By
Trevor Pepys review Maisie’s Seafood and Steakhouse
Although Trevor missed the first few decades of Maisie’s glorious century-plus reign on the river – the café, not the proprietress, who left the building quite some time ago at a grand old age – he goes back far enough to remember Maisie’s brother Phillip wheeling the old pianola out onto Gympie Terrace to serenade the diners with his mellifluous tenor.
In those days the finely-honed timber cottage, built by Pattermore and Cash for patriarch Jiddy Massoud in 1920, was known as Maisie’s Favourite Café, about which there was no doubt since it was the only eatery along the river. But it was certainly favoured by the men of the 2/14th Infantry doing their Kokoda jungle training in The Woods who flocked there whenever they could, often driving their amphibious Army ducks right up the river bank next to the family wharf.
Trev was only a whippersnapper, of course, but he well remembers the smoke from Maisie’s wood-fuelled fire, the bawdy singalongs as the men munched their flathead and chips, washed down with tallies of Brisbane Bitter, while Maisie fussed about them with endless good cheer. Ah, those were the days.
Admittedly, Trev’s relations with the formidable Massoud clan took a turn for the worse when he accidentally stepped on a giant turtle sand sculpture that young Dennis M had laboured on for a week at Main Beach. But this too was forgotten in the sands of time.
Still, it had been a long time between mornays, Trev thought, as he and the missus climbed the stairs to enter the time capsule that is now known as Maisie’s. The history of Noosaville and the Massoud clan, as entwined as they are, is all over the walls, and the aromas of 50 years ago still emanate from the kitchen, and beer batter never smelled so welcoming.
We chose a Little Angel Marlborough Pinot Gris ($37) from the sensibly-priced wine list and sipped at our corner table while perusing the menu. Maisie’s is styled as steak and seafood these days, but history demands you eat the produce of the river, so we ordered half a dozen Pacific oysters natural ($20) and slurped them down while we awaited the seafood chowder served warm inside a crusty bread bowl ($17.50).
The oysters were fresh, tangy and delicious with a little Tabasco. The chowder was an absolute triumph, fat mussels and chunks of reef fish in a thick soup, not so hot that it would melt the walls of the bread. Comfort food at its most delicious.
Next, purely for tradition, we shared a hefty Fisherman’s Basket ($26.50), which included the usual suspects – fried crumbed prawns, calamari, scallops and battered river fish, all served with fat chips. This was predictable fare, not quite up to the standard of our starters, but it seemed an appropriate way to end a meal down memory lane.
The verdict: If you’re a fan of Noosa’s foodie history, which Trevor most certainly is, you can’t go past the experience of Maisie’s. But the bonus here is that the simple, honest tucker offered is authentic and excellent. Leave your army duck at the shore, though.
Maisie’s Seafood and Steakhouse, 247 Gympie Terrace, Noosaville. Phone 5449 7497.