The Meatball & Wine Bar

As a birthday gift to my best friend, I thought it would be nice to treat her to a special birthday lunch. We are both obsessed with anything food related (cooking/reading/eating/watching) and you can often find us on a friday night watching marathons of Food Safari (and I'm not even kidding...sad?).

She is a lasagna loving italian bella who is a wizz in the kitchen. One of her specialties is traditional Italian meatballs- so I thought we should go and compare her meatballs to those found at the newly opened Meatball & Wine Bar.

Man posing

Two doors down from Chin Chin is where you will find this little beauty. The shopfront is small and high seats are found on entry, with a long bar running down the side of the restaurant.

We were seated at the end of the bar. There was a huge list of wines, and being the non-appreciative wine drinker I am, I left it up to the waiter to decide. I have to admit I am starting to enjoy wine more and more...sometimes I even order it instead of my beloved vodka...

A system exists at The Meatball and Wine Bar. Pretty much, they sell meatballs and, yep, wine. But the deal is, you choose which type of meatball you like (chicken, pork, beef, fish or vegetarian), what sauce you would like with it (tomato, white sauce or salsa verde) and whether or not you want your balls (hehe) with something to sit on (polenta, italian style beans, green vegies, potato smash or homemade pasta). There are also some other goodies like mini meatball burgers, cured meat platters and sides to choose from.

We decided to get a couple of different balls and sides, and share everything. We went with the pork ball (with fennel, sage + orange) with Italian tomato sauce, on creamy polenta ($18).

The chicken (with pistachios, muscatels + parmesan) ball was next. We ordered it with the Italian beans and creamy white sauce ($18).

The caprese salad ($8) was fresh and went perfectly with the balls.

The meals weren't huge, but it was a great for a simple lunch. The concept of the whole place is clever, and after only being open for a month or two, The Meatball and Wine Bar seems to be gaining a strong following and lots of love from city dwellers, bloggers, and food lovers around Melbourne.

In the end, everyone loves good balls.

The Meatball & Wine Bar
135 Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD

Spring

Although I have already written a post based on my trip to Brissy, I thought it was imperative I dedicated a whole one to a special restaurant I visited. Spring is a cafe/restaurant located in the heart of Brisbane CBD, and fortunately for me, right underneath my Dad's apartment. 

Not only is Spring a restaurant, it's also a cooking school. A little room on the side of the restaurant is kept for lesson bookings, and just a general area for the chefs to make their sweet little pastries and goodies.

Pink macarons being made

Even though we walked past Spring at least 5 times a day, we had never actually eaten there. It is only opened Monday-Friday, so it was decided that we had to go on Dad's lunch break :)

The menu is french-inspired and limited, with breakfast only being served untill 10:30am. This time we were too late for breakfast, although the menu looked inviting.

Some of the items on the lunch menu were exxy, but sounded delicious (braised beef cheek , Paris mash, cauliflower gratin $28). It's not often I would pay that much for a weekday lunch, and it seems like their clientele consisted of mainly businessmen on corporate lunches or unemployed rich trophy wives. But hey, I won't complain, seeings that I didn't have to pay...cheers Dad.

I decided to go with the soup of the day, which was pea soup with seared scallop & crispy leak ($12). Lucky I ordered a side of sourdough bread ($8) because the soup came bread-less (gimme sum carbs).

Pea soup with seared scallop and crispy leek ($12)

I know what you're thinking. Soup's not even a meal. Who orders soup right? Well before you judge, let me say that this soup was rich, thick and amazing. I love peas, and the combination of peas and scallop is a winner. I would go as far to say I would order it again. Yep. You heard me.

Freshly baked sourdough bread with "cultured" butter ($8). #howcanbutterbecultured

Dad ordered the Rueben sandwich, with pastrami, gruyere, sauerkraut and pickles ($12.50)

Mum ordered the steak sandwich, with came with a side of shoestring fries ($18)

Steak sandwich with shoestring fries ($18)

Wine time for mum

Parisian style decor. And a hanging head.

Naice coffee

Having walked around the city many times, I still believe this is the best looking cafe in the CBD. And now that I've tried the food, I seriously think it was top notch, fine dining kinda shit. Very nice staff, very very nice food. A must try if you're ever up here. Wheeere else, wheeeere else, where else but Queenslaaand.

Spring 
26 Felix Street, Brisbane

Demitri's Feast

I'm a firm believer in the idea that no one cooks meat like the Greek's do. Being an avid meat lover, I always look forward to heading out to a Greek restaurant for dinner, knowing that a big mixed grill plate of various types of chicken and lamb awaits me. It never occurred to me that this hearty cuisine could be consumed for breakfast or lunch...that was until I headed to Dimitri's Feast.

Nestled amongst the hustle and bustle of Swan Street lies this tiny little Greek eatery. The place is very cosy, with only a couple of tables placed inside, but features a courtyard out the back which often opens at the beginning of the lunch rush. 

Homemade granola

Okay, so it wasn't as if I was ordering a meat platter for breakfast. But I had never really tried anything on the lighter and lunchy-er (?) side of the Greek cuisine. Even though I have already been twice for both lunch and breakfast, the interesting and creative Greek inspired menu never ceases to amaze me.

Today I went for the scrambled eggies. Now I make a pretty mean plate of scrambled eggs, and very rarely do I order them out. So I definitely had my judgmental shoes on. These ones came with goat feta on toast, confit tomatoes & sauteed spinach ($17.50).

Scrambled eggs w. goat feta on toast, confit tomatoes & sauteed spinach ($17.50)

Although I couldn't finish the 8 eggs they probably scrambled, I made a decent dint, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The eggs were speckled with bits of feta which gave a nice salty surprise, and the tomatoes were sweet and juicy. Somehow the bread underneath my egg mountain remained toasty and hard which was a bonus. #soggybreadisfkd.

My lovely friend had also visited Dimitri's before, and on her last visit tried the semolina pancakes. She had been instantly swayed and couldn't resist ordering them again.

Semolina pancakes w. sweet yoghurt, rose jam, pistachios & orange blossom syrup ($15)

Who had even heard of semolina pancakes anyway? I hadn't thats fo sho. But imagine this. Imagine the BEST crumpets you have ever eaten. Yep. Well this was close. They were crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. Fill me up with these over regular pancakes any day. The pistachios gave that nice crunch and the orange blossom syrup that extra gooey sweetness (which possibly wasn't even needed but was mopped up regardless). I thought the yoghurt might be that tart Greek yoghurt that hippies and health freaks love but thankfully it was creamy and sweet.

Lots of homemade Greek sweets. Surely made by someones Yia Yia...

No wonder this place has won so many awards. How many other places do you know that provide modern Greek cuisine for breakfast and lunch? Not many my friend. The menu features SO many dishes you wouldn't find at any other brunch joint. Thanks for the feast Demitri. Oooooopa!

Demitri's Feast 

141 Swan Street, Richmond

Pillar of Salt

This is one place I had been wanting to go for a feed, but somehow always ended up ordering just coffee. Well not today my friends. 'Twas a sunny Wednesday morning in Richmond when I first had breakfast at Pillar of Salt.

A met up with a good friend whom I travelled around parts of South America with. It wasn't until we had a look at the menu that she announced that she "didn't like anything on the menu" and that she "didn't even like this place that much". Well. Ya big dickhead, you could have told me that before I suggested we go there and you willingly accepted. Love yoooou.

Lots of breaky goodies (I thought). The lunch menu looked good too.

Regardless of her hatred towards the menu, she did infact order eggs. She loves eggs.

Poached eggs on sourdough with red wine marinated mushrooms & avocado + persian fetta puree

I was tossing up between: 1) organic porridge with sticky apple and date compote & a quinoa flake crumble ($12) (I swear I will order porridge someday),  2) the red chilli scrambled eggs with julienne bacon, spring onion, parsley and a hint of parmesan on toast ($16.50) or 3) homemade smokey beans with avocado and persian fetta puree, a poached egg, parsley dressing + shaved parmesan ($16.50). After confirmation from my buddy that the red chilli scrambled eggs were a fail, I went with the schmokey beans.

Beans beans good for the heart

The bread was still toasty underneath and the beans were rich and tomato-ey. Avocado and egg are always a good marriage and the fetta mixed in made it more cheeeesy. A very filling but delicious breakfast dish.

At the front counter there was even more to choose from. The rolls were HUGE- one with slow cooked lamb in an olive baguette took my fancy, as did the chicken schnitzel wrap (there is something wrong with people who don't like schnitzel).

A huge variety of cakes and sweets to choose from

Look at that sky!

A great little cafe to visit. Probably best to come on a weekday- word on the street is that it's loco on a weekend.

Pillar of Salt

541 Church Street, Richmond

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