Parmas and pies give New York expats taste of home on Australia Day amid COVID-19

Australia Day is set to look a little different in New York this year, but cafes will still be catering the classics for homesick expats.

Australia Day celebrations across the US have been muted by coronavirus restrictions but many expats are still planning to mark the day.

In New York City, where indoor dining is banned, Hole in the Wall’s restaurants in Flatiron and Brooklyn sold out a week ago for their Australia Day banquet on Saturday.

“We can only do our outdoor dining, so we have smaller spaces that we’re allowed to occupy, but in a way that’s really nice because it means they are all going to get a really great time,” said host Andrew Barnes.

The upscale space has heated outdoor seating and will have live music playing “Aussie classics” as they serve prawns, parmas and pies.

“We got a lot of really great food and they worked really hard on the menu.”

Mr Barnes is American and said his favourite restaurant job in 14 years was at the Australian-owned business.

Classic Aussie meat pie to be enjoyed in New York. Picture: Supplied

“I think there a lot more laid back and that’s one of my favourite parts of working here.”

Other US-based businesses are marketing Australia Day specials and offers.

The Liberty Hotel in Manhattan will be serving classic Aussie fare including Tim Tam sundaes and pies on Tuesday.

Citizens Cafe outposts across Manhattan are offering $1 flat whites.

Flinders Lane in Stamford, Connecticut has an Australia Day menu and is shipping pie, sausage rolls and mini pavlovas.

Bourke St Bakery is selling Mega Lamington Cakes, Anzac Cookies and Vegemite scrolls.

Vegemite Scrolls to become an American favourite? Only with expats. Picture: Supplied

Expat Australian Elissa Burke is usually extremely busy this time of year baking for her business, Lady Lamington, for American schools learning about Australia Day.

But with so few children across the country actually in class due to Covid she’s instead focused on shipping her lamingtons across the country.

“Business has been as good as you can expect for now,” she said.

“But I do have my regulars and some new orders because of Australia Day.

Arthur Sinodinos, photographed at 'White Oaks', the ambassador's residence in Washington. Picture: Supplied

It will be a more low-key celebration than usual at the Australian embassy in Washington DC, with US Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos hoping to brave the freezing winter weather for a barbie.

“We’ll be doing stuff at home, we won’t be holding an event because of the current environment,” he said.

“We’re not at the stage where we can go out and do mass events here in the states … so there’s no big bang occurring.

“It’s going to be a quiet celebration. We’ll have to see whether we can get the barbecue out.”