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PARMI or parma? It doesn't matter when it comes to taste.
The search for the best pub parmigiana in the state has been narrowed down to 16 finalists, and some Hunter venues are on the list.
Judges in the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) NSW Awards for Excellence have been touring pubs to whittle down a record number of entrants.
The winner will be named at a gala ceremony on Tuesday, October 31, at Randwick racecourse.
The Hunter finalists include the Nags Head Hotel at Adamstown, The Prince of Merewether and The Rutherford Hotel.
AHA NSW chief executive officer John Whelan said the category was only in its third year but was quickly becoming one of the most popular parts of the annual awards.
"The parmi has long been a staple part of the pub menu, but the dishes listed in this year's awards are in a category all their own," he said.
Full list of finalists:
- Camden Valley Inn, Cawdor
- Country Club Hotel Tooleybuc, Tooleybuc
- Eagle Hawk Hotel, Sutton
- Finnian's Tavern, Port Macquarie
- Nags Head Hotel, Adamstown
- O'Donoghues, Emu Plains
- Ophir Hotel, Orange
- Peel Inn Hotel, Nundle
- Tacking Point Tavern, Port Macquarie
- Bistro Mosman, The Buena, Mosman
- The Prince of Merewether, Merewether
- The Rutherford Hotel, Rutherford
- The Warilla Hotel, Warilla
- The Winston, Winston Hills
- Waterfront Tavern, Shell Cove
- Willowdale Hotel, Denham Court