It’s no secret I’m fascinated by American food and food from the South is particularly tempting to me. So when Teena discovered South in Neutral Bay last year she and Gina, Hot dog and Philippe joined Mr NQN and I for a meal there that we really enjoyed (the ribs-oh those ribs!). Sure it was tiny and we mean tiny, with a Tabasco sauce mural, a possum above an awning inside and appealed to the kitsch in me. It was at times hard to get a booking at. So when I had heard South’s owner Leo was opening up a new place called Blue Plate Bar & Grill I knew we had to visit which we did one Saturday night. And it’s nothing like I expected.
I was tipped off by a friend that had dined there that it was fancier than South but when I walk through the heavy wooden doors I see that it is probably the polar opposite of South in terms of decor. There are chandeliers, heavy flocked curtains, an oyster bar and inside it sparkles. A Blue Plate special is a special of the day usually served at a diner so I had expected well… a diner. Even though it doesn’t look like a diner, sure enough on a mirror there are the blue plate specials of the day with a different special for each day of the week.
It’s Saturday and the special of the day is Surf and Turf with a steak topped with a whole Alaskan crab leg for the very reasonable price of $27. Prices are very similar or the same as South and the food-well it’s the same down home cooking, just with more “North” options and in a much fancier setting. The bar is busy and they serve Mint Juleps should you be in the mood for some Southern cocktails.
Catfish Bites $14
Hot dog orders the catfish bites and they come with a mustardy remoulade sauce. They’re coated in cornmeal and deep fried which gives it that extra crunch on the outside but the catfish fillets are moist and soft inside.
Philly Cheesesteak $16
Now I’ve always been a bit obsessed with these for no reason than that they look so obscene and I love melted cheese. It’s essentially a scotch fillet steak that has been thinly sliced and cooked with mushrooms and brown onion and topped with lashings of cheese. It’s enormous and when paired with the generous serve of fries you could happily eat just this and be very full. The hoagie submarine bread roll is burnished on the outside with a slight sweetness, kind of like a cross between a bread roll and a brioche. It’s good and I slather a bit of tomato sauce on top and proceed to polish off my half.
Po’ Boy $18
The Po’ boy comes with a choice of fillings: oyster, shrimp or catfish. I had always wanted to try an oyster ones so oysters it is. It comes out in the same bun with four cornbread crumbed and deep fried oysters, shredded lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. My image of po’ boys is a roll filled to the brim with lots of those breaded and deep fried suckers amongst the lettuce and tomato and so the four oysters don’t really suffice. Only every alternate bite gets some oyster and as a result you can’t really taste them. I think it could have done with six or even eight oysters.
Hot Wings $16
These are Gina and Hot Dog’s favourite as they’ve never been able to find true American wings before coming here. The wings come with a blue cheese dressing, celery and carrot sticks. They’re saucy and vinegary and hit the spot.
Guacamole and Salsa $12
I try the home-made tortilla corn chips with guacamole and salsa. The corn chips are excellent and the guacamole and salsa are also good with the salsa having a light spicy tingle.
Crabcake appetiser $16
Cornbread $7
The cornbread is sweet and crumbly but the butter pat given is a tad too cold to spread on the very crumbly cornbread.
Jerk Chicken
Hot Dog has ordered the jerk chicken but his first plate comes out lukewarm so they apologise and make another one fresh for him. The replacement is markedly better and we can smell the jerk spices and the blackening as soon as it is set down on the table. The chicken comes with grill blackened stripes, a spicy, lingering Jamaican jerk seasoning with Habanero chillies and ginger and garlic (and spice lovers, yes it is spicy) and a pineapple salsa on top. It also comes with beans and rice which are both we assume kept bland to help balance the Jamaican jerk spiciness. Hot Dog just wished he had more salsa as he adores it. And nicely, they do comp this due to the issue with the lukewarm dish.
Chicago Deep Dish pizza $23
I know that there are some that just cannot abide Chicago deep dish pizzas. I’m not one of them. I love tomato and I love cheese and sausage. This comes out as a 1 inch thick and 23 cms in diameter pie. It is big and filling and Leo has spoken of selling this in quarters or halves as it’s so large. It’s scored into quarters and we take a knife to it. Due to the wet filling a slice doesn’t come away easily and it’s runnier than the Chicago deep dish pizzas I’ve had in Chicago. There’s a thick pie crust on the sides and bottom and in the centre is a tomato rich filling with plenty of stringy mozzarella cheese woven throughout it and Italian sausage. It’s messy but good and filling and I can only manage one quarter of it. Well I say only conveniently forgetting the half Po Boy and half Philly cheesesteak I ate earlier 
Half Rack o’ Ribs $16
Now onto the ribs. Gina and Teena were both looking forward to the ribs so they decided to order a half serve. A half serve here is actually less than half a serve, it’s about a third of the size of a full size serve at South and the price reflects this (a half serve is $16 and a full serve is $38). The only issue is that they’re different here tonight. At South they’ve been incredibly soft and easily fall off the bone and utterly luscious. Tonight they’re both struggling with getting the meat off. Gina has also received a dud piece where it’s just full of fat so she leaves most of this behind after struggling for a good 20 minutes to extract some meat from it.
New York Cheesecake $15
I’m devastated that the strawberry shortcake that I had been eyeing off all night isn’t available so instead I settle for the New York cheesecake. It’s actually fantastic-light with a lemon flavour and with a thin, buttery biscuit crust and served with a blueberry sauce on top.
Apple Pie $15
Gina’s Apple Pie has a lovely buttery crust and just the right amount of sweetness for the apples.
Pecan pie $15
Teena’s pecan pie is delicious in that sweet, caramelised molassesey taste although there’s no molasses in it. I ought to know, I used to bake these pies for Leo at South a while back. And sorry I can’t give out the recipe no matter how many times you ask!
Perhaps it’s teething problems that night but admittedly it is a much more comfortable place to relax. At South you always felt like you should eat and go because of the eager hordes of people being turned away but we could have happily sat at that booth and watched the room all night.
So tell me Dear Reader, which cuisine are you a little bit obsessed with?
Blue Plate Bar & Grill
24 Young Street (Entrance on Grosvenor Street),Neutral Bay, NSW
Tel:+61 (02) 9953 2942
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52 Comments | Add your own
I love these elegant looking restaurants that serve comfort food
. I’m not sure if there is one type of cuisine I am crazy for, unless you can call deep fried carbs a cuisine 
I can’t believe I’ve missed this completely! Must check this place out… AND I can’t believe you came to my hood and didn’t tell me?!?!
Lorraine> this is so American!!! Is it popular there or more of a conversation piece??? So much good American comfort food (although, I agree, the Chicago pizza is a little different than one you would get in Chicago.. at their best they are gnarlier and brown cheesy good). Great review, (as always).
oooo! I am so jealous! Wish we had somewhere like this in Brisbane- we do have a couple of places, but they focus on the BBQ’ side of things. Love the mirrors. It’s a shame the ribs weren’t great – they are such a benchmark item.
the place is pretty!!!
i love the chandelier =)
yummy ribs!!!
As a Texan girl, let me say:
1) Fish tacos are big in Texas, but not traditional Southren, though the po boy and Catfish was. I love catfish po’boys–had one in New Orleans.
2) Actually, that decor is what a lot of dressy Southren restaurants look like. The Rib room in New Orleans looked like that. No idea why. though I would prefer a possom and tobasco sign.
3) LOVE guacamole and ribs, even if they didn’t cook them long enough.
4) Pecan and apple pie are staples. Spot on.
There is so much comfort food in this post! I can’t pass up a good Philly Cheesesteak either. The deep-dish pizza is tricky, I think I’ve only had a proper deep-dish in Chicago (I wonder what their secret is?). The Buffalo wings can be tricky too, but they look pretty good. Nice and crisp is the key!
Ooh wow, this restaurant looks really nice..
Not your typical american style atmosphere they seem to adopt here.
I think I may have to take my boyfriend here,
He’s from Louisiana so I’m always hearing about Po’ Boys and Philly Cheesesteak.
Oh MY GAWD!
I loved South so this is on the begging list now!
WANT THAT PECAN PIE SOOOOO BAD!!!!!!!
oh my – Mr BBB would LOVE this! I will have to suggest dining here next time we are in Sydney. And how good does that pecan pie look….mmmmmm
I will have to check this place out when I am next in Sydney – it’s cold outside and this looks so warm and comforting.
My kind of food!!
SSG xxx
I can give the person who wants the pecan pie recipe: Here it is:
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup butter (softened)
* 1 cup corn syrup (Karo brand is the most common)
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
* 3 eggs
* 1 to 1 1/2 cups pecans
* 1 9-inch pie shell (deep dish is best)
Directions:
1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter well. The sugar and butter should have a nice creamy texture.
2. Add the Karo syrup, salt, and vanilla. Mix again.
3. Add eggs one at a time and mix after each one.
4. Pour the syrup mixture into the uncooked pie crust.
5. Arrange pecan pieces on top in a circular pattern, or you can stir those in with the Karo syrup mixture in the mixing bowl. If you are using pecan pieces versus whole nut half pieces, then stirring in is easier. The nuts rise to the top in any case. If you have large nut pieces, you can get a prettier pattern with hand placing them.
6. Bake the pecan pie in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for around 45 minutes. The pie should be fairly solid with maybe a little give in the middle when it’s done. If it is still soupy when you tap the top with your finger, then cook longer.
Good ribs are so hard to find…. I recently had some with lots of hard things in it.. I couldn’t work out what it was… turned me right off.. and the sauce wasn’t the best either =(
What a lovely restaurant. Very American
.
I can’t get past how awesome that cheesecake looks! Oh boy am I jealous of your job lol
I’ve always wondered what Philly Cheesesteak was! Delicious! I’m obsessed with mexican food normally, the more cheese the better. But now I seem to be going through a pastry phase, doesn’t matter what’s in it! Ooh, hungry now…
I love the chandelier. So gorgeous!!
The apple pie looks delicious and just the thing on a cold winter day.
Thanks for another great blog! After our US trip last year our son (10) is so pro-American it is kind of amusing – from food to sports!! He would absolutely love this place so I have emailed your blog to my husband as a potential place to visit during the holidays with our son who I think will be in Americana heaven!! Lol…
OMG I’m so excited! I love South! Especially the ribs…droool..
I LOVE american food – I was in piggy heaven when I last visited NY.
Australia just can’t do American food right – it must be the lack of orange cheese! But I miss those awesome onion rings and great mac and cheeses.
I LOVE american food – I was in piggy heaven when I last visited NY.
Australia just can’t do American food right – it must be the lack of orange cheese! But I miss those awesome onion rings and great mac and cheeses.
It changes every week! but currently all things Asian! but those hot wings sure are tempting me towards the americas!
WOW – That’s my kinda food, it all looks great!! Fried chicken and NY cheesecake would be my achilles heel.
I love the decor. I’ve always wanted to go to South, now I have to add this to my list as well. Shame about the ribs, but that pecan pie looks delicious
Oh no…I wanna go here now!!! Hmmm….who can I bribe into taking me?!?
I’d definitely be eating a philly cheese steak…and a quarter of the deep dish pizza…and some cheesecake…and apple pie…seriously, I could go crazy at this place! I’ve wanted to have another all-American meal since I had a make-shift Thanksgiving dinner with some American friends from college (5 years ago!!)..
Great review, Lorraine..now I’m off to read about your experience at South!
I love love love Southern American food too, although when I think about it, I barely ate *any* of these foods when I lived in the US for a year. Whoops! Still, cornbread is a dear love of mine, and I love saying po’ boy. Po’ boy! Blue cheese dressing, pecan pie, cheesecake…. Longing.
Oh, and your question? I’m obsessed with the cuisine of the land of Peanut Butter.
Yum I could so go for a philly cheese steak and New York Cheesecake right now. They looked perfect.
It looks fantastic!
And if there are any southern recipes or tips you’d like, I’d be happy to share.
This place spells comfort food like no other, I like knowing these places are around.
I am slightly obsessed with Thai food. If I could only pick one cuisine to live on for the rest of my life it would be this one. Fresh salads, warming curries… what’s not to love?
oh yum! all that food is a pregnant ladies dream! yummo! comfort food city!
will be forwarding this post to hubby!
corrie:)
OMG, this looks like kilojoule central! I remember the first time I tasted real Buffalo wings with blue cheese dip in Buffalo … yum! And real New York pizza and Louisiana po-boys. But I was skinny back then, and could eat whatever I liked. Think I may just have a heart attack if I tackled this stuff today ….
I’ll have the apple pie.
Deb
Haha, is Southern American food a coveted “cuisine”? I’ve always thought it’s just a bunch of fried and greasy stuff. I need to investigate this cuisine a bit further.
I’m obsessed with Singaporean cuisine!
Looking longingly at all this delicious comfort food, need some in this cold weather!
I’ve always been intriqued by descriptions of Southern food in my favourite mystery novels so it’s good to see some of it appearing in Sydney!
I’m with you, American food just seems so..yum
since these dishes are part of my normal consumption, i can only say that the cornbread, apple pie, and pecan pie look pretty darn terrific. my current obsession is with middle eastern cuisine. i could eat lavash and hummus every single day.
Dang…that’s a whole lot of food, where do you put it all? haha
A slice of the NY cheesecake for me will do nicely
Favourite cuisine, don’t have one but always enjoy degustation at fine dining restaurants.
Looks like the menu covers all the American classics, and what a fine night sampling them! I like that the decor is a departure from the food theme. Keeps it interesting. My obsession is with Italian food. And, Mexican food. Maybe all food
I’ve never come across much American food. A lot of this stuff looks a bit greasy for my tastes though.
The cuisine i’m obsessed with… chocolate
I’ve never tried Southern food but I reckon I’d really love it – not sure if there’s many authentic places around Melbourne.
I’ve eaten at South and Blue Plate several times now. I’m from the US and lived in Texas for several years. Finding great ribs in Sydney has been impossible up until now. The ribs at South/ Blue Plate are the best I have had in Australia (x10 better than Hurricanes). 9 times out of 10 the meat is succulent and moist and the sauce is tangy and delicious. Just as important is the coleslaw they serve with it- you really need this to balance the meat and sauce flavours.
The hot wings are also just as spectacular. Addictive!!
The Cheese Steak really needs a sauce to make it come alive but the meat is very nice. I added American mustard to it and that helped. Throw on a pickle as well and the flavour combo is just about right.
The Deep Dish is a close approximation to the real thing (which I ate many of when living in Chicago) but it is delicious none the less.
I’d recommend the crabcakes as well and all of the desserts.
Enjoy!!
My arteries!
I am so glad i found this Blog – i am actually heading to Blue Plate tonight for dinner
after reading and seeing all this – i am ready for just about 1 of everything on the Menu 
Will be back to let you all know how it goes.
Cheers
SNS
A friend and I went last night…wished I’d read your review beforehand. I had half a pizza, but I took a quarter home with me for tonight’s dinner
Have eaten at South about 4 times, but think I prefer the larger menu at Blue Plate – lots to try next time (luckily I live locally). There was only two of us so the number of dishes we ate were limited this time round. I always choose the pecan pie when there is room for dessert 
Great review Lorraine! My husband is American and I was trying to decide which of the 2 spots to choose for our anniversary. Half way through your review I was 100% for Blue Plate.. but the ribs! It’s got to be all about the ribs! So here’s *hoping* they have the ribs sorted out by now. From Phil’s comment, it sounds like they might have. Fingers crossed!
Went to this place on Sunday, the Ribs and Philly Cheesesteak were delicious but the Hot Wings were PHENOMENAL! Can’t wait to plan my next visit! The deor is lovely too!
Hi,
gotta say, nothing beat South. While the ribs are the same, and oh so good (oh and the wings too), the coleslaw was a bit, well, just not right, and I’ve got say, my philly cheesesteak, was sadly lacking…the steak was good, but somehow it seemed ‘dry’. For me a philly cheesesteak should be oozing with greasy cheese and with the steak and bun and cheese all melting into one superb heart attack inducing yummyness (so not a word!!)
I feel bad, because I LOVE Leo, I love everything about South and really really want Blue Plate to succeed, and with the drinks on offer there, I’m sure it will, I just hope the kitchen works out the ‘kinks’.
The staff were very nice..the wings were fine and the clam chowder! The pizza was burnt.The two New Orleans rice dishes were good but very small serves for the price.The bread pudding was great. I’m a yank and would never go back there. Would rather go to Outback steakhouse when I’m craving fatty yank food.
Love the food here. Have been on several occasions and always been very satisfied.
I just received and special deal alert from Travelzoo $39 — Taste of the USA: Share Plate w/Ribs & 4 Drinks
http://www.travelzoo.com/au/local-deals/deal/3310
Needless to say I bought 2 vouchers!:)
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