One of the things I really love about Newcastle, is just how many unique experiences you can stumble across. There are so many Novocastrians who are buried in their own little niche, purely intent on bringing joy and entertainment to the masses. Every single artist, communicator, cultivator and professional I’ve had the chance to run into, all have one thing in common. They absolutely love what they do, and they are bloody good at it. Tony Harrison from Bistro Lowlands is no different, and his Urban Mess dining experiences are truly one of a kind.
All of the food was placed in the middle of the table and it makes you want to communicate and share space with people.[/x_pullquote]For those who aren’t familiar with the Urban Mess concept, it’s really centred around the community dining experience, a peasants feast as some regular dinners next to me liked to pinpoint it, and it’s bloody wonderful. I’ve been to a few of these events now, and each and every time I walk away after meeting someone new, or running into someone I haven’t seen in ages and for a single (quite introverted) person, it’s actually really lovely to be able to share that sort of dining experience once in a while.
Urban Mess is also not about formalities, actually it’s so far away from that concept. If I can compare it to anything, for those who are yet to dine with Tony, it doesn’t feel like you’re going to a restaurant, it honestly feels like you’re going to his house. He announces each and every dish, breaking down the local produce and explaining the intricacies behind the recipes. It just makes you think, and actually care (and more importantly), be thankful for the amazing meal you’re about to enjoy. Anyone who knows me, knows I’ve never been a foodie, I probably never will be. I mean I eat jar pasta sauce like soup, but after going to Urban Mess I get why people love it so much.
They usually book out ridiculously quickly…[/x_pullquote]This time around it was Italian. All of the food was placed in the middle of the table and it makes you want to communicate and share space with people, who are literally there to switch off, enjoy being waited on for an evening, and ease into the week ahead. Now I’m not going to sit here and go through the menu piece by piece and tell you how amazing it was, I’m sure you probably already have food fomo already but… What I can say is, it was amazing. (But I will say that whatever that potato dip was, I want to eat it each and every day and probably request to take a bath in it at some point).
If you missed the last Urban Mess, never fear, the next one will be here before you know it. Stay up to date with all things Bistro Lowlands and Urban Mess here. They usually book out ridiculously quickly so jump on that band wagon immediately!
