A foodie tour through central western NSW - part 2

Last week I introduced a series of posts written by my Dad. They are about the best places to eat and to avoid in the area of central western New South Wales, where my parents have a farm in the Capertee Valley, "Snowgoose" (see my Dad above, in his olive "grove"). I'm posting the posts throughout January to celebrate my Dad's 60th birthday. The previous post covered Rylstone, and this post continues on to cover Mudgee.
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As for the previous post, references to "Fifi" are to my gorgeous Mum, and "the boys, Oscar & Dugal" to my parents' favourites, their two miniature Schnauzers.
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My Dad:
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Mudgee is the administrative and cultural centre of a region originally famous for fine wool sheep and beef cattle. Vineyards, olive groves, horse studs, and regrettably the southern advance of Hunter Valley coal mines have diversified the enterprise mix in recent decades. Having successfully repelled the attempts of the shopping centre giants to tansform the townscape with their musak and multi storey car park malls, Mudgee retains its impressive colonial architecture and country friendliness. The traveler should not be deceived - behind the sleepy sandstone facades is a town poised to take off, reminiscent of Orange a decade ago.
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First (virtually compulsory) stop is the Butcher Shop Café in the main street, Church Street, for a great coffee and a passable snack at the big table inside, or a small table on the footpath, where sturdy verandah posts provide secure tying up for the most active of canine companions. Don’t be put off by the blood on the barista’s hands- it’s not yours, and it doesn’t end up in your coffee. The authors of the 2010 Good Food Guide weren’t, and they should know.
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Thus revived, it’s across the road to the shrine of rural sartorial elegance - Blowes, where every self respecting cowboy, cowgirl and wannabe from Goollooinboin to Merrimba Station comes to be kitted out. On the third Saturday of the month, the Farmers' Market a short walk away in the grounds of St Mary’s Church offers a wide range of fresh regional certified organic produce, much of it sold by the growers who produce it a food mile or two away. The huge and ancient river red gums of nearby Lawson Park provide the perfect place to devour the spoils of the market.
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For a serious appetite, Mudgee has numerous offerings. The cost and inconvenience of kangaroo damage discourages the writer, and many other farming folk from venturing far afield on the roads after dusk. The downside of this however is that culinary opportunities are limited in ways not imposed on the culinary sleuth who travels by day. The writer regrets that his dining experiences in Mudgee are limited to daylight hours. If sufficient readers contribute sufficient funds to defray kangaroo damage, nocturnal culinary excursions may become possible.

(In his previous post, Dad raved about the offerings cooked by my Mum at their farm. Here's another example above)

Deeb’s Kitchen, located in the century old Eurunderee School House on the edge of town has been serving big flavoured traditional Lebanese delights to satisfied locals and travelers for a decade. As our boys Oscar (8) and Dugal (6) are not welcome there, the writer has not had the pleasure of tucking into Deeb’s signature dish of whole baked lamb marinated in cinnamon and garlic and stuffed with rice, nuts and spices, served with a red wine reduction, Oozie. Foodie, and sometime mentor to Fifi, Maeve O’Meara, says the dish “sings on the plate”. The Qantas in-flight magazine was similarly enthusiastic.

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Set in a large timber cavern overlooking kegs and an even larger tasting area, and surrounded by more kegs, and the sweet moist aroma of cellar air, Wild Oats in the old Craigmoor Winery is sure to satisfy the traveler in search of something from the culinary eclecticism sometimes called “modern Australian” cuisine, or simply, and more accurately, simple food done well. The atmosphere is relaxed, unless a bus tour has landed, in which case the traveler should drive on. The menu is extensive, service good, and the food very agreeable. Two years later, three senior, and mildly critical members of the writer’s family still recall with salivation the ten hour cooked pork belly they savoured at Wild Oats. The boys were not welcome there either, but two hours of snoozing in the vehicle in the shade of a peppercorn tree did them no harm. Click here for more on Wild Oats and navigate carefully to the Wild Oats Restaurant page to avoid a tedious spiel about some sailing boat by the same name.

(the view from my parents' farm, Snowgoose, in the Capertee Valley)

An abiding favourite place for lunch when Fifi and the writer drive to Mudgee to shop is the High Valley Wine and Cheese Co, just past the racecourse on the northern edge of town. The boys are welcome here, and often not even required to be tied up. The sandstone and corrugated iron buildings, vine covered pergolas, manicured lawns and paved outdoor eating areas invite relaxed lunches of vegetable salads, interesting open sandwiches, cheese platters, frittatas and quiches, served with local wines by the glass. The service is excellent, and hospitable, perhaps because the owners are hands on. Toby’s Estate coffee, and baristas who do it justice are added attractions. The traveler seeking something to embody the memory of a Mudgee sojourn could do worse than browse the quirky and unusual fare on sale at the High Valley. The “posh brekkie with fresh sourdough, organic eggs and strong coffee” remains a yet to do for the Snowgoose crew, but the endorsement of the 2010 Good Food Guide means it is a matter of when, not whether.

(Fifi & Y enjoying another delicious lunch at Snowgoose farm)

Depending upon the day of the week, Eltons Brasserie offers breakfast, lunch or dinner. The authors of the 2010 Good Food Guide rated Eltons a respectable 12.5 out of 20. As the boys are not welcome, the writer has not eaten at Eltons, but friends who have are repeat customers.

Another yet to try restaurant for Fifi and the writer is the Wineglass Bar and Grill, located in the very traditional Cobb and Co Boutique Hotel in the centre of town. Rated 13.5 out of 20 by the authors of the 2010 Good Food Guide, the menu is contemporary, and made from seasonal regional produce. The local stock and station agents, whose word can generally be relied upon in this regard, report that the food is good, and there’s always plenty of it. The urban authors of the Guide consider it “hearty country staples”, which probably means pretty much the same thing. For the traveler, boutique accommodation at the Cobb and Co is potentially a bonus.

Five minutes past the racecourse on the way out of town lies the Blue Wren Winery and Restaurant, and its distinctive blue (naturally) colourbond buildings. Here the boys are welcome, as are travelers. The Wren is a handy fall-back for when other places are closed, or packed on some weekends in winter. Not bad, not great, the Blue Wren is a place where a reasonable meal can be enjoyed in pleasant surroundings. Enough said?

Thus fortified, as Willy Nelson recommends, it’s on the road again, the boys happily off loaded at Anne Underhill’s kennels just out of town. Hopefully, when lexeat diversifies, the boys will post a report on the cuisine there. For now though, in the Toby Keith tradition, let’s just stick to me, me, me.
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The novice traveler may be tempted to detour via Sofala, an old gold mining town on the dribble of water that passes for the Turon River in those parts. This the less inexperienced would never do. In the unlikely event of imminent starvation, the café at the museum which sits looking down on the town could be resorted to for a passable pie and vegetable collation, or a mug of thick soup with even thicker bread, although the BMW wagons with rows of mini-seats children which often litter the carpark suggest that children’s feeding time should be avoided. The setting is pretty much straight out of a Jack London novel, lots of knotty timber, woodfire smoke and low ceilings, without the snow and howling of wolves in the hills above, probably evocative for those who have never before traveled beyond the shadow of Sydney’s Centrepoint Tower.

Click here to check out posts on dining in Dubbo, Orange and the Blue Mountains.