This Sunday, September 1, is Father's Day. And yes, we shouldn't need a designated day of the year to celebrate our dads, but that's the way the world is.
There are quite a few venues in the Newcastle and Hunter regions committed to making your dad feel appreciated. Here are a few.
At Nelson Bay, the month-long Love Sea Food Tastes at the Bay festival goes out with a bang at the Tastes Weekend of Food, Wine and Jazz. There will be free live jazz at d'Albora Marinas all weekend, and a festival marketplace where you can sample wine and craft beer and explore more than 70 stalls manned by winemakers, brewers and oyster farmers. There will also be fun prawn-shelling and oyster-shucking competitions just for dads.
Bar Petite will host its monthly Latin Flavours courtyard paella party on Father's Day from 3pm onwards. With this event, and all others listed below, bookings are advised.
MEET restaurant on Darby Street is offering all-you-can-eat churrasco from noon onwards, and at the Argenton Hotel there will be a BBQ in the backyard serving up variations of surf and turf favourites plus cold salads.
Hotel Delany is firing up the barbecue for an American-style share plate with grilled steak, pork belly, smoked brisket, chorizo sausage and all the sauces and condiments dads know and love. If that's not enough, dad also gets a free schooner of craft beer.
Merewether's The Burwood Inn is serving two courses for $55 plus a beer for dad, while at the Sydney Junction Hotel there will be an all-you-can-eat Father's Day breakfast from 8.30am to 10am.
The Shortland Hotel is offering bistro specials plus face painting and a petting zoo for the kids; The Exchange Hamilton has $5 beers and $1 wings; and The Beaumont at Hamilton has decided on brunch - it will cost $20 for a "big breakfast" plus a beer or coffee.
The Great Northern Hotel Newcastle is opening early for breakfast on Father's Day with a free schooner on arrival for dad. The kitchen will also be cooking up a Sunday roast and mixed grill platter, with live music all day, free pool, caricature artists, sporting action screened live and entertainment for the kids.
Beresfield Bowling Club is offering a choice of one of the four mains - plus a drink and dessert - for $24. The Iron Horse Inn Cardiff will be open for lunch and dinner, with many prizes for dad to win; while the Honeysuckle Hotel will be serving an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast from 8.30am.
Newcastle Surf Lifesaving Club's Sunday Session will be on, with special happy hour drinks, live music and competition vouchers to be won. The Junkyard at Maitland will throw open its doors at noon, with the "big daddy plate" on the go until sold out - think rump steak, a half rack of ribs, hot wings, onion rings, and chips and gravy. Oh, and there's live music and prizes to be won.
Tastes of the Country (Hunter Valley Gardens Village) is offering a free beer for dads to enjoy with their meal; the refurbished Harrigan's Irish Pub has a new alfresco dining area to enjoy as well as cute critters from Hunter Valley Zoo, face painting and balloon twisting.
Eat Street Cooranbong is on this Sunday at Cooranbong Park from noon to 5pm with food trucks, markets, entertainment and even a car show. Dad can enjoy a pizza or shared meal at Goldfish Bar & Kitchen with a free beer or glass of house wine; while at elements bar & dining (Mercure Resort Hunter Valley Gardens) dad can tuck into a tasting plate featuring crisp pork belly, seared lamb cutlet and slow-cooked beef cheek for $45 which includes a complimentary craft beer.
At Salt Steak & Seafood, located at Belmont 16s on beautiful Lake Macquarie, you can choose from three main courses and desserts ($39 members; $45 non-members), and at the in-house Boat Shed Bar + Galley dads will be the first to try The Big Daddy Bro (Angus beef patty, grilled chicken breast, double-smoked bacon, cheddar, bourbon barbecue sauce and fried onion rings).
At nearby Belmont Hotel dad can gorge on 1kg wings and a pint for $20, or a 250-gram New York cut steak with grilled prawns, red wine jus, horseradish mash and a pint of ale for $25.
Rydges Newcastle has created a high tea just for dad - they've called it the very Man-ly MEAT tea at Wharf 350 Restaurant & Bar. It's a three-tiered feast with ribs, wings, pies, sliders and sides paired with a Sydney Brewery tasting paddle and costs $45 per person.
Bushrangers Bar & Brasserie at Largs is serving two courses for $40, three courses for $50, which includes two complimentary house drinks.
The Anchorage Port Stephens is offering all dads a free gin and beer tasting if they book for Father's Day lunch or "Guy Tea" this Sunday, thanks to Murray's Brewery. The 30-minute gin and beer tasting will take place at Moby's Bar between noon and 2pm. The three-course Father's Day lunch comes with a side of live music and marina views and costs $69 per person (a special children's menu is available). There's also the option of a relaxed family High ("Guy") Tea between 2.30pm and 4.30pm with live music, sweet and savoury delights and local beer instead of sparkling wine ($59).
At The Sunnyside Tavern dads score a free schooner of draught beer when they purchase a main meal, there will be $1 oysters all day and kids eat free.
Central Leagues Club is cooking a set price breakfast, lunch and dinner for dads, with lucky door prizes and raffles to be won. Breakfast: children $9.50, adults $19.50; lunch and dinner: children $12.50, adults $25.
And it's all happening at The Station Newcastle on Sunday from noon to 7pm, with live music, woodfired pizzas from Rad Pizza Co and lawn games.
