Long lunches, shared plates, and great local wine are on the menu right now. From a cozy winemaker dinner tonight on the Shoalhaven coast to lively Italian tribute nights in Vincentia and breezy Asian tapas sessions in Huskisson, here are three standout dining events worth marking on your calendar.
Tonight, Behind the Bottle at Bangalay Dining
FRIDAY 18 SEPTEMBER: Some dinners are about the food, some about the wine, and then there are evenings where the two are given equal standing.
Tonight, Friday 18 September, Bangalay Dining is bringing both together for Meet the Maker: A Night Behind the Bottle, welcoming winemaker Matt Atallah for an intimate five-course dinner paired with five of his wines and there are still a couple of tables available.
Matt comes from a family with generations of grape growing behind it, with his own winemaking journey taking him through the Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, McLaren Vale and the southern Rhône. It was the cool, elevated slopes of Mt Canobolas in Orange that eventually gave him the site he had been looking for, where he now produces small-batch wines from sustainably farmed vineyards.
For this one-night dinner event, Bangalay Dining Executive Chef Simon Furley has curated a delectable menu built around South Coast fresh spring produce, with each course matched to a 100ml pour from Matt’s wines.
Your evening starts from 5.30pm for a 6pm start, with a half pour of Block 1 ‘Forest Runner’ Rosé, a gentle savoury edge on arrival, giving everyone a chance to mingle and meet Matt before dinner gets underway. It is an easy opening pour for the evening.
The first course begins simply with freshly baked bread and house-aged garlic butter, followed by Ulladulla kingfish with hazelnut cream, pickled jalapeños and shaved hazelnuts, paired with Block A2 ‘The Bin Chicken’ Chardonnay. Textured and rounded with French oak adding depth, it is a natural match for the kingfish and hazelnut.
Next comes a sand-baked beetroot taco, filled with slow-cooked beetroot and peppers, smoked crème fraîche and Mexican cheese, matched with Block 1 Cabernet Franc. Medium-bodied and silky, with red fruit and spice, it complements the earthy beetroot and smoky flavours.
For the main course, Chef Furley is keeping the cut of Wagyu as the chef’s selection, served with charred bone marrow, red wine reduction, green capsicum mole and sea blite. The pairing moves into something with a little more age with the 2018 Museum Release Syrah, an older red from Matt’s museum collection bringing depth to the rich Wagyu and bone marrow.
Dessert brings a set lemon cream tart with thyme crackling, toasted meringue and lemon myrtle ice cream, paired with Block 18 Gewürztraminer. Aromatic and textured, it brings a fresh finish to the citrus and lemon myrtle.
Throughout the evening, Matt will be at the table sharing the stories behind the wines and the journey that brought him to Mt Canobolas. It is a chance to taste the wines alongside food designed specifically for them, while hearing directly from the person behind the bottle.
For anyone who finds themselves particularly taken with a wine, there will be a tasting table and order forms available after dinner.
At $175 per person, the evening includes the five-course menu and five paired 100ml wines. With seats strictly limited, booking is essential.
Five courses, five wines and the winemaker at the table. A Friday night where there is plenty to eat, plenty to discover and, quite possibly, a new favourite bottle to take home.
Dinner, Music and a Little Soul and Rock n Roll at La Vespa
SATURDAY 26 SEPTEMBER: Good homestyle Italian food, a few familiar faces and a musical journey through some of the biggest songs and performers of the past seven decades. Add them together and you have the makings of a pretty good Saturday night.
Vincentia’s family-friendly La Vespa Italian Restaurant will welcome Queensland performer Sharon Lee, with the evening hosted by Australia’s legendary entertainer John “Elvis” Collins on Saturday 26 September.
For $50 per person, guests can settle in for a three-course Italian dinner, beginning with house made arancini and calamari.
For the main course, choose from a selection of fresh pasta varieties served with one of eight house made sauces, scaloppini or one of eleven homemade pizzas.
La Vespa is also happy to accommodate gluten-free and lactose-intolerant diners, making it an easy choice for groups where everyone’s needs are a little different.
To finish, there is a chocolate mousse-filled cannolo, with guests welcome to BYO wine and beer. It is a generous three-course menu that offers plenty of choice and time to burn it all off on the dance floor.
Then there is the music.
Originally from Toowoomba and now based on the Gold Coast, Sharon has spent much of her life performing and sharing her love of live music with audiences across Australia. She is perhaps best known for her acclaimed Hopelessly Devoted to Olivia tribute to Olivia Newton-John, while her repertoire also celebrates the much-loved sounds of the 60s, 70s and 80s.
For this special La Vespa evening, Sharon will take guests on a musical trip beginning with the Girls of the 50s, before moving through tributes to Olivia Newton-John and the recently departed, larger-than-life Dolly Parton.
Then it is time to leave the tables behind, as the night finishes with songs from Madonna, Tina Turner, ABBA and more.
As John puts it, it is all about “a night of music, memories & entertainment,” and Sharon shares that same simple philosophy: “For her, it’s all about the music, the memories and, most importantly, giving audiences a great night out.”
This is where La Vespa knows how to put on dinner and a show. Food comes first, the music follows and before you know it, you may find yourself doing exactly what happens on these evenings: getting out of your chair and joining in on the dance floor, conga lines have been known to form spontaneously.
John Elvis Collins is no stranger to the La Vespa stage, having already brought eight of his own sold-out shows to the restaurant, so there will be a few familiar faces in the room when the evening gets underway.
If one night of John “Elvis” Collins and Sharon Lee is not quite enough, you can catch the pair again the following day Sunday 27 September for Elvis and Friends “Back to the 70s” House Concert at Mystic Meadow Retreat 10 mins north of Nowra.
We have enjoyed attending the La Vespa shows and, if you have not been to one yet, this could be a good night to give it a try. At $50 per person, you have three courses, live entertainment and the option to BYO wine or beer, all in one fun evening.
La Vespa is located in Vincentia at the Burton Street shopping village. Reservations are essential due to limited seating.
A Saturday Social Is Coming To Wildginger
SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER: There is something rather good about a long lunch by the Bay, particularly when there is a table full of good food, something cold in the glass and nowhere else you need to be.
Wildginger in Huskisson is giving us another reason to make a Saturday of it, with the launch of its new Saturday Social series. Held on the first Saturday of each month, the idea is simple: bring your favourite people together, settle in for the afternoon and let the kitchen take care of the rest.
The first Saturday Social kicks off on Saturday 3 October from 1pm to 3pm, with tickets priced at $89 per person. The package includes a rotating selection of seasonal Asian tapas designed for sharing, signature spritzes, flowing drinks and a live DJ set.
And if the name behind the music sounds familiar, it should be. Local DJ Ned Atfield, who you may have spotted behind the Wildginger bar from time to time, will be swapping the bar for the DJ setup inside the restaurant, moving between ambient disco, jazz and funk as the afternoon unfolds.
Co-owner Sam Duffey says the idea is to take the familiar long lunch and give it a more relaxed, shared feel. Rather than everyone choosing their own main course, the kitchen is creating a contemporary Asian tapas menu specifically for the Saturday Social, with dishes made for passing around the table. It is a menu that will only appear as part of the monthly series, so there is a little something to look forward to each time you return.
Executive Chef Carbo is already planning to keep the menu moving, with new dishes introduced for each instalment. For the opening lunch, some familiar Wildginger favourites are making an appearance, including edamame, a simple crowd-pleaser that has earned its regular spot on the menu, along with the return of the prawn toast, which was a big hit last year.
Then things take a turn towards the more unexpected. Sticky chicken wings are given a lift with Nepalese and South Asian spices, while oven-roasted cauliflower arrives with labneh and a touch of green curry paste, an idea that came from Sam and Kelly.
There is a beetroot and radish salad bringing plenty of colour and contrasting Asian flavours to the table, a dish that, somewhat amusingly, began life as an internal kitchen joke. And for those who like their pork with plenty of crisp edges, the crispy pork belly will be griddled to perfection, making good use of the new equipment and setup in Wildginger’s recently upgraded kitchen.
The restaurant will be closed to regular service while the Saturday Social runs as a private function until 3pm. After that, it is back to business as usual, with Happy Hour and the regular house menu available for anyone wanting to continue their Saturday at Wildginger.
With the first Saturday Social already booking up quickly, this is one to get in early for. Tables are limited and advance bookings are required, so if you have been waiting for an excuse to round up your favourite people for a long Saturday lunch, this might be the time to make the booking before the tables disappear.
