Food

Sydney Travel Tips from Julia Trotti, Aussie Fashion Photographer

Conversations with Locals

You might know of Aussie-born Julia Trotti for her dreamy fashion photography for labels such as Suzi Rose Designs and Bride La Boheme. When she’s not shooting for work, she shoots dreamy landscapes on the side, which have brought her to some of the most beautiful views of the Australian outback. In this interview, Julia shares her favourite Sydney suburbs to get the local experience, why an Australian coffee is not to be missed, and where to get that perfect cup of Joe. 

Photo: Julia Trotti


Where can we go to see your favourite view in Australia?

Kangaroo Valley is my favourite place in Australia. I could spend days exploring the countryside and driving the winding roads up and down mountains. One day I hope to own a little cottage there.

Photo: Julia Trotti


Name one local dish you feel travellers can’t leave Sydney without trying

This isn’t a dish but I will always tell someone visiting Sydney that they can’t leave until they’ve had a cup of locally brewed coffee! If there’s one thing that Sydney does right, it’s coffee.

Where are your favourite restaurants or cafés in Sydney?

The list could be endless, so I’m going to keep it to my favourite two. Flying Fajita Sisters in Glebe for some delicious Mexican, and the Coogee Pavilion in Coogee for some beachside lunch.

Photo: Julia Trotti


What is a typical Australian breakfast for you?

I love eating local organic plain yogurt with some fresh blueberries, strawberries, kiwis and bananas for breakfast. I’ll occasionally add some granola if I’m going to have a big day!

Name your favourite spot in Sydney for a good cup of coffee

Like I mentioned before, one of the things that Sydney does best is coffee so you can pretty much walk into any place that makes coffee and it’ll be a good cup. If you’re in the city centre, a good place to get coffee is the Workshop Espresso in the Queen Victoria Building.

Photo: Julia Trotti


As a local, where would you recommend travellers go to get the true Sydney experience?

While Sydney is known for its Harbour, where you can see the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, I would recommend that you explore the smaller suburbs on foot to experience Sydney more like a local. Suburbs like Newtown, Surry Hills and Darlinghurst have so many amazing local restaurants, coffee shops and Australian designer clothing stores to explore.


WHERE TO EAT IN SYDNEY

Flying Fajita Sisters
Where: 65 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe NSW 2037, Australia
For: Mexican food
Coogee Pavilion
Where: 169 Dolphin St, Coogee NSW 2034, Australia
For: A casual meal by the beach
Workshop Espresso
Where: 500 George St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
For: Locally brewed coffee


WHERE TO GO IN SYDNEY

Newtown
Where: King Street and Enmore Road, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
For: Vintage shops and cafés
Surry Hills
Where: Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
For: For art galleries and boutiques
Darlinghurst
Where: Darlinghurst NSW, Australia
For: For restaurants, bars and clubs.

WHERE TO GO IN AUSTRALIA

Kangaroo Valley
Region: New South Wales
Where: Kangaroo Valley NSW, Australia
For: Great views

The Eating Guide to Crete, Greece

Greece

Greece’s largest island is a world away from what you would typically picture a Greek island. Crete is big – big enough to have three airports. What Crete lacks in caldera views and whitewashed stone architecture, makes up for in rolling hills of olive groves, rugged mountainous landscapes, and a culture that’s all on its own. Much of the land is used for agriculture, making for impressive landscapes. 

While a gyro is always nearby, you would be missing out as it is the traditional Cretan cuisine that adds to the uniqueness of the island. What makes Cretan cuisine stand out is the use of wholesome, locally grown produce and simple cooking techniques to come up with tasty and flavourful dishes that are often seasonal. There’s a Cretan version of everything from cheeses to honey to salads, and you’ll be hard pressed to find anything similar in other parts of Greece, unless you stumble upon a Cretan restaurant that is. 

Look forward to: Honey with thyme, rusk bread and pork. 

Peskesi

City: Heraklion
Where: Kidonias 15, Iraklio 712 02, Greece
What: Traditional Cretan food
For: Snails and lamb

When it comes to traditional Cretan food, Peskesi has got it down pat. While a reservation is always recommended for this local favourite, there is always some seating place in every nook and cranny which the waiter will take you to if you turn up without one. The stone clad walls, wooden furniture and bread served in a wicker basket will remind you of a bygone era, and it is the traditions of Cretan cooking that Peskesi wants to bring to the table. Ingredients are taken from their farm in Harasso. In their garden, chemical fertilizers and pesticides are not used, and crops are picked by hand. 

You can’t miss seeing fried snails in a bowl among the tables. The waiter will shake the bowl covered with a lid, to mix thyme sauce with the snails in front of you before placing it on your table. This, being a Cretan specialty, is a must-try. There’s a variety of pork and goat dishes, of which the grilled pork smoked with sage and thyme and goat baked with yogurt are unforgettable dishes. 

Prima Plora 

City: Rethymno
Where: Akrotiriou 8, Rethymno 741 00, Greece
What: Seafood
For: The best view of the fortezza

Prima Plora is right smack on the beach, with a view of the Rethymno fortezza to boot. While you can’t find this restaurant conveniently in the city centre, its location is what gives it the spectacular ocean view. Sunset views are the best, as you experience the glow of the setting sun while you dine next to sound of ocean waves crashing over rocks. Food served here is cooked with a Greek twist, and be sure to sample the sea bass carpaccio with chilli and lemon. 

Herbs’ Garden

City: Heraklion
Where: Epimenidou 15, Iraklio, Greece
What: Romantic dinners
For: Views of the Venetian Fortress

This popular restaurant is carefully hidden in Lato Boutique Hotel, a cosy and stylish establishment close to the old port of Heraklion. The receptionist will direct you to take an elevator to the rooftop, where Herbs’ Garden is, with a view overlooking the Venetian Fortress. With only a handful of tables, the restaurant is easily full during high season. Contemporary concoctions rule the table here, but the use of local Cretan ingredients are not forgotten. 

Tuscany Travel Tips from Giulia Scarpaleggia, Tuscan Cook & Blogger of Juls’ Kitchen

Conversations with Locals

Giulia Scarpaleggia is no stranger to the ins and outs of Tuscany, having lived in the region for more than a decade. It has been evident that she has been cooking up a storm from her kitchen, based on the sheer number of bone fide Italian recipes coming out from her blog Jul’s Kitchen. To this cooking instructor, Tuscany is a lot more than just the overcrowded squares of Florence and Siena. In this interview, Giulia left no stones unturned as she reveals her favourite eating spots, what a proper Tuscan meal is, and the other hill towns that you should visit apart from the obvious. 

Photo: Juls’ Kitchen

What do you feel defines Tuscan cuisine?

The Tuscan cuisine that we know know is deeply influenced by cucina povera – peasant cooking of the previous century. Seasonal vegetables, beans and bread are staple ingredients. Stale bread is smartly reinvented in hearty recipes such as pappa al pomodoro, panzanella and ribollita.

What are some local dishes you feel travellers can’t leave Tuscany without trying?

It is strongly related to season. In Autumn, do not miss bruschetta – a char grilled bread rubbed with garlic and doused with olive oil. In Winter, ribollita is a must – a thick soup of stale read, beans, cavolo nero and other vegetables. Spring is all about fresh vegetables, like piselli alla fiorentina – peas with pancetta. Summer is the season of tomatoes, do not miss pappa al pomodoro and panzanella. 

Tuscan panzanella with tomatoes and mozzarella. Photo: Juls’ Kitchen

Where are your favourite restaurants or cafés in Tuscany?

The cuisine of Agriturismo il Rigo in Val d’Orcia. Sbarbacipolla Biosteria and Bel Mi Colle in Colle val d’Elsa, Osteria Vecchio Mulino in Castelnuovo Garfagnana, Gino Cacino in Siena. So many great places.

Name one Tuscan dining etiquette most travellers miss

Do not eat pasta with your meat. They are two separate courses!

Photo: Juls’ Kitchen

When is your favourite time of the year to visit Tuscany? 

My favourite months are October and November, when there are less tourists and the countryside is simply stunning. Plus it’s time for chestnuts, pumpkin, grapes and new olives. Nothing better!

Photo: Juls’ Kitchen

What would you recommend travellers do to experience Tuscany as a local?

Shop at a local market, listen to what the vendors are suggesting and cook according to the season. 

Photo: Juls’ Kitchen

Where are your favourite Tuscan hill towns?

Casole d’Elsa near Siena, Barga near Lucca and Pitigliano in Maremma.

Name one best kept secret of Tuscany

Osteria Livornese, in Montelupo Fiorentino, is an amazing restaurant to eat fish near Florence.

Where can we go to see your favourite view in Tuscany?

It’s the view from my bathroom, in the countryside of Colle Val d’Elsa. So fun! All my friends and all the guests of cooking classes love it!

What makes Italian cooking so unique? 

The cooking style is extremely simple, the ingredients are left to speak for themselves. There’s no need for overcomplicating with sauces or too many ingredients. Recipes are inspired by seasonality. 

Photo: Juls’ Kitchen

Fried eggs and buristo. Photo: Juls’ Kitchen

When it comes to food, where in the world is your favourite destination?

Except from Tuscany, I love London, where you can experience possibly any cuisine in the world. I’m a big fan!

WHERE TO EAT IN TUSCANY


Agriturismo il Rigo
Region: Val d’Orcia
Where: Loc. Casabianca, 53027 San Quirico d’Orcia SI, Italy
For: Organic farm food 

Sbarbacipolla Biosteria
Region: Colle val d’Elsa
Where: Via Bartolomeo Scala 11, 53034 Colle di Val d’Elsa SI, Italy
For: Vegan food

Bel Mi Colle
Region: Colle val d’Elsa
Where: Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 56, Colle di Val D’Elsa SI, Italy
For: Local Tuscan food

Osteria Vecchio Mulino
Region: Castelnuovo Garfagnana
Where: Arch 5, Voyager South, London SE16 4RP
For: Pastas

Gino Cacino di Angelo
Region: Siena
Where: Piazza Mercato, 31, 53100 Siena SI, Italy
For: Meats and panini 

Osteria Livornese
Region: Montelupo Fiorentino
Where: Viale Umberto I, 2, Montelupo Fiorentino FI, Italy
For: Fish

WHERE TO GO IN TUSCANY


Casole d’Elsa
Region: Siena
Proximity to major cities: South to Florence

Barga
Region: Lucca
Proximity to major cities: Northwest to Florence

Pitigliano
Region: Grosseto
Proximity to major cities: In between Florence and Rome

Colle Val d’Elsa
Region: Siena
Proximity to major cities: South to Florence