Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/111460
citybites bar scene pole position Fans of chef Brent Savage and sommelier Nick Hildebrandt's multi-award-winning Bentley Restaurant & Bar will be delighted to learn they have opened a second venue, in Sydney's Potts Point. The 50-seat eatery and wine bar, called Monopole (meaning 'a hypothetical magnetic particle with one magnetic pole having a spherically symmetric field'), takes bar dining to a fresh new level. In line with his artistic and clever approach to cuisine, Savage offers a menu that showcases fine food with a scattering of unusual yet seasonal ingredients. The selection of house-cured meats includes Rangers Valley cured beef brisket, cured venison sausage and spiced, cured Berkshire pork neck. Other snacks and small dishes include grilled baby sweet corn with tamarind yoghurt, and salt cod with green peas and mint vinaigrette. Larger dishes, such as the slow-roasted suckling pig with charred baby cucumbers and the grilled lamb shoulder with nettles, can be shared or served as a main course for dinner. Team these dishes with an incredible wine list that includes biodynamic, natural and rare drops and focuses on iconic international regions, and Savage and Hildebrandt are well on the way to impressing the picky Potts Point crowd. www.monopolesydney.com.au wine & dine night out eco eatery Locally sourced seasonal produce is foremost for the duo behind edgy, eco-conscious Spencer Guthrie restaurant in Newtown, Sydney. Chefs Troy Spencer and Oliver Guthrie offer a menu based on modern Australian fare with a focus on sustainability. Start with the ocean trout, quinoa and almond gazpacho and work up to the lamb two ways or citrus-glazed pork belly. Arguably the star of the dessert menu is the olive oil cake with orange blossom cream, drunken figs and red wine granita. Spencer Guthrie serves fine fare with friendly, excellent service in a relaxed setting where the chefs' ethos is evident in the decor, too. Pressed tin, polished concrete flooring and a living wall all add to the atmosphere. www.spencerguthrie.com Sicilian salute In late 2012, three-Michelin-starred Germanborn chef Heinz Beck travelled to Sydney and hosted a series of dinners at Caffé Sicilia in Surry Hills. It was something of a coup for the Sydney restaurant, as Beck is considered 'the godfather' of Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. He is also the recipient of countless accolades and the author of bestselling cookbooks. Before he returned to Europe, Beck left a culinary legacy for patrons of Caffé Sicilia to enjoy, collaborating with and training the restaurant's team to create an unforgettable Sicilianinspired menu. While Beck's most famous restaurant, La Pergola, in Rome, might be too far to go on a culinary whim, locals and visitors to Sydney can experience Beck's distinctively fresh, balanced signature dishes via the 'legacy dish' degustation at Caffé Sicilia. The four-course degustation menu (with matching wines, if desired) includes crispy bread cannolo with Palmers Island Mulloway jewfish and a brunoise of melon and celery; sedanini pasta with red shrimps, smoked aubergine coulis and croutons; veal in pistachio crust with mortadella and Jerusalem artichoke puree; and orange jelly with bergamot icecream and edible flowers. "While inspired by Sicily, the dishes will have an Australian twist, as the Caffé Sicilia team will use great Australian produce," said Beck. www.caffesicilia.com.au 7