In Review: The Grounds of Alexandria

In the heart of Sydney’s industrial concrete jungle lies the 1800 square metre mega-café, The Grounds of Alexandria.

The Grounds, as it is most commonly known as, should not be foolishly taken for the average Sydney café serving the typical smashed avocado on sourdough, but rather a day trip at a gastro dome of flavour for families, business partners and the Instagram obsessed “hipster”.

    http://thegrounds.com.au/portfolio/gallery/

The former pie factory from the 1920s offers a shabby chic, industrial-type experience, enhanced by the dim lighting of the randomly placed overhanging lightbulbs. It is an experienced emphasised by the many elements of the café. A sit down, flavourful experience can be had in The Café which is the primary and original building, offering a seasonal, rustic, paddock-to-plate philosophy and the finest coffee; The Potting Shed, that envelops diners in a homey atmosphere as seating options include benches, swing chairs, or standing at the bar, making customers feel like they are sitting on the family porch; and finally The Garden, where diners can sit next to an aging, vine covered brick wall surrounded by an abundant vegetable and flower garden and a small petting zoo. Be sure to say hello to the renowned resident pig, Kevin Bacon.

Owners Ramzey Choker (formally from Bacco Pasticceria, Rocket) and coffee connoisseur Jack Hanna (formally from Jack and The Bean) have succeeded in creating their vision of a concrete, industrial carpark into a thriving, communal welcoming space. The Grounds simply buzzes of good vibes and casual charm which is embodied in the vibrant, helpful and well informed staff. Hint: you will never have an empty glass of water.

The Grounds is focused on delivering the finest quality coffee, and it certainly delivers. World latte art champion owner Jack Hanna has exceeded customer expectations through his seven bean house blend. At $3.50 for a small and $4 for a large, the prices are reasonable and the taste is extraordinary, featuring a creamy yet firm, subtle yet almost earthy texture in the palette. For those who opt for sweeter refreshments can enjoy the array of freshly squeezed juices, a favourite being the Pineapple, Watermelon, Passionfruit and Mint juice ($8) , smoothies ($8.50) with the optional addition of protein powder for $2 more, that is served in a delightful jar. Customers can also opt for the classically humble Hot Chocolate ($7) that The Grounds certainly gets right or the Affogato ($7) that is unlike any of its competitors.

    http://thegrounds.com.au/portfolio/gallery/

The seasonal menu contains a lot of typical elements located in other Sydney cafes, however the execution and flavours of food, ranging from full bodied to subtle, sets The Grounds apart from its competitors. Breakfast ranges from the humble banana bread with vanilla and blossom mascarpone, banana and berries at an extremely reasonable price of $9.50, to Cobia Kingfish with avocado, lime, chilli, coriander and seeded toast sitting at $17. The classic Brekkie Board is a crowd favourite boasting of chicken chipolatas, grilled asparagus, smoked salmon, cherry tomato and basil salad, and fresh, toasted sourdough. For $22, it is worth every cent.

The lunch menu contains gluten free options such as the Pumpkin Risotto and Vitello Tonnato that is anything but boring. A must have for any ‘Ground goer’ is The ‘Ground’ Burger. Picture this: A two hand burger bursting with succulent, juicy, dry-aged Angus beef, house made pickles, tomato, and perfectly melted cheese, dripping with a perfect, harmonious blend of mustard and mayonnaise. Your tastebuds will tingle with the occasional “oomph” of the tomato relish inside, but will not be dominated by it. Although the burger is inconsistent in its drip/messy factor, the thick chips are the perfect accompaniment to dip in the left over sauce and to fill up the rest of your stomach.

Is there a downside? Yes, but it is hardly their fault. The Grounds is constantly packed whether it be a weekday or weekend. Saturday and Sunday is their busiest day, so beware of a tirade of prams if you do choose to venture out on these days. Although there is a nearly guaranteed waiting period to sit down in The Café, The Grounds has you sorted by having things to do in The Garden such as the chance to water your tastebuds with Lemonade Stands where you can enjoy Rose Lemonade or The Classic Freshly Squeezed Lemonade at a decent price of $4, flower stalls, markets selling jewellery, fresh produce and jam products as well as barbecues selling food at the same high level of quality as you would find in The Café such as Bacon and Egg Rolls and American style Cheeseburgers. The Café also provides visitors with a take away option for drinks, sweets and baked goods from the bakery.

Although patience is required when entering The Grounds, there is always something to do and see.

The Short Film All Australians Need To See

"I don't want to say "I do", because that would be too easy. I'd rather say "We did" when they said we shouldn't.

Powerful. Challenging. Soulful. Beautiful. These are words that come to mind when watching Laura Nagy’s latest short film “We Will”. Written by Laura Nagy, Nirrimi Firebrace, and Samuel Leighton-Dore, and directed by Laura Nagy, “We Will” is a short film created to defy Australia’s current political stance on same sex marriage. The film follows the lesbian relationship between Claire (Bianca Bradey) and Rachel (Madeleine Withington); from the moment they meet, up to their wedding day. “I wanted to make their relationship as normal as possible to the audience,” said Nagy in a relaxed tone. “I wanted their journey to be as fluid and relatable as possible, because their love is the same as any other love”.

 

Love knows no bounds // Samantha Heather Photography

“We Will” is created for the online world being only available for viewing on its own YouTube channel. When asked why she chose such an interesting and modern form of distribution, Nagy answers simply that, “through social media, “We Will” is able to be shared, posted and commented on to spread the message that the film delivers. I hope the determination and love seen in the film will get people excited and motivated about marriage equality”.

The film was created in light of former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s refusal to pass the same sex marriage bill. The Coalition’s vote greatly contrasts the views of various political figures such as Senator Penny Wong arguing that same sex marriage would benefit children of same-sex couples in July this year, and radio broadcaster Alan Jones emphasising “to deny people the recognition for a relationship which is based on love is to deny in my opinion one of humankind’s most basic, but as I said, elusive qualities” (May, 2015).

Nagy falls into this contrasted category. “I felt like I was banging my head on a homophobic brick wall that was never going to tumble. Our government’s current stance on marriage equality made me so frustrated that I decided to use my skills to go out and make a difference. I love how I could use film to tell the story of a same sex couple in a beautiful, powerful and normal way”.

“I felt like I was banging my head on a homophobic brick wall that was never going to tumble”

Stills Photographer, Samantha Barretto of Samantha Heather Photography, jumped to the idea of working on the film. ““We Will” was just the project I was looking to work on. It was made by the joint effort of some very close friends of mine who continue to inspire me. When they asked if I could join the project to take still photographs, I jumped to the idea. It was going to be an infusion of all my favourite things – love, weddings, lace, flowers, and photography – how could I say no?”

Madeleine Withington, the actress who plays Rachel in the short film, was politically inspired to participate in the film. “As soon as I heard it was to promote and aid marriage equality in Australia, I was in. When I met Laura, and she mentioned it was going to be a predominantly female crew, I was even more in. Then I heard that the other actress would be the unbelievably talented Bianca Bradey, and I pretty much just fell over. It was an idea that I fully supported, and having seen some of Laura’s work, I knew the film would be beautiful. And it is. It is beautiful.

According to AustralianMarriageEquality.org, 75% of Australians believe that the reform is inevitable as well as 78% of same sex civil partners would prefer to be married if they had the choice. Despite same sex marriage being legal in countries such as Canada, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, US States such as Iowa and New York, as well as Belgium and Norway, Australia’s stance on same sex marriage remains immovable. Therefore, the question remains: Is Australia behind the times in their marriage equality reforms?

“It’s definitely a culture thing and it is up to the government to lead the way in this culture change”

“Yes, yes, yes,” answers Nagy confidently. “The Australian Government is definitely behind the times in their reforms. Most Australians support same sex marriage, so what’s the hold up? Future generations of Australians will look back at our current government with shame, just as we do looking at the treatment of Aborigines.”

“Australia is being run by white privileged men, who have absolutely no interest in losing that privilege,” Withington adds. “Their “normativity” is threatened by marriage equality, and they’re frightened of losing their power. Do you know what the most dangerous idea in the world is? It’s the idea of “normal”. The “I am normal and you are not, and therefore that gives me the RIGHT to take away your rights.” That’s what is running Australia right now. And if that doesn’t terrify you, I don’t know what will.”

“Marriage equality is about human rights” -Madeleine Withington // Samantha Heather Photography

However, not all involved are vehemently bent on making quick changes to Australia’s reforms. Barretto emphasises that “In comparison to the rest of the world, how can I say we’re not behind the times? We are one of the only 1st world countries not to have legalised gay marriage. Even our own monarchy has legalised it and we are still trailing behind. In saying that though, Australia is its own country with its own rules and regulations and I respect it for not just following suit and making something legal when it is not yet ready”.

In the film, Claire and Rachel wrote their own vows that were delivered to each other on their wedding day. Laura Nagy reveals that Claire and Rachel’s vows were written by two different wordsmiths to emphasise a different, distinctive voice. “I immediately knew that I wanted Nirrimi and Samuel to write the vows, as they are very well known for their beautiful writing. Without sharing what they wrote, Samuel and Nirrimi wrote the vows and I stitched them together to form the end product. The vows weren’t revealed until the girls said them aloud, face to face on their wedding day. It worked so well! The result was beautiful. As neither Samuel nor Nirrimi are lesbians with Samuel being a homosexual man and Nirrimi being a heterosexual woman, the result was very interesting as the vows were created just for lovers. There was no label for what sexual orientation the vows were for. They were just for two lovers.”

The chemistry between Bradey and Withington can be clearly seen throughout the film, and it really is something special. When asked if there was any awkwardness between the pair, Withington is quick to respond. “Nope, not at all. It was actually really easy. I guess I didn’t feel like I had to conform to anyone’s particular idea of sexy, or girly, or attractive. I could be exactly myself, without trying to fit ideas about those concepts that often come when a heterosexual male gaze is behind the camera. I could be a dork with Bianca, and the other women, and just feel really safe.”

“I hope “Will Do” serves as a vessel for change in Australia”-Laura Nagy // Samantha Heather Photography

Cinematographer, Emma Paine, wanted to capture the normality of the relationship between Rachel and Claire and the love that exists between them. “In making a piece that was hoping to show that there are many kinds of loves and relationships, it was very important that it felt real. We shot with no artificial lighting and kept the camera handheld and present in each location. These restrictions helped us to find beauty in the every day and in a very normal relationship, as well as giving the actors the space for spontaneity and to play with their characters.”

Barretto also wanted to focus on the beauty present in the film through her photographs. “I wanted to capture the beauty that weddings and love possess. At the end of the day, I am a wedding photographer who aims to tell the story of two people committing their lives to one another. I treated “We Will” as just that; an opportunity for me to tell a story and, in particular, a story that isn’t told very much in our country. I captured all the little details and put it all together in one fluid tale that I hope can promote love and beauty of the heart”.

“We Will” will be available for public showing on the 16th of November on the “We Will” YouTube account. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwmMrwmTEvi8rYxNs9BfT4g

Samantha Heather Photography: http://www.samanthaheather.com/

Australian Marriage Equality Organisation: http://www.australianmarriageequality.org/