Food News
The Weekend Series: five Australian natural wines to sip this weekend
Food & Drink

The Weekend Series: five Australian natural wines to sip this weekend

18 May 2017

When browsing the shelves of your local bottle-o or sipping on a fine vintage at the newest wine bar, you might have overheard conversations referring to natural wine. If the term left you a little bit puzzled, allow us you enlighten you. Natural wine is and ever-growing trend in viticulture and wine cultivation, meaning wine that is made with the least amount of additives and chemicals possible. The wine industry is polarised over the advent of natural wines, but we aren’t here to wade into that barrel of grapes. Instead, we’ve sourced five winemakers that we think are worth seeking out if you are curious about natural wines. more

Food News
Mario's retains 27 years of delicious Italian history with its brand-new digs
Food & Drink

Mario’s retains 27 years of delicious Italian history with its brand-new digs

18 May 2017

For the past 27 years, if you walked through the Broadbeach Mall by night, you would hear a vibrant hum. The sound, which was created by hundreds of people eating, chatting, laughing and clinking wine glasses, was coming from a jam-packed Mario's Italian – one of the Gold Coast's longest-running restaurants. For the first time in its deliciously rich history, the Broadbeach icon recently closed its doors to undergo an expansion and complete transformation. Let us introduce you to the new Mario's. more

Food News
Sunshine and mimosas – The Blue Door on 5th launches its weekend brunches and lunches
Food & Drink

Sunshine and mimosas – The Blue Door on 5th launches its weekend brunches and lunches

18 May 2017

We're calling it – brunching is cool again. Whilst we're all for night time fun, we're also big fans of a lazy brunch or (boozy) long lunch. Palm Beach dining gem The Blue Door on 5th is taking a delicious leap into day trade with the launch of its weekend brunches and lunches. If you're keen to ditch your usual weekend 'adult' chores for mandarin mimosas and French gourgere, then this will be right up your alley. more

Food News
Sink boilermakers and sip fairy-floss martinis at Cabana Bar
Food & Drink

Sink boilermakers and sip fairy-floss martinis at Cabana Bar

18 May 2017

As the mercury dips, there's nothing better than a vibrant cocktail with a decent kick to warm the cockles. We're about to delve into winter, which means bars are shifting away from fruity, effervescent concoctions to the more unique flavours from gin, various whiskies and Pimms. Cabana Bar & Lounge has dropped its new-season cocktail menu just in time for winter – and it will have you plonking Japanese whisky shots into your schooner (for those playing at home – that's called a 'boilermaker'). more

Food News
Tweed's all-new Loki Cafe puts a tasty vegan spin on all of your hearty favourites
Food & Drink

Tweed’s all-new Loki Cafe puts a tasty vegan spin on all of your hearty favourites

11 May 2017

Let us introduce you to two meat-free mates – Aner Penava and Aaden Halbert. The duo are the brains behind a rad new (predominantly) vegan cafe that opened its doors this week in Tweed Heads. The new eatery is called Loki, named after the mischievous mythological 'god of trickery' – and rightly so, because when you take one bite out of the Mac Daddy burger, and you'll be fooled into thinking it's the real (meaty) deal.  more

Food News
Gemelli adds old-school Italian flair to its brand-new Sorrento digs
Food & Drink

Gemelli adds old-school Italian flair to its brand-new Sorrento digs

11 May 2017

If you're a great lover of authentic Italian food, then we'd place a safe bet that you've experienced the goodness of either Gemelli (Broadbeach) or Gemellini (Nobby Beach) before. Well, the Carney brothers are at it again with another Gemelli venue, which opened this week in the heart of Sorrento's bustling residential enclave – and there's a distinct old-school vibe that we think you and your stomach will love. more

Food News
Fill your Sunday with bourbon, beats and barbecue eats at Lester & Earl
Food & Drink

Fill your Sunday with bourbon, beats and barbecue eats at Lester & Earl

11 May 2017

Honestly, is there a better combination than smoked meats, bourbon and live music? We think not. Well, the fine folk down at Lester & Earl have teamed up with Wild Turkey this May to bring you a series of Sunday sessions that will warm your cockles and fill your belly. If barrel-aged cocktails and smoky, melt-in-your-mouth ribs sounds like your perfect Sunday afternoon, then this is for you. more

Food News
8th Ave Terrace collaborates with NZ's Dog Point wines for an exclusive Meet The Maker dinner
Food & Drink

8th Ave Terrace collaborates with NZ’s Dog Point wines for an exclusive Meet The Maker dinner

11 May 2017

Armed with a new chef, new-season produce, cooler temperatures and some of New Zealand's best drops, Palmy's elevated dining space 8th Ave Terrace has announced its first wine dinner for the year – and this one is going to be pretty darn special. The Meet The Maker dinner will feature Marlborough's Dog Point wines, so clear your schedule on Wednesday May 24th, because this is one foodie event you do not want to miss. more

Food News
The milk brands you should buy to support Australian dairy farmers
Food & Drink

The milk brands you should buy to support Australian dairy farmers

04 May 2017

Update May 4, 2017: Almost one year after its decision to regain $183 million in milk price ‘overpayments’ from farmers, Australia’s biggest dairy group Murray Goulburn is backflipping on its decision. According to a 2012 milk supply contract (the Bonlac supply-agency agreement), rival company Fonterra is legally obliged to match or better the farm milk price paid by price setter Murray Goulburn. This means, legally, Fonterra will most likely have to pay an extra 3.5 c per litre for the 1.7-billion litres of milk supplied by farmers from 2015–16 – that’s around $60 million, and an average of $45,000 per farmer. The repayment would be a significant improvement after a year of anguish for Australian dairy farmers. Fonterra Australia has called an urgent meeting with its milk farmers today to address the decision – we’ll keep you posted on more news as it comes. more

Food News
Raw treats, kombucha and healthy hangs – MRKT drops its wholefoods vibe in Miami
Food & Drink

Raw treats, kombucha and healthy hangs – MRKT drops its wholefoods vibe in Miami

04 May 2017

Raw food. Wholefoods. Vegan eats. Gluten-free this and dairy-free that. By now, we're all pretty familiar with this new-age section of the food pyramid. If you're partial to a sneaky raw cake at your local cafe, then chances are you've tasted a raw treat by Miami-based wholesaler MRKT. In a sweet leap of faith, owners Tomas and Hana Frana have expanded with a vibrant new cafe space on Hillcrest Parade, and it's full to the brim with coffee, healthy eats and eye-popping raw treats. more

Food News
Buoy Oh Buoy brings Blackboard brews, tasty bites and nautical vibes to the north
Food & Drink

Buoy Oh Buoy brings Blackboard brews, tasty bites and nautical vibes to the north

27 Apr 2017

We all know there has been a lot of foodie hype coming from the Gold Coast's southern end. So, we're understandably pretty pumped to shift the spotlight to the city's north with a rad new daytime gem called Buoy Oh Buoy. The nautical-themed caffeine-fuelled space recently opened its doors in the heart of Paradise Point, injecting a cool new vibe into the relaxed waterside hub. more

Food News
A native drop – Brookie's rainforest gin puts Cape Byron Distillery on the map
Food & Drink

A native drop – Brookie’s rainforest gin puts Cape Byron Distillery on the map

27 Apr 2017

Gin is king. You know it, we know it, we all know it. Though, we have a theory that locally distilled gins with a cool backstory taste even better. Let us introduce you to Cape Byron Distillery, located in (you guessed it) Byron Bay, and its first creation – Brookie's Gin. Eddie Brook, the son of Pam and Martin Brook, the founders of popular muesli and health-food brand Brookfarm, is behind Byron Bay's newest drop – and let us tell you, the best is yet to come. more

Food News
Saucy ribs, smoky brisket and tangy slaw – The Star launches its American-style Sunday barbecue
Food & Drink

Saucy ribs, smoky brisket and tangy slaw – The Star launches its American-style Sunday barbecue

27 Apr 2017

We all love a Sunday roast. Now, we're not dissing your cooking skills, but we're pretty sure that the flavours from 14-hour slow-cooked smoky American-style roasted meats would be pretty hard to nail at home. Sometimes, it's best to leave the 'low and slow' feasts to the experts. Enter The Star and it's smokin' new Sunday session, which officially launches this Sunday April 30. Let us pull it apart (slowly) for you ... more

Food News
Betty's Burgers spreads the love with its newest venue at Pacific Fair
Food & Drink

Betty’s Burgers spreads the love with its newest venue at Pacific Fair

20 Apr 2017

A juicy angus beef patty, lettuce, tomato, onion cheese and Betty's special sauce – so simple, but so damn tasty. If you've experienced the deliciousness that is Betty's Burgers, then you'll be delighted to know that there is now even more of Betty's goodness to go around, with the popular burger joint's third Gold Coast venue to open at Pacific Fair this Friday April 21. more

Food News
The Weekend Series: five of your favourite foods that weren't meant to happen
Food & Drink

The Weekend Series: five of your favourite foods that weren’t meant to happen

20 Apr 2017

It’s the ultimate zero to hero scenario – you get home after a long day at work to realise you’ve skipped grocery shopping (again) and are forced to create some sort of ‘fridge a la surprise’ concoction from scratch. Nine times out of ten these creations are sketchy at best, but every now and then we can strike gold using the genius combination of laziness, necessity and luck. As it turns out, some of the world’s most beloved cuisines were the result of accidents – from potato chips to cereal, we’ve picked five of our favourite food flukes from history. more

Food News
New-look Hidden bar brings top-notch wines, local spirits and tasty tapas to Tugun
Food & Drink

New-look Hidden bar brings top-notch wines, local spirits and tasty tapas to Tugun

13 Apr 2017

Down a sneaky alleyway off Tugun's Golden Four Drive lies one of the suburb's best-kept secrets – Hidden. The quaint bar was recently taken over by local duo Kelly Singh and Marie Phillips, which last weekend re-opened with a new look, an entirely new menu of tapas and drinkables, and a cool new vibe. Sorry Tugun locals, but we're letting the cat out of the bag – Hidden wine bar is back and it's better than ever. more