Gerard's Bistro Revisited for Epic Feast

Gerard's Bistro - Revisit Post
http://gerardsbistro.com.au/

I feel a strong sense of familiarity with Gerard's Bistro. When I'm stuck on the question of "what's your favourite restaurant in Brisbane", it's always a response that presents itself. Imagine my surprise when I looked through my own food blog and realised I had only visited once, back in 2012. Sometimes it only takes a restaurant one go to leave a strong impression. All the same, all my friends and workmates seemed to be constantly talking about their delicious experiences at Gerard's so I knew I was long overdue for a visit.

Luckily friend of mine, Goldilocks, is as into food as I am and she suggested we do a double date dinner at Gerard's Bistro last Friday. What a great idea! We started the night at the bar (across the alleyway from the Bistro) and once we were sufficiently marinated with cocktails and beer, we migrated over to the bistro itself.

Dinner at Asana

Asana by Pete Evans
http://brisbane.capribyfraser.com/en/dining/asana-restaurant-bar.html

Continuing on with the theme of healthy eating, this dinner experience at Asana was definitely one worth blogging about. I didn't even know this place existed or I'm sure I would have tried it out sooner. Asana is masterminded by celebrity chef Pete Evans of the My Kitchen Rules series. He has also built himself a reputation as a passionate paleo diet advocate.

I'm not one to get strongly sucked into any dietary fads because I like all food way too much to remain faithful to one school of thought. I dipped my toes into paleo for a while because in my day to day, I try to limit refined carbs and paleo eating is aligned with that. It does go much beyond that if you're a hardcore paleo enthusiast and I'm not sure of the scientific rationale behind their theories but then again, when have fad diets ever leaned on actual scientific research?

Weekday Degustation at The Foraging Quail

The Foraging Quail
http://theforagingquail.com.au/

Last week, Jenny made some commendable life achievements. What better way to celebrate than with food? Another mate of ours recommended the degustation from The Foraging Quail and the menu looked good online so we went with that. The Foraging quail offers a discount off their degustation options if you dine on Wednesday or Thursday night and are seated before 7:30pm.

I took this 'seated before' business a bit too seriously and booked us a table at 5:30pm. Due to some crummy navigational mistakes, I got there 15 minutes late, which left Jenny alone at the restaurant for an embarrassingly long period of time. I think her glass of wine was the only thing that kept her going. The restaurant stayed empty until after 7. It was fairly lively by the time we finished. I felt like a complete nanna eating as early as we did!

Thorn-Clarke Fine Wine Dinner at Queensland Cricketers' Club

Thorn-Clarke Fine Wine Dinner
http://qldcricketersclub.com.au/fine-wine-dinner/

The amazing thing about living in Brisbane is that as relaxed and easy-going as the city appears to be, I can't even begin to exhaust the list of things to do and places to try. One might expect that for a big city like New York, Shanghai or even Sydney and Melbourne but Brisbane has a reputation of having less going on, which I think is unfair and has been gradually been adjusted in recent years.

Last Friday night, Marc and I were invited to a wine and food event at the Queensland Cricketers' Club. For others who don't know, this is located at The Gabba stadium in East Brisbane. It is on the 3rd floor, approachable from Vulture Street, opposite The German Club. When I went to highschool, mum drove me past The Gabba literally every weekday. Now that I live in West End, I still drive past it often. Never did I realize there would be so much more to it than a sporting ground.

We arrived after the event officially kicked off (parking difficulties) and entered the venue a bit confused and dazed. I hailed down a staff member and she indicated to us that the large dining space with hoards of people gathered was where we were supposed to be. Most guests had already arrived and were merrily sipping on beverages and munching on canapes.

Delicious Shared Nibblies from Hatch and Co, Newstead

Hatch and Co, Newstead
Gasworks, 76 Skyring Tce, Newstead

Hunting for a fun place to eat and drink on a Monday night poses the same sort of challenges as trying to dine out on a public holiday. A whole bunch of venues I looked up were closed. Through some poor planning, I thought Tippler's Tap was open so Hien and I drove to Newstead only to find the whole street absolutely deserted. Because the Gasworks complex was just a short stroll away, I suggested we eat there instead.

I had been to the Garden City location of Hatch and Co previously with Kat and we both loved it. Interestingly, most people I mentioned this to claimed the Newstead original was even better. Needless to say I was excited to see for myself. I hadn't been to Gasworks at night and it's actually got a really nice feel to it. Quite a few restaurants were open on Monday night but most were very empty compared to Hatch and Co. I was worried we wouldn't even get a table without a booking but we were accommodated for without dramas.

Mondo Organics for Lunch

Mondo Organics
http://www.mondo-organics.com.au/ 

I'm not one of those people who are obsessed over organic this and superfood that. I do try to eat healthy but I love all kinds of food way too much to be a health nut. Of course, if something is marketed to me as 'organic' I get a positive boost from thinking it's doing good for my body. Mondo Organics is almost walking distance from my home but I'd never been there before because it's not the type of place I can drag Marc to. Luckily I have a team of girlfriends who aren't as narrow-minded in their feeding habits.

Last weekend, Tracy and I tried Mondo Organics for lunch. It can be stressful trying to find a park in West End but Mondo has an area of exclusive parking spaces behind their building. We didn't make a booking but managed to get a table without much drama. There was seating outside but with the heat being so intolerable, I happily took up a table inside where there was airconditioning.

The Palms for Lunch

The Palms Mediterranean Bar and Grill
http://www.palmsbarandgrill.com.au/

I already had one epic adventure at the newly renovated Garden City shopping centre a month or so ago when I had dinner with Kat at Hatch and Co when I couldn't get to my car because the shopping centre had closed. I wasn't prepared for even more drama at my second visit, when I went back for lunch with a group of girl friends. This time, the stress was in the form of parking difficulties. Apparently October is now when people start their Christmas shopping, or maybe lunch on a Sunday is just THAT popular. There were cars lining up to get through the entrances, even the ones far from Town Square. If I thought my previous parking spot was at the exact opposite end of the shopping centre to Garden City's Town Square, I was wrong. This time I surpassed my previous attempt and somehow managed to enter a realm that was EVEN FURTHER AWAY. It was a lengthy trek to get to The Palms and I was nearly 40min late.

My failure to park aside, I was very excited to try this restaurant. The Palms is run by the same guys behind Alchemy, which I dined at once back in 2011 and enjoyed. This new restaurant is more casual but still has a refined touch. The layout is open, with the back portion looking onto the Town Square's water features. Our girls took up a table right near the water and sitting there, I felt like I was at an overseas island resort. That's not an easy atmosphere to invoke by a shopping centre restaurant but The Palms managed very well. On the downside, half the table was in the sun so I'm not sure how that will go over this blistering Summer.

Crosstown Revisited for Dinner

The Crosstown for Dinner
http://www.thecrosstown.com.au/

In what feels like a lifetime ago, I had breakfast at Crosstown with Kat and experienced one of the best french toasts of my life. Fast forward 2 years (which doesn't sound that long chronologically but a lot can happen in that period) and I got to revisit and try their dinner menu.

Hatch and Co (Garden City) for Dinner

Hatch and Co, Garden City
http://www.hatchandco.com.au/

Last weekend, I had a wild adventure at the newly renovated Westfield Garden City. Even before it started its renos, I hadn't been for years. When I got there last Sunday, I was lost and bewildered. I was meeting Kat for dinner at Hatch and Co but stupidly parked right at the opposite side of the building. It was fine when I got there because I simply strolled through the shops to the Town Square, where the restaurant was. After our meal, however, all the shopping centre doors were closed, and I was met with obstacle after obstacle. I ended up trawling the entire car park perimeter (which was deserted) for 30 plus minutes until I finally found my car. That sure isn't an experience I'm willing to repeat in a hurry!

Back to the fun stuff now... Hatch and Co's original location is in Newstead. For some reason I thought I'd been there before but I couldn't find an entry on my own blog (which serves as a back up memory for food) so I assume I haven't. It's got a good reputation though and several of my coworkers were excited about this second location so I too was keen to give it a try.

Dinner at Flaming Olive

Flaming Olive Restaurant and Bar
http://www.flamingolive.com.au/

Lately, Hungry Kittens has featured cafes and burger shops aplenty but it's obviously been a long time since I've eaten at a fine dining establishment. With a constant bombardment of bills, mortgage repayments, wedding planning deposits and more, it's become harder and harder to justify an expensive meal. I normally save that stuff for special occasions but all our special occasions seem to be in the first half of the year, which leaves July to November very dreary.

Thank goodness for restaurant promotions! I've recently discovered the power of Urbanspoon's weekly dining specials. If you book a special online through them, you get access to some darn good discounts. Only thing is, you have no control over what restaurant gets featured. It was a stroke of luck when I saw Flaming Olive because that has been on my list of restaurants to try since it first opened in the M and A building. Marc, the world's most passionate olive hater, quipped "why would anyone want to flame an olive? To get rid of them?" Ha ha, Marc. Very funny.

Habitat for Dinner

Habitat Restaurant and Bar
Cnr of Boundary St and Edmondstone St, West End

Despite Coles West End being my local grocery store, Habitat (which is located opposite Coles) caught me completely unawares. I started seeing all these mentions of 'Habitat West End' through social media and found myself thinking "where on earth could it be?" Finally, the most recent time we got back from Coles, Habitat was lit up and blaring with activity so I could hardly miss it.

I arranged to try Habitat with Kat last Friday night for end of week drinks and dinner. It was a sudden decision so we hadn't made a booking and since I got there first, I sussed out the scene for availability of tables. The place looked packed and staff were running around completely overwhelmed by the volume so the best I could do was leave my name and number down. I wanted to get some drinks while I was waiting but I wasn't sure if the bar was ok to go straight up to... plus, it was a struggle to push through the masses and even reach the bar. I hailed down another girl who took my drink order and then miraculously, found a table for me. It was a little outside table but to be honest, I preferred this because whilst the inside area looked nice, it was too noisy for this old lady. Besides, we were kept cosy by the big outdoor heaters.

Degustation Dinner at Urbane

Urbane Restaurant
http://www.urbanerestaurant.com/

Now that I'm an old lady with grown-up problems, fine dining experiences are for special occasions only. The thing is though, Marc and I are so settled into our home and have really brewed our laziness and comfort to a whole new level, we end up just doing home cooked meals or takeaway feasts for special occasions anyway. Because of this I can see from my own blog that my last fancy meal was April 2013 at Esquire.

Imagine my excitement when a couple of girls from work decided to arrange a joint birthday dinner at Urbane. I had it penned in my diary weeks in advance and found myself counting down to that weekend. Arguably even more eager than the birthday girls, I periodically looked up the Urbane website just to read the seasonal menu. I know I was obsessive because the menu actually changed at least once in the time that I was repeatedly looking it up.

Tukka for Lunch

Tukka Restaurant
http://www.tukkarestaurant.com.au/

This post should have been uploaded sometime in March but I've been dining out so infrequently I just forgot about this blog, including the stuff I had half-ready to go. I have a sparse piece of history with Tukka. It was one of my first 'fine dining' experiences from the days I was a little baby. My grandparents were facinated by the native menu and I remember the food was tasty and the whole experience was enjoyable.

Tukka's quirk is that they present native Australian ingredients for a refined palate. Just imagine kangaroo, emu, crocodile, wattle seeds and more, arranged in pretty, elegant and tasty dishes.

Sylvia's Restaurant and Wine Bar at Shangri-La Gardens

Sylvia's Restaurant and Wine Bar
http://shangrilagardens.com.au/restaurant.html

I'll start this post with a slight side story about geographic disorientation. What I mean is... have you ever noticed that places you are familiar with don't feel that far away but anywhere new and uncharted automatically feels a world away? I grew up in the Eastern suburbs of Brisbane on the south side of the river. Whenever someone tells me a suburb I've never heard of before, I assume it's in the northside. 9 out of 10 times, I'd be correct.

Contrastingly, if I hear of a restaurant in a familiar-sounding suburb, I don't think twice about booking a meal there. Never mind the fact that I now live in an inner city suburb and said restaurant takes close to 40min to get to.

This was the case with Sylvia's restaurant in Wynnum. We made our (lengthy) way there a few Wednesday nights ago for dinner. I'm still not entirely sure what the Shangri-La Gardens in Wynnum is but it provides accommodation and also acts as a venue for wedding receptions. We felt a bit strange going there for dinner, especially since there wasn't another dinner guest in sight (a couple of wine drinkers excepting). It ended up being rather nice, actually, with the vibe of having an entire restaurant staff to ourselves.

Depot for Dinner

Depo, West End
http://the-depo.com/

After my long absence from Australia, I've finally started gathering material for blog posts again. I'm glad (and slightly overwhelmed) that there appears to be so many new restaurants/cafes/bars that have popped up in Brisbane in the time that I've been gone. Depo is one such venue that I'd never heard of before but is now much-mentioned in the foodie blogosphere.

With the number of catch-ups that I'm undertaking on my return, it's easy to try new places. Last night, my friend Pizza and I met up at Depo to scope the place out. It's located on Horan Street in West End, which is quiet and dark at night with ample street parking.

Lunch at Riverbar and Kitchen

Riverbar and Kitchen
http://riverbarandkitchen.com.au/

Whilst I am notorious for having a huge and ever-growing list of restaurants, cafes and bars that I want to visit, it's rare for Marc to bring up somewhere he wants to try. I mentioned Riverbar when it first opened many months ago and he said "Oh yeh! Where Broadwalk used to be" and sounded very keen to check it out. We tried to go on several occasions but fate intervened. Once we were literally on our way there and got pulled into Hanaichi Sushi Train instead.

Over these past few months, Riverbar and Kitchen has received very average online ratings and reviews so the urgency of trying it waned. Last Friday, we were looking for a suitable lunch spot and I was thinking about Taro Ramen but the weather was so stunning that it seemed like a waste not to be by the river.

Degustation dinner at Esquire

Esquire
http://esquire.net.au/

When you think about it, one year is truly a long time. In the past year, I've reached the milestone of no longer being in my my early 20's (not so good), started to get into the groove with work (a bit better), expanded my scope of overseas destinations (better yet) and purchased 2 houses (HORRAH!).

Looking back, the whole journey can be surmized as one thing: growing up. Yup, a year is a long time and thus, when Marc and I reached our one year anniversary, we thought it was an important occasion to commemorate, even though we're far from being hardcore romantic types.

I had freedom of choice for the venue and I thought "what better time to tap into my reserve of unvisited fine dining restaurants that we otherwise have no occasion to visit?" Esquires got the luck of the draw.

Lunch at Chill on Tedder

Chill Dining and Wine Bar
http://www.chillontedder.com.au/

A trip to the Gold Coast is always a great opportunity to catch up with Blossom and Matt. We went over the Australia day break and the weather was near cyclonic by the Sunday of our 3 night stay. Without the options of beach or pool, all we really had to look forward to that day was lunch at Chill. It was a restaurant that Blossom recommended and she has superb taste in everything so I was excited to try it.

Marc and I parked in a side-street off Tedder Avenue on Main Beach. We then literally sprinted to the shelter of the restaurant, getting drenched at a point where we ran in opposite directions, unsure of exactly which block Chill was located (Marc turned out to be correct, resulting in me getting more drenched than he).

Pony Dining

Pony Dining Eagle St Pier
http://www.ponydining.com.au/pony_brisbane.htm

My weekday diet is almost vegetarian because I'm usually too lazy to cook meat. Last week, I was drowning in persistent fatigue, despite getting more than enough sleep and with the absence of anything better to blame, I thought it might be iron deficiency. I picked up a roast chook to get me through till the end of the week and told Marc we would be eating lots of meat on the weekend. As expected for a regular male, he was more than happy to accomodate my wishes.

I was keen on Pony when it first opened up but it's got mostly negative reviews online. My willingness to try new restaurants and the fact that it markets itself as a grill restaurant (i.e. 'lots of meat') lead me to push away those apprehensions and give it a go. We made a booking for Saturday evening.

Bacchus for Dinner

Bacchus Restaurant
http://www.bacchusrestaurant.com.au/

Brisbane seems to be the new 'It' location for starting a restaurant. New eating and drinking establishments are opening left right and centre every week. My long list of 'neet-to-try' locations is getting longer by the moment. I'm starting to feel like I'll never catch up! There's not enough meal slots in the weekend and space in my stomach to conquer them all before something newer pops up yet again.

One that I can finally tick off my list is Bacchus. Living in the South Brisbane area (my weekend home-away-from-home), I've been aware of Bacchus for a while. There was quite a buzz in the blogosphere as it opened in a frenzy of publicity-high launch parties. I figured it would be best to wait for the hype to cool a bit before trying the place out for myself.