Yesterday I was very fortunate and had a day off from reality, so André and I planned to go for a little drive somewhere and treat ourselves to lunch! (And also to celebrate Andrè’s new job!)

We had been to Stirling before and since the gorgeous Autumn weather has finally arrived we thought it might be nice to take the short thirty minute trip to see if we could find somewhere yummy for lunch.

Driving into Stirling on Mount Barker Road we were greeted with everything that is Autumn!

The trees were filled with leaves of deep reds, bright yellows and burnt oranges! There was not a puff of wind, everything was still and the moment we ventured outside of our car the scarves were wrapped around our necks and the gloves were slipped over our freezing fingertips! It was only nine degrees and we could feel the chill on the tips of our noses!

The street was lined with the fallen autumn leaves, leaving a blanket of beautiful colour for us to walk on.

After strolling up and down, skimming over many menus we decided that The Locavore would be our treat for today.

The Locavore
49 Mount Barker Road, Stirling, SA

Nestled in the middle of the main drag, The Locavore is a very quaint and almost boutique style venue, windows and a very open ceiling skylight let us sit in warmth whilst watching the cool autumn weather outside. The mezzanine level above provides an open feel and also a stylish venue for a special occasion.

At The Locavore the food philosophy is simple: if not local, eat family-farmed; if not family-farmed, eat organic; if not organic, eat fair trade. So you can see from their own philosophy and their 100 mile food diet that good food is paramount at The Locavore and where possible, only sought from local produce.

To start with we shared the Locavore Regional Grazing Platter.
A beautiful salmon dip spread over the char grilled bread with olive oil just melted in our mouths. An eggplany dip provided a lighter flavour and went perfectly with the garlic pita. Fresh carrot, celery and cucumber sticks was a little health kick and made us feel better about ordering sweets! A combination of delectable tapas this plate is perfect to share as a light meal.

We then decided to share the Hand Rolled Carnivore Gnocchi. Smoked salmon, caper berries, sour cream and wilted baby spinach were combined in such a way that made the whole dish feel like you were eating salmon fresh from the ocean! It was such a soft and silky dish. Quite a salty combination the salmon and caper berries did work well together, just the right amount of saltiness!

We were so excited about the caper berries as they were absolutely delicious, and the real deal! (we are used to cooking smaller more preserved capers so it was fantastic to bite in to a full flavored caper berry!)

After feeling very glad that we chose to share mains (both extremely full at this stage!) we analyzed the dessert menu and couldn’t resist the sound of the Lemon Pudding!

I love all things citrus so I knew regardless that this one would be right up my alley and my goodness! Was it ever!

The lemon pudding was baked and served with Tweedvale double cream! Absolutely delicious!

It was sweet but with the beautiful tang of lemon, the cream was almost ice-cream like! So thick! A little bit of pudding with a little bit of cream, in a few short mouthfuls it had entirely disappeared from our plate!

A beautiful lunch meal in a beautiful setting, one you simply must try on your next trip to Stirling!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of our beautiful Mums!

Such a special day to celebrate everything wonderful and beautiful about our gorgeous Mums!

Today we decided to take Mum out for breakfast to one of our favorites: Grind It.

As always, we were welcomed with beaming smiles from the staff as well as those tantalizing smells that constantly float over from the kitchen!

Of course it was busy due to an increased amount of Mother’s consuming breakfast ‘out’ to celebrate their special day but luckily we must have arrived at the right time as were seated straight away! I love sitting at the high benches, it’s cosy and feels quaint; perfect for a winters day!

Today our little ‘special tasters’ were mini scones with strawberry jam and chantilly cream! Two words: yum yum!

Such a small gesture yet such an effective one, the special tasters given to all patrons dining at Grind It are just a little feel-good memento that leaves you feeling warm and very welcome!

For breakfast this morning I had to go with my all time favourite, homemade crumpets! Three light and tasty cinnamon crumpets coated in icing sugar, served with honeyed mascarpone and grilled banana. Every single component of this mouthwatering dish was perfect! A total match made in heaven!

My beautiful Mumma went with the homemade porridge with pear and date! Fresh oats with fresh pear worked wonders together. It was the perfect texture, not too soft but just the right amount of substance! Mum loved it!

The other half of our little breakfast group went with the famous Grint It ‘Brekkie Wrap’! This is one Mads and André always order, simply because the scrumptious sausage teamed with egg, onion and the most mouthwatering barbecue sauce are too hard to resist!

If you want savory for breakfast, the Brekkie Wrap is where it’s at!

To share in the middle we thought we might try the homemade banana bread. Served with a berry fruit compote and natural yoghurt, the banana bread was like eating a fresh banana sprinkled with cinnamon! Perfect for a light snack with a cup of Chai. (Or even as an additional share plate like we most often chose to do because we simply can’t resist trying at least two different things!)

If you haven’t been, please do your breakfast tastebuds a favour and visit Grind It for a delicious start to your day!