Vintaged Bar and Grill - Brisbane CBD

Having recently been reading online about the $29 lunch special at Vintaged Bar and Grill, I mentioned this to IronFist, who has most recently been on a protein binge and had to drag him away from the gym to go with me and check it out. Taking a quick stroll up Elizabeth Street, we arrived at peak lunch hour for our 12.30 reservation.

As you would expect of a restaurant situated in the Hilton, the setting was refined and relaxed. I loved the leather couches.

The menu, as you would expect, is focused on the lunch special, comprising of one drink, an entree, a main and a coffee.

Our meals started with a choice of red or white wine. Iron fist went for his preferred red and I followed suit.

Crusty bread complimentary bread was provided, which is always a plus. In terms of the bread, it was a rustic traditional sourdough, and I particularly liked its very porous texture, but it would have been immensely more enjoyable if toasted so that the butter could melt on top rather as opposed to having to force spread it.

Our entrees soon arrived, and for once, we both ordered the same dish (obviously because it was the best choice there).

This was the Wagyu Beef Tartare, served with chips, egg yolk and watercress. I quite enjoyed the tartare, it was fresh, meaty and had a nice tang to it from the capers, sauce and creaminess from the yolk. As for the chips, I found them to be fairly standard like the ones you could get from a supermarket.

After our entree plates were whisked aside, mains soon arrived, no doubt expedient for the corporate lunch time crowd.

Iron Fist ordered the Roast Pork Belly, it was served with apple & parsnip puree, grilled greens and horseradish. The pork belly didn't have a very crispy skin, it leaned towards chewy. I could definitely taste hints of soy and hoisin in it, coupled with the asian greens, it had a distinctively Chinese taste to it.

Wanting something different, I had the Beef Ragu, it was served with pappardelle, mushrooms, green olives and grana paderno. This was far more enjoyable than the pork belly, with a tender pappardelle soaked in rich beef jus. The beef was tender, stringy and delicious with the cheese making for a filling and hearty meal.

Our meals ended with coffee, as usual, he a flat white and myself a cappuccino. Both were quite milky but not overly strong, my cappuccino was doused in a large amount of cocoa, making it reasonably good for restaurant quality, but not at the level you would get from nearby cafes.

Price Range: $29pp lunch special

Taste: 6/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 8/10

Reverends Fine Coffee - Fortitude Valley

Having been to a lot of the more popular cafes, sometimes I have found that busyness is often used as an excuse for sub par food and brusque attitude on behalf of staff. Once in a while though, I get the opportunity to go to a place that is has both the buzz of keen enthusiastic staff along with amazing food, despite the Saturday peak hour for brunch. Reverends at Fortitude Valley was one such cafe. Killing time in between appointments, I found myself in the valley in search of food last Saturday morning. 

 

Lining up at the counter, the menu was short and sweet, containing quite a few options that I would love to go back and try. Of course, being the girl that I am, I opted for the basic eggs and toast with extras, just to test out the waters.

As I mentioned, the place was packed, both front and back. I had to wait a fair while before getting a table, and the staff were very apologetic about the wait.

The coffee that came right after I sat down, was immensely smooth, maybe even one of the best coffees I've had this year. It was strong with a wonderful body and milk foam that was like velvet on my tongue. Topped with grated chocolate, this was definitely a memorable cappuccino that I would come back for.

As my readers would probably have guessed by now, I had my eggs and toast with a side of bacon and avocado. The eggs were perfectly poached with a delectably runny interior and a fully cooked interior. The maple bacon wasn't overly salty for once, was cut to a good thickness, had a crispy exterior and a sweet maple glaze that really made it stand out from the usual salty bacon. Having seen some photos online, I was surprised to see my avocado come out smashed rather than sliced, however it was seasoned with tasty sour cream to keep it tangy. Sourdough was dense and filling too. 

Price range: $15 - $25pp

Taste: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Environment: 8/10

Nostimo Restaurant and Bar - West End

Had a joint group birthday dinner last week and being the designated social organiser, I reverted to my list for inspiration. Ended up choosing Nostimo as quite a few of us have had Greek cravings lately that have remained unsatisfied since the temporary closure of the Greek Club in West End for refurbishment, our other companion has apparently never tried the cuisine, so it made for an ideal option for all of us. Made the booking online and on the day we did a couple of laps around the neighbourhood trying to find parking. Unfortunately for us, we didn't realise until we got there that free parking was available with dine in.

Heading inside, the fit out was modern and sleek but undoubtedly with a Greek theme, especially with the arched white ceiling.

 

 

The menu was provided as we were seated. Options were quite modern and unique to other places we've had around West End, with only a few dishes I had tried before. As always, my attention was piqued by the banquets, but we settled on a number of plates to share that evening.

 

Two friends had mocktails that evening whilst I had pimms, these were refreshing and delightful, a perfect way to start the meal.

Ordering all of our food to come out together, dishes soon started appearing on our table.

Kicking off the meal, we had a serve of Dip & Pita. The three dips comprised of  Tarama White roe caviar, Tzatziki Yoghurt, garlic, cucumber, carrot and Tyrokafteri Feta, ricotta, red peppers. The pita was warm and tasty, more soft than crispy and somewhat dense but still fluffy. Dips were fresh but also rich and creamy, my favourite was without a doubt the tarama white roe caviar, with its delicate seafood flavours.

Another appetiser we had was the Horiatiki, a Greek salad comprising of tomato, cucumber, Spanish onion, kalamata olives, red capsicum, radish, oregano, extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar and feta. As you would expect, it was sharp, crisp and crunchy and enjoyed thoroughly by the table.

Our next dish was the Saganaki, it comprised of Kefalograviera with caramelised figs and candied walnuts. Although I had never tried it before, the concept of pan fried cheese always excites me. It was wonderfully gooey and tasted like a delicious cross between haloumi and mozzarella. What would have been a very decadent and heavy dish was wonderfully contrasted by the sweet figs and walnuts, adding both depth and crunch. 

Soon the meatier dishes started arriving, this was the Soutzoukakia of Smyrni, containing pork, beef and rice meatballs with a spicy tomato sauce and fresh yoghurt, it was also topped with sharp Parmesan cheese. The meatballs were quite crumbly and tasty, the balance between pork and beef was quite well struck. Both the yoghurt and cheese were sharp and cut through the meat well. For the price of a main though, I found the portion of four meatballs to be a little on the smaller side, perhaps two or three more would have made the dish more worthwhile.

Next was one of our Greek favourites, Pork Belly Souvlaki, a dish of skewered pork belly with mustard mayo and a tomato, onion and parsley salad. The grilled pork was delicious and well seasoned, but it was also overwhelmed by the copious amounts of mayonnaise, which definitely overpowered the dish.

Another meat dish we had was the special, Whole Suckling Pig on the Spit, roasted potato, apple, green olive. As a roast pork should always be, the skin was crispy. Unfortunately though, although the dish did seem quite large compared to say the meatballs, a considerable portion of this was bone, and as a result the edible portion wasn't that much. I did like the apple sauce though, which complimented the pork well.

Our next and final main was my favourite for the night, the Lamb Skaras, a lamb forequarter pieces cooked on charcoal grill, wilted spinach and herb yoghurt. The lamb was as soft and tender as it looked. The smokey lamb flavours combined so well with the zing of lemon, and I we all agreed, this was without a doubt the highlight of our meal. Despite the fact that it doesn't look overly large in the plate, lemon aside, the whole plate was consumed with much fervor. 

Of course, no Greek meal could be complete without a dish of Patates Sto Fourno, oven baked lemon oregano potatoes. These were almost like wedges with a zing and fragrance of dried oregano. A perfect accompaniment for our meats. 

Price Range: $30 - $40pp

Taste: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 8/10

The Smug Fig - Woolloongabba

Rainy weekend a week or so ago, we decided to check out the Smug Fig, a long established neighbourhood favourite of Woolloongabba, after having seen quite a few blogs online, and having recently tried their sister store ED cafe, I decided it was finally time to go and see for myself. Driving along the busy street that is Stanley Street, parking was hard to come by, but crossing the road was even more perilous, but for the promise of good food, we took the necessary risks.

Despite the rain and relatively early hour, arriving at 9, the cafe was completely full up and a queue to be seated, despite the wide expanse of the cafe. It took us roughly 20 mins before we were seated.

 

 

Luckily for us, we were able to peruse the substantial menu whilst waiting in line. With the considerable amount of options available, it actually took the whole 20 minutes for us to decide what to order.

By the time we got a table, we were ready to order, true to cafe style it was counter service, and we were soon given a number.

Drinks came quite promptly after ordering.

My companions ordered a latte each, and I a cappuccino. Both had a nice strong caffeine hit and were frothy and creamy, but were lacking on the part of temperature as they came out lukewarm.

Food came a short while after the coffee. The spread was really impressive.

This was the chicken burger, with a marinated chicken thigh, herbed aioli, smashed dorito, parmesan bits, rocket, organic brioche bun and shoestring fries. The bun was fluffy and sweet, but could have been toasted a little more. The chicken thigh was super moist and flavoursome with juices bursting out as you bit into it, but my companion mentioned that it was a little on the chewy side. The doritos ensured that the burger had extra crunch to it, while the rocket ensured some form of vegies were present. Shoestring fries are always my favorite, and these were delightfully crispy, making for a wonderful accompaniment.

Another companion ordered the Beef Brisket with cherry tomatoes, organic sourdough, sunny side up egg, sweet potato puree and pepita seeds. Seeing as he was looking for a hearty meaty breakfast, that is definitely what he got. The piece of brisket was huge and moist. It broke apart in my mouth. Sweet potato puree was a nice change from the usual potato often found with beef. Egg was also done really well.

I ordered the Bae, including sourdough, eggs, bacon, tomato and tomato, with an added side of avocado. My eggs were perfectly poached as I prefer, with a fully cooked egg white, but a gooey, runny egg yolk. My bacon had a good thickness to it and I enjoyed the toasty parts of the tomato. Avocado was ripe and creamy but also had copious amounts of sour cream mixed in, which I would have preferred less of.

Price Range: $15 - $25pp

Taste: 7/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 7/10