FRIDAY 9 MAY: There’s been a slight chill in the air this week in Jervis Bay, reminding us that warm, hearty dishes are within reach thanks to the Autumn Celebration of Food, with more than 80 events on the festival calendar this year. We have a selection of the hottest tickets for you this week, so whip out your diary and whet your appetite with these five special dining events.
Make Good Twilight Feast at Ramox Café Bundanon
This feast is a collaboration between two exceptional globe-trotting chefs, Bundanon’s award-winning Executive Chef Douglas Innes-Will and Chef Eilish Maloney from The What If Society in the Southern Highlands, on Saturday 17 May. It promises to be a celebration of seasonal eating, with locally sourced ingredients across a three-course shared meal, $90pp and $150 with wine pairings.
The emphasis will be on zero waste, a founding philosophy of the What If Society and aligned with Bundanon’s Make Good festival on that same weekend and featuring a program of events that will inspire us all to make subtle but important shifts in our daily lives.
More tickets have just been released for this event but they are very limited, so please book soon. Make an afternoon of it and visit the Bundanon Art Museum, which will stay open till 5.30pm that day. Your dinner ticket includes museum entry (usually $18/$12).
Lunch with Giovanni Pilu at Parsons Wandandian
The Sardinian chef, who has been a fixture of Sydney’s northern beaches fine dining scene for more than 20 years, is lending his serious star power to a fundraising luncheon for the Shoalhaven Food Network on Sunday 18 May, from 11.30am.
Giovanni Pilu and the Chefs of the Shoalhaven is the main event that will help the Network to raise money to continue their good work for the hospitality sector of the South Coast – including the student program, Gaining Through Training.
Your ticket for $130 includes a meticulously crafted menu inspired by Giovanni’s deep-rooted passion for Sardinian tradition, paired with the freshest local ingredients and prepared by a stellar line-up of South Coast chefs, plus a welcome drink (the bar will be open for further drink purchases). Lend your support to the vitality of the South Coast’s foodie scene this Autumn, book your ticket here.
Persian Plates at Little Eadie’s Sussex Inlet
Little Eadie’s is more than a local café, it’s a hub for the foodie community in Sussex Inlet, run by couple Cassie and Shayan who established the eatery almost two years ago. For the Autumn Celebration, they are hosting two Persian dinners, on 12 and 25 May, 6pm $80. Persian Plates will transport you to Iran, via aromatic spices, marinated stews, aromatic rice and delicate sweets. The homeland of Little Eadie’s owner/chef, Shayan Mostaghim, is rich in culinary history.
The three courses and sides will be served family style, ending with traditional Persian sweets and chaii (Persian tea) to take home.
Perfect Pastry masterclass + dinner at Phoebes Kitchen Vincentia
If you dream of light, flaky and buttery pastry then Thursday 15 May is your special day. Phoebe of the eponymous café at the Vincentia Shopping Village will be sharing her secrets to creating the perfect pastry, followed by eating all the creations, of course, starting at 5.30pm. For $65, you will benefit from Phoebe’s expertise in crafting pastry dough, working with different textures, and achieving a professional finish. The evening will be complete with a delicious vegetarian dinner featuring pastry as the hero.
Farmgate French dinner with Tara Distillery, Nowra
We love a perfect pairing, and this dinner collaboration promises to be très magnifique.
On Friday 16 May, Chef Gerald Poelzl and distiller Ben Stephenson will present a five-course French cuisine dinner with accompanying cocktails featuring Tara Distillery’s spirits and Rush coffee or Tea Journeys tea at end of meal, five courses plus five accompanying cocktails $150 (food only $100). Each of these collaborators are experts in their field and we are intrigued to see how they have chosen to match each course.
