Goodbye Sydney

As I mentioned, I've left Sydney. My contract for my job ended and I've returned back to the United States. I have a new blog and I have a few exciting projects coming up [including one that involves vegan dessert recipe creating for a cafe- more on that on my new blog soon].

When I was brainstorming what to write in my last [and 99th! post] here, Megan suggested I make a list of things I will and won't miss about Sydney.

Miss List:

Deborah
Durand
Lindsay [and her sidekicks: Tim and Coral]
My favorite places [especially the dark chocolate sorbet at Gelato Messina]
Perpetual summer
Being so close to the beach
Long walks on the Harbour
The Eveleigh Markets
Exotic tropical fruits
Wearing yoga pants to work

Won't Miss List:

How expensive everything is [especially rent]
Sunburns despite my serious spf wearing
Giant, fuzzy spiders in my apartment
Tall poppy syndrome
Not being able to find certain key foods, like black beans

So with that I say goodbye to this space- and to the wonderful time I had in Sydney. Please follow me over here, where I am trying out a few new creative ventures and ideas.

Places to Go, Things to do in Sydney

Confession: I no longer live in Sydney (!). I moved back to the States on March 5, but I wanted to do a few more posts here before I move on to new projects.

Here is a list of my favorite [mostly food-related] places in Sydney:

For Brunch

Four Ate Five
485 Crown Street
Surry Hills 2010
[Best vegan breakfast, great fresh juice, excellent coffee- ALWAYS crowded]

Sloane's Cafe
312 Oxford Street
Paddington 2021
[Cozy and sophisticated, beautiful courtyard out back]

For Coffee

Coco Cubano
97 Darlinghurst Road
Kings Cross 2011
[Free wi-fi, really good coffee and sandwiches, great place to people watch**]

Tripod Cafe
262 Abercrombie Street
Darlington 2008
[cheap good coffee, friendly staff, nice outdoor spaces in front and back]

Toby's Estate
129 Cathedral Street
Woolloomooloo 2011
[Seriously good gourmet coffee, lousy staff/service but a decent place to take up real estate for a morning]

Sweet Infinity
53 Riley Street
Woolloomooloo 2011
[Cheap, good takeaway coffee, no real seating, pretty books and magazines to browse while you wait]

For Food

Iku Wholefood
25a Glebe Point Road
Glebe 2037
[Vegan, lots of gluten-free options, lots of health-related magazines to flip through]

Gelato Messina
241 Victoria Street
Darlinghurst 2010
[Lots of delicious dairy-free sorbet options, dozens of gelato and frozen yogurt flavors, always completely packed]

Laurie's Vegetarian
286 Bondi Road
Bondi 2026
[Amazing burgers, great salads, grab food for takeaway and head down Bondi Road to the beach]

Thai Times Nine
45 King Street
Newtown 2042
[Lunch special is $6.50, really nice courtyard in the back, the only Thai place I trust in Sydney to make something vegetarian- lots of bad experiences at other Thai places with meat in my food]

Betty's Soup Kitchen
84 Oxford Street
Darlinghurst 2010
[Big bowl of soup and bread for <$10, fun atmosphere, very vegetarian friendly, nice staff]

For Drinking

Macquarie Hotel
42 Wentworth Avenue
Surry Hills 2010
[Only microbrewery in downtown Sydney (as far as I know), live jazz every night of the week, very comfortable, great crowd]

East Sydney Hotel
Corner of Cathedral and Crown Streets
Woolloomooloo 2011
[old school pub, great local crowd, no drunk bogans, the only bar in Sydney without poker machines!]

Name This Bar
197 Oxford Street
Darlinghurst 2010
[oh so hip apparently but on the week nights its really relaxed, not terribly loud, great location to meet friends]

Signs of Sydney: Not a Sign BUT Very Confusing

Lindsay and I were in a dollar store in Newtown a few weeks back when I spotted this box. This box looks like it has brightly colored Easter eggs and glittery streaks painted on it, yes?

Wait til you see what was inside when I opened it ...





A bizarre day-of-the-dead skeleton wearing an Uncle Sam hat.

Easter eggs meets traditional Mexican holiday meets American independence? Made in China.

It was $2 and no, I did not buy it.