Little White Lies Competition

Thanks to the good people at Hopscotch Films, it's competition time!

Food bling, Brisbane has 5 double passes to preview showings of Little White Lies, a new French movie which is about to open in Brisbane.


Guillaume Canet has assembled an outstanding cast of some of France's finest actors - headed by Academy Award-winning Marion Cotillard - to make an entertaining and acutely observed drama of manners. A group gathering is hosted every year by a couple at their beautiful beach house where they kick-off their summer vacation by celebrating the birthday of one of the gang. Fun, fine wine and seafood mix with sun and sand as they all leave their city stresses and inhibitions behind.

But this year is different. One of them is badly injured in a serious motorcycle accident just as they are about to leave Paris for their seaside reunion. His friends flock to his bedside, where their unconscious pal is still alive but in intensive care. What to do? Stay in Paris to be by his side, or leave for their vacation having been assured that there is nothing they can do? By the time they return he should be conscious and up for visitors. After some intense discussion, they decide to head off for enjoyment and relaxation. Over the course of the next week, all the tensions within this group erupt into full daylight.

Through a succession of incidents, the group is pulled apart and dragged together by their ties of loyalty and marriage. Their relationships, convictions, sense of guilt and friendship are sorely tested. They are finally forced to own up to the little white lies they have been telling each other.



As far as I'm concerned, Marion Cotillard is reason alone to see Little White Lies (although I'm sure the plot/setting/other actors are also very important). If you would like the chance to win one of the preview passes, you need to tell me about your favourite French food or wine experience - it could be memories of your favourite meal in Paris, your favourite French recipe or the time when you ate a whole packet of Lescure butter for lunch.

To enter, either post up your French food or wine tale as a comment to this post, or email it through to me at ricardogardiner[at]gmail.com.

Finally, these preview tickets must be used on 10, 11 or 12 June 2011, so make sure you're in town that weekend.

Entries close on 4 June 2011, so if you snooze, you'll lose.

The pub with no (gluten free) beer

It's been a hard day/week/year. You need a drink. You head to the closest pub thinking about an icy cold beer. You walk in, look through all the taps and even in the fridges, but they don't have any beer. Sounds a bit bizarre? Not if you have coeliac disease.

Over the last 5 years or so, that's what faced me every time I walked into a bar/pub/restaurant/wedding/football game etc. Luckily for all the coeliacs out there, things are changing, at least in Brisbane.

I was at Kerbside recently, lining up at the bar for a drink. I'd already decided on a good G&T (with Bombay Sapphire) but was just scanning through the drinks fridge, because there was a pretty impressive line up of beers. All of a sudden I noticed they had O'Brien's gluten free beer stubbies in the fridge. I couldn't believe it, because I'd never seen them in a bar, so I had to ask the bar tender:

Me - "Is that actually O'Brien's gluten free beer in the fridge?"

Bar guy - "Yep, we have two types - the premium lager and the pale ale"

Me - Dumbfounded. Can't decide. NEVER had this many beer choices in the last 5 years at a bar. (The guy must think I'm crazy while I try to decide) "I'll have a premium lager." Walk off, still amazed, guzzling down the beer.

Anyway, since that trip to Kerbside (which is brilliant by the way), I've found out there are a couple of other bars in Brisbane serving gluten free beer:

Kerbside - O'Brien's Premium Lager and Pale Ale

Archive - O'Brien's

The German Club - O'Brien's

Bavarian Bier Cafe - Schnitzer Brau (A German gluten free beer brewed from millet)

Hats off to those bars! Each of them is now top of my list next time I really need a beer. If you know of any other Brisbane bars that are serving gluten free beer, let me know, and I'll add them to this post.

New Zealand in a Glass 2011

One of my favourite wine events each year is New Zealand in a Glass. If you haven't been before, it involves loads of NZ wine producers touring around Australia, so we can all taste their current release wines.

This year NZ in a Glass is coming to Brisbane on 28 February 2011 at the Convention Centre and a ticket will set you back $45 (which includes a Riedel glass to take home). You'll need to grab your tickets through Ticketek.

If you've only ever drunk sauvignon blanc from NZ before, this is a great chance to taste all the other terrific wines that the country produces without having to jump on a plane over there. Some of my favourite NZ wine producers will be attending this year, including Huia, Hunter's, Lawson's Dry Hills, Spy Valley and Vinoptima.

This event has sold out in the past, so grab a ticket soon if you're intending to go. As I'm wandering around on crutches for the next month, unfortunately I think I'm going to have to give it a miss this year (or maybe I could show up with a modified Homer Simpson Duff beer hat).

New Zealand in a Glass 2011
Monday, 28 February 2011
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Corner of Merivale Road & Glenelg Street
South Brisbane 4101
W - http://www.nzwine.com/events/new-zealand-in-a-glass-brisbane/

Baked Relief

The flooding in Queensland has no doubt affected someone you know.

My mum lives in Yeronga, and although she was extremely lucky and just avoided the floods, I was over in the suburb on the weekend and felt numb driving around the streets. I spent over 20 years of my life in Yeronga, so it was pretty devastating to see how badly some streets had suffered from the floods.

Luckily there have been loads of people helping out those that have been affected, which is important not only for the rebuilding of the city, but also for everyone's morale. One of the people that is making a big difference is my friend and fellow blogger Danielle, who writes Digella Emporium. Danielle came up with the idea of Baked Relief - supplying home-cooked food to those who need it around Brisbane, as well as to all the impressive volunteers.

If you are a keen cook, please get in touch with Danielle via her blog or Twitter. If you can't cook to save your life, then there are other ways you can help, including donating to Baked Relief.

In the meantime, I'll leave you all on a positive note - I love this photo from Dalby which has been doing the rounds on Facebook - good to see even the animal kingdom is helping each other out in times of crisis.

When too much food is never enough

This weekend is looking terrific! Not only are there two football grand finals and the world championship cycling taking place, but there are loads of food related events happening around Brisbane.

First up Dreamfarm is having a Barn Door Opening morning tea event at its new warehouse in Albion on Saturday morning. Dreamfarm is a Brisbane based design company and will be showcasing their entire range of kitchen gadgets, as well as offering free espresso and tasty treats to all that attend.

Then kick off your Sunday with a trip to Jan Power's farmers market at Blackwood Street in Mitchelton. I'm a regular visitor to the Blackwood Street market - usually picking up fresh raspberries, great mushrooms, local honey, gluten free Sol bread and plenty of other food that tastes much better than anything you'll find at your local supermarket.

Then we'll be heading over to Southbank for two more events - the Thai Culture and Food Festival and Granite Belt Flavours.

The inaugural Thai Culture and Food Festival will feature Thai dancing, cultural shows, Thai products, the Singha beer garden and (most importantly) 15 food stalls. It will be located at the Cultural Forecourt at South Bank.

Once you have had a wander around the Thai Festival, head over to Granite Belt Flavours on Little Stanley Street where you'll find 30 stalls showing off the best food, wine & produce from the Granite Belt. It's a great way to support local food industries, and if you haven't tried much wine from the Granite Belt, it's the perfect way to start.

Dreamfarm Barn Door Opening
Saturday 2 October 2010, 10am - 1pm
9 Amy Street
Albion 4010
W - http://www.dreamfarm.com.au/

Jan Power's Farmers Market
Sunday 3 October 2010, 6am - 12pm
Blackwood Street
Mitchelton 4053
W - http://www.janpowersfarmersmarkets.com.au/

Thai Culture and Food Festival
Sunday 3 October 2010, 10am - 8pm
Cultural Forecourt
South Bank 4101
W - http://www.thaifest.com.au/

Granite Belt Flavours
Sunday 3 October 2010
Little Stanley Street
South Bank 4101
W - http://www.southbankmarket.com.au/events.html

Into Africa

As you all probably know, the Brisbane Festival is on the go at the moment. One of the events I'm glad to see is back again this year is Into Africa, which is being held next Saturday, 25 September 2010.

Into Africa takes place at Yeronga Park, and features live music, traditional dancing, food, coffee, and arts & crafts from all over Africa. If you haven't yet made it to one of the terrific African restaurants in Brisbane, Into Africa is a great place to tuck into some traditional African food for lunch.

I went along last year and really enjoyed it, especially the food that was on offer. This year I'm looking forward to seeing Hassan M'Souli's cooking demonstration. I've got one of his cookbooks (Modern Moroccan) and seeing as I'm about to rustle up a Moroccan dinner for the next Gastronauts Supper Club night, I'm keen to pick up as many tips as I can get.

On the music front, the featured artists include King Marong and Afro Mandinko, Samoko, Afro Dizzi Act, the Big Fela Afrobeat Orchestra and the 200 strong Into Africa Choir, who will be performing a tribute to Miriam Makeba.

It all adds up to a terrific day, so get along and experience a slice of Africa next Saturday.

Into Africa
Saturday 25 September 2010, 11am to 6pm
Yeronga Park
School Road, Yeronga
W - http://www.brisbanefestival.com.au/Events/0,261,4747,026100906.aspx

Wine List of the Year Awards

As I have been known to hunt down restaurants with a great wine selection, I was keen to find out see the winners of this year's Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine wine list of the year awards.

This year the overall winner (Australia wide) was Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne, which pipped the other finalists - Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Est., Glass Brasserie, Pilu at Freshwater, Quay and Vue de Monde. Fittingly, David Lawler from Rockpool Bar & Grill also picked up the Judy Hirst award for best sommelier. If you're feeling thirsty, you can read through the winning Rockpool Bar & Grill list here.

Looking at the local scene, The Brisbane Club picked up the award for the best club list in Australia, which is a terrific result. I've only eaten at the Brisbane Club once, but wasn't in charge of ordering the wine for that meal, so I'm keen to get an invite back there to really get stuck into their wine list. Wine Magazine noted that it's not just the depth of the list which is impressive (covering over 350 wines), but the prices are also excellent (including a magnum of 1997 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay for $223 and a magnum of 1996 Penfolds Grange for $915).

The Queensland state winner for best restaurant wine list was Ortiga. I haven't yet eaten at Ortiga, but I now have a compelling reason to visit soon. Ortiga pipped Absynthe and Cru Bar to take out the Queensland prize. Have a look at Ortiga's list here.

If you're looking for great restaurant wine lists in and around Brisbane, pay a visit to Absynthe, Aria, Cru Bar, E'cco, 1889 Enoteca, Era Bistro, Ortiga, Restaurant Two, Ristorante Fellini, The Brisbane Club and Vanitas - all of which picked up the highest ranking of three glasses in the awards.

There are 49 Queensland restaurants included in this year's guide, so it's well worth getting your hands on a copy. Unfortunately, this year the guide is included in the body of the magazine, rather than in a separate booklet. I have no idea why they've changed the format, because I always found it much handier to keep the little booklet rather than lugging the whole magazine around for 12 months. Format aside, it's a great way to track down the top wine lists all across the country. For the full guide, pick up the current edition of Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine.

Tasmania Unbottled 2010

If you're a fan of Tasmanian wines, make sure you grab a ticket to Tasmania Unbottled on 24 August 2010.

Tasmania Unbottled involves Tasmania's leading wineries travelling around the country, so you can try them all their wines in one place (much easier than zipping down to Tasmania).

This year the wineries visiting Brisbane include Josef Chromy, Pirie, Dalrymple, Jansz and Stefano Lubiana. I went along last year, and it was a fantastic tasting night - plenty of pinot noir and sparkling wine at almost every table.

Tickets are $35 and you can buy them here.

Tasmania Unbottled
Tuesday 24 August 2010, 5pm to 8.30pm
Holiday Inn
159 Roma Street
Brisbane 4000
W - www.winetasmania.com.au/events/tasmania-unbottled-2010

Treacle

I'd previously tried to visit Treacle at the Grange for dinner, only to find it booked out. This time we headed back for breakfast. Although it was really busy on the Sunday morning of our visit, we managed to grab a table on the outside terrace.

Menus were brought to our table promptly, along with a bottle of water and a couple of glasses. So far, so good. The breakfast menu is pretty comprehensive, which means you should be able to find something that takes your fancy, no matter which way your tummy is grumbling.

After checking that they had gluten free toast (which they did) I ordered the zesty avocado on sourdough with bacon, halloumi cheese and two poached eggs ($16.90). I keep meaning to order more avocado dishes for breakfast, but usually forget when it comes to the crucial moment.

When my breakfast arrived, it was a good serving - two slices of toast smothered in "zesty" avocado, layered with rashers of bacon and halloumi slices, with two poached eggs sitting on the top. There was also a decent sized pile of rocket on the side of the plate, which remained untouched. I enjoyed most of the dish - the eggs, bacon and halloumi were all cooked perfectly, but I wasn't so keen on the zesty avocado. It tasted a bit like a guacamole (which is fine) but the pieces of raw red onion in the avocado mix overpowered everything else on the plate. Towards the end I began scraping the avocado off the toast, and found it more enjoyable.

My wife ordered the ricotta pikelets with lemon curd and berry coulis ($14.90). Unfortunately these were disappointing, mainly because the pikelets didn't taste like much ricotta (if any) had made it into the mix. On top of that, $15 for three large-ish pikelets with a bit of lemon curd isn't exactly great value.

We both ordered flat whites, which I found a bit weak compared to my daily Merlo fix, but were otherwise ok.

Other breakfast options include Treacle's home-made muesli with natural yoghurt and honey ($9.90), gypsy pocket filled with double smoked ham off the bone & Swiss cheese ($14.90) and
free range eggs Benedict on organic cornbread topped with fresh hollandaise, which is served with sautéed spinach and roast tomato ($13.90), double smoked ham off the bone ($14.90) or
Treacle's homemade salmon gravlax ($14.90).

While service was friendly throughout our meal, we waited a very long time for our breakfasts to arrive at the table. It was almost an hour after we had sat down when our meals were served. In my book, that's too long to wait for a couple of breakfasts.

Overall, if the service had been better, our visit to Treacle would have been so much more enjoyable. As it was, we waited too long for the food to arrive and when it did, our breakfasts didn't blow our socks off.

Treacle is also open for lunch and dinner. The lunch menu in particular looked good, and we'll have to pop back to try it out. (Sorry there are no photos - I only realised my phone battery was dead when we sat down at the table).

What does all this mean? A wide ranging breakfast menu that should keep everyone happy, but our visit was held back by slow service.

food bling ratings
Food - Ok
Service - Poor
Value for Money - Ok
Ambience - Relaxed suburban cafe/restaurant, with a sunny outside terrace
Vegetarian - Good
Gluten Free - Ok

Treacle
Shops 2-3, 8 Days Road
The Grange 4051
P - 07 3352 4144
E - info@treaclecafe.com.au
W - http://www.treaclecafe.com.au/

The Plough Inn

I can't remember the last time I actually ate at The Plough Inn. Come to think of it, I might have never eaten there at all. At least that was until recently - I was going to see the Pixies at the Convention Centre and Southbank just happened to be a convenient spot to grab a pre-Pixies dinner and drink.

Thinking that we'd be able to eat fairly quickly, I decided to meet my fellow Pixies fan at the Plough Inn. I arrived at about 7.30pm, and there was a decent crowd outside, but I wouldn't say it was crazily busy. I grabbed a G&T at the bar and sat along the side of the pub (in between plenty of overseas tourists) with a magnificent view of a few guys setting up for the markets the next day.

Luckily I didn't have to sit there too long before we ordered dinner. The dinner menu covers salads and steaks, as well as a few other main courses such as grilled barramundi ($24), oven baked king pork cutlet ($26) and a pumpkin & feta stuffed field mushroom ($22).

I was fairly keen on devouring a steak before the concert, but baulked a bit at the prices. I'd been expecting to be able to grab some kind of steak in the $15-$20 range, so I was surprised to find the cheapest cut of beef was a Barcoo grain fed 400g T-bone at $28. Other options include a Tey's 250g eye fillet ($34), Tasmanian premium 300g rib fillet ($32) and a Rangers Valley 400g grain fed rump ($30). All steaks are served with corn on the cob, a choice of steakhouse fries or roast baby potatoes and mushroom, Diane, pepper, garlic cream sauce.

I ordered a Beef City 350g grain fed sirloin, cooked medium rare. We ordered our steaks just before 7.45pm, thinking there would be plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely steak and few cool beverages before the Pixies hit the stage just after 9pm. How wrong we turned out to be. While there was plenty of time to enjoy leisurely beverages, the steaks were another story. After chasing them up twice, the steaks were eventually ready just after 8.30pm. I thought it was a bit unusual that it took the kitchen over 45 minutes to serve two sirloin steaks with a cob of corn, chips and a small green salad.

My steak was probably a little over-cooked, but not far off medium rare. The chips were fine and the corn was ok. Unfortunately we had to gobble down our meals, so I didn't even get to touch the green salad.

For a pub at Southbank, our meals were fine. Whether or not they were good value is another issue. There are now so many pubs around Brisbane that serve steaks (and other meals) for over $30. I don't mind paying over $30 for a steak at a pub, but I expect the resulting piece of beef to be something memorable. Although both our steaks were fine, I wouldn't put them in the memorable category.

While we waited a long time for our steaks, the drinks service in the meantime was friendly and snappy, which meant that by the time the steaks finally arrived, we were both well and truly in the mood to enjoy the Pixies.

The concert itself was fantastic - I'd been waiting a long, long time to see the Pixies live, and they didn't disappoint.

food bling ratings
Food - Ok
Service - Poor
Value for Money - Ok
Ambience - Plenty of outdoor seats, but not much of a view
Vegetarian - Limited selection
Wine - Ok

The Plough Inn
Stanley Street Plaza
South Bank Parklands
South Brisbane 4101
P - 07 3844 7777
W - http://www.ploughinn.com.au/