Deli dilemmas

Before our car became unpredictable, we used to enjoy exploring all the foreign food shops in Baklava Street, Brisbane. Behind the pub on the corner there is a small fresh fruit and vegetable market on Saturdays. Since our last visit Samios Foods has closed down and the prices have predictably risen.

As our challenge is about trying to reduce our carbon footprint, I am more conscious of the decision to purchase locally and Australian made products. I was pleased to discover the Indian Foods shop contained many Australian products at wholesale prices. I felt I was less tempted than I have been in the past, and trying a new product just because it was foreign has lost some of is novelty.

Pennisi Cuisine
17 Balaclava Street, Woolloongabba,
Phone: 07 3891 7643
Open 7 days

Pennisi has goodies from Italy, Spain, Balkans, Russia, Poland, Czech, Greece, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Middle East, Brazil, Argentina and Latin America. Known as the best place to buy cheese in Brisbane. We purchased aborio rice, polenta, bread, black beans, jamon, smoked paprika and tapas pottery dishes.

All India Foods Wholesaler
31 Balaclava St, Woolloongabba
Phone: (07) 3391 1420
Open 7 days

All India Foods has a vast array of spices, pulses and rice at affordable prices. They also have a number of gluten-free flours and almond meal at a fraction of the prices you’d find at the health shop. Here we bought chutney, cumin, coriander, green split peas, and pappadums.

Review: Atomica Eat Drink

‘Atomica Eat Drink’ is in the middle of the main shopping area of West End at 173 Boundary Street. The menu is reasonably priced and offers all day breakfasts, fancy rolls and several specials. I had the vegetarian breakfast with poached eggs. I don’t like mushrooms and fortunately I was allowed to replaced them with some bacon (otherwise my plate might have been a bit bare!) My meal had fantastic bread and sweet potato hash, and a side of spinach and a watery tomato. Big M had a fancy sandwich with roast pumpkin, mushroom, feta, babganoush and rocket on Turkish bread, which was too light with only one slice of bread. The service was slow and the décor was standard café. Overall the place needs a little pepping up.

Review: Cafe Conti

Cafe Conti has been named “Brisbane’s Best Breakfast”. Holy, that’s something we couldn’t pass up. We were one of the first people to arrive at the Wilston corner cafe last Sunday. I ordered one ‘Conti’ (2 poached eggs, doorstop toast, bacon, roast tomato for $10.50) and Big M ordered the generously served plate of 2 Beef sausages, bacon, 3 poached eggs, roast tomato, toast all for only $14.00. We both polished off our meals and after licking our lips agreed on 4.5 stars for the meal. With very reasonable prices – it was easy to see why the breakfast was a finalist. Highly recommended.  

P.S. If you are lucky you’ll catch Graham in the same shirt (like we did!)…. and the photo of the breakfast is pretty accurate too!  

(Photo and article above from Brisbane Style Magazine)

Road Trip: Hervey Bay

Big M and I went off to Hervey Bay for a few nights. We went mainly to go whale-watching. Our big mistake was choosing a cruise based on the “gourmet lunch”. It was a lovely lunch, but we hardly ate any for fear of the sea-sicknesses! Lots of whales, but make sure you pick a large vessel for your whale-watching experience.

Holidays are always a good excuse for eating out, so we tried a number of the local restaurants.

The first night I had “Lamb shanks and vegetables” – normally nothing to write home [or blog] about, except the waif-thin waitress said “I often have the shanks after work, but I can only manage one!”. I replied that I’d had a some help from Big M. Then she said “Just imagine, in the old days they used to be considered dog food!”

There were two food spots we would recommend. “Gringo’s” do excellent and affordable Mexican food. Big M had the nachos, and I had two tacos with Mexican rice. They can adjust the chilli level to your liking, or in my case leave it out.

The other place we enjoyed was ”Arkarra” restaurant and Balinese tea gardens. There is a lovely walk around the lagoons with plenty of wildlife (mainly birds) to look out for. Big M had the “club sandwich”, and I had “calamari with sweet potato spiral fries”. Both were good, so….

We decided to visit again for breakfast. I was in an adventurous frame of mind and decided to try the ”Lamb’s fry and bacon with onion gravy”. Big M had “scrambled eggs and bacon”. Lamb’s Fry is usually liver, and maybe other pieces of offal. It’s robust texture goes well in pies. I really enjoyed it, although perhaps a little too overpowering for breakfast regularly.

Tell ‘em at home that I should like for supper,–well, lamb’s fry if they can get it; and if they can’t, black-pot; and if they can’t get that, well chitterlings will do.

Tess of the d’Urbervilles – A Pure Woman by Thomas Hardy

 

Review: Vespa Pizza

Vespa Pizza in New Farm is our favourite pizzeria at the moment. Even though they only opened earlier this year, you’ll need to book a table to get a seat on the weekend. Big M was searching for a pizza that was as good as the ones they serve in Italy or the stone baked ones at The Stoke in Guildford, UK. In our younger days we have both worked in places that served pizza. Big M also cooks his own pizzas, so a high standard had been set.

Originally we had a list of about seven or so places to try in Brisbane. We decided to start off with Vespa Pizza after I found out that they had fitted out the restaurant using mostly recycled materials from Reverse Garbage. I was keen to see the results.

I noticed that some of the furniture has come from car parts, but not in a kitsch way. The booths are bench seats, and a car grill and headlights has been used as a table divider. The fit out looks eco-chic modern and only adds to the character of the place.

The key to a good authentic pizza is in the crust – you need a high heat and super thin base, with just a smattering of toppings. Some of the staff had wristbands on, so I guess it might be hot work near the large wood fire oven. Many of the ingredients used are organic.

If you are lucky enough to live nearby, you can order delivery and your pizza will arrive on a Vespa. Hence the name.

We started off with a firm favourite of mine, Panzanella salad with red wine vinaigrette. We also had to try the mixed olives with garlic, rosemary, lemon zest and coriander seeds. Big M quickly polished of his pizza bianca: with pancetta, olives, cherry tomatos, artichokes, capers, sea salt & buffalo mozzarella. I struggled to eat my baharat lamb pizza: with hommus, roasted red peppers and zucchini, only because I was full.

We were both very happy with our choices, although when we tried a slice of each others pizzas we preferred our own. Tempting as it was, I had to pass on desert.

This was our third visit to Vespas, and since discovering this little slice of Italy in Brisbane, we never have made it to any of the other pizza places on the list! Highly recommended.