Eating Out in Bathurst

Bathurst used to be all about motor racing, but lately that’s taken a backseat–and great food and wine has come roaring down the straight.

Take one of the most popular new spots on the Bathurst bar and restaurant scene, Dogwood BX. It’s a high-end American diner turning out winning classic dishes with beer and cocktails to match. Kick off with some deep-fried pickles and buffalo wings marinated in Frank’s hot sauce, paired with a pitcher of cool Coors beer. Take on a Dogwood deluxe burger or a rack of genuine baby back ribs, with a massive layer of loin meat attached. If you want something a bit more refined, the North Carolina pork belly is superb, as are any of the steaks that are smoked and flame-grilled on a wood fire.

For dessert, try a banana cream pie, or do what we did — order a Jack Daniels and maple syrup espresso martini… Marvellous.

When dinnertime rolls around, go Italian at Vine and Tap. They specialise in spuntini — small sharing dishes, sort of like an Italian tapas. Start with an antipasto platter, then move on to the fried buffalo mozzarella, served with candied beetroot and orange zest. The wild mushroom arancini balls with truffled mayo are equally amazing.

We also really enjoyed the pan-fried gnocchi with Italian sausage in a sage and burnt butter sauce. And you can pair any meal with imported Italian wine, or one of the many Italian-style local wines on the menu. Finish off with a tiramisu cake or dessert arancini with salted caramel and apple. Que bella!