Learn the Way of the BBQ

You may be like me, and already be awesome at using a BBQ. Or you could be one of those filthy people who never clean the grill, arguing that it’ll give the next batch of meat ‘extra flavour’. No matter what your skill level, The Barracks is running a free barbecue cooking demo on Saturday September 4. Outback Matty (Matthew McKenzie) will be playing host. Who is this hat-wearing young gun, you ask? Just Jamie Oliver’s protege. No big. Check it out from 11am-1pm. www.thebarracks.info
 
 Protect Papa’s Prostate

So I think I may have gone just a little too far with that title. But seriously, have you thought about hosting a BBQ for Father’s Day/Blue September? September is prostate cancer awareness month, and the Blue September group and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia are encouraging everyone to host BBQs and raise money. This disease is a bitch, and kills nearly 3300 men annually. This is EQUAL to the number of women who die from breast cancer annually. Consider the BBQ an added bonus in this terrific cause. Visit www.prostate.org.au or www.blueseptember.org

BBQ on the River

From a weird title to a downright boring one. Sorry. At least the activity I’m referring to is exciting – a special BBQ brunch on a beautiful riverside deck, followed by rock climbing, abseiling, or kayaking. It’s all happening at Riverlife Adventure Centre in Kangaroo Point on Sunday September 5. Tickets are$145  for a family of four. www.riverlife.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 cheesey, 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 disapointed. 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 shaddow 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 like variety in my lunches. Sometimes I want soup; sometimes I want a salad. Sometimes I want one of those blindingly white ham and cheese bread rolls from Woolworths (don’t judge, I know you poke them too to feel their softness).

I was therefore pleased recently to see the wide variety of cheap lunch options at Sol Bread in Paddington. If you’ve ever wandered past this cafe/bakery and dismissed it as only selling bread, think again: pizza, muesli, savoury pastries, fruit salad, sandwhiches, salad, and cake were just some of the offerings I saw on the day I visited.

The price was right too; my small pumpkin salad was $7.50 and was a very generous serve. My only complaint? Cheese OVERLOAD. I know, I know, there’s no such thing as a cheese overload, right? Well, when you order a pumpkin salad and a bowl with a thick blanket of fetta hiding a tiny amount of greens, pumpkin, and pine nuts arrives, you start to re-think your devotion to the wonder blocks of calcium. A more even ratio of vegies to cheese would have been brilliant.

Momma T ordered a slice of vegie pizza, and had no complaints. The pizza was also of a generous size. Our coffees were just average – their main letdown was the fact that they were very luke warm.

This little cafe is cosy, comfortable, and cheery, and service is swift and laid back. It’s a great place if you’re after a cheap and healthy lunch, plus they’re well-stocked with the famous Sol bread varieties. I’ve had the fruit sourdough bread before and it was hearty and delicious.

Although if you prefer a sneaky piece of cheese’n'bacon, I totally understand.

Sol Bread

Bakery and Cafe

20 Latrobe Tce

Paddington (also locations in West End, Newstead, and Toowong)

 (07) 3876 4800
http://ishop.solbreads.com.au/default.aspx

There are certain life changing experiences that we all encounter. It’s often a fairly typical list: your first job; your first home; travelling the world; having a child; falling in love. These are all amazing things that surely impact on our lives. After you experience any of these, you often feel wiser, richer, and filled with the knowledge that this life is truly worth living.

People, add Sandcrab Lasagne to that list.

My life surely changed as I sat at a table at Il Centro recently, admired the fantastic riverside CBD view the restaurant offers, and took my first bite of their specialty dish.

Dear. God.

What happened next? I’m not even sure I remember. I just hope I was ladylike about it and didn’t pass out on the floor moaning, like my tastebuds wanted me to. This sandcrab lasagne is amazing. At $39.50 for a main serve ($26 for entree), it’s terrific value. The thing is huge – I spied an entree sized version at another table and it was also a decent size. But once you bite into this bad boy you will be glad you went for the full serve.

It’s so simple: a thin layer of pasta sheets sandwhich a mass of delicate, tender, flavoursome crab meat. A small dab of a sweet tomato sauce on top provides a slight acidic contrast to the creaminess, and it’s all swimming in this fantastic ‘crustacean sauce’. The result is a creamy, rich, meaty, comforting dish. It sounds incredibly rich – and I’m sure the ingredients are - but it’s very moreish and not at all sickly. There only seems to be two layers of pasta, which I think saves it from being a heavy and stodgy dish.

Across the table D was pouting. He had serious food envy. Rest assured he loved his wagyu steak (~$48) - it was one of the night’s specials and came with a layered vegetable bake and broccoli – but as he put it, “anything would taste like crap next to that lasagne”. His steak was fantastic though; it was perfectly cooked, full of flavour, and absolutely huge. The vegetables were a generous serve too. My photos don’t really do these dishes justice; and please, readers, before you scoff and leave me some disparaging comment about the photo quality, I know they’re bad. I took them on my phone, because frankly I’d rather not whip out an SLR in the middle of an anniversary dinner with my beloved.

We’d also had some sourdough bread with truffle and grana padano butter and green olives ($7), and were thoroughly fascinated with the truffle butter. We sat chewing and savouring each bite for ages, trying to figure out all the flavours in the butter. There were cheesey, nutty, and salty tastes. I can’t believe it is butter, basically.

Drinks were a wine for me (Antonutti Pinot Grigio, $11 a glass), and beer for D (Little Creatures Pale Ale, $8). And yes, $11 was the cheapest glass of wine on the menu, although I found the beer and spirits to be very reasonably priced.

The service at Il Centro was good: friendly, professional, yet relaxed. The ambiance is similar to that too; it’s clear it’s a fine dining restaurant, but any sort of stuffiness or stiff formality is absent. And how’s this for brownie points (pardon the pun): right before we left, our waitress presented us with a plate filled with little petit fours, with ‘Happy Anniversary’ spelled out in chocolate sauce. And no, they weren’t asked to do that. Rest assured we quickly got over our surprise and scoffed them down – the little purple macaroon was my favourite.

Please go to Il Centro immediately and tick ‘Sandcrab Lasagna’ off your bucket list.

Il Centro

Restaurant

1 Eagle St
Brisbane QLD 4000
(07) 3221 6090

www.il-centro.com.au

Case in point: Jeremy’s in the city. I first passed by this little wine bar/restaurant about a year ago and loved the look of it – the bar in the centre of the room, the low couches, the intimate little tables, the fairy lights covering one of the back walls. There’s something very ‘Melbourne’ about Jeremy’s: it looks chic and cool, but also warm and inviting at the same time. I also loved the menu, which was well-priced (dinner $20-$35, breakfast from $10), and featured such yummy dishes like gnocchi in a blue cheese sauce, dukkah spiced lamb, and salmon with champagne hollandaise.

And so, “oh, we HAVE to go to Jeremy’s soon” became a regular weekly phrase flying out of D’s and my mouth. A year later, finally this happened:

D: “I booked Jeremy’s for tomorrow…”

Me: “Awesome.”

D: “Guess who answered the phone?”

Me: “Who?”

D: “JEREMY.”

Cue my eyes bugging out, D nodding solemnly, and us both whispering, “Jeremy? He exists? You mean there is actually a Jeremy?”

Anyway. Jeremy was absent on our visit, but a very polite and professional waiter was there instead. You know what else was there? Cloth tablecloths. You know I’m a sucka for them.

Breakfast is served until 2pm on Sunday, and the menu is quite extensive, featuring both light and heavier options. I went with Jeremy’s Muesli, which was a blend of  ”fruits, nuts, grains, sliced banana, skim or full cream milk and honey cinnamon yogurt” ($10.90). D ordered the Ricotta Hotcakes, which came with date cream, poached pear, and a spiced sauce ($15.90). He also got a flat white ($4). I’m much stronger and don’t need caffeine in the morning to be a charming person, so I abstained.

My muesli was a very generous serving of natural oats, with nuts, dried apricot, fresh banana, and just a little bit of yoghurt. I was expecting toasted oats, so this was a surprise dish – the consistency of it in fact reminded me of a chewier, thicker bircher muesli. Despite my surprise, I really enjoyed this healthy dish. It was simple, yet very flavourful. I would have loved just a little more fruit, but only because there was such a huge amount of oats – I couldn’t even finish it, which is unheard of.

Meanwhile, across from me, D was thoroughly cleaning his plate. Two fluffy, perfectly cooked hotcakes were served with a generous dollop of thick cream dotted with dates, and a large piece of poached pear. The cakes had soaked up a lot of the spiced syrup, and that, coupled with the date cream, had me expecting a very dessert-like dish. But to our surprise, the spices balanced everything out and downplayed the sweetness. The contrast of sweet and spicy was amazing – I haven’t tasted flavours like that before. The date cream was delicious – it was so thick it looked like a scoop of ice cream, and had a lovely chew.

D’s flat white was also very good. The service from our main waiter was brilliant – he was so polite and really made the whole experience feel a little posh. Our only complaint was that we were sort of left sitting there for a while after the meal, with no offer from them to bring the bill.

I loved Jeremy’s, and will definitely be going back for dinner. It’s a romantic little spot, but would also be great for a few quiet drinks. Get there – it’s something that shouldn’t be put off.

Jeremy’s

Restaurant and Bar

93 Albert St, Brisbane CBD

(07) 3210 6529

www.jeremys.com.au

D and I went to Ceylon Inn in Rosalie (not ‘say-lon’, as we thought; our waitress corrected us and said it was ‘sigh-lon’. Got it) recently for a romantic (ew) dinner. We picked the Indian restaurant because it is rather sexy. It’s honestly got to be one of the most attractive restaurants on the Nash St/Baroona Rd strip. Lighting is very dim inside, save for very large and warmly-coloured lamps. There’s exotic-looking furniture, warm-coloured paint on the walls, and a simple terracota tile on the floor. It’s romantic, but in a very cool, Eastern way – i.e., you could take your best mate there no worries. It’s so sexy and dim-lit in fact, that I could not get a single decent photograph. Blurry photos, hurrah!

We started with naan. Of course we did – let’s face it, most of us only get Indian for the naan, am I right? We went with a Kashmiri Naan ($5.50), which was stuffed with dried fruit, coconut, and nuts. I usually love this flavour of naan, but the dried cherries in it were a little weird. The very sweet, almost maraschino-like cherry seemed at odds with its low-key coconut, nut, and date friends.

I got a Vegetable Hatu curry (peas and potatoes cooked in garlic, ground onion, cashews and coconut milk, around $17), and D went with the Ceylon curry with chicken (around $19). I enjoyed mine, although I couldn’t really taste the cashews and coconut milk that was the base; I suppose I was expecting a richer flavour. D’s curry was also fine; the flavour wasn’t mind-blowing, but the meat was tender and well-cooked. A generous serve of rice accompanied our curries.

D also tried a mango lassi ($4.50). The drink was refreshing with a tang from the yoghurt; it would have been an ideal match for a hot curry, had we had the balls to order one.

Service was excellent at Ceylon Inn; despite the girl correcting our pronunciation (this is a bit rude, right?), she was very sweet, friendly, and polite. She checked on us during the meal, but wasn’t pushy or hovering. Prices at Ceylon are a little bit higher than your average Indian restaurant, but I think it’s worth it given the ambiance. Admittedly, I have had better Indian elsewhere, but the surroundings at Ceylon are really just gorgeous. It’s hard to find a lovely place to eat dinner at for under $30 a head, but Ceylon have managed to do it.

It’s the perfect place for a ron-day-voo.

Ceylon Inn

Indian Restaurant

165 Baroona Road

Rosalie

(07) 3505 0990

(also at Toowong, Kenmore, Graceville, and Bulimba)

http://www.ceyloninn.com.au/

Italian Week

26 May to 2 June

Now in it’s fourth  year, Italian Week celebrates all things dolce. Events include a degustration dinner with Tuscan dishes at Cortina restaurant in Nundah; a barista course at Di Bella Coffee; and the Jan Powers ‘Il Mercato’ Italian Markets. There’s also entertainment, and cultural and sporting events, plus a two-day workshop at Vapiano restaurant exploring ‘la bella figura’ – the Italian figure. If that literally means an Italian figure, namely a twenty-something man with blue eyes, I’m there (who am I kidding – if it involves food, I’m there regardless).

Visit www.italianweek.com.au for a full list of events and locations.

Paniyiri

21-23 May

HONEYPUFFS HONEYPUFFS!! Oh yeah and Greek food stalls, entertainment, Effie, and a Zorba ‘Til Your Drop competition. Get those magical little balls of puffed sweetness at this always popular cultural event, held at Musgrave Park and The Greek Club, Edmondstone St, South Brisbane. Visit http://www.paniyiri.com/ for a full program.

Now, D (that’s the missus, for you new readers) does a lot of things for me, three of which include being generous; making me smile; and being helpful. Funnily enough, Southern Spice also displayed these qualities too.

D offered to drive to this mysterious (to us), far-off suburb – and there’s the helpfulness coming in. Once we were seated, Abhishek, a manager, came over and helpful assisted us with the menu. He suggested I try the Spirited Lassi, an original cocktail that has Baileys added to a mango lassi. I wish that we had been served by Abhishek right from the begining – when we arrived a different waiter had rather flatly showed us to our table, then left us waiting for several minutes without menus.

We ordered the ‘Spice Meal for Two’ ($56.90), which included Mysore Masala Dosai, any two curries, one rice, one naan, pappadoms, and a serve of Raita.
We selected the Lamba Korma and the Vegetable Dopiaza as our curries, and the Garlic Naan.

The Dosai is a specialty of south India, and is a thin rice and lentil crepe served with broth and chutneys. I’d never had a Dosai before, and I loved my first one: resembling a massive crepe, it was crispy, hearty, and filled with a delicious spiced chutney. It tasted rich but wasn’t sickly or oily, and I loved the accompanying coconut chutney, onion chutney, and the sambar, which was like a hearty vegetable broth.

My Spirited Lassi paired wonderfully with the slightly spicey Dosai. It had the familiar tang of a usual lassi, but with a creamy kick from the Baileys. D very generously (there’s number two!) let me slurp down most of it. Speaking of generosity, that Dosai was huge. I couldn’t imaging tackling a whole one myself, especially when I had the curries and naan to contend with.

The naan was tasty, but a bit different to what I’ve had in the past. I really loved the garlic filling, but found the naan to be a bit oily for my liking. Unfortunately the pappadoms had similar problems – the oil actually glistened on the puffy fried disks.

The Lamb Korma was fantastic. It had to be the most tender lamb I’ve had in awhile. I find that a lot of Indian and Asian places overcook lamb, or use a cheap and tough cut, but Southern Spice’s lamb was absolutely terrific. My vegetable curry was also tasty and was full of fresh vegies, although I would have liked more of a ginger flavour.

The ambiance of Southern Spice isn’t the best, but that’s not really their fault -when you’re right on such a busy road, there’s not a lot you can do about the heavy traffic noises.

I could not fault the service I received from from Abhishek and Prashant during our visit. Their politeness, consideration, and swift service – and, alright, they were handsome – made me smile.

And as for D making me smile? Earlier in the night I had been telling Abhishek how much I enjoyed the Spirited Lassi. D, wanting to be the ever-helpful guest, cheerily chimed in with:

“It’s way better than the laksas we’ve had from other Indian places!”

Thank you, D and Southern Spice, for a delightful evening.

Southern Spice
Indian Restaurant

2000 Logan Road, Upper Mt Gravatt

(07) 3343 5435

www.southerspice.net.au

Thank you to Southern Spice for dinner and the delicious laksa