The Italian Corner opens for lunch and dinner today at Wickham, a sister restaurant to The Italian Cottage in Cessnock.
Owner and chef Rocky Singh had been keen to branch out to Newcastle, and was keeping an eye out for the right venue. He found it at the former home of The Coffee Club, at 1/38 Hannell Street.
The menu (and the overall vibe) is homestyle, family friendly, Italian. Antipasto options include baby squid, mussels, garlic prawns and burrata; mains range from scotch fillet to veal saltimbocca and pork cutlets; there's an 18-strong pizza menu; lots of pasta options; a kids' menu and a vegan menu (with pastas, pizzas, bruschetta and dessert).
For Rocky, service and the overall dining experience is as important as the food, and he prides himself on the customer feedback he has received since opening at Cessnock in 2019.
"Some people come back to see us in Cessnock twice a week ... and so many people come from Sydney, just for us," he told me this week.
"We have a booking system that tells us how many times people have been here - some people have been here 50, 60 times. If you look at our reviews online, go all the way down and you will see what we're about, and what we're proud of."
You can read more about The Italian Corner in the Newcastle Herald next week. It's open Monday to Sunday, 11.30am to 9pm (closed on Tuesdays).
Dinner with Adam Liaw
MasterChef Australia 2010 winner Adam Liaw is hosting a three-course dining experience at Maitland Town Hall on Friday, October 11, as part of Maitland Riverlights. The evening will be catered by Sprout Catering, with wine pairings from Boydell's Wines, live entertainment and a Q&A session with Adam Liaw where guests can learn about the stories behind the dishes.
"It's all about bringing people together to share memories, cultures and laughs over delicious food and wine," said Liaw, who is this year's Maitland Riverlights ambassador. "We've got everything from the fresh, zesty flavours of the Pacific Islands with a white fish kokoda to the rich, warming spices of Sri Lanka with braised beef cheeks."
Broke's bicentennial
The Broke Fordwich corner of the Hunter Valley is celebrating its bicentenary in October and has a number of events planned, one being the Spirit of the Vine Dinner at Margan Wines & Restaurant on October 11. Tickets are on sale now.
Broke School of Arts is hosting a Story of Broke exhibition from October 5 to 13, and October 12 is Back to Broke Day at Broke Recreation Ground where there will be food and market stalls, live music, carriage rides and even a cricket match to recreate the 1874 rivalry between Broke and Bulga.
A Facebook page has been set up - Broke Bicentennial 2024 - with further information and interesting historical photos from the region.
Also, Winmark Wines is hosting a dinner cabaret over two nights: RARE BIRD ensemble's Love & Forgetting: Tales from a Young Mixer. The show is a unique blend of wine, story and song coupled with a three-course meal by Sea Salt & Sage and wines from Winmark and The Little Wine Co. Tickets to performances on October 12 and 26 are on sale now at winmarkwines.com.au.
Great Aussie Pie
Bakers, pastry cooks, chefs and caterers: entries are now open for the 2024 Great Aussie Pie Competition which will be held at this year's Fine Food Australia. Registration details and deadlines are available online at greataussiepiecomp.com.au.
Whisky and craft spirits
Attending the inaugural Newcastle Bar Awards earlier this month at Bartholomew's on Newcastle's King Street, I was reminded what a stunning venue it is (both inside and out). On Saturday it's hosting The Newcastle Whisky & Craft Spirits Festival. Tickets can be purchased to one of two sessions - 2pm to 5pm, or 5.30pm to 8.30pm - where there will be masterclasses, tastings and food. Details at wacsfestival.com.au/events. The venue is also hosting a special High Tea with Ink Gin on October 20.
Sydney for foodies
The Home Cooking Show and the Cake, Bake and Sweets will take over ICC Sydney at Darling Harbour from September 27 to 29. You can check out new food and drink products, cooking and baking demonstrations, participate in hands-on workshops, and meet celebrity chefs and MasterChef and MKR contestants.
The Australian leg of the World Food Championships will take place at the Home Cooking Show, with chefs competing for a "golden ticket" entry to the World Championship Finals in Indianapolis in November.
And on September 28 and 29 the Carriageworks at Eveleigh will host the 2024 Australian Sake Festival where there will be 100 Australian distributors and Japanese sake breweries, more than 200 sake varieties available to taste, sake-ware and artisan Japanese ceramics, food stalls and Japanese drum performances.
Short and sweet
Jana Restaurant & Bar at QT Newcastle has appointed a new executive chef (to replace Shayne Mansfield, who has moved to Brisbane). It's all hush-hush for now, but we can expect some "big changes", I am told. Any guesses?
A Japanese restaurant is opening at Westfield Kotara's The Rooftop soon. It's called Umaya and it will offer everything from sushi and sashimi, to donburi and ramen.
Pork Ewe Deli's 10th birthday celebrations are in full swing, the highlight being a fun, five-course long lunch at Ravella on Sunday, September 29. Tickets are on sale now. Also, keep an eye out for Saturday Meet The Maker sessions at the Mayfield deli: De Iuliis Wines on August 31 and Lisa McGuigan Wines on September 14.
Tinshed Brewery at Dungog has released a 4.8% Lemon Ale just in time for spring.
Closed Bar at Islington has a $50 Feed Me menu and a $66 Feed Me More menu on the weekend, noon to 4pm. Think torched scallops, gin-cured fish, jamon rolled pork, smoked corn ribs ... yum.
Taste of the Hunter Valley at The Station Newcastle has a new date: Sunday, September 22, 11am to 7pm.
The Newy Fried Chicken "Test Kitchen" is back and this week it's Dorito Chicken Po Boy with Lemon Pepper Shaker Fries (Dorito crumbed chicken tenders, shredded lettuce, tomato, tangy pickles and house made remoulade sauce, served on a Vo's bakery baguette). Available daily until sold out.
Winemaker Matthew Atallah is co-hosting the Atallah Wine Dinner at Harrison's Food & Wine, Hamilton, on September 25. Six courses paired with premium cool climate wines - and tickets are just $120 per head. This will sell out so get in quickly! As an aside, chef Tony Harrison's $50 Sunday lunch roast looks next level ... bookings from 11.30am.
