5 Venues to Celebrate American Independence Day and 5 Fun Facts

Along with Thanksgiving, it is the most important date on the American holiday calendar – Independence Day, this year on Thursday, July 4.

Did you know that the Declaration of Independence wasn’t actually signed on July 4, or in July at all?

Here are four more fun facts about this celebration and five venues to get your red, white and blue on next Thursday:

•Three US presidents have died on July 4 and one was born.

•Americans eat an obscene number of hot dogs on Independence Day and also spend billions on food to celebrate with family and friends.

•There are more than 15,000 Independence Day fireworks celebrations every year.

•Eating salmon on July 4 is a tradition in New England.

Discover a regional restaurant committed to the best local food, wine and friendly service at The Pickled Sisters Café on Main Street in Rutherglen. This rustic, high-ceilinged café boasts a courtyard for soaking up rays on balmy High Country days, or head indoors where corrugated iron, exposed brick, recycled timber and trailing greenery set the scene for lingering over a meal with family and friends.

 

Get ready for a star-spangled feast on Saturday, July 6 at the café’s Independence Day dinner, celebrating all things American; from classic barbeque favourites to decadent desserts, there is a dish that will make you feel like you are Stateside, chow down on a four-course feast with drinks available for purchase on the night. 

Find beats, beers and burgers on the menu at Easy Street Diner on Gold Coast Highway in Mermaid Beach. Serving up some of the tastiest, juiciest, most authentic American-style burgers you’ll find this side of Texas, this joint is wholly inspired by the cuisine of the USA; from Super Heroes on the walls to red-checked napkins and glowing neon signage.

 

Stop in next Thursday for burgers and Budweisers and wrap your hands around a Big Poppa Royale – beef patty, cheese, jalapeño bites, ranch sauce, lettuce and tomatoes on a toasted milk bun, with pickles on the side – or the Pigmac with slow-cooked, spice-rubbed pulled pork, Easy Street BBQ sauce, mac and cheese and housemade slaw on a toasted brioche bun.

Convenience meets delectable flavours at Madame Jude on High Street in Golden Square. Indulge in a symphony of options from dine-in experiences to swift takeaways at this Melbourne café, where the walls are adorned with vibrant murals and a window bench seat offers glimpses of the world passing by while you enjoy a coffee and all-day brunch fare.

 

Say God Bless America to starters such as Cajun shrimp tacos, or jalapeño poppers with salsa, aioli and guacamole; before chowing down on burgers such as the Kirk Lazarus with a beef patty, fried egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, beetroot, pineapple, bacon and secret sauce, or the Wagyu and blue with grass-fed beef patty, caramelised onion, blue cheese crumbs and smoked bacon, with a side of fries. 

Feel like you have just stepped into a bar in the meat packers district of Brooklyn at New York Bar on The Entrance Road in Erina. Polished concrete floors and a copper-topped, timber parquetry bar set the scene for good times, while the shelves that house the cocktail elixirs could easily resemble the metal ladder exit systems of apartment buildings.

 

Beautifully presented black and white prints take you on a journey as you peruse a menu delivering everything from pizza to pasta, ribs and tacos; jump right in on Thursday with chicken wings, blue cheese dipping sauce and celery, while those who like a hit of heat opt for the chilli scorcher. Pizza lovers can pick up a slice of the New Yorker, topped with Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, olives and fresh chilli on a tomato base.

Mexican fare, burgers and Aussie classics await ravenous Mittagong diners at The Hideout Bar and Grill on Main Street. This rustic restaurant blends recycled timber with sandstone, painted and exposed brick to set a chilled-out vibe for casual dining; perhaps take a seat in one of the leather booths to enjoy an amaretto sour cocktail and peruse a menu dishing up starters like sweet potato croquettes.

 

Expect interesting burger combinations like the Elvis – beef patty, peanut butter sauce, bacon, cheese, lettuce and tomato – or the sloppy Joe with seasoned mince piled high on a toasted bun topped with melted cheese; perhaps say arriba to steak street tacos, with sour cream, salsa and guacamole, or chicken quesadillas with rice, frijoles, lettuce and tomato, washed down by an ice-cold cerveza.