This post is way, way overdue – in fact, it’s been so long since my visit to Canvas that I feel I need to put some sort of disclaimer in here. But, I have the feeling it won’t be necessary, and that it will just be as awesome five months later (I know, I know. I’ve been busy. Did I mention I’m writing this from Canada? Yes, you’re cutting into my maple syrup drinking time, so be grateful).

Ol’ pal GG and I were guests of Canvas several months ago when we visited to sample their World Class competition sangrita cocktails (read about that here). Canvas is a lovely little bar – it’s small and cosy, and has a pumping vibe yet still manages to feel homely.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I drink alcohol it’s like my stomach is jealous that my blood alcohol level is getting some love. It must be fed. Therefore, I was more than happy to try some of Canvas’ tapas-style snacks. We ordered artichokes; goat cheese; and some jamon and fig skewers. The skewers were definitely my favourite – the jamon had a spicy finish that contrasted sharply with the sweet figs.

Canvas also have an insane drink menu – just try to pick a cocktail in less than five minutes. Service is friendly and swift, and there are comfy booth seats (although bear in mind it’s a pretty small bar).

Canvas has only been open for less than a year, but it’s not hard to see why it’s already a popular West End bar. I am so thrilled to see more places like this in Brisbane popping up. Power to the small cosy bars! Power to awesome cocktail lists! Power to jamon!

Now, if you’ll excuse me – I’ve got to get back to my maple hunt (something I definitely won’t be putting off for five months…)

Canvas

Bar

16B Logan Road, Woolloongabba

(07) 3891 2111

http://www.canvasclub.com.au

There is this certain pub that I go to a lot. It starts with a ‘R’ and ends with an ‘E’. Over the years it has started to lose its appeal very slowly. The beer is shit. It’s not very cheap anymore. Intermittently, it smells like vomit. The 18-year-olds with their lithe bodies, metabolisms still in check, make me feel insecure. But all my friends go there, and thus I suck it up and go too.
Not anymore. Last week D and I sat at Archive in West End, looking around in awe like little kids. We ticked off  the beer house/bar’s positive points: it’s cheap (hello, Little Creatures pots for $4??). It’s nice (no vomit smells here). It’s comfy (couches! Win!) It’s got the best fries I’ve ever had (with aioli too). It’s got a massive range of good, quality beers.

We turned to each other. Why the hell do we go to the other place for?

Archive is, in a word, EPIC. I love it. I love it so much, I’d like to roll around on the bar and drink White Rabbit straight from the taps. I want to prance around on the large outdoor deck and order pork belly for everyone. I want to stuff my face with beer-battered, thick, crispy but not greasy chips and rub aioli all over my body. I want to do a little jig because finally, FINALLY a pub exists that is nice and sells all of the wheat beer a girl could want.

We tried several beers while we were there, although we found it hard to choose from Archive’s extensive list. The Sunshine Coast Summer Ale ($6) was just okay – it had a nice citrus aftertaste but was a bit bland. The Stone & Wood Pale Lager ($4 for a pot) was lemony with a bitter edge. The Burleigh Pale Ale ($6) also had a bitter taste, with a spicey finish.

The Wicked Elf Witbier ($9) was awesome, and is definitely one of my new favourites. The Sunshine Coast Chilli Beer ($6) was indeed very spicy and hot – there’s actually a whole chilli stuffed into the bottle! Think Stone’s Ginger Beer but without the sweetness. Finally, D won with the beer of the night: Hargreaves Hefe Weize ($7). There were notes of vanilla in this incredibly smooth and clean-tasting wheat/white beer.

I could sit here and rave on about Archive forever. I could also mull about the fact that it’s sad that a bar that specialises in craft beer is a rarity in Brisbane. I could also puruse the beer-inspired menu thoroughly, planning what dish to get on my next visit (I think the Ginger Kegs Roasted Pork Belly). I could also talk more about the beer-flavoured ice cream that head chef Matija Stefancic handed out to people waiting at the bar (doesn’t taste like beer. It tastes like awesome).

Whatever. Just GO. Go to Archive, now.

Archive

Bar/pub/beer boutique

100 Boundary St, West End

07 3844 3419

www.archivebeerboutique.com.au

Ever noticed how sometimes, the side-attraction is better than the main event? Movie previews, for instance; they’re always entertaining, sometimes even better than the damn movie. Superhero sidekicks are another; they’re always really spunky and have way better one-liners. And people: who doesn’t enjoy eating raw cookie dough more than the final, baked product?

I had a bit of the sidekick syndrome recently at The Melbourne Hotel in West End. We started with the Black Olive, Persian Fetta, Sweet Onion and Rosemary Pizza Bread ($9.90). A mini pizza came out that was large enough for a meal itself. This was terrific. The onion had been caramelised perfectly, and paired so well with the olive and fetta. The crust was thin yet doughy, and there wasn’t a greasy drip or spot to be found anywhere on the pizza. D and I both loved this starter.

I also had a glass of Pinot Grigio ($8), and D got a Little Creatures. Top marks for having Little Creatures Pale Ale on tap! It’s about time more places served draught craft beer.

D ordered the pork belly, which came with a broad bean risotto, roasted sweetened apple, and jus, for $27.90. Our first bite was pretty life-changing. The edge of the pork belly piece was ooey-gooey, sweet, sticky, and required barely any chewing. The accompanying risotto was superb – I’d say one of the best I’ve ever had. It wasn’t very cheesy, yet still had a very rich and flavourful taste.  The roasted apple slices were a unique twist that I loved, and went so well with the pork and risotto.

As D got further through the pork belly, I swooped back for another taste. This time, I was pretty disappointed. I was expecting rich, molten pig fat to pass my lips, but instead I chewed my way through a pretty dry piece of meat. The rest of the piece was the same story. The only saving grace was the remaining edges, which were still tasty and soft.

My own meal (the Peppered Crusted Tuna, $30.90) suffered a similar fate. The Tuna came with stir-fried snow peas, bok choy, capsicum, sprouts, and udon noodles, all in a teriyaki sauce. The stir fry was sensational. The vegies were fresh and cooked perfectly, the noodles weren’t slimy, and the sauce that coated everything was finger-lickin’ good.

The piece of tuna on top was not. When I ordered, our waitress told me that the tuna would be cooked medium-rare, and I said I was happy with that. What arrived was very cooked. Anyone who knows tuna knows that this bad boy should be pretty pink inside. This piece of tuna was grey. I had a glimmer of hope when I saw a flash of pink in the middle of the fillet, but this was pretty short-lived.

Now, in defence of The Melbourne, the menu doesn’t describe the tuna as medium rare or seared at all. But, the waitress did tell me it would be medium rare, and it most definitely was not. Again in their defence, D and I have both never had pork belly before. I’ve heard, however, that it’s supposed to have a crackling-like shell, and be very rich and succulent all the way through.

The Melbourne Hotel dishes up a menu that puts a lot of pubs and bars to shame. The standard steaks, ribs, and chips are there, but there’s also the delicious-sounding Chorizo and Chilli Penne, Roasted Pear and Prosciutto Salad, and New Zealand Black Mussels. It’s also a pretty nice space – the outdoor area, where we sat, felt secluded and quiet yet still had the fun and relaxed vibe of inside. The service could not be faulted either; Beth, our waitress for the night, was professional, friendly, and very knowledgeable about the menu.

The servings are also excellent value for money – the meat is big, the vegies are big, the sides are big. And for the most part, the food is very good quality.

I want to rescue these meats from a lifetime of sidekick syndrome. C’mon, pork belly. Stop living in the shadow of a grain. Come into the limelight and wow us with your 100% melty goodness.

The Melbourne Hotel

Restaurant and Bar

10 Browning St, West End

(07) 3840 9888

http://www.themelbournehotel.com.au/

A-Dawg and D would like to thank The Melbourne Hotel for feeding us

I am such a swinger. Recently I tossed the keys to EDB into the proverbial bowl, and fished out Gina’s. So we did it. We swapped. We had our ways with each other’s sites, and then we swapped back. I feel a little dirty, but more so, I feel very envious of the meal Gina enjoyed at Cloudland. Read about it below, then head over to the wordmistress to read what I left behind as I did the walk of shame back here.

Rediscover your Mojo at Cloudland

Like a little Austen Powers ambiance with your meal?  Step right into Cloudland and be astonished. Right there on Ann St is an amazing oasis of wonderment, where I enjoyed a delish lunch recently with a girlfriend who has become such a regular, she parks herself there to read while she eats.

Being of the vintage that I am, I remember the original Cloudland, all polished wood dance floor, massive dome entry and kitsch decor.  This new incarnation is not so much a hark-back as a borrowed name on nouveau kitsch decor.  Honestly, I don’t know how it works with all its mixed themes, hotch potch of colour schemes and random seating arrangements, but it really does!  It’s a feast for the eyes and you could return many times and still notice something new.  Pastels mix with earthy tones, PVC with silk, candles with bamboo and it all seems to – I don’t know – make sense!  There’s a waterfall, an opening rooftop, chandeliers, upstairs, downstairs, private nooks, open spaces. It does my head in to think of the design brief!

Cloudland Tomato Salad

But what really sold me was the food.  The dishes I ordered really grabbed me by the tastebuds and I find myself craving them even now, a couple of weeks later! Am I talking about something otherworldly or laced with addictive substances? No!  I’m talking great freakin’ salad here! I had what’s normally a pretty standard caprese salad – tomatoes, bocconcini and basil – but it was actually fresh buffalo mozzarella, three or four different and exotic tomato varieties, soaked in a dressing you could drink. I also scoffed down the Seared Atlantic Salmon with a tomato, green bean and olive salad with tapenade, part of the Express menu specifically designed to feed rushed ladies-who-lunch (and gents!).

Salmon and salad

Dessert was dreamy! Two delectable, sugar-coated donuts and creamy, homemade ice cream.  Alas, the menu has now changed so you’ll have to make do with the Schezwan sugar crusted doughnut injected with choc chilli bomb, fresh coconut salad and coconut bubbles. Poor thing.

If you really want to push the experience, visit the bathrooms!  Not your regular cubicle/basin fare. From the unbelievably effective hand dryers to the ambient, moody lighting, you might want to order your meals delivered there.  Ok maybe not, but you definitely have to take a peek.

The only off-putting part of my visit to Cloudland was that the wait staff didn’t wear uniforms.  Considering the lengths and fine detail the designers have gone to, to ensure the look and feel of the place, you would think the human element would be factored in as well.  Still, the staff members were attentive and knowledgeable, and I couldn’t fault the service.

Park over in Chinatown across Ann St and hand your ticket to Cloudland staff when you pay for your meal. They’ll validate it and save you a pretty penny;  all it’ll cost you is $8.

Cloudland

Restaurant, Bar, and Club

641 Ann St

Fortitude Valley

(07) 3872 6600

www.cloudland.tv

Gina Lofaro ‘aka the wordmistress’ is a professional copywriter whose mind wanders constantly to where her next taste sensation may come from.  Between dining out and creating literary marketing masterpieces for online and offline clients, Gina can be found on twitter at wordmistressAUS or online at www.wordmistress.com.au.