What’s on around town

• Island Radio is adding Friday lunches to the mix from March 14. Head in for share plates like duck lumpia and corn fritters.

• Planning a micro wedding? Get “married in a Martini minute” at Pier One Sydney Harbour with up to 28 guests. The just-launched package includes a Martini on arrival, a waterfront ceremony and a two-hour share-style set menu with premium beverages.

• Pleasure Club’s new 10-strong cocktail menu is here. It’s inspired by the “four states of dreaming”, delivering truly fun serves like Fantasy, where Cazadores meets apricot brandy, strawberry gum, mezcal and lime.

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• Celebrate St Patrick’s Day at The Bat & Ball’s Guinness party. Expect a live band, Irish-adored spice bags and $7 baby Guinness shots. Plus, a giveaway of Guinness merch.

• Naturellement is readying to hit Ettalong beach in May. Earlybird tickets are on sale now, getting you access to more than 100 tastings of locally produced drinks. And there’ll be food specials from top chefs, like Alanna Sapwell, Matt Stone and Jake Kellie.

• Hospo duo Babs is popping up Ester Spirits in Marrickville on Sunday March 16. Come along from midday for Turkish street food and fragrant cocktails.
• Attenzione’s jumbo pico returns this week, but this time it’s twirled in cheesy cacio e pepe. Head in on Sunday March 9 for a by-the-glass takeover by Ethereal Wines; word is the team is packing lots of magnums.

• Things on Skins: Love, Tilly Devine welcomes Grafted Wines’ Dan Simmons to the Darlo laneway. Skin-contact wines will be poured alongside on-theme snacks – think golden fried potato skins topped with cashew cream, chives and chilli oil.

• Darlinghurst’s Fabbrica is revving up Sunday lunchtimes with pork cotoletta. The golden-fried crumbed whoppers come with sage and aioli, and are available in strictly limited numbers, so book quick.

• The Waratah celebrates International Women’s Day on Sunday March 9, bringing female bartenders (from Maybe Sammy and Bar Planet) to the front. Funds raised on the day will be donated to Rize Up, an organisation dedicated to raising awareness and providing practical support to those affected by family and domestic violence.

What we covered this week

• First look: Otogo goes for round two with a second store near Town Hall Station, complete with an AI-trained sushi-wrapping robot for speedy lunches.

• The just-opened venues we got excited about in February, including a trio of all-you-can-eat barbeque buffets, pancakes from the Continental Deli team and stretchy ice-cream from Tripoli.

• Local Knowledge: Sun Ming, one of Sydney’s oldest Hong Kong cafes, is the family-run joint for Chinese “soul food”.

• Now open: Flora is the Continental Deli team’s butter-yellow, veggie-powered brunch spot. New to Australia Street, it’s a hot contender for Sydney’s best pancakes, served with ricotta, cacao husk, smoked maple syrup and espresso butter.

• Toby Wilson’s latest cooking endeavour is… revolting. The Ricos Tacos founder and chef discovered a stash of retro cookbooks and is now whipping up Coca Cola eggs, “creamed lamb shape” and more.

You might’ve missed

• Local Knowledge: strap in for “super lamb soup” and skewers at Hurstville’s Shang Lamb Soup. The owner couple don’t have a hospo background, but they’re giving their all to a tight menu based around northern Chinese noodles.

• Three to try: new all-you-can-eat barbeque buffets (for when you just can’t get enough). Find a neon-lit Korean favourite, non-stop sushi and sashimi, and a lively yakiniku house in Glebe.

• The man behind Chin Chin is going for round two in Sydney, opening Grill Americano later this year. Melbourne’s popular Venetian grill restaurant is hitting historic CBD digs – and the menu’s getting a Sydney edge.