It has been so long since I posted. There was “technical hitch” initially, just now sorted thanks to support at WordPress. But as well as that, W died at the beginning of  the year and I haven’t felt like doing any blogs since.

But it’s time to resume, and the first place I want to mention is Bar Zini at 78 Harris St, Pyrmont. It was one of our absolute favourites for breakfasts and lunches (it’s not open for dinner) from the moment we noticed that its opening was imminent as we walked past one day late in 2007. The baked eggs were (and most likely still are) divine, as were the simple but imaginative salads and the individual pieces of pizza (when they had vegetarian and we were able to sample them.) The coffee was also top quality, but you’d expect nothing less from Gianni, owner and barista and maintainer of the highest standards. 

Don’t expect the menu to remain static though (and why would it?!) Not long after W died, I went on some food and coffee pilgrammages, to all our favourite places to eat all the things we used to enjoy. One of my first stops was this one, and when I was told that the baked eggs with English spinach (our special treat) was no longer available but had been replaced was a new one with capsicum, I promptly burst into tears. The confused waitperson (one of the nice regular young women there) was able to reassure me that the English spinach version could be provided anyway. Once I had composed myself, I explained what had happened and felt very comforted by the attentive and sympathetic staff, who were then subjected a few days later to a bl0w by blow account of the “celebration of W’s life”, complete with description of the recycled cardboard coffin.

Bar Zini is a small place, with tables outside as well. My only gripe was that it was hard to escape the smoke; even if you sit inside it drifts in. My smoke aversion used to drive W mad, as he would like to sit in the sun and I wouldn’t be able to. After a while even he couldn’t manage it either though, as it would cause him to cough too much.

I haven’t been there for a while, as I am a long way from Pyrmont now W is not around, but I will return soon and look forward to updating the blog with the latest offerings from Bar Zini.

In memory of W, who died aged 54 of lung cancer.

May it be a year of adequate rainfall, good health, appreciation of organically and locally grown food, and a reversal of the decision to lift the NSW and Victorian moratoria on genetically manipulated canola. Please – no GM food, until it has been proven beyond doubt to be safe for human health and the environment.

And on a global level, here’s to a genuine attempt to make poverty history and ensure a fairer distribution of the planet’s wealth of food, of which all people deserve a fair share.

Yesterday, on our way home from W’s morning Qi Gong session up on the cliff overlooking Pyrmont Point, we saw a new cafe in Union St which was actually open for breakfast during this end-of-year holiday period. After inquiring about the availability of muesli (not on the menu), we decided to forego the mango and other fruit awaiting us at home and enjoy a last city breakfast before heading back to the bush for a quiet New Year’s Eve. The place was packed, with one table left on the cafe side of the pavement, away from the other tables and any potential passive smoking problems.

Unlike our breakfast experience at one of our regular haunts the day before, where table service does not exist and where we had waited 50 minutes for our meal which, when it came, was missing some of its vital parts, we were attended by no less than four helpful and friendly waiting staff during the course of our stay.

We were eventually told (the first person to take our order had only arrived from Italy the day before and had trouble understanding our exacting requests) that the muesli came with yoghurt and fruit salad. So W, who is not eating dairy products (except on special occasions) asked for soy milk instead. Our breakfasts arrived on large plates with fruit salad in one bowl and (for C) musli and yoghurt in a second. W received a very small bowl containing the muesli and a large bowl with the soy milk, somewhat out of proportion to the amount of muesli. C, used to plain yoghurt wherever she has a breakfast like this, was surprised and a bit disappointed to find that the yoghurt tasted very sweet. She mentioned this to the maitre d’it when she came to inquire if everything had been satisfactory, but was reassured that the yoghurt was indeed natural, and made by a Greek man especially for the cafe. C remained unconvinced.

The muesli and fruit salad was a fairly standard $10, and the coffee, which was excellent, was $2.20, much cheaper than most around the city. We look forward to returning, next time to sample a cooked egg breakfast. Chill Out Cafe is also open for lunch and dinner.

Welcome to foodandcoffee.wordpress.com. This blog is brought to you by two people who love great food and coffee, and will contain reviews of the restaurants and cafes we have visited, mainly in Sydney and Melbourne. We will tell you our impressions of the quality of the food, service and atmosphere, whether or not organic food and coffee are available, if there are smoke-free outdoor areas, what sort of food is on the menu and how well it caters for vegetarians and vegans, whether there is value for money, and whatever else we think might interest lovers of good food and coffee.

Come back soon to share some of our recent experiences in our favourite and newly discovered eating and drinking places in and around Sydney and Melbourne, and in other Australian places too.

C and W