The cost of living is getting ridiculous, yes, but you can still enjoy a cheap burrito.
Guzman y Gomez is officially opening a new restaurant in Belmont tomorrow and the crew will be dishing out $5 burritos and burrito bowls all day, bopping along to a live mariachi band.
Breakfast burritos and bowls will be available from 7am to 10am. I am told more than 700 people have already RSVP'd to the event on Facebook. It's all happening from 7am to 10pm at 505 Pacific Highway, Belmont.
Famous faces
Winemaker Chris Tyrrell shared a photo of himself with Miranda Kerr and her husband Evan Spiegel on social media over the weekend, referring to the power couple as "new neighbours".
Kerr and her family (originally of Gunnedah) are believed to have purchased the Loggerheads estate in the Hunter Valley in 2021, previously owned by QT Hotels.
It also once belonged to the Tyrrell family.
Tyrrell said Kerr was "visiting for the weekend".
Spiegel is the billionaire founder of Snapchat and supermodel Kerr owns the multimillion-dollar skincare company Kora Organics.
Tocal Field Days
The much-loved Tocal Field Days returns to Paterson next week. Among the highlights of the three-day event (April 29 and 30, and May 1) are the animal nursery and piglet races; the Clydesdale horses; cow milking; a billy boiling competition; bee workshops; artisan craft; live music; the working dogs; agricultural displays; exhibitions and more.
There is also a designated Good Food & Wine program featuring the Bake or Burn competition (high school students and TAFE hospitality students compete in teams of three); children's cooking workshops; and presentations from local producers. The cooking workshops are being run by Slow Food Hunter Valley and the children will be making orecchiette with a cauliflower cheese crumb.
For more details go online to tocalfielddays.com.
Memorable dining experiences
Newcastle Food Month is winding up at the end of next week however there are still feature events to be enjoyed.
Head to the Lucky Hotel on Friday (April 22) for Drag Me To Dinner, With Timberlina ($69 per person), or visit Harrison's Food and Wine on Beaumont Street the following afternoon for What is Natural Wine? ($250). It's a seven-course degustation matched with wines.
On April 26 Newcastle Music Festival and FogHorn Brewery bring you an evening of fine food and jazz songs called Jazz At The Pub - Heartstrings ($89) starring Heather Price on vocals and double bass, Sue Carson on vocals and violin, and Terence Koo on piano.
The Burwood Mystery Dinner ($130), at The Burwood Inn at Merewether on April 28, sounds interesting. Head chef Jeremy Salmon and his team are preparing a four-course dinner and the always entertaining Leigh Dryden from DeCante This will match it with seven handpicked wines from France and Australia.
Customs House Hotel is hosting a five-course degustation event on April 28 called Cocktails & Culinary ($160) which should be fun, while Local Connections' April Tasting Night ($110) on April 29 features First Creek Wines, a family owned and operated winery in the Hunter Valley. Head chef Alex Hunter knows how to champion in-season regional ingredients and, on this occasion, will do so over three courses.
The Signal Box Seafood BBQ ($180) on April 29 will see executive chef Dan James and head chef George Mirosevich in full flight, and on April 30 Harrison's Food and Wine will host the six-course A Taste of Tuscany ($250). There's also the Red Carpet Gala Event at the Civic Theatre on April 29 ($169) which will premiere Silenced, a 10-minute short film by Got Your Back Sista.
Newcastle Food Month founder Louise Maher told me there were "just a few" tickets left for tonight's Seafood and Semillon dinner at Scratchleys on the Wharf. Phone 4929 1111 to book.
Unfortunately The Tuning Fork degustation at Earp Distilling Co. on April 29 has been cancelled, where chef Clayton Donovan and guitarist Darren Middleton, of Powderfinger fame, were set to take over The Barrel Room. Avid music fan Donovan said on Instagram the other day he was once the drummer and lead vocalist of Newcastle band Black Apple and performed on the same bill as a teen band called Innocent Criminals. We all know who they became, don't we?
Silverchair, for those up the back.
Go to newcastlefoodmonth.com.au for details and Plate Date deals.
Fresh start for hotel
Moonan Flat Hotel at the foothills of the Barringtons has new owners. The Australian Hotels Association - Newcastle says "three friends from Newcastle, Richard Claut, Jason Stephen and Danny Wicks" bought the pub in 2021. All work in the building industry and pooled their talents to renovate the pub and give it a facelift. The pub's licensee is Sonia Marshman, a one-time publican and chef at Graze at Willow Tree.
Helping hand needed
Local growers Newcastle Greens have been hit hard by drought and floods over the past two years. The pandemic didn't help business either. Elle and Dylan have exhausted all financial assistance available to them. if you can help, make a donation to their GoFundMe: "Help Newcastle Greens keep growing".
