Brisbane-based brownie makers Dello Mano have seriously perfected their craft. These babies are perfect. Those of you out there who like a cakey brownie – well, you suck. A cakey brownie is not a brownie. It is ass. One bite of a Dello Mano brownie and you will agree, and will be throwing those other stupid, fluffy bits of offending brown matter away.

The little squares have three layers: the top has a thin, sort of crumbly, cracked top-of-cake-like shell. This thin layer gives way to the heart of the brownie: this centre is smooth, dense, and delicately fudgy. It sticks to your teeth. It barely requires any chewing. The base of all of this is essentially a thin layer of pure, dark chocolate fudge: it’s the perfect foundation to this little tower of sweetness.

Now, do I have anything negative to say about these nuggets of gold? Well, they are slightly expensive. I think a lot of this is in your mindset: people will happily pay $$ for a luxury truffle or piece of fudge, yet a brownie? What? Something ol’ Mrs Crocker can whip up? The price could probably put people off, but please don’t let it. These brownies are as rich and luxurious as any truffle.

Deb from Dello Mano (hoping to make her my future wife, just quietly) tells me that a trip to Italy spurred her family to start a food business. ‘Dello Mano’ is twisted Italian for “Of (Made) by Hand”, and the cooking style reflects this – there are no preservatives or additives, and each brownie uses good ol’ ingredients like Free Range eggs, real butter, brown sugar, flour, real vanilla bean, and of course Belgian Chocolate.

I can honestly say, hands-down, no bias whatsoever, that Dello Mano produce the best brownies I’ve ever tasted. A box of them stood no chance in a household of three girls.

And for the record, I don’t iron my underwear. That is wack. But I am still a perfectionist about my brownies.

Dello Mano

Luxury Brownies

1300 661 682

http://www.dellomano.com.au/
Thank you to Dello Mano for supplying me with these delights.

Tognini’s has been somewhat of an institution for deli-lovers in Brisbane since the nineties. The other night I was lucky enough to attend a sneak preview of their re-vamped Spring Hill location. What was once a humble (albeit fantastic) deli has now grown to be a bit of a casual restaurant and bistro. Tognini’s Spring Hill will also now open their doors on Sundays, giving us yet another excuse to go out for a late Sunday breakfast (with brekkie dishes like French Toast with Chocolate Sauce ($12.50), and Parmesan Toast with Bacon and Spicy Tomato Salsa ($12.50), I don’t blame us).

The refurb has turned the deli into a very cool and sleek venue, with a centre counter that is reminiscent of a chic bar. In the centre of the bar is a charcuterie cabinet (don’t worry, I had to google it too), which holds a wonderful array of fresh meats that might tempt even the strictest vegetarian.

Mark and Narelle Tognini spoke with passion of their recent visit to Turin in Italy, and the restaurants, delis, and food they experienced that inspired them to transform Tognini’s Spring Hill into more of a bistro. “The kitchen will never close!” Mark declared, referencing the location’s new later opening hours for dinner. The licensed bistro will now stay open for dinner, offering such yummy dishes as Grilled Quail in Vine Leaf with Pistachio Sauce and Labne ($24.50), or Scallops with Oloroso Sherry, Asparagus and Migras ($16.50).

I sampled a few of their ‘sputini’, which are small, tapas-style dishes. The Polenta Chips with Sour Cream and Sea Salt ($8) were soft and fluffy with a crispy shell; while the Scallops with Smoked Pancetta ($14) were the clear favourite. Perfectly cooked, these little guys were perfectly contrasted with the saltiness of the slightly crisp pancetta.

I’ve been very cheeky and haven’t taken any pictures. You’ll just have to go see the new Tognini’s Spring Hill for yourself when it re-opens its doors tomorrow. Meanwhile, I’ll keep trying to turn my ‘ehs’ into ‘sis’ – possibly with the help of a little dolce.

Tognini’s Spring Hill

Bistro Cafe Deli

Springhill Marketplace

Cnr Turbot & Boundary St
Spring Hill
(07) 3831 5300

www.togninis.com

Ripple Chocolate? Lotion

I know, I know. A massage is not edible. It is not a place to visit, a dish to eat, or a bar to sit in. This massage, however, was a chocolate massage – see, definite food involvement. And besides, this is my blog and I can write whatever I damn well please. So there.

When the kind folks at Ripple offered me a chance to try their popular chocolate massage, I jumped at the chance. Chocolate, lying down, and being rubbed (um?) – what more could you want?

I admit I was a little nervous about my massage after reading the description on Ripple’s website: “Full body aromatherapy massage with warmed chocolate“. Like, actual chocolate? All over my body, not in my mouth/digestive system? “They could make fondue out of you,” said my housemate. Images of little bite sized pieces of Ally, alongside marshmallows, strawberries, and dipping implements sprung to mind. But you know, I’m open minded, so I went with it. Plus, I’d get a “gift of chocolates”. Woo!

The lovely Rae showed up at my house with perfect punctuality, and immediately set me up with a minty-scented foot soak. That’s the beauty of Ripple – they’re a mobile massage service, so you can happily slop around in your pjs until your masseuse arrives.

After the foot soak, I lay down and Rae got to work. I was exfoliated from top to toe with a lucious, thick, chunky and grainy scrub. I had no idea that being cleaned could feel so good.

After Rae managed to somehow rinse off the scrub without splashing water anywhere/messing up the carpet (the mind boggles), she massaged me with an oil that warmed as time passed. At one point, when she was working on my feet, I had the weirdest sensation – I think it’s called relaxation? My body felt like it was asleep, yet my mind was still awake and aware. Bizarre, but lovely. A green clay and cucumber face mask finished things off, along with a gentle head massage. Nearly two hours later I struggled up from the table, moving like a zombie and feeling at one with the world.

Now, while this massage was absolutely brilliant, I was utterly confused by one thing: where was the chocolate? Granted, this phrase often runs through my head, but in this case, I was disappointed with the answer. There was no chocolate melted on my body. There was no chocolate-scented scrub, oil, lotion, anything. Even the lotion I received at the end to keep, which was named ‘Chocolate Lotion’ did not smell in the slightest like chocolate. Plus I got no chocolates to eat, although it was nice getting some lotion (which, by the way, they make themselves -very cool).

Maybe there was a mis-communication. Maybe my sense of smell is totally off. But if you do plan to book the chocolate massage, maybe clarify first what it is you’re getting. But I’m so relaxed from what i did get, that I’m feeling pretty breezy about it.

Updated: Ripple assures me that it is actual chocolate lotion, but it’s ‘cut’ with oil, hence the reason liquid Cadbury wasn’t poured all over me. I’d like to clarify that it was purely my own impression from the website that it would literally be chocolate. Ripple have now updated their website so that idiots like me don’t get confused. Most important thing: I will also be receiving my chocolates in the mail.

Ripple Massage
Mobile Massage/Beauty Service

0438 567 906
http://www.ripplemassage.com.au/index.html

Chocolate Massages from $180

But enough about me and my reckless young love life. Valentines Day is a great excuse to go out and eat some good food. Grab your friends, your homeslice, or your mum and embrace commercial holidays at their best.

1. Play hide’n'seek at Garuva. Okay, you probably should stay in your allocated room and not run rampant in a restaurant, but you’ll have fun at Garuva none the less. It’s very private, with each table curtained off in its own little world. Other romantic restaurants include Montrachet in Paddington, Ceylon Inn in Rosalie and Toowong, and Libertine at the Barracks.

2. Paddle in the moonlight with the Riverlife Adventure Centre. Look, kayaks scare me. There was an incident. I was 12. It was at Tallebudgera Camp School. I don’t want to talk about it. If you’ve got more balls than I, try the Paddle & Dine package. It’s a romantic 90 minute moonlit kayak, plus canapes, dessert, and sparkling wine at a riverside venue. Tickets are $89, and it starts from 7pm at Kangaroo Point. Check out www.riverlife.com.au 

3. Fully embrace the dangers of gas at a four course degustation. How comfortable are you with your lady or lad? Can you imbibe a large amount of rich food and alcohol, and sit there uncomfortably holding your butt cheeks together? Did I just go too far? Check out the Clovely Estate City Cellar Door (Red Hill) degustation with matching wines for $95. The music continue on the way home – you get a take home pack of cheese and chocolates. Toot along to www.clovely.com.au 

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish my homeslice a Happy Valentines Day for this weekend, because he is the shiz. And because I like to make my readers vomit.

My second red carpet experience was much nicer (and cleaner). Vapiano officially launched last week, and pulled out all the stops to celebrate their opening, fluffy red un-stained carpet to boot.

Fresh basil pots at Vapiano

Vapiano is tucked away in one of the new CBD laneways, Albert Lane. Spread over three levels, the decor is sleek and modern. There are two bars, heaps of seating, and little pots of fresh basil on all of the tables (cute!).

Vapiano Chicken Pizza

We were offered a selection of beer, wine, and champers, but GG and I went with the fruity bellinis. We also sampled one of Vapiano’s dishes – pizza! The Barbqeue Pollo (normally $19) was damn good. Chicken breast, barbeque sauce, onion, smoked cheese, and mozzarella are a winning combo, although the chicken was a little thin on this pizza. The crust was thin and soft, with enough crispiness to hold the toppings. I loved the smoked cheese – it matched perfectly with that whole barbeque theme and made you feel like you were right next to a hot pizza oven.

Across the table GG was chowing down (I lie, she was delicately nibbling) on the Con Carne pizza (normally $19) -
ham, pepperoni, salami, barbecue sauce, own tomato base, and mozzarella. The meat looked a little more generous on this one, and the overall pizza got the thumbs up from GG.

Other dishes at Vapiano include pastas, salad, and antipasto. Prizes are good, too; pizzas and pasta start from $13. It’s surprising, given the surrounds are very swish and have a relaxed upmarket feel.

It’d be an ideal place for groups, as they have a uniqe swipe card system, where each person swipes their own card as they order drinks and food, then presents their own card at the end to pay. The days of awkward bill splitting and cries of “but I didn’t eat any garlic bread, why should I pay the $2 for it?” are long over.

I’ll definitely go back to Vapiano. The pizza was some of the best I’ve had in Brisbane, and it’s excellent value. Now, on to my next red carpet: pass the shiraz, please?

Vapiano
Albert Lane, Brisbane CBD

(07) 3221 4933

www.vapiano.com.au

1. Check out one of the biggest backyard BBQs at the Doomben Racecourse, in Ascot. The track will be home to a massive backyard BBQ on January 26, with $2 snags, $2 lamingtons, and $2 soft drinks. If that doesn’t grab you, check this out: Lincoln Lewis will be there. As in, son of Wally. As in, spunk from Home & Away. There will also be massive competitions, entertainment, and kids activities. For more information visit http://www.brc.com.au

2. Grab a beer and some free beef at the Lord Stanley Hotel. This East Brisbane pub is putting on a free BBQ between 3-5pm. The only catch? It’s only available with drinks purchase. Um, damn. For more information email lordstanley@ourhotels.com.au

3. Listen to the Hottest 100 in style at the Greystone Bar & Cellar. This funky Southbank bar will be playing the Triple J 2009 countdown live, plus they have a pretty tasty meny too. 7/166 Grey St, Southbank.

4. Grab a gourmet snag at Limes. This rooftop bar in the Valley will be hosting an all-day BBQ, plus playing the Hottest 100 and offering buckets of icy Coronas and Pure Blondes (where’s the XXXX and the VB though, Limes?) Visit www.limeshotel.com.au for more information.

5. Celebrate in an Aussie-named venue at the Melbourne Hotel. This West End venue are also jumping on the gourmet BBQ and buckets of icy beer bandwagon, and I love them for it. Email Penelope@themelbournehotel.com.au for more information.

An important part of Australia Day is acknowledging the fact that it’s the day the many subsequent problems with indigenous peoples started. While you enjoy your snag and dirty beer, please remember the true original Australians of this country. Getting off soapbox now.

Urban Hotel - home of the Gazebo Restaurant

I’m a creature of habit when it comes to food. At 10.30am, nearly every day, I can be found in front of my computer eating two fresh dates and sipping instant coffee. I always eat my soft lollies before my chocolate ones. And you’ve read before about my liking for ordering the same breakfast. 

It was a welcome relief recently to be able to try somewhere new that I might not have thought of otherwise. D and I were the lucky guests of the Gazebo Resturant, in the Urban Hotel in Spring Hill. I hadn’t heard of it before, which was unfortunate, as the hotel restaurant is a lovely spot. There’s seating inside, a chic bar area, and a large outdoor area. The outdoor area has a great relaxed feel-like you’re sitting on a friend’s patio, except the napkins are nicer (cloth!!!) and no one is passed out in the corner. 

We had imbibed a bit too much that night before at The Continental Cafe, so just went with Diet Cokes. I know, we are hardcore. The wine list, though, is huge, and I was pleased to see a variety of beers like Little Creatures. 

The menu is small, but there’s a range of dishes that would suit most tastes. Gaezbo also specify which dishes are gluten-free, which is heaven for the wheat intolerant among us. I went with the Pork Medallion with Braised Red Cabbage, Fig Compote & Port Reduction ($30). D puffed up his chest and ordered the very manly-sounding Heritage MSA Beef Fillet with a Sichuan Crust, Red Claw Yabbies, Roasted Royal Blue Potato and Salsa Verde ($40). We also did the nasty and ordered a side of Beer Battered Chips with Chilli Jam & Lime Aioli ($8).

The waiter who was serving us was truly fantastic. He was genuinely friendly, professional, and quietly attentive. It also says a lot that he only found out about halfway through the meal that I would be reviewing the restaurant, so his service definitely wasn’t biased or fake. 

Fancy a Pork?

I’m not really a pork girl, but this pork was fantastic. Two very large pieces sat atop a bed of warm cabbage, with the relish on top. I loved this fruity relish-it was sweet but not overpowering, and paired wondefrfully with the pork. I suspect it would go with any pig product, or perhaps with any spoon or finger/digging implement. 

I liked the cabbage salad too, but felt it was missing a little something. The pork, salsa, and salad went well together, but they needed something to tie it all together. I think the dish would benefit with another vegetable, or another flavour to the plate; without this, the cabbage sort of let the dish down with its blandness. 

Beef 'n' Bug

D’s plate was impressive, with a yabby (yabby? yabbie? Help me out here people) proudly guarding a fillet of beef. The dish was tasty, D’s only complaint? The beef was slightly overcooked, and the yabby was too damn hard to eat. We need finger bowls and a hammer, people. Nevertheless, it was a tasty dish, with generous servings of perfectly crisp beans and creamy potato. 

Best chips ever!

Now. Can we talk about the chips? These were just perfect. They were chunky, with a crispy beer battered shell, and just the right amount of grease. The lime aioli was delicious, and, as we discovered, even better with the chilli jam mixed in. We scoffed these bad boys down. 

Needless to say, after large mains and a bucket of fries, we were stuffed. The desserts were crazily cheap ($8 each!?), but I just couldn’t fit it in. So, there we go: I broke a second habit that night. I didn’t have dessert. Gazebo, you and your chips have done something to me.

Gazebo Restaurant

Ground Floor

Hotel Urban, 345 Wickham Terrace, Brisbane

(07) 3831 6177

http://brisbane.hotelurban.com.au/restaurantbar

Thanks to Hotel Urban and the Gazebo Restaurant

It’s also something that makes you a hungry little sucker. A couple of weeks ago, my Mousdash teammates and I went to Sassafras for a post-Mousdash breakfast. I needed FOOD, and man was I glad we booked-Sassafras is notorious for being packed for breakfast on the weekend; make sure you book at least the day before! 

“Carb load!” D and I squealed to each other when we arrived, rubbing our sweaty little hands in glee. We ordered some drinks to whet our appetite. Who am I kidding, we were starving, no one else was there yet, and it seemed more polite than going ahead and ordering our meals. D got a Mango Smoothie, and I grabbed a Mango, Coconut and Banana Frappe (both $6). I was worried my frappe would be little more than an icy mess with a touch of sweetness, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was creamy, very thick, and very fruity. It was so much better than the smoothie-in fact, the smoothie kind of sucked. It was very thin, and didn’t have a strong mango flavour. But my frappe was seriously awesome. 

I’ve posted before about how D and I tend to gravitate towards Eggs Benedict and muesli respectively on breakfast menus. Yeah, we did it again at Sassafras. It was slightly harder this time though-I was eyeing off the Ricotta Hotcakes with Honeycomb Butter and Maple Syrup ($14.20), and a workmate was raving about the Grilled Banana and Walnut Bread with Brown Sugar Butter ($7.20). But predictable ol’ me went with the Organic Muesli ($9.20), and boring fuddy duddy D got the Eggs Benedict with Salmon ($16.90). 

I was surprised at first when my muesli came out. I was expecting it to be already layered with yogurt and fruit, as is often the case, but instead a huge serve of dry muesli was accompanied with a little dish of Greek Yogurt, a sachet of honey, and a little jug of milk. This was quite ideal, as often muesli in cafes is not as ‘light’ as it seems-giant, fruit-filled serves, mixed with lashings of full fat yogurt and dollops of honey means that the humble cereal is transformed into something more suited for dessert. 

D was also enjoying his Eggs Benedict. There was a generous serving of salmon, and the hollandaise sauce had a nice lemon flavour. It threatened to show the beginnings of that scary ‘sauce skin’ thing though. 

Sassafras Muesli

Sassafras Outside

Sassafras Frappe

Sassafras has an ideal breakfast menu; all the basics are there, but they’re given a twist. They can also prepare any meal to be gluten free, and they have a kiddies breakfast menu too (although let’s face it, when we were kids we ate more than our parents. Am I right?) 

It’s a very casual and relaxed space to dine in; there are small rooms crammed with antique furniture; little nooks around the side with benches; and a large outdoor area surrounded by trees. Prices aren’t exactly cheap, but the servings are large and everyone at our table enjoyed their meals. Despite the creativity that some dishes have taken (think Chilli Corn Cakes with Hummus, Spinach, Crispy Bacon & Tomato Relish, $15.20), it’s still a very casual and pretty basic deli/cafe. You can get food in a ‘fancier’ place for virtually the same price, but Sassafras is a very relaxing place that’s ideal for groups. 

There were a tonne of goodies in their display cabinet too-I think I’m going to have to make a return trip just for their blondies or fresh sandwiches. And I may not even wait for the next time I sweat a year’s supply of beer out of my pores. 

Sassafras 

Cafe & Catering 

88 Latrobe Terrace 

Paddington 

(07) 3369 0600 

http://www.sassafrasfoods.com.au

There must have been a hell of a lot of people who were the youngest in their family at the Good Food & Wine Show on the weekend. I have never seen so many incredibly greedy, rude, and pushy people scrambling to get samples.

Now, you know I love my samples. They’re great. They’re free food. But I also love my manners. I see a sample, I wait patiently until there’s room at the table. I inch in slowly, careful not to jostle any fellow sample patrons. If the proprietor of the stall is talking to a potential customer, I don’t interrupt. I wait until they are free, I catch their eye, and I say “may I try the triple chocolate fudge explosion, please.” I taste it, look at their other products, and note their name should I wish to purchase the product.

What I DON’T do, is shove my fat ass in front of everyone, mindlessly grab at whatever food is on offer, openly gape and talk about “Why is that girl taking photos of the food? Oh my god. How weird,” (yeah, we heard you), and forget my pleases and thank yous, and interrupt potential sales, and have no idea of the product name of what I just ate or what business it came from.

Ahem. Forgive me, I’m a bit grumpy today. When I managed to fight the crowds for long enough (and trust me, there were crowds – get there early next year), I tried some great stuff. White Chocolate Chai ice cream from Spirit House was delicious and creamy, and tasted like a sweet, iced chai latte (left). D tried the Red Chilli and Dark Chocolate version and it had a unique bite that snuck up on you after your mouth had been flooded with rich chocolate. We also loved the mousse from Nicholson Fine Foods. The White Chocolate was creamy and had a custard-like texture, and the White Christmas flavour tasted similar but had a little spice.

Black Savourine cheese from Yarra Valley Dairy was boss. It had a flavour similar to blue cheese, but it was much tamer; it would definitely appeal to more sensitive palates.

It seemed like the most samples on offer were alcoholic (Baileys stand, left). I tried Big Head beer and was surprised at how strong and heavy it tasted for a zero carb beer. This is a perfect example of why these shows are good: I will most likely buy some the next time I visit old mate (First Choice), but if I hadn’t tried it at the Show I doubt I would consider it. Baileys, Kahlua, Stones Ginger Beer and a plethora of wineries were also offering their wares.

Other favourites were also there, like The Peanut Van (fresh peanut butter, pictured) and The Cupcake Parlour. I tried an awesome muesli-like, seed-packed concoction called Kapai Puku, from Zone Fresh. Another example of something I doubt I’d ever try or buy otherwise.

The best part of the show was probably the Celebrity Live Theatre. We went to one of Matt Moran’s sessions. So, confession time: I have a crush. The man is hot. He’s also a very, very good cook, and is pretty damn funny. He smoothly ran through his show with charisma and confidence, giving away prizes flippantly, and peppering everything with some colourful phrases (“I hate vegetarians,” was one. Oh Matt. You are so cheeky).

While a lot of vendors were selling some of their wares, there weren’t many sit-down eateries at the show. The was the Wild Oats restaurant, and I think that was it (correct me if I’m wrong). I also saw a stand selling fresh haloumi slices, and there were a few coffee carts. Granted, this probably makes sense as it ties the Wild Oats restaurant to the celeb shows, but a small seating area and a few ‘meal’ stalls would have been good.

So, if you can get past the crowds and the greedy people, the Good Food & Wine Show is an excellent chance to try a variety of food and wine you haven’t had before. It’s also a great opportunity to find out more about products direct from the vendors. Plus, there’s Matt Moran’s arms.

Good Food & Wine Show 2009 (Brisbane)

Friday November 6 – Sunday November 8

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre

http://www.goodfoodshow.com.au/