Central Coast Blog

Travel Trends 2012: Food

February 2, 2012 in General by admin | No comments

The culinary world is always changing. With 2012 unfolding before us, Four Seasons has peered into the future of all things delicious by tapping into the wealth of epicurean expertise at its fingertips. Here are key predictions for the gourmet realm in the year ahead from star chefs around the world.

• Emerging cuisines from emerging markets: The varied regions of China, Brazil and India are having an increasing influence over restaurant concepts and menus. —Executive Chef Thierry Papillier of Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza

Keep an eye out for interesting flavours coming out of Le Marche region of Italy. —Chef Victor Casanova of Culina, Modern Italian at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills

• Bites that transport: Street food is here to stay. The trend that started in 2011 will only further develop in 2012 as guests continue to crave authentic bites that transport them to the dish’s country of origin. Diners at Windows Lounge can peruse the StrEAT menu for a refined approach to this distinct cuisine, resulting in items such as chicken chipotle cilantro dog, brik a l’oeuf, and eggplant coconut curry. —Executive Chef Ashley James of Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills

• “Dressed up” comfort food: That’s the “tuxedo version” of comfort food dishes, as I like to call it, which is taking classic dishes that we all love and adding adventure and exceptional quality to them with unique flavour profiles and local ingredients. —Executive Chef Brooke Vosika of Four Seasons Hotel Boston

• Back to roots: Distinctive ethnic dishes continue to grow in popularity. Dishes from different cultures have been mixed and matched for so long now that people are craving wholesome, soulful, robust food with definitive roots. —Chef Victor Casanova of Culina, Modern Italian at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills

We cannot forget our roots. Food is culture, and traditional cuisine is the taste of the grandmas. —Executive Chef Alex Gares of Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Thailand

• Farm to table: Here to stay, the importance of continuing the movement for fresh, local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients. At Four Seasons, a worldwide emphasis for 2012 will be put on utilising produce, meats, fish and other items found in and around properties’ home destinations.

Edge, Steak & Bar at Four Seasons Hotel Miami, which opened this past November, has key relationships with local fishermen to ensure the steakhouse menu is also filled with the seasons’ best line-caught local snapper, cobia and, of course, stone crabs. —Executive Chef Aaron Brooks of Four Seasons Hotel Miami

• Artisanal canning on the rise: Chefs are making and canning their own signature olives, pickles, salsas, sauces and the list goes on. Chefs can put their own stamp on products while also guaranteeing quality ingredients. —Executive Chef Brooke Vosika of Four Seasons Hotel Boston

• Upscale bar snacks: Traditional bar fare will be adapted in favour of more adventurous recipes—think buffalo Brussels sprouts and avocado fries. —Executive Chef Brooke Vosika of Four Seasons Hotel Boston

• Expired: Out with molecular gastronomy, Sous Vide cooking, meatballs and the overuse of truffle oil. (We all love truffle oil but a little goes a long way!) I think we’ll see cupcakes fizzle, too, and be replaced by a new “it” dessert item. My daughter thinks it should be sticky buns . . . I agree! —Executive Chef Brooke Vosika of Four Seasons Hotel Boston

(Four Seasons Magazine Contributor John Mariani agrees regarding at least one fading trend: “So-called modernist or molecular cuisine—always more hype than actual influence—will fade or disappear as restaurateurs realise very few people want to spend four hours and US$250 eating 30 very strange and exotic, chemically induced dishes.”)

• In the end, it all comes back to travel: It is the well-travelled chefs who are leading the charge in food trends in general—the chefs who are arriving in the country’s top food cities after training around the globe. By introducing new methods into our kitchens, they help us take our cuisine to the next level. Four Seasons Hotel Miami is a great example of this, with Executive Chef Aaron Brooks recently opening Edge, Steak and Bar, with his breadth of experience from Australia, British Columbia and the Northeast. Those cultures harmonise and add to the richness and flavour of his dishes. —Executive Chef Brooke Vosika of Four Seasons Hotel Boston

Tags: Food, Travel Trends 2012

Travel Trends 2012: Spa and Wellness

February 2, 2012 in General by admin | No comments

• Going to extremes: Contrast therapy—moving from hot to cold and back again—is gaining in popularity. It does wonders for sore muscles, and it’s a good alternative to the more traditional spa offerings like massages and facials for those who aren’t fans of those hands-on treatments. —Haley Shapley

• The invigorating is what’s relaxing: Eucalyptus steam baths, frigid waterfalls, solariums, cold plunge pools. Austrian spa designer Thermarium will be taking cold showers up a notch this year with their Snow Shower, which offers everything from a light dusting of snowflakes to a full-on blizzard. Look for these trends to start falling into spas early this year. —Haley Shapley

• Less transformation anticipation: Spas are increasingly forgoing the fluff for the serious, and that’s manifesting itself in several ways. You’ll see more spas trying to engineer transformative experiences that take shorter amounts of time. For example, you might find more resort spas putting together one- to four-day weight-loss programmes—something previously and exclusively the business of the destination spa. Or you might be able to enjoy a multi-day couples workshop while having fun in the sun on the beach. You can even attend workshops and consult with professionals on ways you can improve your sleep while on vacation. One of the greatest luxuries for people now is time, and hotels are realizing that they have to offer some sort of extra incentive to lure guests. —Elizabeth Woodson

• Authentic healing: Spas are looking to tap their visitors into the healing traditions of the destination in which they are located in a very authentic way. More spas look to bring actual healing modalities, such as traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and Polynesian healing, into their treatment rooms in as pure a form as possible by employing traditional healers or consulting with them as they work to offer these services in an authentic way. And you’ll see more and more spas backing up the effectiveness of their treatments with scientific research. Spas are very interested in ways that they can improve the overall wellness and well-being of their clients—not just make them feel good for 60 minutes. —Elizabeth Woodson

Tags: Spa and Wellness, Travel Trends 2012

Travel Trends 2012: Family Travel

February 2, 2012 in General by admin | No comments

• Multigenerational happenings: Families are looking for authentic experiences and adventures to share, from American National Parks to Asia. And increasingly, that means three generations. Grandparents are taking their children and grandchildren on their bucket-list trip to the Galapagos Islands or Africa. Parents are following their college students abroad, touring where they are studying. —Eileen Ogintz; also a Have Family Will Travel blogger

• Value is in the experience: Wherever families go, they recognize that value stretches beyond the trip’s cost. Families are likely to spend more to get the experience they want, including opportunities to give back to the communities they visit. —Eileen Ogintz

• Fizzle staycations! People want to get away from home. —Eileen Ogintz

• Step aside, chicken tenders: Chefs are taking note of parental demands for healthier children’s offerings on their menus, all geared towards more sophisticated but still young palates. —Eileen Ogintz

• Convenient diversions: More and more. horseback riding, scuba diving and location-specific sports are available right from your hotel. Also, not only adult business facilities but teenage rooms allowing computer access, gaming rooms and even small cinema theatres are the trend. —Neale Haynes photographer and Have Family Will Travel blogger

• More opportunities than ever: More direct flights, such as from London to places like the Maldives are on the rise. These new flight patterns are creating new travel opportunities for families that would not normally have travelled to a place requiring inconvenient plane changes. —Neale Haynes

Tags: Family Travel, Travel Trends 2012

Travel Trends 2012: Gear and Accessories

February 2, 2012 in General by admin | No comments

• Bag in the hand: One accessory integral for the chic-est of sight-seers is the Cuir Perfore Saumur bag by Louis Vuitton. The bag is perfect for a light traveller who needs unencumbered hands for shopping. Empty, it’s almost weightless. The perforated leather and its four sections are ideal for someone who tends to accumulate little items like postcards, candy and small objets d’art. —Elana Kaufman, Four Seasons Magazine fashion stylist

• Eyes on this: David Yurman’s Signature Cable Collection sunglasses are sculptural and comfortable for a whole day of seeing the sights. They add glamour to casual travel looks. —Elana Kaufman

• Comfort is key: More relaxed, traditional looks are in. Comfort is key, and so is the feel of quality, natural materials. —Neale Haynes photographer and Have Family Will Travel blogger

Tags: Gear and Accessories, Travel Trends 2012

Travel Trends 2012: Global Travel

February 2, 2012 in General by admin | No comments

• Art of the moment, gone in a minute: Major museums have incomparable collections, blockbuster shows and landmark buildings. They’re always a must-see. But the freshest, most kinetic art experiences are ephemeral and found in unexpected places. They can include anything from painting to electronica to live performance. Some are short-term festivals that animate a district for a night or weekend, like the annual Nuit Blanche in Paris and Toronto, Flux in Atlanta and Noche en Vela in Buenos Aires. Wherever numerous art dealers are concentrated, there is liable to be a regular “gallery crawl,” like Los Angeles’ Downtown Art Walk the second Thursday evening of every month. Galleries open their doors, while installations and performances enliven the streets between them. In Chicago, Pop-Up Art Loop fills vacant downtown storefronts with temporary exhibitions. And taking the pop-up concept even further, No Man’s Art Gallery mounts a temporary exhibition in a different country every few months. Last year, it materialized in Amsterdam, Hamburg and Mumbai; look for it in Paris this spring. All of these fleeting art spectacles are youthful, inviting and unintimidating—perfect points of entry into a city’s distinctive cultural ferment. —Jonathan Lerner

• Adventure, Belize: The Actun Tunichil Muknal (or ATM) cave in the Cayo district of Belize is a must for adventure seekers. After swimming into the mouth of the cave, you spend a couple of hours wading through water, scaling rocks and contorting your body through crevices, all while in awe of the natural formations and Mayan artefacts left behind, including skeletons and pottery. With interest in the Mayan calendar at a height this year, 2012 is certainly an interesting time to visit Belize. —Haley Shapley

• Walk this way: John Muir, the great naturalist and explorer, once said, “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” Whether I’m strolling beside a bucolic, sheep-covered hillside in New Zealand or meandering along the Seine, there’s no better way to soak up a locale. In fact, I often say that as a writer, my travel stories come to me. They visit when I’m inhaling the scenery on two feet. But walking? A trend. Consider the Silicon Valley superstars. In the new Steve Jobs memoir, author Walter Isaacson writes that Jobs’ most important meetings and conversations occurred during long jaunts. Mark Zuckerberg is also a big hoofer. (Think about all the travel apps; the iPod Nano even has a built-in pedometer.) “In 2012 people are looking for authentic experiences, where you can spend quality time with yourself and your family, take a step back,” says Carol Lohr, executive director of the Crystal Coast Tourism Development Authority. “When you walk, you get a better flavour for an area. It’s a means of transportation that you can control.” —Jeryl Brunner

• Fore by two: The traditional golf trip has long consisted of a foursome of good male friends and a bare-bones itinerary that entailed playing as much golf as possible each day—and then drinking with equal abandon in the pubs afterwards. But not anymore. The more popular, and prudent, move these days is towards couples golf travel, and those increasingly available husband-and-wife treks to top courses in and around places as wide-ranging as Lisbon and Dublin include as many museum tours and spa sessions as they do actual rounds. (And fewer post-game pints, to be sure.) —John Steinbreder

• Getting to the next holes: Golf outfitters are always seeking to give the tried and true destinations new looks and feels. One way they are doing that in 2012 is by employing unique modes of transportation for their customers. First, they get them to embarkation points like London or Milan, Florence or Provence. Then they escort them to luxurious river barges that motor lazily down the Royal or Rhone rivers, perhaps. Or board them onto yachts that take them from courses in Corsica to layouts on Sicily with comfort and panache. Trains are another option, and the best may well be the sumptuous Royal Scotsman, which regularly rolls through the U.K., where some say golf was born. —John Steinbreder

Tags: Global Travel, Travel Trends 2012

Top Ten Accommodation Trends From Boutique Hotel Experts

January 10, 2012 in General by admin | No comments

Boutique hotel experts and hunters of all that is cool in accommodation experiences, Mr & Mrs Smith, is the latest group to unveil its predictions for the top trends for the industry ahead for this year as well as the destinations it thinks are going to be the hottest. Here’s what they think:

1 Experience seekers

Today’s new luxury travellers want more from a globetrotting getaway than just a pampering break. Once happy to be insulated in a cocooning 5-star, avoiding immersion in their host country, high-end guests are increasingly seeking more high-impact experiences. As much about social awareness as spiritual enlightenment, their desires are being met by forward-thinking boutique hotels with an increase in cultural tours, local cooking, arts and crafts classes, and the chance to get actively involved in charity schemes and conservation projects. Expect this trend to continue, with more crossover between top-tier travellers and adventurous backpackers. Amantaka hotel in Laos offers tempting Guest Experiences that tap into the Luang Prabang scene, including exploring the old city on foot, making a temple offering or visiting a Buddhist Archive. In Bali, Alila Villas Uluwatu’s Journeys by Alila promote cultural exchange, including visits to leading Balinese artists, private kitchen time with the hotel chef (as well as trips to Jimbaran Fish Market) and outings to an orphanage backed by the resort.

2 Local rules

The locavore and hyperlocal trend that has taken over the food world is fast becoming de rigueur in the hotel scene, too, particularly at high-end and boutique properties where chefs are growing their own produce to keep food miles to a minimum. In Australia, dishes at award-winning Circa, The Prince restaurant, at The Prince hotel in Melbourne, include heirloom herbs and vegetables from Circa’s kitchen garden. At Bells at Killcare hotel, on New South Wales’ Central Coast, chef Stefano Manfredi draws on an organic kitchen garden and the hotel’s own chickens to whip up Italian-inspired treats. MONA Pavilions in Hobart has a vineyard on-site and Spicers Vineyards Estate in the Hunter Valley goes the whole hog, with its own veggie patch, chickens and pigs.

Local rules when it comes to boutique hotel spas and toiletries, too, with Ceylon Tea Trails in Sri Lanka using tea and essential oils grown in the surrounding hills for pampering treatments, as well as harnessing tea’s antioxidant and fragrant qualities in its cuisine. Bunga Raya in Sabah, Malaysia, uses indigenous flowers in its Solace Spa, and Coqui Coqui Tulum in Mexico offers a Mayan clay wrap.

3 Global roaming

The strength of the Aussie dollar and Asian currencies has led to a rise in long-haul trips from these regions to Europe and the United States, while Asia continues to represent good value for northern hemisphere travellers feeling the credit pinch. Six hot global destinations we’re tipping for 2012 are:

Sri Lanka, the beach – and temple-dotted island, back on the traveller map after years of civil war.
Luang Prabang, Laos, still off the beaten track with rich Buddhist culture and inspiring boutique hotels.
Tasmania, Australia’s under-the-radar southern island, fast gaining a rep for modern art, local produce and pristine nature
London, the creative UK capital hosting 2012’s Olympics.
China’s less visited cities and regions beyond Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai.
Fiji’s offshore islands, where boutique retreats are a far cry from mass tourism on the main island

4 Cool customisation

Boutique stays are becoming more bespoke, thanks to smarter technology and customisation. New travel apps up the ante, such as ‘Mr & Mrs Smith: Plan and Play’, which allows you to research and book your weekend away, but also includes fun games to entertain you on the road. Pre-arrival customer surveys whet your appetite for pampering long before your hotel experience, and can include everything from dietary and activity preferences to a pillow menu or toiletries, flowers and room scent options. The Amala in Bali even susses out guests’ taste in music, movies, fruit and cookies prior to arrival.

5 From touchdown to turndown

Seamless service is a growing boutique hotel trend, starting before you arrive and continuing after check-out, with pre-arrival questionnaires just the start of the exclusive experience.

The spoiling steps up a gear at the airport on touch-down, where savvy hotels, such as Saffire in Tasmania’s Freycinet Peninsula offer a dedicated lounge to provide guests with unsurpassed service from the get-go. Met at Hobart Airport’s terminal, guests are treated to refreshments, free WiFi, TV or a shower, while their bags are loaded into a chauffeur-driven car. Six Senses Ninh Van Bay in Vietnam offers similarly luxe hospitality, picking guests up at the airport and transferring them to its Six Senses Lounge in Nha Trang town, before the water taxi ride to the resort.

6 More bang for your buck

For a while now consumers at all levels have been looking for holidays that provide extra value and they’re no longer afraid to ask for more, even at the luxury end of the scale. It’s not about luxe for less, as such, more about seeking quality value-adds at all price points, and spending smarter, with resort’s touting ever-more appealing offers from free experiences to extra nights, half-board stays, gratis breakfasts, transfers and spa treats.

7 Joining the jet-set

Flying in a private jet may not be as far out of reach as you think, with the jet-set trend particularly prevalent in the US and the UK. Though it’s still not cheap, prices are rivalling first-and business-class tickets — and even, occasionally, coach — thanks in part to new websites, social media and a greater willingness by charter companies and private jet brokers to negotiate in an era of high fuel prices.

Air Partner, an aircraft charter broker based in London, introduced emptysectors.com in 2010, to help fill so-called empty legs (when the aircraft flies without passengers back to base or between jobs) at discounted rates. Other brokers and private jet operators such as JetSuite (jetsuite.com) also make empty legs available to individual travellers, so it can pay to shop around. For canny travellers, social media is also opening up new avenues to private jet travel, including the chance to split the costs with others. Recently, JetSuite started SuiteShare, which allows a customer to charter a four-passenger aircraft and then offer seats that won’t be needed through Facebook (facebook.com/jetsuiteair).

8 Radical spas

No longer content just to offer relaxing treatments, boutique hotel spas are reinventing themselves with soul-enriching experiences that help guests change their lives, not just their looks.

Boutique health retreat Como Shambhala Estate in Ubud, Bali, includes a holistic wellness consultation in rates, and offers support from an Ayurvedic doctor as part of a personalised programme. Your goals can range from getting fit to detoxing, better nutrition, stress management or rejuvenation. Award-winning Gaia Retreat & Spa, near Byron Bay, Australia, offers more than 40 revitalising wellbeing treatments including facials, reiki and spiritual healing, with options tailored to men and couples. Male-centric spa pampering is a growing trend in itself, with The Balé in Bali targeting men with a 90-minute coffee ritual.

9 Great escapes

Celebrating a big birthday, bespoke wedding or group getaway with family or friends? These days you no longer have to choose between a service-swish hotel or the intimacy of a self-catering stay, thanks to the new wave of holiday houses with five-star service. Sure you can cook for yourself, but why bother when your private army of staff includes chefs, 24-hour butlers, drivers, concierges and more? Enjoy the flexibility and freedom of what you want, when you want it, in your own private home-from-home. Exclusive-hire boutique retreats for great escapes include YL Residence No. 17 in Koh Samui, Thailand; Eagles Nest in Bay of Islands, New Zealand; Molori Great Barrier Reef in Port Douglas, Australia; Dolphin Island in Fiji; and Luna2 Private Hotel and Villa Sungai in Bali.

10 Grand designs

Smart, stylish interiors continues to mark out true boutique hotels from their cookie-cutter imitators, but with comfort and practicality never sacrificed for wacky, look-at-me effects. It’s no longer just about being a slick ‘design hotel’ though. A broad church of inspiration means minimal shrines to modern design and heavenly historical revamps are equally on trend for 2012. We’re particularly excited by the rise of locally relevant interiors, including reclaimed heritage hotels made new. For a pared-down take on Malaysian style, we love Clove Hall in Penang, Malaysia. Fort-set Amangalla in Galle, Sri Lanka, also pulls off colonial chic with effortless elegance. Satri House in Luang Prabang, Laos, teams a heritage royal residence with a cutting-edge stylist’s eye for accessories. On the contemporary front, we’re looking forward to the launch of The Siam in Bangkok this year, a sharply tailored modern build strong on Thai antiques and art.

From Hosptality Magazine - http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/article/Top-ten-accommodation-trends-from-boutique-hotel-experts/533028.aspx

Check out BookCentralCoast.com.au for all your NSW Central Coast accommodation needs.

Tags: bookcentralcoast.com.au, boutique hotels, central coast accommodation, Cool customisation, Experience seekers, Global roaming, Grand designs, Great escapes, jet-set, Local rules, NSW Central Coast accommodation, spas

Backpackers a first at The Entrance

December 29, 2011 in General by admin | No comments

According to the Central Coast Advocate and BookCentralCoast.com.au .

FEDERAL Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson was the special guest last week at Central Coast’s first purpose-built backpackers accommodation at The Entrance.

Federal funding helped establish the business.

Mr Ferguson said the government was investing $110,000 into the project, almost half the total cost of the fit-out of The Entrance Backpackers.

“The Entrance with its natural beauty is a perfect spot for people to experience,” Mr Ferguson said.

“These projects are very important for tourism and helping construct proper accommodation for backpackers is important and good for the local economy.”

Business owners Sunshine and Mark Estivo share a mutual passion for travelling and met at a backpackers while travelling overseas in the 1990s.

The couple also share a mutual passion for business and are excited to be launching the backpackers, which should be up and running by May or June next year.

The Entrance Backpackers will be built in commercial space on the main road and accommodate 39 backpackers with four dormitories.

dream has become a reality thanks to a Federal Government grant under the TQUAL Scheme.* On Wednesday Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson was guest of honour at a celebration hosted by Mr and Mrs Estivo at The Entrance Visitors Centre. “We have wanted to do something with this space for a long time, which would benefit The Entrance and the local community,” Mrs Estivo said.

Ferguson said the government was investing $110,000 into the project, almost half the total cost of the fit-out of The Entrance Backpackers.* “These projects are very important for tourism and helping construct proper accommodation for backpackers is important and good for the local economy,” he said. Also at the launch was Dobell federal Labor MP Craig Thomson, Central Coast Minister Chris Hartcher, The Entrance state Liberal MP Chris Spence and Central Coast Tourism executive officer Ollie Philpot.

“I am excited about this project,” Mr Philpot said.

“Not only for The Entrance but the whole Central Coast. It’s a long time since we’ve had a backpackers and The Entrance is the perfect place for it.”

Tags: accommodation the entrance, backpackers, bookcentralcoast.com.au, central coast accommodation, The Entrance accommodation

Highway to foodie heaven on NSW Central Coast

December 27, 2011 in General by admin | No comments

NSW Central Coast Foodie Heaven

According to SMH on 27th December, 2011.

Angie Schiavone selects 10 of the central coast’s best places for gourmets.

1 LA TARTINE

Nick and Laurence Anthony have been leavening loaves – including their best-selling fruit bread, packed with figs, apricots and almonds – at this certified organic bakery for 13 years. They supply a large number of businesses in the region, from the Crowne Plaza to cafes such as Bellyfish at Terrigal, and sell bread at farmers’ markets including Avoca Growers’ Market. On Fridays from 10am, they open their off-the-beaten-track bakery to the public. It’s not something they advertise but they’re always busy: such is the pulling power of a La Tartine loaf fresh from the oven.

Shop 2, 111 Wisemans Ferry Road, Somersby, 4340 0299.

2 BREMEN PATISSERIE

The ”Best Gourmet Pies in the Universe” claim is big, but they’re pretty damn good. Owner Ron Bruns opened the bakery 22 years ago, naming it after his home town in Germany, where he developed his passion for good-quality food. Bruns’s pie-making skills were learnt after arriving in Australia in 1983 and over the years he’s accumulated scores of awards, many from the annual Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition, most recently for his rabbit gumbo pie. Alongside the serious gourmet pies is the super-hot ”Flaming Ron”. Trying it requires signing a waiver!

302 West Street, Umina, 4341 4177.

3 MANGROVE MOUNTAIN COUNTRY MARKETS

There are food-focused markets at Avoca, The Entrance, Gosford and Ettalong but this one, about 40 kilometres inland, is particularly appealing. The Country Women’s Association is there with jam and scones, mushroom grower Kim Margin sells his Swiss browns and portobellos, harvested that morning at Woy Woy and so fresh they’re still pink-gilled. Mangrove Mountain local Michael Champion of Champion Organics sells a range of vegetables and Shelley and Anthony Luci of Green Mile Stud have goat meat for sale while also serving barbecued snags and goat kofta.

Last Sunday of each month, 9am-2pm, corner Wisemans Ferry and Waratah roads, Mangrove Mountain.

4 GLEE COFFEE ROASTERS

Brothers Ben and Chris Gleeson have been in the coffee industry for a decade, starting Glee about three years ago. The self-proclaimed ”coffee gleeks” are super-keen about beans and happy to discuss them. Along with the house roast called Akiko, a full-bodied blend of five single-origins, is a second grinder with single-origin beans. The cool-looking set-up is in an industrial area off the tourist track at Tuggerah, where the men roast beans and run a cafe. Stop in for a quick bite and coffee – including filtered coffees, such as syphon and pour-over – or buy beans to go.

Unit 1, 5 Joule Place, Tuggerah, 4353 4410.

5 FIRESCREEK FRUIT WINES

Winemaker Peter Buteux has turned the expression ”stop and smell the roses” on its head with his rose-petal wine, made with roses and grapes from the beautiful one-hectare property. Firescreek makes fruit-, flower- and herb-based wines – always in small batches, often with fruit sourced from the property or locally. The expectation is fruit wines are sweet but the range here includes dry drops. The lime is a must-try; it was show champion at the this year’s Perth Royal Show.

Cellar door tastings, Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm,

192 Wattle Tree Road, Holgate, 4365 0768.

6 MANFREDI AT BELLS

The best-known and only chef’s-hatted restaurant on the central coast, Manfredi at Bells wows visitors with its setting and culinary credentials. It has the goods from its soothing white-and-royal-blue-toned restaurant to the vegie patches that inspire and supply the kitchen, the wine list and menu of tempting Italian food from chefs Stefano Manfredi and Cameron Cansdell. On-site villas mean you can dine and stay.

107 The Scenic Road, Killcare Heights, 4360 2411.

7 FLAIR RESTAURANT

The main-road location and modest interior don’t quite prepare you for the intricate food artistry at this restaurant run by Jason and Deysi Martin. Chef Jason puts hours of work into his dazzling dishes, transforming pan-fried Petuna ocean trout, or a trio of pork, into beautifully composed creations with an array of flavours. A long-time central coaster, Martin has come full circle, starting his chef’s apprenticeship at this site in the mid-’90s, before cooking at high-end restaurants in Britain.

1/488 The Entrance Road, Erina Heights, 4365 2777.

8 LOTUS

The beach might be a couple of hundred metres away but, with its decor of cool blues and whites, Lotus distils the calm of the coast, adding seriously good food and coffee to the mix. Owners Lawry and Wendy Gordon ran Flair Restaurant for several years before trading fine dining for cut-above-cafe fare two years ago. They’re open daily for brekkie and lunch, and the most popular order is for poached eggs with asparagus, topped with crisp prosciutto. Coffee is Toby’s Estate. The double-ristretto piccolo latte is a must.

127A Ocean View Drive, Wamberal, 4385 9260.

9 THE FAT GOOSE

It’s an old custom for Hardys Bay locals to meet under the yum yum trees by the pier for afternoon beers and talk, and the quirky name of these trees seems to have inspired the local providores. Among a few double-yum-worthy dining options is this bakery-deli-cafe that makes its own bread, pastries, pies and quiches daily. They’ll prepare picnic hampers on request if you prefer the great outdoors to their pleasant courtyard seating.

Shop 3, Killcare Road, Hardys Bay, 4360 1888.

10 BRISBANE WATER OYSTERS

Got your 2012 diary yet? Make a note, mid-November, about the Brisbane Water Oyster Festival. This 11-year-old annual event showcases the local oyster industry and features all sorts of seafood-centric activities, including oyster- and prawn-eating competitions. At other times of the year, you can try the local seafood at restaurants and fish and chippers around the region, including the fairly upmarket Reef Restaurant and the casual Haven Beach Cafe – all at Haven Beach, Terrigal.

Tags: bookcentralcoast.com.au, central coast accommodation, Central Coast Restaurants, NSW Central Coast accommodation