212 Gladstone Road, Dutton Park
When I moved out of Toowoomba, it would have been nice to think I would never, ever have to go back there. I don't mean any offence to Toowoomba residents, it's more that I'm was raised a Brissie girl and circumstantially, I had a rough time there.
Unfortunately life doesn't always pan out as you would hope and in actual fact I have to drive back almost once a month for braces adjustments. Normally I force someone to come with me as a driver but I've long exhausted my supply of external kindness and support so these days, I tackle the 4hrs of driving on my lonesome.
By the time I had gotten back to Brisbane, it was close to 2pm and I was starrrrvvvvvinngggg. I spotted Gertrude and Mabel on the side of the road and made a quick right turn to find a park. I had seen mention of this cafe on social media so it was one I was keen to try out but more importantly, if I didn't get food in my right away, I was going to pass out.
Gertrude and Mabel looks like it sounds. It's cute and charming with fresh flowers, mismatched plates and antique-look furniture.
I looked through their lunch menu then ordered and paid at the counter. I know some people don't like that type of set up but I personally prefer it because I like just being able to get up and go after I finish my meal.
I ordered the lamb rump, some coffee and a cookie. Thankfully, for my aching belly, the food all arrived quite quickly.
Lamb rumb - with tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil and herbed pita
I started with my 'main' which was the lamb rump. It was served as slices on a platter, along with herbed, toasted pita bread and a cherry tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad. It might seem like a simple composition but it tasted divine. I had the lamb together with a bite of tomato salad and the combination of sweet cherry tomato, rich balsamic dressing and juicy, succulent lamb was just perfection.
Soy latte
After my satisfying lunch, I settled into my coffee and cookie. The coffee was a soy latte and made very rich and creamy. It helped me feel better about my day.
Greek shortbread cookie
I actually ordered the cookie as an afterthought. I had an expectation in my mind based on what it looked like that it would be overly buttery and sugary. It was much tastier than I thought it would be and went perfectly with the coffee. The cookie was more almondy and crumbly than short and rich like regular shortbread. This was a welcome deviation for me, as I find butter shortbread tolerable for only one or two small bites.
Although the name Gertrude and Mabel may promote the idea of a cafe exclusive to elderly women, I thought this cafe has plenty to offer all. It's suburban location in a non-hyped up part of town means there's no stress finding a parking spot and I saw a few diners with laptop set up using the cafe as a nook for study/work. The food is fresh and tasty and the sweet treats are all baked in-house. They also do events like weddings and high tea parties so that might be a good idea if you're looking for function space.
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