Boston Coffee House and Warehouse Grill

To Whom It May Concern,

I have never been overly drawn towards the 'Americana' food phase that seems to be all the rage at the moment. You know what I'm talking about, big cheesy burgers, hot dogs, chili fries... all of that Man Vs Food type stuff.

Don't get me wrong, Man Vs Food makes me drool (as much for Mr Richman, as much as the trillion calorie meals he presents), but maybe it's just been a lack of availability til recently, or a fear of turning into a giant fatty.

because I can.

My two dinner pals, however, have visited the USA several times, and LIVE for its indigenous cuisine.

I was around at Mr D and Ms S's house playing with their new puppy, Ghost, when we tried to decide what to have for dinner.

The Sunshine Coast has had an explosion of new cafe's, bars and restaurants in the last 12 months, it's really been quite extraordinary. One of them is the Boston Coffee House located in the quiet and relitively new residential area of Brightwater. Whispers of their burger menu had made it's way to our ears and one of those whispers contained talk of the Fenwick Park, aka the burger served on a glazed donut.

We made our way out to Brightwater. The Boston Coffee house would have been quite missable had we not known it was beside the Aldi, so we parked the car and went to see if it was in fact open.

Located in Brightwater, about a 5 minute drive south-west of Mooloolaba

By day, the aptly named Boston Coffee House serves (oddly) coffee, breakfasts, lunches, and sweets. The waitress informs me that by night, the coffee house becomes the Warehouse Grill, and has been doing so for about 5 weeks.

We are informed that we may grab a table and a menu and order when ready. We take a table inside and make our way through the expansive menu.

This excerpt is just the beef burgers. Also available is chicken, pork and lamb burgers.

I decide that I simply MUST try the donut burger aka the Fenwick Park. Mr D opts for the Bullpen, and Ms S the Breaking Ball.

For sides we decide on the Frickles (Deep fried pickles), onion rings and fries.

Ms S decides to get a vanilla milkshake, while Mr D and I take advantage of the BYO option and pick up some Blue Moon beers from the bottleshop next door.

We make our way up to the counter where we wait behind 2 other patrons.

The patrons in front of us wait about 2 minutes before being served, and then Ms S and I get served about 5 minutes after waiting at the counter.

I didn't like this, but it is forgivable. The cafe wasn't busy.

Ms S's milkshake arrives in a timely fashion and looks absoutely adorable in a olde style glass milk bottle.

Before too long we are greeted with our dinners.

My Fenwick Park:

Let me say...

I would so let myself gain 100kgs if it meant I could eat these everyday. It not only lived up to my Adam Richman created dreams but surpased it many times over.

I had an idea that the sweet and salty/savoury would work well, but it's so much more than that. The spongy, squishy texture of the donuts against the meats, and the crystally, syruppy glaze versus the slowly meating cheese... Oh it's almost too much.

Mr D's Bullpen:

 This burger was an absolute stonker, two massive patties, cheese and onion rings. It really was quite a sight. D complimented the use of turkish bread as a bun, however, there was no "hot flowing cheese centre", as advertised on the menu.

The sides were a real highlight. They were out of frickles, which literally broke our hearts, so we replaced that segment with hot wings.

But the chips were perfectly seasoned and were cooked as well as any chip I have ever had.

The onion rings also had the perfect crunch when you bit into them, beautifully sweet onion inside and not a sign of greasiness.

The hot wings (with chili sauce) were beautifully cooked, flavoured and with a nice strong hit of heat. Aioli was kindly provided as a side which came in handy when that heat kicked in.

Ms S's Breaking Ball

Ms S asked for this burger with no onion and with sauce on the side. It did come with onions, and the sauce didn't come til requested, it also came with bacon on it, which wasn't on the menu and was not requested.

The meat did have a lovely bourbon flavour, but I thought they might have gone a little heavy handed on the peppers, lovely flavours but we all decided after tasting that this burger needed something creamy on it.

Apart from a few forgivable faux pas, I would really recommend a visit here to try to burgers. I will certainly be coming back to try the Home Plate, with pastrami, saurkraut and swiss cheese on a beef pattie and of course for another Fenwick Park and more onion rings. And to hopefully try some frickles.

The cafe itself has a really lovely atmosphere, and plenty of outdoor tables as well.

• Shop 8 a Brightwater Market Place
• Mooloolaba, Queensland 4557

Hours	Mon - Wed: 6:00 am - 4:00 pm Thu - Sat: 6:00 am - 8:00 pm Sun: 7:30 am - 3:30 pm

Wasabi Noosa

Last night, Miss M and myself finally got to Wasabi at Noosa Sound. We had been planning this date for months on end, but illness, conflicting engagements among other things had stopped us. But this Wednesday night, we made it.

I had wanted to eat at this restaurant for quite a while now, it's accolades alone start my salivary glands off.

BRISBANE TIMES GOOD FOOD GUIDE
Awarded Two Hats and Regional Restaurant of the Year – 2013
(One of only five restaurants in the state to hold a two hat ranking)
 
GOURMET TRAVELLER
Restaurant Guide 2013 – One Star
Queensland (Regional) – Top 10 list
Australia (Japanese) – #2
Australia (Top 100) – #95

So along we went.

The interior of the restaurant is faultless and pure class the whole way. Clean off white walls with tasteful artwork, crisp linen tablecloths, and Sinatra softly on the speakers.

http://www.au.timeout.com/brisbane/restaurants/venues/835/wasabi

We announce our arrival and are shown to our table.

I start with a Shio Martini, and Miss M a Sav Blanc.

Cocktail Menu

We took time to study the menu, but both had it in mind that we would be having the chef selction.

http://www.wasabisb.com/menus/

I think the thing that separates a good restaurant from an amazing restaurant, is the 'nothing is to much trouble' ethic. And our incredible waitress, as well as the kitchen staff certainly made us feel as if nothing was too much trouble at all.

Miss M announced her dietary requirements, and the staff were more than happy to make sure these were addressed.

We decide on the 5 course option, and happily accept some edamame while we wait to begin.

Our amuse bouche is a ginger and daicon soup. It is warm, savoury and tangy. And certainly excites the taste buds.

Our next step on our culinary journey is for myself Eel, and for Miss M mushroom with a sticky glase served with refreshing cucumber on a base of the most unusually textured glass-type noodle I have ever tried. This was an exceptional course. I love eel at the best of times, but this eel was outstanding. Miss M commented that she thought it was lovely, that even though she had an altered menu, the 2 plates still looked identical.

Following this we have a tuna tartare served on sticky rice. Apart from being presented beautifully in earthern pots, the drama comes as our gorgeous waitress grates fresh wasabi root at the table.

The tuna itself is divine, as fresh, natural and exquisite as any I have tried, and pared with the sticky fragrant rice is delicious, but we discover the dish only comes alive with the addition of the heady wasabi.

Course three is the aesthetically pleasing tempura shoot stuffed with whitefish served with salad of candied and fresh radish.

At first bite, this dish seemed okay, the tempura was light and crisp, the flavours balanced. But as I went back for my second bite I was blown away by the subtle complexity of the harmony of the flavours within. And then I got sad, because it was all gone.

For my second drink of the night I choose the other Martini from the menu, the Umetini. (You may be noticing a pattern here. I really enjoy Martinis at the moment).

For out second to last course is the most interesting of the courses, however did the least for me. The highlight of course is the 2 hour slow cooked egg which forms the sauce that binds the dish togther, however, it was all just a little too breakfasty for me.

Don't get me wrong, I most certainly did get excited breaking through the egg revealing the beautiful runny yolk inside, and the textures together were stunning. But not my favourite.


But the moment we had been waiting for... the Wagyu.

Presented rare and only slightly seasoned to keep it's most natural form, it not only lived up to, but surpassed that thing that every red-meat lover craves. I don't know what the word for it is, but when you get the most beautiful piece of perfectly cooked steak and your eyes kind of roll back into your head a little... it's that thing.

We finish up with a palate cleansing mandarine sorbet with berry jelly on crumble, which is refreshing and beautfully tangy.

The high quality of service, beautiful locally sought produce, the sheer class has certainly placed Wasabi in the top shelf of restaurants I have dined in.

I must mention that I foolishly did not take notes from the nightly chefs menu, so some of the descriptions may seem a little vague, and I apologise.

I would also like to state that I hope these photos are slightly better than the last post. I dispise using flash inside restaurants and really apprecite when my co-diners have the patience for me to take my time with my photos, it's still really hard in a dark restaurant though.

Thank you again, Wasabi for a spectacular evening, and Miss M, for dining with me, and driving.

RESERVATIONS

DINING ROOM
Wednesday – Sunday
Dinner from 5pm

Friday & Sunday
Lunch from 12 noon

BAR
Wednesday – Sunday
5pm – Close

Holiday season trading times may differ.  Please contact us for additional operating hours.

FOR BOOKINGS PLEASE CALL
07 5449 2443

Hotel Maroochydore

The Maroochydore Hotel, previously the Grinning Dog, I'm not sure why my friends suggested it, but I'm glad they did.

I have to admit, the pub itself has never lured me, and I hadn't eaten here since I have been back on the coast but I suspect that will change.

The menu is incredibly diverse, covering pub usuals: steaks, seafood, pasta, risotto, and includes specialty items like confit pork belly, barbeque ribs, and lamb tzatziki pizza.

Myself and D decided on the BBLT Burger ($10) from the lunch specials menu and S opted for the Rump steak ($10) and we shared 3 sides for the table, battered onion rings, buffalo wings and Parmesan crusted calamari.

I suspect the burger patty was manufactured but dispite this, it was a very delicious burger, containing bacon, cheese, barbeque sauce tomato and lettuce. I think it could have used mayo, but I added some of the aioli from the sides. I also opted to not eat half the bun. The chips were cooked perfectly. Miss S's steak, she tells me was cooked perfectly, juicy and with lovely flavour.

 The Parmesan crusted calamari ($8) was also cooked beautifully. The Parmesan flavour was light but detectable. Delicious.

 The beer battered onion rings ($8) were light and crisp, served piping hot.

The buffalo wings ($8) had a lovely flavour and the smokey barbeque sauce was excellent. With our food S had a lemon lime and bitters and D and I had a schooner of Carlton Draught each.

Hotel Maroochydore has lunch specials daily and dinner specials most nights. I think it is really good value, and I will be sure to do a write up the next time I head there for pizza night.

Hotel Maroochydore
201 Main Road
Maroochydore
Queensland
Ph: 07 5479 5611

Email:
hotelmaroochydore@starhotels.com.au

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Arnica Restaurant- Maroochydore

 Oh, it is getting far too long between posts.

This makes me sad, and last night, taking my Dad to one of my new local favourites, I promised I would blog about the experience. I have missed it. I can see by the counter that I am still getting views, so welcome to my new readers and welcome back to my friends that have visited before.

One thing I do have to state, however, is that I have apparently forgotten how to take photos of food I opted for no flash and had to lighten the pics to within an inch of their life. Apologies. Obviously out of practice.I will be sure to make the explanations all the more descriptive

I had my best buddy, my Dad, come visit me this week for some dad and daughter time. We drove around, took in some views and pubs and did some fishing. To finish off our day together we were to go out to dinner.

As you can tell, for the last few years my passion for eating out has continued to grow, my father's passion for delicious dining outings is just beginning, and nothing could make me happier.

For our dinner together I recommend Arnica, off Duporth Avenue in Maroochydore.

I first visited Arnica perhaps a month ago with my best friends and fellow Supper Club members Miss C and Miss A. Miss A has an entertainment voucher book, and this is what lead us to Arnica and we enjoyed the experience very much.

Arnica sits at #2 restaurant in Maroochydore on Trip Advisor and an scores an impressive 89% on Urban Spoon.

The restaurant is nestled at the end of an alley, but  positioned with a spectacular outlook over the river mouth.


The outlook by day: This photo of Arnica is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The spectacular Italian inspired menu boasts luscious local seafood offerings, as well as modern Australian twists on classics much as eye fillet, duck and lamb, seafood platters, and the house special Caciucco alla Livornest: "Traditional Italian style fish & seafood pot, served with grilled sourdough".

Visit the entire menu here 

The meal starts with a warm roll and olive oil.

With so many incredible options available, Dad and I decide that we are happy to share both of our courses, so we can experience as much as possible, and opt for the "local scallops with Asian crust served with cucumber salsa"  and the "lightly fried tender local calamari settled over minty crisp salad". And both choose the Twin Islands Sauvignon Blanc.

 The scallops are perfectly tender, the crisp crumbs providing a beautiful contrast to the springy meat. The flavours are delicate but perfectly balanced.

 The calamari salad on the other hand commands attention with rather strong flavours; fresh and well cooked crumbed calamari sits atop a salad of carrot and red cabbage flavoured with mint.

For mains we decide on the Roasted rack of lamb: "French trimmed grain fed lamb rack roasted and served with Scandinavian assorted root vegetables and a pinot noir jus" as well as the the fish of the day: red emperor served on mashed potato with Moroccan vegetables.

I opt for the fish dish first and it was truly sensational. The red emperor- a fish I had not previously tried- was beautiful flavoured, and cooked to perfection. The mash on which is rested had a hearty potato flavour, and the Moroccan vegetable medley provided a welcome texture with lentil and chickpea, spices and tomato, the dish is finished off with a lightly tangy white sauce, and although each individual element alone is lovely, once combined, this dish nears perfection.

The lamb rack we order, Miss C had ordered on our previous visit, and I was most keen to try for myself. The lamb was as lamb should taste, like he lived a happy life and was juicy and tender, The jus decadently rich, but whereas vegetables can quite often be more garnish, the Scandinavian root vegetables served with this perfect plate stand tall and outspoken, every vegetable boasts perfect texture and each individual vegetable's own flavour is true to itself.

Earlier in the day, dad and I had stopped into the Silva Spoon and picked up cake, so we chose to forego the desserts menu, sadly.

Both this experience and my first were incredibly enjoyable.

The staff, especially the waiter I had on both occasions, are very welcoming and knowledgable, and this always helps top off a lovely meal.

I was unsure, after the eye fillet I had last time was PERECT, to order it again, or try something new. But I am really happy I did try something new, because I everything I have tried has been lovely.

I really recommend this restaurant if on the coast.

Prices can be found in the menu link, or on the website.

14-16 Duporth Ave, Maroochydore, T. 07 5479 6575 or F. 07 5479 6578 - E. arnicawaterfront@hotmail.com

http://arnicawaterfront.com.au/