Francoforte you say?

Just opened today is new Italian eatery Francoforte Spaghetti Bar. A gorgeous little nook opposite Superstar Waffles that I stumbled upon randomly!

 

Like all new Perth gems, its tucked away, plus it's family run and owned, giving extra authentic appeal.

 

 

Not suited for large parties due to size, the menu is petite and reasonable. There are a few great vegetarian options here, but of course I opted for the Italian tomato sugo with traditional pork sausages and spaghetti. Let me tell you it didn't disappoint!

 

 

It's tough to tell what the final fit-out will be on the first day, but the food is worth the visit.

 

Meals are between $12-$15 and it's cash only for now.

Opening hours at the moment are 12noon-9pm daily.

 

 

Francoforte Spaghetti Bar
4/189 William Street
08 9227 9289

Enter Perth's meat mecca

Vegetarians you might as well click to the next post right about now because Lapa Brazilian BBQ is not for you… or the faint hearted!

A famous neighbourhood in Rio De Janeiro, Brasil, Lapa is known as the cradle of Bohemian Rio.

Tucked away just off Axon Road in Subiaco, this clean and bright churrascaria (roughly translated from Portuguese it means BBQ house) offers an endless feast of meat! Yes it includes salads and sides including delicious little cheese balls, but save your space for the 16 courses of pure chunk.

At $49 per person, Lapa is pretty reasonable when comparing to what an average meal these days costs, especially when this is all you can eat with 16 different cuts of meat! You can have filet argentino (Argentinian scotch fillet), costela de porco (pork belly rib) or alcatra de carneiro (lamb rump) to name a few.

The wait staff will bring meat over on a spit, saw through the meat, you catch it with your thongs, then proceed to engulf the juicy specimen… flawless system! After a while you stop asking what meat it is. I won’t lie I felt a little heart string pull when a waiter came over with four sticks full of chicken hearts because it pretty much looked like an entire generation of chickens would’ve been sacrificed to fill them… but they tasted so good!!

Chef Fabio has had the churrasco (BBQ cooking style) tradition stretching back more than 60 years so he knows his stuff. Plus in this restaurant the kitchen is in full view both through glass window and on a plasma screen *awkward*.

Despite feeling ill after we all consumed about 1kg of meat each that heavy Sunday, I am definitely going back to Lapa. The staff are friendly and helpful – although some may struggle with the accents – plus on weekends I hear they have dance performances!

A word of caution: Your drink coaster plays an essential role in your dining survival. One side is green, the other red. If you keep the green side facing up… they’ll just keep on serving you!! So have that red side ready!! I’ve never heard of anyone overdosing from meat consumption but I’d imagine it would be ugly!



Lapa Brazilian BBQ
Open for dinner daily and Friday to Sunday for lunch
375 Hay Street, Subiaco
08 9381 1323
Lapa.net.au

Some good tucker

What was that? Panfried chorizo, white beans and crispy pork belly with spanish onion and a fried egg on top? Yes please!



 I love a pleasant surprise upon entering a new venue, and the upside-down pot plants hanging from the Tuck Shop's ceiling weren't it. When I ordered my orange juice the waitress informed me that their oranges were not only peeled but they were stripped of all their pith before juicing as well (that white stringy stuff!). I'm not sure if it was psychological, but the juice did taste super awesome that day! Very... orange!

The decor is clean and crisp, the ambiance is relaxed yet lively and the service is attentative. I was very happy with my panfried chorizo but the crispy roast pork belly with apple and walnut coleslaw is also divine. Self-labelled as a cafe/pie house/delicatessen, The Tuck Shop is a place for breakfast, brunch and lunch.

If you do wish to try one of their exquisite pies don't venture there too late in the day because they sell out! The one I wanted did anyway *sad face*.


The Tuck Shop
Open Tuesday to Sunday 7am until 4pm
178 Newcastle Street, Northbridge
08 9227 1659

E-Zee to love Ezra Pound

It's not too often I walk down a street in Perth and then back peddle to see what I've missed down a small laneway, but with the hustle and bustle of Ezra Pound echoing out onto William Street my curious senses were tingling.

This little secret has been around for a few years, but still remains relatively hidden to the naked eye (I don't understand nude eyeballs). The laneway wall is splashed with works by local artists, the ancient cash register still operates fine (cash only by the way) and the alternative atmosphere encourages individuality and stepping out of one's comfort zone. Ezra Pound offers quality beverages and service, expecting you to be a good guest in return -- in other words there is no time for upturned noses in this joint.

I know it seems like I am a fan of alcoholic based venues and all but... oh wait, I am. Scratch that last sentence. My beverage of choice here is the Aspall apple cider from Suffolk, England, served on the rocks in a beautiful... jar. I am fond of this glass jar concept, which takes me back to memories of top Melbourne art scene venue, 1000 £ BEND.

Ezra Pound is open until midnight most nights and is a cosy spot to catch up with all sorts. 

If you venture out to find them, you shall have your reward.

Ezra Pound
Open Tuesday to Saturday 1pm until 12am, Sunday 1pm until 10pm
189 William St (Williams Lane), Northbridge
0415 757 666
epbar.com.au

 

Five Bar... High Five!

Everyone always gets excited about alternative and funky places these days (which is fair enough since Perth is severely lacking), and let's face it, they are cool.

Who doesn't love cushions?!

Another spot to add to that list is Five Bar on the evergrowing Mount Lawley strip. You walk in to a combination of wooden timber and polished concrete, where every theme contradicts itself yet makes so much sense! There's velvet couches, high wooden stools, a verandah type setting near the rear (complete with big cushions and a sun roof), vintage lamps, chandeliers, detailed wallpaper, walls of exposed brick... do you see my point? But it all works.

Housing a fantastic range of bottled and draught beer, including casket-brewed Hop Hog, there is no shortage of selection here. Their liqueur and wine offerings will accomodate the majority of taste-cravings as well.

Five Bar

Foodwise, Five have tid bits to pick on, small snacks and a brief menu of some delectable sounding mains. I'm always a sucker for fetta stuffed peppers and kalamata olives over drinks, but their chunky cut chips with curry mayonnaise was a different treat altogether!

Also, which possibly matters more to me than others, the service is great. By great I mean attentive, friendly and actually engaged with the customers' needs. Competing businesses please note -- Good service IS important.

Give me Five!


Five Bar
Open Monday to Saturday 11am until midnight, Sunday 11am until 10pm
560 Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley
0467 534 267
fivebar.com.au (wesbite coming soon)

How should one feel about drinking Pussy?

When I first saw these cans humbly sitting in the fridge of a local lunch bar, I thought I had surely misread it. But alas 20/20 vision doesn’t lie and this natural energy drink is indeed called Pussy.  

What… the… duck?! By ‘natural’ maybe it contains essence of cat? No, there is no justifying the name, but it definitely serves its attention grabbing purpose. Jonnie Shearer created this product in London, which has been in the making for seven years.

Pussy is a blend of white grape juice from Southern Italy, Mexican limes and lightly carbonated water. These are then mixed with Grenadilla and Lychee flavours, infused with six botanical herbs including; Milk Thistle (improves and protects liver function), Guarana (we know this one by now – for a bit of zing!), Siberian Ginseng (antioxidant properties), Sarsaparilla (helps to cleanse the blood), Schizandra (improves memory and combats depression) and Gingko Biloba (enhances memory and concentration – the brain herb). 
Sounds pretty dandy to me!

The business was launched by Holly and Sam Branson, their first enterprise independent of Virgin. Holly is a personal friend of Jonnie Shearer and has no doubt been present from the inception of this frisky beverage.

The slogan reads: “The drink's pure. It’s your mind that’s the problem.”

After discovering the business side has the Branson name on it, Pussy and its fantastic slogan is now all so fitting… and you wouldn’t expect anything less from them.

Good product thus far – check. 

Great marketing – check. 

Bransons ensuring the senseless makes sense – check.

For more information visit pussydrinks.com

Shake it, cake it or just chill out

Every town needs a place where one can hang out any night of the week without being lame or intoxicated. Ask... and Greens & Co shalt deliver!

Greens & Co

This funky bohemian spot in the heart of Leederville is a great place to meet up with friends, colleagues, fellow students or possibly special 'someones'. There is nothing worse than trying to create decent conversation in a bar when heavy bass is abusing your eardrums and you have a beer stain on your right bossom from the guy that just bumped into you.

Greens & Co work with cakes, milkshakes, ice cream, coffee and sandwiches... so it's almost like a diner from the 1960s when majority of the population lived in a PG rated world.

The custom made wallpaper consists of old concert and festival posters (very cool), the uniform is by the individual (also cool), decor consists of low tables, couches and milk crates, which sit below a ceiling full of hanging lanterns that gently sway to let you know the air is circulating (uber cool).

My last visit consisted of a whopping slice of lemon meringue with a caramel milkshake. Heaven.

Oh and they have a great contingency plan if you get stuck with bad company or if your date is nervous beyond words... they have board games and books!!


Greens & Co
Open daily, breakfast until 11pm
123 Oxford St, Leederville
(Their phone number doesn't work!)