Author Archives: chiefprick

One of the consolations of the otherwise stygian food court in the Pitt Street Westfield is Justin North’s Quarter Twenty One produce shop, tucked back in the corner by the restaurant of the same name and, of course, the flagship … Continue reading →

If further evidence were needed that Fairfax has made its own trouble by hiring a newsroom that writes solely for its mates, have a look at the Sunday Sun-Herald’s coverage of an effort to ban body-building stimulant, DMAA, used by … Continue reading →

When a hipster restaurant smushes together odd parts of an animal, it’s called “nose to tail eating” and praised for its sustainability. When McDonalds smushes together odd parts of an animal and calls it a “McNugget”, it’s destroying the planet.

Ah, so where were in the Mudgee Chronicles? That’s right – a crummy lunch at Blue Wren. Nevermind, the view was gorgeous, the company sublime, and the boot of the Prickmobile was by then filled with boxes and boxes of … Continue reading →

Much is being made of this report that Barack Obama, at a campaign stop at an Ohio sports bar, asked for Fox News to be turned off. Thin skin and all that, but to me this was the telling bit: … Continue reading →

Normally I don’t like to hear of a restaurant shutting down, but in this case I’ll make an exception: It’s not just financial reasons behind the latest Sydney restaurant closure, but “inconsiderate, greedy” diners, “intolerable” customers and “fast-food junkies”.  News … Continue reading →

Last night I spent the evening at a friend’s house tasting a number of artisanal vodkas, all in the interest of science, commerce, and a project I hope to be able to tell you about soon. I know, it’s a … Continue reading →

So picking up a couple of bits and bobs for dinner tonight (spaghetti amatriciana for the Prick, and a big warm bowl of boscaiola for Mrs Prick, presently en route home from parts north) at the local Harris Farms, I … Continue reading →

Everything that is wrong with the Sydney Morning Herald’s food coverage, and its head critic Terry “14/20” Durack, can be summed up thusly: They did a roundup of the ten (allegedly) best burgers in Sydney for their glossy ad vehicle the … Continue reading →

The rich are different from you and me, as Fitzgerald apocryphally observed to Hemingway (who reportedly shot back, “yes, they have more money”). They also have, all too often, appallingly bad taste. Like their cousins down at the very bottom … Continue reading →