Food News
Pavement Whispers: grab Nutella ravioli and spaghetti by the gram from soon-to-open boutique The Pasta Emporium
Food & Drink

Pavement Whispers: grab Nutella ravioli and spaghetti by the gram from soon-to-open boutique The Pasta Emporium

24 Sep 2020

When the pandemic peaked, popular Robina cafe Dark Fluid turned to making take-home comfort meals to nourish its loyal customers while keeping its business afloat. At the time, Natalie Ivanovski, the daughter of Dark Fluid's owner-operators Sonia and John Ivanovski, was stood down from her day job – so she jumped in to help her parents cook the hearty takeaway meals, making pasta by hand and lasagne sheets from scratch. They soon found themselves struggling to keep up with the demand – and it sparked a savvy idea from Natalie and Sonia to open a pasta-centric providore where locals could buy fresh, handmade pasta by the gram, along with take-home meals and specialty deli goods. more

Food News
The round-up: your guide to hard seltzers – the unofficial drink of summer
Food & Drink

The round-up: your guide to hard seltzers – the unofficial drink of summer

24 Sep 2020

So, let's talk about seltzers. In particular, hard seltzers. It's pretty much being dubbed the unofficial drink of summer, but what the heck is a seltzer? It's pretty simple. It's boozy, fizzy water and it's starting to dominate the normally sugar-heavy and calorie-laden RTD market. Seltzers have been big business in America for a while, and it's now making waves in Australia, with a bunch of breweries and booze makers (from the big players to the local outfits) jumping on board to create their version of the carbonated sort-of-healthy sip. Traditionally, seltzers are 'brewed', kind of like beer, with fermented grain or rice creating the booziness – or there are some brands simply adding alcohol to fizzy water. Either way, these gluten-free, low-calorie, not-too-sweet sips are gathering steam, and it looks like they are here to stay. To help you navigate, we've popped together… more

Food News
Pavement Whispers: new specialty coffee lounge WavyBone to bring brews and chews to Chirn Park
Food & Drink

Pavement Whispers: new specialty coffee lounge WavyBone to bring brews and chews to Chirn Park

24 Sep 2020

Despite a less-than-ideal year, the Gold Coast's specialty coffee scene seems to have weathered the pandemic storm – and the latest caffeine-slinging arrival is testament to the city's ever-growing appetite for top-quality coffee. After growing a solid following as a retro caravan jacking up locals at various events and pop-ups across the coast, popular mobile coffee dispensary WavyBone will soon be swapping its wheels for walls with its flagship bricks-and-mortar venue to open in just a few weeks time. more

Food News
The round-up: where to find the Gold Coast’s best fish and chips
Food & Drink

The round-up: where to find the Gold Coast’s best fish and chips

24 Sep 2020

Fish and chips – it's one of life's great indulgences. Given our city's coastal location, we're certainly not short on decent fish and chipperies, with plenty of local hangs utilising our amazing local produce to give us some darn tasty sea-based nosh. Roll out the picnic rug, pals – here's where to find some of the Gold Coast's best fish and chips. more

Food News
Farm-to-table restaurant Frida's Field arrives in the rolling hills of Byron Bay
Food & Drink

Farm-to-table restaurant Frida’s Field arrives in the rolling hills of Byron Bay

17 Sep 2020

On a working cattle property in the picturesque town of Nashua, on the fringe of Bangalow in the Byron Bay hinterland, sits Northern Rivers' newest dining destination – Frida's Field. The farm-to-table restaurant will officially open on Saturday September 26, serving the property's own sustainably grown ingredients (think wagyu-Angus raised in surrounding paddocks and fresh produce plucked from its on-site gardens and orchards) across Friday dinners and Saturday long lunches. more

Food News
Meet Long Rays – the Brisbane-born mixer making happy-hour drinks an all-Australian affair
Food & Drink

Meet Long Rays – the Brisbane-born mixer making happy-hour drinks an all-Australian affair

17 Sep 2020

It only takes a quick glance at the shelves of any independent bottle shop to realise Australia’s craft-spirits scene is in the best shape of its life. Our burgeoning distillery industry is producing world-beating tipples at a rapid clip, proving the potency of our country’s botanical bounty. Looking to match the quality of our spirits is Long Rays – an independent beverage brand born under the Queensland sun that is designing distillery-vetted and bartender-approved mixers that eschew synthetic additives in favour of home-grown ingredients – elevating and enhancing vodka sodas and gin and tonics forever. more

Food News
VoVos, Crackles and Gaytimes galore – chocolatier Koko Black unleashes a nostalgia-laden collection
Food & Drink

VoVos, Crackles and Gaytimes galore – chocolatier Koko Black unleashes a nostalgia-laden collection

17 Sep 2020

There’s something undeniably charming about the classic Australian snack landscape. A combination of nostalgia, simplicity and straight-up deliciousness has cemented some truly incredible culinary creations into our country’s treats canon. Show us an Aussie that doesn’t go gaga for a Gaytime, loopy for a lamington or wacky for a Wagon Wheel and we will eat our collective hats! It is within this timeless selection of sweets that beloved artisan chocolatier Koko Black has found its latest inspiration, launching a limited-edition Australian Classics collection that will delight your tastebuds while igniting some serious throwback feels. more

The Locals Next week:

Food News
Have a slice day – Ben & Jerry’s has unleashed the customisable dessert pizza of your dreams
Food & Drink

Have a slice day – Ben & Jerry’s has unleashed the customisable dessert pizza of your dreams

17 Sep 2020

In this, the year of Our Lord, 2020, there are no more surprises – just facts. Some of the purely insane things we have had to endure have been horrific and freakish, but there’s some kind of metaphor here about doors closing and windows opening. In any case (and biblical themes aside), sometimes the cruel world throws you a bone and gifts you with something you never knew you needed – enter Ben & Jerry’s Dough-Licious Pizza. What the heck is this? Why is this a thing? Read on for the answers you seek, young padawan. more

Food News
Neon-lit Asian dining spot Maggie Choo brings snacks, sips and sass to Broadbeach
Food & Drink

Neon-lit Asian dining spot Maggie Choo brings snacks, sips and sass to Broadbeach

16 Sep 2020

Hawker-market bites, bright lights and big nights – if you've travelled to the likes of Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Hong Kong, you'll be familiar with the sights, sounds and tastes of these action-packed cities. Gold Coast hospitality players The Gennari Group – the owners of Broadbeach institutions Koi, The Loose Moose and Roosevelt Lounge – is promising to emulate the flavours and frivolity found in Asia's big cities at its latest Broadbeach venue, Maggie Choo, which officially opens its doors today, Wednesday September 16. more

Food News
The round-up: stock up on cheese and charcuterie at the Gold Coast's best delis
Food & Drink

The round-up: stock up on cheese and charcuterie at the Gold Coast’s best delis

16 Sep 2020

If your fridge is often filled with random slabs of French cheese, you have a notable obsession with olives (mostly Sicilian), there are countless jars of miscellaneous pickled things in your possession and you believe that mortadella is the most underrated of all of the cured meats (it truly is) then not only do we like you a lot, we also think you'll take great joy in working your way through this list of the Gold Coast's best delis. more

Food News
Hidden coffee hub The Hunted Cafe brings specialty brews, brunch bites and pretty cakes to the hinterland
Food & Drink

Hidden coffee hub The Hunted Cafe brings specialty brews, brunch bites and pretty cakes to the hinterland

10 Sep 2020

There's nothing we love more than a hidden gem (and telling you about them, of course). So, let us introduce you to The Hunted Cafe, a new off-the-beaten-track caffeine dispensary and eatery that is well worth venturing west for. If you're a Bonogin Valley resident or live in the surrounding rural hinterland, throw your hands in the air! You'll no longer have to follow your nose towards the coastline in search of specialty coffee and tasty all-day eats – there's a new kid on the block that's slinging the goods in your leafy hood on the daily. more

Food News
Coffees, poke bowls and hawker rolls – Stones Throw arrives in Currumbin
Food & Drink

Coffees, poke bowls and hawker rolls – Stones Throw arrives in Currumbin

10 Sep 2020

It was a sad day when Stones Throw cafe announced it was being forced to leave its digs on the corner of the Old Burleigh Arcade (to make way for the light rail) after four years of delighting locals with quality coffee, tasty eats and fun vibes. Well, Burleigh's loss is Currumbin's gain, with Stones Throw 2.0 coming to life again on Station Street, taking over the tree-lined premises formerly occupied by Neighbourhood Espresso. more

Food News
Dive into a whole new dining experience at Nineteen at The Star
Food & Drink

Dive into a whole new dining experience at Nineteen at The Star

10 Sep 2020

Since 2018, sky-high dining spot Nineteen at The Star has been delighting diners with its world-class fare, served with a side of exceptional views from the top level of luxury hotel, The Darling. With dining venues at The Star back in full swing, locals are finally able to experience executive head chef Uday Huja's innovative new menu, with a fresh wave of highlights designed to create a more relaxed and accessible dining experience. Think Southern Carolina-style roasted oysters with garlic butter, flame-kissed steaks off the woodfired grill and some of the best hauls of seafood from Australia's bountiful coastlines. more

Food News
Melbourne-born cheeseburger joint Pattysmiths heads north with a new Upper Coomera outpost
Food & Drink

Melbourne-born cheeseburger joint Pattysmiths heads north with a new Upper Coomera outpost

03 Sep 2020

Melbourne-born burger bar Pattysmiths is continuing to expand its footprint in the South East, recently firing up the grills at its third Gold Coast location. First it was Merrimac, then Palm Beach and now it's the northern end's turn to get their mitts around the Pattysmiths goodness, with the doors to its new Upper Coomera outpost recently swinging open – much to the delight of burger fiends on the city's north. more

Food News
The round-up: follow your nose to the Gold Coast's best bakeries and patisseries
Food & Drink

The round-up: follow your nose to the Gold Coast’s best bakeries and patisseries

03 Sep 2020

Is there anything better than the aroma of freshly baked bread? Or biting into a flaky croissant? Nope. Nothing comes close. That moment when you walk into a bakery or patisserie is like a warm hug – and it's not uncommon to go a little weak at the knees. If, like us, you love nothing more than schmearing salted butter on a piece of fresh sourdough, have a slightly unhealthy obsession with sausage rolls and consider cream-filled choux bombs a breakfast staple (they are), then you'll take great pleasure in working through this list of must-try bakeries and patisseries on the Gold Coast.  more

Food News
Off the leash – BrewDog’s Brisbane-brewed beers go national
Food & Drink

Off the leash – BrewDog’s Brisbane-brewed beers go national

03 Sep 2020

It’s a hard unit of measurement to gauge, but if we had to record the levels of excitement that surrounded the opening of BrewDog’s Murrarie HQ in November last year, the readings would be off the charts. The arrival of the Scottish-born brewing giant sent reverberations across the country’s craft-beer community, but only from this week has Australia at large been able to sample the flavours of BrewDog’s Brisbane-brewed bevvies. The hop heads at BrewDog have just launched an Australian e-commerce site, meaning that folks outside of Brisbane can snag the brewery’s Aussie range in the comfort of their own home. more

Food News
Former Siam Orchid site in Burleigh will soon be home to Californian-style daytime haven Palm Springs
Food & Drink

Former Siam Orchid site in Burleigh will soon be home to Californian-style daytime haven Palm Springs

02 Sep 2020

Burleigh locals, cafe hoppers and those that love a midday marg' (we've pretty much covered all of you now), here's some big news. The two-storey Gold Coast Highway-fronting site formerly home to longstanding Thai restaurant Siam Orchid has been taken over by a Gold Coast-based group set to transform the iconic Burleigh Heads venue into a LA-inspired cafe and lunch spot named Palm Springs.  more

Food News
Former FuFu site now home to longstanding Japanese dining spot Bistro Lamp
Food & Drink

Former FuFu site now home to longstanding Japanese dining spot Bistro Lamp

01 Sep 2020

It was back in 1998 when Japanese izakaya Bistro Lamp first opened its doors in Surfers Paradise. It remained on Surfers Paradise Boulevard for almost two decades, before its new owners – a Japanese hospitality group – opened Bistro Lamp Deux a few clicks south in Mermaid Beach. In early 2020, after less than three years in the Mermaid hood, Bistro Lamp was forced to relocate to make way for a new Gold Coast Highway-fronting development, which has also claimed the likes of Italian restaurant Trio Romano and neighbourhood bar Aprés Surf. Luckily, the longstanding Japanese dining spot has found a home just nearby – and with these new digs, an entirely new direction ensues. more