Easter in the Blue Mountains

April 24, 2007 at 2:33 pm | Posted in out of town | Leave a comment

It seems long ago now, but R and I did drive out to the Blue Mountains for some crisp air and wide open spaces over the Easter long weekend. A lot of other Sydneysiders apparently had this idea, too, and parts of the drive up there moved at about the same pace as traffic through a certain part of Long Island on a Friday in July.

Once there however, the scenery was spectacular…

And the food was not bad either. We had lovely, long dinners at Darley’s Restaurant at the Lilianfels Hotel in Katoomba and Solitary in Leura Falls. But my favorite meal was lunch at Vulcan’s in Blackheath. The restaurant specializes in slow cooked food, and with its red walls and and open kitchen with a wood-burning oven, the whole place just feels warm. After sharing a roasted pumpkin salad, R had pot roast, which he said melted in his mouth. I had a vegetarian “lasagna”, with layers of goat cheese, spinach, lentils and polenta in a fresh tomato sauce. I will certainly be trying this one out at home as the weather in Sydney gets cooler.

I also took home some edible souvenirs, all of which are gone now. A box of Granny Smith apples from Logan-Brae Orchard in Shipley made two crisps and a pie, with a few left over for eating straight-up. Cafe Josophan’s in Blackheath (also in Leura) makes the best chocolates I’ve had here so far. My favorite was the earthy, fresh mint.

And Hominy Bakery in Katoomba has wonderful pastries and breads. Since I was missing the Good Living Growers’ Market in Pyrmont that weekend (where I usually stock up on breads), I brought back three loaves.