The Date: Wednesday 14th September 2011
My Date: Bec, Mel, Evans and Ames AKA the girls from BOOKclub. We hit the Treehouse for our monthly bookish chat. This time to discuss The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.
What Is It: A funky new-ish bar in the hubbub of North Sydney. It popped up when North Sydney needed it the most, providing a fresh watering hole for those sick of the Greenwood. With funky “living-room” style and a bit of a fairytale feel, plus an outdoor area looking over Victoria Cross, it’s definitely a spot for suits, not teeny boppers.
We Ate:
• Entree: Toasted Turkish served with house dips; Salt & pepper squid with fresh chilli & soy dipping sauce; Sake cured ocean trout with horseradish cream & crostini – we shared the starters. The squid was generous and tasty, though a little salty. The dips were lovely, but as always, there wasn’t enough bread. And the trout didn’t really taste of sake, but it was definitely tasty.
• Main: Handmade gnocchi with sautéed zucchini flowers, goats curd & parmesan crumb; Tassie eye fillet with pommes sarladaise, just & café de paris butter– two of us had the gnocchi, the other three had the steak. Adventurous bunch aren’t we! The steak came recommended by the waiter & once he told us that the sarladaise potatoes were a layered bake, the girls were sold. As for me, I’d checked out the menu online and already knew I was having the gnocchi before I got there. It was sensational.
• Dessert: We skipped out on dessert this time. I have to say, as a group, us BOOKclub ladies always seem to skip dessert. You’d think as lovers of a good story, we’d tend to opt for the happy ending! There was a fairly spectacular sounding Chocolate Souffle with honeycomb ice-cream that tempted me, but who wants to be the only one with extra calories as well as an unfinished Oscar Wilde on the ride home…!
We Drank: The bubbling, spitting, wrapped in a brown paper bag Grow Bag Zombie. A signature cocktail of 2 & 10 yr old virgin island rum, apricot & orange liqueurs, a dash of lemon juice & tiki syrup topped up with pineapple juice… They say “it’s all about the show” and it was. We were mesmerised, intrigued and a little bit in awe. We were half expecting fireworks. So, that’s what I had. The girls shared a bottle of Baby Doll Savvy B from Marlborough.
Cost: Perfect for a mid-week night out with the girls, we spent about $55 each. Entrees/To Share $6-$21, Mains $28-$32, Desserts $14, Cocktails $17.
Loved:
The website. It makes you want to go there.
The (fake) open fire in the middle of the room.
The crazy cocktail menu, with names like Tree Eater Lagerita (one for the gents), The Daily Grind (an espresso martini) and Mr Plank’s Iced Tea (dare to walk the plank…).
The old-school furniture, funky frames & chandeliers.
The funky loos. If you go to the Treehouse, make sure you have a quick wee, to check them out.
Loathed: It’s big and there wasn’t a lot of atmosphere. And as friendly as the staff were, they never seemed to be around when you needed them.
The Final Word: Loved it. I’ll be back. If not for the food & the funk but definitely for more cocktails. And to have a little perve at the suits…
The Treehouse
60 Miller Street
NORTH SYDNEY NSW 2060
Mon-Friday 7am-late
Saturday 8am-late
http://thetreehousehotel.com.au/
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Tablecloths & Talking 