Negroni time (12 Sept 2018)

Boozy Negroni O Clock

Love my negronis. First time we've bought Rosso Antico Aperitivo and now making negronis at home tastes so much better. I used to use a white vermouth I had but it just didn't taste the same as I had in restaurants and bars. I noticed Rosso Antico on a lot of cocktail menus so thought it was time to get some and only costs about $20. Happy place achieved. The 78 Degree gin was from the Mrs for Father's Day. Lovely gin. I do love my gins as either a gin and tonic, martini or in a negroni. Negroni is so easy to make. Equal 30 ml parts of each spirit with ice. Add a slice of orange/peel if you have some around.

Hello Sailor launches Aperitivo: The Classic Italian Ritual, Darlinghurst (16 Oct 2013)

96 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

http://hellosailor.com.au

Hello Aperitivo Happy Hour

Thanks to Peta Barclay from The Cru Media for inviting me along to the launch of Aperitivo at Hello Sailor. Greeted with a large table of tasty looking complimentary snacks was a slice of food heaven waiting to be devoured but unfortunately I didn’t have the time to settle in and try. I did however manage to try a lovely Negroni which is one of my favourite aperitifs — probably because it’s so boozy. Other Italian cocktails available from the bar are the Aperol Spritz, Sbagliato, Garibaldi, and Sgroppino. Wish I had the time to try all of them but a revisit with friends is in order to hopefully provide me the opportunity to do so. Owners Luke Redington, Marco Faraone and Mike Edkins have certainly raised the bar for Italian hospitality on Oxford Street between the hours of 5 and 7 pm everyday. I’m pretty sure there generosity will entice many locals for an after work drinkie at their cool bar filled with Elvgren pinup and sailor memorabilia complete with a mirror ball in the toilet.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Free snacks with the purchase of an aperitif cocktail, Interesting decor and cosy bar, Mirror ball in the toilet

CONS: Don't fill up on snacks if the Mrs is cooking you dinner

MUST TRY: Revisiting to try the snacks and other cocktails

VERDICT: Reasonably priced Italian cocktails with a table full of complimentary tasty snacks is a winning formula in my books

—

I do love a Negroni

Aperitivi cocktail menu available 5 to 7 everyday 

Lots of Aperitivo snacks to choose from 

Owners Luke Redington, Marco Faraone, Mike Edkins

Yes, that is a mirror ball in the toilet

View Larger Map

Adriano Zumbo & VOGUE Fashion's Night Out, Sydney (9 Sept 2010)

http://fashionsnightout.vogue.com.au

Adriano ‘Freakin’ Zumbo

While entering the newly renovated MidCity Style Space I overheard a shopper saying ‘Adriano Freakin Zumbo’ which I fondly remember Adam Liaw saying on MasterChef when the famed dessert maker walked into the MasterChef kitchen for a pressure test. Adriano’s complimentary treats were being freely given out throughout the shopping centre while he demonstrated to a large crowd of fans in a very squeezed space how to make the perfect macarons for his macaron tower. Thanks to Caroline Bligh from Cav Con for alerting me to this special event. I managed to try two of the mini desserts which were a Cherry Pistachio Cheesecake one and a Chocolate Coffee one — the staff serving them to me didn’t quite know what they were. I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to try any of the macarons or the one with the spoon in it because staff near the preparation area just held them up high and briskly took off to serve at other levels of the shopping centre — I’ve yet to try his macarons.

This event was part of the inaugural VOGUE Fashion’s Night Out in the Sydney CBD which was staged concurrently in 18 cities including New York, London, Milan, Paris, Madrid and of course Sydney. Martin Place was buzzing with free Lindt chocolate samples and free hair styling by John Frieda hairdressers while the threatening wet weather held up. Many of the supporting boutique designer shops provided free drinks to walk-in customers including Emporio Armani where I enjoyed a lovely campari and orange juice cocktail while perusing a fluoro pink cotton t-shirt for $160, or was that $180. Plenty of eye-catching live models became window displays amongst the Block Party between Martin Place, Market Street, George Street and Castlereagh Street. I look forward to next years event.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Free food sampling and drinks to be had, Party atmosphere, Interesting window displays of live models, Fashion-a-plenty

CONS: Weather permitting, Crowded at times

MUST TRY: Visiting more shops next year

—

Head to level 1 to see Adriano Zumbo

Adriano Zumbo dessert canape

Assorted Macarons

Cherry, Pistachio and Cheesecake dessert canape

Chocolate and Coffee dessert canape

Adriano Zumbo preparing for his demo

Ingredients for making macarons

Kitchen utensils on standby

Adriano Zumbo demonstrating how to make macarons

Caffe Dante was used as preparation area for serving dessert canapes

Staff preparing macarons for serving — so close yet so far away as they were whisked away before I even had a chance to try! :-(

Final macaron tower creation. Photos by Bashful

Entrance to MidCity with Fashion's Night Out and I Heart Zumbo promoters

Campari and orange juice cocktail at Emporio Armani

Emporia Armani window display

Georgio Armani window display

HP stand — how to look good while holding a HP laptop ;-)

Lindt chocolate stand

Free Lindt chocolate samples

Sheraton stand — thankfully the rain stopped for this one.

John Frieda stand including one way mirror so you can see what's happening inside but they can't see out — very clever.

Boot fashion display? 'Fell off the back of a truck' comes to mind :-)

Martin Place — lights, camera, fashion!

Bang Olufsen window display

Louis Vuitton yellow carpet treatment and drinks await

View Larger Map