Pegs Cafe at Whitebridge has a new head chef and a new Friday night Italian menu.
Nathan Shelton is now in charge of the kitchen, having spent the previous 12 years at Source Cafe in Maryville.
"Nathan started at Pegs in early March. With new owners taking over [Source Cafe] it was the perfect time for a new adventure for him and I am so very blessed he decided this new adventure was with me at Pegs," Pegs Cafe owner Melanie Chapman says.
"It is fabulous having Nathan leading the Pegs kitchen. To see his passion and love for the industry makes me feel so happy as this is how I feel every day walking into Pegs, even after 10 years."
The pair decided on a regular Italian night on Fridays because it is "one of our favourites to eat and cook". They hope to open on Saturday nights as well.
"There are so many different delicious dishes we can do. Italian is always a favourite with the Pegs community so it was a no-brainer," Melanie says.
"Italian food is cooked with passion, from the heart, which is what Pegs is all about.
"We advertised on a Tuesday and we were booked out by Wednesday afternoon, with the following Fridays filling up fast".
The menu includes grilled squid with garlic, chilli and pasta; half-shell scallops with lemon salsa verde; 16-hour slow-cooked lamb ragu papardelle; pumpkin arancini with garlic aioli and parmesan; and lemon sponge with ricotta berry compote.
A takeaway menu is available on Friday nights, as well as an a la carte menu and a banquet option.
"Nathan's passion and love for the industry mirror's mine," Melanie says.
"I am in the kitchen three to four days a week, and we are both learning so much from each other - me as a home cook and Nathan an experienced chef with years behind him - and it is something very exciting for us and Pegs."
Exciting new venture
Josh (formerly of Muse Kitchen) and Jess Gregory are opening Thermidor, an oyster bar and brasserie, this spring on Honeysuckle Drive in Newcastle. It will have a share-style menu with a focus on "coastal cuisine". Watch this space.
Mansfield at Jana
Shayne Mansfield has settled in nicely as executive chef at Jana, QT Newcastle. The new menu is recognisably his and wow, what a transformation. Mansfield's signature creativity, his attention to detail, his uncanny ability to make unfathomable flavour and textural combinations work, his dedication to seasonality and minimising waste ... the list just goes on. And then there's QT's front-of-house team. They are attentive, friendly and fun, and understand the menu and the wine list and how they work together. Do yourself a favour and check it out.
Papa Franco's branches out
Papa Franco is taking its "Italian pizza, pasta, parmi and ribs" offering to Hamilton, Wyong and Kotara. It already has restaurants at Nelson Bay and Wallsend.
Cessnock wine dinner
Vincent Street Kitchen and Bar at Cessnock is hosting a five-course degustation dinner on June 20 with John Wallace Wines. Winemaker Richard Done will be the guest speaker on the night. He has been making wines in the Hunter Valley for 15 years, is head winemaker at Bimbadgen and has branched out with his own label, John Wallace Wines (named after his grandfathers John and Wallace). Tickets are $99. Phone 4005 6766 or email reception@vincentstreet.com.au for bookings.
Tasty starters at EXP.
Frank Fawkner and his team at the one-hatted EXP. Restaurant continue to raise the bar when it comes to native Australian ingredients and contemporary dining.
"We have just started offering two tasting menus: one is the Food Experience, which is 12 dishes split into six courses, and we have ramped up the Chef's Experience menu that is compiled of 16 dishes split into seven courses," Fawkner says.
Highlights include: Bermagui yellowfin tuna dressed in trout garum with white soy sauce, crispy nori and a kaffir lime emulsion; first harvest Yarra Valley salmon caviar with chives and koji emulsion on a choux bun filled with sour cream and Jerusalem artichoke; Morpeth roast butternut pumpkin, eschallot and kombu soup with a duck nduja and basil oil; northern NSW cured kangaroo loin served with smoked beetroot, black garlic emulsion and beetroot powder in a charcoal wafer; and duck salami made from Red Gate Farm duck leg and served on sourdough crumpet with Pinot Noir vincotto.
Book at exprestaurant.com.au.
Menu updated
Rudy's Diner at Glendale (formerly Rudy's Rotisserie) has updated its menu and is now open for breakfast. It also has a coffee bar on-site and is open for lunch and dinner.
Freebie of the week
Bao Family, by Céline Chung, celebrates Chinese classics from the eight culinary regions of China by giving them a contemporary Parisian twist. Chung and her family push back against the stereotypes surrounding Chinese cooking and pay tribute to its diversity and regionality. Recipes include stir-fried vegetarian noodles; pumpkin fries with salted egg; fried egg on rice; Chinese spring rolls; wonton soup; steamed pork ribs with garlic and black beans; and salt and pepper chicken.
Bao Family is out now through Murdoch Books, RRP $45. Food & Wine has a copy to give away. To enter, send the words "Bao Family" with your name, address and number to freelunch@theherald.com.au. Entries close on Monday at 9am.
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