Uncle Kurt’s

IN THE LAST 12 months there has been a lot of exciting news out of Parramatta. Tropfest found its new home out west; a whole bunch of food operators expanded their empires in that direction; hell, it has already clocked up its first small bar. Uncle Kurt’s was born out of a desire to bring the drinking scene of the inner city to the people of Parramatta, and it’s off to a cracking start.

The bar is underneath a car park in a former legal office that has been gutted, graffittied and set up with 25 seats for table service. The look is lo-fi, but the drinks are not. Bobby Aydogan (ex-Bennelong, Rockpool Bar and Grill) has upped-stumps from the inner city to bring his shakers west. Let him talk you into a Summer in Dublin. The double chocolate hit in the cacao-infused Jameson and chocolate bitters is tempered by the whisky burn, and the apricot and rosemary is light, not cloying. A Brooklyn, made with rye, dry vermouth, bitters and maraschino liqueur, is gentler than it reads and the Orange and Fennel Sour is more balanced than an accountant in July. If you’ve gotten yourself into a sweat between the train station and the bar you’ll want an Aperitivo Julep; it’s fruity, a little herbal and over too soon, but it will sort you right out.

Eat the Reuben. The crunchy toasted sandwich is New York comfort food at its finest – smoked, soft pastrami layers with a good amount of fat on them squeezed between the slices with melted Swiss cheese, creamy dressing, coleslaw and pickles. It’s not pretty to eat but it tastes great. For something slightly easier on the grease factor, order the pastrami in a po’boy – same smoky meat, but this time on a soft white milk bun with white cabbage sauerkraut, dressing, mustard and pickles. Sandwiches, cocktails and ’90s hip hop are the firm building blocks of a good night out: it’s looking like a very good year to go west when this is what awaits you.