Friday was very eventful - I met a fellow Yankee and blogger Friday morning for coffee and a museum tour which extended past those activities into lunch, a walk and a ferry ride.
I want to write a longer and better post about that later as I have a bunch of gorgeous pictures to share...
Friday night Joe and I went out. We had drinks at a pub across from his office while we just sort of settled into "relax" mode and then we set out to find the burger place that had been closed in this post. They were open, I had brought a bottle of wine (incidentally really really yum - Catching Thieves Sem/Sav Blanc from the Margaret River Valley) and the burger menu looked fairly "normal" so we settled in. I got my burger with bacon, cheese and caramelized (more mush than onion and more boiled than caramelized) onion. It wasn't bad; but it wasn't Swenson's. I always forget that "bacon" here is not the "bacon" I am used to. So, once I peeled the two slices of ham off my burger it started to improve. The only thing missing was ketchup; and not the "ta-mah-toe sauce" that is the standard fare here. I would kill for some real Heinz 57 ketchup.
My phone certainly paid for itself on this outing - you'll see what I mean in my next post (mentioned earlier above) when I share all my lovely photos from the Bridge Observatory Deck. My only regret for the day was not bringing my camera and having to rely on my phone.
I want to write a longer and better post about that later as I have a bunch of gorgeous pictures to share...
Friday night Joe and I went out. We had drinks at a pub across from his office while we just sort of settled into "relax" mode and then we set out to find the burger place that had been closed in this post. They were open, I had brought a bottle of wine (incidentally really really yum - Catching Thieves Sem/Sav Blanc from the Margaret River Valley) and the burger menu looked fairly "normal" so we settled in. I got my burger with bacon, cheese and caramelized (more mush than onion and more boiled than caramelized) onion. It wasn't bad; but it wasn't Swenson's. I always forget that "bacon" here is not the "bacon" I am used to. So, once I peeled the two slices of ham off my burger it started to improve. The only thing missing was ketchup; and not the "ta-mah-toe sauce" that is the standard fare here. I would kill for some real Heinz 57 ketchup.I know, I know - that Heinz 57 ketchup is sold in the grocery stores here; but it is totally not the same thing. The ketchup here is darker, more watery and tastes like ketchup that is just starting to go bad - this strange sharp, spicy tang at the end (and not in a good way). But, for all my whingeing, we had a lovely dinner for a reasonable price and I was too happy being out with my husband to be annoyed by the mother that was letting her sons play tip (tag) in the doorway of the restaurant, right behind me.
It was a beautiful night - hard to capture in film; but as I was walking to Joe's office, dusk was starting to fall in Hyde Park while the sun was still reflecting on St. Mary's. It was stunning to look at; but didn't come across in the photo as dramatic as it had looked in real life. After dinner, we walked from Darlinghurst back over to the St. James station to catch a train back to the Quay. We cut in front of St. Mary's again and it was lit up so beautifully that I had to snap another shot.
My phone certainly paid for itself on this outing - you'll see what I mean in my next post (mentioned earlier above) when I share all my lovely photos from the Bridge Observatory Deck. My only regret for the day was not bringing my camera and having to rely on my phone.Oh, and I saw a guy at the burger place who was drinking a Bundaberg Ginger Beer which reminded me that I needed to try one too. So, I drank one today and it was epically delicious - a spicier and more robust tasting "ginger ale". I am thinking that my new favourite drink will soon become Maker Mark and ginger beer!
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Those pics of St. Mary's were taken with your phone? Wow! Very nice.
And I hear you about the bacon. . . I miss bacon.
@ Jenny - I don't even like bacon all that much... just on burgers some times. My poor husband, on the other hand, is suffering from extreme American Bacon Withdrawal!!
i have yet to have a decent hamburger in melbourne. our butcher used to sell streaky bacon but not anymore. i haven't seen it anywhere. you should check with a butcher.
YOu definitely have to go to Counter for a burger - it's the best around!
http://www.thecounterburger.com/
@ the american - I haven't found a butcher yet; but I'll check with them once I do. I can cook the end parts of "middle bacon" at home and approximate bacon... It's the ordering out that gets me!
@ Val - That menu was making me drool onto my laptop... Then I clicked on locations and I didn't see the Australia one at first and I was like "NOOOO!!! The Inhumanity!!!!!" Then I saw the one listed in Crows Nest and I was ok :)
Wanna meet for dinner there this coming weekend or after if you guys are free? Not sure what else there is to do over there - I've never had the pleasure of going to Crow's Nest.