Lady dates are the best, especially when it involves a road trip to wine country with a fellow person who..doesn’t drink.
Isn’t life ironic?
But when I got invited as a guest of Lovedale Long Lunch, we absolutely jumped on the chance to explore Hunter Valley!
Tatler Wines and Cafe
First stop: Tatler Wines and Cafe. Steak and sausages, with a fresh salad on the side. Sausages were great, but I don’t really understand why you would serve steak at a festival: it’s so hard to keep warm and yet not overcook it, and have you ever tried to cut steak with a plastic knife? Not so cute when it tips all over you while you struggle with fragile plastic cutlery – like my self-esteem, haha!
Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Lovedale Long Lunch
Tatler Wines and Cafe
477 Lovedale Road
Lovedale, NSW
Phone: (02) 4930 9139
Website: http://tatlerwines.com.au
The Deck Cafe
Then it was on to the Deck Cafe for some brie like a huge wodge of creamy cheese. Served a bit too cold for my liking, and not quite rich enough, but it was still a nice piece of cheese, with a beautiful still pond serving as your view.
Very pretty.
Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Lovedale Long Lunch
The Deck Cafe
701 Lovedale Rd
Lovedale, NSW
Phone: (02) 4930 9007
Website: http://www.deckcafelovedale.com.au
Saltire Estate Catering
Braised Wagyu Beef with Truffle Mash, Apple, and Beetroot Relish
Saltire Estate catering really really was a bust. Overcooked meat, and truffle mash with no truffle aroma – this meal was like the Tinder version of food: it looked promising, but no cigar.
Y U SO OVERCOOKED??
Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Lovedale Long Lunch
Saltire Estate Catering
113 Wilderness Rd
Lovedale 2320
Phone: 02 4915 7228
Muse Restaurant and Cafe
Hunter Calley favourites Muse Restaurant and Catering served up both savoury AND sweet dishes. Savoury had something something PORK BELLY (does the rest matter?), and a Nitro Rocky Road with Chocolate Mousse, Strawberry, Marshmallow, Coconut Meringue and Macadamia Brittle Biscuit.
Nitro Rocky Road: Chocolate Mousse, Strawberry, Marshmallow, Coconut Meringue and Macadamia Brittle Biscuit
So basically a lot of smoke, very dramatic, and a chocolatey dessert Unfortunately I couldn’t pick apart the individual flavours, but it did look very pretty, and it was pleasant, but not like, amazeballs, you know?
Insatiable Munchies dined as guests of Lovedale Long Lunch
Muse restaurant and Cafe
1 Broke Rd
Pokolbin, NSW
Phone: (02) 4998 6777
Website: http://musedining.com.au
Still, the Hunter Valley is just such a beautiful place to visit. Amazing vineyards, great food producers, and burrata for $4. Yes. $4.
No, don’t bother going to try buying them. IT’S ALL MINE! ALL MINE I TELL YOU!!