Nov 11, 2017
Sarah Doyle has played a pivotal role in Sydney's hospitality
scene. But there was a time she worked three jobs just to help keep
Bodega running. It was the first restaurant she opened with husband
and chef Elvis
Abrahanowicz, fellow co-owner and chef Ben Milgate and their
business partner/sommelier Joe Valore. And it was a game-changer –
its fun, punk, loud focus on good food and good times was
a contrast
to the mannered French fine-dining scene that was reigning in
Sydney hospitality at the time. But the queues came – and they took
the chance to follow it up with Porteno.
“I think you’re really going to struggle here,” a customer told
them. And when they found themselves short of money to buy cheesy
sauce at Harry's Cafe de Wheels, they wondered if they'd made
a dangerous
gamble. “What have we done?” Sarah wondered. "We put everything
into this."
But a rave review by Terry Durack in The Sydney Morning
Herald led to Porteno's blockbuster following – which has
sparked more venues for the team: Bodega 1904 at the Tramsheds,
Porteno splitting into
a special events venue and a stand-alone restaurant, Wyno, the wine
bar next to Porteno, and Continental Deli Bar Bistro, which is
known for its canned treats – like the Mar-tinny cocktail and
Neopoli-tin gelato. Then there are the other businesses
they've helped back – like LP's Quality Meats, Mary's and
Stanbuli.
Sarah has many fantastic stories from her 11 years in hospitality –
from her early days working at Australia's Wonderland to her
amazing ability to land the mid-century Marie-Louise salon site for
Stanbuli and
her career highlight of seeing one of her idols dine at
Porteno.
Plus, she shares her unique perspective of being a long-time
vegetarian who works in restaurants famous for their meat dishes,
her unlikely career path to becoming a well-known figure within
hospitality and where she likes to eat and drink in Sydney.
PS Look out for Continental's cameo at the Newtown Locals Aussie
barbecue at Newtown Festival this Sunday.