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
One thing that I absolutely adore is afternoon tea. I’ll easily give up a meal in order to fit in an afternoon of triangular sandwiches, miniature cakes and tea. One of the most interesting afternoon tea spots is Bygone Beautys in Leura.
With over 3800 teapots housed in this deceptively large space, it’s also a vintage shop full of all things luxurious and olde world, from scalloped fabric silk chairs, elaborate candelabras and of course all sorts of teacups and teapots.
Our traditional afternoon tea setting
We’ve called ahead to see whether they’re open and the woman on the phone asked if we’ll be having the traditional tea as it takes 20 minutes to set up. We’re a little confused as we didn’t think there was that much more preparation needed for it than a regular order but we say yes to a traditional afternoon tea for 2 ($49.50 for 2 people, additional people $19.50). While we’re there we also order a Devonshire tea $11.50 and a Petite order of sandwiches with 6 points for $11.00. Our waitress is warm and friendly and asks us if we’d like them all brought at once which we do.
The Pomp and Ceremony!
We’re given our sugar, milk and 5 minutes later, we hear the song “Land of Hope and Glory” booming through the room. Our smiling waitress has returned in top hat and tails and is pushing a impressive looking trolley bearing two British flags playing the Pro British tune. We’re stunned and pleasantly so, everyone is excited when they see this and we see many flashes go off.
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January 5, 2009
by Not Quite Nigella
Every year, my husband’s family and mine rent a house at Echo Point in the Blue Mountains. We always get the same house as it’s huge, lovely and just right for the 10 of us. This year it seemed that some were out to ruin Christmas with last minute cancellations but despite this, and the many, many changes of plans we still had a fantastic Christmas, made even better because of the absence of Grinches! 
Breakfast spread (not shown, muesli)
Mmm bacon….food of the gods!
We had a range of foods for breakfast including of course French Toast with bacon and blueberry jam. During the day copious amounts of Watermelon (from a sweet and juicy 11kg behemoth melon) were consumed, one night was a Pot Luck plate dinner with Hawaiian bean salad, noodles, cheeses and dips.
Crimson Rosellas in the backyard (amongst many other native birds)
Eumundi Organic Sausages
The highlight was the Christmas Day BBQ which featured a Coke Butt Chicken (a Coke version of the Beer Butt Chicken, click here for the recipe), Eumundi Sausages in 3 flavours (Pork & Ginger; Chicken & Leek and Beef, Tomato & Spinach); vegetarian sausages, tofu patties, coleslaw, freshly buttered corn, caramelised onions, asparagus, rolls, and of course for dessert, gleaming Maple Cheesecake (recipe to come) and sweet, juicy watermelon.
BBQ’d onions
Tofu and vegetarian sausage platter
Grilled corn on the cob
Cooked Eumundi’s – yum!
Coke Butt Chicken
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December 28, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
One cherished thing that we discovered when at our last trip to the Blue Mountains in Winter (what were we thinking? It was truly bone chillingly cold) was the crushed Apple Juice by Logan Brae orchards. Its something of a local favourite apparently and if you could imagine biting into a sweet juicy apple and the juice that runs out of it, you can imagine the juice here. Its so pure, preservative free, almost clear in colour and so deliciously good, we were looking forward to buying up big.
Unfortunately, during our Christmas visit when we rang ahead, the orchard store was only open for one hour on a Sunday as the apples weren’t yet harvested and since we weren’t here for a Sunday we had to buy it from a fruit store in downtown Katoomba.
The advantage of buying from the orchard store is buying the apples themselves, along with apple jelly and the bottles are of course less expensive at $4 for a 3 litre pale hued bottle. In the store, they are $6.50 a bottle. Nevertheless the juice is such a family favourite that we bought the fruit store out of their entire supply. They were a little shocked to say the least.
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January 4, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
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