The Paleo Cafe

Recently I encountered a few health problems and this, combined with my boyfriend's new-found love for crossfit, has seen the two of us slowly adapt to following a Paleo lifestyle (for more information on Paleo scroll to the bottom of this post).So it was with much excitement that we waited for The Paleo Cafe to open up in Brisbane last month (we had visited the Cairns location earlier in the year and simply loved it).

Our anticipation for lifestyle-friendly food reached fever pitch when I clocked the new cafe - with its signature orange and white decor - opening just down the road from us at Paddington (look out for a few new franchises set to open up around Brisbane in coming months).

The week it opened I went twice in two days and I'm happy to admit I was one of the many people lining up again last weekend for a table.

Eggs and Avocado on Toast with  side of Nitrate Free Bacon

The food is simple but delicious!

To date I've enjoyed the following:

- Eggs and Avocado on Paleo Toast with the addition of nitrate free bacon - this was yummmmmy! Completely no fuss but still full of flavour - and the bacon tastes amazing and contains no harmful additives or preservatives. Win!
- Pistachio & Coconut Crusted Ocean Fish served with seasonal greens - this meal was delicious. I absolutely adored it and will definitely be going back again and re-ordering it. It was a great size for lunch and the combination of pistachio and coconut was really light and complimented the fish perfectly.

The boyfriend tried the following and loved both of them:

- Caveman's Big Breakfast of free range eggs cooked to your liking served with sirloin steak, crispy bacon, pork sausage, wild mushrooms, roast cherry tomato, red onion and spinach on Paleo toast with Paleo tomato sauce
- Seared Tasmanian Salmon served with sweet potato and pumpkin mash, grilled asparagus spears and caper and lemon ghee. I can confirm the salmon was excellent, but perhaps not as amazing as my ocean fish.

Drinks wise I've tried the Breakfast smoothie, the Acai smoothie, an iced coffee and some chocolate banana smoothie thing - all non dairy and all very, very delicious.

The Caveman's Big Breakfast

Overall, I can safely say that The Paleo Cafe has already become my new local favourite and I am positive that I'll keep it in business for years to come. It is perfect for anyone with food intolerances (hello all you non-gluten and non-dairy warriors) and also for those who just love good grub.

Now if only they opened for dinner all my prayers would be answered...



If you're looking for more information on the Paleo Lifestyle some websites I found helpful include:
- Eat Drink Paleo (I also have this recipe book which is full of delicious and easy to make meals!)
- Paleo Diet Lifestyle 
- NomNomPaleo

Diner en Blanc, Brisbane Style

This past Saturday, a bunch of my girlfriends and I participated in Diner en Blanc - the second year it has been held in Brisbane.

Dressed all in white, with our picnic baskets, tables and chairs in toe we assembled at our meeting point at 4:25pm and after a short while were whisked away by bus to a secret location along the Brisbane River.

Once we arrived at the location - Hamilton Reach - the fun began.

We set up our tables and chairs, collected our cheese and wine then popped champagne to celebrate spending a lovely, girly evening of fun together.

We ate, we drank (in moderation), we danced like lunatics to the band, waved our serviettes in the air and lit sparklers in the moonlight.

I had so much fun it was worth lugging my four ikea chairs across Brisbane and I'll certainly be keen to do it all again next year!

I'd highly encourage you to get on board with the special event if there is one being held in your city - it really is a pretty fabulous experience

Sparkle-tastic

I love sparklers!!

Some of the amazing table decorations

My beautiful friends 

Adventures...in Food and Drink

On this last day of January, I am beginning to wonder how all those New Year’s resolutions so passionately declared a month ago are coming along.

Have you quit the Kardashians and started training for that Marathon yet? Perhaps you gave up sugar or promised to floss your teeth more.

If you’re doing well and sticking to your resolve I offer you my warmest congratulations…go you! But, if you’ve crept quietly back onto the couch with a tub of Haagen-Das and a sheepish grin I’ve got a proposition for you.

Why not make a new resolution. A fun one. We’ll call it a ‘Resolu-fun’. I guarantee it will be easy to keep because I did this on good old December 31^st and you know what? I’ve kept it going for a whole month now.

Wow! I can hear you exclaim (Ok more like ‘Meh who cares’) but still I bet you’re curious as to what this crazy resolu-fun is. Am I right?

Image courtesy of Kettle and Tin

Ok here it is: My 2013 Resolu-fun is to visit/try 50 places I haven’t been to in Brisbane this year.

That’s a new Bar, Club, Restaurant or Café almost every week. Ok so it’s not the cheapest of ideas but it’s certainly a lot of fun! This decision was spurred by the sheer number of new joints popping up all over Brisbane and the significant number of places I’ve just never made it to (living at Paddington just a short walk from the amazingness that is Anouk makes a girl lazy).  

I realised that although my love for Kettle and Tin’s corn beef hashcakes is deep and the nights I’ve spent with Black Bear Lodge will never be forgotten…as a young woman I really should be playing the field more. Call me hussy if you will but I’m going to get all over town and have a bloody good time doing it.

In the month of January alone I’ve already knocked off 8 places on my ‘to-do’list (yes 8!) and I have another 2 lined up for the next week which makes me well ahead of schedule. I’m going to blog about everywhere I visit from now on and I’d encourage you to let me know your favourite cafes or bars that might not be on my list (see the list below) and deserve a visit.

I’m sure many of you are regulars at some of the places listed and will be shocked that I’ve not yet walked through their doors but like I said, living within walking distance to some of Brisbane’s best food makes you lazy.

So I’m going to continuing my resolu-fun this weekend and will be venturing out ACROSS THE RIVER to breakfast at Sourcer Grocer with my partner in blogcrime Ina…and you know I might pop into Sixes and Sevens one night at New Farm even though I’ve already crossed it off the list…I’m kind of crazy  like that.

We’ll let you know how we get along with the hipster crowd and amazing beverages…

What do you think of the Resolu-fun and how are your regular News year’s resolutions going? Are you going to make a resolu-fun for yourself? I’d love to hear your resolu-funs for 2013 so don’t be shy now!

No. Name Visited

1 Alchemy

2 Aria

3 Bitter Suite

4 Botanica - Cross it off the list!

5 Brunswick Social

6 Bunker

7 Champ Bar and Kitchen

8 Chouquette

9 Cove

10 Dandelion and Driftwood

11 Fourth Wall - Cross it off the list!

12 Foxy Bean

13 Green Beacon Brewhouse

14 Hampton's Home Living

15 Harajuka Gyoza

16 Iceworks

17 InCider Trading

18 Jazzcat

19 Jude

20 Kerbside - Cross it off the list!

21 Lady Marmalade

22 Moda  - Cross it off the list!

23 Mr and Mrs G - Cross it off the list!

24 Next Door Kitchen and Bar

25 Oh Hello

26 Ole

27 O'lea

28 Ortiga

29 Pintxo Spanish Taperia

30 Pony - Cross it off the list!

31 River Bar and Kitchen

32 Saabi  - Cross it off the list!

33 Scratch Bar

34 Sixes and Sevens - Cross it off the list!

35 Sky Room

36 Sourced Grocer

37 Sparrow and Finch

38 Stokehouse

39 Super Whatnot

40 The Burrow

41 The End

42 The Hideaway

43 The Little Panda Bar and Kitchen

44 The Loft

45 The Survey Co

46 The Walrus Club

47 Tiplers Tap

48 Two Trees

49 Vinyl

50 Willow and Spoon

51  ???

52  ???

53  ???

54  ???

55  ???

56  ???

57  ???

58  ???

59  ???

60  ???

Oh and in case you’re wondering, I’m leaving 10 spots free on the list (to make it 60 new places) for digs that open up throughout the year.

xx K