2014 Gault&Millau Sydney Restaurant Guide Launches @ Salt Meats Cheese

The 2014 Gault&Millau Sydney Restaurant Guide (The Yellow Guide), Sydney’s only independent, internationally recognised restaurant guide, has arrived and is now available to the public following the official launch to 300 of Sydney’s best chefs, restaurant owners, media and industry advocates at Salt Meats Cheese in Alexandria.

More than 300 restaurants across Sydney, from casual eats through to fine dining, have been reviewed in the guide and awarded between one and five hats. Momofuku Seiobo, Quay and Sepia took out top honours, each receiving five hats placing them on the same international platform as fellow Gault&Millau five hat recipients in Europe, Hof van Cleve (Belgium), Restaurant Guy Savoy (France), Obauer (Austria) and cementing them as truly exceptional.

As well as offering the Gault&Millau opinion on many of the city’s firm favourites, the guide has uncovered many hidden gems including Bei Amici in Darling Point (three hats), Clareville Kiosk in Clareville (three hats), Bistro Boulevard in Avalon (three hats), Busshari in Potts Point (three hats), and Tastevin Bistro & Wine Bar in Darlinghurst (three hats).

Chief Australian Judge Mark Dorrell gave guests an insight in to what trends the judging team noticed amongst the 300 plus restaurants reviewed this year:

* A heightened passion for sourcing the very best produce amongst our chefs

* A clear divide in restaurants who adopt a strong team spirit between front of house and the kitchen

* Younger chefs pushing the boundaries of taste and presentation

Gault&Millau’s Chief Judge Marc Esquerre travelled from France to Australia to review a number of restaurants himself and said he was particularly impressed with the dedication of younger chefs in Sydney and the quality of menu they are producing.

Publisher Fritz Gubler noted that it is not just fine dining that Sydney does well, with the city playing host to some hidden gems that don’t break the budget.

“We have come across some superb restaurants during the reviewing process and that’s the point of this guide – highlighting where you can find the very best food in Sydney. Whether it’s fine dining for special occasions or casual neighbourhood eateries for a mid-week bite, we trust that we have brought some restaurants out of the shadows and in to the hands of Sydney diners.”

The Guide is divided per suburb, allowing the reader to easily locate great eateries in their desired neighbourhood, as well as offering an A-Z index for diners with a specific restaurant in mind and an index by cuisine. In addition to restaurant reviews, the guide also features Q&As with some of Sydney’s leading chefs, a list of the city’s best providores and a breakdown of the best restaurants based on location.

Established for more than 40 years, Gault&Millau uses the same internationally respected judging criteria world-wide, which places more of a focus on the chefs and their food and less on ambience, décor, location and etiquette than other restaurant guides.  Each restaurant is awarded points and those with 11 or more points receiving hats, ranging from one to five.

The 2014 Gault&Millau Sydney Restaurant Guide is Sydney’s only independent, internationally recognised restaurant guide and can be purchased exclusively from Salt Meats Cheese until Thursday 14th November when it will also be available from all good bookstores and newsagents. RRP $24.95 for the book or available now online for a  $15 online-only subscription at www.gaultmillau.com.au.

Victoria’s Yarra Valley Brings Back its World Famous “Grape Grazing” Festival!

The iconic, Yarra Valley, food and wine Grape Grazing Festival will return to the pre-eminent Australian wine region next year February 14 – 16, 2014 after taking a five year hiatus due to the devastating Black Saturday bushfires.

The festival is set to return in a re-invigorated three-day format showcasing the best of Yarra Valley food producers, restaurants, cider, beer and ale producers, as well as accommodation providers and wineries.  It was considered the leading regional food, wine and tourism festival in Australia – and regularly attracted more than 20,000 visitors annually.

With more than 50 events taking place across the three days throughout the region including balloon flights, a masterclass and four-course lunch at TarraWarra, a degustation dinner at Balgownie Estate, the De Bortoli Traditional Graze featuring picnic hampers, wood-fired pizzas, live music and much, much more – plus the Grape Grazing A Day On The Green concert being headlined by Jimmy Barnes – it should be a fantastic summer weekend in the valley!

Grape Grazing is the best way for people to experience the best of what the Yarra Valley has to offer – with so many local operators showcasing their unique gourmet produce – the fun, welcoming atmosphere making this an ideal festival for people of all ages.

Friday February 14, 2014 is a great night for foodie lovers to celebrate Valentine’s Day – with a three course dinner and a twilight movie in the vineyards at Rochford Wines and Bella Vedere putting on a special three-course meal highlighting the best local produce matched to the wines of Levantine Hill Estate.

On Saturday February 15, 2014 make sure you visit Healesville Memorial Hall for the Small Producers’ Exhibit – where more than 15 winemakers – including Journey Wines, Bird on a Wire Wines and Trellis Wines – will be sharing their product from 11am – 7pm!

Book Punt Road Wines for crepes, Napoleone Cider and live entertainment between 1pm and 4pm Saturday, visit Healesville Hotel for a Portugese Wood Fired BBQ from 5pm Saturday, and don’t miss out on the tapas and Tempranillo at Sutherland Estate!

Sunday February 16, 2014 visit Killara Estate and experience Southern Italian hospitality for an Italian Feast and the annual sauce bottling – Brumfield Estate will have food, wine and music and Dominique Portet will be celebrating all things French.

The hardest thing about Grape Grazing 2014 will be choosing which of the many fantastic venues to visit!

For the best value purchase a General Admission Pass for $25.00 for entry into the following wineries for food, wine and entertainment: Payne’s Rise, Brumfield Winery, Five Oaks Vineyard, Helen’s Hill, Sticks Yarra Valley, Coombe Farm, Seville Hill, Fergusson Winery, Pimpernel Vineyards, Nillumbik Estate, Sutherland Estate, Mandala Wines, Innocent Bystander, Elmswood Estate and Domaine Chandon.

Tickets for all Grape Grazing events can be purchased from Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com.au from Monday November 18, 2013.

For full details of the Grape Grazing 2014 festival please see attachment.

www.grapegrazing.com.au