Go Brooklyn

Brooklyn Boy Bagels made a huge splash at their launch on Sunday at Sydney's Darlie Laundromatic, selling out of those delicious boiled bad boys in just two hours

The Bagel has remained largely unrepresented in Australia and the reason is clear - a shitty bagel is pretty shit. You can't really get away with skimping where bagels are concerned. Enter New York raised Sydney food writer Michael Shafran (TheMeltingPot). Exhausted from years of tough, dry, sub-par bagels he took destiny into his own hands, studying master bagel-ry in the US before returning to Oz with a his own recipes for boiled bliss.

Perhaps one day we will see the salt beef of London's Brick Lane sandwiched between  those holey rolls. *hint*.

Embrace the bagel. Head to the Darlie.

Graffiti Wangers

The Friday

Oh Lord Jesus it's a fahr FRIDAY. 

There are big things happening at the Sydney Daily HQ this weekend, mainly a painting party (a.k.a giant piss-up with rollers) so we can get our new studio space ready for action. Then hopefully we'll be able to show a bunch of stuff not just tell you about it (brilliant as I've no doubt your imagination is).

Sydney is primed for a great weekend and it's all about Rock & Roll. Venues on our hitlist this weekend:

Frankie's Pizza, the newest in a line of CBD basement bars that have been enjoying a lot of attention lately.

Why go:

• Open late
• Serve Pizza
• Have pinball machines 
• Chet Fakers Beard was there last week

Bulletin Place, another CBD gem in the Quay getting rave reviews all round. From what we hear this place is all about the drinks - they have a menu that changes daily and quantities are limited.

Why go:

• Intimate
• Creative drinks menu
• Hype

Vasco, new rock & roll bar in Surry Hills. My source tells me (don't sue) they hit a cymbal every time someone walks in the door. I'm going - you can't stop me

Why go:

• Fender bar stools
• Smoking area
• Hot dogs
• Cymbolic fanfare

If you've not punched anyone in the face by that stage check out the Cake Wines pop up bar at 77 George St (til midnight).

The Emerald City

The announcement everyone has been waiting for... The Pantone colour of 2013 is Emerald (17-5641)

While not the easiest colour to wear it still beats the hell out on Mint.

Mint: please take the topknot when you go

Facebook Page!

We have one!

http://www.facebook.com/thesydneydaily

Hot Tip: Peace

Birmingham boys Peace are causing quite a stir in the blogosphere with their debut EP Delicious. Expect an album later this year and listen to this

50 Shades

I'm a sucker for grey

Venue Alert: The Soda Factory

Making up for my proverbial dropping of the Alt-J ball I'm hitting you with this one ahead of time (cheer cheer). The Soda Factory is opening in Surry Hills on the 23rd of February - a cocktail bar serving up old school drinks and gourmet hotdogs (in line with the current Americana trend).

The drinks menu contains a Vodka Raspberry Float (yum) and a Kosher hot dog called 'The Barbara Streisand' which in itself is fabulous enough to warrant a visit. DJ Spinna (NYC) will be heading up the launch party and Grandmaster Flash making an appearance on Friday 22nd March. One to watch! Venue review forthcoming.

Things You Need to Know About: Alt-J

If your first knowledge of tomorrow's Alt-J performance at the Metro was the full page ad in your lightly pissed-on copy of Drum Magazine this morning you're about as on the pulse as me. And seeing as tickets were sold out BEFORE the 9:00am release time (sign up with Frontier Touring to pre-order in future) this will not be a review of the gig, rather a list of things you should know and casually drop about the band whenever possible.

1. Alt-J are hot right now. 
2. They are from the UK
3. When you hit Alt-J on a Mac you get a triangle symbol - that's how the band got their name
4. Their debut album is called 'An Awesome Wave' - it's their only album at this point (May 2012)
5. The guitarist is called Gwil
6. 3/4 of the 4 piece band were fine arts students at Leeds University
7. Joe Newman's (guitar/vox) voice is captivating, the songs are clever in both lyrics and composition.

An Awesome Wave will dump you into deep waters of emotion - well worth a listen. 'Matilda' is a stand out track. If you missed them at Laneway and don't have a ticket for tomorrow's Metro show you're out of luck for the time being - more time to study lyrics for their next visit.

Buying Ugly Things Because They're Trendy

This Kenzo jumper is no shite the ugliest thing I've ever seen in the most unflattering colour. Why do I still feel like I need to own it... I don't know what's going on with the above but my opinion is get a new stylist

Have you bought something grotesque because it was cool?

How to Fake Tan

I'm writing this because people are still getting it wrong.

• Purchase some disposable gloves - I usually buy a box of 100 at *your local supermarket*. 
• Tan AT NIGHT - before bed. Your tan will be even and darker than if you tan before getting dressed/working all day etc.
• Select your fake tan carefully. St Tropez is always your best bet but it is expensive. IMO the next best tan you can get is Le Tan Deep Bronze Gradual Tan.

Now here's the gimmick:

The secret to fake tan is to rub it in as though you're trying to get it to absorb int the body (which you are). You will know when this has happened as your hands will change from running over your skin easily and quickly (as though running on liquid) to slower, tackier movement (as the tan absorbs). You need to  do this until every part of your skin has the same feel to it. You will have a perfect tan.

Tanning is best done in sections - don't start on another section until you've achieved the above with your current. I tan like this:

1. Legs from toes to mid thigh (and when i say toes I mean whole food, properly, down the sides and back... streaky feet are a dead giveaway)
2. Top thigh and butt
3. Under boobs to top of thigh and mid back
4. Top of back (practise yoga - it helps!)
5. Chest and neck
6. Arms, shoulders and underarms (to wrists)

Then you go clean your teeth/eat midnight snack/whatever else you do involving your hands and face before bed. BE CAREFUL when brushing your teeth not to let water drip down your arms!

• Before bed, use your gloves to apply tan to your face, then use the backs of your hands to apply tan on each other (including the space between the fingers and thumb)\
• Sleep
• Wake up tropical

Jewel

Pinkly Sprinkly

I spent a bit of time looking into "Kidult" fashion that's trending at the moment and decided to bake a cake to match. To match the outfit that I don't yet own. At least I'll be fashionable on the inside

Sydney's pinkled sprinkled two-tone buttercake. If only I could have mastered a bit of ombré this cake would be legging it in Paris

Fitness First Kings Cross - The Greatest Gym on Earth

Woah woah woah. Now before y'all go shouting at me about Fitness First (because I know you're about to start) I want to tell you a little bit about my experience.

I started my ahem... "relationship with fitness" at Fitness First in Neutral Bay (in the aforementioned step classes) and quickly moved onto St Leonards where I did aerobics with the now-famous Shannon Ponton (Biggest Loser). He was a bloody hottie and all the Mums at the 10:30 aerobics class would be swooning and pulling sex faces at him... my mother and I included. Tip: His happy visage now appears on 99c water bottles you can buy at Priceline. That's a bloody hydrating bargain.

I moved through the Sydney Fitness Firsts of Dee Why, North Sydney and Darlinghurst to settle on what has to be the best, Fitness First of all time. The BEST, Fitness First of all time (cheers Kanye). Fitness First Kings Cross is a dance party. On a Saturday morning you can find an aerobics crew fresh from ARQ ready to get busy. There's clapping and whooping and dancing... The excitement in the room is palpable and the communal energy of everyone drives you to perform harder and harder... I defy anyone to try a Saturday morning Body Attack class and not have the time of their life. And when you're done with the aerobics head upstairs to drool at the masses of beautiful men pumping iron. Kings Cross Fitness First is the place to be, and be seen. Two words:

FABULOUS

DARLING

DANCE

I don't know why in my 32nd year of life the urge to dance has suddenly reared it's interpretive head.

As a child my well meaning father pulled some strings to get me into Brent Street Australia's Leading Performing Arts School ("the way to the top") and I remember two things:

• being terrified 
• being asked to leave or join the babies class

Fucking snobs! I was just some kid who'd never danced before save ballet in kindy which I only did for the piece of chocolate we got after the lesson. In fact, my whole performing career has been a bit of a fail, I sung at the Annandale with an ex-band of mine and we all thought it went great. Until some idiot decided to film the gig... Once my band members heard my caterwauling from the audience's perspective they promptly asked me to leave too. Arty snobs are the worst snobs.

I digress. Fast forward to 1998 and a friend of mine asked me to join her for a Step class at Fitness First. I was terrified and uncoordinated but I kept at it. I moved onto aerobics which I believe can teach ANYONE to dance. It's simple moves, it's repetitive and you can see yourself in the mirror so you know if you look like a dick or not. In fact, my 14 odd years of aerobics training finally led me to a dance class, which I comparatively smashed compared to my abysmal earlier efforts.

So now I'm looking to go pro. I want to do one dance class a week and be able to hit the club without clearing the D-Floor. If aerobics took me 14 years to master I'll give myself 20 for dance. See you in da club circa 2313 x

Banana Bread!

As far as banana bread goes I've had better. I found it too dense and not sweet enough. I added a packet of walnuts to the mix. I ate it hot, perhaps it will be better cold. It's a super easy recipe anyway

Idiotic Women's Article of the Week... I Demand a Soliloquy!

This weeks award goes to "Why is he quiet during sex?".

I don't have time to explain everything wrong with it - so I'll leave you with a few choice quotes:

"No one wants to have a discussion about the meaning of life during the horizontal tango"

"The biggest sex organ is your brain and your ears are the gateways to it.”

"“People need to look at underlying issues behind sexual behavior. Is his silence an issue of control? Is he equating unemotionally with being a real man?"

“Make it clear you’re not demanding great soliloquies, just affirmative murmurings,”

"He may be labouring under the misapprehension that most women are demure and retiring in the boudoir. You could try watching some old episodes of Sex And The City to dispel that myth.”

o_O

So. According to Cosmo we can ascertain that if your man is quiet in the bedroom he:

• Has a small sex organ OR assumes you do
• Does not want to discuss life during sex
• Does not wish to penetrate your brain gateways
• Is controlling 
• And unemotional

In order to remedy this you should:

• Give him a brief on his multitude of underlying emotional issues
• Demand affirmative murmurings
• Make him watch Sex and the City

Where the flip do you get this garbage.

Henbo's Australia Day White Peach Sangria

Serves: However many glasses in a big soup pot

Ingredients:

1 x 800-ish gram can peaches in syrup
1.5 cups vodka
3 x punnet strawberries - sliced
3 x peaches (or nectarines or whatever fruit you fancy) - sliced
2 x 750ml bottles dry white
Lemonade
Soda Water
Fresh lime

Method

Blend the peaches in their syrup and ass (or add) this to the strawberries, peaches and vodka. Soak overnight. In the morning add the white wine, lemonade, soda and lime to taste. If I were to guess I'd say I used about 2 cups each of lemonade and soda and squeezed in 3/4 of a fresh lime. I left the skin in for flavour. Bon drinketit!

'Straya

Australia Day Sat 26th January saw the team and I heading to the Dirtybird showcase at The Ivy. Well what a strange day indeed. We arrived after numerous tankards of my White Peach Sangria and made it in to find ourselves amongst one of the strangest crowds I've ever experienced. There were 18y/o grommits fresh from Dee Why. There were 50y/o women clutching vodka's with a gaggle of friends. There was a table of oldies playing chess. Lots of girls with coloured hair. One lady had a mangled looking peacock outfit on, complete with a dismal looking tail feather display. The toilet queue was abysmal. the best part about the whole thing was Claude himself. I'm not very crowd tolerant but my friends up the front were given beers and vodka from the man himself, who not only played at Chinese Laundry after the Ivy but also somewhere else after that. The man clearly knows how to partay.

Chinese laundry is smaller that I remembered - like when you go back to visit primary school and you giggle at the tiny wee toilets. It was so loud I was having heart palpitations - NOT due to my age I checked. I managed to snap this pic amongst my wandering around half cut. Good day :)