Now, I’m about to tell you something else to add to your collection of gin Stories:

There are more than three types of Gin in the world.

I know, I know. Y’all are shaking your heads and calling me crazy right now, huh? Beefeater, Tanqueray, and Bombay Sapphire: that’s it, yeah?

Well, my friends – what if I told you that the other night I went to a gin tasting, and tried not three, not four, but nine gins? And that wasn’t even the bar’s whole collection?

It’s true. We were at Tonic, a funky little bar/cafe/architecture firm (seriously) that’s tucked away in a side street on the Newstead/Valley border. It’s a cosy little space – which makes sense, since it used to be a garage – doing coffee by day and cocktails, wine, and beer by night.

The beer list at Tonic is pretty decent (Monteith’s, Little Creatures, etc.), but it’s the cocktails that they clearly pride themselves on. Given Tonic’s intimate, small space, customers have a chance to be made a truly bespoke cocktail.

They also run a gin tasting, which we were invited to along with a few other bloggers. The lovely Matt took us through nine gins, offering anecdotes on the origin of gin in general as well as each different variety, plus tasting notes, and advice for drink pairings.

G’vine was a standout for me – if you can believe it, it smelled like bubblegum, and had a sweeter flavour than most gins. Other gins that we tried included Hendrick’s, Gin Mare, Aviation, and Bols Genever (D’s favourite – he found it had a pleasant smokiness).

I like my alcohol, and I’m fond of G & Ts, but even I found it pretty hard to sip on straight gin – for that reason, I wouldn’t say a gin tasting is for everyone. But if you’re keen to learn more about this often ridiculed spirit, it’s awesome – I had no idea that it had such a range of flavours!

If you don’t fancy gin, please go to Tonic anyway. It’s such a cool, funky, chilled space, and it’s so awesome to see more places like this popping up in quiet pockets of Brisbane – joining the ranks of cafes and bars like Tippler’s Tap and Shucked.

So go hunt down this little bar/cafe – just like gin, it’ll surprise you.

Tonic

Cafe/Bar/Architecture

7 Hynes St

Fortitude Valley

http://www.tonic.cc/

We were invited to try Tonic, and were not compensated for this review. All opinions are our own. We encourage responsible drinking

And yet, every weekend, 5pm rolls around, and we find ourselves sheepishly looking at each other before we mumble, “The Scratch?” and off we go. Like, ALL THE TIME.

So, an invitation to try Alfred & Constance in the Valley made us feel both relieved and slightly uneasy. Relieved because we finally had to go somewhere new, no excuses, and uneasy because – well, the Valley? Somewhere that wasn’t a 15 minute walk away? Somewhere that actually required Effort, not just throwing some Havs on and waddling down the road?

Luckily, Jessalyn from Lucid Media made us feel right at home. As we perused the menu, Jessalyn told us that Alfred & Constance had recently started seven day trading. I know that A & C is packed on the weekends, so it was nice to relax on a Monday night and not be jostled by swarms of people. Having said that, there were still a good 25-odd people there, so it wasn’t totally dead (probably testament to how popular the place is – they’ve barely started seven day trading, and already word’s gotten out!)

The ambiance and decor at A & C is insane. It’s like six venues in one – a Tiki bar, a late-night dessert bar, a beer garden, a restaurant…there’s truly something for everyone.

I nearly had a heart attack when Jessalyn said the owner had originally considered knocking down one of the Queenslander houses that A & C sits in. Thank God he changed his mind, because the old-world charm of the houses creates a real cosy vibe throughout the whole venue.

We were in The Vanguard that night, and sat inside in the slightly Gothic/Victorian-inspired black room (above).

The Alfred & Constance beer list is solid – there’s White Rabbit, James Squire, and a few other craft brews – and the cocktail list favours unique fruity, tropical drinks.

Three of us started with a chorizo scotched egg ($9 each), while Jessalyn had her standby, the lamb cutlets ($12). I’d never had a scotched egg before, though I knew what to expect – basically, an egg covered in a crunchy, deep fried shell.

A & C’s scotched egg had a layer of chorizo underneath too, which gave it a little more punch and flavour. It was surprisingly filling, and would be a perfect snack to have with a beer.

Onto the meaty stuff – the mains. I had heard good things about the pig at A & C.

So I went with the Roast Pork Roll ($11.90). D ordered the seafood special  -Barramundi, prawns, pumpkin puree, and candied prosciutto - from the Specials menu ($26.90), Jessalyn went for the pork belly ($13.90) and Corrie ordered a serve of roast pork with a side of roasted veggies (from $29).

For $11.90, I couldn’t believe how huge my meal (above) was. A soft, fluffy white roll barely contained the mountain of piping hot roast pork.  Served with a big pile of fries, plus coleslaw, I barely got through half of it. The pork was super tender, and was a nice mix of fatty and lean pieces. I passed on most of my fries as while they were nice and crunchy on the outside, the inside was a little hard and under-cooked. But no worries, I had a pile of pork to plough through.

Alfred & Constance’s pork belly

D loved his seafood special, which came served in a little clay pot. The pumpkin puree was super creamy and surprisingly was a good match for the seafood. Two Tin Can Bay prawns were the cherry on top, and were D’s favourite part.

So, yeah, A & C do damn good pork and all that, but you KNOW we were holding out for dessert.

Alfred & Constance’s Sticky Date Pudding

I tried the Soft Centered Chocolate Pudding, the Sticky Date Pudding, and the Pear and Plum Crumble (all around ~$14.50). The choc pudding was intense. Now, I can’t stand those people who say “ooh, that’s too rich for me” – so, I gave the pud a fair crack. If you like thick rivers of dark chocolate flowing out of a moist little chocolate cake, this dessert is for you.

D won with the Sticky Date though (above). It was swimming in a ‘Vanilla Sauce’, which can be best described as thick, melted ice cream. I think next time I’m going to ask the chef to just give me a bowl of that sauce and a spoon.

I was really impressed with the quality and portion sizes of A & C meals. Get a cosy seat in one of the venue’s little nooks, grab a couple of those pork rolls, and you’ve got one sexy, cheap date.

My laziness means I rarely venture outside of my home postcode – but I think I’m going to have to make some room for 4006.

Alfred & Constance

Bar/restaurant/dessert cafe

Corner of Alfred & Constance streets

Fortitude Valley

Ph: (07) 3251 6500

http://www.alfredandconstance.com.au/

Black Room photo credit

We were guests of Lucid Media and Alfred & Constance. We received no compensation for this review; all opinions are our own. Thanks to Jessalyn and A & C for hosting us!

So, for my first visit to Kerbside, I was able to sit in a feral, old, broken couch with no complaints – because I had one of Kerbside’s many awesome beers in my hand.

Kerbside is named for its collection of couches, armchairs, and seats – all sourced from Kerbside collection. Yes, it adds to the whole cool, relaxed hipster vibe, and yes, thankfully it means there’s lots of seating, but seriously – ew. Luckily, their amazing beer list makes up for it.

While we were there we tried Holgate Hopinator (wonderful and hoppy, as the name suggests); Holgate Double Trouble Abbey Ale (RIDICULOUS, sort of sweet, “Like Christmas!” as my friend described); and Little Creatures Puffing Billy (ok – refreshing, but a bit average).

One thing that rubbed us the wrong way? While the bartender was awesome (knew his shit, gave great beer recommendations, was super friendly to boot), one of the floor staff was ridiculously rude. Normally I don’t use this blog as a soapbox for complaining about bad service, but seriously: when a patron spills a drink, don’t scowl and half-jokingly say, “If I make a big deal about cleaning it up, maybe you won’t do it again”. And when we then point out we didn’t even spill it, don’t roll your eyes and say, “Well I don’t see anyone else here”.

Ok. End rant.

Apart from that, Kerbside rocks!

Kerbside

Bar

Constance St (near Ann St), Fortitude Valley

(07) 3252 9833

http://www.kerbside.com.au/

Take relationships. I am always discovering new, disturbing, and sometimes pleasing things about D. Recently I discovered he calls ice cubes, “ice bricks”. I have known the man five years and only NOW I discover that his word for ice cubes is quite possibly the most ridiculous, most confusing alternative ever.

This might seem like an odd segue into introducing Hamptons Home Living but seriously: I can’t believe I’ve only JUST discovered this place! I have walked past this place a million times and barely looked twice at it – I didn’t even realise it was a cafe! Part homewares store, part eatery, Hamptons has a reasonably priced breakfast and lunch menu, and to my surprise: the most AWESOME back verandah with one of the best views around.

We sat on the said verandah recently for breakfast. While I was disappointed to see the menu lacked ‘sweet’ breakfast options, the beetroot-cured salmon with crème fraîche ($14) perked me up. D snagged an order of that, while I mixed it up and went with Levain fruit and nut toast with Manuka honey ($9), and a side of honey-roasted bacon ($5).

We started with coffees (skim capp + flat whites, ~$3.60 each), and marvelled at the view, which stretched from downtown to Toowong. Kookaburras were chirping, the coffee was one of the best I’d had in Paddington, and our waitress was a sweet French girl. How had it taken me so long to find this awesome place?

Our meals arrived relatively quickly. D quickly attacked his plate, which was piled high with bright pink, rare salmon. It was tasty – the citrus-y crème fraîche paired well with the rich salmon – and I thought that for $14, the amount of fresh, sashimi-style salmon that you got was very good value.

Similarly, my plate of deliciously crunchy, slightly sweet bacon, was pretty big. My hot tip, if you ever get the bacon and toast combo: dip the bacon in your little cup of Manuka honey. You’re welcome.

While I think that some of the breakfast food at other Paddington locations is a bit better, you really can’t beat the gorgeous setting that Hamptons Home Living has. I will definitely be going back for lunch (hello, pork belly sandwiches anyone??), and more of that awesome coffee with a view.

Hamptons Home Living

Cafe and Homewares Store

180 Latrobe Tce, Paddington

(07) 3367 2002

http://www.hamptonshomeliving.com.au/

Pizza pizza pizza! Who doesn’t love a good ol’ slice of pizza? Recently Ally and I were contacted by Domino’s to try out their new gourmet range of pizzas. While we normally reserve servings of Domino’s pizza to late night outings, we were still happy to jump mouth first into a gourmet serving of pizza.

Arriving on time at our door were three of the six pizzas to grace the Domino’s Gourmet Range.

Up first was the Loaded Meatlovers. The first thing you notice, even though it is a meat lovers pizza, is the lack of grease one normally associates with this type of pizza. The bacon was thicker than normal and the toppings were plentiful.

We then dived into the Shiraz Lamb and Tomato pizza. This was Ally’s favourite of the bunch and it closely resembled a supreme type of pizza. I didn’t agree – my favourite was the last pizza to grace our tastebuds: The Chicken and Cranberry.

The melted camembert made this pizza the best by far. Throw in some red onion, chicken, baby spinach and cranberry sauce and you have a winning combo. My only complaint was that the cranberry sauce was a bit too jam like – it was too sweet and lacked the tartness of a typical cranberry sauce.

I would recommend the Domino’s Chef’s Best range of pizzas to those on a budget who are looking to “gourmet” their pizzas. While it’s tasty, it doesn’t really hold a candle to a lot of the other restaurant-quality, gourmet pizza places out there – but nonetheless, the Chef’s Best range is a good option if you want to get a little fancy for under $10 bucks a pie.

Dominos’ Chef’s Best Pizza

Available from Domino’s

http://www.dominos.com.au/menu/chefs-best

Note: EatDrinkBrisbane were contacted by Domino’s and offered the pizzas free of charge. All opinions in this review are our own.

One of the great things about Brisbane is that it’s always easy to get a good cup of coffee. But what about a great cup of coffee? How many places can you name in Brisbane that truly serve a life changing cup of joe? (Don’t worry I didn’t forget you Brother Espresso)

A recent visit to Shucked Coffee House in Bowen Hills has put my mind at ease – they serve amazing coffee!

Upon arrival at Shucked we were seated we were immediately brought menus and chilled water. I ordered a flat white ($3.50), with a skinny cap ($3.50) for Ally. This coffee isn’t for those that prefer a lighter tasting coffee, this is for those who prefer the full body real coffee taste.

We perused the menu for a short while and I eventually settled on the “French Kiss” ($18) – an eggy brioche with bacon, maple syrup, toffeed nuts and caramelised banana. Ally ordered the Avo baguette ($10) – a baguette with smashed avocado, dill and lemon.

The brioche was amazing and soft, it worked so well with all its friends on the plate. One thing that really stood out was the quality of the bacon at Shucked, delicious!

Ally’s smashed avo baguette was very tasty. The dill, lemon and the crunchy (yet soft) baguette worked in harmony. My only suggestion would be to add some kosher or rock salt to it.

Since I work near here it was a no-brainer to return, even if that meant dining alone. On my second visit I ordered my stock standard flat white and the “Shurger” – a waygu beef burger. This time I waited a while for my meal but dang, it was worth it! This is up there with some of the best burgers I’ve had in Brisbane. The beef was very moist and not overdone in the slightest. The other standout here is the sauce. I need to know how they make this creamy, BBQ sauce so so I can put that stuff on ALL the things.

I can’t recommend Shucked enough. If you’re looking for a great coffee and/or a tasty breakfast then you can get Shucked!

Shucked Coffee House
Coffee/Breakfast
9 Creswell Street, Newstead
www.shucked.com.au

We all have our little ‘things’ that we do to make us relax, right? Some people enjoy spas. Some work out (?). Other people get a massage, or hit a round of golf.

I like to eat cake and read trashy magazines. I swear to God, plonk an issue of NW and a piece of cheesecake in front of me and I’ll be silent for the next two hours, only to emerge in a serene, peaceful state of utter happiness.

So, on a recent day off, I decided to take myself out for a cake’n'mag session. I walked by Blake & Taylor, a homewares store in Paddington, and spied a coffee sign out the front. After fighting my way through various pieces of furniture, place mats, and vases, I discovered a tiny little coffee shop inside the store.

Even better – there was a balcony with a few tables outside. How good is this?

Latrobe Terrace’s best-kept secret, am I right? I settled down with my skim cap (decent), my citrus tart (bloody good – served with a dollop of fresh, rich cream), and my trashy mag and proceeded to read all about Miranda Kerr’s use of Swedish virgin tears to cure cellulite.

Some of you may prefer to hit the massage table to relax, but if you can’t get an appointment – venture out onto the balcony of Blake & Taylor.

Blake & Taylor

Homewares Store/Cafe

11 Latrobe Terrace

Paddington, Brisbane

Thankfully, South Bank has a new-ish collection of restaurants and bars that have a fantastic view of the river and the city. Mel and I checked out one of them, South Bank Surf Club, for brunch recently.

First of all: they serve brunch until midday. While I am an early riser and scoff at people who sleep in, this is still a nice feature for those days when you want to leisurely make your way out for brunch, not race around trying to beat a 10.30am cut off (I’m looking at you, Maccas).

So is SBSC like your average surf club down at Kirra Beach? Well, no. While it’s very laid back and casual, it’s still got a very slight, slightly upmarket edge. SBSC has a few different levels, and is totally open-air, offering an unbeatable view of the crowds below; Kodiak beach; the river; and the city skyline. We sat on the highest level, and were attended to quickly. Service was very attentive throughout the whole meal too.

We both ordered the muesli and yogurt ($13.50), although frankly we could have split one – the portions were huge! I loved the yogurt that was in the dish – it was tangy and had flecks of vanilla bean throughout – and the sweet fruit compote was a great contrast.

The muesli itself was a bit average – it would have been nice to get a muesli that was a little more interesting or gourmet, and not your stock-standard raisin and bran combo.

I’ll definitely be back at SBSC for an afternoon drink or two (I spied Fat Yak on tap!). After all, the view of an artificial beach overlooking the river, with a backdrop of the city skyline? That’d be hard to find.

South Bank Surf Club

Restaurant/Bar/Cafe

30aa Stanley Plaza

South Bank (overlooking Kodiak Beach)

(07) 3844 7301

http://www.southbanksurfclub.com.au

I’ve got one arm around the waist of a pleasant young man who isn’t my boyfriend. The other arm is clutching a silver bar behind my back. My butt crack is most definitely on display for all to see, and I’ve got a lot of car drivers staring at me.

So began my Italian adventure the other night, thanks to Campari. It was all a part of their campaign for ‘Apertivio Hour’, and it started with a scooter ride through town to Bravo.

Needless to say scootin’ around Brisbane with two friends was pretty bloody fun. Especially when we caught up to another group on scooters – there the six of us perched at the stop light, tooting away to eachother. Not sure how Italian this kind of obnoxious behaviour was, but damn, it was fun.

Anyway – we were dropped at Bravo in the Valley, and were introduced to three cocktails that would be ideal to relax with during Apertivio Hour.

Aperitivo Hour is a chance to relax before dinner with a drink and a snack – it’s a chance to catch up with friends at the end of the day, and enjoy a light refreshment.

We kicked our Hour off with the ‘Classic Cin Cin’ (pictured at top). Made with Cinzano Vianco, dry ginger ale, cucumber, and lemon, it was super refreshing and made me feel healthy with the addition of cuke.

The second, ‘Aperol Spritz’ was a bit sweeter – it had Prosseco, Aperol, and a dash of soda. I also really liked this one. It was actually my first time trying Aperol, an Italian aperitif that is very similar to Campari in taste and look – except it’s half the alcohol content.

Finally, we tried the ‘Campari Highball’ (above) - simply Campari, fresh orange juice, soda, and ice. As someone who’s new to the over-powering taste of Campari, this was a little much for me, but D enjoyed it. I liked the fact that it would be super easy to replicate at home, though.

After our cocktails we chowed down on one of the best platters I’ve had – it was full of juicy chorizo, super fresh mozzarella; roasted vegies that were smokey and moreish; and chunky little meatballs. Bravo! (See what I did there?)

Thank you Campari and Bravo, for hosting our Italian experience!

For more information about Campari, visit their website.

Hotel Bravo
Restaurant & Bar
455 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley
(07) 3852 3533

Disclaimer: Representatives from Campari contacted me and offered me the chance to try ‘The Italian Experience’. I wrote this review of my own accord.

While she’s like me and has a sweet tooth, the woman likes her bacon. So, I was a little surprised recently when we sat down to breakfast at Anouk, and the cheeky little thing ordered the same thing I did – Croissant French Toast.

Wait, do I need to stop for a second, so you can process that sentence? Yes. That’s french toast, made with a croissant. Arteries be damned. You cannot turn away from such a genius dish.

Anyway, I was kind of annoyed she’d ordered the same thing, because I wanted to try one of Anouk’s other cool-sounding breakfast dishes – like the Croque Monsiuer I saw at another table, or the stuffed mushrooms someone else was digging into, or even the savoury beignets.

We started with coffees (capps for both of us, of course), which were unfortunately pretty bad. Not the worst coffee I’ve ever had, but pretty bitter and not very frothy.

Service, luckily, made up for the sub-par coffee: it was friendly, swift, and very professional – hard to do when Anouk gets as busy as it does! A tip: we arrived just after 8am, and there were plenty of tables. You snooze, you lose.

We sat inside, which was a little bit noisy – next time I’d love to snag one of the sidewalk tables for some people-watching. Still, the interior of Anouk is cosy and welcoming.

Once our meals came out I was secretly relieved to see that they didn’t look too disgustingly rich. The serve was generous, but not ridiculous, giving me the idea that I could definitely finish it off.

As I got halfway through the soft, warm croissant, making sure to top each bite with a little bit of the mascarpone cream, I started to have second thoughts. It might not have been as rich as it sounds – and the rhubarb cut through the heaviness of the dish – but a croissant is still a croissant. And a croissant that’s been dipped in batter and lightly fried sits pretty heavy in the stomach.

I left a quarter on my plate and was totally stuffed, but not feeling gross: success. Meanwhile, Momma T was happily cleaning her plate. Some of us can hoover dessert for breakfast and stay a size 6, it seems.

I’ve heard many people claim that Anouk does the best breakfast in Brisbane. I can’t say I agree (Simpatico for me is the best), but they’re making some damn fine, inventive, unique dishes.

As for Momma T and me? Well, it seems that now food has been added to the list, we’re even closer to being alike in every way: except for our metabolisms.

Anouk

212 Given Tce
Paddington

07-3367-8663