Brewtown - Newtown

The week starting the 20th of October was a rather eventful week for me: I worked my last day at my previous employer, bid farewell to some good friends and got some quality time off before I started the next exciting phase of my life. With all the free time I had, the Mrs and I decided we would cross a name off our ever-expanding list of cafes and restaurants: we went to Brewtown!

Our expectations of this establishment were high, so high that we sang many songs about it all the way there. Lucky we went when we did because there was literally no line - definitely a good thing when you're super excited to try a place.

Quickly seated and with a quick glance at the menu, we decided to place our orders. Our drinks came first: the Mrs deciding to stick to her usual and ordered a soy latte. I found that I had recently acquired a taste for filter and cold drip coffees (for health reasons and the fact that you get all the coffee taste and very little acidity), I decided to order the cold drip. Perfect choice for a warm day.




Our dishes came quickly after (much to our excitement) which was good because at that point I was getting a little hangry - yes, hangry. I ordered the eggs on toast with an additional side of blood sausage and mushrooms. The only criticism I had for the dish was that the toast was cut rather thickly which made the process of eating it quite cumbersome.

The large jagged pieces of toast were rather hard to cut in the curved dish  on which it was served, meaning that it took more effort to compile a perfect bite however I was quite pleased with the blood sausage.

Fun fact: When the Mrs and I eat out, we order based of two items that she fancies. In the circumstance where she doesn't appreciate her dish quite as much as she thought she would (which in my opinion is about 50% of the time... She likes to be a bit adventurous) I would be able to switch with her, thereby making us both happy. In this case, I can say that her order trumped mine ten-fold. Squid Ink pasta with prawns, kale and a hint of lemon. 

The succulent, plump pieces of prawn complimented the perfectly cooked pasta and kale and the sauce...don't get me started on the sauce.










And of course, if you ever go Brewtown, could you even fathom leaving without trying their signature Brewnut? I think not. (We most certainly didn't) 

Would we return? Definitely.

Recommendations? That pasta is a must order. Cold drip was also quite impressive as well.

Areas of improvement? None as far as I'm concerned. Well, parking in the narrow streets of Newtown can be trying at best but they can hardly be blamed for that.

Cibo e Vino, Rouse Hill.

Upon checking my email inbox on Saturday morning, I came across an advertisement. Normally I would simply ignore it or send it to my spam folder, however, this particular email came from a restaurant I had rather fond memories of. The first time the Mrs and I dined at Cibo e Vino, they were still based in their old location in Castle Hill. I distinctly remember being mesmerised by the high quality of the food and the brilliant service I received. So, I decided to go back as they had recently relocated and were offering a discount for re-opening.

We arrived rather late - around 8pm and it was rather empty (though I suspect it has something to do with the fact that they just opened).

We ordered two pastas, a pizza and a side of the parmesan fries. (Mrs: #forevereating #fatlife) The fries were about the same as I remembered the first time I had them: herbaceous with a good amount of kick. The portion was a lot larger than I remember though which is a good thing.

Pastas were cooked al dente and the sauces were made quite well. Though I have to say I am disappointed they decided to lose the hand made pastas which I loved the first time.

The pizza was also pretty good with a good amount of smokiness lending to a pleasing texture and taste.

Would we return? Yes.

Recommendations? The anti-pasto pizza was the highlight of the evening.

Areas of improvement? The service was quite good but the sooner they get their alcohol license the better.