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

Hot sauce and tasty tacos – date night at Chilliwow

On Sunday night Tom and I found ourselves escaping the first flush of winter, in a booth at one of Brisbane’s newest fiesta joints – Chilliwow. Residing in what was once Barsoma, Chilliwow has brought its A-game to the themed bar scene in Brisbane with festive splashes of paint and more mexican décor than you can poke at a piñata.

It also offers a cheap and tasty menu consisting pretty much of chilidogs and tacos.

We only stayed a while but while we were there we indulged in two tacos (one beef, one pork) a chilidog, a Mexican beer and a red Mexican sangria.

Look at these babies - yummo!

The food was quick to come out and the tacos were simple, but fresh and tasty – not amazing – really the kind of food you’d throw together at home, but for $5 each you can’t complain.  The chilidog was a lot smaller than we expected but Tom seemed to enjoy it along with his beer.

I will say I was a bit disappointed with the sangria. It tasted good but the already small cup was crammed to the top with ice so I got around 4 small sips and it was over. Not really worth it in my book and next time I will most likely order a beer so I have a drink that lasts a little/a lot longer (when hot sauce is involved, this is important to me).

For a newly opened bar on a Sunday night Chilliwow wasn’t doing too badly. There were plenty of seats available and a steady stream of people kept coming through the door so I’m sure it would have picked up later on in the evening.

Chilliwow is a visual treat with its kitschy Mexican styling and this transpires to a super fun atmosphere – perfect for a laidback get together or a fun night out. I think it will become a firm and reliable favourite of ours and we’ll definitely stop in again for an inexpensive and relaxing evening...only next time I might read the labels on the hot sauce more carefully before sloshing it all over my tacos (beware the XXX hot!)…

Must try this drink next time

Images courtesy of The Thousands, The Urban List and The Weekend Edition.

Next Door Kitchen and Bar

“Prohibition was supposed to usher in a new era of sobriety and restraint. Instead America’s “Noble Experiment” was submerged by the madcap wave of the Roaring 20’s, when inventive recording artists on their way to fame unleashed spirited sounds that set the tone for the century”

This is what greets you when you open the menu at Next DoorKitchen and Bar, a 1920's “themed” bar and restaurant located on Southbank’s popular Little Stanley Street.

Next Door, has a superb, modern menu accompanied by a great beer, wine and cocktail list and if I’m honest I was sold the minute they served me champagne in a champagne coupe. To me, a champagne coupe seems 1000 times more sophisticated than your regular champagne flute and it really made me feel special – just a bit more sparkly or glamorous than I normally would when sipping champagne while having dinner with friends (can’t quite explain why but who cares it was a coupe!).

But let’s talk about the food. It was all…phenomenal. No jokes. I cannot fault a single dish that we tried!  The food is all designed to be shared and we found the plates to be very decent sized portions – between four of us we ordered the following and we couldn’t finish it all (despite the fact that the two adult males in our party are normally bottomless pits):

Share plates $14.5

• Flash fried school prawns, smoked paprika salt – we ordered these with a side of aioli and they were amazing. Crispy and salty and perfectly seasoned...I know they might not be everyone’s cup of tea, as  you do eat each prawn whole but they tasted sooooo good!
• Golden fried polenta chips, salsa verde, sour cream, pickled eggplant (v, gf) – The polenta fries we again had with aioli. They were delicious but not the most outstanding menu item we ordered.
•  Pea arancini, goats curd aioli, coriander oil (v) – Potentially one of the best dishes of the night. When you bite into the arancini you are greeted with a delightful  mint coloured centre and the balance of flavours is really very tasty…ooh my mouth is watering just thinking about them!

Share plates $16.5

• Crushed wagyu meat balls, provolone, sticky onion jam – by the time this dish came out I was full so I only managed one teeny tiny bite, but I know these were enjoyed immensely by the men in our party. Phrases like ‘best meatballs I’ve ever had’ and ‘why don’t we have these in England’ were uttered.
• Garlic prawns, green onion pilaf, green butter & snail beignet – prawns are always an Aussie favourite and these were no exception. The snail beignet melts in your mouth and was utterly delicious – we considered ordering a second plate but decided against is simply due to the sheer amount of food we’d already ingested!

Sides

• Truffle parmesan fries (v, gf) – we got these to accompany all our shareplates and to they were very nice - a much nicer option than your regular beer battered or regular fries!

Over the duration of our evening we also ordered some local beers, white wine and of course some sparkling to go with our meals - it was a very merry night indeed. The laidback atmosphere at Next Door Kitchen and Bar is really refreshing and it was lovely to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather Brisbane has been having. The staff were also great - super attentive and friendly and I went with 3 Britons who had particular fun guessing where in the UK our waitress was from (it was Manchester and none of them got it right).

I would definitely recommend Next Door Kitchen and Bar for a fun night out full of great food and wine and if you’re getting into the Gatsby Spirit with the highly anticipated, soon to be released Great Gatsby film why not reserve a table for the Next Door’s Gatsby Soiree to celebrate the movie release and their new limited edition cocktail menu on May 30^th?

You might see me there - I’ll be the one drinking Champagne from my coupe... 

Images courtesy of The Weekend Edition and The Urban List.

Lady Marmalade...she's a fine dame

This weekend, my boyfriend and I ventured across town to Lady Marmalade at Stones Corner for sunday breakfast.

Another cafe on my list of 'Resol-funs' I've been meaning to visit this place for years and I'm so glad we  finally 'crossed the river' to do so.

We ordered a B-H-T (Bacon, Haloumi and Tomato) and the special of Baked Eggs, Greens and Asparagus, Sourdough and Hollandaise as well as a slice of Banana bread to share along with a latte and English Breakfast tea. Then we settled in to enjoy the Brisbane sunshine and do a spot of people watching - an excellent activity considering the crowds were snaking out the door and locals were jostling for tables.

Our meals came out quickly and all were fresh, super yummy, and left us wanting more. I was very tempted to take home some of the amazing looking baked treats on show at the counter but managed to control myself.

Sunday's Special

The Boyfriend preferred the Special to the B-H-T but honestly it had me at hello with the cocktail umbrella holding it together...how could anyone not love it?!! 

The Famous -B-H-T 

After breakfast we enjoyed wandering around the crazy dollar shops Stones Corner is known for as well as a great local bookstore. 

Lady Marmalade is definitely a new favourite breakfast spot for me (I've already booked a tentative return date with a girlfriend) and if you're a Brisbane local you should definitely check it out if you haven't already. 

And that's another one off my list...25 down...31 to go (the list may have grown a little.

Happy eating!

xx Kirst

 

Ole - a trip to Spain in the heart of Brisbane

Recently, my boyfriend and I went to dinner at Ole Restaurant at Southbank in Brisbane.

Ole has been a firm favourite on the Brisbane casual dining scene since it opened in 2011, but this was our first visit as part of my 'Resol-funs' list.

As it was a Friday evening, we were unable to reserve a table but they seated us quickly at the bar when we showed up and before we could order a drink they had already directed us to a table.

Sangria is always a good idea

Fist up, let me say that the Sangria was delicious and the perfect way to start the evening.


We ordered quite a few dishes and it was way, way too much. The staff were lovely, friendly and very attentive but it would have been great to get a bit more knowledge about the dishes on offer and how many might be suitable to satiate our appetites.

Chickpea fritters with chilli sauce and Jamon fritters in the back right!

This is what we ordered:

• Jamón fritters  - these were lovely but nothing special.

• Chickpea fritters with hot chilli sauce  - a little dry but the sauce was great!

• Crisp calamari and whitebait with aioli  - I don't like whitebait (this one was for the boy) but I did try the calamari and it was ok. Nothing special.

• Sourdough bread with Olé extra virgin olive oil - we barely ate any of this dish due to the sheer amount of food we ordered. I will say it is a pretty decent size but you will fill up quickly eating lots of small dishes so you probably don't need it!

• Beef and chorizo meat balls served with sourdough - This was the hero of all the dishes. They don't look like much but by god they were delicious. Again not anything amazingly special or ground-breaking but very tasty despite this.

• Local prawns wrapped in jamón, fried with garlic - Honestly these were another disappointment. They sounded amazing but both of us were underwhelmed with the size and flavour (or lack there of) of the dish. 

The prawns

I couldn't get photos of everything but you can take my word that all the dishes were presented beautifully, however, overall Ole didn't like up to my expectations. The food was fine, but in my opinion nowhere near as good as what's on offer a few streets away at Granada Tapas Bar. That said, the fun atmosphere and a desire to try a few more things on the menu will definitely lead me back there...not without a return visit to Granada first though!

Ortiga

Ortiga is one restaurant that has been on my 'to do' list for a long time. I have heard non-stop rave reviews about it since it opened in 2010 but had never allowed myself to step inside for fear of temptation (let's just say I live on a 'beer budget' and expensive spanish restaurants don't often factor into it).

So it was with great excitement and surprise that on Friday night, my boyfriend spoiled me with an amazing Birthday surprise dinner, downstairs at Ortiga, accompanied by Ina and her man MOC.

The evening began with some champagne and cocktails at neighbouring Lady Lamington (they have jugs of Pimms people - jump on it!) before my companions tried to convince me that I got all dressed up in my fancy girl outfit to grab some cheap dumplings and beer here.

ALARM BELLS! I was not buying it. Dumplings, whilst tasty, are not really my thing and honestly after the boyfriend encouraged me to wear a pair of my ridiculously-amazing-but-painfully-uncomfortable-special-occasion shoes, I knew we were going somewhere a little more upmarket (no offence to the hardcore dumpling lovers).

Anyway, we ended up downstairs in a cosy little corner of Ortiga where we were greeted by our waitress who recommended we order either 8 small dishes between the 4 of us or 5-6 small dishes and one large dish. We went with the latter and ended up with way too much food so if you haven't been and are thinking of going perhaps just keep that in mind.

This is what we ate:

Small dishes

• Queso fresco de cabra con puerros – House made fresh goats cheese with leeks and PX. 
• Selection of Jamones: Jamón ibérico de Bellota, Paletilla ibérica de Bellota and Serrano reserva (20gm). 
• Conejo en escabeche - Escabeche of Macleay Valley farmed rabbit. 
• Croquetas (Jamón). 
• Kingfish, apple, fennel and vinegar. 
• Gambas with samphire, guernicas and hen’s egg. 

Photo courtesy of Ortiga

Ina's gluten free option while the rest of us chowed down on croquetas

Large dish

1. Whole slow cooked lamb shoulder with patatas a lo pobre and lemon puree 

Looks ugly, tastes superb.

Accompaniments to the lamb

Standout dishes for me were the croquetas, the Selection of Jamones, the Gambas (prawns) and of course the super succulent, melt in your mouth lamb. I will say that whilst not everything we ordered was memorable or perhaps lived up to expectations, all the dishes were beautifully presented and of amazing quality.

The restaurant layout is beautiful and relaxed with lots of exposed beams and an uninterrupted view into the kitchen (where the chefs all looked quite relaxed to be honest). It really is a beautiful space that allows for intimate dining and maximum enjoyment. Overall, the food at Ortiga was amazing, the service was attentive but not intrusive and the general experience was lovely.

Photo courtesy of The Courier Mail

It was a really special Birthday surprise and I hope that we will return...fingers crossed we win the lotto soon!

On a side note, if you are trying rabbit for the first time as I was, perhaps try the meat before biting into the liver...it was a little difficult for me to get past that...um..texture...and...ahh...flavour.

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