There are a lot of cafes, holes in the wall and small eateries in Newcastle doing so much more than great coffee. They are managing to produce delicious food in tiny conditions, and despite the limited resources, they aren’t compromising on flavour.
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The Sherwood Coffee Bar on Parry Street in Newcastle West is one of those hidden gems.
CHASING THE TRUTH
Reviews on sites like TripAdvisor and Bean Hunter rave about their coffee and service, but the comments are also littered with feedback such as “Best Reuben in the World” and “the best reuben toasted sandwich I’ve ever wrapped my mouth around”. Some pretty big calls right there.
I headed down one lunchtime to find out if this were actually the case. At midday, the Sherwood is busy and cosy.
Chef Chris Nicholls has been running the ‘kitchen’ - it’s actually just a bench with fridges underneath - for the past nine months, and many people are showing up for the fantastic coffee, but then also staying for his food. Everything is prepared in the open within earshot and eyeshot, so there’s no room for melt-downs or stuff-ups.
So how do they do it?
“By keeping things simple,” says owner Emily Gibson-Burns. “We try to cover all bases by having a tasty simple menu, while still maximising flavours.”
The menu has around 10 items - including the Danger Mouse (a toast with ham, cheddar and onion jam) and a lamb roti (roti with lamb, chickpeas, herb yoghurt and mango chutney).
But let’s focus on the Reuben.
MAKING THE REUBEN
It’s a routine he’s done many, many times, but watching Chris make the Reuben is quite graceful.
Two slices of Artisan Cantina Sydney Sourdough (rather than rye) are placed at the ready. Two slices of cheddar cheese go on first, followed by eight slices of folded pastrami - not as many as Katz’s Delicatessen in New York, but still a big mouthful. They’ve deviated from the traditional corned beef here because of “flavour! Pastrami just packs loads more flavour,” Chris says.
Up next is the tangy sauerkraut, then spoonfuls of their creamy in-house Russian dressing (secret recipe, I’m afraid), followed by sprinkles of chopped pickles. It’s placed on the sandwich press and the bread is lathered with extra virgin olive oil to help make it extra crispy. Ten minutes later Chris takes it off the hotplate, sprinkles it with chunky sea salt and slices it into three pieces.
Voila!
The first bite is heavenly, the subsequent bites are divine. It’s textural, flavoursome and warming. The thin layers of pastrami melt in your mouth, the cheese is gooey and the rest of the ingredients add a bitey tang. “The best reuben toasted sandwich I’ve ever wrapped my mouth around” indeed.
The first bite is heavenly, the subsequents bites are divine. It’s textural, flavoursome and warming. The thin layers of pastrami melt in your mouth, the cheese is gooey and the rest of the ingredients add a bitey tang.
Gibson-Burns says it has become one of their most popular dishes on the menu, with customers becoming regulars for another bite. Nicholls can make more than a dozen a day; for a cafe that doesn’t seat much more than 20, that’s high odds.
Using simple ingredients, but creating big delicious flavours, don’t just assume our beloved Hunter cafes are all about coffee. Pop in for a bite and discover all the favourites that the regulars know about but don’t want to share.
In Weekender’s tribute to all good things about food and drink in Hunter, the third annual special Food Issue will be published in print on Saturday, October 13, as well as online. Besides several features, it includes a summary of 48 restaurant reviews from the last year.
