Beaujolais Nouveau Day at Belle Epoque

It is the law…French law. Corks will pop, snails will race, music will sound and French cuisine will be plentiful when Brisbane’s Belle Epoque French Bistro at Emporium stages a celebration for Beaujolais Nouveau Day. 

Each year the new Beaujolais is ceremoniously released on the third Thursday of November, beginning one of the most frivolous and animated rituals in the wine world.

Thanks to fine tuned logistical precision planning, Brisbane’s Belle Epoque French Bistro has 11 cases (132 bottles) of Beaujolais Nouveau winging their way from Paris at exactly one minute past midnight on 19 November to arrive less than 33 hours later in time for the venue’s own Beaujolais Nouveau uncorking celebrations - "Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrive!".

The party on November 20 from will feature free flowing Beaujolais Nouveau available from multiple bars plus food stations dishing up Black Pearl cheese and charcuterie, freshly shucked oysters and other seafood along with a patisserie station of mignardies, pastries, macaroons and live crepe flambée.

More information: +61 7 3852 1500 Belle Epoch 
Belle Epoch, 1000 Ann St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.

Read this and weep

Read this and weep! 

Bar Barossa’s Triple Treat Dinner with Hutton Vale, Radford & Spinifex is on tonight and fully booked says Darren Davis. And at $90 per person that’s no surprise.

Here’s the menu -

Freshly shucked Coffin Bay Oysters with lime & lemon

Fresh local Prawns

2008 Hutton Vale Eden Valley Riesling

2008 Radford Eden Valley Riesling

Salt & pepper Quail on shaved cucumber and watercress salad with Barambah yoghurt

dressing

2009 Spinifex Barossa Grenache Cinsault Mataro Rosé

2009 Spinifex Luxe Barossa Valley Mataro Grenache Noir Shiraz Grenache Gris Rosé

Kassler (smoked Pork loin) on baby potatoes with sauerkraut, Dutch carrots, baby balsamic

onions & jus

2008 Spinifex Barossa Papillon Grenache Cinsault Mataro Shiraz

2007 Spinifex Barossa Taureau Tempranillo Carignan Cabernet Sauvignon Graciano

Braised lamb shank pie with Careme sour cream pastry on potato mash with green

pea puree and shiraz jus

2005 Hutton Vale Eden Valley Grenache Mataro

2006 Hutton Vale Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Barossa Valley Cheese Company Wanera & Blushing Princess & Udder Delights Heysen Blue

with Maggie Beer condiments, muscatels, crisp bread and Barossa Bark

2006 Radford Eden Valley Shiraz

2002 Hutton Vale Eden Valley Shiraz

Is your mouth watering and are your eyes filling up? Me too....  I loved the food last time I was at Bar Barossa.

Search for the perfect cupcake - Mountain Larder Deli

A yen for a bike ride saw us heading to Mt Tamborine on Sunday.  It was a great morning with blue skies although a little hot.

Find for the day was the newly opened Mountain Larder Deli owned by ex chef Michael Taylor. Although eating options are plentiful on what's known as 'Gallery Walk' on Tamborine, there are few places where you can put together your own meal to take out and enjoy in the the wonderful World Heritage listed surrounds.

Mountain Larder Deli has got it sewn up with a great range of meats, cheeses, sandwiches, wraps and other speciality foods. Michael really knows his cheeses and his range includes imported items you won't find elsewhere. He's happy to offer a taste as well.

I'd love to go back when I have an esky to try some of the locally cured bacon. Yum.

Another great idea of Michael's is the picnic packs that he has available for hire for the day or free with food purchased from The Mountain Larder.  I would certainly go one of those filled with their food.  They'll even wash up for free when you bring it back.

But the most important items, the ones which made my eyes light up, were of course the cupcakes.  Made by staff member Caroline, the cakes come in small and large sizes and have very cute printed paper cases around them.  They are a rich butter cake recipe with a sweet, slightly crunchy, well flavoured icing.  The strawberry cupcake had a small dollop of strawberry jam near the base and I saw another with a similar treatment. I love those unexpected surprises when you bite into a cupcake.

Do yourself a favour and check out this shop on Gallery Walk.

We also visited the MT Brewery and had a coffee at Olive Cafe.

My favourite place to stay on Tamborine is Witches Falls Cottages.

The Mountain Larder Deli,
Shop 1, 151 Long Road,  Gallery Walk
Tamborine Mountain. +61 7 5545 4111

FBI expands hospitality

Sometimes it’s all about who you know and a great example of the power of connections is FBI, the Queensland Food and Beverage Industry (QLD FBI).

QLD FBI is an independent organisation created by chef, restaurateur, business owner and industry identity, Martin Duncan. It aims to provide opportunities for like-minded professionals and encourage beneficial business relationships. The organisation generates events within the Brisbane and Sunshine Coast regions which provide attendees the opportunity to get together, meet, network, share information and resources in a relaxed, fun environment.

The ongoing philosophy of the QLD FBI is that strong industry relationships encourage professionalism and stability which provides longevity for businesses. Great things can happen over a beverage and conversation.

I've attended many FBI events and can only agree that the sharing and contacts have been more than worthwhile.  Many of my media colleagues also attend.

Martin Duncan is relaunching the FBI website at an industry event on Monday 30 November 2009, at Merlo Coffee headquarters in Bowen Hills.

www.qldfbi.com.au will provide free information to the public as well as value added membership content including contact databases, tips from industry experts, online advice, industry news, event calendar listings and downloadable educational recourses specific to the industry.

QLD FBI is run as a membership association and membership fees are $200 per annum. To
celebrate the website re-launch memberships are being offered at a discounted price of $150/annum with payment not required until February 2010.

The people who can most benefit from this organisation are restaurant and café owners, managers and staff, chefs, local producers, suppliers and beverage representatives, media and Government departments.

The website re-launch event is an opportunity to meet some key people in the industry and to learn more about what QLD FBI has to offer. If you’d like to attend the launch RSVP to 07 3262 3077

Low stress cocktails

I’m the sort that likes to keep options open, so friends dropping in for a drink or a sudden urge to picnic at the beach are often on my agenda.  That’s one of the reasons why I’m liking these new cocktails from Smirnoff.

Die hards will say they are not as good as the real thing, but given that they take a fraction of the time, I’m prepared to compromise (and it’s not much of an ask).

With one or all three of these bottles in the fridge, I am ready for a Friday night drink on Monday or Tuesday or Sunday.

I reckon I could hide the bottle and impress some of my friends with my cocktail making ability as well.

There are three flavours:
Vodka Mojito –a  blend of Smirnoff Vodka, Kaffir Lime Liquor and natural mint flavour.(my fave)
Grand Cosmopolitan  -Smirnoff Vodka, Triple Sec Liquor and a splash of cranberry juice.
Pomegranate Martini - Smirnoff Vodka, pomegranate juice, Meyer Lemon Flavoured Liqueur, and natural lemon flavour.

Here are some comments from my testing panel of seasoned drinkers-

Baristerboy: I was surprised by the Mojito - it wasn't syrupy and sweet. The Pomegranate Martini was like a Double Black with red stuff.
Perpetualstudent: A cheap solution to a cocktail when you're out that hasn't lost any of the taste. Sweet but still has a subtle bite.
Che13: The Mojito had an interesting taste - definitely a cheap but still classy way to drink. Not too sweet or strong. I really like it. It's good with mint.

Top tips

• Keep your Smirnoff Cocktails chilled in the fridge
• The Grand Cosmopolitan is good chilled, poured straight into a tall glass over ice, or shaken with ice first. Garnish with lemon or lime.
• The Vodka Mojito can be topped with soda water and garnish with a wedge of fresh lime and a handful of mint
• The Pomegranate Martini can be served chilled or with the juice of 1/2 an orange and a 1/3 lemon squeezed in a Martini Glass

Smirnoff Cocktails retail at $22.99 at bottle shops.

Win a three pack of Smirnoff Cocktails!
To win one of five gift packs leave a comment below and share the name of your favourite cocktail!

Search for the best brekkie - Seafood Lovers Cafe, Margate

It sounds a bit silly to send you to a seafood cafe for bacon and eggs, but I can tell you it's worth it.  

This place is a little gem with well priced food and great ocean views. At $9 for a 'big brekkie' I was not expecting the world, but when it arrived I was amazed at how much there was on the plate.  A little inspection showed that careful arrangement created the illusion of abundance and there was no more food than normal, but it certainly was good value for the price.  My only criticism is that they used cheap margarine on the toast instead of butter or something that tasted like butter, and the sausage - not my sorta thing at all. The rest of the meal was great and the views, despite the cloudy, sometimes rainy day, were of the sandy shore of Moreton Bay. 

For the uninitiated, Margate is near Redcliffe, about 50 minutes' drive from the centre of Brisbane. It is a coastal strip which features one of Moreton Bay's longest mainland stretches of sand beach. It also boasts a long, flat boardwalk promenade, making it ideal for those who like to walk, cycle, rollerblade or even scooter.

Seafood Lovers Cafe, Shp 2/ 139 Margate Parade, Margate.

 

Best burgers - Freestyle Tout

On a recent visit to Freestyle Tout I discovered their Freestyle burger special which includes a gourmet burger, chippies, alioli and a beer - all for $15. If you don't want the beer, you can have a soft drink instead.
I loved the burger and the chippies (I am something of an expert on chippies) were just as I like them - crisp, hot and not at all fatty.

Freestyle's menu has quite a few things I would like to try including Chilli salt calamari served on an Asian style salad $18.90 and a Peking Duck Salad with watercress and bean sprout salad $17.90.

If you have a late start on the weekend but still crave a real brekkie - Freestyle Tout at Emporium and West End do all day breakfast from 9am on weekends. There's nothing more disappointing than being unable to get a bacon fix when you need it - thumbs up to all day brekkie!

Of course Freestyle is best known for it's desserts. I've tasted many of them but my favourite is the chocolate macadamia brownie which comes swimming in dark chocolate sauce with chocolate fudge ice cream - be still my beating heart!

I've also seen a Chocolate Delux Sundae, which includes marshmallows, vanilla, chocolate fudge and macadamia ice creams, disappear amazingly fast.

Freestyle West End also has The Red Room, a semi private room which seats 14-18 guests.

Freestyle Tout, West End
Corner of Browning, Melbourne and Boundary Street
West End +61 7 3255 3288