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Sunday 24 July 2022

Beckett's Glebe: REVIEW + Truffle Dinner

Beckett's is not just a restaurant... it's a destination.


Your first time will be a full experiential moment, not just a meal.


Come dine at night and it's a sultry place to share the eclectic Beckett's menu. Eat here in the daytime, and you'll see the rustic venue in an entirely different way, with its light filled, earthy ambience.






Beckett's is such a discovery right now that if you've not dined there yet, you'll feel like you're missing out... and you are! (You can make up for it by booking their truffle dinner, happening on Thursday July 28, 2022. Read on for details...).


Located on Glebe Point Road, the moment you step foot into Beckett's - with its dramatic gated entrance and wine bottle lined wall - you're transported to this dichotomy of old world charm meets new age atmosphere.


It immediately transports you: it's an oasis in the beautifully bustling Sydney suburb of Glebe. If you're a longtime restaurant writer as I am, you'll remember this site as Darling Mills. I enjoyed dinner at this very site over 20 years ago... I remember walking in and been blown away by the dramatic sandstone walls, and an intimate ambience.


This certainly remains today, and is elevated with its luxe interior, low lighting, and long corridor in amongst softly lit tables for two or many more.


The sub-basement sandstone beauty is lined with bricks that have been repurposed from the burnt down Glebe Abbott. With the foundations of Saint John’s Bishopthorpe stunning gothic-style sandstone church erected in 1870, later gutted by fire, a dentist and Glebe local would take 11 years digging out the garden of his home and (as owner of Beckett's, Executive Chef and Beckett’s co-owner, Jeff Schroeter recounts), each brick was carried to transform it to what Beckett's is today: an incredible restaurant, essentially in his own front yard.


Okay, now that we've completed the interesting history lesson, more on THAT menu.

On the night my dining partner, Jason from Spooning Australia, did the ordering, alongside Jeff - and our very experienced waiter - which suits me fine! I don't mind others in the know taking the lead...



Here is what we ordered:

  • Wild Tasmanian Belon Oysters – 10 years old (YES!), hand-dived, and shucked to order. Sweet chardonnay vinegar mignonette. The oysters were HUGE!
  • Escargots en Cocotte – Snails baked with garlic butter, tomato, and spinach, with a puff pastry lid
  • French Onion Soup – Gruyère cheese croutons, thyme and a splash of sherry
  • Roasted Sea Scallops – Petit pois à la française bottarga, with artichoke crisps
  • Strawberry Foie – Seared foie gras 80g, local poached strawberries, aged balsamic, paired with a glass of Baumard Coteaux du Layon (late harvest Chenin blanc)
  • Bouillabaisse – Provincial fish stew of select fish, crustaceans, saffron and tomato, served with rouille and sourdough
  • Slow Cooked Pork Cheek with Truffled Cider Sauce – Gorgonzola soft polenta, roasted green olive cheeks and speck
  • Coffee Crème Brûlée
  • Fancy Poached Pear










Desserts below, exceptional!






The stand out dish for me?


ALL OF THEM!


If I must pick some faves, the slow-cooked pork cheek - served on a bed of gorgonzola polenta, it was such a beautiful marriage of flavours... anything with that distinct Gorgonzola tang... I am IN!


The French Onion Soup – so wonderfully warming, and substantial.


The Strawberry Foie – such an unusual taste sensation, with the soft poached strawberries in aged balsamic: sweet meets tangy, for those who like to challenge their taste buds to something unexpected.


I snuck in a cheeky cocktail, and of course, even that is next level.


I had the: 


Habanero Pineapple Margarita: Habanero infused Blanco tequila, fresh pineapple, agave, citrus and cardamon.



The highlights were... the whole entire experience!


At the truffle dinner, not only will you experience the “black diamonds” (truffles!) of the food world supplied by award-winning Orange, NSW Trufferie, Borrodell, for a one-night-only and Sydney-FIRST five-course Becketts x Borrodell Truffle Dinner.

 

You'll also see the vision of celebrated Executive Chef Jeff (who hails from Bistro Moncur, Bayswater Brasserie) come to life.


Supported by Borrodell’s, with Luisa Machielse joining as co-host as she shares her intimate truffle knowledge with guests, this stunning five-course truffle menu with multiple matching wines is one not to miss and set to be THE truffle dinner of the season.


Fresh on the heels of Borrodell’s cult truffle event, the Black Tie and Gumboot Truffle Hunt and Dinner, truffles will be freshly foraged by local forager Teneka Priestly and her truffle-hunting-trained rescue dogs, dusted off, and brought directly to Beckett's for Schroeter to show off his magic.


Jeff, who hails from a small country town near the Riverina of NSW, says that this will be a truly exceptional night for truffle aficionados and novices alike. He says, “My passion for local and seasonal produce is ingrained, having grown up eating food from the farm and foraging in surrounding lakes, rivers, and forests.

 

“We couldn’t think of a better ingredient to launch our ‘Town & Country’ series by showcasing NSW’s very own ‘black diamonds’ and honouring the pioneers of the truffle movement in Australia. This will be a very special and decadent evening and a first in a successful and long term collaboration between us all.”


Borrodell has hosted some of the biggest Sydney chefs at their truffle events for years - Justin North, Giovanni Pilu and Rockpool’s culinary director, Corey Costelloe, amongst others, but this is the FIRST time they have brought their prized-truffles to Sydney for a dinner of this calibre.


Machielse says, “At Borrodell, everything we grow is based on our strong ethical land conservation philosophy. We love that this is appreciated by the top chefs and drink makers in the country, who go well out of their way to come to Orange to source our produce. We love being a part of Sydney's icons of dining and our collaboration with Jeff Schroeter and his Beckett’s team is one we are delighted to support and be part of.  We are truly looking forward to it!” 


Borrodell Estate, based in Orange, NSW is as famous for its brilliant cold climate wines as it is for its orchard and trufferie.  The estate truffles come from the oldest oak trees on the Australian mainland with master truffle hunter, Teneka Priestly, using locally trained rescue dogs to guide in the specialised hunt it is recognised as the Trufferie of the Australian mainland.

 

This is the first event in Beckett’s ‘Town & Country’ culinary series which aims to showcase guest chefs and the best of regional Australian produce. 

 

WHAT: Beckett’s Truffle Dinner with Borrodell Estate 

 

WHEN: Thursday 28 July 2022


WHERE: Beckett’s Private Wine Cellar, 134A Glebe Point Road, Glebe


WHO: Hosted by Exec Chef, Jeff Schroeter, and Borrodell’s, Luisa Machielse


TIME: 6pm – 10pm


TO BOOK: https://www.beckettsbardining.com.au/whats-on/truffle-dinner-2022



Beckett’s is a must visit, even if you miss this truffle dinner.


The historic site in Glebe, with the heritage of the Sydney’s farm-to-table pioneer Darling Mills. Jeff and Wendy are bringing to life this perhaps forgotten venue with revived bistro classics, an exceptional wine list, and a cocktail bar designed by the world-famous drinks ambassador, Charlie Ainsbury, are all the many elements which have invigorated this spot, and turned it into a new jewel of the restaurant scene.


BOOK IT NOW!

Go right HERE.