Dan's Take on the Sunburnt Calf's New Happy Hour Lounge & Game Room (and food of course)

As The Foodista’s husband, there are many perks. In addition to the unending love and devotion that she bestows upon me day in and day out, I am also often the recipient of some seriously tasty eats. Recently, while she was abroad visiting relatives and friends in her native Slovakia, I had the opportunity to attend a party on her behalf. It was at The Sunburnt Calf, a bar/restaurant on the Upper West Side.

The Sunburnt Calf is an Australian pub with a chill atmosphere and truly great and friendly service. As far as alcohol goes, they have all of your standard libations and brews, but beyond that they have a wide variety of unique cocktails. Many are tequila based, all are delicious, and potent enough to get the job done. They serve some of them in a baby bottle, evoking the image of a calf nursing at his mother’s teat I suppose. It’s a fun and interesting way to imbibe, albeit a little unusual.

This particular party was to announce the opening of a “Happy Hour Lounge and Game Room” on the second floor of their W. 79th street establishment. The room itself is a nice space, complete with a pool table, and a sweet Star Wars pinball machine, which is free to play and a ton of fun. The party was a good time also, as mixed drinks and beers were passed around liberally. But I would have to say that like most things Foodista related, the highlight of the affair was the food.

They passed around a wide variety of finger food, like Honey-Soy Chicken Wings, Sweet Boar Ribs, various sliders like shrimp, lamb, and beef, not to mention skewers of fried shrimp and one of their most unique dishes, “Oysters Kilpatrick.” It’s a fried oyster served on the half-shell on a sweet and savory bed of bacon bits and some kind of relish. You eat it all at once and the flavors mingle deliciously in your mouth as it goes down. Another fun item was an oyster shooter, which was essentially a spicy bloody-mary shot with an oyster in it. Cheers mate, and down the hatch it goes.

Overall, the fare is definitely interesting, but it is not so unusual as to be a turnoff to those who enjoy a more traditional menu, such as myself. No matter your taste or palate, you will find something there you want to eat, and eat a lot of, I guarantee it. And with the addition of the happy hour game room, it’s truly a great place to go after work to pound a few with some of your buddies.

G’day.

The Sunburnt Calf - 226 West 79th Street, New York NY 10024
646.823.9255
1 Train to 79th Street

www.thesunburntcow.com

Get In Touch with Your Inner Babe at The Sunburnt Calf

The Sunburnt Calf - 226 West 79th Street, New York NY 10024
646.823.9255
1 Train to 79th Street

www.thesunburntcow.com

With all this hot weather, a much needed cool-down is welcome.  I know that I always love a chill hangout with great drinks and casual, tasty food for an after work pick-me-up.  That's why when I got invited to sample the food and drinks at The Sunburnt Calf on the Upper West Side, I immediately latched on to the invitation (I know...that was bad).  And I know you're probably wondering why I'm drinking out of a baby bottle. I'll explain that and much more...just keep reading.

Atmosphere:
Very similar in appearance to its sibling, The Sunburnt Cow in the East Village, The Calf is an unassuming yet lively bar and eatery.  The front is more of a bar scene, just like at The Cow and the back offers nice, comfortable dining digs with a raised glass ceiling.  Apart from the fact that it was dark and rainy during our visit, I can see the roof really bringing in light and cheeriness on nice days.

The overall vibe was fun and relaxed and as you can see from my pictures, the owners promote a playful atmosphere.  In honor of The Calf, they serve mixed drinks in baby bottles for patrons to actually use (like me!) or to just get a good laugh out of.  It certainly breaks the tension of stressful city life - and as I think back on our experience, I remember Dan and I laughing a lot.

Food and Drinks:
The menu has influences from the Sunburnt Cow, with popular items such as the Calamari Oz style and oyster shooters, but aside from that, it has its own personality too.  We tried to stick with seafood dishes but Dan also tried the pork and we of course saved room for dessert.  The drinks were a big highlight of the evening, offering inventiveness and whimsical flare.

Appetizers:
We started out with an oyster tasting, including a potent oyster shooter in a Bloody Mary mix as well as oysters Kilpatrick, which were fried and seasoned with smoky bacon bits.  Both were really fresh and tasted like the sea - the shooter had a spicy after bite and the Kilpatrick was just pure indulgence. I could've popped at least three of those babies.

Taking it up another notch with seafood, we also ordered their signature Calamari Oz, which I already enjoyed at The Cow as well as a new starter called Shrimp on the Barbie.  Not only was the shrimp smoky from the bbq sauce, but the whole dish carried out a fresh, summery feel with a bed of spicy avocado, sweet mango and crunchy red onion.  I'd recommend getting this on a very hot day - it was a great picker-upper.

Entrees:
I'm really not sure why I keep doing this to myself, but I once again ordered the Barramundi.  The first time I had it at Bondi Road, it didn't impress me and yet again, it didn't do it for me at The Calf.  Unlike the one I had at Bondi Road, this one was grilled and served with a tomato, papaya and shrimp salad, with a side of shoestring fries, which resembled potato stix.  I guess it was their version of fish and chips.  Take it from me - you can skip this one unless you know for a fact that you love barramundi.

Dan was smarter in his choice by getting the grilled pork loin, marinated in brown sugar and red pepper.  YUM! It was absolutely delicious and so tender--the meat had so much flavor and a lovely sweetness from the brown sugar.  Its tenderness was a delight for your fork and knife, not to mention your palate.  A colorful side salad of watercress, macadamia nuts, apples, carrots and radicchio brought forth some earthiness along with a pop of flavor from the spicy Dijon mustard dressing.

Dessert:
We just couldn't refuse a healthy dose of chilled desserts and ordered the Peach Melba and the Banana Fritters, both served with the most delicious vanilla ice cream.  The banana fritters were just decadent, beautifully crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside.  They were juxtaposed well with the cold ice cream and the syrupy chocolate sauce on top. If you're a fan of the banana/chocolate combo, this one's for you.

The Peach Melba was also an excellent choice, with a grilled peach and strawberry sauce on top.  I liked that they incorporated a lady finger that stuck out of the ice cream - judging by the funky attitude of this place, it seemed almost as if they were flipping us the bird, in the nicest way possible. We totally dug it!

Drinks:
As I already hinted several times, the drinks were awesome.  So even if you're not feeling hungry, definitely come by for cocktails.  As you can see, I really loved my Island drink - a mixture of pine-coconut Bacardi and fresh guava juice.  It came in their signature baby bottle and I of course took full advantage.  Note to self - this drink is delicious but it has a lot of pulp.  Therefore, if you do choose to channel your inner babe, make sure to poke a bigger hole in the bottle. 

Dan got an equally interesting drink called The Oasis.  The presentation was just wild, consisting of an inverted lime filled with tequila, sitting on top of a concoction of strawberry, watermelon, blackberry and a splash of pineapple-lime.  Instead of describing it here, I'll let you watch the video.  And as you can see, I was past drinking my bottle when I said "Dan is about to take a shoot." Who says that?!

Service and Cost:
Just like the atmosphere, the food and the drinks, The Calf's service is also super fun.  The staff jokes around with you and I have to mention that they sport really awesome Aussie accents.  You'll be treated with care and respect but you'll also laugh and joke around to your heart's content.  And it almost feels like you're in a different country - it's a good thing!

Costs are affordable and include the following:

Mixed Drinks: $7-$9
Appetizers: $2 - $9
Entrees: $12 - $16
Dessert: $6

The Calf offers a Saturday/Sunday "Endless Brunch" for $18, which gets you a brunch entree and all-you-can-drink cocktails.

3 Loud Mmmms

The Sunburnt Cow - Aussie Bar Food with Attitude

The Sunburnt Cow - 137 Avenue C, New York NY 10009

212.529.0005

6 Train to Astor Place or L Train to 1st Avenue

www.thesunburntcow.com

Back in the summer of '08 I tried an Australian restaurant on the Lower East Side called Bondi Road.  It was so wonderful and the food was so different from what I'm used to that I jumped at the chance to have dinner at its sister restaurant, The Sunburnt Cow.  My brother Peter joined me on a Monday night and together we indulged in good Australian bar food.

Atmosphere:
Located in the East Village waaaay East actually on Avenue C, The Sunburnt Cow is very much away from the hubbub and chaos of Manhattan.  The block it rests on (between 8th and 9th street) is especially quiet and once you walk in, you feel yourself unwind even more. 

Not to say that the Surnburnt Cow is quiet - it's not but it isn't overly loud or obnoxious either.  The front of the house is all bar and the back has a few small tables suitable for intimate parties of 2 or 4 at the most.  It's perfect for after work drinks and a casual dinner.  The overall vibe is very cool, with young Aussie bartenders catering to your every wish - nothing wrong with that.

Food:
I was expecting the food to be more or less like at Bondi Road but there were considerable differences.  While the feel was similar, the menu offered creative dishes from Mutton Stew to Pesto Shark.

Appetizers - We started with two things, the Aussie lamb balls in tomato sauce and the Calamari Oz Style.  Out of those the calamari was a clear winner, as it presented a new spin on a classic appetizer.  Unlike any fried calamari I've had, this one was topped with a jalapeno kiwi salsa.  I love mixing savory with sweet and the slight hint of sweetness from the kiwi and the punch from the jalapeno brought the dish up a notch.  It didn't even need a spritz of lemon but we went for it anyway. 

The lamb balls were on the ordinary side - while the flavors were good, they weren't anything spectacular and I'd skip them next time.

Entrees - Peter and I both ordered hefty entrees and tried to go for something we haven't yet experienced.  I splurged and got the Wild Boar Spare Ribs while Peter went with an all seafood dish, the Kakadu Fish Stew.  Both were excellent and left you feeling full - not overstuffed but definitely satiated.

The Wild Boar ribs were tender and juicy, falling off the bone beautifully and dressed with a spicy pineapple salsa.  I liked that the spice wasn't too intense but it left a nice tingle in your mouth.  A bed of polenta with crispy edges was the starch in this dish - it was gentle on your palate but gave you a little break from all that protein.

Peter's fish stew was delicious, and it was so huge that I brought the leftovers home and ate it for dinner the next day.  It had so much seafood goodness - chunks of fresh fish, shrimp, scallops and mussels - swimming in a rich tomato broth.  This dish was a perfect way to enjoy dinner on a cold, snowy evening.  They serve it with a side of toasty bread that's nice to dip into all that richness.  If you love seafood, I wouldn't miss this.

Dessert - Although we were quite full, a small taste of something sweet was just gnawing at us and we decided to split the butterscotch/date molten cake.  I liked that it was different from your everyday, boooring flourless chocolate cake.  Every bite was a like an explosion of caramel with a hint of saltiness at the end.  That coupled with a big spoonful of fresh whipped cream, and your Australian bar experience was 100% complete.

Drinks - The Sunburnt Cow has a plethora of specialty cocktails that are creative and fit the "down under" theme.  Many are fruit based and in addition to beer, we ordered two fruity cocktails, one being The Island and the other one called The Illusion.  Both were very tropical with mango, coconut and guava notes, spiked with rum and vodka respectively.  Peter and I ended up swapping drinks - I was glad that the swap worked to our favor and we were both happy customers.

Service and Cost:
As I mentioned, the service is super friendly and the staff is right from Australia.  I loved our waiter's accent and his overall casual "no worries mate" mentality - it was a nice change from what I'm used to.  One suggestion about the service would be to get more waiters - our guy was great but he seemed a bit overwhelmed.  He needs a break!

Costs are very reasonable, especially on Monday nights when you can take advantage of an all you can eat and drink 2 hour special for $20. Their brunch isn't too shabby either, $18 getting you a full meal and all you can drink morning cocktails.

3 Mmmms

Bondi Road - Great Food from Down Under

Bondi Road - 153 Rivington Street, New York NY 10002

212.253.5311

F to Delancey Street

www.bondiroad.com

I was happy to accept an invitation to a private fall tasting at Lower East Side Aussie restaurant, Bondi Road. Relatively new to the nabe, Bondi is also sibling to an Aussie joint in Alphabet City called The Surnburnt Cow. My bro Peter and I spent an enjoyable evening at Bondi and we can't wait to go back for their $15 unlimited cocktail brunch.

Atmosphere:

Bondi Road is a small, casual restaurant on Rivington Street--right in the middle of hipster Mecca. Fitting in with its surroundings, it offers something new and unique to the trend-setting crowd that gathers there.

The restaurant is small-ish and narrow. There are a couple of tables outside but the majority are inside booths or you can sit at the bar. What I like about Bondi is its casual vibe. Upon walking in, Peter and I were greeted by a floor-to-ceiling mural of Bondi Beach. It was pretty cool to look at and definitely provided a conversation starter. Although, I consider Bondi to be a trendy place, I wouldn't dress up to come here. You'll see the staff sporting comfy jeans, t-shirts and piercings? Umm...yeah. Anything goes here--it's quintessential Lower East Side.

Food:

Both of us have never had Aussie cuisine, so we were pretty psyched. Our tasting menu consisted of 7 courses including dessert--indulgence at its max. My favorite dish was the kangaroo. Believe it or not, this breaded meaty sensation stole my heart. Here's more about our tasting:

Classic Oysters Kilpatrick - This was our starter course--it consisted of baked Blue Point oysters on the half-shell, dressed with plenty of bacon. You had to eat pretty much all of the bacon to get to the precious oyster. That wasn't a problem for me, as I adore bacon--and once I got that lovely smoky taste in my mouth, it made the oyster taste that much better.

BBQ Shrimp and Watermelon Salad - I've never seen this type of inventive combination before--shrimp, watermelon tossed with lettuce, feta cheese and a lemon mustard vinaigrette. The watermelon and feta combo was the best. What a lovely, refreshing contrast of sweet and salty! The shrimp were delicious too and provided a hearty touch from bbq flavoring. I'd love to get this again in its regular portion. What a treat!

Baby Scallop Rigatoni - Whenever I think of pasta, I envision something really heavy. Not this. It was super light because the rigatoni were cut in half and paired with asparagus, porcini mushrooms and baby scallops. I also liked the sauce, which had a seafood essence and the scallops themselves were sliced thin, making them much more manageable. Another interesting touch was the generous slice of muenster cheese on top--a lovely smooth finish, which made this Peter's favorite dish.

Shark with Roasted Beets and Barramundi with Chips - Getting to the core of this tasting, the shark and barramundi provided a glimpse into Bondi's Sunday and Monday specials. The shark was fabulous and again, very easy on the stomach. It was grilled lightly and rested on a bed of chunky red beats seasoned with lemon juice--very simple, natural flavors that worked well. I'd definitely come back for a Shark Attack Sunday offering.

The Barramundi, an Australian freshwater fish was beer battered and accompanied by thick-cut fries or chips. I liked the breading a lot but didn't care for the fish itself. It had a funky aftertaste that just lingered on your tongue, making you reach for a glass of water or beer. Although it looked great, I probably wouldn't get it next time.

King George Whiting and Tasmanian Ocean Trout - I'm a big fan of whiting--having tasted it a couple of times in Astoria. Bondi's version was grilled lightly and paired with garlic mushrooms and sweet pea puree. Absolutely loving sweet mushy peas, I was crazy about the ones here as well. I kept dipping the fish into them, which again made for a wonderfully sweet/salty combination.

The trout provided an earthy taste, as it was served with ratatouille and roasted tomato sauce. While I enjoyed it, I preferred the whiting. Peter on the other hand liked the trout better, appreciating its substantial texture and acidy taste from the veggies.

Breaded Roo Fillet - People might frown upon eating kangaroo because it's such a foreign concept but I strongly suggest it. To put it in familiar terms, it tastes like a delightful combination of chicken and beef. It was breaded in a crunchy crust--maybe topped with panko. And since the meat was so hearty, it was accompanied with arugula salad, embellished with sweet cherry dressing. The salad was sprinkled with a handful of dried cherries--just fantastic when combined with a forkfull of the roo. This was hands-down my favorite dish of the night.

Beer - What better way to wash down all that fish than with authentic Australian brew. Peter and I both ordered Coopers Original Pale Ale--a semi-bitter beer that reminded me of a cross between Stella Artois and Red Stripe. Definitely a good option that I'll order again in the future.

Kiwi-Mango Pavlova - A typical Australian dessert, the Bondi Pavlova provided a yummy ending to a delicious night. The kiwi and mango were sliced thin and and topped the crunchy meringue shell. The inside was soft and silky--a luxurious nucleus to this mound of goodness. Although I do love me some chocolate, I didn't miss it one bit in this fresh, indulgent dessert.

Service:

We were at a tasting so the service was pretty superb--no surprise there. Our waitresses were friendly, engaged us in conversation and solicited feedback about the food. It was also nice to hear their endearing Aussie accents--hard to understand at times but pleasant to the ear.

We had the honor of meeting the chef too, who was as funky and as interesting as our evening at Bondi Road--he represented the restaurant well and you could see why things are done the way that they are.

I strongly suggest that you pay a visit to Bondi Road, especially on the weekends for brunch or their $10 shark steaks or $10 pitchers of beach juice.

3 Mmmms Mate