Sublime Sunday at Tedder & Woodroffe

Over the long weekend, a friend and I braved the torrential rain and gale force winds battering much of Queensland to partake in some delectable tapas and refreshing ciders at Tedder & Woodroffe.

The white-washed, provincial style interior lent itself to an afternoon spent cocooned in one of the restaurants many cosy enclaves, watching the rain beat down outside.

While all the offerings were divine, I would exercise caution when ordering the "Gringo's Buffalo Wings" as I fear the accompanying blue cheese dressing may be too potent for many a palate.

Gorgeous décor at Tedder & Woodroffe

 

Sublime Rekorderlig cider; nothing compares to the strawberry and lime variety!

Front: "Gringo's Buffalo Wings"- spicy chicken wings with blue cheese sauce

Back: Vegetable gyoza

 

Chicken karage with Kewpie mayonaise

 

 

Apart from wonderful food and relaxing décor, Tedder & Woodroffe is located within close proximity to both the shopping decadence of Marina Mirage and the delightful cocktails in the Le Jardin at Palazzo Versace. Perfect plan for a lazy Sunday, perhaps? Xx

 

 



2013: A Year of Gastronomic Delights

I, like most people, enjoy going out for dinner a couple of times a week (or more, depending on how loathsome I perceive cooking to be). And, like most people, I have my favourite, tried-and-true haunts, like our neighbourhood Chinese restaurant where I am greeted by a familiar face, ushered to my usual table by the window and swiftly order a Number 11 and a Number 24 without so much as glancing at the menu.

However, of late I have (out of little more than laziness), come to over-rely on the 'usual suspects' when it comes to picking a venue for a ladies' lunch or a long-overdue catch-up with an old friend.
I feel this laziness is manifesting as the gastronomic equivalent of the 'Law of Diminishing Returns'; the more often I eat at my usual restaurants, the less pleasurable the experience becomes, irrespective of the quality of the food, ambience and company.

As one who hates to be be stuck in any kind of rut, I have decided to sample the bounty of (at least)one new restaurant per week throughout 2013. I am already relishing the opportunity to get myself out of my culinary comfort zone and began my mission last night with gusto, dining at Continental Café with a close friend.

This was truly a magnificent find! I can't believe it has taken me so long to stumble across this bijou venue, tucked away in a cosy enclave in New Farm. The experience can best be described as a 'warm hug'; sumptuous comfort food, like Nan used to make.

Everything we sampled was divine, the wait staff were knowledgeable, and the ambience made one feel they were a guest in the owners' kitchen. A particular highlight were the fresh Moreton Bay bugs served with tomato and Cognac sauce and saffron linguini.

 The menu @ Continental Café

 

 

Delightful appetiser of warm bruschetta of seasonal tomatoes, sweet basil & sea salt.

 

 

 Front to back: Moreton Bay bugs served with tomato and Cognac sauce and saffron linguini, seasonal steamed vegetables and 90 day grain-fed rump steak with diane sauce and french fries. Note: While I met my dining partner's choice of meal with derision (he seldom orders anything but steak), the dish was truly magnificent, with the sumptuous diane sauce warranting a particuarly special mention.

 

Delicious affogato. Note: I may have been one of the last people to learn this; Affogato means 'drowned' in Italian...the wonderful imagery this evokes makes this classic dessert even more appealing (if that's possible).

So if you're a Brisbanite who has yet to sample the delicacies of Continental Café, I implore you make it a feature on your To-Do list. As for me, I'm already looking forward to whatever gastronomic delights await me next week. Bon appétit, darlings! Xx

The Art of the Stay-cation

I am at the end of a wondrous Summer holiday. I have fallen asleep on the beach as I watched the waves lap at the shore, sipped cocktails poolside and nourished my soul with many a visit to art galleries and museums.

Sounds like a typical Summer holiday, does it not? Indeed it is, but with one slight difference...I did all this while staying at home. This Summer I vowed to be economical (incredibly hard for a hedonist such as me) and save the pennies I would ordinarily spend travelling abroad. Thus, I decided the embark on a “Stay-cation” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staycation).

For the first few days, I admit I was at a loss. It is rare for me to have time off and when I do, I am typically off jet setting, so a mild case of cabin fever began to set in, not helped by my insistence to watch Season 3 of Modern Family in a single day. To combat my boredom, I started researching Brisbane's tourist attractions and came to the staggering realisation that one doesn’t have to be in a foreign country (or even another State) to be a tourist.

I spent the remainder of my holiday taking in the sights of Brisbane and the Gold Coast and had a truly wonderful time. Best of all, I won’t be going back to work jetlagged and with a huge credit card bill from too many duty-free indulgences!

Some of my favourite parts of the Stay-cation were:

1. Spending two full days sipping decadent fruity cocktails by the side of my very own pool. Not only did I avoid paying $18 for a drink, but also cultivated a tan to rival anyone who spent time sunning themselves in the Maldives or St Bart’s.

2. Christmas with my family- usually I am in transit and miss out on at least some of the festivities. It was an absolute treat to spend time with my wonderful extended family, eating, drinking and being merry.

3. New Years Eve- it has been a few years since I spent New Year’s Eve in Brisbane. While I’m the first to admit the fireworks don’t hold a candle (pardon the pun) to those in New York, it was a joy to see in the New Year surrounded by friends (and copious amounts of Moët).

4. Exploring the Gold Coast and Tweed Valley- I was lucky to spend some time with my wonderful godparents who live in Northern New South Wales and who happily gave me a guided tour of their backyard. Together we visited the Red Rattlers cafe near Murwillumbah, a converted rail car, selling mouth-watering homemade cakes. We also took in the wonderful art (and view) at the Tweed River Art Gallery, sampled seafood at the ever-delightful  George's Paragon and swam in the crystal clear waters of Rainbow Bay.

Some of the delicious treats I whipped up for the

family Christmas celebrations.

Celebrating NYE with copious amounts of Moët.

The gorgeous view of the Tweed Valley

from the Tweed River Art Gallery.

Perfect day at Snapper Rocks (near Rainbow Bay).

 

My bank account is most thankful for my Stay-cation, as am I. It just goes to show, fun doesn't (always) have to be expensive.  Xx



New Year, Old Resolutions

2013. New year, new beginning...or so they say. I’m not much for New Year’s Resolutions myself (I never seem to get past day one), but over many a jubilant champagne during the festive season, I became well acquainted with many of my friends’ resolutions for 2013. At the time, I blamed the champagne-induced cloud, which made me swear I’d encountered very similar conversations with these people before. However, the next day, a clear head enabled me to recall that, yes, some of my well-meaning, optimistic friends had pledged the same resolutions before, some even year in, year out with monotonous regularity!

This got me contemplating the nature of the New Year’s Resolution and whether it is indeed a useful vehicle for self-improvement, or simply an inevitable spiral toward self-flagellation and loathing. I many NYE resolution-oriented conversations of days gone by quickly sprung to mind and a couple of clear patterns began to emerge. The serial offenders (resolutions which seem doomed to fail and therefore appear on peoples’ lists year after year) tend to fall into one of two categories:

1.       The Epic- What a given person genuinely wants to achieve; usually a concrete goal (eg. I will lose 20 kg or I will learn to speak fluent Spanish). These are usually noble pursuits which the individual believes will set them on the yellow brick road towards becoming their best possible self. The problem? When, after slaving away in the gym for a fort night you have only lost 1kg (What do you mean I gained muscle?!?) or, after six Spanish lessons with that gorgeous tutor, the only phrase we can muster is “Hola Chicas!” we quickly become disheartened and quit. Hence, that hard-won 1kg loss is quickly regained, the tutor told “Adios” and our resolutions filed in the “For Future Consideration” file.  

2.       The Filler- let’s be honest; these are all show and no follow-through. Just like many of us pad our resume with vague statements such as “good communication skills”, setting resolutions such as “work out more” or “volunteer” are doomed to fail. Think about it, if you can’t even be bothered to set a goal of how many times per week you want to work out, or give even a cursory thought to what organisation you would like to volunteer for, the outlook is pretty bleak. Yes, it may make your list of resolutions appear “well rounded”, but your life is not a job interview!

Apologies if I’ve deflated your ego, or made you question whether you will be able to, “Cook just like Julia Childs” by the time 2014 dawns, but as my mother always says, there's nothing like a little tough love!

However, there does appear to be a caveat, a light at the end of the tunnel, for those devotees of the New Year’s resolution. I also recalled a conversation I had with a friend, let's call her Tanya, who wanted to start her own business. Yes, it was an epic resolution and she could easily have cast it aside into the “too hard” basket. However, she didn’t. Instead she broke her resolution down into bite-sized pieces (apologies to those of you who’ve sworn off chocolate!). She fastidiously planned what needed to be done, week by week, month by month, until she (of course) succeeded in achieving her goal.

So best of luck to those of you still on the wagon with your Resolutions and to those who have already fallen off, remember:

 

As for me, I have decided to resolve to be a (much) more active blogger. I will be posting at least one blog per week...feel free to hold me to that!

Welcome to 2013, darlings! Xx

 

Neon-a-holic

I have a confession to make...I am in love with neon! It's taken me a while to admit it to myself, let alone the world at large, but I am a neon-a-holic.

I think the first signs of this affliction became apparent during the jelly-sandle-infatuation-period of 1995. Looking back now, those neon-pink, glitter-encrusted shoes, teamed with a neon-hued scrunchie were symptomatic of a bigger problem.

But, there's no point in dwelling on the past or apportioning blame (Mum, here's looking at you!). Moving forward, I am proud to say, "My name is Kat and I'm a neon-a-holic".

However, even in my addled state, I am able to recognise that the neon trend will have come and cone before you can say "burnt retinas". Therefore, as much as I'm lusting over the high-end offerings from Miu Miu, Prada and Diane von Furstenberg, I will be sniffing out more budget-friendly homages to this trend.

Here's my list of must-have, budget, neon-chic:

Can you believe this gorg necklace is DIY? Fashion AND affordability! Go to http://makingitwithdanielle.com/tag/neon-jewelry/ to scope out how to make one of these beauties.

Functional AND fabulous! What's not to love?!? These beauties come from Cambridge Satchel Co (http://www.cambridgesatchel.co.uk/shop/collections/the-fluro) and are big enough to accommodate all those pesky Uni books.

These babies from Betts Shoes (http://www.betts.com.au/Index.aspx) and are under $100...$99.95 to be exact. These evoke thoughts of an NYC Speakeasy. Fitting, as Gossip Girl tells us that, "Prohibition never stood a chance against exhibition."...and these shoes are exhibition personified!

Happy shopping!

Kat xx

Bon Appétit!

I have recently had the pleasure of dining at a couple of equisite French restaurants. I thought I would share my exploits for any fellow-Brisbanites who who are on the hunt for a French food fix.

The first restaurant I graced with my presence was Piaf Bistro (http://www.piafbistro.com.au/), located in the heart of South Bank. The décor was minimalist at best, but with the equistite selection of mains costing a mere $24, and desserts for $12, I don't feel it fair to dwell on the ambience. So to the food. For entreé, my dining partner and I shared in some rather wonderful escargot, which ticked all the requisite boxes for such a tried and true dish. At this point we also sampled some of the equisite (not to mention well-priced) rosé that was on offer. The spatchcock that I sampled as my main was heavenly. Flavourful, moist and perfectly seasoned. However, I felt much like a surgeon as I tried to delicately wield my knife and fork to remove the meat from the bones. I understand that I signed up for this laborious task when choosing to order game foul, however, I feel that if Julia Childs can completely de-bone a chicken, it is not too much to ask to have a few bones removed from the dish. As for dessert, my dining partner indulged in the crème brûlée, which was tasty and appeared to tick all the right boxes. I headed straight for the lemon and white chocolate mille feuille, a twist on my all-time favourite French dessert. It may be the fault of my own high expectations, but I was decidedly underwhelmed by my choice of dessert. The pastry was tough, the entire dish far too stodgy, and the lemon and white chocolate flavours were difficult to distinguish from each other (and if you ask me, lemon and white chocolate are two VERY distinct flavours). The verdict? Despite some small shortcomings, this may possibly prove to be the best value French cuisine in Brisbane, and I'll most certainly be back.

Escargot @ Piaf

The second restaurant I dined at was Bistrot Bistro (http://www.bistrotbistro.com.au/). Tucked away in a little vintage shopping and dining enclave the the end of Logan Road, the venue had a wonderful ambience, with its exposed brick walls, oversized chandeliers and vintage French posters. We bundled into this cosy abode on a rainy Saturday night, and instantly felt right at home (which is to say, like we were dining at a Bistro in Provençe). We began, fittingly enough, with some stiff drinks, and I am willing to claim that Bitrot Bistro is home to the best French Martinis in Brisbane. However, my dining partner made the rookie error of ordering Sangria, as it was the 'special' for evening. Now, there are many reasons why I love the French, but their Sangria isn't one of them! Word to the wise: Unless you're at a taperia (or better still, in Barcelona), avoid Sangria at all costs. For entreé, we both chose to indulge in the Soufflé de Champignon (twice-baked truffle soufflé with porcini cream). While the soufflé itself was wonderfully light and full of delicate flavour, it was weighed down by the porcini cream, which was simply too much, both in density and quantity. I felt that the inclement weather called for some serious comfort food, so for mains I settled for saucissons et pommes. It was simple, stodgy and altogether satisfying. But the highlight had to be the wonderful profiteroles we both indulged in for dessert. The light, fluffy pastry and decadent, thick cream ticked all the right boxes, and certainly left us wanting more!

Décor @ Bistrot Bistro

I hope I have got your mouths watering...Bon Appétit! Xx

Smokin' Hot!

While I'm not an advocate of tobacco, I long for a return to the days of smoking parlours. Why? Because smoking attire constitutes fabulous, avant garde fashion! Now, I'm the first to admit that the pyjama-esque lounge suits presently being heralded as the GNT (Great New Thing) by Louis Vuitton, Derek Lam and the lovely Ms von Furstenberg are a little too gauche for my liking, I am happy to embrace the following:

1. The smoker's jacket- a classic since Hugh Hefner wasn't old enough to be his Bunnies' grandfather, and more recently championed by Upper East Side villian Chuck Bass, the smoker's jacket holds a unique appeal. Quirky and androgynous, it provides a talking point...In my opinion, the bolder the better!


2. The smoking slipper- I have fallen head-over-heels for the must-have flat for Autumn/Winter 2012. My tip: Wear them with burgandy jeans, a white ruffled shirt, and fabulous black blazer. Or if you're game, team with patterned tights to give some much needed spunk to a 1950s style dress. My pick so far is this devine pair from Zu shoes.

Kat xx