As one door closes, another opens.
Popular Pokolbin cafe and bakery Fawk Foods is closing on Sunday, September 17, but EXP. restaurant will be opening for a late lunch on Saturdays from September 23. Both businesses are run by husband and wife team Frank and Emma Fawkner.
"It's a great thing. It gives us the freedom to push the boundaries of EXP. and extend a Saturday lunch service," Frank said.
Fawk Foods opened five years ago and quickly gained a following. It opened daily at 7am which was appreciated by Hunter Valley locals.
"There is no shortage of top quality restaurants in the Hunter Valley perfect for a long lunch or indulgent dinner, but good quality, reasonably priced food can be a challenge to find early in the morning or when you're on the run throughout the day," Frank told the Newcastle Herald in 2018.
The time is right, though, to focus on the hatted EXP. restaurant's growth. Frank and his team made the top 25 restaurants in NSW list in Gourmet Traveller's restaurant guide late last month.
Read more: An appetite for fine dining excellence
"We are so thrilled to be included. To be sitting amongst such company across NSW and the country is amazing," Frank said.
"We have such an amazing team who all contribute to make the restaurant what it is today, so a massive shout out to Josh, Harri, Bella, Gareth, Piper, Tom, Leanne, Kat and Angelo. Emma and I are so thankful for all of their work and dedication.
"I put EXP's success down to time and always improving. We are now eight years old and over this time we kept searching for ways to improve our food, our service, the way we serve our menu, the produce we source and the eclectic handcrafted pieces we use to add to the experience.
"All these small improvements over the past eight years are now paying off. It is such a great reward for the team and we plan to knuckle down and keep pushing on to improve even further."
The current menu is a thing of beauty and showcases some of the best produce on the market from the likes of Binnie Beef, Mother Fungus Mushrooms, Little Hill Farm, Redgate Farm, Nebo Farm and Newcastle Greens.
Think MB6-7 karubi plate wagyu bacon served on baby red gem lettuce with native satay; king oyster mushroom with egg yolk and smoked mushroom miso sauce and crispy wagyu bacon; wattleseed and coffee tiramisu; and hiramasa kingfish ceviche tartlet with kohlrabi smoked trout dashi, shio koji and wild fennel.
LIVE AND COOKIN'
Live and Cookin @ Lizotte's has a new head chef, Luke Smith. He was born in Lancashire, England, and has lived in Australia for the past 20 years. He was head chef at a wilderness resort in the Northern Territory and most recently worked at Bar Petite in Newcastle.
He says he likes to cook "fresh honest food that hits the mood".
I'd forgotten that Brian and Jo Lizotte once ran a catering service for music tours, venues and promoters. They've cooked for the likes of Billy Joel, U2 and the Rolling Stones. I bet they have some stories to tell.
FESTIVAL FUN
Sunday's Living Together Festival at Speers Point Park has a strong food focus. At 10am there's a South American street food cooking demonstration; at 11.15am you can find out how to cook a traditional Afghan meal; there's a bush tucker talk at noon; and at 12.30pm there's a poori and chickpea curry cooking demonstration.
At Saturday's Living Smart Festival, also at Speers Point Park, learn about The Pumpkin Project with Slow Food Hunter Valley (9am); low waste cooking with Oz Harvest (10am); making dough with The Sourdough Baker (11am); seasonal fermenting with Wholefood Family (noon); and baking bread in a woodfired oven with the Sourdough Baker (1pm).
Plan your weekend by visiting lakemac.com.au.
Read more: OzHarvest at Feast for the Senses under the stars
SHORT AND SWEET
National Cheeseburger Day is on Monday, September 18, and Burger Point Kotara is offering a $7 cheeseburger on the day to celebrate. They opened recently at The Rooftop and and offer a Filipino-fusion diner-style menu.
Thermidor Oyster Bar & Brasserie has opened at Honeysuckle and co-owner Jess Gregory says the "weekend went really well, it felt like we'd been open for months". Make a reservation today. Jess and Josh are good folk and extremely good at what they do.
Read more: Thermidor is Newcastle hospitality couple's coastal love letter to diners
Boo Seeka is headlining this year's Carrodise Festival at Earp Distilling Co in Carrington on December 23.
Papatya cafe at Marks Point is now open for dinner on the last Saturday of every month. The first dinner is on September 30 and has a Turkish theme. Bookings are now being taken.
Read more: Fine dining chef Ashley Patfield brings a world of flavours to Marks Point
Fans of Korean fried chicken will be pleased to know Busan Chicken Hub is opening at Cardiff soon. Shop 4/286 Main Road, to be exact.
Chef Larry Woodcock had so much fun hosting a pop-up lunch - Larry's Lunch - at Harrison's Food and Wine restaurant in Hamilton last month that he's doing it all again on Sunday, September 17. If you're lucky you might still be able to book a seat.
Donarch Fine Chocolate is opening a store at on Northcote Street at Kurri Kurri tomorrow. It will be open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, and Saturday, 9am to noon.
A new Indian restaurant has opened on Darby Steet in Cooks Hill. It's called Indian Treasure and its opening hours are Monday to Wednesday, 5pm to 10pm, and Thursday to Sunday, 11.30am to 10pm.
Spicers Guesthouse at Pokolbin is hosting a four-course, wine-matched fundraising lunch for Beyond Blue at éRemo Restaurant on Sunday, October 22. There will be auctions and entertainment, and the event host is Johanna Griggs. Tickets are $159 per person.
