JR Smokehouse BBQ - Catering

Well where do I start with this one! I have been a little bit absent of late because I had been planning my boys double 1st/3rd party (their birthdays are a day apart). Both my boys names are places in Texas and I actually found Nash's while scouring for a name on the Texan towns list trying to get something to suit Austin. So when traveling to Texas with 3 small children sounds like a nightmare, what do you do? Bring Texas to them!

I had been pretty much planning this for the last 6 months and food was a big thought for this event. At first I considered trying to cook a brisket myself and after some googling I realised that it was probably a little bit out of my depth. I thought to myself there is no way I would find a caterer to do a brisket but optimistically thought to google it anyway. Totally blown away though when JR Smokehouse BBQ came up in the search. It felt like I'd literally struck oil, Texan oil! (haha yeah mum joke) I was so stoked and knew this was the thing that was going to make the boys Texan BBQ birthday.

So months of anticipating this day were totally worth it. I used to watch a lot of Man Vs Food and lament to Wade that it sucked there were no places like that in Australia. This literally felt like we were in a Man Vs Food episode at this BBQ it was so intense. It was a completely sensory feast as well with the aromas, colours and textures on display. I really actually enjoyed photographing this food for that very reason. I only wish I wasn't so busy with the party that I got to take more photos.

Joel who run's JR is a really rad dude too. He is super easy going and so nice to deal with. We had a few stresses that our hilly yard (that was soggy from the rain) may not be able to accommodate the smoker but with some improvisation on his side he managed to get the smoker on our driveway.

For those who don't know much about the process of smoking a BBQ, Joel puts in a lot of effort. He preps the meats the day before, drove a couple of hours to get to our place and then set up at 8am and pretty much cooked all through the day till food was served around 6pm. His effort and dedication though really pays off because the food was amazing! Being from America himself Joel really knows his BBQ.

On the menu Was Carolina pulled pork rolls, Memphis BBQ ribs, Chicken Cupcakes (All meats smoked with pecan wood) with sides of Ranch Beans, Corn on the cob, Homestyle Potato salad and Coleslaw. Everyone was so stoked on the food and couldn't stop talking about how great it was. In fact people are still talking about it now.

It actually just felt like we were at a legit Texan BBQ though when Joel unveiled the Texan Beef Brisket. This was like the most amazing thing I had ever tried and really authenticated that Texan BBQ vibe for me.  Joel doesn't normally do a Beef Brisket due to the time involved but made an exception for us by modifying it so there was less smoking time involved with a smaller cut of meat. The flavour was intense and it was just amazingly moist and tender. That along with the Cream Cheese stuffed Jalapenos he served as starters sealed the deal for us.

JR smokehouse BBQ not only cooked the BBQ but served and provided cutlery and plates. By  the time they were finished packing up it was about 8:30pm so it was a along day for the guys particularly Joel who had been working since 8am. So not only was it the food that made the boys birthday a great day it was Joel's dedication to the craft. He was always super polite and happy just to be there even though it was a long hard day for him.

 Can not highly reccomend JR Smokehouse enough to anyone looking to cater an event a little differently. The food was just phenomenal and surpassed my expectations. I even actually had some devo moments editing these photos and realising it's over.

http://www.smokehousebbq.com.au/

Couture Cupcakes - 9/65-69 Macgregor Terrace, Bardon

We live about 5 mins from this shop and pass it regularly. Today Ruby had speech therapy after school so on the way to pick Austin up from Daycare we thought we would have a quick snack.

It's a great  place to stop by to have a treat after school or work and has off street parking right under the building making it that bit easier to drop by quickly. There is plenty of room and they do have high chairs so you can even bring the wee babes along to enjoy a cupcake or two from their selection baked on site.

Couture cupcakes has a nice clean simple look with it's white cast iron out door settings and two cake cases  in store. You can choose from not only a variety of cupcakes but also other sweet treats like tarts and cheesecake and also some savouries. They serve coffee, milkshakes and cold canned/bottled beverages. So perfect place to stop by for a quick snack.

Ruby was very impressed and  told me the Choc Hazelnut cupcake she tried was absolutely delicious (she considers her self somewhat a connoisseur of chocolate cupcakes lol.) The red velvet cup cake I had was also very tasty with a great flavour and texture. I had to take the frosting off the Chocolate Vanilla cupcake because of Nash's intolerance's but the fact he devoured the cupcake in record breaking time must have meant he too enjoyed them.

  

Overall I liked coming here because the service was quick and it was easy to get in and out of, had hot coffee and great sweets.

Marche Du Macaron - Stafford

So I found out yesterday this isn't an actual shop/cafe... I'd read about it being one of Brisbane's best Patisseries and found their PO Box Address in The valley so assumed it was there lol... After a bit of a wild goose chase I ended up calling and was told orders can be placed on line or over the phone and picked up from a residential address in Stafford. So I did just that and also drove across town again for these macaroons and it was well worth it.

As anyone in my home can attest I'm a bit of a macaroon fiend, I love them! I had been disappointed for a while that Brisbane had no dedicated Macaroon specialist, I even asked a local patisserie baker if she would mind making them for her bakery... She said no too hard haha... So when I came across Marche Du Macaron I was more than delighted. Given their slick packaging and the reviews I'd read I assumed wrongly it was an actual place you could go to shop. Never the less they are still something both adults and children can enjoy at home and I'm told a shop front is in the pipeline as we speak...

There is a delicious variety and because I got these for Wade for Valentine's day I only taste tested one so far (We will share some as a family after dinner tonight.) That one was the peanut butter flavour and it has to be one of the best macaroons I've tasted. It was light and crisp on the outside but as I bit in fluffy and moist with a beautiful flavour. I can't wait to eat them all! Errrr... I mean share them...

So if your a sweets fan or even love macaroons as much as me, definitely order some of these packages of goodness.

Lust For Life - 176 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley

Lust for life is a Tattoo studio that also has a gallery and coffee bar... I wouldn't say it was typically a place you take a child as there are loads of nice things that children might like to break haha. However if you have children that are a bit older and appreciate nice food and art it's a great quiet place to stop.

Austin just chatting up the staff.

I came to see the exhibition by Tricia King 'In Hiding' you can see more of her here... 'The Itchy Eyes' Both Austin and I enjoyed it and he told me matter of factly the 'Tiger' photo was the best in fact he stared at it for a good while (so 30 seconds in 2 year old time :D)

While they are mostly a coffee bar they do sell some cold bottled drinks along side some of their sweet treats in the front case. I was delighted to see they serve Boyland soda which I love. Austin was more than impressed with his Grape Soda.

The other main attraction though apart from the wonderful art and some of Brisbane's best tattooers was the bagel bar. There was a wide variety at a reasonable price. Even if your child is a bit to spirited to bring in I still highly recommend even getting a take away bagel.

I had the 'Brooklyn' a poppyseed toasted bagel filled with cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers, dill and red onion while Austin had the Bluebird - Plain toasted bagel with blueberry spread and cream cheese. Both of us agreed these were delicious and I'm still thinking about them now they were that good.

So if you love great art please do come and check out this great exhibition and enjoy a delicious bagel while your there. Highly recommend it!