Eling Forest Cellar Door Cafe & Winery

Curiosity after multiple trips back and forth between Sydney and Canberra led us to Eling Forest Cellar Door Café & Winery.

It was a beautiful place that captivated us from the entrance. 

Nectarines

It was only 9.30am so we only ordered the Toby’s Estate coffee. There wasn’t a breakfast menu but they sold tarts and cakes. 

The coffee was a bit disappointing because (a) there was too much milk and (b) the milk was too hot. I usually love Toby’s Estate but this particular cup was a let down. 

cards for table numbers

On the upside, The décor was lovely. The displays and tablecloths gave the place a nice warm country feel while the gardens outside had rows of peach, nectarine and plum trees. 

After the coffee, I walked over to the wine counter and had a taste of the 2005 Botrytis Semillon ($15).

It was golden in colour and rather unremarkable. It smelt sweet like honey and toffee and tasted sweet. Um.. that’s it. It didn’t leave an impression on me unfortunately and I didn’t take any photos either.

 

That’s it! I have to admit, I was more interested/distracted by the surrounds (i.e. the cute magpies, federation style cottages and hens).

 

If you need a stop over, take a walk around Eling Forest café & winery, walk in between the fruit trees, have a coffee but don’t compare it to your normal swish city cafes. 

peach tree heavy with fruit

 

Eling Forest Winery
12587 Hume Highway
Sutton Forest NSW 2577
Phone: 02 4878 9155
Fax: 02 4878 9246
Email: winery@elingforest.com.au

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Mama's Cafe, Cessnock

Whenever I go travelling I like to go where the locals go to eat. This usually results in

a) good food

b) cheap food

 

It wasn’t until a sleepy breakfast on a Monday morning in Cessnock with the family when I learnt that I had inherited this understanding from my father. He had gone to the young man behind the bar at the local pub and had asked where was good around here. The young man then pointed us to Mama’s Café on the main stretch of road in Vincent Street. 

It was a bit windy that morning (there were heaters but they didn’t help much) so we opted to sit inside. It had a family friendly atmosphere with one wall covered with kids drawing as well as an old fire place with a fighting fish floating lazily in its glass home.

I wish i was a kid. pencils, crayons, colouring-in books, a toy corner...hours of entertainment here!

sleepy fish

Service was prompt and we ordered straight away. 

Piazza D'oro coffee. Not bad, just not amazing.

Coffee was ok. I ordered a skim cappuccino. It was standard and warmed me up. I felt that it was more so the coffee beans than the barista’s skill that made it slightly mundane.

Tea for two!

The origins of the tea for two was questionable- it came in a silver pot without any tea leaves or tea bags. Not a lot of fragrance so we concluded that the English Breakfast must have been brewed from a tea bag (quite possibly Lipton) which was then thrown out in embarrassment.

English Breakfast tea

However, we were quite impressed when the food arrived.

We didn’t have to wait too long and we were honestly still waking up.

I ordered the bacon, egg & cheese roll with BBQ sauce ($6.50). 

Giant egg and bacon roll. $6.50!

It was a decent feed for $6.50! Lots of rashes of bacon, bubbly grilled cheese and 2 runny eggs on a toasted burger bun. I love runny yolks. It was definitely a roll to be remembered. One that I would have again if I was driving through Cessnock.

There was also the Works Breakfast ordered that was made up of: bacon, eggs, sausage, grilled tomatoes, English spinach, hash browns and buttered toast for $15.90. This was shared between two adults and yet they could not finish it.

Works Breakfast $15.90

So when you’re in Cessnock on your way to/from the Hunter Valley Wineries, stop over for brekkie!

 

Cafe info:

Mama's

115 Vincent Street 

Cessnock NSW 2325

phone: 02 4990 2555

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i like my mug

There’s a time in everyone’s life when they have to ask themselves- who am I?
Am I someone who will drink my Semillon sauvignon from a tall clear glass or a stocky white mug?
I am indeed someone who can unashamedly unabashedly undeniably gleefully drink my wine from a mug.

The chilled ceramic keeps the wine fresh and cold and I swear- I truly swear it changes the taste.

Before going any further, I’d like to add that I’m a responsible drinker, never drink more than 2 serves at a seating and never ever ever drink before driving. I don’t believe alcohol is the best way to have fun, to loosen up or to feel less or more of anything.

I like coffee in a mug
I like ice cream in a mug
I like soup in a mug