Wordless Wednesday : Tropical Paradise...

Where I'd much rather be!

Wordless Wednesday happens here, here, here, here, here and here! 

Food Diaries : The Coffee Club, Knox Ozone

We headed down to Knox Ozone for dinner on a warm summer evening.  We knew what we wanted, we just weren't sure where we would get it.  I had a hankering for a nice steak sandwich, and Liam had nachos on his mind. 

Knox Ozone has plenty of choices, and plenty of good options for whatever food you might be craving.  It ranges from steak houses to Japanese cuisine to just your reliable ol' pub fare.  What we were after is fairly standard grub, so as we browsed all the restaurant menus we realised that we could pretty much take our pick.  The Coffee Club is newly re-opened, and I remembered hanging out there all the time with friends during my youth, so we decided to give it a shot to see how it measured up. 

The menu looked promising, with many tasty offerings, but we knew what we were after.  It was all on the pricey side compared to the other restaurants in Ozone, but we hoped it would be a case of "you get what you pay for" but sadly, this was not to be the case.  Service, although extremely friendly and helpful, was hard to get a hold of.

The Pine Lime Frappe [$5.90] was very refreshing choice on a warm summer night.  I wish I'd gotten it spliced instead, which has ice cream through it.  Then it would be exactly like drinking a Splice ice cream!

The meals came out, and they were disappointing, to say the least.  Liam chose the nachos with chilli beef added.  The additional chilli beef cost an extra $5, bringing the price of the nachos up to $20.  For a $20 plate of nachos, we were expecting something special however what ended up being placed in front of us was a relatively small serving of corn chips with cold, gluggy chilli beef unceremoniously dumped on top.  

The steak sandwich did not fare much better.  Although the steak was well-cooked, it was sandwiched between what looked like generic-brand toast, and did not cover the piece of bread which resulted in mouthfuls of just plain toast.

What made no sense also, is that the Deluxe Steak Burger is the exact same meal but with added bacon and egg for an extra $2, however when I asked how much to add bacon to the Steak Sandwich [$16] I was told it would be an extra $3. Go figure! 

Overall, our experience at the Coffee Club was a major disappointment.  Although they have now added table-service and there is no more queuing up for food, you end up with a long wait time at the table before you are seen to anyway! Prices are ridiculously over-priced for what you receive, and there are too many superior options in the Ozone precinct for me to return.

T'was The Night Before Christmas...

Just an advance warning, you're probably going to notice a plethora of posts in the next couple of weeks! At the best of times I try to update at least every couple of days, if not daily.  However I am (sadly!) back at work whilst the rest of the site is still shut down for Christmas break, so I am relying on this blog to keep myself occupied!

So we spent Christmas Eve with Liam's family, it was a lovely hot day and we spent the evening out on the back porch in shorts and singlets.  What a vast contrast to the floods the next day, which only narrowly missed the porch where we were basking in the heat just the night before!

We snacked on dips, cheese, crackers and nuts while we waited for Liam's sister to arrive.  Liam's mum and Grandma also made these -

 

Brandy Alexanders.  These were divine! Creamy and rich, with a strong alcoholic kick.  Perfect way to start off the festive season.  I wonder if Santa would appreciate it if I left one of these by the fireplace for him, instead of the traditional milk and cookies!

Let me tell you, Liam's mother and my own mummy dearest are EXCEPTIONAL cooks.  I know everyone says that, but it is absolutely 100% true.  Between the two, as well as my gorgeous grandparents, we are never short of delicious food. We are truly well-fed!

For dinner this night, Liam's mum and grandmother had prepared a sort of make-your-own souvlaki set up.  We helped ourselves to gorgeous thick tortilla wraps, slathered them with hommus or homemade garlic sauce, then filled them with our choice of salads before piling on tasty, tasty chunks of chicken and lamb.  Also on offer were potatoes roasted in dripping from the chicken, and wonderful homemade coleslaw and tabouleh. 

I ate so much that I was sure there wouldn't be any space left for Christmas lunch the next day!

But of course there was dessert! The caramel tarts were sooo good that I wish I could have fit in more than one.  Liam's mum also plated up some of the mini Christmas puddings I made as part of her present.

Speaking of presents, there were plenty!

These are the hampers which we put together for Liam's parents.  And YES, that is a 2 litre stubby of beer! It was so cool that I want to get one for myself so that I can keep the bottle!

So that, my dears, was Christmas Eve.  Next up will be Christmas Day, which was even more of an indulgent affair!

I do adore Christmas!!!

Weekend Snapshots

1. Mexican Beer @ Gringos

2. Myer Christmas Windows

3. Feasting at family dinner

4. Feasting at our local pub (impatient Liam in the background!)

5. Mmm... Rekorderlig

6. Lychee infused Vodka

7. Ciders on tap @ Y&Js
8. Making mini Xmas pudding presents!

Food Diaries : Switch Lifestyle

Switch Lifestyle in Knox City is one of my regular haunts. I've been there more times than I can remember, and I love it - however it is not a place I can full-heartedly recommend.

If you decide to dine at Switch, you are taking a risk and there will inevitably be something that goes wrong with your dining experience. Be it a long wait time, mix-ups with your order, unavailable items menu items (which they will only inform you of AFTER you have ordered it) or something not quite right about your food. It happens every time! Yet there is something about Switch that keeps me coming back time after time.

It could be the funky vibe, or the laid-back atmosphere, or the (sometimes!) good food, or the amazing cocktail menu.

There is a nice variety in the food menu, varying from Asian style influences, Mediterranean options or just your good ol' Aussie staples. But what I keep coming back for is the fantastic range of cocktails! I have a sweet tooth when it comes to my drinks, and I absolutely adore the fruity range of drinks which they have on offer. I've made it my mission to try every cocktail on the menu, however still have yet to make a proper dint in it - often because I've enjoyed a cocktail so much that I have to have it again on my next visit!

Switch has a large verandah type area for outdoor dining, as well as your normal tables inside, or cushy booths and couches to kick back on. There's also the Grill Bar area which is a larger open-plan area which is open for drinks on certain evenings or can be hired out for private functions. The dim lighting gives a very relaxed feel, with up-beat music setting the mood whilst not being too loud that you can't be heard over the tunes.

Overall, Switch serves tasty food and generous serving sizes. If you're in a forgiving mood, it's well worth a try! It can be a little hit and miss, but from my experience they all seem to balance out in the end! It's a great place to gather with friends in a very social atmosphere and you won't regret it once you've got one of their fabulous cocktails in your hands!