I’d often heard of the Breakfast Banquet at Kazbah-legend has it that for the small sum of $20 per person, you will be plied with an unbelievable amount of good food. Actually it’s not legend, the menu is clear on the website but let’s not mention that I never saw that. The catch is, that you need at least 8 people for this (and if someone cancels, you’re stuck paying for their place). A service charge of 10% is also mandatory. We decided that Mother’s Day breakfast would be the ideal day to do this. A time to indulge the mums for all of the breakfasts that they made us and to stuff ourselves silly. Since it’s Mother’s Day, there’s a 2 hour time limit for the Breakfast Banquet.

It’s 9.30am, a ludicrously early time I admit. I actually got up at 7am to get ready in an effort to look semi reasonable. Isn’t it against the law to wake up before 9am on a Sunday? It’s the only time they can take us and considering how busy it is when we get there we feel lucky that we got a table. A group before us has arrived late for their booking (about 40 minutes late which admittedly is really quite late) and as they’ve got a 1 hour limit, the waitress clucks that she doesn’t feel that they’ll have enough time in 20 minutes to order and eat. Phew, we’re not that late. We’re seated at our huge but very squishy table. One of our party is ill so we remove one chair so we have a little more room although elbows are touching at all times and eating can get awkward.

There are crayons to draw with and I know my in laws, a family of artists will go crazy over these.

The crockery is pretty - laid out as alternating blue and red sets.

We are supplied with mint water (there’s no mint taste however, it’s decorative) and all other drinks are charged on consumption. We listen to some of the drink specials and they sound delicious. Some settle for coffee (there is also Turkish Coffee) and some for a juice special: Pineapple, mint and lime juice.

Pineapple, mint and lime juice $6.50

The Pineapple, mint and lime juice is lovely and full of real, fresh crushed pineapple with the pulp still there. I don’t mind pulp at all, it at least assures me that a real fruit was involved in the process. The mint is very mild and the lime gives it a little tartness.

Turkish coffee $4

The Turkish Coffee I am told is good, sweetened and thick, like it should be.

Latte $3.50

Date & Banana Porridge

Before we know it, the first three of the courses arrives: Date & Banana Porridge. It comes unsweetened but is thick and creamy and the dates give it a little sweetness. Sprinkling it with the brown sugar provided renders it delicious.

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Let me start off by saying that I’m not really the person for loud, rowdy restaurants where people are bellowing across the floor at each other, no matter how good naturedly it may be. Witness my discomfort at the Italian Bowl. So when I’m told that Bertoni’s in Balmain is a home style Italian cafe I’m a little nervous at the idea of a repeat Italian Bowl episode. I’m comforted by Bertoni’s being voted Sydney’s Favourite Cafe in the SMH Good Food Guide and NSW’s Best Cafe in Delicious. I also notice that they have a branch at Mosman which I’ve failed to notice completely.

It’s Balmain Rozelle’s Food Week and some establishments are having more luck than other fulfiling their programs. Indeed, I went to Victoire on Friday to be told that everything had sold out except for the pissaladiere and when I went to the church on Sunday for their afternoon tea, there was not a single soul there so we figured they must have called it off. A tad inconvenient for those of us that have traveled for the experience *grumble grumble*.

We walked past Bertoni’s on Friday and it was packed to the rafters with a line and people on milk crates outside and a long communal table balancing a crowd with elbows touching. And on this Sunday there was a huge crowd too. But after a little boutique browsing we walk back past there and the whole communal table has cleared. Ahhh luck! We grab a seat as fast as we can and I go to the counter to order. There is a special deal on for Food Week with a special panini filled with Italian sausage, cheese, caponota and topped with spicy sausage along with a coffee for $10. I order that with Bert or is it Tony? In any case, he’s a very genial and friendly guy who just oozes genuine Italian charm. Not over the top but just sincerely lovely. I ask what else is good and he goes through the pasta selection with me which features beef tortellini with ragu, ravioli with pumpkin and cheese and baby spinach leaves, meatballs and penne. Unfortunately they’re out of the Osso Buco, one of my favourite items and an absolute steal at $10 with a side.

I ask about the sweets and he tells me that they’re bought in as they tried to make them themselves but found that they just weren’t as good as the ones that they bought in from the Italian company who had been making Italian sweets for 50 years and I like his honesty. However all of the sauces and pastas are made in the kitchen in the back by their mother and they also sell their bottled sauces like the Sugo del Giardino made for generations, as well as EVO Olio Di Campagna, Balsamic Del Modeno, pasta, crostini and coffee.

Our coffee arrives and it’s fantastic, strong but well rounded in flavour. My husband particularly likes the coffee. Our special Panini arrives next in a paper boat looking like a hot dog with everything but of course tasting much better. It’s a soft white long panini roll filled with melted cheese at the bottom and 2 Italian sausages fragrant with fennel, garlic and chili. On top of this is the most gorgeously soft caponata, devoid of that vinegary taste that some have, just the softest most delicious eggplant and capsicum and on top of that are small but copious twigs of salami. I sink my teeth in and am instantly rewarded with sunshine and bliss.

We’re waiting for about 10 minutes for our pasta and by now, the girl next to us who entered after we did has hers. I enquire with our friendly waitress (it seems everyone here is uniformly lovely) and we are issued with a replacement at a larger size with bread.

The spaghetti and meatballs arrives in a black plastic takeaway container (we were warned that there were no plates here) and features 6 beef meatballs on top of a tangle of lightly tomato coated spaghetti. I like the meatballs, they’re soft and flavoursome but the spaghetti isn’t as al dente as I’d like and I do like a lot of sauce. My husband doesn’t seem bothered, he finishes it all.

When we leave, there’s still a huge queue waiting for coffee, pasta and our table so we make haste and leave where our spots are instantly snatched up. It’s that popular you see.

Bertoni Casalinga

281 Darling St Balmain 2041
Tel: +61 (02) 9818 5845
Open 7 days
Mon-Fri 6.30am-6.30pm
Sat 6.30am-6.30pm
Sun 7.30am-6.30pm
Cash Only
http://www.bertoni.com.au/

Strong blog rumour has it that this little narrow patisserie in Balmain makes some of the most luscious, inventive cakes this side of the equator. And what’s more, they do a brisk trade in the sweetest delicate morsels, French almond Macarons. I’ve been trying to get there for several weeks but fate and busy schedules intervene and it always ends up being pushed back yet another week. Not so this week, I am determined to visit and when I call beforehand they tell me the two flavours are raspberry and choc orange. That settles it. After visiting an art gallery we criss cross some truly heinous traffic to Balmain and we enter this tiny but enticing lair of sugary, creamy goodness.

There are no seats or tables, its strictly a take away affair. The long rectangular shaped room makes great use of the space and the desserts are incredibly vividly hued and eye catching. In fact it takes me a good 10 minutes to decide what I am having. Luckily the staff are very friendly and happy to discuss what’s they’ve tasted and they’re patient which also helps.

They point out that Adriano has actually dedicated a dessert to a food blogger that frequents the shop: the Meiying after the blogger Raging Yoghurt. How cool is that? They also have a selection of cookies, quiches, breads and tarts but its the cakes that hold my interest.

I pick out a Mini macaron bag filled with hazelnut, coconut, raspberry and choc orange meringues (sold by weight, $70 per kg) and then go back and forth in front of the cakes trying to decide which two cakes I want. I am torn between a Maxiadz and a Wheelie Good but select the Wheelie Good as I love white chocolate and pistachios. I am also drawn to a dessert that doesn’t have a name or description but from what we’re told its a rhubarb and pear crumble with a disc shaped creamy top. I also order a dessert that I am drawn to as it seems like two desserts in one, the Barbados. They box our goodies and we’re off to sample these delectable goodies. Unfortunately it looks like I was overcharged by about $5 which is a tad annoying since it meant I could’ve ordered one of the passionfruit tarts!

Getting home, we can wait to try these goodies. The weather outside is scorching hot so the Wheelie Good and the Macarons have suffered a little on the trip home. I don’t need any more excuse to try the on-the-verge-of-collapsing Wheelie Good first.

Wheelie Good $6.50

The description for the Wheelie Good reads: pistachio dacquoise, mascarpone mousse, honeyed apples and apricots rolled in white chocolate, pistachio and macadamia nuts. Its stunning and cutting into it seems almost sacrilegious. The crunchy pistachio dacquoise and mascarpone mousse gives a luscious collapse in the mouth and the slivers of honeyed apricots cut through this sweet white chocolatey creamy goodness. The sweet, almost sticky fruit is exactly what it needs and the pistachios and macadamias give it a welcome crunch on the outside. Its absolute textural harmony, an orchestra of textures where every texture is covered and works together beautifully.

Barbados $6.50

We next try the Barbados whose description reads: sable breton, caramelised palm sugar mousse, mango and coconut jelly with pineapple pieces. We try the Mango jelly topped half and the two layer jelly with petite pineapple pieces is droolingly luscious together. There is a layer of a tapioca like jelly underneath it although there isn’t a mention of it in the description. The other half, with the caramelised palm sugar mouse is incredibly creamy and fluffy and dusted with icing sugar. The palm sugar flavour is subtle and the texture is lovely, light and aerated. The sable biscuit base is crispy and buttery. It almost feels like three desserts in one!

Rhubarb and pear crumble with creamy topping $7

We next try the unnamed Rhubarb and pear crumble with custard and cream brulee topping. Slicing through it we see that a layer of sweet stewed rhubarb lies on top of a sweet biscuity base, and on top of that lies a layer of sweet stewed diced pears, then on top of that, lies a layer a sweet creamy mousse and then on top of that is a gorgeous buttery and cinnamon-ey crumble topping. Sitting on top of this is a circle of what was described as a custard and creme brulee although this doesn’t taste particularly like brulee. Its has a slight pear flavour to it too and is grainy or almost floury in texture. Not quite what I expected and not to my taste but what’s waiting for me underneath most certainly is. The crumble is gorgeously buttery and compellingly moreish with the tangy rhubarb, sweet pear and cinnamon filled crumble crust. Despite the fact that I’ve already upped my sugar levels significantly with the other desserts, I keep digging my fork in until its almost gone.

Onto the mini macarons last: let me admit that mini macarons aren’t usually my favourite as the level of filling in these is usually much smaller and there needs to be a decent amount of filling for me. But buying the mini pack was the only way I could try 4 different flavours. The coconut was not particular coconut-ty in flavour, in fact it tasted a little like pear; the raspberry was good but the filling was raspberry jam whereas I definitely prefer the creamier fillings, the hazelnut was delicious and true to flavour and the chocolate orange was also good and true to flavour and the cutest with the smattering of cocoa on the bright orange shell.

Sweets vanquished, I cannot believe how much work is put into each one of these cakes. Each cake has a multitude of unique components with hardly any used more than once which means that the effort made to produce these must be huge! Forget art on walls, this is the real stuff!

Adriano Zumbo

296 Darling Street
Balmain NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9810-7318
Open: 8am-6pm Mon-Sat
8am-4pm Sunday