Miel Container @ Brisbane CBD

Continuing on our burger quest in Brisbane back in November we headed across the road from our hotel to Miel Container.  They came with a high recommendation from a few sources.

 

We grabbed a table overlooking the footpath and immediately knew we would order the Massive hand cut onion rings.  Look at that tower!

 

 

 

Crunchy, golden and thick onion rings coated with a lovely crumb and so addictive!

 

 

The Boy never passes up pork burgers and goes with the Miso Pork Belly - a mountain of marinated pork belly on a brioche bun with lettuce, spiced gherkin, red onion and aioli. 

 

This is very good.  The pork is sweet and tender and a huge mouthful is very much appreciated!

 

 

 

I have gone with something complete different and go for the Crunch Prawn burger - A big crumbed prawn patty, brioche bun, spiced gherkin, lettuce, tomato, grilled pineapple, cheddar cheese with tartar and cocktail sauce.

 

 

 This was tasty but I felt the prawn patty needed more seasoning or flavour.  The thick cut chips are yum with a sprinkling of herbs

 

Definitely a burger to try in Brisbane!

 

 

 

 

 

Belfield on Botany @ Rosebery

Checking out Belfield on Botany at Rosebery has been on a list of burger wants for quite some time and I was a very happy person after visiting in October last year.

  

There are 10 burgers on offer along with sides and milkshakes.  Simply and easy.....

 

 

 

 The Boy opts for the mouth drooling B.W.A.  A double patty, double cheese, streaky bacon, onion rings and hot sauce burger that is dripping with excitement.  It's a winner.  He is a big fan!

 

 

 

The sides on offer include tater tots, sweet potato wedges, crinkle cut chips and deep fried mushrooms.

 

What do we go for?

 

A bucket of tater tots are the perfect accompaniment to a good juicy burger.

 

 

The deep fried mushrooms just took my dining experience to a whole other level.  These were amazing (and I really mean that).  I think these have just become my new favourite side dish! 

 

Plump, juicy mushrooms coated with an awesome crumb coating and deep fried to golden perfection.  Oh yum! 

 

 

I went with the Pork burger.  A unique concoction of a peanut butter pork patty, kimchi, green apple and mayo.  It was so gooooooood. 

 

 

 

We loved our burgers here.  we loved the mushrooms and the tater tots.  We loved it! We have been raving about those mushrooms for months and who doesn't love a good crispy, hot tater tot!

 

 

 

 

January 2017 rolls around.  It was our last day of our holidays, before heading back to work and we decided that we needed a burger and headed back for our second visit. We took up an Ompty.com offer for burgers, which are an awesome deal that include, a burger, side and a can of soft drink for $10.

 

The Boy opted for the classic Belfield burger consisting of a beef patty, cheese, rocket and Vegemite mayo.

 

 

 

Of course we couldn't pass up on a serve of tater tots and a serve of the deep fried mushrooms plus a side of crinkle cut chips!

 

 

 

Although the mushrooms were smaller (which got you more in the bucket *wink..wink*) they were still as tasty as ever.  The tater tots are exactly the same awesomeness and the crinkle cut fries are super crunchy and crispy. 

 

This time I went with the Mushroom burger which included a hash brown, rocket and aioli.  I was a little underwhelmed by this burger. 

 

 

Our burgers were 'okay'.  We weren't left drooling like last time.  We loved our mushrooms and tater tots and I love dining in at Belfields.  It was just the burgers didn't live up to the hype that we had on our first visit which left us wondering if it was an off day or things had changed (a few friends have commented lately too) - I hope not. 

 

Another visit is on the cards so we can decide.

 

 

 

Miss Kay Burger Bar @ Brisbane

 A recent visit to Brisbane had me researching for burgers and our first night (after a day of sipping cider in extreme heat) we landed at Miss Kays Burger Bar. 

 

Burgers are a great eat to help sop up some alcohol.

 

 

 

 

 

I went with something different and got the Poutine burger.  A juicy, med rare beef patty with bacon bits, haloumi, fries, gravy, pickle, lettuce and mayo.

 

The burger was good, just not as saucy as I usually go for.  the halmoui offered the squeakiness of the cheese curds needed for poutine and gravy to bring it all together as something different.  Overall a good feed.

 

The boy went with the Mac Daddy.  Filled with a  beef patty, mac n' cheese, American cheese, lettuce, pickle, mayo and loaded fries.  He seemed to enjoy it and said it was okay.  (He'll hold on further judgement as his memory may have been a little skewed after a day in the sun!)

 

A serve of onion rings with Miss Kay's seasoning were good (although very oily).  I really liked these, the boy not so much (again holding judgement).

Definitely a burger bar I would happily visit again next trip!  The Ludakrisp burger looks next level!

Papi Chulo @ Manly

 

 What was supposed to be our first date a year ago, a ferry ride to Manly, a lovely lunch and a few drinks ended up being cancelled due to horrendous whether and we went to the movies instead!. So we took the opportunity of our first anniversary celebrations to do it instead! Perfect date day though! A sunny day, with a little crisp wind and of course, awesome company!

 

Merivale's Papi Chulo is nestled right on Manly Wharf, literally a few steps from the ferry. Where an American smoke house/Latin inspired menu meets beach art deco décor which makes for a beautiful light and airy atmosphere with gorgeous views of the Harbour.

 

 

 

We start with drinks and I am drawn to the Bloody Ceaser Romero with Bacon-washed Olmeca Altos Tequila, papi's spice mix, olive and clamato juice (it’s a pimped up bloody mary, only better!)

 

 

We start with a bowl of Pea Guacamole with tortilla chips. Sprinkled with peas, pea shoot tendrils and sunflower seeds this guac is good. The warm crisp tortilla chips have the smallest hint of salt to the them.

 

 

The Tropical Taro Salad (which came with hidden slices of smoked Kingfish) was a surprise. Refreshingly light and tangy the crispy strips of taro added a perfect crunch to this salad.

 

The highlight dish of the day turned out to the be the Roasted Cauliflower with romesco, parmesan and burnt butter crumbs. We both LOVED this dish. The cauli was soft and tender but still held firm and the cheesy romesco sauce and crunch butter crumbs were just superb.

 

 

 

The Smoked Hot Wings with comeback sauce were another pleasure. The wings are fried to perfect crunchy crispness and tender and juicy meat. However I wasn’t really taken with the comeback sauce, but that is my personal taste).

Service is fantastic and dishes are served quickly. Staff are super friendly and there is no one person waiting on tables it’s a variety of servers.

Next up is the Jumbo King Prawns in lemongrass and coconut dressing. Two huge prawns adore a small plate and take a good 2-3 big bites to eat. They are really delicious.

 

 

 

 

I’m hitting my limit by now and lucky to have a few minutes break before the Lebanese Chicken Platter arrives with sides of curly fries and Vietnamese Coleslaw. BBQ chicken with peri peri spice is served on a platter with tabbouli, pickled veg, lettuce and pita bread.

The curly fries are super curly and cooked perfectly. The Vietnamese coleslaw adds a tangy freshness to the meal. We are so full now and end up taking a doggy bag home with us.

We do manage to share a dessert of the Chocolate chip cookie, marshmallow, butterscotch and vanilla ice cream.  Warm gooey choc chip cookie with a disc of fluffy marshmallow topped with ice cream and butterscotch is a perfect date dessert.

  

Although this was a year in the making, we finally got to visit and I know I will be recommending this to friends and definitely would like to come back and sample more of this delicious the menu.  

 

 

 

Bare Grill and Cafe @ La Perouse

 

The burger craze has been sweeping Sydney for some time now and there are some awesome burger joints that are taking the "meat between a bun basic burger" to new levels.　 One of the most notable burger joints is Bare Grill.　 In a little over 12 months Bare Grill have climbed that ladder to new heights and offering up some great tasting concoctions!

I have had the pleasure of smashing a Bare Grill burger or two over the past few months and it has fast become my go to burg place when a craving hits.

The last couple of visits I have chosen The Hangover (not the Bradley Cooper variety).　 A soft bun  with beer battered fish, American cheddar, hash brown, sunny side egg, fries and pickled mayo.　 I love me some pickled mayo!

The Boy has indulged in the Wild West burger.  Thanks to Ompty's great discount deals.  You can grab either of these with fries and a soft drink for $10!

 

 

Now, although Bare Grill has become famous for it’s burgers, the rest of the menu is also great which includes T-bone steaks, BBQ Pork ribs, souvlakia and the assortment of grilled fried seafood.　 I cannot forget to mention buffalo wings and EPIC fries (which are just that, EPIC!)

Thanks to ompty.com for inviting me along recently to sample some more delights, it gave me a chance to try some of the other delicious offerings (I usually smash a burg and hit my peak!).

We start with the buffalo wings, BBQ wings and a serve of the EPIC Fries (definitely sharing dishes by the way).　

The buffalo wings are crispy and crunchy covered in a not to spicy buffalo sauce.  I love buffalo wings and blue cheese dip!!!

buffalo wings

BBQ wings

The BBQ wings are good too but my real focus was on those EPIC fries.　 I was lusting over them. Definitely one of those ‘I need a moment to myself’ moments (haven’t had one of them in awhile!)

EPIC fries

Epic fries.　 Crispy waffle fries topped with pulled pork, gooey liquid cheese (that stuff is addictive), spicy aioli, shallots, bacon and Carolina sticky BBQ Sauce.　

I move onto the burgers.　 I have opted for The Fatties.　 Appropriately named after the Facebook Group (which I am of course a member of).　 It has double beef patties, American cheddar, bacon and the delicious Bare sauce (addiction right there peeps)!

The Fatties really hit the spot for that ‘cheeseburger’ craving.　 The beef patties are juicy and perfectly cooked.　There is just the right amount of grease to soak into the burger too.

Don't you just love the branding on the bun?

The Boy has been eyeing off The Bare Cockfighter the last couple of visits and goes with it today. It has two Southern fried chicken, bacon, American cheddar, guacamole, coleslaw, iceberg lettuce and big bare sauce.  Instant love!!

Everything is made in house (except for the pulled pork, which is ordered in).

I didn't taste these two burgers but they looked mouth watering. The Trip and The Cure.

The Trip has a beef patty, bacon, onion rings, American cheddar, hash brown and truffle mayo (front pic) and The Cure consisting of double beef patties, American cheddar, jalapenos, bacon, gherkins, hash brown, fried egg and that delicious Bare sauce (back pic)!!! Oh my.....

 

There are other offerings too.  The Greek Salad and Souvalaki is fresh and zesty.

 

For beverages, there is the usual selection of soft drinks and milkshakes…then there is the Freak Shakes! 

The Nutella Bomb is an eye popping chocolate milk shake/dessert delight.  Topped with a nutella filled donut and whipped cream, it truly is the BOMB!
Perfect to share over a romantic lunch?

Bare Grill is the perfect lunch or dinner spot (and a walk along the beach to walk off the food coma).  Get there early (particularly on a sunny day and coming into the Summer months).  The lines get long and crazy.

If you are in need of an ice cream they offer Pat and Stick's cookie icecreams!!!

In 3 days time Bare Grill is coming to Surry Hills.  Friday they open their doors to a second venue.  the menu will offer some new burgers and my tastebuds can't wait.


*Roofood dined as a guest of Ompty and Bare Grill. Thanks for a fab lunch!
 

Travel Photo of the Month - August 2016

Throwback to fun days in Orlando. 

Enjoyed catching up with a friend at Joe's Crab Shack. Who could pass up a crab pot?

Huge pot of crab, potatoes, corn.  Could not have asked for more, except more time catching up with my friend.

Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing

Kicking back on a Saturday night with a beer (or wine) in hand watching a movie or two you need finger food.  Something easy to eat that is delicious and comforting.

 

You can't go past Buffalo Wings. Probably one of the most famous appetisers from the States. 

 

Living in Toronto years ago, one of my favourite nights of the week was Beer & Wing night at the local pub with a great friend sharing some Buffalo wings and cheap beer.  It was always a lot of fun and they were so tasty.

 

There are a few claims circulating about where Buffalo wings originated.  The most famous being Anchor Bar in Buffalo.  Here legend states that Franks Red Hot was used.  When I found a bottle of Franks Red Hot in Woolworths the other week (and on sale for $2!) I had an idea....make your own! 

  

 

 

throw it all on a chopping board to serve 

 

 

 

Ingredients

 



1.5 kilo of chicken wings, broken down drum and wing (discard wing tip (or use to make chicken stock) or purchase already cut

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

dash of oil

1/4 cup of butter, melted

1/4 cup Franks Red Hot

handful of parsley, chopped

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

100gms of blue cheese (I used Blue Castello)

Dash of lemon juice

carrots sticks

celery sticks

 

Method

1.  Mix onion powder, garlic powder and oil and season with salt and pepper and rub into chicken wings.  Place in fridge for at least 2 hours (or up to 12 hours).
2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
3. Place wings on a wire rack in a baking tray and bake in oven for approx 1 hour or until crispy and meat is tender.
4. Place sour cream, mayonnaise, blue cheese and lemon juice in a blender until mix until smooth, pour into a bowl and place in fridge until ready.
5. When the wings are ready, mix melted butter and Franks Red Hot in a bowl (use more or less Red Hot to taste). 
6. Toss hot wings in sauce and serve with blue cheese dressing, any leftover wing sauce (for extra dipping), carrots and celery.

 

I also did a side of baked sweet potato home fries and corn cobs.

 

These were so frickin' delicious and as close to the real thing as you could get.  They are slightly healthier too as the chicken is baked and not fried.

The boy was in his element and I was licking my fingers too.

 

Did you know that Buffalo Wings have become so famous that the town of Buffalo in New York state even have a Chicken Wing Day!

 

 

Travel Photo of the Month - January 2016

Everyone that knows me would know that I have had a fascination with the Deep South ever since I was a little girl.  From the history, the food, the accent, the landscape I just love it.  Perhaps I have read (and watched) Gone with the Wind and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil to many times.  Heck, my favourite movie of all time is Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café.

Whatever the cause of the fascination I know that it will be everlasting.  I was eager to visit Savannah, Georgia back in 2003 during a trip from Miami to Boston on the Greyhound (an adventure in itself!).

This old (refurbished) paddle steamer, the Georgia Queen docked on the Savannah River had me fantasising of times gone by.

Sitting by eating freshly made taffy and a belly full of fried catfish made for a fabulous day on the river.

Roo Travels - Chicago 2010

It is a Throwback Thursday for a Roo Travels post. Where are we going? 

The Windy City - Chicago

 

Back in 2010 I had the pleasure of spending a weekend (well 5 days for me) in Chicago with a group of wonderful ladies that I had met through a common interest online.  We all ended up having a girls weekend to meet and greet.  I just so happened to be visiting the States at around the same time so added on a week before my trip to go.  Although our contact is rare these days as our lives have all gone different ways and journeys have led down different paths, I still call these ladies friends.  They have become a part of me and only they can understand what that means.  Hopefully one day we can be reunited again.  A big shout out to you ladies (if any of you are reading this). 

I digress.

Although this trip was not centred around food (as such) I took a few opportunities to discover some of Chicago's culinary delights.  I was super impressed with Chicago and I hope to return one day again to discover more.  The first thing I loved about Chicago is being about to walk the streets and being able to pop into a bar or a shop.  This may sound weird to many, but at the time I was living in Dubai and that is just not possible there.  Dubai is not a walking city.  It is all shopping malls and hotels (where you will find the bars).

So I was super excited to get amongst it.

First day I actually stayed close to the hotel and found Heaven on Seven, which is actually a Cajun restaurant (reputed to be the best Louisiana cooking outside New Orleans).  I will admit we ended up eating here about 3 times over the course of my stay!  Don't worry there are plenty of Chicago eats coming up too.

I was flabbergasted at the chilli sauce selection!  Wall to wall shelves showcasing every chili sauce you could possibly find!

Each table had it's own selection but you could swap from table to table if you wanted something else.

Gotta start with a  cup of gumbo.  This was thick, rich and hearty. Served traditionally with a side of crackers.

 

Not exactly Cajun but after living where I had been this was pure comfort. Chicken Fried Steak with creamy roasted garlic mash, vegies and cream gravy. 

 

This was so good!  Tender beef, good breading and the cream gravy was thick and clung to the meat. 

I know peeps in Australia don't understand the 'chicken fried steak' concept (sometimes called Country Fried Steak). The steak is usually chuck, flank or round.  It is tenderised and breaded then fried in a skillet (typically).

 

Then it was off to met the gang.

 

Later that evening, the early arrivals headed to Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill which is known for great Mexican street food.

 

We shared a serve of the guacamole and fresh tortilla chips and the Classic Queso Fundido with jack cheese, roasted pobalnos, caramelised onions and homemade chorizo.

 

 

Nothing beats fresh avocado and lime just mixed and scooped up with a crispy corn tortilla.

 

The Fundido is a hot, gooey mess and is delicious!

It was at this point, some 38 hours after departing Dubai, flying and being awake the whole time that I was falling asleep in my taco.  It is also at this point (and some 5 years later) that I realise I don't actually remember what taco it was.  I know it tasted great. Don't worry I did eat my taco before I headed back to the hotel for some zzz's. 

 

 

There was a visit to the Hersheys store too.

 

You could even purchase the world's largest Hershey's Kiss, filled with lots of little kisses too.  As much as I was tempted I knew luggage space was tight.

 

 

Back to Heaven on Seven for a couple of meals (I'll do this all in one go and get on with Chicago eats).  I do love the décor at Heaven on Seven (Wabash St)

 

 

Sharing with a friend we had to do the Fried Green Tomatoes and I can't help think of my favourite movie of all time "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Café" every time I eat them.

 

 

The tomato is green and unripe and fries well with the thick breaded coating and served with a thick warm remoulade sauce.

 

I think I also got a serve of the Fried Green Tomatoes and Crab served with a corn remoulade sauce (as pictured)

another cup of that good gumbo (hold the rice this time).

 

The jalapeno cheddar corn muffin was massive!  Fluffy, mealy cheesey and just a hint of heat.  It was awesome with whipped butter.

 

I also had the 1 lb. Fried Shrimp Dinner which came with a side of Cajun coleslaw and honey jalapeno dressing plus 2 sides (which for the life of me can't work out what I chose!).

 

 

As I previously mentioned, it wasn't all food. We did an Architectural River Cruise which was actually quite interesting. Some of the building in Chicago are beautiful.

 

Cruisin' past the newspaper buildings

 

 

 

 

Decide a tattoo was needed, so I did that too!

 



 

My mantra....

 

 

 

While in Chicago I also undertook a 5km fun run for the Susan G Komen Foundation a non-profit break cancer organisation.  A small group of us ladies did it together.  This was the first 5km run (okay I managed to jog a good 90% of it) that I had done in over 10 years after losing nearly 55 kilos.  I was very proud of this moment!

But we want the eats!

Okay...

So I had a day to myself and headed out on a big foodie day of Chicago.  I am not one for McDonald's but I was curious about their sausage biscuit on the breakfast menu. While eating in I was transported into a Jetson's episode with this very cool Golden Arches building. 

 

The sausage biscuit was pretty good.  Basic but so much better than a Sausage McMuffin!

Onto the real stuff.  Billy Goat Tavern famous for their cheezborger!  There are a few branches around Chicago but the original is on Michigan Avenue - underground.

 

This is the bar area inside the Tavern.

Enjoying a beer and a cheezborger...before it got busy.  Kaiser bun, double beef patty, cheese, pickles

Next stop is Portillo's for hotdogs.  I feel like I'm stepping into a 40's Gangster movie set.  The themeing is playful. 

 

Apparently a lot of stuff has also been purchased from the original Chicago stadium.

 Going for the classic hotdog with everything including mustard, relish, freshly chopped onions, sliced red ripe tomatoes, kosher pickle and sport peppers piled onto a perfectly steamed poppy seed bun.

A good beef dawg...and those pickled chillis are crunchy, sour and fab!

My last stop before heading out of the city was at Gino's East of Chicago - the place to get deep dish pizzas, which are a Chicago staple!

This was a pepperoni deep dish.

 

 

and deep it is....ooey, gooey, cheesy pizza with a thick crust.  I only ate 1 slice and the rest I took to my hotel for a late night dinner (I was staying out near the airport in a dodgy motel).

 

 

 

I think this must be one of the very few restaurants where you can graffiti the walls and chairs!! Looks pretty cool.

 

So I had to leave my signature!

Chicago was a fabulous city.  There is so much to explore, eat and see.  I only had a few days there and not nearly enough time to do more.

It's on the list for a must return.



  - Heaven on Seven