Hot Chocolate at The House of DonkeyWith busy lives, my girls and I find that breakfast or brunch is a great way for us to catch up with minimal planning and fuss, and a renaissance in the Adelaide breakfast scene makes our outings all the more enjoyable. Cool and quirky cafés are peppering the suburbs and seasoning the city as diners snap-shut tired menus in large generic cafés and turn to smaller spots with personality.At many of these vibrant addresses you will still find a classic 'big breakfast' of bacon and eggs made from quality South Australian produce but there is also ...
Congratulations Adelaide!
Have you heard the wonderful news?!Adelaide has just been named one of the Top Ten Cities in the world 2014 by global travel authority, Lonely Planet. Coming in at number nine, Adelaide is the only Australian city to win a spot, and with Paris ranked number one I am thrilled that my two favourite cities (and the places I most write about) are now on the list!Read more about the Top Ten Cities here.A decade ago, after returning from Paris to a rather buttoned-up Adelaide, my youngest daughter Annabelle remarked as we drove through the city streets one evening, 'Where are ...
Adelaide’s Linear Park
When the words on my computer screen start to play up and I need a break from writing, I often head down to the River Torrens and walk along Linear Park. Just a boomerang throw from the Adelaide CBD, I am suddenly in the bush, bounded by towering gums and golden wattles. Birdsong fills the air and frogs croak in the reeds and rushes, the mesmerising sounds echoing along the banks. Sometimes I hear a kookaburra laugh or see a cheery flock of rainbow lorikeets; there are ibises, pelicans, wood ducks and all kinds of native waterbirds. Occasionally on my travels I spy a ...
On The Loose Caboose
This week, quite by chance, I am continuing the theme of trains and trams. A couple of days ago I met my friend Susie for brunch at a quirky cafe right on the train line in the up-and-coming inner west. For visitors to Adelaide and those sans transport it takes a mere 5 minutes to ride the Grange or Outer Harbor line from the city just one stop to Bowden. The platform itself is a little grungy but it soon fades in your mind when you enter into the restored, heritage-listed railway station, now the light and airy Loose Caboose.Alternatively, and perhaps an easier option, is to hop on the free city tram that glides ...
Delivering Goodness with OzHarvest
I zip up my OzHarvest jacket on this cold Friday afternoon and wait with anticipation until it's time to jump in the truck. Today, I am joining Tim as he drives around the city picking up and 'delivering goodness', experiencing first-hand how this wonderful charity works. OzHarvest touches the lives of thousands of Australians by rescuing excess food that would otherwise be thrown out, and redistributes it to local agencies that support the vulnerable. The national statistics are astounding with 35 tonnes of excess food collected each week and delivered to over 500 charities. OzHarvest operates across Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide - where it began operation two ...
On St Peters Bakehouse & the Aussie Meat Pie
With just a few frenzied days until settlement date and the countdown on, I am beginning to realise how spoiled we have been all these years to have the St Peters Bakehouse & Coffee Shop just a dash across the dog park. This week, with boxes strewn across the house and the kitchen half-packed, the bakery is, in fact, dangerously convenient.Damian Obst took over the corner store 15 years ago and I have watched the bakehouse grow...and grow. Nowadays at midday, the queue stretches out the door and it can be difficult to find a park on Seventh Avenue. Even ...
On Bach & Bolognese
On the weekend I went to a wonderful recital by Konstantin Shamray at Elder Hall. The young Russian pianist began his studies at the Kemerovo Music School at the age of six, and and is currently studying at the Musikhochshule Frieburg in Germany. Konstantin made a splash on the international scene when he won the Sydney International Piano Competition in 2008, becoming the first in the history of the Competition to win both first place and the Peoples Choice Prize. Since then he has performed in concert halls around the world and appeared as a soloist with many international orchestras, ...
On Luxury Villas & Asian Spice
Set on the fringe of the pretty Adelaide Hills town of Stirling, the Sticky Rice Cooking School instantly tosses you into an exotic world of aromatic spices, hot woks and scented candles. The popular school, just 20 minutes from the centre of the city, was founded by passionate foodie Claire Fuller in 2008 and offers hands-on teaching in a variety of spicy cuisines from Thai and Indian to Vietnamese. Classes are taught by local chefs and masters of Asian cuisine (think David Thompson and Ty Bellingham) and conclude with a sumptuous banquet-style feast, accompanied by local wines.Those who love culinary ...
On Food Trucks & Fork on the Road
Food trucks are becoming enormously popular in Adelaide. Parked in temporary locations all over the city, the colourful, quirky fleet provides locals and visitors with an interesting array of high quality food and drink, and adds vibrancy to our streets. These mobile food vendors are part of Splash Adelaide, an initiative of the Adelaide City Council that 'aims to bring our laneways, unused spaces and city streets to life'. The campaign, currently in its second season, is experimenting with a number of exciting urban projects from night markets to pop-up entertainment and performances in public places.Every month, a collection of ...
On the Four-Bite Rule
It’s 7 a.m. on a fresh Friday morning and Georgi and I are standing in front of the pop-up pâtisserie in Leigh Street, ogling the pastries. In a previous post on The Adelaide Showgrounds Farmers' Market, I promised to come and take a shot of the delicious French and Italian inspired creations made by Jonny Pisanelli and his partner Edwina Peoples, who run From Scratch.Before long, a line of locals has converged on this central city location to snatch a croissant, a Cherry Poppins or a Sugar Daddy to take away. Those who would rather sit and enjoy their pastry ...