamy Sydney day – in decent air conditioning, watching fish.

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium has been around since 1988 in various incarnations. While it used to be a stand alone attraction, these days the aquarium is part of a large group of Sydney attractions, including SEA LIFE Manly, Madam Tussauds, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo (not Taronga Zoo) and Sydney Tower Eye. If you buy your ticket at the aquarium, expect to pay $40 for an adult and $25 for children aged 4 and up. Buy your tickets at least 24 hours in advance from the website and you’ll save up to 30%. Buy passes to multiple attraction online at the same time and you will save even more.

The aquarium is broken up into various exhibits. The first few aren’t terribly interesting for little kids so we raced right through (if you’re interested in our rivers and so forth, then these are for you!). The big hits with the kids were the little sting rays, the glowing jelly fish, the rockpool where they could touch shells and starfish, and the tanks of tropical fish with the floor to ceiling glass.

The kids also enjoyed running like lunatics up the tunnels that run under the tanks with the water and animals swimming over head. Sharks were a popular spotting, as were the giant rays and the dugong. This particular section has a step and rails on the sides so kids can climb up for a closer look. Watching the giant animals float overhead in particular was thoughtfully entertaining for our bunch of toddlers.

The aquarium is on the small side, but does have a few kind of sad looking penguins (yes, I’ve seen Happy Feet a few too many times), which oddly our kids weren’t interested in at all. They have shark feedings (which we missed) and a dugong talk (which was interesting for adults but not kids). There is a cute shark treasure hunt throughout the aquarium for older kids. Given a map at the entrance they have to find each station along the way and stamp their map, and get a little prize at the end when they hand it in at the gift shop.

Bring lunch if possible to save a bit of money. There is a large cafe area inside the front of the aquarium with plenty of tables and space to eat.

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
1-5 Wheat Rd,
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: 02 8251 7800
Prices: $$$$
Hours: Daily 9am-8pm
Get Directions

The Grounds of Alexandria: Meet Kevin Bacon Over Brekkie + Sydney Park

March 12, 2014 / Alexandria, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney Food / 2 Comments

For a long time, whispers about an inner city cafe with a pet pig had been reaching my ears (and clogging up my Facebook stream), even while I was living in New York. On my return to the homeland, the first place I was dying to check out for breakfast was The Grounds of Alexandra. This family-owned and operated cafe was built within an old pie factory from the 1900s, retaining the rustic charm while serving up speciality coffee and wholesome food. The Grounds opens up into a garden filled with heirloom vegetables and herbs, which are picked every morning and used throughout the day in the cafe. Be sure to plan your visit for the first weekend of the month, when The Grounds hosts a market filled with fresh produce and other goods.

A big draw for The Grounds is its star, Kevin Bacon. The pig. This Kevin Bacon resides in a little petting zoo for kids, along with chickens and a sheep. He made headlines last year when he was pignapped (along with Bradley the lamb), turning up at an animal sanctuary in Victoria. Luckily for us, Kevin is fully recovered from his ordeal, and is back, along with Bradley, at The Grounds.

The Grounds also features a little playhouse or kids, fenced in (yay!), with a slide and little climbing wall. Considering the wait time for a table, this playhouse and the animals are saviours for parents of itchy-footed toddlers.

Our party included one small toddler, one medium toddler and one preschooler — and The Grounds had something to suit everyone. A cute kids’ menu suited the preschooler (who ordered the burger and fries), hot chips and a kid-sized smoothie for the toddlers (the soothie came in a jar shaped like a bear. The cuteness!!). The adults ordered the Avocado Smash (with poached eggs), Asparagus and Herb Frittata and Salmon with Quinoa. I didn’t note down the exact names of the dishes and prices, and then sadly realised they weren’t listed on their site (d’oh!!). The food was all absolutely delicious, from the smoothie and hot chips, to the famous Avocado Smash.

After our meal, we spotted a gelato stand in the cafe grounds, and ordered a scoop of Pavlova Gelato ($4). It was so good we went back for seconds.

The kids were all going a little nuts after having to sit down for lunch, so we drove down the road to the playground at Sydney Park. The playground is huge, and has great features for kids aged toddler and up, including the rope bridge below, huge slides, swings and a giant sandpit.

Last Bite: Delicious food, fun for the kids, and a nearby park. A perfect score.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

The Grounds of Alexandria
Building 7A/2 Huntley St,
Alexandria NSW 2015
Phone: 02 9699 2225
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat & Sun 7:30am-4pm
Get Directions

Sydney Park
Barwon Park Road
St Peters, NSW, 2044
Entrance to the car park is off the Princes Highway, just after the turnoff to Sydney Park Road (just after the big chimney stacks)