High Tea @ Devon Pixies

Over the weekend my daughter and I were invited to celebrate her friends 12th Birthday with a High Tea lunch at Devon Pixies.

Devon Pixies is a quaint little tea room situated just outside the town of Logan Village on the south side of Brisbane.

Whilst they don't really offer the fanciness and elegance you would come to expect from an inner city tea room. Given the pricing it is a lovely little place to visit for an inviting lunch with friends.

As this was a 12th Birthday things were slightly different to your regular high tea option. The room was totally 'glammed' out  with all things pink and girly. It really looked very lovely and as you entered the building it was the first space your eye was drawn too.

As there were both adults and children in attendance they catered to both groups, which was rather lovely. The platters held a small array of hot food items, mixed sandwiches and sweets.

Now I'm a dessert lover but I have to say that the sweets here are beyond sweet. I'd love to see one of the options for the desserts to be just slightly less, well ..... sweet! Possibly a muffin or slice of cake, just to cut through the intense sugar filled choices.

Whilst the platters aren't brimming with food, no one left hungry, there was certainly enough to fill our tummy's for lunch.

This is my second visit here and I'd love to see the customer service getting a little make over, it's not that it is terrible but I do feel a little training could go a long way.

After lunch and a couple of games the girls got down and silly with all of the hats and dress up paraphernalia. They have a couple of large hat stands brimming with bits and pieces, the girls had a blast mucking about and taking silly pics.

Thanks again to our delightful friends for inviting us along, we had a lovely few hours together and the Birthday girl was all smiles so I think she was happy and that's what matters.

Location: Logan Village
Parking: Plentiful
Bookings: Yes you need to book in advance
Pricing: A standard high tea is $27
Website: Devon Pixies Tea Room

Happy Travels,
Kylie

** I was not compensated in anyway for this piece. Just sharing another little adventure with you.

The Paddock Bakery ~ Burleigh

So the hubs and I had a few hours sans kids this weekend.

What does one do when you are without kids and its lunch time?

Head out to eat of course!

We decided to take a drive down the coast to Burleigh and have a bite or two at The Paddock Bakery.

Situated just a street back from the Gold Coast Highway in a little old weatherboard home, amongst a myriad of various factories is the very popular Paddock Bakery.

So the line to order was literally out the door and all the glorious looking pastries and cakes were simply staring back at us, willing us to eat them.

Service was swift though and we had ordered in no time at all.

I figured since I knew I would definitely be having one of the tasty looking treats that I had better pay homage to my body and ordered this delish Detox Salad, as they called it.

A delightful, yet simple salad, filled with broccoli, cauliflower, parsley, carrots, seeds and cranberries, with slight drizzle in lemon juice and olive oil. I have to say that I can see this one being whipped up here in my thermy at home during the coming summer months.

I must say that the green cold pressed juice which they prepare on site was divine. So often cold pressed juices are full of bits blergh! But this was smooth, light and delectable.

Hubby chose a bacon and egg roll but before I thought to snap a shot he had almost devoured it, stating that it was pretty good!

Of course there is no visit to the Paddock without some bakery goodness. Hubby decided on a flat white and a piece of baked cheesecake.

The consistency of this was really lovely but overall the taste was somewhat bland. We both agreed that it needed way more in the way of the caramel sauce.

The bee sting was the first pastry to grab my eye as we entered and I watched them being sold one by one as we stood waiting in the line. Finally at our turn all that was left was this little baby.

It held so much promise, looked so delightfully good, but alas it did not deliver on that promise. I felt so let down I do have to say. The toasted almond top was scrummy but the cake was far too hard for me. Are they meant to be that way? Maybe! It felt like it was stale though and I simply didn't enjoy it.

Would I return to The Paddock?

Most definitely yes. The atmosphere was funky and casual and there are so many other things on the menu I would like to try.

Have you visited? I'd love to hear from you if you have.

Ballarat ~ Steak House

The Ballarat Steakhouse is definitely a gem of a find and a must visit for lovers of a superbly cooked steak.

On this particular day we had spent a large portion of it wondering the streets of nearby Sovereign Hill and so the kids and adults alike were all a little weary and shaggy looking. I had seen the steakhouse mentioned a few times in my travels so thought we should try and check it out.

Being a steakhouse as the name suggests we figured it would be pretty casual, so we chose not to book and simply rocked up straight from a day out. We were a little surprised to say the least, whilst the building itself is quite small and unobtrusive from the outside. Inside it is masquerading as a slightly upper end dining experience, no beer garden here that's for sure!

After a brief glance at each other hubby and I decided to go for it anyway, ignoring how shabbily presented we all were. Apart from the waitress that seated us and took our meal orders being sightly curt, we enjoyed our quick dining experience here.

Hands down I had the BEST steak I have ever had, it was sumptuous, melt in your mouth and cooked to perfection. I chose a prawn skewer and baked potato for sides. I must say a small salad would've been nice and had I known that I wouldn't receive any greens with my meal I probably would've ordered one.

There is a great deal more to their menu than steak, the kids all enjoyed a yummy, large Caesar salad and we all left with very full tummy's and satisfied taste buds. Thanks Ballarat Steak House!

In simple pleasures you will find life's treasures,
Kylie xx