Tannic Teeth

While some small bars are going for a specific experience, there are others that take a broad canvas approach and hit all bases with a good deal of effort. There can be space for good meals, a casual sit down coffee, and when the time calls for it, a stand up bar.

Places like these are few and far between. One of those happens to be The Cabin.

Now the first thing you will notice as you walk up the set of steps towards The Cabin is the dedicated disabled access lift. Big tick in my book. Another thing is theme. They have gone all out — and seemingly no expense spared — to deck the place in a cozy ski lodge feel. Exposed brick, unpolished wooden tables. Faux taxidermy hangs from the walls and real hides on the floor. Pity it doesn’t snow in Perth.

The kitchen placed on that side of the bar, still declares it’s presence. The menu during the week is serious enough to stop any grumbling tummies where as on Friday and Saturday the focus shifts towards grazing-tapas style offerings. Coffee? Sure, take a seat. Inside or on the balcony? The given name of bistro is not far off the mark. It’s a kind of flexible fusion between small bar and petit restaurant.

The beverage cross-hair is smack bang on wines. The list has been chosen by the former sommelier of Must Wine bar whose name escapes me. It’s quietly considered, with not one New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc offered by the glass. Drink their great Rieslings offered instead. Reds are Australian or from our Latino brethren across the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

With Summer on its way, it’ll be cocktails and chilled whites. For there could be, short of one of life’s guiltier pleasures, to overlook ‘The Strip’ in Mt Hawthorn, cold Riesling in hand and watch the sun pull it’s dying veil from the city. And wish for snow on a 40 degree day.

The Cabin

174 Scarborough Beach Road. (Cnr Coogee St)

Monday to Friday - midday to 12.00 midnight

Saturday - 9am – 12.00 midnight

Sunday – 9am – 10.00pm

If I were to tell you there’s a small bar where you can take a burger or pizza from next door, plonk yourself down on plump sofa, order a sinister bottle of red and the staff would be cool with that, you would think I’m telling a porky pie.

But there is. It’s approachable, friendly and fosters a sense of community. It’s called The Stanley.

A relatively new small bar situated next to the Flipside burger bar, The Stanley offers a casual yet classy approach to the small bar scene. There is no socialite premise here, of course if you want to mingle so be it, but it’s also nice to just sit on the plush array of sofas and chairs (there is even a chaise longue) and soak up the house party like atmosphere. Rearrange the small chairs to your group’s liking. It’s no biggie.

If you’re coming here, don’t think about cocktails. There is not a Boston Shaker to be seen. You will however find rows of Riedel O (funky stemless wine glasses) and a well considered rack of Reds and Whites; with all but two wines offered by the glass. Generally speaking the focal points of wines fall into WA for whites, and South Australia for Red. There are some international runners and I’m sure this will change over time. There are some usual suspects for an international beer list and cider drinkers are not left out in the cold.

The intention for this small bar to be a place where locals can swan down, have a leisurely glass of whatever for whatever, is not far off the mark. It reveals the Irish flare by the management, for something reminiscent of home, seen by the blinged up Jesus and the patron saint of The Stanley. It’s all very cheeky. The Sunday morning priests would be getting hot around the collar. Oh, and check out the toilet door signs. I LOL’D.

It’s a little bit of cheeky ecclesiastical wholesome fun.

Catha-holic.

The Stanely

Wednesday – Thursday 4pm – 11pm

Friday and Saturday 3pm-12pm

Sunday 2pm-10pm

294 Cambridge St, Wembley

08 93474481

Golden King BBQ Express is a place like this:

You order, you eat, you leave. Done.

Any given lunch service will see all tables turn over at least thrice with a queue of takeaway-ers clogging the procession of those filing in. I’ve been shoved onto a table with a complete stranger before. Now sharing a table with a stranger may be one thing, but the food is the reason we all endure such comical economics.

For 5 years I have viewed this haphazard approach to service. Why? Because the food is excellent. Their egg noodles are cooked to perfection, roast duck – tender and char siu draws a queue out the door. They don’t care much about presentation here either. The decor is tacky and all you can really hear is the bone crunching sound of a meat cleaver sectioning off duck, and roast pork. Who cares if the service is rushed, inattentive and lost in translation. When I get my plate of combination wet fried ho-fun and with egg sauce, all is forgiven.

I challenge any reader to find me a better ho-fun anywhere in Perth. And for the price.

Shop 19 Morley Markets

Morley

Monday – Sunday 10am – 9 pm

Phone 9375 666

You’ll have to put your blinkers if you’re sensitive about dining in places that err into third world territory.

I was in the city the other day and saw colourful hand prints on the wall in Forrest Chase.

These were hand prints of supporters. Supporters against the abhorrent industry of human sex trafficking.

Of all the maligned things humans inflect upon each other, child/young person sex trafficking is the most diabolically horrific. Here are a few facts taken from The Body Shop’s site.

• Human trafficking is the third largest growing criminal industry in the world.
• 1.8 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade but this estimate is thought to be higher due to the underground nature of the crime.
• Sexual exploitation is the most common purpose for human trafficking.
• Once the children are successfully captured, they are abused, beaten or raped into submission so they can be sold repeatedly.
• They are psychologically and physically damaged but are too frightened or ashamed to ask for help.
• If they try to escape their lives or the lives of their families are threatened. If they do manage to escape the authorities don’t always provide immediate protection.

To show your support against atrociousness inflected upon the world’s innocent, click on the above link to The Body Shop.

Traipse into the James St. Check.

Cross dingy car park. Check.

Enter iron gates to graffitied alley way. Check.

Find chairs and tables, and enter door way.

Welcome to Ezra Pound.

It’s currently the word on everybody’s lips. Ezra Pound. Ezra Pound. Ezra Pound. I just rolls off the tongue like a Tom Collins on a hot spring day. Except it was wild and wooly and I had a Negroni. It still hit the spot even though it was 15C. It was expertly made by owner slash manager Talmage, formerly of 1907 and West End Deli. This is his first venture into the small bar scene. Not bad for a 24 year old.

Ezra’s going for the friendly American neighbourhood bar feel. There’s a table perfect for the dealing of cards, crescents of chairs for playful banter and what looks like pews of a church for something different. The atmosphere is friendly, almost as if this were in some ghetto and we were the privileged few to gain entrance. Some decor is tired, worn and weary. Other parts are plush and new. To pay homage to the man himself – Ezra – there is a book cabinet of various works of poetry.

The main feature here are classic cocktails. Tom Collins, Negroni, Sidecar, Old Fashioned. Don’t be offended if you’re refused a JD’s and Coke. Go elsewhere for that. Wines, are ‘In focus’ meaning a bi-monthly rotation of wine from different producers, acquainting the public with different styles. Not a Sauvignon Blanc to be seen. Horay. Beers follow the same suite.

It’s an of eclectic mix of novelty and nouveau. Coopers longneck in brown paper bags, old (and functional) cash register, signature cocktails in jam jars (courtesy of Matt from Palace Foods). Not entirely un-Northbridge. I half expected to see an ‘old timer’ with shiny skin and white fleecy hair playing the blues on a harmonica. It is Northbridge after all.

Ezra Pound
Williams Lane, Northbridge

(189 William St)

Tuesday 4pm-12am

Wednesday-Saturday 1pm-12am

Sunday 1pm-10pm

Prohibitionatory Charm.

For those that grace Beaufort Street would know there used to be an old shop at 513. Correct me if i’m wrong but was it a kebab shop, right? I remember it because there is a florist further down the road with the most amazing blooms. They’re always beaming towards the sun, perfect to take a few happy snaps.

But I digress.
So there’s going to be a small bar in that retail cavity left behind. I saw the Notice of Application the other week. Yes. It took me a while to actually blog this, and hopefully full renovations are well underway.

Mezza Tapas is the name.

Watch this space.

(Warning – shameless self-promotion ahead)

It was quite some time ago that Steve [now editor of DDD] and I talked about starting a literary magazine for Perth. It was at Alda’s on a later summer day. It was a casual conversation born at a writing-meet held by myself to help writers publish their work. From small things, big things grow. Even magazines.

Dotdotdash came into being by a collaboration of artists, writers and a platoon of tireless helpers. All staff are volunteers with not a penny to be made. Its topics cover creative non-fiction, travel, poetry, short story. It’s textured with art throughout.  The first topic – quicksand.Steve has done a fantastic job creating a magazine showcasing some of Perth’s up-and-coming writers and artists.

Definitely watch this space.

dotdotdash

(Quarterly)

Issue 01 (Quicksand)

Out now

It’s one of those places where you would go if you wanted to be seen.

That is, it has a VIP lounge, complete with red roped off barriers that overlook the ‘lower loft’ and bar. You would get to rub shoulders with the DJ on any given night and have first preference service. If you were lucky enough — Wolfe Lane has it for you.

Make no mistake about it. This bar is chic. Wolfe Lane echos a lofty ambition of New York – an air of exclusivity, dedecance and no expenses spared. It has high ceilings and modern low key furniture. For all the sparse decorations, the ceiling roses call the strongest from black lacquered candelabras. Less is more in this case.

The wines are a hotchpotch collection of left off centre – the beers also mimic that seam. Spirits are top shelf, and presented as you would expect. It’s a given for a bar who’s focus is on cocktails. For grumbling bellys there is a small tapas menu on offer.

Rumor has it that the Perth Fashion Festival 2009 will wind down there.

Wolfe Lane

Wolf Lane, off Murray St Perth

Phone 93224671

Wednesday – Saturday 2pm – 12am

Sunday 2pm – 10pm

Relax your purse strings and you’ll have a good time.

So I was supposed to have a get-away down South.

1 week of floundering around wineries of Margaret River, tasting wines and seasonal produce.

But Mr Murphy’s Law was rightfully instructing. We got sick.

3 days savagely bed ridden with a bout of gastro-intestinal dysfunction. Hoary! for Gastrolyte or I’d probably be dead.

Consolation prize: you get to discover the eateries 15 min drive from your hotel. Meal-up was one of those places.

It’s a kinda shop, open kitchen, tapas, light eatery thingy that is approachable at random hours of the day. Well random for the dysfunctional intestines we seemed to be suffering from.

The ‘take’ is: fresh, organic, wholesome and holistic. You will eat off biodegradable plates with biodegradable cutlery. The food is mindfully crafted by Chef Adam Lane. Nicolette helps with front of house with her gorgeous demeanour and stunning heterochromatic eyes (different eye colour). Husband and wife team helped by Lisa Tayolr. The food is nothing short of amazing. End of story.

Warming food. Warming philosophy. Love it. It helped healed my wretched belly

Meal-up

Shop 3

Bay View Centro

Dunsborough

P 9755 34 11

www.mealup.com.au