Pie in the Sky is a well-known lunch-stop for tourists, commercial travellers, bikers, and pensioner bus trips on the way to the Central Coast north of Sydney. For as long as I can remember, and well before the F3 freeway was built, it has been landmark on the Pacific Highway at Cowan. As a kid, coming home from the arduous drive from the Central Coast (well, that's how it seemed back then), anticipating its appearance around each bend became a game and made the trip home easier. It even made a quick app
earance in the Australian movie Lantana back in 2001, albeit as a creepy isolated place where the lead character goes missing in the middle of the night! Far from its every day persona as a bustling hub and meeting place. Open 7 days from 9-5, it has become a local meeting spot for bikers taking the winding drive up the "old" Pacific Highway. Weekdays and weekends alike, it is full of leatherclad men and women of all ages. In fact, it is seems to be an unofficial meeting place for the Ulysses Club, a band of over 50's bikers intending to grow old disgracefully. They look menacing as they cruise in on gurgling ducatis, harley davidson fatboys, motor guzzis and other
assorted shiny beasts. Once they remove their helmets, the charade is over! Groups of them enjoying a good coffee, perhaps a devonshire tea, or just a hearty hot pie while they rest before once again climbing upon their lovingly cared for mechanical horses and roaring off into the distance.The name of the Ulysses Club comes from a poem of the same title by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It tells how the great Greek hero Ulysses, now middle-aged and securely in charge of his kingdom of Ithaca, is getting bored with things around him and longs to go adventuring again with his shipmates of old. It describes very well indeed the sort of person who still has enough spark to go on riding into middle and later years. Too long to quote here, you will find it in any good poetry anthology such as the Albatross Book of Verse. A
very respectable bunch!The first glimpse you get is an unremarkable weatherboard building, then the delightfully retro style sign reveals its identity as "Pie in the Sky" - you have ARRIVED! Pulling in to the gravel driveway, you pass an old timber boat (not sure why its here, but it does provide rustic decoration, and moderate interest to the kids). You are forced to slowly cruise to the carpark as people and bikes mill around you at an easy pace. It certainly has a faded charm, and an extremely casual feel about it. Looking around you see all types. Pensioners fresh from their daytrips, walking frames in action, scoffing scones in the glassed in eating area, burly bikers having a smoko and coffee, with one eye on their bikes and the other on who comes in on what. Admiring glances and back slapping all around. Now to the food...Pie in the Sk
y bake all of their pies on the premises and have an incredible variety of pies on offer (beware, not all are available each day). Egg & Bacon, Beef, Beef & Mushroom, Pepper Steak, Steak & Kidney, Curried Beef, Beef Burgundy to name a few. Lamb varieties include Lamb Sate, Lamb honey & Rosemary, Lamb and Pea, Lamb Honey Chilli Garlic, then the Chicken...with Asparagus, with Mushroom, Satay, Thai Chilli Chicken, Tandoori Chicken etc..plus of course a Vegie pie. They also do fruit pies for dessert (Apple, Apricot, Blueberry and Peach), They also have the usual accompaniements : hot chips, sausage rolls with delicious flaky pastry, gravy, peas and mash for those who have a gap to fill. These pies are Gourmet at a pinch, but definitely HEARTY and crowd pleasing. Great flavours, great prices and great atmosphere...you must make it a stop next time you are heading North.
Pie in the Sky is a well-known lunch-stop for tourists, commercial travellers, bikers, and pensioner bus trips on the way to the Central Coast north of Sydney. For as long as I can remember, and well before the F3 freeway was built, it has been landmark on the Pacific Highway at Cowan. As a kid, coming home from the arduous drive from the Central Coast (well, that's how it seemed back then), anticipating its appearance around each bend became a game and made the trip home easier. It even made a quick app
earance in the Australian movie Lantana back in 2001, albeit as a creepy isolated place where the lead character goes missing in the middle of the night! Far from its every day persona as a bustling hub and meeting place. Open 7 days from 9-5, it has become a local meeting spot for bikers taking the winding drive up the "old" Pacific Highway. Weekdays and weekends alike, it is full of leatherclad men and women of all ages. In fact, it is seems to be an unofficial meeting place for the Ulysses Club, a band of over 50's bikers intending to grow old disgracefully. They look menacing as they cruise in on gurgling ducatis, harley davidson fatboys, motor guzzis and other
assorted shiny beasts. Once they remove their helmets, the charade is over! Groups of them enjoying a good coffee, perhaps a devonshire tea, or just a hearty hot pie while they rest before once again climbing upon their lovingly cared for mechanical horses and roaring off into the distance.The name of the Ulysses Club comes from a poem of the same title by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It tells how the great Greek hero Ulysses, now middle-aged and securely in charge of his kingdom of Ithaca, is getting bored with things around him and longs to go adventuring again with his shipmates of old. It describes very well indeed the sort of person who still has enough spark to go on riding into middle and later years. Too long to quote here, you will find it in any good poetry anthology such as the Albatross Book of Verse. A 
very respectable bunch!The first glimpse you get is an unremarkable weatherboard building, then the delightfully retro style sign reveals its identity as "Pie in the Sky" - you have ARRIVED! Pulling in to the gravel driveway, you pass an old timber boat (not sure why its here, but it does provide rustic decoration, and moderate interest to the kids). You are forced to slowly cruise to the carpark as people and bikes mill around you at an easy pace. It certainly has a faded charm, and an extremely casual feel about it. Looking around you see all types. Pensioners fresh from their daytrips, walking frames in action, scoffing scones in the glassed in eating area, burly bikers having a smoko and coffee, with one eye on their bikes and the other on who comes in on what. Admiring glances and back slapping all around. Now to the food...Pie in the Sk
y bake all of their pies on the premises and have an incredible variety of pies on offer (beware, not all are available each day). Egg & Bacon, Beef, Beef & Mushroom, Pepper Steak, Steak & Kidney, Curried Beef, Beef Burgundy to name a few. Lamb varieties include Lamb Sate, Lamb honey & Rosemary, Lamb and Pea, Lamb Honey Chilli Garlic, then the Chicken...with Asparagus, with Mushroom, Satay, Thai Chilli Chicken, Tandoori Chicken etc..plus of course a Vegie pie. They also do fruit pies for dessert (Apple, Apricot, Blueberry and Peach), They also have the usual accompaniements : hot chips, sausage rolls with delicious flaky pastry, gravy, peas and mash for those who have a gap to fill. These pies are Gourmet at a pinch, but definitely HEARTY and crowd pleasing. Great flavours, great prices and great atmosphere...you must make it a stop next time you are heading North.
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I love going for a drive up here. Did you see any kids selling produce by the side of the road on the way? We got some amazing produce on the way and were rewarded with pies so it was a lovely day!
ReplyDeleteMy, how on earth do you know so much about bikers??? hehe ;-) The food looks terrific though, nothing like a hot pie with tomato sauce on a cold winter's day!
ReplyDeleteHi NQN, no, no produce that day. My weekly trips to Dural are best for that. Lately it has been divine figs, but we are moving on to citris now that winter is hurtling towards us.
ReplyDeleteYY : I happen to have run into my 86 year old, black leather clad neighbour there one day and he explained the whole thing! I do think their motto of growing old disgracefully quite admirable. : )
Forget about the pies! I like the look of those fries! Yum! : )
ReplyDeleteArthur says the persimmons on sale in Dural are something special, he bought an entire box!
ReplyDelete