Better get a bucket for all this Gluttony - Fringe Food'n'Booze Review.

It seems the Gluttony (- A decadent feast for the senses)  a part of the Fringe opening weekend festival got their sums horribly wrong.  So wrong were the numbers that on Sunday the  equation had completely changed.   Entry fee advertised pre event was $10+ Booking fee (through the fringtix site)  This ticket price included the perfunctory courtesy of a wine glass.  As we wondered past the enty gate of the Gluttony Fest. and headed to another event we were informed by an attendee that entry was free for a "short time".  We sauntered in and had a quick look, just to see what was on offer and how the event was being put together.  The staging had elements of Friday evenings Fringe opening concert which was a roaring success, or so I am informed.  As we loitered at the Sparrow Kitchen & Bar stall, an acquaintance made it clear that the event was terribly attended the previous day. The number 'a thousand' was mentioned and this rattled me a little.  It is only after I had time to think of the set up and the positioning of the event in the general Adelaide festival scheme - one thousand is not an ideal number. 

So the reason was clear, the equation had changed because organisers realised their massive over sight. The entry fee had been waived to increase the punter numbers walking through in a hope to raise the trade of the stall holders.  People seemed to have taken advantage of the open entry policy, but the damaged had been done.  Saturday's tiny attendance could be attributed to and probably will be if you talk to the event managers to the busy Adelaide schedule and the hot weather.  The Garden of Unearthly Delights across Rundle St. is free entry and has many varied food stalls, wine, beer and entertainment available all for the low low cost of $0.  It seriously begs the question why would you have two events running side by side offering relatively the same thing and expect people to attend the one with the $10 entrance fee! Madness!

There is the underlying fact that these sorts of events are not indicative of the food or standard of food at the the stalls' parent location.  One example is The Pot Food and Wine tent offering  bbq'd chicken "salad" plate in a wrap or a cup, it looked unimpressive and drab.  I would hazard a guess that The Pot Restaurant actually serves a much more interesting menu on King William Rd.

Any way after some snooping and sniffing we opted for a couple of ales and a plate of paella from the combined stalls of The Tivoli Hotel and The Union Hotel, it was terrific!  The paella was smokey, very aromatic and had the perfect Calasparra rice texture.  The princeley sum of $12  a plate was worth the effort.  Calasparra rice just happens to be one of the most expensive rice varieties in the world - merely because of the location it is grown and when you are sure it is the real deal the price tag is often worth it.  The Ale was less impressive, it was more of an empirical taste test to see if James Squire had squeezed every drop of marketing worth from what is essentially a middle of the road beer.  Many years ago Golden Ale was hoppier and more vibrant, now it is well suited to a can.  Despite this biased negativity toward highly filtered ale I would have gone thirsty for cans of Hahn Super Dry seemed a punishment not fitting the crime.

I am positive for the future of the event but would like to see it progress past a few tents in a circle following the same format as all the other loosely related events.  What is wrong with one of the many grassy square's in the CBD, they seem begging to be used for such an event, divert the weekend traffic and create a focal point for foodies and socialites to gather away from the usual fringe suspects.  Imagination was definitely not at the core of the early phase of this event and neither was common sense for that matter. 

Giles

nb{It bodes poorly for the Fringe that the issue of entrance fees to a registered Fringe Festival event where the punter is obliged to spend dollars can proceed, the focus of the entire Festival has been broadened beyond any resemblance of an eclectic assemblage of artists}

Fresh, Zingy Pad Thai - Video Recipe

Sneaky Stinky Fringe - Quick Review

Just when I thought it was safe to sit on the couch of a Saturday afternoon and focus hard on turning my brain to detritus by flicking through channels of afternoon drivel - The Adelaide Fringe Festival is suddenly upon us! Once again I find myself in a City park aghast at obscene prices on low carb filth and poorly "locally manufactured" European Lager.  The eclectic gathering has its own charm, the sort of charm that squelches between your feet with moistness and smell that slip the hint - It's culture people!  Hot steaming piles of it!  As the Garden of Unearthly Delights expands to absorb more of the Eastern Parkland between North Terrace and Rundle Street the killer is now hard to recognise from the filler when smeared with all the culture. The same could be said for the food outlets: It is difficult to know what is really Fringe Food or what is a opportunistic cash rendering tent devoted to dividing you from your coin and delivering sub par quality and or quantities.  The Ozzie Gozleme, Barbecued Savoury Turkish Pastries has returned and it sits proudly at the middle ground between reasonable price and good quality.  Although it is easy to get disappointed when you see a whopping crescent shape of pastry hit the BBQ hotplate and come to the service your hopes are shattered when the crispy crust is dissected with inevitable cunning.  The Lamb Pastry is a hefty $11 and the Vegie option is equally meaty at $10.  If you take some time to consider the numbers you realise why the Ozzie Gozleme only needs one gig a year!!  Who said the food business was risky? (Only risky on your walk to your car park!)

Another blatant attempt at parting you and your earnings is Squid inc.  The maths is strikingly simple: $10 gets you some very nicely deep fried portions of squid and a few stodgy wedges.  The squid portions were tender and had a pre hot oil dusting of spice that was very subtle, mixed spice or five spice did get a mention - there was no confirmed ingredients.  The name says it all really, Squid Incorporated hints at some fairly serious behaviour, aside from the flashy wordplay...  What's wrong with Calamari Pty. Ltd. (Squid inc. is better) 

Those that lurked at the fringes of our society are the frugal and frisky, cunning and devious, dashing and daring. The labels suit the activity and the activity is well oiled and seemingly honest. However as the pages of Fringe guides become glossier and the fences get higher the muck and culture seem to muddle up in a swill of opportunism not expression and art! Most of the niches fill for a reason here at the Garden of Unearthly Delights and when you wipe away the gathering culture and are rid of the acrid smell we the punter end up looking stupid and gullible.

Giles

If we are all at the fringe, we've progressed no further than where we were before!