This is what I heard when I opened the door the other day to a visitor. It was about as strange as it sounds, but not quite as out of the blue.

A few days earlier we arrived home to find a lump of clay, wrapped in gladwrap, along with an invitation to take part in a public art project, called The Stables. To commemorate the critical role that horses and stables have played in Erskineville’s history (what that role is beats me… perhaps I’ll need to check out the exhibition), the artist invited people to craft their own model of a horse and leave it for collection, firing, and display.

Erko is at times a pretty odd place. Exhibition starts along Erskineville Rd on Oct 11.

If you’re wondering: we didn’t make a horse.

Late last year I saw the Google car taking pictures in my area when walking home; sure enough, I feature on the corner of Leamington Ave and Pine St, Newtown.

Twelve is a slightly-upmarket (relatively speaking) restaurant on King St, Newtown. It’s got big glass windows for that fishbowl/watch-the-world-go-by effect. For the first time I can remember for ages, all 5 of us at dinner (my family came along too) had no complaints or regrets in our meals. Beautiful food, well made & presented, good service, and a dessert menu that’s worth going back for alone.

Particularly the sticky toffee pudding.

Burgerlicious was Sunday lunch. Fresh, tasty, and just like your traditional local burger-shop, only a step up in quality.

Shenkin was a real winner. This little cafe in Erskineville (Erko rd, up towards the Newtown end) is run by an Israeli family – the whole family too [thanks Dave in the comments]. They do decent coffee, have a decent menu, and make simply fantastic chocolate croissants. Often when I’ve had them before, particularly from French bakeries, I’ve been very disappointed in the little hard pellet-like chocolate filling. These, however, were the real deal. The chocolate seems to be an integral (load-bearing) pastry ingredient. Excellent gear.

Finally, although this wasn’t birthday fare, The Bank near Newtown station has a brilliant Thai restaurant underneath it, Sumalee Thai. For Newtown it’s definately pricey, but absolutely wipes the floor with every other thai place, including Pothong Thai. Up in the pub, however, from 6pm on a weekday night you can get a beer plus a thai curry for $10. Delicious bargain.

Any other favourite dining places?

11:30 pm, Sunday night: Guy across the road is playing saxophone very loudly. Playing is actually a generous term. If I hadn’t heard him play before (at similar times of the day night) I would be firmly convinced he’s never played before. Or even seen a sax.

10 minutes ago: I walk over to ask him to call it quits. He’s drunk, and ‘playing’ along to jazz coming out very loud from his stereo. Glad I live across the street, not next door.

Now there’s banging on his door from his neighbours. Shouting, swearing, threats. Lots of it.

Cops a-coming.