Where Chefs Eat: The Ultimate Sweet Treat Is Beachside, According to Corner 75’s Carley Scheidegger

There’s a pastry chef at the helm of Randwick’s treasured Hungarian kitchen, Corner 75. Which is why the strudel, with its hand-rolled pastry and lightly spiced apple filling, is so bloody good. “I kind of zone out when I make it,” Carley Scheidegger tells Broadsheet, about her favourite dish to create. “Let’s call it a meditative exercise.”

Beyond desserts, Scheidegger’s sending out schnitzels and creamed spinach, warm little bowls of matzo ball soup and buttery nokedli, honeyed cheese scones and langos galore. “It’s been a steep learning curve but one I’m really enjoying. Pastry chefs often get put in a box when it comes to management roles within restaurants. I feel proud to have been considered for the role – the opportunity came up and I would have been silly not to take it.”

We’re glad she wasn’t silly. Book a table, stat, then make moves to one of her other favourites in Sydney.

Quick takeaway dinner: Bella Brutta, always. That clam pizza never fails.

Lunch on the go: Small Talk. I used to go to the shop in Glebe, which sadly closed. It’s a little harder to get the fix now, but I go for the salmon lox – with extra chive cream cheese – when I can.

Ideal date: Fontana in Redfern. It’s the best spot for every occasion. There isn’t a time when I don’t feel like dining there. Get every snack – they change, and they are all great. Get the ricotta. The prawn and pistachio tonnarelli. The gelato is amazing – my favourite is the mango when summer hits.

Special occasion: Sixpenny. Everything sort of slows down when you walk through those doors, I’m consistently blown away the hospitality.

Snack and a drink: a snack and a drink at Cafe Paci always turns into dinner and a bottle of wine. It’s hard to leave. Highlights for me are the devilled eggs, calzone and duck torta salata. I recently had the potato blini with mud crab and hollandaise. And the bread deserves a special mention too.

Big group: Fratelli Paradiso – no-brainer.

Long lunch: Porcine in Paddington. It’s the kind of food that feels so luxurious, perfect for a long Sunday lunch. The dining room on a sunny day is very special.

Bucket list restaurant: Chez Panisse, obviously.

Something sweet: I’m a big pastry girl, no surprise. The Iggy’s pain au chocolat is my ultimate sweet treat.

At-home kitchen hack: having homemade stock in the freezer. We always have chicken stock in one-litre containers ready to go. It makes dinner so much easier and tastier when you’re short on time.

Top late-night snack, post-service: pasta, butter, salt. Not the most imaginative, but it’s never failed me.

@carleysch
@corner.75