On our way to Jenolan Caves, a place I hadn’t visited in over 20 years, we stopped by the Whisk & Pin cafe and shop for a little sustenance on our drive. OK technically we didn’t need to as we could have eaten breakfast before we left but I will take any opportunity to stop for a meal. I had heard that the cafe version of the boutique muesli and cookie brand was cute. If a cafe has a shop attached to it, it’s a source of excitement for me and a source of frustration for Mr NQN.
Formerly a post office, it’s a cute white building with seating outside but as it’s lightly drizzling we take a seat inside. To the right there is the kitchen with a range of their cookies, slices and chocolates and further in there’s some more seating with a big comfy leather couch and more things to shop. It’s 11:15am when we arrive and the breakfast menu finishes at 11:30am so they ask us whether we’d prefer the breakfast or lunch menu. We take a look at both and decide on some blueberry pancakes from the breakfast menu and a Reuben sandwich from the lunch menu. Our waitress returns a few minutes later to let us know that one cannot order from separate menus which we find quite arbitrary so we order breakfast of housemade baked beans with speck on sourdough with a fried egg and the blueberry pancakes with blueberry sauce.
Vintage molds
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February 1, 2010
by Not Quite Nigella
When reader Crystal emailed me about Common Ground cafe in Katoomba, I immediately looked it up. There were very positive reviews of it on eatability but they also revelaed that it was a cafe with a little twist to it. It was run by people of the Twelve Tribes religious movement, which immediately intrigued me. So when Myriam, Ed, Mel and I are headed through the area on our way back from Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa one afternoon and needed a refreshment I suggested that we go here.
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December 29, 2009
by Not Quite Nigella
When I was asked if I’d like to come along on a Media trip to Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in the Blue Mountains it didn’t take me long to decide to start packing. Wave the word resort and spa in front of me and my ears swivel round (well if they could) and eyes go from tired to alert within nanoseconds. And when I hear the words Luxury and Emirates well the rest of my body goes in packing mode and I may have done a happy dance. So strap yourself in, this is a long story…
Logs found on the land made into a wall design
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November 30, 2009
by Not Quite Nigella
Leura Falls’s Solitary Kiosk in one of those places that has been around since 1913 and the first thing you notice is the absolutely lovely view. So much so that it used to be called the “Fork ‘n’ View” as a testament to a common (swearing) utterance heard when people saw the view offered.
The Fork ‘n’ View of the Jamison Valley, Mount Solitary and Kings Tableland
We’re here for brunch and it’s fairly empty, a surprise for a well known establishment. We’re shown to a table in the restaurant area even though we are after the kiosk and it’s full of white walls, paintings and sculptures.
Apple Juice $4.50
We make our order with the friendly waitress. We order a selection of breakfast items as well as the lunch Charcuterie plate as well as coffees and juices. The almost clear apple juice is by Logan Brae, that favourite apple juice of the Blue Mountains made at Shipley Platueau. It’s different from what I remember, slightly more bitter. My husband supposes that it’s because they’re using younger less sweet apples.
Cappucino $3.50
The coffee is served in an Australian Aboriginal decorated cup and isn’t bad-quite strong indeed.
Banana bread with butter $6.60
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February 21, 2009
by Not Quite Nigella
Clocks…
Clocks…we waited with bated breath for the cuckoo to pop out!
And more clocks!
I’ve known my friend Lulu since High School. We’ve kept in contact through all sorts of moving, living overseas and moving far away and most recently she and her husband moved to the Blue Mountains. And she’s a reader of my site as much as she can with a 1 year old and another on the way. She does know of my predilection for the unusual and kitsch and when she and her husband dined at Swiss Cottage a while back they eagerly told me all about it from the great food to the waiter that balances chairs on his chin.
Bamboo ski poles!
Traditional boy’s outfit
I was of course intrigued. I had visions, and I don’t know why, of the giant from Twin Peaks balancing chairs on his chin and the dwarf dancing alongside. Perhaps it’s the fact that the Great Northern Hotel in Twin Peaks looks like it might be a setting for a Swiss restaurant-the Blue Mountains certainly has that Twin Peaks air about it. Or perhaps, and more likely, I have an overactive and inaccurate imagination. In any case I rang to book and asked the woman on the phone whether the chair balancing waiter would be there and she assured me yes.
Huge cow bells
Wooden ice skates
We’re early for our reservation as we need to head back to Sydney a bit earlier than planned and this is not a problem at all. We sit down in this adorably decorated cottage adorned with all sorts of Swiss memorabilia from vintage bamboo ski poles, lots of sets of skis; Swiss cuckoo clocks, a traditional knife sharpener and children’s outfits.
We order a range of dishes to share as we all want to try as much Swiss cuisine as possible. Walking through the lobby we see pictures of celebrities that have dined here including Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman when they were married. Of course I asked what they ordered – it was cheese fondue and soup and the smiling French Swiss owner says that they stayed for quite a while.
More wooden skis
Raclette $54 for two
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January 7, 2009
by Not Quite Nigella
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