Moved!

Yes, the first part of the move from our lovely town house is completed. We moved last Wednesday with our temporary residence being Upper Mount Gravatt on the south side of Brisbane. Our friend Kay has left for Turkey, Italy and Eastern Europe for two months, so whilst she is away we are invading her home. It is now Sunday afternoon and we are now almost completely settled in, even to the point of having the net up and running. My American friend Kit lives at Kay's house and has graciously accepted the 'invasion', and his liver has already been given a serious workout. When his partner Polly returns from her long trip to the US there'll be four of us at Stanhope Street. It's really lovely to have such nice friends.

On Thursday night, after cleaning the house and doing a myriad of last minute things, we met four friends at a restaurant in Albion called 'Bespoke'. We were running late, tired, and above all not brilliantly dressed for such a smart restaurant, but other than last minute ironing and a traffic jam, we arrived at the place ready to be thoroughly spoiled, and we certainly were. The food was outstanding (three courses times six people, enough opportunities to get something wrong). Everyone enjoyed each course, we loved the service and above all the balance between smartness and informality (when Aussies get it right, they get it SOOO right!). From my entree of yellow fin tuna plate with the fish prepared three ways, through to the bouillabaisse served in an interestingly new way (seafood piled upon a caviar blini) and to top it off a dessert combining rhubarb and strawberry - well, this very tired bloke went to bed that night extremely satisfied. Recently we entertained a couple of visiting Dutch friends to a dinner at a fabulous restaurant only to find a series of highs and lows during the evening (food-wise). Bespoke got everything right, and I mean everything. We'll be back. http://restaurantbespoke.com.au/