The Lucky Hotel in Newcastle's East End re-opened in Palm Springs style on Thursday night with a decadent launch party.
Cirque du Soleil performers suspended high above the ground by silks, ropes or hoops entertained the 350-strong crowd with aerial acrobatic routines in the new-look hotel's three-storey atrium.
There were also roaming performers, a dance act, singers, two DJs, and models posing from strategic vantage points overlooking the crowd. The cast and crew were managed by renowned choreographer Adam Williams.
The Lucky's new owner, Martin Scott, appointed Tilley & Wills to manage his operation. It their first venue in regional NSW, with others soon to be unveiled. Tilley & Wills CEO Nick Wills was at the launch, happily meeting and greeting guests.
Merivale and QT interior designer Sandy Grice has transformed the venue using a sprinkling of Palm Springs influences, layers of texture, and points of interest at every turn.
Canapes by Gordon Ramsay-trained head chef Stephen Scott treated guests to a taste of the hotel's new food offering. There was fried chicken with Avruga caviar; raw bluefin tuna and XO tostados; grilled organic haloumi with fermented chilli honey; chorizo and Manchego croquettes; Sydney Rock Oysters with native pepper mignonette; fried buffalo mozzarellas with vodka sauce; barbecued king prawns with nduja butter; and duck liver parfait on house-made focaccia.
Hamilton's CakeBoi supplied the desserts. Cocktails were inspired by a collaboration with Four Pillars Gin, Chandon and Veuve Clicquot.
"The brief was for a Palm Springs, LA, Coachella vibe which I really grabbed onto with both hands and ran with," Scott told the Newcastle Herald.
"A lot of lighter flavours - fun, fresh and colourful food. Where I can I've gone rather minimal and let the dishes shine rather than let it get too over complicated.
"A great example is the haloumi dish we have on the menu - grilled and then dressed with an organic honey and fermented chilli that we do in-house, which is an awesome mix of the salty, sweet and not too spicy.
"We're getting some really spectacular Jack's Creek 'hanger steaks' from Hunter Valley Premium Meats, and have brought it in as a classic pepper steak but using some native pepper berries from Oz Tukka out at Redhead for the crust. It gives it a really nice fruity element that rounds it off."
The birth of his son last year has, he says, changed his outlook on life and even his approach to cooking.
"I tend to spend more time on the good things and don't get caught up in the noise. My son has been an absolute blessing and I'm really enjoying being his dad. And he thankfully gets his looks from his mother."
Scott is also enjoying his time at The Lucky, and it shows.
"It definitely feels like home - I've been fortunate enough to be involved in some great projects since I've been back in Newcastle, but what we are doing here at The Lucky is definitely a dream job.
"They've given me the go-ahead to really open up the throttle and embrace my creativity, and we've got some great stuff in the works."
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