The Shire Blog

01/12/2024

02/09/2017

On this week's edition of The Shire Blog we visit Kelly's ribs and steakhouse in Westfield Miranda.

As we walk in there is a large outside dining area with slate tiled floor and plenty of heaters to keep us warm.The grill and cooking area is open to view through large glass panels.Looking in, the chefs are all happy with plenty of smiles everywhere.

Service is very quick even though they are very busy.We order a 300 gram sirloin steak with cafe de Paris butter sauce, king prawns, booreworks sausage, roquefort salad and sticky date pudding for desert.

The meals come out quite quickly given the crowd.The steak comes with baked potato,the sausage by the side,sour cream and crispy straw potatoes.The king prawns are butterflyed and lightly grilled.The roquefort salad looks like it should with tomatoes,cucumber,lettuce, creamy dressing and chunks of blue cheese throughout.

I cut into the steak, it is beautifully cooked to medium as I ordered, the baked potato is soft and tasty with a light sour cream.The sausage is nice and chunky,slightly gamey as a South African dish should be.The cafe de Paris butter sauce is a nice tasty addition to rhe steak and sausage.

The king prawns are moist and tasty and grilled perfectly.

The roquefort salad is just as a roquefort should taste like,plenty of dressing and blue cheese.It is not often you see this type of salad on the menu in Australia so I am happy to see they got it right.

The service is great throughout with regular checks to ensure we like everything.

The sticky date pudding comes out and it is beautiful, moist and the caramel sauce is perfect.

At the end of the meal I think, I have finally found somewhwhere to get a steak cooked as it should be.So if you like steak I recommend you give Kellys a try.

18/08/2017

Well folks tonight we go back to the future.No we are not having dinner with Michael J Fox or the nutty professor but returning to where it all started,The Cronulla Bowling club on Croydon st at cronulla.

Thr restaurant is laid out well but thete is no real separation from the general club area and the dining area so club noise might be an issue on a busy night.

We order oysters kilpatrick, 2 racks of ribs,lamb shoulder and chicken caeser salad. The oysters come out and look like they went through a blender and then got grilled.There are only 3 components,oysters,bacon and worcestshire sauce and I wonder how you could make it look so awful.Lucky it tastes slightly better than it looks.

The ribs come out on a bed of chips with a tangy but unexciting sauce on the ribs.Unfortunately the chips are a little soggy and under cooked.Fortunately the ribs are cooked well and fall off the bone.

The chicken caeser salad arrives quickly.When it comes to food I always think the traditional recipe is always the best and if you change it you better make it delicious.The components of caeser salad are simple,cos lettuce,parmesan cheese, egg,bacon,anchovies,croutons and a light creamy sauce.Adding chicken makes it something else.

As I look at it there is no egg,no anchovies,croutons the size of a VW a thick viscous sauce with little flavour.The chicken is dry and overcooked and almost no bacon.The major component seems to be the bread croutons.This is pretty much a failure on all levels.

The lamb shoulder comes out and looks fabulous.It presents well with roast new potatoes in a thick gravy with sour cream and parsley garnish.The meat is cooked beautifully and is moist,tender and full of flavour as it falls off the bone.

Unfortunately the lamb does not save the meal and I reluctantly pay the bill and leave to not return again.

13/08/2017

Well folks in this week's edition of The Shire Blog we bring you something different.Instead of blogging one restaurant we are doing a whole area of restaurants.We visit a relatively new area in Sydney called "Thai Town".

It is bordered roughly by Campbell st,Goulburn st,George st. and Pitt st.I have had the opportunity to have spent the last 4 Saturdays in the area for personal and dining reasons.

For lovers of Thai food this is the centre of traditional Thai food cuisine.Although there a lot of Thai restaurants in the suburbs the majority of them serve a westernised version of Thai food.If you want true home style Thai food you need to spend a couple of hours doing a food tour of this area.

The restaurants serve beautiful food at very cheap prices.If you like it hot and spicy you will get it that way but most restaurants will tell you what are the hot dishes but remember to ask.Most are quite small and still cater for groups comfortably.

Also if you see deserts advertised remember that a lot of Thai deserts are actually a sweet vegetable of some sort so always ask what the desert comprises of.Either way they are always delicious.

On a nice weekend a great way to spend the day would be as follows.Get there around 12ish,walk around and have a small dish in 2 or 3 places,walk down to Paddys Markets which is only 50 to 60 metres away,have a good shop and pick up some bargains especially in the food section and then wander home tired but very happy.

05/08/2017

In this week's edition of The Shire Blog we wander to the St George shire and and a fantastic grill called Hurricanes Grill.It is situated on The Grand parade,Brighton on the beach side overlooking Botany Bay.

As you walk in the first thing that impresses is the spectacular view that can be seen from almost every part of the restaurant.You step up into a spacious dining area flooded with natural light during the day.Tables are well laid out with plenty of room to move around for patrons and employees.

It is quite busy for a lunch time but we are given menus and water very quickly with lovely smiles from the staff.The menu is quite extensive with plenty of grills,seafood,salads and a sprinkling of vegetarian dishes.

We order a mixture of Portugese chicken, beef ribs,lamb ribs, Mediteranean salad,roast potato,chips.

There is a large range of beers,spirits,cocktails and also mocktails for the non drinkers.Not that many restaurants offer a range pf non alcoholic drinks except for the usual soft drinks.Some thought has gone into a non alcoholic dining experience.

The meals come out quite quickly and look spectacular to say the least. As we tuck in the meats are all cooked perfectly.The chicken is moist and tender with a tasty and tangy sauce.The ribs are delicious with the meats falling off the bone,moist and juicy.The roast potato is cooked to perfection and served with sour cream and chives.

The salad has a nice slightly tangy dressing somewhere between thousand island,ranch dressing and peri peri sauce.The salad is really big and could be a meal on it's own.With 4 people at the table all I hear is the sound of eating,always a good sign.Chips are crispy and served with a choice of sauces.

They cater for large groups ad well as small and couples.As I look around every group appears happy and seem to get service quickly.I dare say the night time would be just as good and after speaking to staff they look forward to doing over 600 servings.

All in all a great dining experience and if you have not tried it,I tecommend you give it a try.

30/07/2017

This week The Shire Blog takes you to a small club called Gymea Bowling Club. It is just behind The Gymea Tradies club on the corner of The Kingsway and Manchester road gymea.

In recent years it has gone through serious renovations.The main entry is very accesible for disabled and able bodied persons alike.

Inside is quite spacious and well laid out with lots of natural lighting from outside and down lights for evening entertainment.The outside balcony areas are fully weather proof from the sun and rain.

Dining area and kitchen are centrally located with access to the bar and gambling area if you want to have a punt with your meal.

For entree we had the southern fried chicken wings with aoli dipping sauce.This was cooked well with light seasoning and crispy skin.The wings were moist and juicy inside and enough for two.

For mains we tried the Mexican Parmigana and Baramundi filets

Mexican Parmigana sounded a bit unusual but was actually quite nice.The Parmigana topping included some pulled beef, Mexican seasoning, avocado, sour cream and corn chips.A different twist on a traditional Italian dish.It was served with chips and mixed salad.It was a large meal so bring your hunger with you.

The grilled baramundi filets were served with baked potatoes,steamed greens and carrots.Once again a large meal with two good sized filets and lots of vegetables.

There was a nice selection of pastries abailable with fresh made coffee for those with a sweet tooth.

22/07/2017

In this week's edition of The Shire Blog we take you to the home of the greatest soccer player in history, Pele.The largest country in South America. Home of the Samba and the world famous Carnivale , Brazil.We visit Churrasco Brazilian BBQ restaurant on President ave. Caringbah.
You walk into a well lit restaurant,not too light but not too dark.A nice atmosphere for dining
Tables are predominately bench style with some individual tables for 4 or 6.

Privacy is maintained by good spacing between couples or groups.

Prices are $35 per head which I thought at first a little pricey.That is until the food, started arriving which was surprisingly quick.If you are a vegetarian don't come here,but if you are a carnivore you will be in 7th heaven.
The range and method of cooking and presentation is quite amazing.

Lamb,beef,chicken are all barbequed with an array of mouth watering sauces.The table is presented with creamy baked potatoes,
steamed rice,black beans in sauce,a mild bbq/chilli sauce and a mango salsa as an accompaniement and chilled water.A small range of vegetable dishes are provided in wonderful sauces but the predominant theme is meat.

When you get to the end there is baked pineapple and the most delicious banana deep fried and coated in cinamon sugar to datisfy your sweet tooth.

I noticed some large groups so parties and groups are well catered for.To top it all off the staff are very polite, lovely smiles and obviously happy to be there....always a good sign.

I am sure I will be back with some friends.

14/07/2017

In this week's edition of The Shire Blog we take you to the magical land of the Taj Mahal,spiritual yogis and the mystical Ganges river, India.
We visit The Coco's Cafe, situated on Gerale street just north of South Cronulla park.For me it is a family get together so I am hoping they can look after a group with comfortre
The layout is fairly average as it has been a number of establishments over the years but the lighting is just right,not too bright but not that dull that the menu is hard to read.
We order coconut prawns,chicken tikka massla,lamb korma and beef rendang and hope it is enough for 7 of us with rice.As the aromas of India float out of the kitchen hunger sets in and we can't wait to tuck in.Fresh water is served quickly and wine is corked for free.

I HATE CORKAGE FEES.There is an extensive selection of naan breads so we go for a garlic and cheese and a kashmiri naan.

Meals come out very quickly and they are well sized with 4 dishes plenty for the 7 of us.

The meats are cooked to a tender succulent finish.The spices do not over power the meats as often happens with curry dishes and there is plenty of sauce to pour over the beautifully cooked rice.

As we are served the girls are obviously happy, polite and present the food with lovely gleaming smiles.Happy staff are always a good sign.I wander into the kitchen area and it is nice and clean,qell ordered and the chefs present me with broad smiles and "Welcome"to our kitchen.I often find curry houses are disorderly and a little unclean but not here.

As we depart we get another big smile and goodbye so if you enjoy curries and Indian food in general Coco's Cafe is worth a visit especially with a group.

13/07/2017

To all our fairhful followers,I have promised you additional services as we grow and we are going to deliver that promise.Very soon we shall be be moving into the entertainment area
Our blogs will of course be a little different to everybody else.We will of course keep you on the edge of your seat with our insightful comments and reviews.So keep watching this space.

08/07/2017

To all of our faithful followers,we have just received another notification from Facebook.The blog is now in the top15% of growing blogs on Facebook.All because of you folks,lets keep up the likes and follows and see if we can progress even furtrher up the ladder of success. THE MORE FOLLOWS WE GET THE MORE SERVICES WE WILL PROVIDE.

25/06/2017

Part 2 of Rustic ribs cafe.So here we go.The cafe is fully licensed and serve craft beer a87t $7.50 for a full pint pot, great value and a selection of wines to suit your palate. If you have kids they make a mini pizza for the kids or you can order several and make your tasting plate.
Each month there is a wine and beer tasting so ask the owners about when they are on.there is a loyalty programme in place for regulars.Parties and group bookings are catered for so you will need to speak to the owners about numbers and timing.A number of locals are employed who you will probably know.Good to see locals being employed.
A full table service is used for inside and outside dining.
For the sweet tooth there is a selection of exquisite Italian and European pastries to accompany your meal or coffee.

23/06/2017

OK folks here is the blog you have been waiting for.Our new restaurant in Cronulla."The Rustic Ribs Cafe" It is situated where the old Cronulla pie shop used to be next door to Blooms chemist.
This will be part 1 of a 2 part blog.
Your host and owner is Charlie Napolotana and with his beautiful wife and daughter this a family affair.The food is made and served with love as only an Italian family can do.So here we go.
All coffee is roasted and ground on site from fresh green coffee beans. This generally takes 15 minutes to complete so you know it is fresh. All the dough and pasta is made fresh on site.All sauces are also made fresh on site from a traditional family recipe with nothing coming from a bottle.Pizzas are made in a traditional wood fired gas assisted revolving pizza oven,so when the wood fires die down gas cuts in to ensure a constant and perfect cooking heat.The wood being used is hickory which gives a beautiful slightly smokey flavour to the pizzas.
Trained pizza chefs are employed and not short order cooks.The comprehensive menu will include pizzas, ribs, chicken wings and all are served in home made sauces on various bowls and plates on a traditional timber platter.Ribs are served with salad and cubed and pleasantly herbed potato, a really nice change from potato chips.
Cleanliness is maintained with a hospital grade hands free sanitising system so often missing in restaurants these days.
At today's taste test the mood amongst all the staff was one of excitement and anticipation, they are all looking forward to seeing all the Cronulla locals there soon.
The fit out of the restaurant is magnificent, You walk in to a timber lacquered, rose wood style floor.The walls are also timber with what appears to be a Canadian white pine finish and no veneers,all solid timber. Bench tops are a nice charcoal stone finish with kitchens in brushed stainless steel finish.The ceiling above the main eating area is a lovely industrial finish that blends with the walls and floor.Over the bar area there is a high gloss white pressed steel colonial style ceiling with nice mood lighting.Seating is also solid timber benches and seats.And the pizza oven,specially imported from Italy with a pleasant pastel tiled exterior which just adds a nice splash of colour to it all.Front of the restaurant is a semi gloss black powder coated bi fold door system which opens up the restaurant to the mall.All in all, a really well thought out and designed fit out.Outside dining will also be available.
Part 1 complete, part 2 will be in a couple of days with photos included.

Opening day is Monday26th of June,definitely worth a visit!