Parramatta Park Cafe, Parramatta, Sydney

Is there anything as interesting to read about than food? Apparently so. People also love to read about cats, weddings, and reality tv...

Saturday morning saw ten female bloggers meet for the first ever lunch by Blog Chicks, an online networking forum for Australian female bloggers. The forum is hosted by Leigh, who also puts together the list of Top 100 Australian Female Bloggers, updated every month.

We were a mixed group of women, all warm, friendly and articulate. It was a great afternoon spent in like-minded company, finding out what had prompted others to start their blog, what opportunities it had uncovered, and the intricacies of managing time, partners and work.

Food bloggers were well represented with Chocolatesuze, Jen, Shez and I waving our forks. Also in attendance were Lucy from Chief Bridesmaid, Leigh from Crazy Meezer, Marilyn from Live first, write later, Laura from LR Kane, Trish from My Little Drummer Boys, Emma from Reality Ravings and Liz from Savvy Cat.

I was fascinated to hear that Leigh has been provided with a Renault Koleos for a month to test-drive and blog about. The success of Lucy's tips on how to organise a wedding on a budget in the UK (she's only recently transplanted to Sydney), has seen her appear on BBC2, and filming recently wrapped for her own series on cable channel weddingtv (due to air in early 2010).


Flat white $3.30 with extra shot 30c

We met at the Parramatta Park Cafe, chosen primarily for its ease of parking. It's a huge expanse of greenery that I haven't ever visited before, its one-way road reminding me of Centennial Park.

There's a welcomed sense of tranquility at the cafe. We're at an outdoor table tucked away behind the back of the building, and the sprawling views of green and the twitter of birds in the trees couldn't be further away from the chaos of traffic and shoppers at Parramatta Westfield only a few blocks away.


Avocado smoothie $5.50 and
Vanilla milkshake with malt $5.10

Although we are ten people, our drinks do seem to take a little long to arrive. My extra strong flat white is reasonably smooth with enough of a caffeine kick. I've also ordered the avocado smoothie out of curiosity - it's not as strongly flavoured or rich as the Vietnamese version I'm used to, more like a thickshake that seems to taste more of honey than avocado.


Salt and pepper calamari $16.50
tossed with seasoned Besan flour

It was strange at first to hear us collectively labelled as "the food bloggers", but when our cameras come out, it becomes quite obvious we're a unique species of our own. I can't help pleading with Laura as she's about to put her fork into her pasta, "wait a sec, I need to take a photo!"

Everyone obligingly allows their meals to be photographed. Oh food bloggers, they do amuse!


Big Breakfast $18.00
Two eggs, bacon, tomato, mushrooms, hash brown and toast


Grilled prawn pasta $16.50
with chilli, lime and basil


Grilled barramundi $19.00
with a macadamia crust on sauteed spinach, capsicum, tomato and feta


Chicken quesadilla $16.50
Folded flour tortilla filled with grilled chicken, Spanish onion
and cheese lightly toasted and topped with sour cream


Steak sandwich $17.50 with extra cheese
with roasted mushrooms, rocket and beetroot relish with chips

Is it obvious that this was ordered by cheeselover Chocolatesuze?


Open BBQ chicken burger $16.50
with lettuce, tomato, avocado and aioli with chips

I go for the open bbq chicken burger, the chicken breast fillet a touch dry but easily fixed with the aioli, tomato, avocado and healthy splodge of barbecue sauce.



We talk for so long that most of us also find room for dessert.


Cannoli


Baby chocolate pudding

Baby chocolate puddings are the most popular, the centres filled with a gooey middle and covered in chocolate sauce.


Banana cake


Chocolate tart

Shez's chocolate tart is rich and almost fudgy in consistency. There's a pleasing bitterness to it.


Magnum Almond, Paddle Pop frozen thickshake and Mother

Chocolatesuze and I take advantage of the ice cream fridge instead. She's not so taken with the frozen chocolate thickshake but I revel in the simply joy of a Magnum Almond.

A great afternoon and much fun to meet fellow female bloggers. Thank you Leigh for organising!




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Parramatta Park Cafe
Parramatta Park, Byrnes Avenue
(enter from corner of Pitt and Macquarie Streets)
Parramatta, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9630 0144

Opening hours
Monday to Friday 8am - 3.30pm
Saturday and Sunday 8am - 4pm

Breakfast available all day
Lunch served 11.30am - 3pm
Licensed (beer and wines)
10% surcharge on public holidays


Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Parramatta - Hooters
Parramatta - Temasek (Jan 09) and (May08)