Brekkie @ The Grounds

Meeting friends for brekkie is one of my favourite things to do on the weekend. It is a very Aussie habit that we’ve happily taken on, as we love eating breakfast.

There are many cafes in the city that serve amazing food and it is always a great experience to discover new places, with innovative menus, that use fresh and locally sourced ingredients, that serve great coffee and that offer a good atmosphere.

With this is mind, we really wanted to try The Grounds as their reputation is quite good. The wait for a table is always long so we designed a “clever technique” where one of our friends, who lives close by, went there early to get a token and then called us to advise how long the wait was. We then left home just in time to arrive when they were calling out our table 😉

The atmosphere is good, the decor is amazing and the space itself is very nice with different sitting areas. They even have pigs, chooks and goats that you can pet. The service, however, was very poor! We had several issues with our order and the several waiters that served us were confused and were not really well-informed about menu. My food was actually quite yummy (above pic) but that was not the case for everyone which was quite disappointing.

With so many great places in the city, I don’t think that I will be going back anytime soon.

It is so sad when nice places just let their standards drop, either because they can’t cope with the influx of customers, or they simply rely on their notoriety and slack off when it comes to service… Either way, I know that what keeps me loyal to a business is not only the quality of their products but mainly the quality of their service. As such, I can truly say that The Grounds have not succeeded in deserving my custom…

Chocolate Festival

Two weeks ago, Sydney welcomed the chocolate festival at The Rocks, and as big chocolate lover I made my way there after a very light breakfast.

The weather was fabulous and we had fun taking selfies with the Opera House as our background, as if we were a couple of tourists 😉

At 11:00 AM there were already lots of people but the queues were not too long. The difficult part was deciding what to try since there were so many yummy looking options and only so much one can eat.

Our choices were perhaps a bit predictable but, as soon as we heard that both Adriano Zumbo and Anna Polyviou were going to be featured in the event, we knew exactly what we wanted to try.

And we were not disappointed!

I quite enjoyed it and thought that it was a successful event all around 😀

Leichhardt Long Lunch

This past Saturday we were blessed with an “Indian Summer” day in Sydney. The thermometers went up to 28 C in the inner-west and the sun shined bright and warm.

The Leichhardt Long Lunch was on and it was a perfect opportunity for us to browse the different stalls (all from local business) have some nice lunch, and drinks, sit outside, and even learn some new recipes at the cooking demonstrations.

The tiramisu and pistachio ice-cream from Bar Italia were amazing and we loved the sample of passatelli with mussels from the chef at Capriccio.

I find these events a great way to cultivate and maintain the community spirit. Sydney is a huge city but each suburb has its own vibe and identity which I firmly believe should be preserved.

Leichhardt is well-known for its Italian community and many restaurants so I can’t think of a more perfect way to celebrate it than with an outdoor long lunch 🙂

Not Just Coffee

I love discovering new cafes and nice spots where one can sit down and slowly enjoy one’s coffee (tea, beer, whatever you fancy!) 🙂

A couple of weeks ago, we went to the  Paddington Markets and as the queues were too long for the food, we decided that we would look for a cafe in the area instead. As we walked down Oxford Street, window shopping , we came to a halt when we saw this sign. We turn into a little lane and about 200 meters ahead we found this very cozy cafe.

The staff was lovely and welcoming and menu was very interesting, with a couple of surprise elements. We decided to try the Samurai Aussie Croissant and it was absolutely delicious! 

I truly recommend it 😀

Gelato Messina

In Sydney, when you think Gelato you think Messina. I had been wanting to try these for a long time and I am so glad to say that they did not disappoint 🙂

Queue at Messina Darlinghurst at 10 PM

After a homemade dinner, we got in the car and drove to town. We got to Victoria Street at 10:00 PM and could not believe the queue outside!

But the service is quick and organised and we were served very promptly.

The decor celebrates ice-cream, summer and Italy. There are many gelato flavours to choose from and the display is mouth-watering. For a moment you want to ask for a scoop of each ;-p

We decided to try two of the house specials. Not only were they both delicious, we were pleasantly surprised with the price. Given that they are so renowned, I was expecting these to be expensive but they are actually cheaper than many of other brands I´ve bought before.

Dr Evil and Chilax Princess

Paleo café

Paleo diet is one of the new trends.  I haven’t research much about it but basically it eliminates anything that is processed and could not be found in nature.  In a simplistic view we should not be eating anything that our grandparents would not recognise as food!
When I heard that they had opened a Paleo Café in Paddington,  one of my favourites suburbs in Brisbane,  I knew it was time to try it out 🙂 And what a great excuse to meet some friends over breakfast and catch up!
The service was not great but the food was delicious! I liked the concept  the fact that you can buy lots of ingredients and even books about this lifestyle in the one place.
I love trying new things 🙂

Jellyfish Restaurant

It was hubbie’s b-day on the 23rd. What better way to celebrate than discover another one of Brisbane’s best restaurants. This time we went to Jellyfish in Eagle Street Pier. The location is prime and the view of the bridge, lighted up at night, is a plus that compliments a beautiful meal.

We first heard of this restaurant in Masterchef The Professionals, as one of the contestants, Rhett Willis, (2nd place), was the head-chef there. I am not entirely sure if he is still is…

But it was not the celebrity factor that made us want to try the restaurant but rather their fish menu. They have at least 6-8 different types of fish daily and they are renowned for their freshness.

We both love seafood and we were not disappointed. Not only to fish was fresh and perfectly cooked but everything else was superb. The side dishes and desserts were awesome. The service was impeccable and the waiters were professional and polite without being stuck up .

All in all, it was a perfect dinner date and I truly recommend it to the seafood lovers out there.

Augello’s Ristorante and Pizzeria

We are always on a look out for new places to try out. As the weather was nice, though not very warm, I felt like driving up to beach. A quick internet search for the best places to have lunch in Mooloolaba came up with Augello’s, award-winning restaurant for their pizzas. The reviews were good so, off we went 🙂

HOT SMOKED SALMON (VOTED WORLD’S BEST PIZZA 2010)

TUNA AND SALSA PIZZA (VOTED BEST PIZZA IN THE WORLD 2012)

The service was good and the pizzas were delicious! The pasta dishes also looked really appetizing.

The location is perfect and you can go for a stroll on the beach after all that gorgeous food 😀

Pizza delivery

You know those lazy evenings when you don’t feel like cooking?! Those long days at work after which you get home and just want to put your feet up? Those Friday movie nights with your better-half?!

Well, who among us doesn’t, every now and again, resort to a take-out? Well, if you like pizza then Crust is the way to go!

They have lovely flavour combinations, their ingredients are fresh and their pizza base is crispy and thin as it should be. I truly recommend it 🙂

They can get quite busy on weekends and the delivery times might be around 1 hour but if you live close by, you can opt to pick up your pizza from the local store, and that is usually quite quick.

The prices are quite reasonable as well and depending on your spend you might be entitled to free delivery. And the upper crust pizzas are big enough for two.

Enjoy your pizza!

Nitrogenie

I think Heston Blumenthal has brought the magic back to food. His alchemistic approach is not only impressive but it plays tricks with your senses. I believe that he was the first person that I have seen use liquid nitrogen in cooking.

But this new trend of blending science and cooking is definitely increasing everywhere you look. So it was with great amazement that we discovered Nitrogenie.

How magical is it to see the smoke coming out of the mixing bowl? I felt like a little kid fascinated by the coloured lights and trying to grab hold of the mist 😉

The ice-cream itself is amazingly smooth and creamy. The flavour combinations are also innovative and delicious. So far I have tried the Nutella Ella Ella, the Salted Caramel Popcorn and the Lemon Meringue Pie and I can honestly recommend them all!