It was cold today. Cold and rainy, 8 degrees in fact. In tow, my gorgeous best friend from hot and sunny Queensland.
We had been exploring the wonderful antique and homewares stores of New Norfolk when lunch time made itself aware.
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| Miss Arthur Home Goods, Drill Hall Emporium |
Carly suggested she felt like hot and hearty pub food and I mentioned the New Norfolk always looked packed at lunchtime and should we give it a go? She said yes.
We step inside and back in time to before pubs became gentrified. Classic. Country. Pub.
THEN
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| photo courtesy of newnorfolknews.com |
NOW
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| photo courtesy of newnorfolk.org |
There's no mood lighting or stainless steel here. Keno screens on the wall next to the food menu, patterned carpet instead of polished concrete floors. I love it.
As I had previously noticed, at 1.30pm Friday, there is a score of people jovially sat around tables with huge plates of hearty food in front of them.
We are daunted by the vast menu, but Carly opts for the lamb shank and I, after an internal battle, go for the daily special of surf and turf over the BBQ pork ribs. Both at $25. I go rare with chips and salad. While waiting for our meals, I notice a serve of the ribs being taken to another table: they look spectacular and hope I didn't make a mistake.
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| courtesy of New Norfolk Hotel facebook page |
After a very short time, our meals are brought to the table and both look excellent.
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| don't be fooled, that steak under the chips takes up half the plate |
Carly indicates with gasps how falling-off-the-bone her lamb is. Also mentions the gravy is delicious.
I am impressed with the amount of prawns and the size and texture of them.
The chips are cooked and seasoned to perfection. And the steak (rump) is tender, delicious and cooked exactly how it should be. I order steak rare when I eat out owing to the fact that I find more often than not a medium-rare (my preference) is over-cooked to a medium or beyond. I do like a rare steak very much but medium-rare is my favourite. It is a nice piece of meat as well, advertised at 250g but I feel it may have been a bit bigger, well rested and delicious flavour. The white sauce is lovely and with the meal being the size it is, I didn't even have the room for a salad.
This is exactly the kind of pub you need on those nights that you can't be bothered cooking or like us, when you are in need of a big hearty meal.
Thank you New Norfolk Hotel, you did a cracking job.
edit 10/11/21. I went back last night with a group of 6, 5 of the meals were very warmly received, however I had to send my med-rare t-bone back. It was not even a cm thick and was grey as in, cooked to leather well done. The girls at the counter looked at the steak and happily replaced it, however the replacement was not much better. At $36 I find this unacceptable. I will be returning, however will not be ordering steak again.
New Norfolk Hotel
79 High St, New Norfolk TAS 7140
https://www.newnorfolkhotel.net.au/
