When Ronnie Stricke and Rafael Tonon put their stamp on a hospitality venture, magic can and does happen.
The new Frenchie on Newcastle's Darby Street is a case in point, where Stricke is group operations manager and Tonon is group executive chef.
The pair have worked together in catering and at pop-up restaurants and are part of a team that manages Frenchie as well as MEET, Alfie's Italian + Wine Bar, and Charred Takeaway.
Ally McLean is the newly-appointed group restaurant manager at Alfie's and Frenchie.
The new Frenchie is smaller, more intimate, and more contemporary in feel than Carrington's Frenchie, which was located at the old Criterion Hotel. It's classy and elegant but still cosy.
"While Frenchie in Carrington was loved for its charm, warmth and neighbourhood feel, the new Frenchie is a more refined and considered expression of what the restaurant could be," Stricke said.
"It still carries the same personality - fun, confident, a little cheeky - but the Darby Street site gives us the opportunity to elevate the offering across food, wine, service, and the overall experience.
"The move also feels like a natural fit for Newcastle's East End precinct, which continues to grow as one of the city's most exciting dining and hospitality destinations. We want Frenchie to contribute to that energy."
Alfie's at New Lambton is the only venue managed by the group not located at the city end of Darby Street. Will Alfie's be joining its sibling venues in Newcastle?
"Alfie's is absolutely staying put in New Lambton. He's well and truly part of the New Lambton community," director Mitchell Steel said.
"As for the Darby Street precinct, we're excited by the energy that is building at that end of town and the opportunity it gives us to keep creating. Hospitality is an ever-changing industry, and we think you have to stay curious, creative and willing to evolve. As our group grows, we're always looking at how each venue fits into who we are now and where we're going next.
"So while Alfie's home is firmly in New Lambton, Darby Street gives us a really exciting chance to shape and evolve new ideas for the future. We don't want to give too much away just yet, but we're definitely not short on ideas."
Alfie's and Frenchie are sibling venues, each with their own distinct personality.
"However, they share the same focus on generous hospitality, great food, thoughtful wine, and creating venues people genuinely want to return to," Steel said.
"As our portfolio continues to grow, Alfie's and Frenchie will play an important role in leading the way - setting the standard for the kind of venues we want to create into the future."
While drawing on - and respecting - French techniques and flavour profiles, chef Tonon has made sure there is a little wriggle room on Frenchie's menu; just enough flexibility to experiment and push boundaries.
"My background in cooking is very mixed, and my love for different techniques and cuisines knows no bounds," Tonon said.
"My heritage is Brazilian and Italian, but food for me has always centred around family, connection and bringing people together. The technique and skill all stem from that.
"At Frenchie we like to have fun and push some boundaries, while still staying true to the French principles of discipline, balance, restraint, and the considered building of flavour.
"We've kept a couple of classics from our last space, but the rest is new and seasonal. The menu will change with the seasons. We work with a number of local producers, and using the right ingredients at the right time is incredibly important to us, especially when it comes to balancing richness with freshness."
Early favourites on the menu are the lamb belly with Jerusalem artichoke and black olive, the steak tartare with paper-thin frites, and the pumpkin gnocchetti with pumpkin, sage and goats curd.
The leek with beurre blanc and finger lime is a standout. So, too, is the pretty-as-a-picture snapper with olives, citrus and espelette, and the salad with eschallots and fine herbs.
"The Frenchie burger has been really fun - we serve it in a pink burger bun on a silver platter, which people have loved," Tonon said.
"The pork and prune croquettes have been a hit as well and so has the French onion dip."
The wine offering is unapologetically French.
"We wanted Frenchie's wine list to feel considered, interesting and a little different to what you might find elsewhere. For now, we're leaning into the French side of things and having fun with it," Stricke said.
"That's not to say we'll never feature wines from other regions, but at this stage it feels right to let Frenchie be Frenchie.
"The wines have been carefully selected to complement the food, the room and the kind of experience we want people to have here - relaxed, thoughtful and full of character."
