Lucky Bao
They say that the mark of great food is whether you remember when, where and who you were with when you ate it… Even the smell and sensation of texture can linger on… That’s not all I remember. Memories of my bao epiphany featured groans punctuated by exclamation: “Bloody hell! That’s the best damn bun […]
The Roost @ 53
It had been bucketing rain during the night but Mel had been up since 3am baking the Turkish buns for our breakfast. She didn’t know the buns would be for us, but we’d decided the night before that we’d score an early brekkie at The Roost@53 on the way to work. The Roost@53 is not […]
Two Wise Fish
After spending a lot of fruitless time fishing, I’m of the opinion that there are more than two wise fish in the ocean. Experience tells me that there are lots of fish who were canny enough to snatch bait from my line without being caught. From our past fish shop experiences on the Gold Coast, […]
Guilty Café
Sitting in front of me, resplendent in its calorific glory, is a huge chocolate milkshake topped with two lamingtons. Piled high with cream, a strawberry perched on top, it’s magnificent! Gasps escape from diners around me. Yet I feel nauseated. My internal dialogue has taken over: ‘It’s just fat and sugar. It may taste good, […]
Dovetails at The Pumpyard Brewery
Ipswich, the ‘grande dame’ of Queensland, is being reborn, her stately buildings and houses undergoing rejuvenation as the city takes on new life. There are lots of attractions in Ipswich if you take time to look: road and rail events, heritage walks, funky cafés and a load of owner-operated niche interest, vintage and gift shops. […]
The Fish Shak
There’s nothing that compares to a great fish and chip shop with a water view, and that’s exactly what you get at The Fish Shak. The latest venture of Liz and Justin Allie, (also co-owners of Longboards Laidback Eatery), the former Café Rockpool has been transformed into an upmarket yet casual licensed ‘dine in or […]
Sandbar
Change is in the air in Surfers, nowhere more evident that at the Sandbar. With uninterrupted sea views and the widest offerings of beer on the coast, Sandbar is iconic. An institution. But even ‘institutions’ need to move with the times. After operating the restaurant for almost twenty years since its time as the Boardwalk […]
The Loose Moose Tap & Grill House
Step inside The Loose Moose and you feel like it’s been there forever. Or maybe it just should have been! There’s an ‘old but new’ feel to the joint – a heady mix of Romania’s steampunk Enigma Bar and a Canadian taphouse that belongs in both the Old and New World, its detail meticulously aged […]
Goji Granola Bar & Café
Dreams sometimes come true. At least that’s the case for husband and wife team Monica Tjong and Gabriele Pirotta. The pair had always dreamed that one day they might own a little café in the ‘burbs. Gabriele, a chef in Italy before he emigrated to Australia about seven years ago, waited for his residency before […]
Quiksilver Café 28 Cooly
Overlooking Coolangatta beach, smack bang in the middle of our two most famous surf breaks, Kirra and Snapper Rocks, Quiksilver’s flagship destination store in The Strand is the first of its kind in Australia; a concept store perfectly suited to the Cooly lifestyle. Diversified business was a growing trend in eateries in 2015. Diversification can […]