Week two of Newcastle Food Month (April 10 to 14) is even busier than the first. Here is a snapshot of the feature events on offer. To book, visit newcastlefoodmonth.com.au.
April 10
Italian Seafood Degustation - Sapori at Tailors
Sittings at 5.15pm or 7.30pm, $120
Enjoy a selection of premium seafood dishes, combining both modern and traditional Italian culinary techniques. Six entrees and one main course will be served, and there is the option to pair Italian wines with each plate.
Gin & Din: A Cocktail Dinner Degustation - Oh My Papa
Sittings at 6pm or 7.30pm, $150
A unique gin degustation where five mini cocktails are paired with five dishes crafted using a mix of traditional and modern Asian-inspired flavours and techniques.
April 11
A Taste of Soul - Soul Hub
6pm to 9pm, $180 for a table of 4
This is an opportunity to wine and dine at Soul Hub, a hub of transformation and regrowth for hundreds of our city's most vulnerable. You will receive a close-up look at Soul's inner world, a two-course meal prepared by Soul's volunteer cooks and a guided tour of the facility. You will also hear stories of how Soul has helped to transform lives.
Italian Cheese & Wine Masterclass - Arno Deli
6pm to 9pm, $140
An intimate cheese and wine masterclass where you'll sample six of Italy's lesser-known (but just as delicious) cheese varieties paired with six Italian wines. You'll learn about the history of each cheese, where and how it's made, and what to look for when searching for the perfect wine pairing.
Pork Ewe Deli Cheese Masterclass
6.30pm to 8pm, $89
Cheesemonger and owner of Pork Ewe Deli, Sam Glover, will host this curated cheese class from the Pork Ewe School. You will leave the class talking, tasting and smelling like a cheese aficionado.
Jazz Sax at the Pub - Newcastle Music Festival + Foghorn Brewery
6.30pm to 9.30pm, $95
Enjoy Foghorn Brewery hand-crafted beers as well as an extensive range of wines. Entertainment on the night is by musicians from Newcastle's own Sax Blue, a quartet made up of sax players from Dungeon Big Band. A two-course meal and a drink on arrival are included in your ticket price.
April 12
Icky Sticky High Tea - Ms Mary at Crystalbrook Kingsley
Sittings from 10am to 5pm, $89
Ms Mary at Crystalbrook Kingsley has teamed up with Icky Sticky Patisserie for a High Tea experience that includes sweet and savoury treats, freshly baked scones, T2 tea and Sprocket Single Origin Coffee, and a glass of First Creek 'Botanica' sparkling on arrival.
Osteria Papazzo: Authentic Italian Weekly Pop-Up Nights at Talulah
4.30pm to 9.30pm
A casual authentic Italian pop-up restaurant with a handcrafted traditional a la carte menu by Neapolitan chef Alessandra Papazzo with a selection of Italian wines and natural Australian wines. Aperitivo time starts at 4.30pm and dinner kicks off at 5.30pm.
April 13
Icky Sticky High Tea - Ms Mary at Crystalbrook Kingsley
Sittings from 10am to 5pm, $89
Pork Ewe Deli Cheese Masterclass (sold out)
11am to 12.30pm, $89
Old Vines, New Wines Long Lunch - Wine Selectors + Roundhouse at Crystalbrook Kingsley (sold out)
12.30pm to 3.30pm, $149
You can add your name to the waitlist by online at newcastlefoodmonth.com.au. Guests will sample 13 wines in a blind tasting paired with a three-course lunch curated by Roundhouse executive chef Matthew Smith. Wineries Comyns & Co, First Creek Wines, Mount Pleasant and Tyrrell's will be competing for your vote.
Afternoons at Bar Mellow
2pm to 6pm, $140
Enjoy a glass of bubbles on arrival followed by four cocktails featuring seasonal fresh produce and accompanied by food pairings. Bar Mellow staff will use boutique Australian spirits including gins and vodka and incorporate techniques such as meringue foam, brown butter fat wash, and clarified milk punch.
Sagra della Cucina e Vino - Una Volta
6pm to 9.30pm, $150
Enjoy a four-course Italian feast to share and premium wines from the Hunter Valley's Hart & Hunter.
April 14
Icky Sticky High Tea - Ms Mary at Crystalbrook Kingsley
Sittings from 10am to 5pm, $89
Hungerford Hill x Light Years Pinot Party
Noon to 4pm, $150
A premium four-course banquet featuring signature Light Years flavours paired with five glasses of pinot from Hungerford Hill Wines (sparkling, gris, grigio, meunier and noir). This is a set menu however dietaries may be catered for with advanced notice.
Sunday Session #2: Vinden and Sabi Wabi - Vecina
Noon to 3pm, $95
Vecina, Flotilla's new neighbour in Wickham, is transforming into a pop-up cellar door every Sunday in April. Session two features winemakers Angus Vinden of Vinden Wine and Peta Kotz of Sabi Wabi, who will showcase a selection of their contemporary wines paired with snacks from Vecina.
Coastline - A Tour of the Mediterranean Through Food - Thermidor
Noon to 4pm, $195
Take a trip along the Mediterranean Coast at this four-course, share-style, lunch paired with wine from the region.
The Flavours of the Basque Region - Harrison's Food and Wine
12.30pm to 3.30pm, $75
Discover the flavours of the Basque region, from pintxos to tapas and fresh seafood, while host Tony Harrison guides you through a selection of matched wines (an optional extra).
Indulge in the Ultimate Sunday Long Lunch Experience - Elementa
12.30pm to 4pm, $175
Canapes on arrival followed by a five-course share-style set menu and matched wines.
Read more: Newcastle Food Month photo contest winners
