So this week with Easter I’ve been a bit slack on the recipe front (I’m sorry! Can I use the excuse that I was full of chocolate?) so I unfortunately do not have a recipe for you. So instead I thought I would look back and reflect on my almost two months living back in Brisbane, and what I’ve realised that I missed about living in Brisbane when I lived in Melbourne.

Don’t get me wrong, the Melbourne foodie scene is on point. Between the amazing restaurants, cafes, coffee and wine, the world really was your oyster. There was almost too much choice, and I had serious anxiety about trying to get through it all, when I barely scratched the surface. It was awesome living so close in so that I could really experience it all, and it was an amazing year that was full of food, and also quite sad for my bank account (at least my tummy was happy though!).

But despite literally having the foodie world at my feet in Melbourne, there were certain experiences that I really missed in Melbourne. Some of them I’ve only realised I was missing now that I am back in Brisbane, although there were a few that left a big hole in my tummy for the year I was gone! I don’t know whether it’s a nostalgia thing, or the fact that a lot of the experiences are connected to people in my life that I would share them with, but I was seriously craving these experiences, and now I have them back I didn’t realise how much I missed them.

I may get a few shocked expressions for saying this, but the Brisbane foodie scene is definitely up there. Seriously, although we may not have Flinders Lane, we have some seriously good food. It’s definitely come a long way since I’ve been living here, and even after a year away so much has changed! So I wanted to share with you the 5 experiences that I’m so glad to have back in my life, to highlight some of the awesome things Brisbane has to offer.

Julius Pizzeria

Out of all the restaurants in Brisbane, this is definitely the one I missed most. My partner and I are no strangers to eating Italian food, but we’ve never found a better Italian meal than the ones we have at Julius. We find ourselves constantly comparing back to this amazing restaurant, and nothing ever comes close, no matter how much we spend! Even when I was in Melbourne, as much as I tried, I never found a place as good as Julius, even my beloved Caffe e Cucina (which did get brownie points for it’s amazing service, but sadly wasn’t quite the same).

There is something about Julius Pizzeria that is extra special, and keeps everyone coming back, including myself. I’ll happily wait over an hour for a table here, which is often the minimum wait time on a Friday night. I’ve never seen it quiet, it is seriously always packed. I think this is a testament to how good it is! If you know me, I’ve probably recommended going here at least 10 times. It’s just so good I can’t recommend it enough.

What makes me love it so much? I think it’s just the whole experience. The prices are decent (not super cheap, not super expensive) and it has a great atmosphere with a beautiful fit and the most amazing pizza oven as a focal point in the kitchen. The service is absolutely impeccable, and they go the extra mile with little things like splitting your pasta into individual bowls if you are sharing (resolving many arguments between couples I’m sure!).

You can take a seat at the bar while you wait and enjoy an Aperol Spritz or Negroni, or you can pop next door to Maker which has just about the best cocktails I’ve ever tasted! Sometimes I feel like a visit to Julius isn’t complete without an extended wait time where I can enjoy a cocktail here.

The food here is unbelievably good for the price you pay too. They change the menu frequently and always have awesome specials as well, so every trip you can try something new! We tend to get a pizza and pasta to share, so you truly get the best of both worlds! One of my favourite pizzas that’s always on the menu is the Tartufo – mushrooms, truffle and bacon on a white base – it’s my go to.

Make sure you leave room for dessert too – although it’s hard to decide between the amazing options! My go to is always the panna cotta or the fried dumplings – they change the flavours with the seasons but they are always good. You also can’t go wrong with the classic tiramisu!

Out of all the restaurants I’ve been to in Brisbane, this would have to be my favourite. It’s the one I keep going back to, and it’s the one I missed the most when I lived in Melbourne. I would go here every weekend if I could!

Acai Bowls

One of the other things that I really missed in Melbourne was Acai Bowls. It’s probably the one thing that I would argue that Melbourne just didn’t do well, or enough of. Perhaps because it was cold, but I found that I was craving the amazing selection of these bowls that you get in Brisbane, and just never found it in Melbourne. I mean Green Cup got pretty close, but it was nothing on the endless supply we have here.

My partner and I have made it a little weekend ritual where we try different Acai Bowls. We’ve tried so many different places in Brisbane, and it always brings back fond memories of spending time with him. Plus, they are super delicious, and in Brisbane there is so much choice! They are a great breakfast option, and we love trying new places and new bowls each weekend!

We have two Acai Bowl places near our place: Coco Bliss and Acai Brothers. Both are chain stores and both are pretty good. We were obsessed with CoCo Bliss for a while, but have gone off it recently in favour of Acai Brothers. Even though they are a bit more expensive than you’re usual Acai Bowl, they have awesome flavours, and you get to pick the fruit you want on the top! They have an amazing peanut butter bowl which is my go to.

Our other favourite place is Pineapple Express. I love this place, especially because you can also get CoCo Whip (one of the other glorious inventions that Melbourne has not discovered yet). The Acai Bowls here are on point, and they have so much selection you could easily go every day and try something new. You can go to their Hamilton location to get the full menu, including savoury options, or try their Express store on James Street. Either way you are in for a treat!

Finally, my other recommendation is Piggy Back Cafe in Jindalee. My sister used to work here which is where I found out about them. They don’t have a huge menu, but their Acai Bowls are something else! I absolutely love their Pink Pitaya bowl which is covered in fresh fruit and granola. It’s probably one of the most refreshing bowls I’ve ever had. I also love their Strawberry Shortcake one, which tastes more like dessert than something healthy, and is covered in coconut chips! While you’re there you can try one of their rainbow coffees too, I know I couldn’t resist!

Long story short, so glad to be back in Brisbane and have all these amazing Acai Bowl places at my fingertips!

Saturday Morning Markets

Another thing I really missed was visiting the markets on a Saturday morning. Now I did have the Prahran markets nearby in Melbourne, which did do a good job of hitting the market spot and filling the void. But there’s something about the Brisbane markets on a Saturday morning that is just so special to me.

When I was in Uni, my parents started going to the markets every Saturday and so I think going to the Brisbane markets really takes me back to good times. We used to always go as a family, or if you had to stay at home, you’d often be lucky enough to have a sweet brought back to make your study that much better (or a bacon and egg roll if you were really lucky!) I have a lot of fond memories around the markets, and so I really missed them when I was in Melbourne. The Prahran Markets just weren’t the same, even though now I miss parts of that too! I guess in Melbourne the markets are more established buildings with stores that are permanently there, whereas the ones in Brisbane are more of an event with different things each time! Luckily those stores that make me really nostalgic still live on.

Probably my favourite market to go to is the West End market at Davies Park. The stores are great and really well priced for getting all your groceries, but there are heaps of delicious food options for a sneaky breakfast after! I used to go for a run and meet my parents there for breakfast, and I’ve started doing this again now that I’m back in Brisbane. We’ve also started getting our groceries from here because it’s fresh and cheap, if you know where to go!

My favourite thing about this market is getting breakfast though. There really is something for everyone here, so it’s a great place for meeting friends. My favourite is the Roesti man who makes amazing potato roestis with great toppings – the bad boy bacon and egg is my favourite! Another favourite of mine is the Tibetan MoMos – delicious dumplings which you wouldn’t think would go well with breakfast but are so good!

The other market I like to visit is the New Farm Markets. The best time to visit this market is the second and fourth Saturdays as this is when most of the regular vendors are there, as the alternate Saturdays there are other markets on so it isn’t as busy. Although the produce here isn’t as cheap, and there isn’t as much variety, this market has some great breakfast options! It’s also great for dog spotting as there is a dog park nearby, so really it is a win win!

What do I recommend for breakfast? Well if you feel like dumplings, you can get 6 steamed dumplings and a bbq pork bun for $10 which are absolutely delicious! There has also recently been a new addition to the breakfast options which has amazing breakfast burgers for cheap – I got an amazing haloumi burger for $9.50! If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try a goat pie – they are absolutely delicious and a great take home for a quick weeknight meal.

The best thing about the New Farm market is the selection of sweet treats. They have the most amazing gluten free donuts which melt in your mouth, seriously they are so good it’s hard to stop at one! And if you are in the mood for pastries, there is a french bakery who has some of the best croissants and danishes. We also recently tried a cinnamon scroll from a new vendor which was delicious!

The markets hold a big place in my heart, and I never found an equivalent in Melbourne. I’m so glad that my Saturday mornings are spent at these great places once more!

Coffee + Beach

Now I’m back in Brisbane, we’ve been doing regular trips down to the Gold Coast for the weekend. My partner works down there, and so we are often visiting. One of the things I love to do down there is grab a coffee and go for a nice long walk on the beach. This was something I really couldn’t do in Melbourne which I missed.

Something about being close to the water is so relaxing, and the beaches in Queensland are so much better than the ones in Melbourne. I love nothing more than to go for an early morning walk, before I can get sunburnt, and soak up the amazing scenery and sea air.

There are plenty of great coffee shops near where we stay on the Gold Coast, but it’s almost not really about the coffee. Believe me, I’m not even going to try and compare it to Melbourne coffee, because Melbourne has that covered for sure. But there is something nice about having one half way through the walk, as a bit of a reward. Especially if you have good company for your walk – I find my partner and I will often go for a nice long walk and getting a coffee is a little treat for us. It’s such a relaxing start to the day, and something I really missed. I find at the beach I can actually stop and relax, so I’ve really missed this simple foodie activity.

Harvest Sourdough Saturdays

Ok – so this isn’t in Brisbane, nor in Queensland technically. But it is an activity that I’m really nostalgic about, and it’s something that I connect to living in Brisbane. My family has always gone down to Byron Bay for weekends away, and now we are lucky enough to have a place out of Byron. But we don’t often go into the main town, we favour places a bit more off the beaten track. Now that I’m back in Brisbane, I have the opportunity to go back there more frequently! I really missed going down here while I was in Melbourne, because out of all the places I can go on a weekend, I think this is the place I feel happiest. The area is so relaxing, and I love just chilling out and eating good food!

Harvest is a great place to go and always a must on a weekend away for me. It’s been around for years and is a little bit out of Byron in Newrybar. It’s definitely worth the trek though – you can either do breakfast, lunch or dinner if you can get in (they are often booked out) but they also have an amazing deli next door with delicious cheese, meats and chocolates that you’ll want multiples of!

My favourite thing to do at Harvest is arrive for Sourdough Saturdays. This is where Harvest opens up their bakery and sells fresh pastries and bread direct from their woodfired oven. It is honestly the most amazing experience, and the only issue is having to choose! When I took my partner for the first time, we ended up with about 6 pastries because we couldn’t decide. Each week they have different choices too, so you can go every time and try something new! I couldn’t even decide on a favourite as they are all so good, and you can even order a coffee to go with your decided option!

I honestly tell so many people about this amazing place, because to me it is a must go when in the area. It’s such a great place, and such an awesome experience that I haven’t found anything else. Pro tip though, arrive around 8am, especially on long weekends, because they do run out! And there is nothing more depressing than missing out on your pastries!

So there you have it, my top 5. I’m so grateful to be able to enjoy these things again. Even though there are countless things that I miss about Melbourne and the food there (I should write another post about these), the list above is some of the things that I truly appreciate now that I’m back. Again, it’s about the people I’ve shared these experiences with, and I think that’s what really makes it!

Until next time, happy eating!

Ella xx