Sydney Eat Street: 10 things to eat in Penrith
PENRITH is 50km west of Sydney CBD, but its many and varied cafes and other providores of fine food make visiting the area worthwhile.
Sydney Taste
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sydney Taste. Followed categories will be added to My News.
PENRITH is 50km west of Sydney CBD, but its many and varied cafes and other providores of fine food make visiting the area worthwhile.
Tour the town on the Nepean with The Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street.
Are you hungry for more inspiration? Follow us on Instagram
Penrith Pies and Pastries
THE smell of freshly baked bread lures you into the shop where you’re greeted by cases of meat pies, sausage rolls and other pastries. Subtly, off to the corner are framed awards, including a Gold for Best Pepper Steak Pie from Baking Association of Australia’s “Great Aussie Pastie and Australia’s Best Pie Competition”. When customers began asking about pies catered to various dietary restrictions, owners Ann and Phillip Ireland explored the idea. Ann even spent time in the gluten-free section of grocery stores listening to people talk about products. After many months of trial and error, they finally came up with a recipe they felt met their quality standards and it quickly became a hit. Now, Penrith Pies and Pastries boast one of the largest selections of baked goods in the area. They’ve even altered the recipes for their take-home gingerbread house and Easter egg kits to be gluten-free. — Unit 11A/69 York Rd
Montecatini Specialty Smallgoods
AMID racks of drying salamis, Giovanni Melosi tells the story of how their original smallgoods business began in the 1930s but unfortunately, like many businesses during the recession, had to close up. Years later Giovanni and his father Roland would once again venture into the smallgoods business — this time opting to focus on a small selection of gourmet products including truffle salami, made with oils and truffles brought back from Italy. While Montecatini’s is known for its gourmet meats, even chef Ed Halmagyi is a fan, they also sell what Giovanni calls the “me too” products – chorizo and pancetta. — Unit 1/6 Robertson Pl
Cake Art Australia
WHEN Robert Borg began his training as a pastry chef, making dainty desserts, little did he know he’d someday be working on cakes that were literally as big as a two-seater lounge. But in the past 10 years, thanks to the proliferation of baking shows, he’s now getting orders that are larger than life. Rob estimates they produce about 120 cakes a week and with flavours such as the popular chocolate mud cake and raspberry with white chocolate, he is adamant that each tastes as good as it looks, which is why he insists on making and baking everything in-house. The decorating is done with fondant and considering some of his creations have been known to turn up at celebrity birthday parties and on the sets of TV shows such as Studio Ten and Sunrise, he’s proven that from small things, big things grow. — 41 York Rd
Skinnys Grill
It IS a rather personal story that led owner James McGovern to open Skinnys Grill. He’d lost a significant amount of weight after putting himself on a low-carb diet and wanted to share his success with others by opening a place that served healthy food but that wasn’t necessarily a health-food place. With a chef, he developed his own lo-carb products, which he uses to create the buns of Skinnys signature meal, the chicken burger with sweet potato fries. — 62-72 Batt Street
Nepean Belle
A CRUISE along the river gets a nostalgic touch when aboard the Nepean Belle, a 30-year-old boat that was modelled after the old steam engine paddleboat along the Mississippi River. While the paddles are more for show than function, what does work are the various cruises that play host to thousands of passengers a year. There are a variety of options: from two-and-half-hour lunch cruises with the boat’s captain commentating on points of interest along the river and about the Penrith region in general, or the romantic three-hour twilight cruise. Or enjoy a spot of tea and scones on the one-and-a-half hour Devonshire Tea Cruise. — Jetty at Tench Reserve, Tench Ave
TOP FIVE THINGS TO TRY IN PENRITH
Pulled pork BBQ sandwich
YOU’LL need both hands to keep this tender pulled-pork and coleslaw barbeque sandwich together. Owner David Musgrave imports some of the sauces straight from the US.
Memphis BBQ Pit, Shop 2, 29 York Rd
Corn fritters
OWNER Mustafa Gazi knows the secret to a well-fed customer. “It’s our job to cook, it’s theirs to come hungry.” Mustafa keeps up his side of the bargain with the tasty serving of corn fritters and poached egg.
Café Lattétude on York, 69 York Rd
Kibbe naye
AFTER nibbling on the “welcome plate” of pita and pickles, use some of that bread to scoop up some kibbe naye, a mix of ground raw lamb with cracked wheat, herbs and spices. — Al Aseel Lebanese Restaurant, 62-72 Batt St
Lamb rump pockets
LUNCH with river views gets special on a moored boat turned cafe. Have brekkie or linger over a lunch of lamp rump pockets. — Bennett’s on the River, Nepean River, Jetty, Tench Reserve, Tench Av
Halewat el jebn
SAY cheese and you think savoury, but these sweet cheese sheets hold an equally dense creamed cheese. — Al Aseel Lebanese Restaurant, 62-72 Batt St
‘Beyond a fire sale’: Criniti’s stores sold for staggering price
Despite its whopping $19 million debt, the remaining Criniti’s stores, including Parramatta and Darling Harbour, have sold for a staggeringly low price in what one broker has described as ‘beyond a fire sale’.
‘I like big buns’: Wacky burgers with a difference
Parramatta’s very own Eat Street is as exciting and diverse as the city itself. Take BL Burgers for example, which brought its premium burgers — including the Blame Canada, Blame Indian and Mac Daddy burgers — to western Sydney.