OUR INSTAGRAM DIARY – FOOD, cocktails and sweet VALENTINES

It’s a great start to the week for us.

We catch up with a friend we haven’t seen for ages. She lives in Macao these days, living the casino life. It sounds glamorous, but she’s delighted to be back in Australia for a while. We sit and have a coffee in the city, which seems to have a bird sitting in it!

We’re looking forward to this week – a few very fun things planned. and let’s not forget Valentine’s Day!

Still thinking about the incredible meal we had at Alpha restaurant last week. My mouth’s still watering from thoughts of their signature moussaka dish… but that could also be because I’ve had to stare at this picture while writing up our review of this great Greek restaurant.

We head to the Rabbit hole Bar on Elizabeth street in Sydney tonight. It’s the bar’s first birthday, so they’re celebrating with some very cool cocktails and exceptional finger food. It’s funny being back here: Mrs R and I had our first drink in this bar when we met.

The Rabbit hole used to be be Bar Europa for any individual who’s been in Sydney a few years. The new owners have changed the look and feel of the place, but it’s still got a great vibe. It’s a cool little hidden bar well worth a visit.

One of the best things the Rabbit hole Bar has at its party is a tray of these little fellas. Micro sliders of the full-sized version. The real thing was awarded fifth best burger in the world recently! I’m so impressed. I’ll be heading back here to try a big one out soon I think!

Lunchtime pork overload! I’ve seen these things on Instagram a lot recently and after a quick bit of searching, I’ve discovered they’re just up Oxford street near Taylor Square.

Mr Crackles is a sandwich shop that must also be considered a shrine to delicious. This is the Crackles classic – pork stomach with lots of crackling with an apple slaw and Vietnamese salad all stuffed into a Vietnamese crusty baguette.

I also ask for the extra spicy chilli – but then I would, wouldn’t I?

While I’m stuffing my face with a Crackles Classic, Mrs romance is at an event at Sydney Uni. This is her table setting – not bad, ay? They’ve even spelled her name right! Lol! (She often gets ‘Christine’, which winds her up no end.)

Mrs R brings me home a single-serve Tim Tam from the event. It’s best timing as I’ve just made myself an espresso to stop the pork coma taking me down after that Crackles Classic.

Mrs R is a terrific wife and often brings me back little treats. It’s a charming thing she does and very thoughtful… though my suspicious mind wonders if she might be fattening me up for a special classic Crackles of her own!

Tonight Mrs R heads into the city for the March into Merivale 2014 launch. March will see a range of cool food and white wine events people can take pleasure in around the various and many Merivale venues in Sydney.

It’s a busy night for Merivale, but Mrs R enjoys herself and takes advantage of all the good stuff on offer.

Today we take things down a notch and talk about a cute little tea room in the Essex countryside. When we were in the UK recently, I checked out the Tiptree Tearooms and Jam factory with my mum and dad.

Mrs R missed out on the opportunity of trying a proper English ploughman’s for lunch as she was at a London hair expo. I think when she saw this pic, she was a bit disappointed – I know I would have been!

Mrs R is very delighted today. Her stationery buy has arrived. This little bundle of cuteness is from Emma Kate Creative, who has collaborated with the exceptional Chantelle from Fat mum Slim to create this charming range of Scattered love postcards.

To offset the cuteness and lady-world of the (lovely) postcards Mrs R has purchased, we head to the Oaks for the first in a series of beer festivals in Sydney.

The 6 states of Beer is a celebration of domestic craft beer from each of the six Australian states. events are held at the Oaks in Neutral Bay and are $60 each (or $250 for a six-event ‘passport’). They’re hosted by the Beer Diva herself – Kirrily Waldhorn, and are as follows:

Victoria: Beers, Bites & Beats – February 13, 2014
Tasmania: Beer & Cheese – April 16, 2014
Western Australia: Beer & chocolate – June 18, 2014
New South Wales: Beer & Pork – August 13, 2014
Queensland: Beer & seafood – October 15, 2014
South Australia: Beer vs. white wine – December 10, 2014

Tickets are available at SixStatesofBeer.EventBrite.com.au.

The Oaks – a charming setting for some great beer tasting!

The pub is not named after the tree in the middle of the courtyard, by the way. It’s actually named after the brewery that used to be across the road when the pub was built in 1885. The oak tree that stands there now was planted in 1938.

And here it is: Valentine’s Day. Some people love it, some people hate it. however you feel about it, the 14th Feb is a good excuse to love it up a bit and be great to your partner. If there’s no one around that you think should have that kind of attention, send a card to your mum – or even just text her! She’ll love that.

Mrs R embraces Valentine’s Day – or at least her hair does – with this very cool heart braid. It genuinely is a Hair Romance!

There’s nothing quite like saying I love you than with a glass of champagne. In fact I think a lot of things must be made with a glass of champagne in hand. besides swimming. That’s just wasteful!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.

This week’s He Said, She said is a difficult one. We challenged each other to write a list top ten places we want to travel to as soon as possible. It’s not hard to write such list but then to narrow it down to just ten – that’s when things become a lot more difficult.

Once again though we’re shocked with each other’s lists – there are uncanny similarities in both of them even though we don’t read what the other person’s written until after we’ve hit ‘publish’.

Here’s the link to He Said, She said – where do you want to travel this year?

If you have a topic you’d like us see go over in a He Said, She said story, tell us and we’ll have a crack at it.

Have a great week, everyone!

Images by Mr and Mrs romance by means of Instagram: @MrAndMrsRomance, @HairRomance and of course @AngryBastard!