Category Archives: Cafe Review

Magazine Gallery, Clubhouse Lane

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I had a special lunch date last week with possibly the cutest little guy, Frederick!

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Ok, so maybe he wasn’t really my lunch date but he sure was a cutie.
This little guy belongs to Josh and Ferrin, owners of the fabulous Magazine Gallery on Clubhouse Lane, just off Hindley Street in the city. At two years old, this little short-haired dachshund certainly rules the roost and keeps an eye on business (and attracts puppy lovers like me!).
The Magazine Gallery is a vibrant and quirky open space and is the place to find some of the best specialty magazines around. Originally a design studio, the space still features a design corner but now offers patrons a very chilled out atmosphere; perfect to grab a gourmet bite to eat.
Magazine Gallery
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Large communal tables surrounded by stools make up the seating space and with cool tunes playing in the background you will well and truly feel elaxed while you dine.
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An exclusive menu no more than seven choices long will tempt your taste buds just like they did mine! It was a hard decision, but in the end I chose the cacciatore platter, and I don’t think I could have chosen a more appropriate one!
It was a platter full of the things I love most! Delicious salami, tasty cheese, pickled gherkins, fresh figs, avocado, salted cashews and lightly toasted bread doused in superb olive oil. I could have literally eaten this platter all day long, I love these types of little tasting plates and can’t wait to taste the rest of them on the menu.
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To accompany my platter I sipped on fresh homemade iced tea. It was such a refreshing citrus kick, perfect as an afternoon refresher!
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For sweets I couldn’t pass up a little taste of the chocolate fudge and I even took a slice of the chocolate caramel back to the office to share! Let’s just say that my sweet tooth was extremely happy with those choices! Yum!
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So if you’re visiting the city around lunch time and feel like indulging in style, visit the Magazine Gallery! It most definitely won’t disappoint.
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Maggie Beer’s beautiful Farm Shop

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50 Pheasant Farm Rd Nuriootpa SA 5355

I am sure you are all very much aware of who the lovely Maggie Beer is? A part from the fact she is an absolute culinary goddess in the kitchen, she has also created an amazing farm shop! Hidden in the beautiful part of SA that is the Barossa Valley, her farm shop allows people like you and I the pleasure of enjoying her fabulous produce while taking in the serenity of the countryside!

Andre and I had been planning a visit to Maggie Beer’s for some time, and finally when we had the chance we hopped in the car and drove the hour and twenty minutes from Adelaide to Pheasant farm in Nuriootpa.

The first thing we noticed when we got out of the car (being the typical country people that we are) was the fresh country air! It was so peaceful and quiet; the perfect setting for a country cafe. As we walked through the front doors we noticed a little collage and timeline along the wall with photographs of Maggie in her younger years and a little recount of how the farm shop became the fantastic South Australian icon that it is. She is truly an incredible woman.

Inside the shop feels like you are having a dream where Maggie Beer is your best friend! There is Maggie produce everywhere! Shelves and rustic tables are lined with everything from fruit jams and chutneys to olive oil and pate; and how could you forget Maggie’s amazing ice creams!

Little recipe suggestions dangle from the shelves for you to take home and you can literally taste test everything on the shelves!

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Inside Maggie’s shop

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Yumm!

The farm shop features a little selection of tables lining the interior, outside dining under umbrellas on the decking and even a few trestle tables under the shade of the magnificent trees; take your pick! All of the dining spots look straight out on to the lake which is surrounded by trees and is full of cute little turtles swimming around.

If you are like me and could devour a delicious cheese and quince paste platter as a whole meal – you will love the picnic basket style menu that Maggie has created. There are about ten different basket options to choose from, all of which sound mouth-wateringly delicious.

Since we were at Maggie Beer’s we thought we had better choose a few different items to taste! After all, it’s the weekend and we totally deserve it right?

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The Seasonal Cheese Picnic Basket

The first picnic basket we tried was the Seasonal Cheese Picnic Basket. This featured my absolute favourite: quince paste! A little piece of walnut wood oven bread spread with quince paste and a slice of cheddar cheese was so delicious! There was also a very tasty apricot fruit paste that was sweet but savoury at the same time. We ended up deciding that it must have had a little dash of horseradish in it! And some fresh apricots to top it off made us feel like we were eating very healthily!

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The Porcini Mushroom and Verjuice Pate Picnic Basket

The next basket we tried was the Porcini Mushroom & Verjuice Pate Picnic Basket. I am not a huge fan of pate so this vegetable version was perfect for me! (And Maggie is kind of a pate queen so it would have been rude not to try at least one!) This basket had a delicious earthy freekeh salad, creamy curd cheese and wood oven bread as well. Absolutely delicious.

We then decided to try the Homemade Game Terrine as everyone sitting around us seemed to be ordering it; not to mention it smelt amazing! It was a combination of game and porcini mushrooms covered in a fine sour cream pastry with Vino Cotto Vinaigrette and Maggie’s Cabernet Sauce! Accompanied by fresh salad greens, eating this dish was like eating the most gourmet pasty you have ever tried! Yum! Maggie also has a huge selection of Pheasant Farm wines that go perfectly with her meals or if you’re going non-alcoholic try her amazing sparkling Pink Lady Apple Juice!

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The amazing Terrine!

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The most delicious apple juice

After filling up on a delicious lunch, we chose a baby ice cream tub each and took a little stroll around the lake. We found a bench where we sat and enjoyed the serenity (and the best ice cream you will ever eat!). From here we looked back towards the farm shop where families and friends enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere that Maggie has created. What a beautiful setting and we were so lucky to have such perfect weather to go with it!

A trip to visit Maggie Beer’s is definitely one you must all make sooner rather than later! (I think I can feel a girl’s day out happening soon!)

P.S. On our way out we couldn’t help ourselves! How could we visit Maggie Beer’s farm shop and not take any tasty treats home!

Barefoot Coffee Traders, Manly

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Have you ever discovered something that you find yourself craving day and night? Well I certainly have! On our stay in the beautiful northern suburb of Manly in Sydney we discovered Barefoot Coffee Traders. It is no secret that I love all things chocolate, and so, when I was drooling over the menu that was comprised of only waffle, chocolate and coffee options, I knew that this cafe would become one of my favourites! The cafe itself is tiny. Probably only about 5 metres x 5 metres in size, it has a very small counter and preparation space that is filled with appliances and other necessary cafe bits and pieces. There is no separate room for fridges or storage; things are simply stored in nooks and crannies around the cafe. Small wooden tree stumps are used as stools, all of which are usually occupied with waffle-devouring patrons! With a capacity of about fifteen patrons at any one time, Barefoot is a very quirky and chilled out space perfect for enjoying a waffle, hot chocolate or coffee!

My first Barefoot experience was at 10am on a Thursday and even though I had already eaten breakfast I just couldn’t go past ordering a waffle covered in melted chocolate! I didn’t have to wait long for my order, and thank goodness for that because my mouth was drooling at the smells surrounding me! The first mouthful of my deliciously fresh waffle covered in smooth and creamy Belgium melted chocolate was like eating a slice of heaven! The waffle was fresh (none of this re-heating business) and it was the perfect texture. It was crispy on the outside and so moist on the inside. The melted chocolate was absolutely delicious and, teamed with such a fresh waffle; it was an experience I just didn’t want to end!

Barefoot Waffle

The most delicious waffle I have ever eaten!

This little cafe was so impressive, I couldn’t stay away! I am going to be very honest and admit that I did visit Barefoot four days in a row, and on my second visit I made a very sneaky discovery: it is possible to ask for double melted chocolate with your waffle! Who said a waffle a day, drenched in the best Belgium melted chocolate, is bad for you? Certainly not me!

I also tried their hot chocolate and it is also a chocolate indulgence not to be missed. Melted Belgium chocolate lines your glass with hot milk poured in, so you can either stir it up until the chocolate and milk make a rich hot chocolate, or if you are on the same page as me you can quickly spoon out and eat the hot melted chocolate from the bottom of the glass! My option still left me with a yummy hot chocolate, only it was a little weaker than if I had stirred it at the beginning!

Barefoot Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate!

If you are planning a visit to Manly, you must visit Barefoot! Their wonderful service and delicious chocolate experience is second to none!

2108 Espresso, Palm Beach

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2108 Espresso

3/24 Ocean Road, Palm Beach, NSW, 2108

2108 Espresso

2108 Espresso

Our family weekend away in Sydney has been freezing so far, but cool weather has never stopped us from getting out and about to discover some beautiful places! On Friday 6thof July we took one of our favourite drives along the gorgeous northern beaches. Upon our stroll along the serene and picturesque Palm Beach, we discovered a little gem that was perfect for a cosy morning tea. 2108 Espresso is a little café nestled at the Southern end of Palm Beach.

2108 Espresso

Beautiful little table decorations

First impressions are rustic and inviting, and as for the sweets cabinet; it most certainly did not disappoint!

Sweet Cabinet

The beautiful sweets cabinet

With such a beautiful selection of cupcakes, muffins and tartlets; the choice was not easy! Considering the rain was lightly sprinkling outside, my lovely sister and I decided we felt like something comforting and so ordered the carrot and walnut cake. It was to die for.

Carrot & Walnut Cake

Carrot & Walnut Cake

The cake itself was extremely moist and fresh and the cream cheese icing was perfect. It had such a generous amount of walnuts and wasn’t too sweet. If you are like me and love a 50/50 cake to icing ratio; this muffin is perfect for you! I always struggle to make the icing last with every mouthful, but with this lovely little carrot and walnut concoction there was not struggling what so ever!

Carrot & Walnut Cake

Absolutely delicious

To accompany my cake, I chose the special ‘warm spice’ tea. I’m not sure about you, but I absolutely love the experience of tea drinking and so when my warm spice was presented to me, I got a little excited! A wooden board was served with a dish full of citrus and raspberry loose leaf tea, a tea pot of boiling water with sweet honey and a slither of ginger ready to be grated with a small grater. I spooned my loose leaf tea in to the tea pot and grated the ginger to add as well, and after five minutes brewing I poured it in to the lovely fine bone chin tea cup. What a beautiful combination of flavours. I love anything citrus and any type of berry so the the two fruity flavours were delicious together. The subtle hint of ginger was also lovely and, might I add, very appropriate in helping prevent against nasty winter coughs and colds! It was completely soothing and perfect for such a cool winters day!

Warm Spice Tea

You can imagine my excitement when this was presented to me!

Palm Beach

The gorgeous Palm Beach

Such a wonderful little café with an equally wonderful view, definitely a must try if you find yourselves roaming the gorgeous sandy playground that is Palm Beach.