Doing it for the 'culcha'
Valentinas is built by the people, for the people. It’s not concerned with the burnt yuzu butter, ochazuke, or any showy emerging trends across Sydney cafes. Operating in a food-scene whipped by Instagram and the raging visual appetite, Valentinas isn’t looking to others to find a seat on a bandwagon. It’s intent on nurturing a locale that is real, warm and with good intentions.
"This alone makes it much easier to pay a premium for a dish because we know it is part of the community building process."
Like its neighbourhood compadres (Small Talk, Pepito’s, and Pizza Madre to rattle off a few), the American diner-inspired haunt is part of a wider movement. One whose mission is to cultivate identity in a city which is still under construction in many ways. Aside from the salt of the earth service, fun food and charming fittings, they are able to generate their sense of self through their undeniably cool merchandise which include T-shirts, hoodies, and of course the customary Inner West tote bags. Valentinas takes it up a notch by adding their own plates, cups and signature menu to their photogenically curated repertoire, thanks to the magic touch of Tork Design.
The emphasis on the local is crucial. Using produce from Whole Beast Butchery on Illawarra Rd and cross-suburb neighbour Grumpy Donuts, it is assuring to know that neighbourhood businesses are looking out for each other. This alone makes it much easier to pay a premium for a dish because we know it is part of the community building process.
Would the average American rave about their food? Probably not.
Does it matter? Nah.
It all comes out in a flash, as you would expect in a diner. The sausage in the breakfast “sandwich” is excellent. It’s not a mish mash of miscellaneous meat, but a quality banger interwoven with fennel seeds and peppery notes. The fried chicken plate isn’t easy on the arteries but good on a satisfying and soothing level. The collard greens are treated with a generous sodium bath but still retain a mellow gratifying bitterness, and the cheesy grits are simply a tasty carb pairing to the medium batter fried chicken.
Small businesses like Valentinas are showing great character and strength to be true to themselves. Sydney is very much in infancy as a city, but it's neighbourhood joints like these which are planting a seed for people to live more cohesively together and envision a palpable identity for the wider social community. Happy birthday Valentinas.
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