On Friday night, after seeing a homegrown play, Sally and I made our way to The Russell Wine Bar, in The Rocks. I had remarked as we walked to Sydney Theatre before the play, “Oh, that’s fairly new. Looks good.”. Sally replied, “We go there for work. They have a really good cheese platter, and I know the bar manager.” Sold! We arrive back a few hours later to find it teeming with people. We walk in. It’s packed. Not an empty table to be seen. This does not bode well as I am absolutely ravenous. The bar manager spots us, and offers to sit us with his friends in a booth. They are more than happy to have us share with them, so it’s settled!
We order the hand cut jacket potatoes with garlic aioli. They are rustic and filling.
Barramundi, paprika and potato cakes with lemon, cucumber, coriander and yoghurt: in a word, delicious. Unlike other fish cakes which can be oily discs of pungent rubber, these were delicate and light and the dipping sauce was full of zest and refreshment.
Both of us being cheese lovers, it is hard to pass on haloumi if it is on the menu. It was, and we didn’t. Grilled Kangaroo Island pure haloumi with confit capsicum and rocket pesto. Drool.
All of this wonderful fare was accompanied by a 2008 Landaus Barossa GMS (Grenache, Mouverdre, Shiraz), aptly named The Sinner. Aren’t we all?
With the merriment born of much red wine and free tequila shots supplied by the ever merrymaking bar manager, the night crescendoed at a cracking pace and was full of laughs and as Sally would say, “good times”. One such photographic highlight was the passing around of my lenseless wayfarers, as a moustached barman dubbed them… I sure did hassle him good about that ridiculous looking moustache. He ended up knowing my cousin, anyway, I digress.
The night ended with a nip of 18 year old Talisker, an offer to sing with our new friend’s band, scribble all up my arms in red pen, a lift home from Sally’s very lovely big brother, an interesting text message, a few colourful phonecalls and an Oreo and m&m’s McFlurry.
