Sydney Morning Herald - Tues Good Living Section

[markws]

If anyone read yesterdays SMH - good living - specifically John Saxby's Stein way, grand article - it is like listening to a 3rd world starvation report - all bad news!!!!!

My 2 cents worth - a pretty poor article, with no substance and a low appreciation for the good things in life ie beer.

For the AHB's who did not receive the SMH on Tuesday - the authors reviewed a Bavarian Beer Cafe - very similar in style to the Beligum beer caf's you see these days whom had more interest in the food rather than the beer.

A friend of mine has been there - loves the belgium beauties and said the place was new and relatively quite - but the beers were pretty good - ps he is a fine dining chief by trade..

Anyway - sad to see a poor review published....and all the best to to the Bavarian Bier Cafe and lucky for the sydney lads to have more beer in the CBD!!!!!!

Cheers

MWS

 

[Doc]

I read it and though what a load of dribble.
The opening sentence of the article really set the scene that the author had no idea. He thought it was a Belgian place.

The article is available online here

Beers,
Doc

 

[Chatty]

I haven't been there and probably won't ever be able to make it there but I feel sorry for the buggers who run the place. The write up displays a pretty rock solid ignorance for the point of the place - he's comparing a German dish with a pizza?! Of course it's going to be different...

The beer can't have been too bad though, he would have heaped shit on it if it was even remotely not what he was after.

Boo for that dude...

Chatty

 

[Gough]

I agree the review was poor. Too keen on appearing 'cool' and condescending. Bet the business was ropable...

"Thread Hi-jack" (sorry...)

Does anyone know why Willie Simpson's beer reviews in Tuesday's GL section have been missing for the last 3 or 4 weeks. He often has a week off here and there, but 4 in a row?? Has he got the flick, or is he just on holidays?? I thought Gerard posted somewhere recently that he'd done a review of the Paddy's Challenge... I liked his reviews even if I didn't always agree with them...

Shawn.

 

[Borret]

I actually believe that the guy managed to discredit himself more than the Cafe. He comes across as a total baffoon who no-one will take seriously anyway.
I think the shot did it's damage and ricochet'd and got him in the foot.

Borret

 

[Kai]

Hah, my sister mentioned that article on the phone to me earlier today. She thought it was funny.

 

[warrenlw63]

Another shot in the foot of beer ignorant and wine savvy Australia.

Just adds fuel to the argument that beer in the media can be a bit of a parody of itself. <_<

Warren -

 

[Malnourished]

I've never been to the bar in question and I don't think it's a particularly great article, but I think the author's point is a valid one.

I'm not familiar with this author but it looks like the guy's a food critic, not a beer writer. It seems to me that his point is that this place is a blatant, and inferior, ripoff of the Belgian Beer Cafe chain. I mean what self-respecting German bierstube would call itself a "cafe", put mango juice (!!) in a weizen and serve trendy modern Australian cuisine? Plus it sounds like they're serving the typically pedestrian InBev fare (Franziskaner, Lowenbrau etc.) just like their Belgian cousins/competitors.

I've never been to the place in question so take this with a grain of salt, and if he's a beer writer it's a slightly different story...

 

[johnno]

I dont know..anyone calling beer the "new Thai".
Whats that supposed to mean?
Since when has beer been the new anything?
Its one of, if not the oldest fermented beverage that we know of.
Maybe the journo doesn'y really know beer that much and were more interested in getting a good feed.

johnno

 

[Malnourished]

I dont know..anyone calling beer the "new Thai".
Whats that supposed to mean?
Since when has beer been the new anything?
Its one of, if not the oldest fermented beverage that we know of.

[post="71220"][/post]​

I can see how a foodie would think beer is the new Thai. There sure are a lot of "trendy" beer places popping up of late. I mean we all think of beer as a constant, but it's not the same to the casual observer. Compare how many micros there are now to even 5 years ago.

Maybe the journo doesn'y really know beer that much and were more interested in getting a good feed.

[post="71220"][/post]​

Agreed.

 

[redbeard]

I had 2 beers there last fri after work. The pricing is aimed at suits and i would hope the food was good. However, it did have a relatively generous selection of german beers on tap. They had 330ml, 500ml & 1l glasses. Last fri it was packed & they had people queuing up at the door around 6pm. I think food writers should not reveiw beer cafe's.

worth a visit for the beer & the eye candy behind the bar

 

[KoNG]

I've never been to the bar in question and I don't think it's a particularly great article, but I think the author's point is a valid one.

I'm not familiar with this author but it looks like the guy's a food critic, not a beer writer. It seems to me that his point is that this place is a blatant, and inferior, ripoff of the Belgian Beer Cafe chain. I mean what self-respecting German bierstube would call itself a "cafe", put mango juice (!!) in a weizen and serve trendy modern Australian cuisine? Plus it sounds like they're serving the typically pedestrian InBev fare (Franziskaner, Lowenbrau etc.) just like their Belgian cousins/competitors.

I've never been to the place in question so take this with a grain of salt, and if he's a beer writer it's a slightly different story...

[post="71218"][/post]​

i'd say its more a rip off of the lowenbrau @ the rocks. which has been around long before the belgian cafe opened.


and as for the eye candy, well what can i say!
all the bar girls must be told to unbutton the top 4-5 buttons on their uniform.. it's quite bizzare..!!! but unsurpisingly pleasant B)

 

[sintax69]

So which belgian Cafe is the best in sydney for food and beer of course, got to the misses out soon I might as well have fun to.

 

[KoNG]

there is only 2 "belgian" beer cafe's in sydney.. Heritage @ the Rocks and Epoque in Cammeray. They are essentially the same place in terms of beer (large) and food menu's. heritage is a huge expanse in terms of space.. the ceiling feels like its 3 storeys high with an extra balcony type eating area. Where as Epoque is the opposite, it has the smaller cosy type feel with a much smaller capacity for both eating and sitting at the bar.
If its just you and the missus, maybe Epoque would be a better choice.

 

[Aarleks]

Don't forget Brabo Belgian Beer restaurant in Bondi.

I've never been there but I have heard reasonable things about it, and they do have Grimbergen dubbel on draft. :beerbang:

Brabo

 

[KoNG]

Shite,
didnt even know of this restuarant.... and they serve judas...! noiice

 

[Doc]

Phew, no such twaddle in this weeks edition.
However this is the third week that there is no story on beer, or anything from Willie Simpson.
I hope he has just been on hols and there are some new colums coming soon.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Gough]

Doc,

I think it is actually 5 weeks straight now <_<

Shawn.