Food Review: The Hideaway Cafe, Wollongong

I was in Wollongong on a Thursday night to see The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow playing at the Merrigong Theatre in Wollongong. It runs until Sunday and the Line-up includes Miles Jupp (UK), Smart Casual, Celia Pacquola (Spicks & Specks),  Joel Creasey and our MC Jacques Barret. Book your tickets now for the night of your life. Forget Zumba, laughing is the best exercise!



We had arrived an hour and half before the show was to start and headed to City Diggers to sit on the balcony and sample some of the nibbles fare I remembered from my last visit. Unfortunately when asked I was told the menu was no longer available and no nibbles to be had. I had fond memories of sitting on the balcony with a bucket of prawns and a glass of wine and watching the view below. Alas, it was not to be.

We were headed down the Crown Street Mall in search of somewhere to have a bite to eat before the show when I heard the strains of a Diesel song and so ducked down an alley to the Hideaway Cafe.

Over the years I have walked past the cafe, always wondering what I would find inside. "Next time", I promised myself, time after time. Tonight was 'the time' and so I dragged my husband towards the pied piper by the name if Ian who was playing an acoustic guitar just inside.

Step inside and this is what you'll find. Ian playing the guitar and singing, calling in the cold and hungry to a lovely little oasis in the middle of the Wollongong Mall

Since there was now fourty-five minutes until the show started I quickly settled on Chicken Gnocchi with Pesto Sauce ($11) which arrived about twenty minutes later.

The serving size was huge and I was glad I had help to get through it. As it was there were a few pieces I just couldn't fit in so offered a taste to nearby patrons who chatted with me about this quaint little cafe with so much charm.




Then it was off to the Melbourne International Comedy Roadshow, playing at the IPAC theatre
in Burelli St, only a short stroll away.

Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow 2010 • Merrigong Theatre Company

The Hideaway Cafe
8/81 Church St
(next to Rivers in the Crown St Mall)

Wollongong NSW 2500 - (02) 4229 6186
Open Mon-Wed 9am-4:30pm; Thu-Sat 9am-10:30pm

Crooked River Winery Cafe

Today we visited a lovely winery just outside of Gerringong NSW Australia on the winery tour with club46 ( www.club46.com.au ). Our winery tour ticket included three wineries (Coolongatta Estate, Two Figs and Crooked River Winery), a sumptuous lunch including a starter of bread and semi dried tomato butter, a choice of four mains and a cup of coffee. I chose the tasting platter for 2 and was very impressed with the serving size and quality of food which included smoked salmon, chicken lyonnaise, eggplant, pate, salt and pepper calamari.



Crooked River Winery Cafe - Tasting plate with crusty Turkish bread, grilled and marinated eggplant and peppers (not included), petuna smoked Atlantic salmon, lyonnaise chicken, salt and pepper calamari, pate and five-spiced pork

I could not find fault with one morsel of this tasting plate. Everything was delicious and it was heartily enjoyed. My favourite part was the five-spiced pork but it was all delicious.

Other mains enjoyed at my table are pictured below

Twice Cooked Five-Spice Pork Belly with a warm chorizo, kipfler and green bean salad, chilli, palm sugar and apple caramel

Truffled Lyonnaise Chicken with parsnip puree, oven dried roma tomatoes, young spinach and garlic dressing

'Michael's Grilled Beef Burger' with onion jam, bacon, omelette, vintage cheddar and fries

The view was breathtaking. I could have stayed there all day.

www.crookedriverwines.com/

http://www.crookedriverwinescafe.com.au/