Antica VIP Members Update
November 2023. Revealing our new summer four course set menu featuring a fusion of Ciociarian, Australian & Emirati flavours. Last chance to join us before we leave for the UAE!
Ciao a tutti - hello everyone:
Our charming village of Carcoar is back to its peaceful & beautiful self and now we are preparing to present Antica Australis as part of the RAK ART festival in the absolutely gorgeous 16th Century Emirati pearling village of Al Jazeera Al Hamra in Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE next February.
Yes, we have every intention of still participating in this incredible & heart-warming festival. “In the midst of sorrow, sing. In the midst of darkness, dance. In the midst of chaos, create” [Elliot Blackwell].
Antica will be closed from Friday 29 December 2023 and we will re-open from Friday 8 March 2024. Our new set menu for November/December 2023 is revealed below and it will be the last chance to join us here in Carcoar before we go!
Our Ciociaria Cultural Travel Experiences for September 2024 and 2025 are almost fully booked - there are a few places still available, more details below.
We have also partnered with Bespoke Cycle Tours to offer an additional two dedicated cycling tours of Ciociaria (with us curating the food, wine & cultural itinerary) for September 2024 - these are almost all fully booked too, details below.
We are currently seeking Expressions of Interest for August & September 2024 for anyone interested in hosting a pop-up at our Antica Australis venue in Carcoar while we are hosting tours in Ciociaria next year. If you know of any aspiring chefs or home cooks who you think may be keen, let them know to contact us through our website for more info.
Grazie,
Paolo & Kelly
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER SET MENU » Inspired by our upcoming festival events for the RAK ART festival in the United Arab Emirates in February, Paolo has created a summer set menu with a signature fusion of Ciociarian / Australian / Emirati flavours.
This menu is completely gluten-free.
ANTIPASTI // watermelon with Pepperberry, prosciutto, local Jannei Goat Dairy goats cheese and Ironbark honey. Pair with Sparkling
PRIMO // Risotto Antica Australis - Prosecco-smoked mascarpone risotto with pink peppercorns, Davidsons Plum and toasted macadamia. Pair with Sparkling or a light white.
SECONDO // Barramundi con Crema di Peperoni - poached wild Barramundi in a capsicum cream sauce with capers, olives & lemon thyme, served with seasonal charred asparagus & crispy skin. Pair with a light white.
DOLCE // Panna Cotta al Pistacchio - pistachio-infused panna cotta with white chocolate, mango and rose pashmak.
A note to everyone who thinks they don’t like Barramundi: you haven’t been eating fresh line-caught wild river Barramundi. It’s an entirely different world compared to the frozen farmed stuff you’ve been eating down the pub with chips. We are going the full Locanda with this set menu and won’t be offering any alternatives to the main dish. Be brave, trust us and explore the experience of the true flavour of Australia’s wild Barramundi line-caught from a river.
CIOCIARIA CULTURAL TRAVEL EXPERIENCES » our 1-8 September 2024 and 21-28 September 2025 food, wine & cultural experiences through the Wild Heart of Italy are now fully booked.
We still have a couple of places available for the following dates if you’d like to reserve your place now before we open public bookings:
Sunday 22 to Sunday 29 September 2024
Sunday 31 August to Sunday 7 September 2025
CIOCIARIA GOURMET CYCLE TOURS » if cycling adventures in between food & wine & cultural exploration sounds like your thing, we have also designed an itinerary for bespoke Ciociaria Gourmet Cycle Tours in partnership with Colin Bransgrove of Bespoke Cycle Tours - who has just been presented with Gold as the Australian winner for Cycle Tours at the recent World Luxury Travel Awards.
Dates below, however you’ll need to check with Colin to confirm availability as these tours have been snapped up!