Hartsyard

Although American-style diners have been the rage for a while now, and new options keep popping up around the place, it's hard to say no to one of the original trend-setters: Hartyard.

Known particularly for their excellent cocktails, the food options at Hartsyad are somewhat limited, but every item on the menu have been tried and tested by many diners.

Wall of Happiness

Chicken and biscuits in gravy, $33

For us, biscuits are gingernuts or milk arrowroots; but for the Americans, biscuits are scone-like concoctions made of buttermilk and are often savoury. The creamy gravy is dotted with small pieces of ham / speck, and the fried chicken pieces are cooked to juicy perfection. Southern comfort food as  good as it gets.

Soft-serve, $18

The famous Hartsyard soft-serve does not disappoint. The flavours are always changing, so you must ask the staff each time you visit. We were pretty lucky in that the flavour of the night sounded (and turned out to be) amazing - brown sugar and sticky date pudding, two of my favourite flavours combined. The soft -serve has a slightly grainy texture thanks to the brown sugar, and rests on a bed of dense yet fluffy and bouncy sticky date pudding. On top of the soft serve are some candied ginger pieces, and as a finishing touch, brown sugar syrup is drizzled across the entire dish. The rich, deep flavour of the brown sugar lends a pleasant complexity to a dessert which could easily become sickly and overwhelming. Probably the best dessert I have had in a while.

Score: 4/ 5 
The dishes are quite large and mostly designed for sharing, the atmosphere is great, the staff very helpful and warm.
Cost: a little on the steep side, but the food really is rather delicious.
Address: 33 Enmore Rd, Newtown
Website :http://hartsyard.com.au/