Al dente

Brisbane, November 2011

Since I've been away, Brisbane has changed in some ways but it's mostly the same. I was surprised by how 'Sydney' the kids in town looked. But then it balanced out when I ordered a rum and coke at dinner in a nice italian joint and the waiter barely flinched. Ah, it's good to be home. Or near home I should say, we're still 2 hours away by car. Anyway, the point of this post is about our lovely celebration dinner with Rach and Adam at Il Posto where I had the said rum and coke. The happy pair just got engaged and sometimes a bowl of carbs is the only real way to show you're happy for them. Il Posto is Adams favourite, (rivaled only by Vespa Pizza) and I think there is some connection between Il Posto and Beccofino in New Farm. Anyway the service was amazing. So much so that we suspect the waiter must have assumed Adam was one of them. I guess his curls and cheesy grin do look slightly Italian. Most importantly, my bowl of pomodoro was perfectly chewy and tomatoey with heaps of fresh basil. 8/10

Our local

Mullumbimby, November 2010

The first time we went to Milk and Honey I didn't want to be that girl who asked to change all the dishes. So I ordered pizza, picked off the cheese and left it at that. This time I was feeling a little more reckless so asked them to make up a spaghetti pomodoro. Sweet baby jesus it was close to perfection. I could have closed my eyes and believed I was in Italy. The pasta was cooked perfectly (a little chewy), the tomatoes were divine (sweet and bright red) and there was fresh basil coming out my ears. Way to make me feel better about settling into a new town. This place joins my italian hall of fame - Ginos, Regios, Marios and Il Baretto. 9/10

PS. My thumb is bandaged from a nasty stabbing incident between me and some knives last Wednesday (after Melbourne Cup on Tuesday). Note to self, don't go into kitchen shops and play with knives when you're hungover.

Sticky Fingers

Brunswick Heads, October 2010

We've tried to get into this joint 3 times and been turned away each time. You would think we were in Sydney, not the sleepy little beach-side town of Brunswick Heads. The locals RAVE about it, the internet speaks highly so when she said it was full again I was insistent. Not normally my style but sure enough, two guys were taking up two tables and she nudged them together and there we were. I ordered a kids spag bol and Ricey got the 'Prawnstar' pizza. It definitely lived up to expectations. Mushy mince with chunky tomatoes and heaps of fresh basial thoughout. There was something else in there I couldn't tell, maybe fresh oregano. Corinne, our friend who lives in Bruns, recommends the 'Chango' pizza, chicken and mango. Inside there are cool wooden booths and tables spill out onto the street. We noticed it's for sale which was a little disappointing, hopefully the new owners don't change it at all. 7/10