adelaide

Pop Up Restaurants

- Alex 4 Comments

Are you tuning in to 5AA fortnightly to hear me chat to Peter Godfrey? No worry – if you’ve missed the last couple of interviews you can catch up on my thoughts on pub meals and pop up restaurants on line.

This week we talked about pop ups and how popular they are at the moment. Of course, the original pop up was the pie cart. I was under the mistaken impression that the one on Franklin Street, at the GPO, was still operational. Keith Conlon put me right on Twitter – even though that pie cart was revamped a few years ago it appears to have disappeared. Twitter and Facebook both suggest you might be able to spot a pie cart at Norwood Oval on game days. The rest of the time, if you’re hankering for a pie floater Bakery on O’Connell offers a 24 hour service for just $6.50.

I’m a big fan of Burger Theory and I’m keen to check out the tacos from La Cantina Co, whose grand appearance in Hindmarsh Square has been delayed again!

And if you like your pop up food sweet, check out what The Foodologist has to say about From Scratch.

Are there any other pop ups we should be keeping our eyes open for, Adelaide?

Udaberri

- Alex 7 Comments

date of visit: Thursday 26 April 2012

Udaberri Pintxos y Vinos is the new cool kid on Adelaide’s bar scene. It’s at the northern end of Leigh Street, and if you don’t know it’s there and you’re not looking you won’t spot it.

Wait. I knew it was there and I was looking and I didn’t spot it. Cue frantic text to Andy to double check the address …

So – if you’re wandering up and down Leigh Street you need to look out for the logo above. When we dropped in for a drink there was no big sign and the bar has an unfinished (in an intentional way) look about it. Something I very much like and something Adelaide could do with more of. If you’re bored with the homogeneity of many of Adelaide’s refurbished pubs (and I most certainly am) then Udaberri is for you.

The “pintxos” part of its name is (basically) Basque for “bar snacks” – the Udaberri menu is brief and light. You won’t be heading there for a full blown dinner*, but if you can get by on things like anchovies, peppers and cheese you will be catered for.

Drinks wise there are three beers on tap – they’re written up on the wall which suggests they might rotate. When we were there a pint of Lobethal Brewery’s Pilsner cost $9 (which seems expensive to me, but I haven’t seen the beer on tap anywhere else). The wine list has a fair range of Spanish wines (nothing too crazy) so I had a glass of Albariño which was $8.50.

At present, Udaberri has a very new vibe about it but it’s definitely a bar with great potential. Adelaide needs more bars like this, so head in for a post work drink. That way you can claim to have been drinking there from (almost) day one.

UPDATE: Following on from Celeste’s question, I emailed Udaberri and Rob, the proprietor, emailed me back. Pinxtos are $2 at present. He also sent me a copy of the current menu. Example dishes are oysters, shucked to order with Champagne vinegar – $3 each, croquetas de bacalao (salt cod croquettes) – $8, and they offer a selection of cheeses – 1 piece $9, 2 pieces $13 and 3 pieces $16.

* If you need a proper meal in the area, try Rigoni’s.

Udaberri Pintxos Y Vino on Urbanspoon

Tasting Australia – Perfect Your Pasta

- Alex 2 Comments

First take your Magimix...Mini Masterchef

Tasting Australia is coming up (26 April – 3 May) and there are a range of events on. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Kids in the Kitchen comprises 4 events across 2 days for children aged 8 – 12 (my own mini masterchef is a bit small …). They’re hands on cooking sessions with celebrity chefs. For the more competitive minded, there’s also the San Remo Junior Pasta Challenge where three finalists will cook a pasta dish from a mystery box of ingredients, with the first prize winner taking home $500 as well as a pile of San Remo goodies. Entry details are here and you need to make sure your entry is submitted by 2 April.

For those of us who are slightly older, there’s also some L-Plates sessions, giving you the opportunity to learn from the masters in classes of about 15. The sessions cover everything from bread making and brewing through to pasta (with Adelaide’s own Adam Swanson), olive oil and boning meats. Check out the program because there’s sure to be something of interest.

Hopefully we’ll get a chance to take a look at some other Tasting Australia events in the run up to the end of April.