Hearts go out to Brisbane's battling restaurateurs hit by another flood.
Thankfully those hard hit at South Bank seem to have escaped this year's water but it's not looking so good down at Eagle Street where the just opened Riverbar has been flooded, while Jellyfish is sandbagged and waiting for the flood peak at 11am.
Strong winds have caused damage at Javier Codina's Moda and rising drain water is another concern there while at Alchemy roof leaks have already caused problems and flooding is a possibility.
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| Hope they saved these comfy deck chairs at Riverbar. |
Achacha in season
If you've never tasted this Bolivian fruit you are in for a treat. Sweet, tangy, refreshing, sorbet-like are the descriptors for this small, white fleshy fruit with a bright orange case exterior.
Helen Hill grows the fruit in North Queensland and believes she is the world's first in fact and only large grower.
"We are now growing biologically, no
chemicals, herbicides, fungicides, not a 'cide' to be found on the place
or synthetic fertilisers," Helen says. "So 'uncertified organic'!"
"Being a forest fruit, there are sometimes marks
on the fruit's skin but it doesn't affect the inside. The skin makes a healthy
drink full of extra goodness. We add a little of the Achacha honey.
According to Helen Achacha were on Harrod's of London shelves last season, sourced from an agent in Paris.
"Marks and Spencer asked for a trial box a week ago too, so the name
is getting out. Our agent in the Netherlands will take some boxes again to Fruit
Logistica in Berlin, the world's biggert fruit fair, which happens
again in a couple of weeks.
"It was Horticulture Australia who took a few
boxes of Achacha to Fruit Logistica two years ago. We were then invited to
enter their Innovation Award (we made it to the top 10 which gave us a small
stand in the Innovation Award section and then to the top three last February)
and all these European contacts came from being there.
Sip your cellar
Would you like to enjoy bottles of wine from your own cellar while dining out?
First Wednesday of the month is Sip Your Cellar night in Javier Codina's Wine Room at Moda.
The first four course dinner with no corkage will be held on February 6. Menu details for the $99 per person dinner are available from Moda.
You can even deliver your climate controlled wines to Moda 24 hours in advance and they will look after them for you. Don't forget to book
Special blue tasting
Heads up cheese lovers - 28 wheels of Rogue Special Reserve Blue are about to hit our shores.
Rogue Special Reserve Blue a special pasteurized version of the raw milk American classic Rogue River Blue. This raw milk cheese is made and released just once a year in late autumn (US)and won Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards in Birmingham in November 2012.
It’s widely considered to be one of America’s best cheeses and is highly sought after in the international market, by the likes of Neal’s Yard Dairy and Whole Foods.
Want to taste? This special cheese will be available at Aria, Stoke House, Restaurant II and Cha Cha Char in Brisbane and selected delis for a limited time.
Talk to the cheese makers visiting from Oregon, USA and taste their produce on Saturday February 2 at Superior Fruits - Shop 5, 365 Honour Avenue, Graceville, 9am – 10.30am or Rosalie Gourmet Markets - 164 Baroona Road, Rosalie, 11.00am – 1pm.
Kerry Heaney
Kerry Heaney
Disclaimer: This is not a paid post