Latest news with #BigDon'sSmokedMeats
The Age
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
The Weekly Special: Subi cantina opens; truffle season returns; winter escapes to Rotto
The Weekly Special Eating out What's on Welcome to the first edition of The Weekly Special: a weekly column filled with news from Western Australia's fast-moving food scene. Some weeks, you'll find details of chef movements and get the low-down on dishes that need to be on your radar. Other weeks, there might be information about a recent opening or expansion that's turned my head or – sadly – news of beloved venues saying goodbye. Events will, naturally, feature prominently. In short, I hope The Weekly Special helps you maximise the return on your eating dime and time. And that the column's, snack, easily digestible format reveals aspects of the dining scene different to what you might get via my weekly reviews and news stories. Thanks for tuning in. A Special Delivery for Big Don's Smoked Meats Just in case you needed further reason to run the weekly Big Don's Smoked Meats ticket drop gauntlet, this Saturday's menu sees the maverick Bayswater barbecue pop-up host the crew from Special Delivery, Anisha Halik and Jacob D'Vauz's twice-weekly kitchen takeover at the Doubleview Bowling Club. In addition to the usual world-class beef brisket and all the trimmings from the home team, the visitors will bring southern Asian-influenced hits including Milo chocolate crackle crispies and a collaborative sausage between both operations inspired by Hainanese chicken rice and the dish's garlicky, schmaltzy deliciousness. Reimagining one of Perth's favourite Italian dishes With the opening of Lulu La Delizia's eagerly anticipated cantina earlier this month, Lulu's loyal fans now have somewhere nearby for a pre- or post-dinner drink as well as an ideal no-reservations dinner option for when those pasta cravings hit. This expansion has also introduced ciabatta sandwiches to Lulu's weekday offering. Among these lunchtime treats is a new roll starring chef-patron Joel Valvasori-Pereza's legendary meatballs. Is an Il Granino ciabatta a better vehicle for our man's crumbly pork polpette than their traditional buttery polenta? There's only one way to find out. The meatball ciabatta launches this week. Rekindling a connection with the land 'That's a big call.' So said a close friend when I told him that I thought, and wrote, that Forrestdale's Cubby Cafe was one of the state's most important food stories. While serving brunch hits cooked with ingredients grown onsite is a key part of the cafe's appeal, the Erceg family – the owners of Cubby Cafe and the larger 11 Acre Farm that it resides on – have big plans for the property's food offering. On Saturday night, eaters got a glimpse of some of those plans when guest chefs Kenny McHardy (Shirley's) and Valerio Fantinelli (Flour & Fire) joined cafe chef Fendi Bong for Kindle: a spirited evening where the trio used transformed estate produce into comforting wintery joys including focaccia studded with pork sausage, slow-cooked pumpkin wrapped in nori, and beef cheeks braised in beer jelly. Stalk the cafe's social media channels to find out about additional dinners and classes. The return of black truffle season Harvesting of black truffles has started in WA's Southern Forests region with these luxe underground tubers starting to appear on Perth menus. (It's always a concern, however, when I notice menus including options for guests to add truffle to any dish they like: not every dish benefits from or needs the earthy lift that black truffles, when used well, can bring to the table.) Truffle season also means truffle dinners, such as Truffle Alchemy (June 24-28): a collaboration and high-end dinner series between Olio's Fine Foods and experienced chef Jed Gerrard, culinary director of Wills Domain and The White Horse in Sydney. Expect high-end ingredients given Asian and classic French treatments (sauce Périgueux!) plus the chance to sip fancy wines. Sunsets, the in-house restaurant at The Lodge Wadjemup, is also getting in on the action and holding Truffles East & West on Saturday July 26: a truffle lunch as part of its winter wine series. The event sees Guy Jeffreys (formerly of Millbrook) team up with Sunsets chef Matt Powell to showcase truffles as well as wines from the Fogarty Wine Group, owners of the lodge. Winter getaways to Rottnest On the topic of Rotto, The Lodge Wadjemup has completed the development of 46 new poolhouse rooms and a guest pool, the final stage of the property's accommodation makeover. The rooms are available in different configurations including family-friendly layouts with views of either the pool or the rest of the island. Stays start from $435 per night including breakfast. Rethinking modern African cooking Following a successful event in April, Zimbabwean-born chef Dwayne Alexander of Northbridge's modern African dining Peasant's Paradice welcomes back South African artist Calvin Thoo and former Kaya Radio host Shoshi Montsitsi for the third instalment of Follicle over the last weekend of June. As the name suggests, Follicle looks at African hair culture and will again weave together art and food to celebrate the diversity of the African diaspora. This month's series includes a lunch seating (Sunday June 29) or a dinner (Saturday June 28). Tickets are $90 and available online.
Sydney Morning Herald
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
The Weekly Special: Subi cantina opens; truffle season returns; winter escapes to Rotto
The Weekly Special Eating out What's on Welcome to the first edition of The Weekly Special: a weekly column filled with news from Western Australia's fast-moving food scene. Some weeks, you'll find details of chef movements and get the low-down on dishes that need to be on your radar. Other weeks, there might be information about a recent opening or expansion that's turned my head or – sadly – news of beloved venues saying goodbye. Events will, naturally, feature prominently. In short, I hope The Weekly Special helps you maximise the return on your eating dime and time. And that the column's, snack, easily digestible format reveals aspects of the dining scene different to what you might get via my weekly reviews and news stories. Thanks for tuning in. A Special Delivery for Big Don's Smoked Meats Just in case you needed further reason to run the weekly Big Don's Smoked Meats ticket drop gauntlet, this Saturday's menu sees the maverick Bayswater barbecue pop-up host the crew from Special Delivery, Anisha Halik and Jacob D'Vauz's twice-weekly kitchen takeover at the Doubleview Bowling Club. In addition to the usual world-class beef brisket and all the trimmings from the home team, the visitors will bring southern Asian-influenced hits including Milo chocolate crackle crispies and a collaborative sausage between both operations inspired by Hainanese chicken rice and the dish's garlicky, schmaltzy deliciousness. Reimagining one of Perth's favourite Italian dishes With the opening of Lulu La Delizia's eagerly anticipated cantina earlier this month, Lulu's loyal fans now have somewhere nearby for a pre- or post-dinner drink as well as an ideal no-reservations dinner option for when those pasta cravings hit. This expansion has also introduced ciabatta sandwiches to Lulu's weekday offering. Among these lunchtime treats is a new roll starring chef-patron Joel Valvasori-Pereza's legendary meatballs. Is an Il Granino ciabatta a better vehicle for our man's crumbly pork polpette than their traditional buttery polenta? There's only one way to find out. The meatball ciabatta launches this week. Rekindling a connection with the land 'That's a big call.' So said a close friend when I told him that I thought, and wrote, that Forrestdale's Cubby Cafe was one of the state's most important food stories. While serving brunch hits cooked with ingredients grown onsite is a key part of the cafe's appeal, the Erceg family – the owners of Cubby Cafe and the larger 11 Acre Farm that it resides on – have big plans for the property's food offering. On Saturday night, eaters got a glimpse of some of those plans when guest chefs Kenny McHardy (Shirley's) and Valerio Fantinelli (Flour & Fire) joined cafe chef Fendi Bong for Kindle: a spirited evening where the trio used transformed estate produce into comforting wintery joys including focaccia studded with pork sausage, slow-cooked pumpkin wrapped in nori, and beef cheeks braised in beer jelly. Stalk the cafe's social media channels to find out about additional dinners and classes. The return of black truffle season Harvesting of black truffles has started in WA's Southern Forests region with these luxe underground tubers starting to appear on Perth menus. (It's always a concern, however, when I notice menus including options for guests to add truffle to any dish they like: not every dish benefits from or needs the earthy lift that black truffles, when used well, can bring to the table.) Truffle season also means truffle dinners, such as Truffle Alchemy (June 24-28): a collaboration and high-end dinner series between Olio's Fine Foods and experienced chef Jed Gerrard, culinary director of Wills Domain and The White Horse in Sydney. Expect high-end ingredients given Asian and classic French treatments (sauce Périgueux!) plus the chance to sip fancy wines. Sunsets, the in-house restaurant at The Lodge Wadjemup, is also getting in on the action and holding Truffles East & West on Saturday July 26: a truffle lunch as part of its winter wine series. The event sees Guy Jeffreys (formerly of Millbrook) team up with Sunsets chef Matt Powell to showcase truffles as well as wines from the Fogarty Wine Group, owners of the lodge. Winter getaways to Rottnest On the topic of Rotto, The Lodge Wadjemup has completed the development of 46 new poolhouse rooms and a guest pool, the final stage of the property's accommodation makeover. The rooms are available in different configurations including family-friendly layouts with views of either the pool or the rest of the island. Stays start from $435 per night including breakfast. Rethinking modern African cooking Following a successful event in April, Zimbabwean-born chef Dwayne Alexander of Northbridge's modern African dining Peasant's Paradice welcomes back South African artist Calvin Thoo and former Kaya Radio host Shoshi Montsitsi for the third instalment of Follicle over the last weekend of June. As the name suggests, Follicle looks at African hair culture and will again weave together art and food to celebrate the diversity of the African diaspora. This month's series includes a lunch seating (Sunday June 29) or a dinner (Saturday June 28). Tickets are $90 and available online.
Perth Now
11-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Big Don's boss officially launches election campaign
The Big Don's Smoked Meats boss has officially launched his election campaign for local government in the upcoming October elections. Big Don's boss Donovan MacDonald has launched bayswaterdon, an Instagram page dedicated to his campaign for the election. He said his decision to run for council came after years of ongoing issues with the City of Bayswater while owning his successful smoked meat business. Your local paper, whenever you want it. 'I did a lot of yelling the last few days, now it's time to actually walk the talk,' he said on Instagram. His post was flooded with words of encouragement and support. 'Mate you've got a hell of a lot of support,' one commentator said. 'Having you as a voice for the Bayswater area would be refreshing.' Donovan MacDonald is running for a West ward position on Bayswater council. Credit: Instagram: Bayswaterdon 'Let us know if you need volunteers for the campaign trial — we are in!' said another. 'Considering moving to Bayswater just to vote,' added another. Last week, Mr MacDonald shared on the Big Don's Smoked Meats social media page his frustrations with what he called the city's lack of support and asked followers for suggestions for a new home for his business, which has since been deleted. The post went viral, triggering a follow-up post explaining the situation in more depth and telling followers that he planned on running for Bayswater council's vacant West ward position in October. Mr MacDonald told PerthNow he wanted to represent small businesses in local government and to help avoid 'over-governing'. 'It felt to me like I may as well do it — at least be a small business voice within the council itself. It seems like it should be more community minded,' he said. When asked about Mr MacDonald's running for election the City of Bayswater CEO Jeremy Edwards did not comment. Although Mr MacDonald said the city's CEO Jeremy Edwards and some councillors had been supportive, city officers were making things difficult — especially when he recently applied to make a whiskey distillery next door, saying it was a 'passion project' for him. The problem surrounded the council having an 'issue' with the installation of three portable toilets, saying that the toilets required a building permit, which Mr MacDonald could not believe. 'They were literally forklifted in. No plumbing, above ground. But that's what triggered all this,' he said at the time. Mr Edwards told PerthNow last Thursday that the sanitary facilities did require a permit and the works on the property were considered unauthorised. Mr MacDonald said in his post that the City of Bayswater were also threatening to prosecute him, Mr Edwards said the city has not commenced a prosecution in relation to the installation of the sanitary facilities. 'While working collaboratively with local businesses, the city must also ensure compliance with State legislation, covering food safety, planning and building, to protect public safety,' he said. Bayswater mayor Filomena Piffaretti said in a statement on Friday that the owner had recently approached the city for advice on the new venture next to his existing premises and is continuing to work 'collaboratively' with Mr MacDonald to to support a 'safe and compliant outcome'. 'City officers met with the business owner onsite and outlined the necessary approvals,' she said. 'The city is working proactively with the business owner to help secure the necessary approvals as efficiently as possible.' Mr MacDonald said he planned to stay in Bayswater for the next 20 years as his family was set up in the area and his business had seven more years on its lease.
Perth Now
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
UFC champion pays visit to famous Perth BBQ joint
Current UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena has lent a hand to one of the hottest venues in Perth. The Perth born fighter popped in to Big Don's Smoked Meats on Friday to help the eatery before their anticipated service day — helping out with a slab of wagyu brisket Ranked ninth on the UFC men's pound-for-pound list, the reigning champ has been spending some time back in his home city since winning the title over Belal Muhammad in UFC 315 in Canada. On their social media, Big Don's revealed that Della Maddalena has been a long time fan of the establishment, showing that he waited in the long line back in 2020. The popular BBQ restaurant is known for its unique ordering style and only being open one day a week. Customers must place their order for a rotating tray on Tuesday — which sells out in minutes — and can collect it on Saturday, with a huge line typically forming outside the Bayswater joint. The menu changes every week with a BBQ meat pack that ranges with brisket, sausages, pork, ribs and more with additional add-on's available to order. The UFC champ paid a visit to the hottest BBQ restaurant in Perth. Credit: Instagram Jack Della Maddalena at Big Don's in 2020. Credit: Instagram Youtube chef Andy Cooks and Big Don's owner Donovan MacDonald. Credit: Facebook / Big Don's Smoked Meats The restaurant has hosted a number of named icons recently, with Chef and Youtuber Andy Cooks stopping by for a service day and filmed a video — calling the Perth joint 'The World's Best BBQ'. It's not the first time the BBQ joint has made headlines this week following the owners — Donovan MacDonald — outspoken battle with the Bayswater council.
Sydney Morning Herald
06-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Big Don fires up Bayswater council tilt after loo frustrations boil over
The founder of a renowned barbecue outlet and one of the state's most acclaimed restaurateurs will run for Bayswater council after another planning clash with the city over temporary toilets. Donovan MacDonald took to Instagram this week to declare his intention to run as a councillor in the West ward where he lives and where his popular restaurant Big Don's Smoked Meats – the first WA restaurant to receive a Good Food hat – is located. MacDonald said he considered running at the last election ago after butting heads with the council, but things had been good over the past two years. However, the latest dispute over temporary toilets – which MacDonald said came out of the blue and impacted the security of his business – spurred him to take the plunge. 'In the last two years, we've been pretty good. There haven't been any dramas, and I was too busy previously to be able to consider this,' he said. 'Now, my business is running pretty well. My team is phenomenal, and so I think I probably have the ability to actually do this.' The latest issue relates to temporary toilets installed in the unit next door, which is also used by Big Don's as space for waiting customers. The city said the toilets were installed without a building permit, and now MacDonald must get an occupancy permit for that unit space to resolve the toilet issue.
