Warm up at The Falcon, a 'higher-brow dive bar with a hearty menu'
It's the southernmost state in the US and a melting pot of cultures and cuisines, and it's what has influenced the menu at The Falcon in the city's East End.
"Some of my fondest memories are of eating fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, and Southern barbecue," he told Food & Wine.
A love of surfing took him to Cocoa Beach in Florida after he graduated from high school, and it's where he taught himself, through trial and error, how to barbecue.
"I got myself a small smoker and dedicated myself to trying to replicate the ribs I ate in Memphis, Tennessee. I'm still trying," he said.
Still following the waves, Bennison (naturally) moved to Australia where he met a man called Mike Galvin, who had grown up in Forster and studied at the University of Newcastle.
"He gave me my first real job in a commercial kitchen in 2013, at a little Canadian-style burger and booze joint called The Stuffed Beaver in Bondi," Bennison said.
"We got along really well as we knew a lot of the same people through both of our previous jobs in the surfing and skate industries.
"Mike had spent a lot of time in the States and understood and got behind the direction I wanted to take my epicurean ambitions. Basically, we shared the same vision."
The pair were part of a group that opened an American tavern called Surly's in Darlinghurst, where they"quickly learned some very important lessons in hospitality and management".
"I had a chance to get out of Sydney and quickly jumped through that window, landing in Newcastle and taking a one-year contract in a pub to get them through to their remodelling stage," Bennison said.
"Mike would come up to visit my dog and we would snoop about town, eyeballing possible venues for a project. Just towards the end of my contract, we found our spot, and Mike moved up and we began the process."
And so The Falcon gained its wings, opening in 2018 on Pacific Street in Newcastle East.
Bennison put his Southern stamp on the menu, introducing diners to wood-smoked brisket, chicken waffles, Louisiana jambalaya and the French Dip (a sliced beef, provolone cheese, caramelised onion sandwich served with beef jus).
He loves cooking with bay leaf and black pepper, which he describes as "subtle and aromatic, a humble soldier quietly winning the war for flavour".
"The venue itself was actually ill-suited for what we wanted, but we forced ourselves to adapt, making it as cosy as we could," he said.
"It's been designed by Mike and I as more of a house we share and let people come in and eat and drink. Our staff are like family, all working towards keeping The Falcon a welcoming place for all walks of life.
"The offering is akin to a higher-brow dive bar with a hearty menu that takes notes from a few favourite cuisines, mostly low-country comfort food."
Last year The Falcon was named Bar of the Year at the inaugural Newcastle Bar Awards. It was up against fellow finalists Bartholomew's, The Blind Monk, Coal & Cedar and The Koutetsu.
"We were quite surprised, but it was a wonderful acknowledgment of all the hard work we've all put into The Falcon over the past six years. It was a very nice feeling," Bennison said.
"The bar is almost like a separate entity. It was built to sit alone in, or with a mate, and feel like you're still part of everything."
Sean Walsh has just taken on the head chef role following a stint "cheffing and snowboarding" at Perisher.
"He's been a great fit and understands what we're doing and is enjoying learning about southern food and techniques," Bennison said.
"I still love to get in the kitchen and work on new recipes and lend a hand whenever they need it, but the guys are doing a bang-up job so I tend to stay out of their way unless I'm called for.
"Sven Barnard has been with us from the beginning and was recently made a partner. He really puts his back into the whole operation and we would not be here without him. He started out managing and leading the bar but has since stretched himself into managing the entire restaurant. He really runs the show."
Sitting outside The Falcon during summer is a popular option for diners. Luring them inside during winter has been a little trickier.
"We do lose that outdoor seated crowd, but during winter you can get comfortable in a booth with a cocktail and a big bowl of Jambalaya and you'll forget all about the cold breeze," Bennison said.
Wednesday is hot wing night, and on Thursday you can grab discounted nachos.
"We're working on some new one-night-only specials such as our Cajun battered fish and chips, our NY Strip French Dip, and some other fun stuff," Bennison said.
"We just launched our catering menu and it's pretty flexible - you can build your own menu for any occasion. Everything gets made fresh and is packaged up, ready to go.
"Piggybacking on that menu, we're also opening the upstairs to private functions with custom menus as well. It's a beautiful space with the balcony. We're already taking bookings for that."
Galvin and Bennison also opened The Ship Inn in Newcastle's CBD, where staff are being run off their feet. And yet, just a short stroll away, The Falcon has been quiet.
"The East End, I think, has been a bit neglected of late. I don't think there's been as much traffic coming through as we've seen in the past," Bennison said.
"It's anybody's guess why, really, some say parking, or Hunter Street being a difficult and slow roll into town. But I also think in the past few years Newcastle has really kicked things up a notch with culinary offerings. There's so many new and delicious spots to try and I think people are really spreading themselves out, which is great.
"The East End and its surrounds is still such a great little location. We're all working hard to stay in the game with all our friends. The Grain Store, The Grand, Customs House, Moor, Lock's Paddock, Humbug and now Bistro Penny, we couldn't ask for better people to surround ourselves with."
Barbecue chef and restaurateur Brendhan Bennison grew up in Clearwater, Florida, a long way from Newcastle, NSW.
It's the southernmost state in the US and a melting pot of cultures and cuisines, and it's what has influenced the menu at The Falcon in the city's East End.
"Some of my fondest memories are of eating fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, and Southern barbecue," he told Food & Wine.
A love of surfing took him to Cocoa Beach in Florida after he graduated from high school, and it's where he taught himself, through trial and error, how to barbecue.
"I got myself a small smoker and dedicated myself to trying to replicate the ribs I ate in Memphis, Tennessee. I'm still trying," he said.
Still following the waves, Bennison (naturally) moved to Australia where he met a man called Mike Galvin, who had grown up in Forster and studied at the University of Newcastle.
"He gave me my first real job in a commercial kitchen in 2013, at a little Canadian-style burger and booze joint called The Stuffed Beaver in Bondi," Bennison said.
"We got along really well as we knew a lot of the same people through both of our previous jobs in the surfing and skate industries.
"Mike had spent a lot of time in the States and understood and got behind the direction I wanted to take my epicurean ambitions. Basically, we shared the same vision."
The pair were part of a group that opened an American tavern called Surly's in Darlinghurst, where they"quickly learned some very important lessons in hospitality and management".
"I had a chance to get out of Sydney and quickly jumped through that window, landing in Newcastle and taking a one-year contract in a pub to get them through to their remodelling stage," Bennison said.
"Mike would come up to visit my dog and we would snoop about town, eyeballing possible venues for a project. Just towards the end of my contract, we found our spot, and Mike moved up and we began the process."
And so The Falcon gained its wings, opening in 2018 on Pacific Street in Newcastle East.
Bennison put his Southern stamp on the menu, introducing diners to wood-smoked brisket, chicken waffles, Louisiana jambalaya and the French Dip (a sliced beef, provolone cheese, caramelised onion sandwich served with beef jus).
He loves cooking with bay leaf and black pepper, which he describes as "subtle and aromatic, a humble soldier quietly winning the war for flavour".
"The venue itself was actually ill-suited for what we wanted, but we forced ourselves to adapt, making it as cosy as we could," he said.
"It's been designed by Mike and I as more of a house we share and let people come in and eat and drink. Our staff are like family, all working towards keeping The Falcon a welcoming place for all walks of life.
"The offering is akin to a higher-brow dive bar with a hearty menu that takes notes from a few favourite cuisines, mostly low-country comfort food."
Last year The Falcon was named Bar of the Year at the inaugural Newcastle Bar Awards. It was up against fellow finalists Bartholomew's, The Blind Monk, Coal & Cedar and The Koutetsu.
"We were quite surprised, but it was a wonderful acknowledgment of all the hard work we've all put into The Falcon over the past six years. It was a very nice feeling," Bennison said.
"The bar is almost like a separate entity. It was built to sit alone in, or with a mate, and feel like you're still part of everything."
Sean Walsh has just taken on the head chef role following a stint "cheffing and snowboarding" at Perisher.
"He's been a great fit and understands what we're doing and is enjoying learning about southern food and techniques," Bennison said.
"I still love to get in the kitchen and work on new recipes and lend a hand whenever they need it, but the guys are doing a bang-up job so I tend to stay out of their way unless I'm called for.
"Sven Barnard has been with us from the beginning and was recently made a partner. He really puts his back into the whole operation and we would not be here without him. He started out managing and leading the bar but has since stretched himself into managing the entire restaurant. He really runs the show."
Sitting outside The Falcon during summer is a popular option for diners. Luring them inside during winter has been a little trickier.
"We do lose that outdoor seated crowd, but during winter you can get comfortable in a booth with a cocktail and a big bowl of Jambalaya and you'll forget all about the cold breeze," Bennison said.
Wednesday is hot wing night, and on Thursday you can grab discounted nachos.
"We're working on some new one-night-only specials such as our Cajun battered fish and chips, our NY Strip French Dip, and some other fun stuff," Bennison said.
"We just launched our catering menu and it's pretty flexible - you can build your own menu for any occasion. Everything gets made fresh and is packaged up, ready to go.
"Piggybacking on that menu, we're also opening the upstairs to private functions with custom menus as well. It's a beautiful space with the balcony. We're already taking bookings for that."
Galvin and Bennison also opened The Ship Inn in Newcastle's CBD, where staff are being run off their feet. And yet, just a short stroll away, The Falcon has been quiet.
"The East End, I think, has been a bit neglected of late. I don't think there's been as much traffic coming through as we've seen in the past," Bennison said.
"It's anybody's guess why, really, some say parking, or Hunter Street being a difficult and slow roll into town. But I also think in the past few years Newcastle has really kicked things up a notch with culinary offerings. There's so many new and delicious spots to try and I think people are really spreading themselves out, which is great.
"The East End and its surrounds is still such a great little location. We're all working hard to stay in the game with all our friends. The Grain Store, The Grand, Customs House, Moor, Lock's Paddock, Humbug and now Bistro Penny, we couldn't ask for better people to surround ourselves with."
Barbecue chef and restaurateur Brendhan Bennison grew up in Clearwater, Florida, a long way from Newcastle, NSW.
It's the southernmost state in the US and a melting pot of cultures and cuisines, and it's what has influenced the menu at The Falcon in the city's East End.
"Some of my fondest memories are of eating fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, and Southern barbecue," he told Food & Wine.
A love of surfing took him to Cocoa Beach in Florida after he graduated from high school, and it's where he taught himself, through trial and error, how to barbecue.
"I got myself a small smoker and dedicated myself to trying to replicate the ribs I ate in Memphis, Tennessee. I'm still trying," he said.
Still following the waves, Bennison (naturally) moved to Australia where he met a man called Mike Galvin, who had grown up in Forster and studied at the University of Newcastle.
"He gave me my first real job in a commercial kitchen in 2013, at a little Canadian-style burger and booze joint called The Stuffed Beaver in Bondi," Bennison said.
"We got along really well as we knew a lot of the same people through both of our previous jobs in the surfing and skate industries.
"Mike had spent a lot of time in the States and understood and got behind the direction I wanted to take my epicurean ambitions. Basically, we shared the same vision."
The pair were part of a group that opened an American tavern called Surly's in Darlinghurst, where they"quickly learned some very important lessons in hospitality and management".
"I had a chance to get out of Sydney and quickly jumped through that window, landing in Newcastle and taking a one-year contract in a pub to get them through to their remodelling stage," Bennison said.
"Mike would come up to visit my dog and we would snoop about town, eyeballing possible venues for a project. Just towards the end of my contract, we found our spot, and Mike moved up and we began the process."
And so The Falcon gained its wings, opening in 2018 on Pacific Street in Newcastle East.
Bennison put his Southern stamp on the menu, introducing diners to wood-smoked brisket, chicken waffles, Louisiana jambalaya and the French Dip (a sliced beef, provolone cheese, caramelised onion sandwich served with beef jus).
He loves cooking with bay leaf and black pepper, which he describes as "subtle and aromatic, a humble soldier quietly winning the war for flavour".
"The venue itself was actually ill-suited for what we wanted, but we forced ourselves to adapt, making it as cosy as we could," he said.
"It's been designed by Mike and I as more of a house we share and let people come in and eat and drink. Our staff are like family, all working towards keeping The Falcon a welcoming place for all walks of life.
"The offering is akin to a higher-brow dive bar with a hearty menu that takes notes from a few favourite cuisines, mostly low-country comfort food."
Last year The Falcon was named Bar of the Year at the inaugural Newcastle Bar Awards. It was up against fellow finalists Bartholomew's, The Blind Monk, Coal & Cedar and The Koutetsu.
"We were quite surprised, but it was a wonderful acknowledgment of all the hard work we've all put into The Falcon over the past six years. It was a very nice feeling," Bennison said.
"The bar is almost like a separate entity. It was built to sit alone in, or with a mate, and feel like you're still part of everything."
Sean Walsh has just taken on the head chef role following a stint "cheffing and snowboarding" at Perisher.
"He's been a great fit and understands what we're doing and is enjoying learning about southern food and techniques," Bennison said.
"I still love to get in the kitchen and work on new recipes and lend a hand whenever they need it, but the guys are doing a bang-up job so I tend to stay out of their way unless I'm called for.
"Sven Barnard has been with us from the beginning and was recently made a partner. He really puts his back into the whole operation and we would not be here without him. He started out managing and leading the bar but has since stretched himself into managing the entire restaurant. He really runs the show."
Sitting outside The Falcon during summer is a popular option for diners. Luring them inside during winter has been a little trickier.
"We do lose that outdoor seated crowd, but during winter you can get comfortable in a booth with a cocktail and a big bowl of Jambalaya and you'll forget all about the cold breeze," Bennison said.
Wednesday is hot wing night, and on Thursday you can grab discounted nachos.
"We're working on some new one-night-only specials such as our Cajun battered fish and chips, our NY Strip French Dip, and some other fun stuff," Bennison said.
"We just launched our catering menu and it's pretty flexible - you can build your own menu for any occasion. Everything gets made fresh and is packaged up, ready to go.
"Piggybacking on that menu, we're also opening the upstairs to private functions with custom menus as well. It's a beautiful space with the balcony. We're already taking bookings for that."
Galvin and Bennison also opened The Ship Inn in Newcastle's CBD, where staff are being run off their feet. And yet, just a short stroll away, The Falcon has been quiet.
"The East End, I think, has been a bit neglected of late. I don't think there's been as much traffic coming through as we've seen in the past," Bennison said.
"It's anybody's guess why, really, some say parking, or Hunter Street being a difficult and slow roll into town. But I also think in the past few years Newcastle has really kicked things up a notch with culinary offerings. There's so many new and delicious spots to try and I think people are really spreading themselves out, which is great.
"The East End and its surrounds is still such a great little location. We're all working hard to stay in the game with all our friends. The Grain Store, The Grand, Customs House, Moor, Lock's Paddock, Humbug and now Bistro Penny, we couldn't ask for better people to surround ourselves with."
Barbecue chef and restaurateur Brendhan Bennison grew up in Clearwater, Florida, a long way from Newcastle, NSW.
It's the southernmost state in the US and a melting pot of cultures and cuisines, and it's what has influenced the menu at The Falcon in the city's East End.
"Some of my fondest memories are of eating fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, and Southern barbecue," he told Food & Wine.
A love of surfing took him to Cocoa Beach in Florida after he graduated from high school, and it's where he taught himself, through trial and error, how to barbecue.
"I got myself a small smoker and dedicated myself to trying to replicate the ribs I ate in Memphis, Tennessee. I'm still trying," he said.
Still following the waves, Bennison (naturally) moved to Australia where he met a man called Mike Galvin, who had grown up in Forster and studied at the University of Newcastle.
"He gave me my first real job in a commercial kitchen in 2013, at a little Canadian-style burger and booze joint called The Stuffed Beaver in Bondi," Bennison said.
"We got along really well as we knew a lot of the same people through both of our previous jobs in the surfing and skate industries.
"Mike had spent a lot of time in the States and understood and got behind the direction I wanted to take my epicurean ambitions. Basically, we shared the same vision."
The pair were part of a group that opened an American tavern called Surly's in Darlinghurst, where they"quickly learned some very important lessons in hospitality and management".
"I had a chance to get out of Sydney and quickly jumped through that window, landing in Newcastle and taking a one-year contract in a pub to get them through to their remodelling stage," Bennison said.
"Mike would come up to visit my dog and we would snoop about town, eyeballing possible venues for a project. Just towards the end of my contract, we found our spot, and Mike moved up and we began the process."
And so The Falcon gained its wings, opening in 2018 on Pacific Street in Newcastle East.
Bennison put his Southern stamp on the menu, introducing diners to wood-smoked brisket, chicken waffles, Louisiana jambalaya and the French Dip (a sliced beef, provolone cheese, caramelised onion sandwich served with beef jus).
He loves cooking with bay leaf and black pepper, which he describes as "subtle and aromatic, a humble soldier quietly winning the war for flavour".
"The venue itself was actually ill-suited for what we wanted, but we forced ourselves to adapt, making it as cosy as we could," he said.
"It's been designed by Mike and I as more of a house we share and let people come in and eat and drink. Our staff are like family, all working towards keeping The Falcon a welcoming place for all walks of life.
"The offering is akin to a higher-brow dive bar with a hearty menu that takes notes from a few favourite cuisines, mostly low-country comfort food."
Last year The Falcon was named Bar of the Year at the inaugural Newcastle Bar Awards. It was up against fellow finalists Bartholomew's, The Blind Monk, Coal & Cedar and The Koutetsu.
"We were quite surprised, but it was a wonderful acknowledgment of all the hard work we've all put into The Falcon over the past six years. It was a very nice feeling," Bennison said.
"The bar is almost like a separate entity. It was built to sit alone in, or with a mate, and feel like you're still part of everything."
Sean Walsh has just taken on the head chef role following a stint "cheffing and snowboarding" at Perisher.
"He's been a great fit and understands what we're doing and is enjoying learning about southern food and techniques," Bennison said.
"I still love to get in the kitchen and work on new recipes and lend a hand whenever they need it, but the guys are doing a bang-up job so I tend to stay out of their way unless I'm called for.
"Sven Barnard has been with us from the beginning and was recently made a partner. He really puts his back into the whole operation and we would not be here without him. He started out managing and leading the bar but has since stretched himself into managing the entire restaurant. He really runs the show."
Sitting outside The Falcon during summer is a popular option for diners. Luring them inside during winter has been a little trickier.
"We do lose that outdoor seated crowd, but during winter you can get comfortable in a booth with a cocktail and a big bowl of Jambalaya and you'll forget all about the cold breeze," Bennison said.
Wednesday is hot wing night, and on Thursday you can grab discounted nachos.
"We're working on some new one-night-only specials such as our Cajun battered fish and chips, our NY Strip French Dip, and some other fun stuff," Bennison said.
"We just launched our catering menu and it's pretty flexible - you can build your own menu for any occasion. Everything gets made fresh and is packaged up, ready to go.
"Piggybacking on that menu, we're also opening the upstairs to private functions with custom menus as well. It's a beautiful space with the balcony. We're already taking bookings for that."
Galvin and Bennison also opened The Ship Inn in Newcastle's CBD, where staff are being run off their feet. And yet, just a short stroll away, The Falcon has been quiet.
"The East End, I think, has been a bit neglected of late. I don't think there's been as much traffic coming through as we've seen in the past," Bennison said.
"It's anybody's guess why, really, some say parking, or Hunter Street being a difficult and slow roll into town. But I also think in the past few years Newcastle has really kicked things up a notch with culinary offerings. There's so many new and delicious spots to try and I think people are really spreading themselves out, which is great.
"The East End and its surrounds is still such a great little location. We're all working hard to stay in the game with all our friends. The Grain Store, The Grand, Customs House, Moor, Lock's Paddock, Humbug and now Bistro Penny, we couldn't ask for better people to surround ourselves with."
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From Calgary, I board the Brewster Express shuttle (where's the crystal chariot when you need one?) for the 130-kilometre drive along the Trans-Canada Highway to the Fairmont Banff Springs, my luxury home for the next three nights. Rising above the snow-dusted forest like a fantasy castle, its turrets stand stark against the looming mountain backdrop. As enchanting as it is, this grand old dame is distinctly Canadian, a testament to the nation's rail history. Built in 1888 by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), it was part of a strategy to boost tourism in the Rockies by creating luxury hotels in scenic spots along the rail line. 'Christmas at the Castle' begins on December 5, with an advent calendar of themed events including everything from campfire experiences to making toffee popsicles in the snow, bedtime stories with Mrs Claus to a private good night visit from Santa. Forget the Christmas card fantasy. This is a full-speed Polar Express into every storybook, Christmas movie and fairytale you've ever imagined, all wrapped in a bear hug only a Canadian can give. I enjoy maple cream cocktails beside a fire pit on a rooftop terrace, dine on prime rib Alberta beef in The Vermillion Room restaurant (the resort has 13 places to eat and drink) and soak in a thermal spa amid the snow. I could easily stay cocooned here forever, but an ice walk through Johnston Canyon – one of the signature attractions of Banff National Park – calls. It's minus 17 degrees. I have cleats strapped to my boots for grip and my new woollen thermal is making me itch like a bear in poison ivy. My progress is more awkward penguin shuffle than confident march. 'You need to show the cleats who's boss,' says our guide Neil Evans from Discover Banff Tours. We haven't even left the car park yet. We trek for an hour – past rock walls draped with icicles, over snowy bridges, and through a cave-like tunnel – to the 30-metre-tall Upper Falls, frozen in time like a winter masterpiece. At any moment, I half expect a raven to arrive with news of Winterfell. Back in Banff,the Christmas markets are filled with artisanal products and mulled wine, while the Hot Chocolate Trail leaves me buzzing from a sugar-rush. For this sweet-tooth, the winner is a toss between the toasted coconut hot chocolate served at Mountain Folk Coffee Co and the Bueno Smash at the Uprising Bake Shop. Across town, more than 30 restaurants and cafes are whipping up festive-themed hot chocolates. The highs continue that evening as I ascend Sulphur Mountain, the Banff Gondola whisking me to the summit to witness 'Nightrise', a dazzling multi-media show of lights, projections and soundscapes. Dinner at Sky Bistro is the icing on top, err, the mountain. It's under a cloud-free blue sky that I set off from Banff for the 50-minute drive to Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, the second palace-like railway hotel in the Rockies to be built by the Canadian Pacific Railway. I've arrived early, but a Christmas miracle means not only is my room ready, but I've been upgraded to a junior lake-view suite. There's even a Christmas tree in my room. There are so many Christmas trees – standing tall in the lobby, sprouting along stairwells, forming festive forests in the hallways – each one dressed to the nines and sparkling like a Swarovski crystal. I'm torn between spending time in my room, mesmerised by the view of frozen Lake Louise, hiding out in the hotel's antiquarian bookstore or enjoying live music in the ballroom. But it's the lure of high tea in the Fairview Restaurant, with its sweeping views of the saw-toothed Rockies, that wins me over. Afterwards, I burn off the house-made scones and devilled egg sandwiches with a hike across the frozen lake, the sharp air filling my lungs as I crunch across the ice. Next, it's time for a snow-shoeing tour with a mountain guide, where we explore the hidden trails in the snowy slopes above the lake. Later in the season, sections are cleared and groomed to create a rink for ice skating and hockey. Complete with an ice bar, it's about as cool as it gets. And then there's the annual Ice Magic festival (a five-day event in late January, complimentary for hotel guests) where blocks of ice are transformed into whimsical sculptures by professional ice carvers. It's almost impossible to reconcile this frozen expanse with the emerald blue lake I've seen on summer postcards. On the way back from my snow-shoeing tour, I stop to watch a group of small children throwing snowballs – all ruddy cheeks and swaying pompoms – and for a moment, I feel the pull of my own grandchildren back home. I guess it's never too early to start planning the next festive escape. THE DETAILS STAY Fairmont Banff Springs is a landmark hotel in the heart of the Banff National Park. A Fairmont Mountain View King room starts from $C829 ($916) during December. Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise has 539 rooms and suites, with a Fairmont Mountain View King room starting from $C499 ($551) during December. The hotel is currently undergoing renovations, including a new lakeshore wellness centre due to open mid-September, 2025. See Loading TOUR Discover Banff Tours offers a four-hour Johnston Canyon ice walk, from $C99 an adult/$C62 a child ($109/68). See FLY Air Canada offers direct flights between Sydney and Brisbane to Vancouver with connections to Calgary. See
