The Grounds of Alexandria

There's one thing you must have if you visit The Grounds of Alexandria, and that's patience. A 10.30am arrival on a Saturday nets us a 40-minute wait for a table for three. By 11am we hear latest arrivals face a 60-90 minute wait before they can expect to be seated.

And yet waiting is hardly a chore when we start to roam the outdoor dining area. Surrounded by factory outlets, showrooms and light industry, the Grounds of Alexandria is an oasis of charming greenery with a kitchen garden, chicken pen, and sprawl of casual seating. Quirky design chic--like flower pots in rusty wagons, and rusty typewriters hidden in flower beds-- combined with a kids play area and an in-house coffee roastery, make this a weekend utopia for couples and young families. No wonder the place is packed.


Wagons and signposts at The Grounds, Alexandria


Garden chooks


The kitchen garden and flower pots at The Grounds, Alexandria


I agree kiddo, hanging jars for lights are magical indeed! 

We meander past the gardens, admire the ingenious use of recycled rusted furniture and end up collapsing on a bench to soak up the morning sun. The outdoor dining area is for takeaway orders only (which has a restricted menu), but it guarantees happily caffeinated parents and easily distracted kids.

The floor manager circulates the grounds regularly, checking on waiting patrons and providing a reassuring update on waiting times.


Vintage soft drink cans for plant pots, giant chick pea 'cans' 
and a kids play area keep things fun for everyone


Muffins and brownies

Cakes and pastries spill across the separate takeaway counter as the queue for coffee grows longer and longer. The tarts and bread are supplied by Luxe Bakery in Newtown at the moment, but we're told that bread will be baked in-house soon.


Jam jar mugs at the takeaway order counter 


Mini cupcakes and carrot cake slices


Custard tarts, chocolate tarts and lemon tarts in the display counter


Takeaway drinks and breakfast menu board


Takeaway salad and sandwich menu (restricted options on weekends)


Indoor dining area

The indoor dining area is split into two sections, one with a view of the roasters and the kitchen; the other brighter and airier with views onto the balcony and a direct line of sight toward the main coffee counter. This altar to caffeine worship includes a gleaming La Marzocco espresso machine (upgraded with variable pressure levers -- "There are only two like this in the whole word!", our barista declares with pride), a Clover for pressurised filter coffee and accoutrements to make pour overs and Aeropress coffee.


Preparing our pour over coffee

The pour over uses filter paper set in a Kalita 102 ceramic coffee dripper, said to create a clean, almost sweet brew with plenty of body.


Plunging our Aeropress coffee

We also check out their Aeropress coffee, a filter coffee that uses manual pressure to deliver a brew with low acidity.


Aeropress coffee (front) $6 and pour over coffee (rear) $6

I find the Aeropress delivers a little more flavour at the front of the palate, whereas the pour over has a lingering finish. Both are gentle brews.


Hot chocolate $3.50

The hot chocolate has all the makings of a kid's make believe tea party, presented on a picturesque wooden chopping board.


Pouring frothed milk into the melted chocolate

Unleash the pot of thick melted chocolate into your cup and pour out the hot frothy milk from the world's cutest miniature milk bottle. It's not overly chocolatey but wins points for novelty.


Double ristretto macchiatos $4.50

And because we're caffeine addicts we tack on a couple of double ristretto macchiatos that are executed admirably, rich and intense in flavour.


Breakfast boards at the pass

The kitchen is swamped but our meals don't take too long to arrive.


Rolled eggs with crispy quinoa $16

The idea of rolled eggs with crispy quinoa immediately caught our attention on the menu. It arrives as two soft boiled free range eggs showered with golden quinoa that we suspect had been deep-fried until crunchy. It provides a uniquely nutty textural contrast to the eggs, especially with their gooey yolks of sunshine.

Toasted sourdough is unbelievably moreish, a combination of chewy crust and a substantial fluffiness. As we pick through oven roasted roma tomatoes, stalks of asparagus and sprigs of rocket, the addition of truffle oil seems unnecessary in the face of such commitment to seasonal freshness.


Pork and veal sausages and free range fried eggs $17
with a side of crispy bacon $4.50

There's plenty of heartiness in the pork and veal sausages, served with two free range eggs sunny side up with toasted sourdough and a bed of sauteed spinach. We fortify our order with a side of crispy bacon, remarkably generous in size with what we estimate to be four rashers of bacon. It's pan fried until crisp and smoky.


Brioche French toast $13

The brioche French toast arrives as sourdough French toast without explanation, but it's tasty anyway, and probably better for our waistlines. It's a mountain of comforting egginess, built with a mortar of tangy tender rhurbarb and crowned with a quenelle of lemon-tinted mascarpone.

No wonder this place is busy. Luckily some things are worth waiting for.






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The Grounds of Alexandria 
Building 7A, No. 2 Huntley Street, Alexandria, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9699 2225
[facebook page]
Opening hours:
Monday to Friday 7am-4pm
Saturday and Sunday 8am-3pm


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Hot Wing Eating Competition at The Dip, Goodgod, Sydney

How did you celebrate your first birthday? The Dip turned one last night, and just like El Loco, decided to mark the occasion with a competitive eating competition. Where El Loco had the taco challenge, The Dip put out the call to find who could eat the most hot wings and be crowned Lord of the Wings.


Fried chicken burger $12 birthday special

On the celebratory birthday menu: The Birthday Bird Burger, a chicken thigh fillet battered and deep-fried and served on a bun with lettuce and mayo.

Suze couldn't be swayed from her usual, the confuse di mouth hotdog ($12), a smoked frankfurt with melted cheese, dill pickles, grilled onions, american mustard and ketchup that has all the echoes of your favourite cheeseburger (hence the confusion).


Andrew Levins outlines the rules for the Lord of the Wings competition

We were here to support Lex who had bravely agreed to enter the Lord of the Wings competition. Proceedings kicked off at 7pm and Lex lined his stomach with a fried chicken burger before joining the table of all-male competitors.


Lord of the Wings hot wings round one

The rules were simple. The winner would be whoever could eat the most hot wings within the five minute time period. No drinks were allowed, noone could stand, the bones had to be clean, and the wings promised to get hotter with each batch.

You could smell the chilli sauce from the wings as soon as the first round was sent out from the kitchen, a tumble of drumettes and midwings drenched in a fiery chilli sauce.


Lex attacks

Head chef Andrew Levins led the crowd into an eating countdown. The boys charged out of the gates with gusto, using their teeth to rip the flesh straight off the bone.


Eat ALL the wings!

One end of the table demolished the wings with such speed, the kitchen were momentarily caught short preparing the next batch.


So intense! 


Lord of the Wings hot wings round two

The second batch contained some of Dan Hong's infamous chilli bomb, a Mad Dog 38 Special Pepper Extract that radiates an eye-watering 3,000,000 Scoville heat units. Tabasco sauce rates 3,500 Scoville units. Thai bird's eye chilli is 50,000. The habanero chilli is a 'mere' 100,000 Scoville units. 

Go Lex go!

Just smelling the sauce on the chicken wings made my nostrils twitch. The pain on the competitors' faces became increasingly evident with each mouthful.


He be struggling


World. Of. Pain. 

Was it an act of mercy or evil that Levins declared he would extend the eating time for one more minute? The boys plowed on, but there was suffering aplenty.


Hurt City

A quick wing count came up with the final winner. The Lord of the Wings managed to scarf down 19 wings. Our boy Lex came in third with 14 wings. You did us proud!


Lord of the Wings!

And though there were glasses of milk promised to all, relief turned to panic when the precious milk ran out. "Get the cream! Get the cream! It's in the fridge!" Levins implored with urgency, as grown men began to curl up into the foetal position on the floor.


Deep-fried birthday cake $6

But to really celebrate a birthday, one must have cake! Levins delivered with deep-fried birthday cake, a cupcake on a stick dipped in batter and plunged into hot oil.


Cake, batter, strawberry sauce and sprinkles

The cupcake was surprisingly soft inside, drizzled with bright red strawberry sauce and a trail of sprinkles.


Giant hot dog cake made by Suze

And Suze had her own surprise - a homemade giant hot dog cake! The 'frankfurt' was made from blitzed Tim Tams and melted chocolate. The 'bun' was coated in salted caramel icing.


Bianca and Levins

I think they liked it.

The fried chicken burger and fried birthday cake are available all this week at The Dip. 


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The Dip at GOODGOD

55 Liverpool Street, Sydney

Opening hours:

Wednesday and Thursday 5pm-11pm

Friday 5pm-12midnight

Saturday 6pm-12midnight

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Cornersmith, Marrickville

Oh Marrickville, how you've changed. Before Cornersmith, this corner premises used to host an old sewing shop. As a kid I'd walk past the big glass windows that gave a view into dusty shelves packed with sewing machine thread. You could barely see past the giant spools of cotton in black, maroon and white, but they never seemed to budge no matter how many times I walked past.

Today the site has been renovated into a bright and buzzing cafe that wouldn't look out of place in Surry Hills or Waterloo. White walls, counter stools and a considered approach to furnishings create a cosy urban cottage feel.


Counter seats

By 9am on a Sunday, there's already a queue. A clipboard by the front door allows people to write down their party name and number which is then managed by a staff member who reallocates newly empty tables.

Cake display cabinet including flourless Chinese five spice and chocolate cake, 
gluten-free almond and coconut cake, and quince and apple muffins

Ordering is via the giant blackboard menu, perched high on the wall above the coffee machine. Drinks run down the left column -- including an intriguing quince, pear and clove milkshake -- followed by breakfast and lunch options. In the middle is a list of "produce in this week", a roll call of ingredients and their source, like NSW Country Valley dairy milk, Clarendon Farm free range eggs and "persimmons from Libby and Gabby".


Choko, prune and pepperberry chutney

Backyard produce from the local community is actively sought in-store and via the Cornersmith Facebook page - gardens overladen with chokos, cumquats and mandarins are relieved of their excess bounty where it is then industriously pickled, preserved and bottled by staff. On Mondays the cafe is "closed for pickling"with wares then available for sale to customers.


Flat white $3.50 and Cornersmith chai $4.50

We start with drinks. The coffee -- by Mecca -- has the robustness you want on an early morning weekend and the chai is headily aromatic, made with real spices in a special house blend.


Poached eggs with choko chutney $9
with frisee, pear, radish, fetta and almond salad $4

Garlic mushrooms and vegetables with rocket and pecorino on rye ($10) is the kind of chirpy breakfast even a carnivore would love. Two thick slices of Brasserie Bread rye bread are piled high with baby mushrooms sauteed generously in butter and garlic. Thin strips of red cabbage create crunch, shaved pecorino add richness and sprigs of mint add zing.

Poached eggs start at $9 for two, with add-ons each costing $4. We end up choosing the frisee and almond salad, sweet and soothing with chunks of pear, whispers of radish and generous blobs of creamy fetta.


Choko chutney

The eggs come with a petite dish of choko chutney, this humble backyard gourd amped up the max with onion, vinegar and a heavy hand of spices.


Homemade pumpkin and pear loaf with ricotta, honey and seeds $7

We finish with a doorstop of pumpkin and pear loaf, even more impressive dressed up with ricotta, a drizzle of honey and glistening ruby red pomegranate seeds. Pumpkin seeds and flaked almonds add a delicate crunch against the smooth ricotta.


Breakfast menu (changes monthly)


Lunch and sandwich menu (changes monthly)


Urban beehive honey $10 for 300 grams

On the rooftop is an Urban Beehive, part of a growing movement to help bees and pollination across Sydney. The scheme uses wild bees to popular hives and the resulting honey is strained and bottled for sale. The absence of high temperature pasteurisation allows more distinct flavours to come through.

The honey is thick and syrupy, with an intensity unlike commercial honeys. The current batch comes from flora in Ashfield - it's by locals for locals. Who knew the inner west could taste so sweet?




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Cornersmith
314 Illawarra Road, Marrickville, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 8065 0844
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday 6.30am-3pm
Saturday and Sunday 8am-3pm
Closed on Monday for pickling


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