A sunny spot at Monte, Honeysuckle Drive's newest cafe, is worth considering for your next breakfast, brunch or lunch date.
Designed by Sydney architectural firm Luchetti Krelle, it is located beneath the newly-opened Little National Hotel. Inside, the cafe's modern design combines warm earthy tones and cascading greenery and features plenty of natural light.
The coffee is by Canberra's Red Brick Roasters, and the all-day dining menu ranges from smashed pea wasabi tartine and smashed cucumber whipped tofu to brioche French toast, burgers, sweet baked treats, kimchi rice bowls, and salmon pastrami served with a crisp potato cake, horseradish creme fraiche, cabbage and furikake.
"Cold-pressed organic juices are ready to go, and there's an ever-changing fresh smoothie menu and a great strawberry matcha," Little National Hotel general manager Thomas Craigie said.
"The team at Monte officially opened its doors this week and we're already seeing lots of interest in both the menu and the fit-out.
"Although Monte has been created to become its own separate entity from the Little National Hotel, there are some similar takeaways that the cafe has inherited. Luchetti Krelle have been involved with the design, styling and architecture, [adding] a very fine attention to detail and sophistication."
Monte is open Monday to Friday, 7am to 3pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 3pm, at Shop 1/42 Honeysuckle Drive, Newcastle. The cafe seats 80, and "furry friends" are welcome.
"Things at the hotel are really trading up with the warmer weather. Our 181 rooms are filling up on the weekends," Mr Craigie said.
"We're looking at tying in local experiences to highlight all there is to do in Newcastle and the Hunter, to appeal to the destination travellers.
"And the lounge on level one of the hotel is now open for anyone to come and visit, 2pm until late, seven days a week."
New-look QTea x Cakeboi
Jana Restaurant & Bar executive chef Ryan Crothers has put his stamp on the QTea x Cakeboi menu, which is a collaboration with Reece Hignell. The savoury side of the menu now includes a prawn tart with creme fraiche, lemon, fennel pollen and chives; crostino with bresaola, anchovy emulsion and pickled onion; pork meatball with pomodoro and truffle pecorino; and stuffed zucchini flower with mozzarella and garlic honey. There's also a vegan menu.
Also, Vine & Dine: Hungerford at Jana comes to QT Newcastle on November 1 with special guest, Hungerford Hill chief winemaker Bryan Currie. Tickets to the four-course dinner are $150 per person and on sale now.
Rustica mixes it up
Newcastle restaurant Rustica, which famously overlooks Newcastle Beach, has updated its a-la-carte menu.
"We change the menu a couple of times a year but never the whole menu at once (and our signature lamb shoulder will never be absent from our menu)," chef Mark Hosie said.
Wise move. There would be a riot!
New items include the orecchiette tossed with Italian pork sausage ragu, peas and parmesan crumb; pan-fried potato gnocchi with brown butter, pumpkin puree, crispy sage, feta mousse, pine nuts and dried muscatels; mafaldine pasta tossed with prawns, calamari, cavolo nero, Sicilian sugo, parsley and lemon pangrattato; fish crudo with an Aleppo pepper and lemon dressing, grilled vegetables, barley tabbouleh, date yoghurt and purslane; and garlic prawn pots provencale with grilled bread and lemon.
Crafted Beer Festival
First-release tickets to Newcastle's first Crafted Beer Festival at the Foreshore on November 16 are close to selling out. Children Collide are headlining the music side of things, joined by Nana Klumpp, Underlay, Saylor and the Flavor and Daytrip. Broken Bay Brewing, Doozy and Reckless Brewing Co have been added to the craft beer line-up, and Volkswurst and Veronton Dumpling Food Truck to the food offering. Activities on the day include beer yoga, basketball shoot-outs and a ping pong competition. Second-release tickets ($54.10) are on sale now through Oztix. This is an 18+ event.
Short and sweet
A new "cafe and lifestyle space", Rosie and Shell, has opened at 10 Regent Street, New Lambton.
A six-venue Japanese precinct has opened on Sydney's Sussex Street called Prefecture 48. It contains restaurants Garaku, Five, Makase and Ibushi, a bar called Whisky Thief, and patisserie Dear Florence.
The folks behind Equium Social have opened Untitled 59 at Branxton.
Hippy Java at Boolaroo is hosting Tales by Candlelight on November 2.
Yotam Ottolenghi is launching a new range of sauces and spices at Woolworths next month.
Crystalbrook Kingsley has won the 2024 HICAP Sustainable Hotel Award for "Building Renovation and Adaptive Reuse" for transforming Newcastle's former council administration building into a luxury hotel.
Thinking about Christmas? Browse One Day Closer to Rain (Drought) - Rural Cottage Crafts on Facebook for some unique (and budget-friendly) foodie gifts.
Finalists in this year's AHA NSW Awards for Excellence have been announced, with the winners being revealed at a gala ceremony on Tuesday, October 29, at Royal Randwick Racecourse.
