By Trevor Pepys recalls his best (and worst) feeds of the year
JANUARY
Trev got the year off to a bad start by taking an ill-fated trip down memory lane at Grenny’s on Gympie Terrace. Look, this joint celebrates its 40th anniversary soon, so it’s certainly doing something right, but if the signature Seafood Marseilles was sexy in ’82 (and it was) it’s looking a little worse for wear.
Fortunately the month was saved by an excellent sesame crusted salmon and a pork belly at Mr Jones and Me ( formerly Anita’s way back when and Durham’s bait and tackle long before that), in the first of several visits this year.
FEBRUARY
Another shocker to start the month, with a barely edible steak and chips with mushroom gravy at the once-wonderful Country Life pub at Kin Kin, saved only by the sweet sounds of troubadour Joel Mak, a family friend.
Then Trev had to send a swordfish back twice in an entirely unseasonal episode at the normally reliable Season. Trev is happy to report that on a return visit in the winter, the seafood offering matched the service – excellent.
But the find of February was BangBang on Hastings Street. Despite being surrounded by hype, this Asian fusion delivers big-time. “Very clever,” Trev noted. “Big bangs, little bangs, a sensibly short list of tapas and mains, presented with a dash of humour and whimsy. The wine list, on the other hand, somewhat wiped the smile off Trev’s dial, but the food prices were modest enough to take the edge off.”
MARCH
While Trev was a little disappointed in Paradise Arcade’s standard Mex with attitude, a first visit to Barefoot Bar and Grill on Gympie Terrace more than made up for it. Over subsequent visits, we’ve enjoyed an expanding, Brazil-flavoured menu with some interesting tapas. Unpretentious, friendly staff, river views, good food. What’s not to like?
APRIL
This month took the cake for top tucker, with exceptional meals enjoyed at Sum Yung Guys (still at Sunshine then), Noosa Boathouse and a first visit to Eclipse to begin an enduring love affair with this riverside gem. But if a brickbat must be thrown, it would be that we couldn’t hear ourselves think at Sum Yung, and repeated requests to turn the doof doof down down were ignored. Hopefully, that’s been moderated at the Noosaville premises. Watch this space for a review in 2022.
Meanwhile, the Boathouse offered reliably good seafood treats in a perfect setting. Eclipse got off to an interesting start but star quality will always shine through. As Trev wrote: You know a restaurant has style when you can’t book a table. I don’t mean that they can’t fit you in. I mean that their phone is out of order or unconnected and their website doesn’t work. And they don’t care because they know that food lovers will sniff them out.” Trev sniffed out Peter Roussos’s exceptional Med cuisine and has not been disappointed in three return visits.
MAY
Kaali Gourmet on Hastings Street deservedly picked up foodie awards later in the year and this was probably Trev’s best Indian feed of the year. But the find of the month was that Somedays do the best pizza in town and it’s a great place for grandkids’ birthday treats.
JUNE
Trev had to leave town to find it, but the top nosh for June was at Periwinkle at Peregian Beach where we indulged ourselves in moules frites – a massive bowl of steamed black mussels and an equally massive bowl of crispy fries. Yum.
JULY
Back in the days when Bob Abbot was a slim-mish young fella, Trev used to love a Sunday roast at The Apollonian where Bob donned the apron. Sadly, like Bob’s apron, the thrill has gone. It’s still a beautiful pub, but Trev found the mass-produced roast you had to queue for a little wanting. Two excellent lunches at Bistro C and the Waterfront made up for it.
AUGUST
Back into lockdown we went, with many restaurants closing their doors and a few smart operators working their way around the problem. As Trev reported: “Look, not much to make you smile comes out of a Covid lockdown, other than that feeling of community accomplishment when we all work together to overcome it, but if every cloud has a silver lining, then the lockdown one is the $25 dinner special, three minutes in the microwave, from Little Humid.” The mighty M and M team worked their butts off for these heat-and-eat specials, of which Trev found the crispy roast duck leg confit the best of the best.
SEPTEMBER
Trev and the missus celebrated spring with a memorable Gamberi e Spinaci at Piccolino at the Woods end of Hastings Street, accompanied by troubadour music and a fun crowd enjoying eating out again. At the other end of the spectrum, a tapas meal at Hop and Vine up the road at Bay Village was an overpriced disappointment.
OCTOBER
A discovery in the ‘burbs! Tipped off by a colleague, Trev found taste of Istanbul very much to his liking, its generous offerings of Middle Eastern favourites served with a smile. And let’s not forget a selection of affordable wines for a change.
NOVEMBER
Trev went looking for Noosa’s best burger and found it at Grill’d.
DECEMBER
As regular readers well know, humble pie is not one of Trev’s favourite dishes, but he’ll eat it when he has to. Such was the case with Herbert, the terribly trendy vegan/flexitarian addition to the Junction’s brilliant assortment of eating establishments. Having been frightened off by an over-hyped website and spartan-sounding fried vege offerings, Trev left it until almost the end of the year to try Herbert. And guess what? It was great. Try it in ’22.
And to all Trev’s mates who toil in kitchens and front of house, here’s to fewer foodus interruptus episodes in the new year. You do us proud and you deserve a break.