I Heart BrisVegas

I Heart BrisVegas is Moving!

2009-10-23T21:55:00.002+10:00

Yes, I have outgrown Blogger. It has served me well in the three years I've been using it, but I'm needing some more functionality and the comments are problematic, so I'm moving to WordPress.

To go to the new site (and I've imported all of the old blog posts) go to:

I Heart BrisVegas - On Wordpress

I will post a few reminders here over the next posts, but from now on, we're at Wordpress.

Ned's Deli Cafe

2009-10-20T20:28:00.003+10:00

I woke up feeling cranky this morning. My first thought after "Geez I'm cranky." was "Oh I want coffee." I realised that I'd gone from a grande skim latte per day routine to almost nothing. I can only think of two coffees I've had since I've been on leave from work, and I'm used to at least one per day.

So since it was payday, I decided to go for a walk to my local shops and have a really nice lunch with coffee. I packed my bag with a good book (I'm reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan at the moment) and set off for a walk in the sunshine.

I decided to pop in to Ned's Deli Cafe, since I knew they do Merlo coffee (for those not in Brisbane, Merlo is one of the few locally roasted coffees in Brisbane - local really does make a difference.)

The service is always good at Ned's. I straight up ordered my skim latte and it was on my table very, very quickly. Merlo didn't fail me at all - even the scent of it had me feeling more sprightly.

I ordered their quiche lorraine with a side order of beer battered chips for lunch and one of their "Pick Me Up" juices, which is apple and watermelon juice with a touch of mint. The quiche was very good, full of ham and onion and tomato, which a lorraine doesn't usually have, but I wasn't complaining, and a hefty sized portion. It was also light and creamy through the egg which is how I like my quiche. The beer battered fries were a perfect side order size - not scabby but also not too huge that you either end up too full or leave half of them. They were cooked to golden, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside perfection and served with aioli for dipping. The juice was lovely too, I could see them preparing it fresh and it had just the right hint of mint without being overpowering.

While I ate I sat in a cozy corner reading my book, and the staff didn't interrupt, which is something that really bugs me when I'm sitting reading over a meal. When I was finished the waiter came to get my plate and only when I looked up and thanked him, did he ask me how I found the meal. It's something that annoys me a lot, when waiters ask you constantly how the meal is. Even if I'm not reading alone, they always seem to catch me while I'm chewing or in conversation if I'm with friends. Even when the waiter came to get my juice glass he said "Excuse me, sorry to interrupt, but may I take your juice glass?" So nice to have my peace and quiet while reading respected.

I was so comfortable I decided to order another coffee, which again arrived really promptly, and the wait staff left me to it to savour it and enjoy my book. When I got up to pay and leave, then the woman behind the counter again asked me how my meal was and was really friendly. It was a delight to pay!

As I walked out the door, I realised that my cranky mood had completely gone. The spring was back in my step. I'm not sure if it was just the coffee or a combination of coffee and the lovely service. Either way, I'd definitely recommend Ned's Deli Cafe to anyone who is in the Yeronga area.

Cupcake Grief

2009-10-13T20:32:00.004+10:00

I had a bit of a weird experience today.

I'm on holidays from work and I decided to head out to Wynnum for a few hours, just to get out and about and as the weather was hot, I thought it would be cooler down there. For those of you who don't know Brisbane, Wynnum is a suburb out on the Moreton Bay side of Brisbane.

So I caught the train out there, wandered down to the central part of the suburb, bought myself a meat pie from Perrett's Bakery (not bad, tasty but not what I'd call fantastic by way of meat pies) and headed down to the esplanade for a bit. Found myself a picnic table, camped out with my book and read and had my lunch.

After awhile I decided I felt like a coffee, so I headed back up into the town part and spotted a nice looking place called The Olive Cafe. A pretty corner cafe painted in spring green, with yummy looking cakes and pastries and the coffee smelled really good. I ordered a coffee and a gorgeous "raspberry delight" cupcake, mostly because it looked so pretty. Here, check it out:

See? Isn't it pretty? Now cos it was pretty, I whipped out my iPhone (yes, I'm one of THOSE) and tweeted a quick picture to my tweeps. Then I got out my real camera (nothing fancy, just a Canon Powershot A550) and was taking a couple of decent photos, with the intention of blogging up how lovely The Olive Cafe are.

As I was snapping off a couple of shots, this old guy comes up to me from behind the counter and says "Are you enjoying the muffin?" I replied that I hadn't tasted it yet, but it was very pretty. He then said "Why are you taking pictures? If you're taking pictures you should give me money." I was a bit taken aback and I responded that it was pretty, so I like to take photos, to which he said "Then you should pay me!" And at that moment the other guy behind the counter, who I guessed was his son, spoke to him firmly in another language and he backed off.

But he spent the next five minutes giving me filthy looks until he and his wife left the cafe.

Now, tell me this people. I just bought the cupcake. With my money. Shouldn't I be able to do what I bloody well like to it once I've paid for it? I should be able to shove it in my left ear if I want to.

It really marred an otherwise lovely cafe. Because not only was it pretty, and the service I got at the counter from the other man and the young woman who made my coffee was lovely, but the cake was DIVINE tasting and the coffee (a skim latte) perfect.

I wonder if the old guy would have confronted me like that had I not been on my own? Or had I been a man? It was just really rude and unnecessary because I was actually planning to share the pictures and give his business some good blogosphere space. I would have bought a couple of the other kinds of cupcakes (which were as pretty as this one) to bring for a friend I'm seeing tomorrow but I was just really put off.

Well, since I took a few photos and it got me some grief, I may as well give you some more cupcake porn...

Can you see why I took photos? It's GORGEOUS!

If you like good coffee and delicious cakes, definitely try the Olive Cafe at Wynnum. Hopefully you won't get harassed if you decide to take a picture of the pretty food.

Brisbane Writer's Festival Write Up

2009-09-20T19:57:00.004+10:00

Last weekend was a big one in Brisbane. What with the Brisbane Writers Festival and Brisbane Festival on. The city and South Bank were jumping for a good four or five days across the two festivals.

I got to go to a lot of the writers festival, as I took the Friday off work. I did go to the reading at Greystone Bar at Southbank on the Thursday night, where Carl Cleves, Marie Munkara, Tom Cho and Christian Lander each gave a reading from their books. I particularly enjoyed Tom Cho and Christian Lander, both who are masters at the art of deadpan delivery. Lots of laughs to be had there.

Tom Cho at Greystone Bar

Christian Lander at Greystone Bar

My first event on Friday morning was the "Conversations With Richard Fidler" session that was live to air for ABC radio. The subject was "Not Tonight Honey" with guests Bettina Arndt and Linda Javin. It was fascinating to be behind the scenes for a live to air radio broadcast and a great topic of conversation. I found Bettina Arndt absolutely delightful, and Richard Fidler is always good value. Not so impressed with Linda Javin, but she did raise some interesting points.

Bettina Arndt

The next session I went to was local author Krissy Kneen in the Red Box theatrette. Krissy has written a sexual memoir, and boy is she a brave lady. She has really put her whole life out there and isn't afraid to talk about it. I admire that, even though her life and her values are somewhat different to my own. She really hit the nail on the head when she said that she didn't care if people didn't like her personally (or her lifestyle) but she felt it when they criticised her writing. I deeply admire that attitude. A fascinating session, and hosted by a friend of Krissy's, Benjamin Law.

My last session for the day was the "Creativity: Art or Science" with John Birmingham, Rowan Gilmore and Mandyam Srinivasan. A lot more scientific talk than I had anticipated, but I did really enjoy it and it gave me some good food for thought.

I had planned to turn up early on the Saturday morning, but was knackered so I stayed home and had a bit of a sleep in, and hit the 11.30am session first up, "Disco Boy: What's in a Name" with Nick Earls and Dominic Knight, hosted by a very sexy Scotsman in a kilt, who I have subsequently found out is one Lee McGowan. Lots of laughs to be had in this session, as is always expected in any session featuring Nick Earls.

Lee McGowan, Nick Earls and Dominic Knight

The next session I went to, "My Big Fat Eccentric Family" with Gary Bryson, Tom Cho and Catherine Therese turned out to be both the biggest surprise and the highlight of the entire festival for me. Gary Bryson read a fantastic passage from his book a fiction piece that is very reminiscent of his own childhood life in Scotland. Tom Cho gave some readings from his book, including his fantastic reworking of Dirty Dancing. But it was Catherine Therese that was the surprise and delight. Her reading turned into a performance piece and she's such a delightful creature, honest and true to herself, and the inclusion of Bryson and Cho into the piece was fantastic.

Catherine Therese

After that, I dashed over to the Breezeway to the "Adventurers: Moving On from the Boy Scouts" session with Chris Bray, Gary Weare and Andrew Westoll. We heard about their boys own adventures, in the Himalayas, Arctic and South American jungle. Inspirational to hear their stories and perhaps find my own adventures.

The final event for the writers festival for me was a major disappointment. I went along to "Strong Women Write Strong Women" with Tobsha Learner and Marianne de Pierres. I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more if they'd had someone other than Tobsha Learner, who was more interested in talking about how successful she was rather than the strong women that she apparently writes. Marianne de Pierres would have been interesting enough to see on her own, she is a rare creature of Australian authors - a female speculative fiction writer. Very disappointing session to end on.

That said though, as a whole I really enjoyed the Brisbane Writers Festival 2009, especially as they've gone back to the format with plenty of free events available. The average person can't afford four days worth of events that start at $10, so I missed a couple of years there. It's good to be able to go and see writers from all over Australia and around the world strut their stuff.

Burgers in Brisbane

2009-09-05T20:05:00.004+10:00

Oh how I love a good burger. A REALLY good burger.

Photo courtesy of Flickr

I'm not talking about your McDonald's greasy kind, or your local takeaway where they do the plain but hearty kind. I'm talking about your beautifully grilled, good quality meat, real cheeses, a selection of hand made sauces, mayos and relishes, and real onions and potatoes on the side.

Luckily for me, this kind of burger is becoming really easy to find in Brisbane.

There is the chain Grill'd, which have several locations in Brisbane and I heard last night that they're opening up one in South Bank, just down from the cinemas where Batavia used to be. I've been to the one at Bulimba and the burger I had there was delicious. And the chips... oh I could sell my soul for those herbed chips. So it will be a welcome thing to have one as close as South Bank for me. Even though it is sad to see the lovely Batavia go.

Last night I took some lovely Twitter ladies to Beastie Burgers at South Bank before we went to BTUB, the first Friday of the month Brisbane Twitter get together at Greystone Bar. One look at the menu and I was stuck. Which of these delicious burgers was I going to chose? One with haloumi, the king of cheeses? One with sweet potato, the queen of potatoes? I ended up going with the Swiss Miss, the princess of burgers. A beef burger with swiss cheese, seasoned mayo, onions and gherkins. I also ordered a side of "fries".

I wasn't disappointed in my choice. The burger was HUGE, the meat was really good quality and the other fillings all married up in a delicious medley. When the fries came, they were actually little chat potatoes that I think had been roasted, served with aioli. Damn they were good. Sadly the burger was so huge that I couldn't eat them all, and everyone else was pretty full too.

One of the ladies in our group also ordered a Lindt chocolate milkshake, and when it arrived I could smell it's chocolatey goodness. She was unable to finish it, it was so rich and huge.

All in all, one of the best burger meals I have ever had, and I'll certainly be revisiting so that I can try some of the other varieties. If you're at South Bank and want a good hearty meal, perfect for before a movie or a big night out, or for a weekend lunch, I definitely recommend trying out Beastie Burgers on Little Stanley Street.

Sunday Fete Fun

2009-08-30T20:19:00.005+10:00

It's been a long time since I went to a school fete. But when my friend Paul told me that the school his boys attend, St Brendan's Catholic Primary School at Moorooka, would be having one this weekend, and that his Beatles tribute band would be playing there, I decided it was time to renew my acquaintance with a good school fete!

It started with a Trash n' Treasure sale in the courtyard of the school. Lots of books, games, clothes, and general bric-a-brac. I picked up these two cute glasses for about 50c.

Then out the back through a fabulous food court that was a true multi-cultural fare. From Sudanese afternoon tea, Vietnamese spring rolls, English strawberries and cream or Devonshire tea, a Tongan barbecue, Ethiopian coffee to a good old Aussie Lions club steak sandwich or sausage sizzle, there was something for everything. It was a fairly breezy day today and the scents being carried throughout the school grounds were absolutely heavenly.

Outside there were the traditional fete stalls. Sweets and cakes, plants, a silent auction, lucky dips and tomobola, face painting, raffles and lock and key games.

But one special new kind of fete stall that I am starting to see pop up at fetes and fairs these days, in our lovely multi-cultural city... a henna tattoo stall.

I've always wanted to have a henna tattoo done. Those of you who know me know that I love the permanent ink, I have three tattoos myself. And while henna tattoos are not permanent, they're a beautiful form of ink body adornment that I've always had a fondness for. So I decided to indulge and have my left hand hennaed.

Beautiful huh? It's even nicer now that it has dried and set.

Finally we settled in to enjoy Paul's band, ironically called "The Beetles". They did a fantastic and fun set of the early Beatles stuff before we had to scoot.

I enjoyed them and so did their audience, which were of all ages.

I really must make the effort to get to more fetes and fairs around this city, they're always such a lovely way to spend a weekend afternoon.

Broadening Social Horizons: BTUB and Greystone Bar

2009-07-06T20:12:00.004+10:00

It's been a little while since I talked BrisVegas with y'all, hasn't it? I've actually been working on a few things, but none of them have been up to scratch, so I'll sit on them for a little longer until I'm ready to share it with you all.

Instead, tonight I'm going to talk to you about two things. The first being BTUB, the second being Greystone Bar at South Bank, both of which are now quite firmly linked together.

Image courtesy of Nicole Jensen

Let's start with BTUB. For those of you that don't know, BTUB is the Brisbane Twitter community. It stands for Brisbane Twitter Underground Brigade, though now that Twitter is hitting the mainstream, the U can be interchanged for "User". Either way, it's a collective group of Brisbane Twitter users (and any that are visiting to our fair town are welcome too) who use Twitter to meet socially as well as online.

My first involvement with BTUB was a breakfast at the Pancake Manor I went to one morning before work. A handful of people, all guys that particular day, met for breakfast and I tagged along. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly, and I enjoyed meeting new people and having a bit of socialising before work. Since then I've been to cupcakes in New Farm park, various coffees and breakfasts, high tea at the Stamford Plaza and have added the first Friday of the month get together to my regular social calendar.

I'm amazed at the whole BTUB thing. In the past few months I have met so many very cool people, from all kinds of walks of life, age groups, interests and careers. And one common thread I find through the majority of them are that they are lovely open-minded and open-hearted people who welcome anyone to the fold. Not only have I broadened my general social circle, and been able to be part of a bunch of new experiences, but I feel I've made some lovely new friends along the way.

If you're in Brisbane and are looking to expand your social circle, this is the way to do it. If you're not, check if there is a "TUB" for where you are.

Which brings me to Greystone Bar. For the past two months, the regular BTUB "First Friday of the month" social event has been held at Greystone Bar at South Bank. I only went to one at the previous venue, The Ship Inn, and while the space allocated was very good, with plenty of room and lots of seating, it didn't feel like they wanted the custom of this rather large group of paying customers. Which kind of boggles my brain, as it is a good sized group, guaranteed to be spending on both food and drinks, and is a mellow, happy group too. No fights, no bad behaviour, courteous and fun.

But anyway, their loss is our gain. The past two months as I mentioned, the venue has been Greystone Bar in Little Stanley Street, opposite the South Bank Cinemas. And I doubt they could be a more welcoming venue. They actively interact on Twitter with pretty much anyone in Brisbane (well, mostly the lovely Laura from Greystone Bar does all the tweeting!) in a personal, friendly, natural manner. They understand the Twitter community doesn't want to be sold to, and that it's not just about people broadcasting about what they had for breakfast. They welcome the BTUB folks, treat them like valued customers the whole night (not just when they first get them in the door) and welcome them back at any other time with just one friend or a group.

Greystone Bar are welcoming, have a great atmosphere, lots of gorgeous cocktails made with good quality ingredients (no cheap flavourings or mixes) for a reasonable price, as well as all the beer, wine and spirits you can think of, tasty finger foods and lots of comfy seating and heaters for the outdoor areas for those that suffer in what Brisbane calls winter! They also have a finger on the pulse for all of the events happening in and around South Bank. I can highly recommend them.

If you're on Twitter, here are the accounts to follow:

@BTUB

@greystonebar

@sleepydumpling (me!)

Greystone Bar are also on Facebook and are an active Facebook presence!

Brother Espresso

2009-06-03T21:02:00.002+10:00

Found myself a nice new coffee spot this morning. Well, not so much found but was introduced to. Met with @lexiphanic, @leesargent and @mirandaforwood to discuss technology/social media in the public service, and this was our meeting place. I believe they have more than one cafe, but we met at the one in Margaret Street in the CBD.

Service was a bit... aloof, but the fruit and pecan toast was delicious, the coffee good and the cafe decor and seating groovy but comfortable. I liked the idea of instead of giving you an order number, you get a playing card (@lexiphanic got the joker).

If you're in the neighbourhood, check it out perhaps. Brother Espresso

BrisVegas Challenge

2009-05-29T12:34:00.002+10:00

As per my other blogs, Kath Times 23 and The Sleepydumpling's Big Adventure, I am opening up this blog to you, my readers to challenge me to blog about any subject!

However, as this blog is about Brisbane, I'd like to keep it somehow related to Brisbane, so please keep that in mind when issuing your challenges to me.

So, if you live in Brisbane, and want me to share/talk about something you love, raise an issue about Brisbane, or even talk about your event/business, issue me a challenge.

OR, if you live elsewhere and have questions about Brisbane, or would like to know more about anything in particular, again, issue me a challenge.

I am sure you can come up with something for me to get my teeth into.

My Home Town...

2009-05-28T18:35:00.003+10:00

I came across this beautiful video entitled "Brisbane In May" a few days ago, and have been meaning to post it.

Brisbane In May from Rhys Day on Vimeo.

It captures my beautiful home town perfectly, and features some locations that just fill me with warmth for this gorgeous city.

Enjoy!

Hear the Mighty Lions Roar!

2009-04-12T20:43:00.003+10:00

Went to an AWESOME game of football last night. The Brisbane Lions played the Sydney Swans at the Gabba here in Brisbane, and thanks to a generous friend, I got to go along and see the game live.

We managed to get into the stadium before it started raining, but by the time we got seated it was absolutely bucketing down. We were lucky and had seats up in the nosebleed section, which is all undercover. But I have to say, I don't think there is actually a bad seat in the Gabba, everywhere gives a good clear view of the field. It's only really the weather that makes some areas less desirable, and last night was one of those nights.

It was a ripper of a game too, with the Lions smashing the Swans for the first time in 5 years, 100 to 67. The Lions played a brilliant game, despite the inclement weather, and I had a fantastic time.

One of the things I really like about Brisbane Lions games is the fact that they promote a family friendly atmosphere. Even for the night games, they encourage people to bring their families, and that all ages are welcome to the games. There are licensed areas for those who would like to drink alcohol, but there are also PLENTY of alcohol free areas too for those who don't wish to be around the booze. Which really encourages it to be about more than a piss up over football. I like that.

I can heartily recommend going to a game of Aussie Rules at the Gabba, even if you're not a big fan of football, because it is so much fun you will be a fan before long.

The Willow - Moorooka

2009-04-05T19:32:00.003+10:00

Today I had planned to go to lunch at an Italian restaurant over at Tarragindi, but when we got their they had closed, so instead my friends suggested The Willow over at Moorooka. It's the pub on Beaudesert Road, at the bottom end of the shops.

They have a lovely big "beergarden" area, not really a beergarden but an outdoor kind of deck that is a restaurant. Huge, spacious and cool once all the doors and windows are open, it's a nice area to sit for a Sunday lunch. I ordered the steak sandwich. It was HUGE! Good tender steak (and not a scrawny thin bit either), bacon, egg, cheese, beetroot, onions, tomato and lettuce, served with battered chips and a side salad. The side salad was a tad bland but there was so much of the chips and steak sandwich I couldn't eat everything so I didn't bother about it.

After a couple of hours sitting and talking with friends we decided to have coffee and dessert, so I ordered one of their two dessert choices (they could use a couple more choices really), which was chocolate mud cake with berry coulis and ice cream. Absolutely divine. The mud cake wasn't too sickly but was still fudgy, it was good quality vanilla ice-cream, and the berry coulis was made with real berries. Really scrumptious, and they do a fairly good coffee too.

All in all, a pretty good find in the suburbs.

City Hall as the Light Fades

2009-03-31T20:03:00.004+10:00

I really wanted to share this beautiful photo with you all. It was taken by one of the local Tweeters, @iCharlotte and I really liked it, so I asked her if I could share it here on I ♥ BrisVegas.

Doesn't it have an awesome kind of twilight feel to it? (I'm not talking about the sparkly Vampires people!)

I love City Hall. I also love King George Square. I only wish they hadn't put those ugly 50's style buildings in it that lead down to the new bus station. It used to be a fantastic open space, there for all to enjoy, but the bus station buildings just chop it up and hide the square. It's a shame.

Thanks again to Charlotte for this one, if you're interested in seeing more of Charlotte's stuff, she has a Tumblr account HERE.

Full of Cakey Goodness

2009-03-29T18:47:00.003+10:00

I figured since I have tried the goods from TWO of Brisbane's cupcake boutiques this weekend, that I had better tell you about them.

Thanks to the Brisbane Twitter group, BTUB, I enjoyed cupcakes in New Farm park with some of my fellow Brisbane tweeters. @shique purchased our cupcakes from two different cupcake boutiques, Poppy Cakes in Fortitude Valley and the Cupcake Parlour at West End.

The Poppy Cakes ones were very good - nice moist cake, sweet icing, cute presentation. I was really excited to see that they have red velvet cupcakes, as red velvet cake is one of my favourite things in the whole world. So of course I had to try one of those. Take a look:

Cute huh? Want a close up? Ok, here you go:

My only criticism is that they weren't authentic red velvet cupcakes simply because the icing was plain vanilla icing. Red velvet cake just isn't red velvet cake without vanilla cream cheese icing. It's just not the real thing. But they were still tasty anyway.

The Cupcake Parlour cakes though... what magnificence! Not only were they totally scrumptious, but every single one was a little work of cupcakey art. Check 'em out:

Gorgeous aren't they? Each one totally individually flavoured with it's own style of decoration. That green one on the bottom right with the pale purple flower? It was apple. This is the one that I had:

I also thought this one was extra pretty:

That little rose is just exquisite.
I will say though, eating two cupcakes was no easy feat. Both types were incredibly sweet (without being sickly) so it was a pretty huge sugar rush afterwards, and then a crash a bit later. I had to go home and find something savoury for dinner to counter all that sugar!
I'll definitely be buying cupcakes from The Cupcake Parlour again, that's for sure.

Jan Power's Farmers Markets

2009-03-25T21:37:00.003+10:00

I finally got a chance to really go and peruse the Jan Power's Farmers Markets in Reddacliff Place, at the top of the Queen Street Mall. They've been on since the beginning of this month, but I have been on holidays, so I hadn't had the chance to go and really take a look yet.

Running on Wednesdays from 11am to 6pm, the markets have everything from fresh fruit and veges, meat, bread, flowers, cheese and other dairy products, smallgoods and some hand crafted goods. From what I could see, most of it was very well priced too.

As it was lunch time, I started out with a cheese kransky from the German sausage stand (slapped into a crusty breadroll with sauerkraut and mustard) to munch on while I had a look around. I picked up a gorgeous ciabatta from the German bread maker (and a cinnamon stick for afternoon tea), some diced pork from one of the butchers, and fresh fruit and veg from some of the produce sellers. I also popped back down at afternoon tea time to pick up some fragrant roses from the stall out on the William Street end, absolutely gorgeous roses for $8 a bunch. I think that may become a regular weekly treat for me.

I'm really glad that they've moved to regular weekly markets right in the CBD. It means I can get fresh, good quality produce at a reasonable price every week, without having to haul myself out to any of the suburban markets on the weekend.

Do check them out!

Lock n' Load - West End

2009-02-25T21:17:00.004+10:00

Went to the Girl Geek dinner last night, a group of awesome women who meet up to celebrate, network and encourage geekiness, as well as have some social time. I'll blog more about that on Sleepydumpling's Big Adventure later.

The dinner was held at Lock n Load bistro at West End, right on Boundary Street. Google Map here!

What a little gem of a bistro. Tucked away amongst the shops (as most cafe's and bistros are in West End), Lock n Load has great food, friendly staff, well priced and is a fantastic venue. They have the restaurant downstairs (which had a live jazz trio playing), a garden out the back and then a lovely room upstairs which seats about 30 people, and has a wide screen plasma on the wall perfect for talks and presentations.

The dinner last night had a set menu, with Turkish bread for starters for all, then several choices for mains, and also salad and shoestring fries served to the table for all. I had crispy skinned barramundi with chorizo, potatoes and olives. YUM-O. The barra was beautifully fresh, cooked to perfection (the seasoning on that crispy skin was divine) and the olives and chorizos really offset the mild flavours of the fish and potato.

I really liked the feel of the place too. Relaxed and friendly, and looks like it's been built into an old Queenslander house. The staff were really helpful, the wine was good (and well priced) and the room upstairs a perfect venue for lots of discussion.

I'll certainly go back there.

Tales of Twestival

2009-02-15T22:02:00.003+10:00

This is a bit of a late post, but better late than never right?

As per my last post, I went to Brisbane Twestival last Thursday night. It was held at Metro Arts in Edward Street and was a great night.

I went along with friends and we started the evening with a meal at Wagamama, and then wandered down to Edward Street. On arrival at Metro Arts we handed our Twestival tickets over to receive our programme, a lollipop, a cute little Twestival badge and a $20 Telstra phone away card. Bonus!

My friends and I went down to Verve, the fantastic restaurant in the basement of the Metro Arts building. Now I tell you, if you're in Brisbane, and have never been to Verve, do something about that and go ASAP. Not only is it a great location with heaps of atmosphere, but the food is AMAZING, well priced and plentiful, and they have fantastic fun, relaxed service. The whole crew there are heaps of fun and very friendly. I can highly recommend the blue cheese risotto (I have seen people literally lick their plates) and they have the BEST sticky date pudding I have ever tasted.

We popped down there for a drink before the festivities (or should I say twestivities) started, and I had a rather delicious Sista T cocktail. Behold!

Anyhoo, after a rapidly mind numbing cocktail, we popped upstairs to the studio for the main programme. On the way in we popped into the Lolly Shop stall and bought a few of the cute badges they had there. I quite fell in love with this one, I think you can see why...

They had some fabbo acts on, from local DJ Collapsicon, modern Middle Eastern dancer Moniq, and the AS Theatre who presented an excerpt from their upcoming play "Lazarus Won't Get Out of Bed." I'm definitely going to see that one.

It's not too late to help with raising money through Twestival for Charity: Water. Either follow my links here to the Twestival website, or you can buy the Twestival T-shirt here.

I only wish I could have stayed until the end of the programme, but I was knackered after a rather intense day at work. Oh well, next year!

Brisbane Twestival

2009-02-04T19:46:00.006+10:00

I just bought my tickets to go to Brisbane Twestival next week.

Twestival is an event organised by the Twitter community across the world for each of their cities, to be held on February 12, which will raise money for Charity:Water.

Each Twestival is different, but the point is to bring the Twitter community of each city together for an evening of fun to help a good cause.

Brisbane Twestival will be held at Metro Arts in Edward Street on Thursday night, and is will have bands, theatre, art auctions, stalls, raffles and goodies for people to enjoy. There is also a Facebook event if you want to have a look there.

I'm really looking forward to going along.

For those of you who don't know about or use Twitter, it's a form of microblogging, where you post up to 140 characters per "tweet" or update. I love Twitter, and tweeting as it is called, has brought me so much cool stuff in my life. Lots of famous people tweet, the most prolific of which would be Stephen Fry (@StephenFry). If you want to have a look at my Twitter account, I am @sleepydumpling.

Game On!

2009-01-31T21:59:00.003+10:00

My friend Kylie B and I went to the Game On exhibit at State Library of Queensland today. I got a free ticket last year when I went to the SLQ Unconference, and I've just been waiting for the opportunity to go.

Game On is an interactive exhibit on the history of video games. As their tagline says, "Play your way through the history of video games."

I don't think I've ever had so much fun going to an exhibit in my life. It's all there, from Pong through to the Nintendo Wii, and you can play about 95% of the consoles, handhelds and arcade machines there. Kylie and I had so much fun playing with the Wii, I have decided to buy one myself. I love the idea of a video game that actually requires activity and movement. We played tennis on it and it really does feel like you're playing tennis. I think even without anyone to play with, I could have fun in my living room just playing against the console. But I fully intend to have Wii parties too.

As well as having all the games there for you to play, you can learn about the music of video games, how the stories and plots of the games are thought up (there is an awesome post-it-note storyboard for Grand Theft Auto), the artwork, the merchandising that goes with them and the actual history of the computing that goes into them.

If you are interested even in the slightest in video games I can highly recommend this exhibit to you, but get in quick because you only have until February 15th!

Kung Hei Fat Choy

2009-01-25T21:02:00.003+10:00

As well as being Australia Day tomorrow, it is also Chinese New Year. And if you wish to celebrate the wonderful multi-cultural country we are, open to new experiences and celebrating diversity, perhaps instead of eating lamb (which I can't do anyway, I'm allergic) you could go for a Chinese meal somewhere.

On Friday night, I went with a group of fabulous friends to Ben's Chinese-Vietnamese Restaurant at Woolloongabba. All this weekend they are having special celebrations for Chinese New Year, with a special banquet for $39.95, lion dancing, fire crackers and lucky door prizes, as well as their usual karaoke. I normally hate karaoke, but I got a few laughs out of Friday night's efforts.

Ben's is a favourite restaurant of mine in Brisbane, the food is absolutely exquisite there. Their salt and pepper squid is like no other - soft and tender, super fresh with a delicate seasoning that just compliments the squid perfectly. They didn't have it on the banquet on Friday night, but they had salt and pepper quail instead, which was seasoned with almost the same thing. Divine.

I have to say I've never had a bad meal there, and I've been there a lot. The service is always prompt and friendly, the food as I mentioned, divine and the prices are reasonable.

One of the great things about Friday night for us was that we won the lucky door prize at our table. A $40 gift voucher for the restaurant and a bottle of champers. What I really liked was the lovely presentation of the gift voucher, in this lucky envelope.

Must... Resist... Temptation...

2009-01-18T20:45:00.004+10:00

Yes, the Lifeline Bookfest is on again. That wonder of wonders here in Brisbane where the Convention Centre is thrown open to the booklovers and bargain hunters of the public, and Lifeline sells off all the books, CD's and DVD's that people donate.

Nine days of absolute TONNES of books being up for sale at bargain prices, from best sellers to classics to the obscure. Books from yellowed and old and well loved to almost new condition. Ex library books, books from people having a clean up, or books from deceased estates. LOTS and LOTS of books.

If you love books, I highly advise that you get yourself there, it is running now until Sunday 25th of January.

I am trying to be good and NOT go to the Lifeline Bookfest. Because I have literally boxes and boxes of unread books in my spare room, most of them in new condition, and I've told myself that I am only allowed to purchase one book for every one I read out of the To Be Read (TBR) pile. And no more than that!

God grant me the strength to resist!

Love Libraries?

2009-01-17T22:19:00.003+10:00

Do you love libraries?

Then there is an event for you. Saturday 14th of February is Library Lovers day. Yes, the same day as Valentine's Day. It's a movement that's happening around the world. The Australian website is:

http://www.librarylovers.org.au/

As my contribution to Library Lovers Day, my friend Gina and I are organising a picnic lunch at New Farm Park. Nothing formal, just a family friendly lunch in a lovely park here in Brisbane, for like minded library lovers to meet and socialise.

It will be from 11am onwards on Saturday 14th of February, bring your own picnic lunch and something to sit on. Perhaps bring a favourite book or two. And remember to slip, slop, slap.

If you're interested in coming along, please do, but also please remember this is a family friendly event in a public place.

Bag Yourself Some Memorabilia in Brisbane

2009-01-14T13:05:00.005+10:00

If you're here in Brisbane, I REALLY urge you to go to this auction on the weekend for the Brisbane Arts Theatre. Here's the story from Channel Ten news last night:

It's Brisbane's oldest Arts theatre, and a real icon up there on Petrie Terrace. It would be wrong for it to just disappear. Not to mention that there are some total gems among the stuff to be sold.

Thanks to Girl Clumsy for getting the word out.

What Brisbane Needs: Part Two

2009-01-12T21:33:00.003+10:00

I live over near the new State Tennis Centre at Tennyson. In fact, I live within about 5 minutes walking distance. And of course, the Brisbane International was on this past week.

You can only imagine what the traffic, public transport and parking were like. Let alone the litter, broken bottles and noise.

I live near a church. They had to put chains up across their driveways so that people didn't park in their car park, as they would need it for their services through the week.

Parking is now restricted in our area. The first we residents found out about this was a notice in our mail the day before the deadline to object. My building has limited parking, and now even less because tenants can't park on the street. There were cars parked EVERYWHERE. Dangerously everwhere - we had them right up to our driveway so that their wheels were touching the sides of the driveway, on both sides. Anyone leaving our driveway couldn't see a thing. On one occasion, either side of the driveway was parked a MASSIVE 4WD without a spot of dust on it. Another example of people buying these big cars and not using them for their intended purpose.

There is broken glass all over the neighbourhood. The already dodgy spots on the roads around the neighbourhood were lethal over this weekend. I saw at the train station one day at least 200 people standing on the platforms looking hot and pissed off.

Don't get me wrong, I think the State Tennis Centre is awesome. It looks great, is a world class facility and I am really looking forward to being able to walk to events there.

However, how about some more planning into the infrastructure and the livability of the residents in the area? How about repairing the disgusting state of Citytrain's service to this area? Or adding some more buses instead? Making parking reasonable and keeping the tennis centre parking out of the residential areas. Allowing the residents to live safely and comfortably when big events are on.

Like everything else that happens in this city, infrastructure is neglected around it. Come on Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council, isn't it about time you learned from past mistakes?

In The Words of Cole Porter...

2009-01-01T19:56:00.003+10:00

... It's too darn hot!

The weather bureau was touting 37C here in Brisbane today. I reckon it got that and more. It was 36C in my living room at about lunch time, and I am sure it would have been hotter out in the sun. I hope people looked after themselves with lots of water, sunscreen, shade and sunglasses in this very harsh heat.

I was going to go to a movie, but nothing really appealed to me. Wasn't sure what else I could do to get out of the heat. The local swimming pool would have been chaos, it's New Years Day so no shops are open, and I'm quite sure my friends with air conditioning are getting sick of me already.

What do you do when it gets unbearably hot (and you don't have air-con yourself)? Is there somewhere you escape to? What do you do to entertain yourself and keep yourself cool?

Yum-Mi!

2008-12-29T14:07:00.003+10:00

I'm having one of those grumpy "I hate summer why do I live in Brisbane" days today. But I need to blog so I'm going to talk about the rather lovely lunch I had yesterday.

My friend took me to Cafe Mi, which is at Sunnybank Plaza shopping centre. My friend knows all the great Asian restaurants around Sunnybank, she eats out in that area at least twice per week.

Cafe Mi is on the left hand side of the entrance of the cinema. It's tucked away at the back and is frequented mostly by Chinese people, which tells you the food is good. It's pretty much a cafeteria style setting, but it's reasonably priced and the food is plentiful and really good. We had honey BBQ pork, braised beef with Chinese mushrooms and flat rice noodles and a special fried rice. I think it's possibly the best fried rice I've ever eaten, light and fluffy and with plenty of the bits that make it "special" - prawns, ham, egg, chicken, bbq pork. The BBQ pork was divine too, my friend often buys it by the kilo to take home. The braised beef could have been a little lighter in the sauce but it was tasty and there was plenty of it.

If you are looking for a good reasonably priced eat that will fill you up, Cafe Mi at Sunnybank Plaza is worth giving a try.

Mmmm... Lovely

2008-12-23T16:11:00.003+10:00

Christmas is almost here, which means a lot of socialising for many of us. Restaurants and cafe's are really busy, pubs are thronging, parks and pools have lots of folks in attendance.

One thing to remember during this season while you're out at all of these places is to have a little patience. Hospitality staff are working their tails off at the moment, cut them a little slack. This is their busiest time of year.

Anyhoo, the real reason for this post is to talk about a bit of a Brisbane Institution... The Pancake Manor in Charlotte Street. You know it, that's the one in the old church. It has been there for donkeys years. The menu hasn't changed, nor has the decor. I can remember back in the 80's, when it was the only place in town you could get a feed after a hard night's nightclubbing!

It's not a flash place, not fancy at all. Nor is it one of those hip places to be seen. But the tucker is REALLY good. Here's a photo I found on Flickr...

Pancake Manor
Originally uploaded by lightsight

Not sure why it's posting on the right, but hey, you can see those tasty pancakes. I'm REALLY fond of their breakfast deals where you can get pancakes with bacon and eggs, maple syrup and a cup of coffee. And the pancakes with strawberries... good GOD they're divine.

If you want a really good feed, that's well priced, hearty and always delicious, and available 24 x 7, the Pancake Manor is one of those "old reliables" you can always go to in the CBD.

What Brisbane Needs, Part One

2008-12-12T14:06:00.005+10:00

Brisbane needs a few things. But one thing it REALLY needs is better telecommunications infrastructure. To be honest, the whole of Australia does, but I live in Brisbane so I'll focus on this city.

It is the year 2008, very soon to be 2009. Across the globe, more and more people are getting technology savvy, and are being creative online with things like YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, blogging et al. But in Brisbane, we still have expensive, limited internet services. Wireless is considered a luxury rather than being offered commonplace.

I spent three months last year in the US, and wireless internet was offered everywhere. Shopping centres, businesses, restaurants and cafes, hotels and more offer wireless for free or with a purchase. You can sit in a Panera bakery, or Starbucks and actually work on your laptop with high speed wireless connection provided by the cafe/restaurant while you enjoy a cup of coffee or a meal. Lots of people actually work from cafes and restaurants rather than their desks. Public libraries all offer wireless for free too.

While we do have some wireless hotspots around, for example some public libraries, the occasional hotel or restaurant, it's actually few and far between in Brisbane.

Internet access is still a lot slower here than in Europe and the US, and it's also a whole lot more expensive. Telecommunications will have you believe it's not possible for them to drop the prices, but the truth is that if they can do it in the consumer madness of the US, why can't they do it here?

Partly because in many areas they still have antiquated technology. Old telecommunications cabling instead of fibre optic. The whole country needs to have some serious money spent on it by the Government to have a solid, reliable and efficient telecommunications infrastructure in this country.

I do believe we are at the tipping point though, because so much technology is being purchased by the average Australian now. Mobile phones have internet access as a matter of course now, and of course we all have mobile phones. People are buying laptops at a much higher rate than ever before. The eePC or "netbook" is starting to take off and become cheap enough for people to buy. And more and more people are wanting to carry their technology with them to access it through the day.

Do you have dreams for being able to use your technology in places other than your home? Do you feel that your internet service is either too slow or too expensive? What do you think should be done to provide a better telecommunications network in Brisbane/Australia?

Christmas in Brisbane

2008-12-05T12:57:00.011+10:00

It's here already! Yes, it's December again and Christmas has hit Brisbane in a big way. The decorations are up, the sales are on, the Queen Street Mall is chock-a-block and it's storming all the time.

I spent last Christmas in the US, so I kind of have to re-acquaint myself with a Brisbane Christmas. Last year I had a white Christmas, and did all that warm fuzzy American stuff you see on the TV specials. It was lovely.

On my way to work the other morning, the sky was beautiful and as I came up to Reddacliff Place, I snapped a couple of shots of the Christmas tree and Treasury Casino. Here you go:

Purty isn't it? I am told that last year they had advertising all around it. Yuck, I'm glad that isn't the case this year. Instead, just Santa's mailbox at the bottom, which I posted my Christmas cards into on Wednesday and the Aussie ones were delivered the following day. Not bad Australia Post! Er... I mean... SANTA.

If only we could have Christmas in winter. I am truly not fond of summer and find it hard to be cheerful and merry when I'm sweating.

One little thing though fellow Brisbane-ites. In the words of Abraham Lincoln (or Bill and Ted), please, be excellent to each other. The Queen Street Mall and Myer Centre are INSANE at the moment, and popping out at lunch time to pick something up requires a firm girding of ones loins to brave the insanity. Be gentle, no bargain is really worth pushing someone over or getting aggressive. It's too hot to be cranky at one another, really.

In case I don't mention it again, Merry Christmas Brisbane, and Merry Christmas friends of Brisbane.

Brunch - It's Not Quite Breakfast, Not Quite Lunch and Comes with a Slice of Melon at the End

2008-11-30T13:17:00.004+10:00

I've been to brunch twice in two days.

Yesterday was planned, I met my lovely friend Jim at Ned's Cafe in Yeronga. It was so sticky and hot (that's one thing I do not "heart" about Brisbane!) that I grabbed a little table in the back near the refrigerators, which was a wise choice. Much cooler and more comfortable there than anywhere else.

I had the French toast and a skim latte (two in fact) and both were delicious. Jim had the gourmet eggs which I am determined to have next time I go there - scrambled eggs with various add ins like mushrooms and onion and stuff. We sat in our little corner of Neds and talked for a good few hours.

Today my friend Rosie called me up on the spur of the moment to ask me if I wanted to go to brunch with her at the Melbourne Hotel at West End. I hadn't been there since they have refurbed, and had heard they'd done a great job, and I love brunch, so of course I said yes.

I'm well impressed! It's funky without being too cheesy modern, very comfortable and the food and service are excellent, as are the prices. Being hot still, we sat inside in one of their amazing booth tables. It's kind of like sitting in a muffin tin. You're cupped into the booth and you can't really feel or hear any of the tables or anything around.

We both had the Melbourne Big Breakfast, of steak, chipolata sausage, bacon, eggs your style, toast, mushrooms, tomato and a tiny lamb cutlet for a bargain price of $9.90 and a huge coffee for about $4.50. It was delicious and plentiful and arrived promptly. I wouldn't mind trying a dinner there sometime.

If you have a favourite place for breakfast/brunch, leave me a comment and I'll add it to my list of places to try.

David's Chinese Restaurant

2008-11-27T11:06:00.003+10:00

Last week was my monthly book club meet up, and we go to dinner at a restaurant in the CBD on the third Wednesday of each month.

This month, we chose David's Chinese Restaurant in Elizabeth Street.

I've been there before and was impressed, so I was more than happy to go back. Last time we went we had one of their banquet meals, which was delicious, reasonably priced and plentiful.

This time, I had hot and sour soup as a starter, and it was really delicious, and had real prawns in it, which you don't often find in hot sour soup in Australia. For main course I had steamed whole flounder with shredded pork and Chinese mushrooms, and steamed rice. The flounder dish was HUGE. There was no way I could make my way through all of that. Really delicious too, and steamed to perfection.

Followed by the old traditional fried ice-cream for dessert (which isn't even Chinese really, but boy it's good!) and a coffee.

David's is a really good quality Chinese restaurant, with beautiful fresh food, excellent service and a lovely setting. It's not my favourite Chinese restaurant in Brisbane (I'll blog about that one another time), but it's up in the top 5.

Shop 'til You Literally Drop

2008-11-16T13:43:00.005+10:00

Shopping rocks. I can shop for hours and hours and hours and not get bored. Even when I don't spend money, I can shop for a really long time.

If you're a die-hard shopper like me, I can highly recommend Direct Factory Outlets (DFO) out near Brisbane Airport. I defy anyone to go out there and not find at least one mega bargain. There's something for everyone. Men, women, kids, young and old, label-whores and discount divas. Clothes, shoes, houseware, bedlinen, furnishings, books, toys, accessories, you name it.

I went with a friend yesterday. She was on the hunt for a new wardrobe. We came away with 8 or 9 pieces, and I think the most expensive item was about $60. And we gave up after about 3/4 of the whole place because we were tired and hungry. If we'd have stopped for lunch in the middle, we'd have been able to keep going.

With Christmas on the horizon, and money tight for most people thanks to the economy, it's worth checking out. Just wear comfy walking shoes, take a water bottle and stop for breaks!

Doggie Dating?

2008-11-12T14:56:00.004+10:00

I don't have a dog. I wish I did. If I had a fenced yard, I would have one. But because I work full time I need a smaller, quieter dog that can amuse itself during business hours (sleeping rather than chewing the furniture) and then I can spoil it rotten when I'm at home. But without a fenced yard, it would be cruel for me to have even a dog like that.

However, in my area, I have several dog parks. They're brilliant. I can go and sit in the park and watch other people's dogs. Sometimes, they even come up to me to say hello, roll over for a pat, maybe beg me to throw a stick or a ball. I like that.

If you have a dog, do you utilise the dog parks in Brisbane? There's a really good list of them here. It's a really good way for you to take your dog out, let him socialise with other people and dogs and even meet other people yourself. You may even make regular play dates with other dogs. Or maybe even make a date yourself, wink wink! I'm a single woman, and hey, if I meet a nice bloke who loves dogs when I'm enjoying some outdoor time at the local dog park, sweet!

Be aware though, you need to be responsible for your dog and anything your dog does. Please pick up it's poo! And don't expect that other people in the park are going to "parent" your dog for you.

When I do get myself a dog, down the track when I'm in a suitable situation, I'll definitely be using the dog parks in my area. They're free!

Art that Lasts Forever

2008-11-08T22:14:00.003+10:00

A little over three months ago, I got two new tattoos (I only had one before). I did a bit of research into who I wanted to do the art work, and my decision was All Star Tattoo at Taringa. I'd seen some of their work around, done a few Google searches for images done by the team there, and been really happy with what I found.

I had Tenielle, who was really amazing. She created unique artwork that captured exactly what I wanted to do, and then when she did the actual work, they're gorgeous. She's a talented young artist. Plus I was really impressed by the professionalism of the place.

What I like most about All Star Tattoo is that they don't do any "off the wall" or catalogue work, so your tattoo is individual to you, you're not going to see anyone else wandering around with the same work.

If you're looking for a fantastic tattoo artist for that lifetime piece of skin art, definitely check them out.

Something Is Lacking

2008-11-07T20:53:00.004+10:00

I know that this is a blog about things I LOVE about Brisbane, but there is one little niggly thing that I have to bring to folks attention, in the hope someone out there can remedy it.

Fairly frequently, I have to go to State Library for functions and events. Recently when I went there for an all day event, I got there a little early, planning to have a cup of coffee there in that lovely open space in the entrance way before the event started. Unfortunately, I discovered that there at the Cultural Centre, around State Library, the Queensland Museum, the Queensland Art Gallery and GOMA, there is not a coffee to be had before 9am!!

None of the cafes open until 9am, not even just to sell coffees. That's an absolute crime. All those people who work in that area, all the folks sitting around using the free wireless access, people walking, cycling, jogging, pet-walking through the area, and of course anyone visiting those wonderful cultural resources first up in the morning, has to go down to South Bank or beyond to South Brisbane somewhere for a coffee.

That's just fundamentally wrong!

An apparently, they all shut bang on 5pm. So no coffee as you leave work or a venue either.

So I urge you, if you are reading this and you have influence over the cafes in the Cultural Centre, please, get them to open before 9am and after 5pm. Everywhere else opens at 8am at the very latest (most places 7am!) Alternatively, if you're someone who has one of those coffee cart businesses, or wants to go into business with one, there's your location. Even if you just have your cart there before the other places open and after they close for an hour each time, I reckon you'll make a motza.

Goodbye Dendy

2008-11-02T20:57:00.003+10:00

I was so sad to find out a couple of weeks ago that the Dendy Cinema in George Street is closing down. It's been an institution in Brisbane for over a hundred years, first as a theatre I believe, and then for the past 80 years as a cinema.

I've seen a lot of wonderful films at the Dendy over the years. It was there that I saw "Look Both Ways" starring William McInnes and written by his wife Sarah Watt and then went to the after party that both William and Sarah attended. I've seen dozens of foreign films there that I may not have seen at all had it not been for the Dendy.

I wonder what is going to happen to independant films in the CBD now. Is there going to be any venue in the city that shows independant and foreign films? I know you can see them at the Palace Centro at Fortitude Valley or Dendy Portside at Hamilton, but what about in the CBD? I used to love wandering down to the Dendy after work and seeing an independant film. Somehow I doubt that the Regent (which is what, Greater Union these days?) is going to offer the range that the Dendy George Street has offered.

I wonder what will happen to the building? I see that there is a "For Lease" sign on it. I would think that it would be heritage listed (it's beautiful inside still) so they wouldn't be able to just destroy it or gut it.

It's sad that these older, independant venues are going under. They've been the last place that we could see some real variety in films actually in the cinema. So often now we're going to be reliant on DVD, and it's just not the same as seeing a movie in the cinema.

Barefoot on A Sunday Afternoon

2008-10-31T22:52:00.005+10:00

One of the best kept secrets in Brisbane, is the monthly barefoot bowls and barbecue at Yeronga Bowls Club.

On the first Sunday of every month, from 3pm onwards, Yeronga Bowls Club holds casual bowls for anyone who would like a roll up, with a barbecue dinner at about 6pm for... wait for it... $7. Yes, that's SEVEN DOLLARS. I don't know anywhere else you can get a meal for $7, let alone an afternoon of fun, relaxing entertainment too.

Now I believe the price is going up on that deal soon, to a ridiculous... $9. Good God, don't rob a bank now will you?

Not only do you get such a cheap deal with the bowls and barbecue, but the drinks are really cheap too. A glass of white wine is under $3. A basic spirit with a can of softdrink is under $5. And a can of soft drink on it's own is $2.

What I love most is how relaxed it is. No rules, no scoring (unless you and your friends want to) and they play music across the greens all afternoon. I call it "roll and giggle". Dinner is simple and hearty, usually sausages/steakettes (cooked really deliciously), simple salads and bread and butter. Delicious.

If you want a leisurely, cheap afternoon with a hearty meal at the end, Yeronga Bowls Club (map) is a great Sunday afternoon's entertainment.

A Riot of Purple

2008-10-30T15:53:00.004+10:00

As you may have guessed by the header of this blog, I absolutely love jacaranda season in Brisbane. Jacarandas just scream "home" to me, even though I believe they are native to South Africa.

I love that gorgeous purple colour, and how they leave a carpet of purple underneath them when they are in flower. Even though they shed blossoms everywhere, and then those said blossoms do rot all over the place, I think they're one of the most beautiful features of Brisbane.

On Saturday night just passed, it was my birthday. I went to Kapsali's restaurant at South Bank with a group of girlfriends (the Brissie Cysters). We were seated at a table outside, right under a jacaranda tree, shedding it's gorgeous blossoms all over the table, the chairs and of course us. Sure, there were a couple of flowers fished out of wine glasses and cleavage as the night passed on, but I didn't mind, they're so beautiful it's worth fishing them out of various places they land.

I've always said, when I get married, it will be under jacaranda trees in full bloom.

There's something special about this time of year, driving through Brisbane (or in my case, travelling on the bus) and seeing that riot of purple all over the landscape. It's stunning.

Incidentally, the photograph I have used for my header comes from Brisbane Images, a digital image collection through Brisbane City Council Library Service. If you go to their catalogue website eLibCat, you can click on the "Search Brisbane Images" button and then use the search engine to find pretty much anything Brisbane related right back to the mid-1800's.

I Think I'm Turning Japanese

2008-10-29T14:10:00.003+10:00

Last night I went out for a belated birthday dinner at Wagamama in the Wintergarden with a friend.

I really enjoy Wagamama. I know some people shrink from the idea because it is in fact part of a franchise, but I really believe it's the least franchise-y of all of the franchises.

Wagamama's food is simple, tasty, nourishing and reasonably priced. They do the best ramen I have ever eaten (super-duper fresh ingredients are the key) and it always arrives at your table quick sticks. Last night I tried one of their spring cocktails, a concoction of mango, apple and mint with Absolut vanilla vodka. It was absolutely divine. Fruity and fresh and deceptively potent. I reckon two or three of those and I'd be under the table.

So last night I had the sweet potato kusabi, which are a thinly sliced sweet potato chip with wasabi mayonnaise, chicken ramen, which has REAL chicken breast and fresh vegetables and banana katsu and coconut ice-cream for dessert. Delicious, every morsel.

The only thing I'm not fussed on at Wagamama are the bench style seats. I don't mind the big communal tables, and I wouldn't mind bench seating if they weren't so PAINFUL to sit on longer than half an hour. They're just at the wrong height and depth. I'm not short and actually have longer legs than my body, but still I find myself with my feet in the tippy-toe position on the floor on those bench seats, and it's never comfortable. I'd enjoy my dining so much more if I didn't get fierce cramps from the seating!

But that said, it is worth the uncomfortable seating just for the food. It really is high quality and well priced to go with it.

A Great Cuppa in Brisbane

2008-10-28T14:14:00.000+10:00

How about we start with a great cuppa? Because no matter what, if you can get a decent coffee/tea/hot chocolate, it always makes the day that little bit better. Let's break it down a wee bit:

Best Everyday Cuppa

That morning cup of coffee before work is essential for me. I just don't function so well without it. And my morning cuppa of choice is always a grande skim latte from Cool Beans and Baguettes, which you will find in the food court of Brisbane Square, 266 George Street. (Map) Regular baristas Gus and Kat never fail to brew up a perfect coffee (and they do a great tea, hot chocolate or chai too) mega quickly, and with fantastic service. They never forget a regular face and name (or the cuppa that goes with it) and have got making everyone's perfect morning cuppa down to a fine art.

Best Hot Chocolate

This would have to go to Batavia at South Bank, Cnr Ernst and Grey Streets (Map). Hot chocolate is served here in little hot jugs of chocolate and milk, which you pour yourself into a lovely big round cup that just feels fantastic in the hands. Smooth, rich and creamy, with a lovely sense of ceremony, the hot chocolate here is just divine, and you can get some lovely variations on the basic. Batavia also has a lovely feel to the cafe, and they sell furniture and decor with a distinct style as well as the cafe.

Best Tea

I personally like T-Licious, also at South Bank, on Little Stanley Street (Map). Not only can you get all kinds of cuppas as far as tea is concerned (black, green, white, herbal, infusions - every kind of flavour and combination) but they also sell their tea in take home packs and have a lovely range of tea accoutrements. My particular favourite is their Apple Strudel (which is actually a fruit melange, rather than a tea) which is spicy and fruity without being sickly sweet. Of the true teas, I really like the China Jasmine.

Best Coffee

This is a tough one, but I think I will go with Ned's Cafe on Fairfield Road at Yeronga, at The Village on the corner of Fairfield Road and Kadumba Street (Map). Merlo coffee, always prepared well, and a lovely selection of cakey things to go with it. It's often a bit hard to get a table there, particularly on a weekend, but if you can, it's worth it.

What's Your Favourite?

So here's where you tell me what your favourite cuppa is in Brisbane. I will do my best to try it and if I do, review it here on this blog. Leave me a comment to tell me the cuppa you love here in Brisbane.

Kicking Off - About this Blog

2008-10-28T10:52:00.000+10:00

Just recently, I realised that I spend a lot of time telling people all about cities I've visited, but I never really talk about the city that I choose to call home. It's a bit strange really, because of all the fantastic places I've been, and the places I could choose to live in, I don't sell this one half as much as those that I've not chosen to live in.

Does that make sense?

I love Brisbane. It's a great city, ideal for me to live and work in and also relax and socialise in. I work for the local government here too, and while it's not perfect or flawless in any way, I do really enjoy my job and I'm here because I'm passionate about the industry I'm in and the city.

So why don't I "sell" this city to people? Why don't I share the cool things I can do here, great restaurants and cafes, places to see? Probably because when you live somewhere, it becomes every day, so you forget to appreciate it. Which is kind of crazy when you realise it's the place you have chosen to be all the time!

This is where this blog comes in. I'm going to talk about all my favourite things about Brisbane, the places, the people, the food, the culture, the events, everything. And I hope, that as this blog grows, it will not only get people visiting Brisbane, but help those who have chosen to live here appreciate it more. I also hope it will open up some new places and experiences to you, my readers, and that you will in turn share with me YOUR favourite things about Brisbane, so that I can experience them too.