Episode 27: Daylesford
Join host Suzie Wilks along with Glen Moriarty, Brodie Harper, Blair McDonough and Shane Crawford this week as the Postcards team takes to Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges. We show you the best that Spa Country has to offer with visits to Sault and Saltus, Cliffy's Emporium and Mercato @ Daylesford, the Farmers Arms Hotel, Piper Street in Kyneton and an old favourite for many Victorians: The Lake House.
Lake House
You'll find The Lake House in Daylesford, around 80 minutes drive from Melbourne. Executive Chef Alla Wolf Tasker, her family and a team of workers run the property, including the highly-acclaimed restaurant that has been wowing its diners since first opening 25 years ago. It has two chef's hats from The Age Good Food Guide for 2009 and was recently voted the Restaurant of the Year by the Australian Hotel Association Awards for its food and wine list. The food philosophy at The Lake House emphasises seasonal produce and virtually everything is made on the premises, from the baked breads up.
After dining you can take a stroll through the grounds or, if you decide to stay in one of the 33 rooms or suites nestled on the six-acre property, venture back to your room for a sleep. Another idea is to treat yourself at the onsite Salus Spa, which recently won the Gourmet Traveller Award for best spa/health retreat in Australia. Every luxury that you can imagine is available there.
Lake House
King Street, Daylesford
Ph: 03 5348 3329
www.lakehouse.com.au
Sault and Saltus
There's something about Daylesford that oozes romance. Glen's first rendezvous in town is at Sault Restaurant. If you have visited the region before you may have noticed it as the French looking villa surrounded by beautiful gardens just a few kilometres from Daylesford. If you thought it was impressive from the outside, wait until you get the inside story. There's a fair bit of love going into the food, with a passion for local produce evident. The menu is a blend of contemporary Australian cuisine with a hint of European flavour, making Sault the perfect location for lunch, dinner or even a wedding.
If you're a couple and you're wining and dining your way around the country's Spa Capital, you might be looking for a special place to retire for the night. Glen finds just the place at Saltus Accommodation, just out of Daylesford on Main Road, Hepburn Springs. The property overlooks the famous spa and boasts three apartments with either one or two bedrooms, king beds and ensuite with stone bath.
Saltus
119 Main Road, Hepburn Springs
Ph: 0409 367 227
www.saltus.com.au
Sault
2349 Ballan Daylesford Road, Daylesford
Ph: 03 5348 6555
www.sault.com.au
Cliffy's and Mercato
Just a little way off Daylesford's main drag, in Raglan Street, you can take a magical step back in time to an old-style general store that's a cutting edge culinary destination. Cliffy's Emporium is small, cluttered and kind of crazy, but it's also home to Daylesford's best selection of fresh and preserved produce. Take a look on the ramshackle shelves and you'll find the best locally made tomato relish, the first of the organic olives from Captains Creek in Blampied and the ever-popular mint and rhubarb chutneys from Ruffy's Produce. Then there are all the jams, chutneys and preserves bottled in-house. Mostly it's organic, because that's what the farmers bring in. Cliffy's is also home to a café with a simple menu featuring all the local produce that's sold in the store, so it's seasonal, regional and sensational.
Just next door, the focus on regional produce continues at Mercato @ Daylesford. Beyond the lovingly restored 1864 shop front you'll find polished floors, coffee-hued walls, heavy oak panelling and a contemporary menu. Chef Richard Mee is a careful cook with a good eye for presentation and detail. His food is light and fresh, and he likes to keep things simple. Best of all, most of his menu is gluten free, so there's something for everyone.
Cliffy's Emporium
30 Raglan Street, Daylesford
Ph: 03 5348 3279
www.cliffys.com.au
Mercato @ Daylesford
32 Raglan Street, Daylesford
Ph: 03 5348 4488
www.mercatorestaurant.com.au
Farmers Arms
It would be easy to drive past the Farmers Arms and head for Daylesford's main street, but you'd miss out on a fantastic fine dining experience, and one of the friendliest bars in the country. The Farmers Arms, built in 1857, sits at the crossroad where central Victoria's tough open plains meet delicate little Daylesford, and it's also where the country meets the city. The bar here is the real deal, complete with a weekly meat raffle and a collection of regular daytime drinkers, masters of the lost art of slow drinking and fast talking, so you can always find someone to chat to. Whilst the locals love the lager, they also come for the pub grub, which can be enjoyed at the bar, at the small bench tables called snugs, or at the large communal table. There's always some sort fish, chicken and a good steak on offer, and regardless of whether you're enjoying a rump steak at the bar or an eye filet in hotel's award-winning restaurant, you can be assured you're eating the area's best beef.
Farmers Arms Hotel
1 East Street, Daylesford
Ph: 03 5348 2091
www.farmersarms.com.au
Piper Street, Kyneton
Just down the road from Daylesford you'll find a gourmet's paradise in Piper Street, Kyneton. You can embrace your inner biscuit at Inner Biscuit, a funky little organic café that opened in April 2009. As well as baking biscuits, this café also serves some delicious savoury dishes, so there's a lot more than just buns in their ovens.
Every town needs a quality café, and so Kynetonites are lucky to have the Little Swallow Café. Like all good cafes, breakfast here is available all day and they're particularly proud of the homemade baked beans with fetta cheese and toast, followed by a great cup of coffee, of course.
Star Anise Bistro is an inviting old house that is now home to one of Kyneton's best restaurants, where you can start with a selection of small plates perfect for sharing. But you've got to leave room for the colour-coded dessert platters, which we are told are the best some folks have ever eaten!
Inner Biscuit
34 Piper Street, Kyneton
Ph: 03 5422 1129
www.innerbiscuit.com
Little Swallow Cafe
58A Piper Street, Kyneton
Ph: 03 5422 6241
www.littleswallowcafe.com
Star Anise Bistro
29A Piper Street, Kyneton
Ph: 03 5422 2777
www.staranisebistro.com
What's on
Hurstbridge Wattle Festival
The Hurstbridge Wattle Festival embraces the heritage, community and country atmosphere of the Nillumbik area, with a wide array of activities on offer.
Where: Hurstbridge
When: 30 August 2009
More: Ph 1300 660 072 or visit www.wattlefestival.org.au
Frankston and South Eastern Wine Show and Amateur Winemaking Competition
Check out the Frankston and South Eastern Wine Show and Amateur Winemaking Competition, held at the Briars Historic Park in Mount Martha next Sunday.
Where: Mount Martha
When: 30 August 2009
More: Ph 03 5975 5757 or visit www.fawg.org.au
Kangaroo Hoppet
Also coming up is the Kangaroo Hoppet, held at Falls Creek. It is Australias premier long distance cross-country ski race.
Where: Falls Creek
When: 29 August 2009
More: Ph 03 5754 1045 or visit www.hoppet.com.au
