Arnott’s Bakehouse restaurant, Morpeth NSW
20 people, 1 couch bus, 1 car, up we went to the Hunter Valley and Morpeth for a food-and-wine indulgence weekend. Thanks to Helen @ Grab Your Fork, who organised the whole event single handed and make sure everyone was well fed. A lot of ground covered on our trip, including first stop visiting the Maitland Gaol, a tour runs by an ex-inmate. Then off to Morpeth for sourdough and tasting local produce. And of course, lots and lots of bubbly champagne and wine the next day at Hunter Valley to conclude our trip.
Some of you may have heard of Morpeth Sourdough, as they are not that widely available in the market. The only place I know that you can buy Morpeth Sourdough’s produce is at Harris Farm Market (My favorite shop for fresh fruit and vegetables). This bakehouse has a long history and is run by the famous Arnott family. They are of course famous for their freshly baked sourdough and bread. According to their website, you are encouraged to ring up and order ahead, as often sell-out fast! I would love to try their sourdough but have no intentions to bring back a whole loaf home, so why not just taste it there and then?! Hence, we headed upstairs to have our lunch at the Arnott’s Bakehouse restaurant, which is newly listed in Good Food Guide 2009.
There are 3 dining rooms with fireplace, rich colour furniture and textured wallpapers all around. I just love the decor, is rich, stylish, but not over the top; it has a great intimate atmosphere where you will feel comfortable to sit back and enjoy a meal.
Through the dining rooms, there are more seating on the balcony overlooking the historic buildings across the street. We found ourselves a table and sat down, soaking up the summer warmth and the surrounding scenery. There seems to be only one waitress looking after the whole restaurant, she came around handed over the menu then quickly walks off to attend other customers. She came back afterward to take our orders and told us it will take about 20 mins for our food to arrive. Then she walked off again.
free range chicken BLT, smokey bacon, roma tomato & basil aioli - $17.50
It was a hot day that day, we were very thirsty and was expecting our drinks to arrive first before the meal as you do. But the waitress never returned with our drinks for the next 20 mins or so, and the meal arrived 10 mins late.
The free range Chicken BLT arrived first. A generous portion of juicy chicken and bacon embedded inside 2 slidely toasted sourdough, with a mixed salad on the side.
Crostini of Grilled Sourdough Baguette with Confit Garlic, Tapenade and Dukkah - $12.50
Helen ordered the Crostini of grilled sourdough baguette, with confit garlic, tapenade and dukkah. I had a small taste of the sourdough with the confit garlic, the sourdough taste earthy from the yeast culture; dense yet soft, but not as fluffy as a normal bread. I think it is probably one of the best light tasting plate for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Crab, Chilli & Leek Linguini in Rich Tomato Sauce - $25.00
And I’ve ordered the crab, chilli & leek linguini. I simply can’t go past the crab and chilli combination. The pasta looks so good with the stringy crab meat all over it in that rich tomato sauce. The dish is delicious with a great sweet taste from the crab meat, although I wish there is more crab meat inside. (HA!) The sweetness of the dish slowly turning into a fiery lips burning sensation from the chilli. The chilli is bit overpowering after a few mouthful, and my tastebud loses its senses and everything just tasted hot. Don’t get me wrong, it tasted great and I love my food hot, but it can be a struggle with this dish for those who doesn’t like their food too spicy.
Overall, I am in love in Morpeth. A perfect little small town for a weekend getaway, where there is full of history, offers great local produce and fine dining experience. What more could you ask for?
Arnott's Bakehouse 148 Swan Street, Morpeth Tel 02 4934 4343
Restaurant Trading Breakfast: Saturday & Sunday 10am - 12pm Lunch: Wednesday to Sunday 11am - 3pm Dinner: Winter - Thursday to Saturday 6pm - Late http://www.morpethsourdough.com.au
A Table For Two (ATFT) is Billy Law's food blog that features best eats in Sydney and around the world with drool-worthy food photography to salivate your appetite. I also throw in a smidgen of my food and travel photography for good measure. Billy Law also happened to be a contestant on MasterChef Australia 2011. 
Picture says everything !!! SluuRrp!