John Knap - Artist

One of my favourite artists, John Knap is exhibiting at Freestyle Tout Emporium this month (since opening in Rosalie in 1996, Freestyle has exhibited over 100 artists). Many people still have fond memories of the art shows we had at Freestyle in Rosalie. John had several great exhibitions at Rosalie and I'm now looking forward to seeing it at Emporium and West End.












www.johnknap.com.au

If you'd like to meet John over a glass of bubbles, you're more than welcome to come to Freestyle Tout Emporium at 4.30pm this Saturday the 3rd of October. Cheers!

smart food

wow
i spent the day at Smartfood www.smartfood.com.au
smartFOOD is a one-day forum designed for the café and restaurant industry by the café and restaurant industry in Queensland.
i was one of the speakers in the morning though sat in on all the sessions ,i picked up a few great things to apply to my businesses

The 2009 event was held at Gardens Theatre, QUT Gardens Point

smartFOOD showcases a group of Queensland’s top foodies and industry experts, specific to the café industry, presenting insights into the secrets of their successful careers and recommendations on how to succeed and prosper in the café hospitality industry.

The event is aimed specifically at:

established cafes looking to improve;
cafes looking at growing and expanding;
new cafe owners who are just starting out and looking for advice in one central area; and
those interested in supporting Queensland's cafe and restaurant industry.




2009 Speakers :

Martin Duncan of Freestyle Tout and Freestyle Escape

Natascha Mirosch, Food & Nutrition Editor for The Courier Mail

Peta Ellis, Managing Director, City Publicity

David Solnet of University of Queensland and Shift Directions

Ken Law, Industrial Relations Representative for Restaurant & Catering Queensland

Matthew Kuhn, Partner at AM Giles & Co

if you are in hospitality you should attend next year as it was awesome
smartFOOD 2010 please contact info@smartfood.com.au

posi track

i truly cannot believe what these machines can do....
every time we have one come to the farm normally to fix driveways,but we have had them move water tanks,water cylinders up hill ,carry mulch,move dirt around ,
today however Brian filled trenches with drainage pebbles and made our road and driveways more bearable at Freestyle Escape so much was done within a 4 hour period ,truly unbelievable!!,it would have taken weeks with human labourers
and it is so so much more fun watching rather than actually doing!!!
however orchard got the love with a manual water with hose from dam ,herb garden getting a tickle up and new plants this week !!aarrghhh it doesnt stop!

rain pretty please

greetings
well Lex did come and check out the orchard,all was not good as all my Pecan trees had some mysterous bug that had ring barked the trees,now this was very interesting to me ..putting it in basic terms there is a little cycle for the life of a tree nutrients come up from ground up inside truck and nutrients from leaves go back to roots via bark,ie outer skin so when tree is ring barked by an animal or insect,nutrients cannot get back down to feed the roots so no hope for my pecans....a little sad to say the least.....
rest of orchard a little stressed ,and in desperate need of rain .......
my show stopper herb garden has been nuked or fried by the heat and unbelievable dust storms we are having ....bummer again.....

Brisbane Home Sweet Home

greetings all..
wow after many many hours or days in transit i am home!!!
my body clock still not adjusted, but i have hit the ground running with catching up on both Freestyle Restaurants and Freestyle Escape

hot tip for next time you travel!!! http://www.onebag.com check it out next time im taking heed,cobblestones and suitcase wheels......arrghhhhhhhh!!!

Maria Cosgrove our Artist in residence at the farm has done a new body of work
as usual,stunning!!!some of her work will be adorning the walls at Escape House and the Arthouse the rest will be snaffled up im sure......



Freestyle Tout
We have just launched Brekkies on the Weekend from 9am throughout the day
the first weekend was very busy,so all is good ,Glen our Chef At West End was gung hoe to start brekkies at West End and Danilo our chef at Emporium is also determined to do the best brekkies in Bris Vegas
so it looks like Freestyle will be famous for more than its Lunches and Desserts
well done guys.... Salmon Scrambled eggs were yummo !!!mmm next time im having the french toast

Freestyle Escape
Escape house looks great a month ago we planted a herb garden so guests can pluck what they need while staying,as it was a little heavy going walking down to Orchard and Kitchen garden below,going down doesnt seem to be a problem its the journey back up where you could blow a fufu valve ,some crampons or soccer boots would help ,The secret is to stop now and then and say wow far out that a great view.....
Breathe !!!

The Arthouse is getting its massive outdoor stone Bath hooked up on thurs,very excited,its going to be awesome,honeymooners and dirty weekenders can have a bath looking over gardens,rainforest and ocean or the lights at night all over the coast...very pretty
The Gardens and the Orchard looks fantastic ,however a little rain would be great ,pretty pretty please!!
our Kitchen herb garden has been hit hardest with extreme heat and no rain
Lex Mullins our amazing Horticulturist is going to give all the fruit trees some love this weekend hopefully,chicken poo and mulching still needs to be done if anyone bored and looking for some fun please apply .....:)

Stockholm

We caught train from Uppsala to Stockholm for 3 days of exploring this lovely lakeside city's food seen and a Castle or two....


foodie finds...

Espressino was the clear winner in coffee stakes ,interestingly enough one of the Barista's is a Melbourne boy who has been working there for 3 months...great fitout ,they only sell croissants,these yummy cinnamon twirl thingys that i have become addicted too,and some filled flat rolls that can be toasted
Coffee is prority here,few tea's on offer if you dont need major caffeine fix....

Bistro Sud
after a few hours exploring the city and finding Benny from Abba,s hotel
we retraced steps back to a great little Restaurant that we had spotted earlier ,serving swedish food..reindeer anyone?
i loved the decor here,grey walls ,lovely chandelairs,upholstered banquettes,wooden tables and lovely staff
food was great!!


Drottningholms Castle
we took train and bus to the residence of the King and Queen of Sweden,
after a sroll around adjacent park we stopped at the tea rooms for an open sandwhich ,once recharged then off for a peek inside Castle,we joined the english speaking guide and were shown around the interior of Castle,wow interesting,
The King and Queen live in a wing off main Castle with some of the formal gardens and lake cordoned off,so alass did not spot them
after tour we caught steam boat back to centre Stockholm around 50 mins,very pretty !!!



we went to old part of city numerous times,well worth a look fantastic old buildings cobbled stoned lanes and alleyways, with loads of restaurants,cafes and shops, irish bars seem to be here in numbers,we Dined here a couple of times at different venues
we never did find the ABBA Mueseum !! Abba muesuem and fun park are only open for the summer apparently,
However one stop away from old city centre on underground Near Central station was the Highlight for us
The Ice bar in the Nordic Sea Hotel,was incredible,we had to throw on these cloaks and gloves then venture into a massive freezer where maybe 20-30 others were getting stuck into Absolute Vodka cocktails which were served in an ice glass ie; totally made of ice,great fun,great novelty!!!

Sweden

Greetings
Heathrow to Stockholm a nice easy trip,on arrival we collected our bags and sought a train to Uppsala.
This is a very lovely University town,with a stream running through its centre,and loads of pedestrian malls through town.Bikes and people on Bikes everywhere.i wish we could go helmet less in oz the wind throu your hair is great ....
food on offer is very Good,i checked out loads of Restaurants,menus and their decor on foot,this city seems very sleepy during the week but on Friday arvo it comes alive with thousands of students coming to hang out,in the Restaurants,cafes and Bars
whilst here i came across a nice thai Restaurant called Amazing Thai i would only rate it as a good not amazing ,fancy setting yourself up like that, i dont think anyone in Oz would ....
Italian last night was goodIl Gusto,loved the furishings and fit out .white washed wooden beams and ceiling,large Gas fireplace,loads lamps and great light fittings,and Fab art on display.
Bruschetta,mixed salad and Pizza all great...

Harrods

when in London i have normally avoided this icon however on this trip i thought i had better suss it out ,the crowds of tourists going thru this place is truly unbelievable...
Food hall definately worth checking out.you name it and its here.... chocolate and pastry section my favourite spot of course .....i purchased a few goodies and quality and taste was sublime

Albion Caff

Albion Caff is on the ground floor of Conran's Hotel,
a fine food store is located at one end of Cafe and dining and kitchen take up the rest of the space,big doors open onto the sidewalk with very clean simple lines lot of white and timber,had similar feel to Bill's in Sydney
Cafe food is a modern take on very british food,ie cottage pie,chicken and ham pie,blue cheese and leek pie, sides of cauliflower cheese or beef dripping chippies
i loved the busy vibe,the staff were very good and people watching was great.....

Terence Conran

Albion and Boundary Restaurants
after our Frenzy of walking around and looking at so many great Venues we finally came across the Lunch Venue we were seeking,
walking up to this small but funky hotel designed by Terence Conran ,my favourite all time interior Designer, we almost ran into the Man himself.
Good manners prevailed ,just...we let him get into the lift with his entourage, before taking it up onto rooftop ourselves,even though i found it hard not to jump in with him and talk the pants off him...
Roof top Restaurant and Bar awesome with glass balestrading around entire rooftop,outdoor furniture with Blankets and an outdoor fireplace with views of London were awesome


we had a glass of bubbles near fire while a photographer was shooting away terence in background silently watching all... this venue is just under 3 months old and regulary getting photographed for glamour magazines....
we were slightly Peckish so ventured downstairs...

London

A short trip on train and a couple of stops later on London's Tube and we were in the thick of it....
we checked out so many fabulous Restaurants and their Menu's,
i am truly in love with this city and what it has to offer..
i loved the Hoxham Hotel, Hoxham Square.Zetta Hotel and Modern Pantry (wish i could nab this spot for Freestyle).and many more to many to Mention ....

Le Manoir

the Manoir was a joy to behold located just out of Oxford ,close to motorway to and from London,this stunning country house hotel is the Brain child of Raymond Blanc, Englands culinary Master Chef and entrenenpeur.


The Mainhouse and out buildings have been converted into a stunning restaurant,cooking school with deluxe accomodation,grounds are exceptional,my little friend Chloe said wow even the carpark is beautiful.....scupltures are everywhere



thru-out beautiful gardens,a special mention on cooks garden which had almost everything imaginable for the kitchen,herbs galore,mushroom beds and a lot of things i have never seen in our tropical paradise Queensland in Oz




(it was a pleasure to have meet Raymond at Bruno and Catherines )
PLEASE CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE
www.manoir.com

Oxford

Oxford roughly an hour from London
this beautiful university city with spectacular buildings and History is well worth the drive.. a lot of Harry Potter movies are filmed here.



We had lunch at cafe Locco right opposite Christchurch college,great simple cafe fare with cute take out store right next door.
The trout stuffed with mushrooms and bacon with dill butter sauce with salad of tiny roast potato and green salad...yummo The chocolate cake was also worthy.
The covered market is a must to visit with loads of speciality shops and an abundance of wonderful local products.
The cake shop in there is a cross between Sweetart in Sydney and Cakes by Judy C in Brisbane
creating amazing celebration cakes with sugar pieces. Sweet chocolate is another tiny shop in the same complex that will tempt your taste buds.

Windsor Castle

after Henley on thames 15-20 mins by car we arrived at Windsor
a very Tourist town with loads of shops selling souvenirs galore....river thames runs below town with loads of swans and boats ,very picturesque and the famous Eton college down river
some great eating houses ,I particulary liked the look of hotel restaurant The tower very smart but not pretentious like a lot of restaurants here in uk
they are very fortunate to have great old Buildings which gives you great bones for a restaurant,character is already there with timber or stone or old bricks,i love this there is such a sense of history and organic warm feel when you enter,something which is hard to achieve in a modern concrete and glass building.....

Henley on Thames

after our morning walk thru horse meadows and forest surrounding Beaconsfield with the Loubet's Dogs Max golden retriever,Jackson staffy and Leo rhodesian ridgeback
we went for drive around the country side,truly beautiful lush and undulating country side it was fun spotting large stately homes and outbuildings.with my love for tv show Grand Designs mind ticking over time.....
Henley on Thames

this tiny beautiful village located right on the Thames is home to rowing regattas
buildings are incredible and location so picturesque
we had a walk around the town checking out shops all really cute,we had traditional Fish and Chips wth peas at the Angel this quaint pub right on the river,this place would be a licence to print money on weekends and in summer...



stopped for looksy at Maison Blanc a chain of fine pastry/Cafe shops originally started by Raymond Blanc (he still consults to them apparently) we purchased some Chocolate eclairs and a choc tart which we consumed later in Windsor.....

a day to be remembered....

Bruno and Catherine put on a beautiful French long Sunday lunch for Aussie and Uk Friends,

first up was Parmesan wafers and petite quiche with French Champs on arrival ,followed by salad of organic spotted trout,beetroot and radish sprouts,(yummo)
Bruno's special homemade flowerpot bread (Heaven)
Duck au vin,baby carrots and mushrooms...(magic)
cheese course with the most beautiful cheeses from France,Chablis and Saint Joseph Burgundy wines served through out
Dessert was Tarte au Sucre served with Bruno's divine Raspberry Jam or Blackberry Jam
with a beautiful French Dessert Wine Montbaziliac mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
lunch finished well into the evening,wow great food, great wines, great company, great conversation Life is sweet.......
fortunately for us we had taken their dogs Max,Jackson,and Leo for a long walk in the country side earlier in the day so we were able to eat with out guilt,well sort of....

Heathrow Airport

after 4 security checks at airport in St Petersburg Airport,we had a nice flight to Heathrow Airport,lovely to be around english speaking people again.....
Catherine and Laeticia Loubet met us at the airport and we were at their place with in 20 mins wow....painless
Bruno Loubet (formerly Head Chef at Baguette and Brisbane News Foodie pages )cooked us a yummy dinner of Fresh Trout ,green beans and baby potatoes,with tomato and orange...
Stay tuned for the French Feast......

good bye Russia Hello uk

last Day of St Petersburg it rained cats and dogs
interesting all the beautiful buildings dont have overhangs and all down pipes dump onto the side walk ,so when it rains you get absolutely drenched....and have to dodge puddles and rivers of water on side walks.....

St Petersburg

We chose to catch the train from Moscow to St Petersburg to save on a nights accommodation and for the experience. Leaving Moscow at midnight and getting into the station at 8am. It was interesting sleeping on a train as I am quite tall and found it hard to get comfortable on the bunk but managed to get some sleep, and it was a nice change from hanging around airports.



We were fortunate enough to be able to check into our hotel on arrival and a hot shower fixed all. The day consisted of much sight seeing, the highlight being a boat tour up river and around the canals that course through the city. Well worth it as you get a totally different perspective of this beautiful city. Lunch consisted of bad sushi on Nevsky Prospt, the main drag. Fish was not fresh and took ages to arrive. Majority of wait staff were young russians and not interested. As an owner of a restaurant and a customer I found this very disappointing. Great people watching, however. Dinner on the other hand was a total delight.
Sadko Restaurant
This restaurant was awesome with a bunker-type feel, dark sage walls and ceilings decorated with hand painted garlands and huge red glass chandeliers with flowers throughout. White show plates with matching flower designs. Wow, over the top but loved it. we tried red cavier and blinis; the russian dumplings and paroshki, and shared a main of chicken Kiev. All were superb and wait staff were awesome. They all spoke a little english and were great at their job; was refreshing after our lunch experience.
Fashion spotting in St P is as incredible as Moscow. Today's best was a leopard skin mini and top with humungeous gold bag and 8 inch bling bling heels...sorry dear reader, I couldn't get a photo. Boys with very bad mullets and shinny suits still being sighted.

Hermitage
This building is impressive when approached from across the square. When entered you are overwhelmed by the shear size and grandeur of it all. We only spent the afternoon there, but a day or two would be more appropriate. You do find it mind blowing to say the least. Never have I seen so many masters in one space and so much of their work. Rubens, Renoir, Rembrandt, van Dyke, Matisse, Cezanne, Picasso and many more.



Dinner tonight at a French restaurant:
Kukhnina
Truly lovely french feel, furniture and fit out with easy listening fench music played throughout the night. The food was superb....grilled goats cheese on top of a poached pear with salad of pear and mixed leaves. Followed by crab ravioli with a smidgeon of homemade tomato sauce, atop a pea purree. Ricotta ravioli with spinach followed by rib-eye steak bernaise and fat chips. Then a divine chocolate fondant pudding. All cooked to perfection. It was sad to see such a nice restaurant serving such great food so quiet patron-wise. I wonder if it's because of the location, slightly of the tourist track, or maybe we caught it on a wacky night, which sometimes happens to us poor restaurant folk without rhyme or reason.

Peterhof palace
We took a hydrofoil out to the Peterhof. The parkland is truly beautiful with many fountains in front of the palace. After walking around for a while gobsmacked by the beauty and excess, we had brunch at one of the palace cafes; Salmon dumplings with sour cream, chicken schnitzel and greek salad. Interesting to note that they use cream cheese cubes instead of feta. After lunch we had a looksey through the palace. Truly over the top. Restoration of this palace is amazing as the Nazis totally trashed it during the war.



Dinner Italian:
da Vinci
spagetti Carbonara, veal canneloni and greek salad again...all ok. The highlight of the evening was cocktails at the hotel Astoria. This place has a lot of history and many famous guests, including Rasputin. Public areas are stunning and the nightscape onto the square is very pretty.

last day in Moscow

today consisted of more sight seeing followed by crap lunch at the Sixties Diner on pedestrian mall
think happy days combined with Macdonalds and bad service....
then onto a Boat cruise,not a lot to see on the 1 hour trip other than Kremlin etc at the end

Dinner
Apartment 44
Bolshoi Nikitskaya Street 22/2
tucked away in an appartment building entry via courtyard driveway
i loved this place although the cigarette smoke was a little overbearing
interesting to see people smoke, drink and eat at the same time ...
we are so lucky now in Australia not to have smoking near diners or in clubs
we ordered a couple of drinks, pasta with parma ham and a salad,and chicken and potatoes. food all right though not outstanding.
the decor and vibe of this place was what made our last evening in Moscow special
a really good Pianist played everything from Moon River to Moscow Nights..brilliant!







More fashion moments
A picture says a thousand words....





Unfortunately it was not possible to catch the shimmer of this white shiny suit.

next stop St Petersburg .....