With COVID-19 restrictions limiting our travels to the confines of NSW, I set off across the Great Dividing Range to explore more of Western NSW, in particular the cool climate region of Orange. I was excited to escape Sydney, to visit the many vineyards located in the area and to try out all the local cafes and bakeries in country NSW.

Day 1 was spent in the Blue Mountains, where the first stop for the day was at a local favourite, Mountain High Pies.

We stopped by after a walk at Wentworth Falls and ordered a beef, bacon and cheese pie and a steak and pepper pie. They have a large range of options at Mountain High Pies, ranging from the traditional beef mince pie, to more unique breakfast and roast vegetable pies. The shop is currently takeaway only, although there are some tables outside available. A must stop for anyone going through the Blue Mountains, even just for a snack and not a proper lunch!

For dinner, we headed to Station Bar at Katoomba for some drinks and wood fired pizzas. The bar was busy, even on a Wednesday night. There is a large selection of pizzas on the menu, named after suburbs all located in the Greater Blue Mountains region (thought this was a lovely touch). We ordered the Bell (Salami, prosciutto, goats cheese, roma tomatoes with chilli, garlic & topped with fresh roquette) and the Lawson (Prosciutto, salami, field mushrooms & buffalo mozzarella). Both were delicious with a thin, crispy base and the perfect ratio and distribution of meats. The garlic flavour shone through on the Bell pizza, giving it an extra layer of flavour vs the Lawson pizza. Overall, a great pizza joint and a nice bustling hangout in Katoomba!

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Day 2 was journeying past Katoomba and onto the other side of the Great Dividing Range. We had a day of hiking and sightseeing in the Wollemi National Park, where we visited the Glow Worm Track. The road to this trail is off road and extremely pot-holed (please be aware if you do not have a 4WD).

By dinner we were in Orange, where we headed to Elwood’s Eatery. Known for its smoked BBQ meats and burgers, we were excited to try what they had on offer. The brisket was soft and delicious (although consistency varied between the pieces) and the pan-fried greens was the perfect side. The burger had a nice smoky flavour but I was disappointed by the bun – they were way too toasted and the meat a touch overcooked for my liking.

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Day 3 – Stopped at Racine Bakery for breakfast before a day of wine tasting. We ordered the beef mince and chicken and champagne pies. The pastry was delicious, crusty and flakey in just the right way. Definitely a must try in Orange. We returned at lunch to try a classic reuben sandwich (toasted) which was also delicious.

For dinner we ate in the Schoolhouse Restaurant at the Union Bank in Orange. We had the three course set menu for $75. While the setting and service was lovely, the dining options we selected were a bit hit and miss. The beef tataki in onion jus was lovely, however the restaurant took the char on the octopus a bit too far.

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The barramundi skin had been taken quite far as well and was tough to cut into it and eat. The dish came with no sauce, which I thought would have elevated the dish. The beef sirloin was cooked well, the sauces paired well with the dish.

The desserts were also slightly disappointing. Whilst the apple empanadas and custard were fine, the vanilla slice was uninspiring. The custard was too thick and overpowered the thin wafers, while the jam did not offer the acidity needed to cut through the thick custard.

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Overall, the restaurant had a lovely ambience and all the waiters were attentive. Some dishes did let the experience down but the restaurant frequently changes their menu (some of the items we ordered are actually no longer available), so we could have been unlucky with the choices we made.

Brunch on our last day was at Byng Street Cafe. The menu was full of breakfast classics, we went with a bacon roll and some poached eggs. Both lovely dishes!

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The final meal at Orange was at Gracie Burger. We ordered two of the classic cheese burgers and they were delicious. The nice crunch on the patty and oozing cheese and special sauce rounded out the burger well. Note: due to current restrictions, they were take away when we visited.

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That wraps up all the feeds we had on the road trip out to Orange. We also visited some lovely wineries in the area. I would encourage everyone to do a road trip out to the country to support the local businesses as well as seeing more of our state than we normally would!

Tip: There were other restaurants we wanted to try in Orange, but these were all booked out! Get in early and book ahead if you can, as due to restrictions, the restaurants cannot always support the same amount of people inside.

Thoughts and opinions by Melissa (check our the Instagram @feedsforthree for more images).

Links

Blue Mountains
Wentworth Falls Track
Mountain High Pies
Station Bar
Glow Work Track

Orange
Elwood Eatery
Racine Bakery
Schoolhouse Restaurant @ The Union Bank
Gracie Burger