No new hats were handed out. 

Regional restaurant of the year went to Dan Hunter’s Brae near Birregurra, in Victoria, which earned itself three hats. Pokolbin’s own Muse Restaurant was a finalist in this category and held on to its two chef’s hats. It is one of only four regional NSW restaurants to wear two hats – the others are Biota Dining, Fleet and Paper Daisy. 

Muse Kitchen, Subo, Restaurant Mason, Bistro Molines and Margan all retained their respective chef’s hat. 

Adelaide’s Orana was restaurant of the year and awarded three coveted chef’s hats; Mornington Peninsula restaurant Laura was best new restaurant; Mildura’s Stefano de Pieri won the Vittoria Coffee Legend Award; Quay’s Peter Gilmore was named Citi Chef of the Year; and Brisbane’s Otto had the wine list of the year.

Wickens at the Royal Mail had Australia’s best regional wine list; The Dolphin was bar of the year; Travis Howe was named sommelier of the year; the Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year award went to Jodie Odrowaz; and the Citi Service Excellence recipient was Kylie Javier Ashton.

Many weren’t so lucky. 

Melbourne restaurants Port Phillip Estate, Matteo’s and Philippe all lost their hats. Brisbane’s Urbane restaurant was awarded three hats last year but missed out on a hat of any kind this year. 

The number of hatted restaurants in Queensland dropped from 31 to 22 however Western Australia nearly doubled its hatted restaurants, jumping from 12 to 20. 

The countdown to Christmas has begun. Can it really be that time of year again?

The good folk at Adamstown Pudding Kitchen are holding an official  “Pudding Season Launch” on October 17 to raise money for Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation. They will be launching some new products from 6.30pm to 8pm in Adamstown Uniting Church’s foyer on the night and offering tastings of some of their current range. 

Tickets cost $10 through trybooking.com, with all proceeds from ticket sales being donated to Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation. 

The Residency Kitchen has opened at 43 Bolton Street, Newcastle. It’s a collaborative space, which means it will periodically host resident chefs who will run it as their own kitchen. Tuba Sokmen will be serving traditional homestyle Turkish cuisine there on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 6pm until the end of October. 

Tuba hails from Izmir on the west coast of Turkey and has called Newcastle home for the past two years. Hers is a share-style set menu with six courses of authentic mezze and it costs just $45 per head. Meat dishes can be replaced with vegetarian alternatives at no extra cost.

A pistachio baklava dessert is available for $5 per serve and there is a limited selection of Hunter Valley wines and locally brewed beer. Otherwise, it’s BYO. Turkish Raki, soft drinks, coffee and tea are also available for purchase. To book phone 4926 5500.

Choux Patisserie is “popping up” at Charlestown Square until Friday. You can find them between Coles and Woolworths. 

Burgers by Josh, based at Annandale, is coming to Newcastle. There are popping up at the University of Newcastle’s Godfrey Tanner Bay from October 15. The menu is full of all sorts of weird and wacky creations. 

Emma’s Cottage Vineyard at Lovedale now has a cafe. It’s open Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4pm, and is serving staples like cheese, charcuterie, cakes and coffee. Oh, and wine.

If you’ve skipped the gym, enjoyed a few beers and not only embraced but celebrated the Dad Bod, your time has come to shine.

The Crown & Anchor Hotel is partnering with The Black Dog Institute to celebrate the Dad Bod in all its glory while also raising funds and awareness for men’s mental health.

The crowning of Newcastle’s Ultimate Dad Bod will take place at The Crown and Anchor Hotel on Friday, October 19. 

On the night finalists will take to the stage to show off their Dad Bods to the world.

Crown & Anchor hotelier Mark Chegwidden said The Black Dog Institute’s focus on men’s mental health and the key message of accepting who you are and finding happiness in it were the main reasons behind the initiative and partnership.

“Mental health issues are something that seem to be on the rise and we thought this would be a little bit of fun and line up well with the idea of embracing who you are and what you have,” he said.

“We are also looking for sponsors to donate additional prizes for the night, so if there are any businesses or individuals out there who want to get on board they can do so by contacting the hotel.”

A spokesperson for the Black Dog Institute said fundraisers like this were important to the ongoing success of the organisation.

“Funds raised will contribute to the expansion and continued national roll-out of our education workshops, mental health training and community awareness programs.

“These programs are vital, particularly in regional and rural areas, as well as in cities, to ensure that all Australians have access to the care, information and resources that they need.”

To showcase your Dad Bod and be in the running to win thousands of dollars in prizes, check out the Crown & Anchor website: thecrownandanchor.com.au