Mickle Pickle

I've driven past Mickle Pickle numerous times but I'm usually in the far lane and it's too difficult to cross over.  However this time I set out to stop so I was in the correct lane and pulled into the roomy carpark, necessary since this place fronts Wynnum Road at Tingalpa and not very often found.
I arrived early after my morning walk at the seaside so they were just getting ready to start up when I rocked up.  They took my order and explained they'd be a few minutes which was fine by me. This place is comfortable.  I was able to spread out the paper and read, the fake grass adds a touch of mirth to the grimness of Wynnum Road and the people were just, well, nice! Oh yes, and the coffee was worth waiting for.  If I lived in Tingalpa this would definitely be my local. I didn't eat this time around but this could be a good brekky spot after a weekend walk.

Chop Chop Chang's Anniversary Celebration

After a Friday night catch up drink, hungry tums sent us in search of a tasty eatery.  On the recommendation of "He-who-is-a-city-dweller" (oops I had accidentally written sweller and that could be correct but I'll change it in case he reads this...) we headed to Chop Chop Changs for something tasty, not too pricey and that would not be so full we couldn't get a seat. That's not to say it wasn't busy, but it is a big spacious restaurant.
Chop Chop Chang was the first monkey sent into space, this we found out from Google.  He lifted off on January 31, 1961, so we were in fact eating an anniversary dinner to commemorate his marvellous achievement.  His picture adorns the wall but there was no monkey business when we were there. The wait staff were helpful, explaining how the menu worked, the sizes of the various options and even how slurpy the meal might be.
As we'd had drinks prior to eating we abstained but there was a good looking bar along one side of the restaurant which I am sure would have met any requirements. We started off with a small bowl of Tom Yum Cashews, sweet, spicy and sticky, and a Satay Dipping plate which was great too. The rest of the meal came quickly, Seared Kingfish Tataki, Spicy Beef, Wok Tossed Prawns and Gai Lan.  The Spicy Beef was thinly sliced, and had an after kick to it but as it was mixed in an Asian salad of mint and coriander the freshness of flavours balanced that out. The Wok Tossed Prawns were disappointing because there were only had 6 prawns in the dish and shared between 3 that just wasn't enough however, the flavour of the dish was rich and lovely.  The stand out for me was the Kingfish. Beautifully presented, thinly sliced and so succulent. Of course we had ordered too much and didn't manage to quite finish everything. Needless to say we left satisfied.
We loved the lighting and the communal seating; long tables and stools.  This suited our mood really well, with chatting throughout that competed with the rest of the room. This is a place to go when you want and affordable, fun, great tasting meal that doesn't ruin the bank balance.  

We were introducing Deb to the West End and I think she was suitably with impressed with the food at Chop Chop Chang's, the vibe, tastes and location just suited our night perfectly. After dinner we wandered down to South Brisbane, passing through the night markets on our way, which I'd also never been too.  There are plenty of reasons to head back to West End another night.  This is a place to return to and I suspect the more people you take with you the better it gets!!

You're safe in my hands!

This morning I needed to have a blood test so I duly fasted (well missing breakfast can't really be called fasting but I did it) and presented myself bright and early so as to miss the multitudes.  As I was the first person on site I was whisked immediately into the blood drawing room (eek) and asked to sit while the nurse gathered the required needle, vials and pieces of paper.  As she did so another nurse came in and told my nurse that she was obvioiusly confused as she had dated a piece of paper with a July date instead of today's date! July I thought, what the? How confused can the woman be?  Should I be letting her take my blood?  She just laughed and said she was totally out of her head this morning. This was so comforting for me as I sat there with veins plumped and ready to give blood.  NOT. Totally out of her head!!! Really, wasn't this woman supposed to be calming me down and taking a perfect sample of my blood? I had been calm when I walked into the room, now I wasn't so sure. No time to race out the door though because she had reached out, grabbed my arm and stuck the needle in before I could query her. 
Thankfully she was a good needle sticker and the job was done in no time at all.  However, I was out of the room before she'd finished saying goodbye, I didn't want her having another out of head experience while I was around......

What's Happening in Wynnum?

What's happening in Wynnum? There's nearly more new coffee shops than residents. I was driving through the other morning after a fix at Dramanti and passed a new cafe,  Liquid Sanity at 138 Tingal Road.  We went back in for a visit on Saturday morning around 10.30am. 

This is a nicely placed cafe, visible from the road, freshly painted building, good access, nice Tolix tables & chairs, red lounge, window table and stools, the usual drink and food offerings, really pleasant staff, really weak coffee and no vibe. 

Jammy Goodness

This morning I had the good fortune to be invited out by Nat for a coffee at The Jam Pantry on it's opening day. Highly recommended by a friend who had been there for breakfast, we were looking forward to something a little special and we were not disappotined.
 The Jam Pantry has it all, a fabulous interior, great seating options (small, medium and large group arrangements), excellent food, great coffee and that certain je ne sais quoi.

Lactose free milk wasn't on offer so I ordered an Almond milk latte - recommended and delicious.  The coffee was strong, smooth and made just right.  We found out after talking with Nim (the owner) that this team are not novices and it shows - the place hums.  We arrived at 10am and there were plenty of other people both seated and coming and going in the 2 hours we were there. (Yes, 2 hours - we had a lot to talk about and reluctantly dragged ourselves away).  
At 11am Mary joined us and with no sign of conversation abating any time soon, we decided to order an early lunch.  It was a tough decision as there were plenty of options provided by the menu and the extras that were marked on the creative chalk board.
The food was fantastic, each mouthful had a lovely pop of flavour. Nat ordered the Zucchini and Cumin Fritters with poached eggs, crispy bacon, asparagus and beetroot relish. The colours on the dish were spectacular and I gladly had a mouthful of the relish which was rich and tangy all at once. I ordered a Toasted Sandwich on gluten free bread and got way more than expected. The slow cooked lamb was soft and succulent and was accompanied by haloumi, peach and onion. The combination of flavours was once again delightful and I enjoyed every mouthful.  Mary ordered Poached Eggs with crispy bacon and that's what she got. She declared the bacon yummy but realised that she should have been a little more adventurous - I think she'll be back to try some other menu tempters. 

Service was great, food delivered quickly, staff were attentive, and having a chat with Nims as we left was the icing on the cake. 
Oh yes, I forgot to mention the lovely jams and relishes that are for sale (hence the name), and the goodies in the cabinet which looked moreish, the lovely little room at the back, and the fabulously accommodating waitress who served us. I'll be back!!

I Found Coffee in the USA......

It took us 15 minutes to drive there from home but Hartford Baking Co in West Hartford, CT,  was worth the trip. It's in an industrial area but is fresh, clean and has a substantial selection of goodies to eat. I had a flourless Peanut Butter cookie and it was delicious. Big Red ate a Brioche Danish, the smallest lad had a Choc Chip cookie and #4 had a Raspberry Bar.  All disappeared quickly so the assumption is they tasted as good as mine. The bakery also sells an amazing array of artisan breads, cheesecakes and granola that all looked homemade and worth a try on another day.

However,  we had come for the coffee and I have to say this is one of my best American coffee experiences. I had a macchiato which was just perfect and the guys had lattes ( small ones- that means 12 ozs - an Australian large). But prices were good. $2.95 for the coffee which was excellent (in terms of comparison to Australia).  They roast their own and had 2 roasts for sale. The coffee we drank was smooth and had no bitterness. While we won't make the trip every day, we will stop if we are passing again.

Well, we did make it back there.  We decided that the one person who had been working in the household shouldn't miss out on a good coffee so off we trotted again a few days later.  Once again we had to wait in line; this spot is popular.  We were SO disappointed when the espresso machine literally spluttered and made it's last gasp just as we rocked up to the counter. SERIOUSLY!!! We had all been hanging out for another good coffee. Ah well, we made do with cups of tea and drip filter coffee. Not quite the same but the scones and biscuits saved the day, everyone declaring them yummy.  We even took home a couple of loaves of bread and those who ate them declared them delicious! We will be back for a coffee on our next visit to the USA.

Dear Ms Luo

Dear Ms Luo
For close to 14 hours your breathed in the air from my lungs, you snuggled up next to me, you stayed close, so close that I could hear your sleeping sounds. And yet, we did not speak. I only know your name because I saw you write it but I honestly know nothing more about you, other than you wear sneakers, jeans and glasses. To be honest, at the time I didn't care, I was tired.  We slept together without any preamble, both of us slipped into slumber quickly.  When I woke you followed me to the bathroom but still no words.
I apologise for not taking the time to talk, for not engaging with you in what could have been a fabulous short term relationship. It's not your fault this lapse in pleasantry. Our lack of any depth in relationship was the result of evoking the cone of silence.  It happens with click of the lap buckle, either a great conversation or the reverberation of the cone falling down. Of course my new noise cancelling headphones (Bose, how I love you...) may have had an impact on our ability to converse but I did take them off during the last 2 hours of the flight, you just wouldn't wake up to play the talking game.

No need to feel guilty that you slept with me.
Your traveling companion
Denise