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Westport & Lee in Paddington Takes Inspiration From a Chair

Inspired by the Adirondack chair, a cafe was brought to life on the Latrobe Terrace in Paddington.

The Westport & Lee Cafe is the latest addition in the upper Paddington area. It has three separate dining areas as it is in a three-story building. The owner, Stephanie, made sure that she put every room into good use.

The name was derived from Westport, New York, where she traveled and fell in love with the Adirondack chairs. She then set out to make a cafe built around the remarkable chair. Now, her cafe clearly represents the qualities of the chair: simple, comfortable, and unpretentious.

She aims to bring simple food to the customers but are high-quality. “Our food is very much related to relaxation and happiness. We would love for people to be able to eat here and be better for it by providing them with the best possible options for food they know and love,” Stephanie said.

Now the cafe that took over the former occupant, Chocolate & Orange, looks like a breath of fresh air along the street with the new fresh coat of paint, timber furniture in shades of turquoise, white, and black, matched with new artwork and a beautiful back deck enclosed in beautiful trees. Every customer that comes in will feel right at home, just the way Stephanie envisioned it to be.

Photo credit: Westport & Lee Cafe / Facebook

The cafe offers only breakfast and lunch menu. You can’t go wrong with some eggs benny on sourdough. On the other hand, if you’re feeling up for something bigger than that, try their big breakfast with eggs, an abundance of delicious vegetables such as mushrooms, tomatoes, baby spinach, and for the pièce de résistance, some strips of crisp bacon and sausage. It comes with toasted Turkish bread and some potato hash.

If you’re on a diet, then their Stacked Veggies is highly-recommended. It comes with a toaster Turkish bun with green beans, snow peas, spinach, asparagus tossed in delicious pesto topped with a poached egg, halloumi, and more pesto.

For lunch, you can choose from their wide selection such as salads, frittatas and tarts, burgers, pizza, and risotto.

It’s not a cafe without freshly-brewed coffee, and their coffee is amazing. You also don’t want to miss their delicious milkshakes because they will just put you in so much comfort that you never want to get up out of the Adirondack.

Clovely Estate’s Degustation Dinner in Red Hill Celebrates the Art & Craft of Regional Producers

On 22 July at Clovely Estate on Musgrave Road in Red Hill, an Art & Craft Degustation Dinner will take place starting at 6:30 p.m. for 7:00 p.m. They have also partnered with the Craft Wine Store for this special event.

Photo credit: Clovely Estate Wines / Facebook

The event aims to celebrate the craft of regional producers such as winemakers, market gardeners, bee-keepers, and farmers. Mike Kirwin, the executive chef will ensure that all plates that will be sent out for service will be tickle the event goers’ palettes and will be aesthetically pleasing with its blend of colours, as well as the flavours and textures of the dishes.

The degustation features a five-course menu with wine. Sashimi of Yellow Fin Tuna, wasabi, smoked soy, apple, yuzu, sesame, coriander is a sample of what to expect at the event.

Clovely Estate started their first vineyard in 1997 and in 2015, they became a James Halliday 5-star winery. They opened their City Cellar Door in Red Hill in 2007, which also became a place for events and regular degustation dinners that feature their wines and produce.

Each table will seat eight people. In the case that you can fill up an entire table, you can be placed on their mixed tables.

Interested in going? The event costs $150 each per diner. For the full list of their degustation menu, click here.

Red Hill’s Plum Tucker Has Become Eco-Friendly As It Encourages Customers to Bring Their Own Coffee Mugs or Cups

Locals of Red Hill are well-aware of the location of Plum Tucker. The charming cafe bistro with a garden courtyard on Ennogera Terrace is something that you can’t miss.

The two-storey cafe has vintage adornments, giving the place a personality whilst the second flood maintains a cosy atmosphere. The cafe is known to serve all-day breakfast with three varieties of avo on toast to choose from, because who doesn’t like fresh avos, right?

During lunchtime, a wide selection awaits. The chicken congee or the beef cheek pot pie is definitely a-must-try.

The cafe is also child-friendly with healthy breakfast and lunch food that children will like, such as Toasties, a special lunch pack with a variety of sandwiches, fruit, and marshmallow.

The coffee in the cafe comes from Supreme Roasters or their weekly single origin. But what makes them stand out is that the cafe encourages everybody to bring their own coffee cup. The cafe is listed on Responsible Cafes organisation and customers who bring their own coffee cup get a $1 discount.

However, the store owner, Matt Carnell clarified that they are not only limited to KeepCups, but they encourage their clients to bring their own mugs. This move is their business’ War on Waste advocacy. Statistics from ABC’s War on Waste program show that an average of 100,000 coffee cups are being thrown away every single hour. People tend to think that the coffee cups we use are recyclable; actually, the waterproof coating on the inside of the cups means otherwise.

This is why Australians are encouraged to look for cafes that use BioPak paper cups or you can bring your own KeepCup to reduce paper cup waste.

Mr Carnell said that they have implemented this rule just last year and they have seen significant improvement, but noted that they still have a long way to go.

Responsible Cafes, an organisation dedicated to reducing the use of paper cups at cafes has a list of cafes that are dedicated to implementing this rule to its customers. The website has been there for three years but after the brief exposure on cafe paper cups in media recently, they have now more cafes to add to the list.

In November 2016, the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council got involved in a pilot project to upcycle coffee cups through the use of new technology that combines liquid-proof cups with a polymer to make a durable multi-use plastic-fibre compound. Now, the QLD government and BCC are looking at a possible processing facility to accommodate this process.

Plum Tucker is not only child-friendly, but it has become an eco-friendly place, too.

Paddington’s Third Excess Baggage Event Helps Remove Emotional & Mental Baggage in Refugee Children

Paddington is home to some of Brisbane’s best antique shops. There are always such great finds in the suburb! On the 15th of July, the third Excess Baggage event will be gracing The Briswest Centre once again from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Excess Baggage has become such a popular event since it started three years ago. The market offers second-hand items up for grabs. Whether you’re planning to sell some of your items or looking to find some unique pieces, this is definitely an event you shouldn’t miss.

The event is organised by Jan Gillies and Patricia Ferrier. Ms Ferrier is the Secretary of Brisbane West Senior Citizens Centre whilst Ms Gillies is a local jazz singer who is looking to raise funds for the HEAL program, an art therapy program for refugee children to support their healing from the trauma of their life journey to Australia. FHEAL (Friends of The Home of Expressive Arts and Learning) was formed in 2002 that provides the HEAL program at Milpera State High School.

The event will also help create a place of connection with the seniors in the community. Aside from that, it is also a great chance for people to sell their stuff and engage with younger people as well.

Aside from the lines of stalls, there are also food stalls available. Check out some delicious spring rolls or the sausages that will give you more energy to rummage through second-hand stuff.

Most of the sellers at the event are downsizers, which means that aside from clothes, there will also be some great finds, such as furnishings or basically, whatever people are trying to clear out. Paddo residents have a reputation of having high-quality usable items even during clear-outs such as the recently-concluded Kerbside Collection Day, when the streets were filled with stuff that didn’t take long for scavengers to bring home.

So, if you want to get some really good and unique finds at affordable prices, and at the same time engage with the cheerful community of Paddo, this event is definitely for you.

Red Hill’s The Little Red Providore Brings Local Community Together

Red Hill’s The Little Red Providore is a great source of good and artistic vibes. Now occupying what used to be a lighting store in a 140-year-old building on Windsor Road, it takes on a new persona with its newly-painted, matte black exterior.

Owned by Janelle and Glen Mogridge, the restaurant is one of the couple’s adventurous ventures together5. They formerly owned Soul Pantry, a cafe which operated out of a shipping container. This latest venture is no less creative, equally adventurous, plus it provides a warm, friendly space for curious customers who will most likely stay on to be long-term regulars.

The two-storey restaurant boasts of an airy first floor adorned with huge glass windows, a mix of wood and tin furniture, graced by a big red door that welcomes customers in.

On the second floor is a beautiful courtyard with a backdrop of rustic brick, perfect for those who wish to breathe some fresh air with their pooches or even by themselves. There are also a number of tables situated outside the restaurant.

Enclosed events spaces are available for rent, with full catering options.

In keeping with their vision to serve only the best and the freshest, their menu changes daily, depending on the available seasonal produce and the time of the year. The cafe always has a selection of fresh salads, an assortment of bread and pastries, and some homemade frittata to whet one’s appetite.

Photo credit: Little Red Providore / Facebook

Their coffee selection, featuring specialty blends by Toby’s Estate, is also one of the best.

The gourmet pastries are a definite must-try. They get their bread and pastries from Danny’s Bread & Co., Jocelyn’s Provisions, Bee One Third honey, and other local producers.

This restaurant promotes a strong sense of community. Every four to six weeks, the restaurant holds a “Locals Night” where locals can drop by and meet. They also support local artists by featuring their creative works of art at the cafe. There is also an Artisan of the Month corner where the works of a featured artist are displayed, along with a brief description about the artist on their short blackboard.

The Mogridge couple certainly knows what they’re doing when they decided to put up this cute cafe. Now, Red Hill becomes an even more tight-knit community with establishments such as this one.

Normanby Hotel’s Iconic Fig Tree Remembered

The Normanby Hotel that sits on the corner of Musgrave Road and Kelvin Grove Road in Red Hill is a distinctive landmark in the area, not just because of the establishment itself, but because of the memories associated with the iconic fig tree that used to stand outside the hotel.

Photo credit: http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/

Prior to the hotel, a smaller, two-storey hotel used to sit on the land with the same name. A hotel owned by the Burtons, its name was said to have been derived from Queensland Governor George Phipps, 2nd Marquis of Normanby. However, in 1889, the son-in-law of the Burtons decided to demolish the hotel to build a bigger one facing Musgrave Road. The new hotel officially opened on 1 December 1980.

Over the years, the hotel became a popular pub with the locals and became a home for nightclubs. There was even a time when the hotel featured a drive-in bottle shop.

Through it all, the large fig tree outside the hotel has stood witness to the passing of events, including more fond memories that locals hold close to their hearts. The tree has become one of Brisbane’s most well-known living icons and has been a place for romantic proposals and first kisses.

Sadly, on 8 June 2016, the tree collapsed during a storm. Quite surprisingly, the tree didn’t fall towards the hotel but away from it, leaving the hotel unscathed. Locals were devastated following the demise of their most-loved tree. A day after the news broke, the hotel garnered over 1,000 comments on their Facebook page with people sharing memories of “their” tree.

Photo credit: The Normanby Hotel / Facebook

The tree, it seems, has played a significant role in the lives of many. Some people shared their stories on how they met their partners under the tree while some even shared christening stories under it. Many parties were also thrown under its sheltering branches. There were also names etched on the branches of the tree, marking the many people whose lives it has touched.

Photo credit: Screenshot from The Normanby Hotel Facebook page

The iconic tree is no longer there; yet the hotel, in honour of the tree and the locals, has been giving pieces of the tree as a memento of the memories that were formed under Normanby Hotel’s beloved fig tree.

Paddington Homes Maintain Their Traditional 1880s Style After All These Years

Typical 19th-century houses that date from the 1880s are very visible along the streets of Paddington. The classical houses with whimsical designs have been a staple in the suburb and have become an integral part of the suburb’s unique profile. Over the years, houses in Paddo have undergone renovations in an attempt to evolve to the modern times. One developer, however, believes that re-gentrification of homes in the suburb is the way to go, earning a massive number of nods from the residents.

When Empathy Meets Real Estate Development

James Lilley who hails from the suburb itself has his own real estate development company, Brisbane Prestige Developments. What they do is re-gentrify homes to preserve Paddo’s period charm, through the use of traditional styles and features in their new developments as well as renovations.

Given this direction, Mr Lilley’s clients are happy homeowners. They allow neighbours to have a say on their upcoming developments by involving them throughout the whole planning process up to building the house. Mr Lilley admits that even though they implement such a process, it doesn’t always go smoothly the way they planned it. There are times when they have to do other development works at their own cost, just for the neighbours.

Still, all’s well that ends well. Mr Lilley remains determined to continue this kind of real estate development as he thinks that it preserves the history of the entire suburb. Jonathan Sri, West End Councillor praises Mr Lilley’s efforts. He’s been actively protesting the lack of consultation between developers and the locals, and he is very happy that a developer in his ward is doing the right thing.

Houses Preserved In Time

A renovation done at Annie Street is a perfect example of the kind of re-gentrification that Mr Lilley’s company aims to do. The home’s renovation represents the traditional style and structure of Paddo homes whilst giving it a fresh new look. Still, the home blends well with the neighbourhood, making it more beautiful than ever.

Photo credit: Brisbane Prestige Developments

The Apartments at Wilden Street also preserves the period style of Paddo homes, even whilst it adheres to modern times with its smart black and glass frontage that makes it look chic but definitely not out-of-place.

Think Tiny, Live Big in Red Hill

Housing affordability has become a hot topic in Australia right now; and whilst the government thinks of better solutions, some Australians have taken matters into their own hands, specifically in the suburb of Red Hill where a cry for tiny house living has been heard…and granted.

Neatly tucked away in a garden, Andrew Carter and his partner, Lara Nobel along with their six-month-old baby live in a tiny sanctuary. They are also the directors of the Tiny House Company. The hard-won contentment on the couple’s faces is not hard to miss. The current state of affairs is something they are proud of. Just last year, the couple had a run-in with the Brisbane City Council.

A Little Run-in

Their home, measuring 2.5m x 7.5m and 4.5m in height, built on a trailer, had gotten a complaint from a neighbour, which the council quickly addressed in 2016. According to the council, their home falls under the classification class 1A structure due to its appearance, which also means that the couple must adhere to the building code of Australia.

Mr Carter and Ms Nobel had three options: apply for a building permit, leave the premises, or file an appeal.

The couple chose to file an appeal to the Queensland Building and Development Dispute Resolution Committee with the help of ESC consulting, and they won. They argued that the tiny house the couple lives in was a registered movable dwelling and shouldn’t be regulated by the Building Act. It should be treated like caravans.

Councillor Jonathan Sri seems to agree with the concept of tiny house saying that tiny houses have a lesser impact compared to the growing number of high-rise apartment developments being submitted to the council today.

Big Plans

Learning from the experience, the couple, now dedicated to promoting tiny house living in Australia, teamed up with builder Greg Thornton and started The Tiny House Company.

They are not the first ones to implement such movement. Tiny Houses Australia was established five years ago by Melbourne-based couple Darren Hughes and Lisa Adams. Today, their Facebook page has garnered 44,000 followers, of which 28,000 are Australians. Their page aims to support aspiring tiny home builders, owners, even associated businesses that support tiny house living.

According to Mr Hughes’ estimate, there are about over 1000 tiny homes being built in the country as more and more people come to the realization that having a home with five bedrooms and several other rooms aren’t really needed to make someone happy.

For now, while the government and other residents slowly accept the concept of tiny house living, tiny home owners continue to live their chosen way of living while they await better national guidelines from the government.

Every Cat Lady’s Dream, Yarning with Cats at Red Hill’s Cat and Cuddle Cafe

Cat-lovers and knitting enthusiasts, unite! Every cat lady’s dream place, the Cat Cuddle Cafe is holding a fundraiser event called Yarning with Cats on Musgrave Road, on the 25th of May. Knit and crochet amidst your furry, feline friends in this popular Red Hill meow spot.

Photo credit: Cat Cuddle Cafe / Facebook

Yarning with Cats will teach event-goers the basics of knitting or crochet. Experienced knitters are welcome to participate and share their techniques. The event includes yarn, hooks and needles, and connecting with the cats inside the cafe for only $25. Only 10 people are allowed to join the event, so if interested participants have to sign up now.

Over Two Decades of Rescuing Cats

Cat Cuddle Cafe is Brisbane’s first Cat Cafe run by Pussies Galore Rescue. All the cats and kittens in the cafe are up for adoption.

Pussies Galore Rescue was established 25 years ago by Katrina Balson and the small rescue organisation has been saving the lives of cats all over Brisbane. Their aim is to create a safe haven for these cats. They also follow a no-kill policy.

The Cafe

Cat Cuddle Cafe opened in 2015, as part of Ms Balson dream to have a cafe that will allow the Pussies Galore cats to connect with other cats and cat lovers.

The cafe is divided into two parts: a giant long playroom is where customers can sit down and play with the cats, and a dining area is where customers can enjoy a cup of tea with some delicious treats.

Customers who wish to cuddle and play with the cats are charged $12 per hour. They offer only a small selection of cruelty-free snacks such as Cloverly Cupcakes and Bliss Balls.

There are sodas, teas, and a selection of coffee to quench one’s thirst. Customers are allowed to take their food into the cat room.

The cat room is adorned with retro furniture and the walls are lined up with shelves of cat books, while the floors are filled with cat toys. There is also a large spinning wheel from Run Cat Run. Those looking for fresh air can check out the outdoor caged balcony with its amazing views.

Children under the age of 7 years old are not allowed in the cafe.

Helping by Adoption

Those who are interested in adopting a cat can tell Ms Balson and be placed on a list of potential adopters. First, though, you must pass a test that Ms Balson describes as the “Spanish Inquisition.” The thorough screening helps their organisation ensure that their feline pets are going to be with a good family. This also ensures that the adopter is committed to the endeavor “for life” (or until both the cat and their human shall live).

Raising Funds

Pussies Galore Rescue is also a part of the Animal Rescue Support Network. This means that they are supporters of all animals, not just cats. Like most animal rescue operations, they have limited funds and rely on volunteers and donations.

To help fund the organisation, the cafe holds fundraiser events at least once a week. The money that’s earned through the various fundraising events goes mostly to vet bills and cat food.

Donations are more than welcome. You can donate money by clicking here or you can donate goods. Click for the list of items that they need.

If you are interested in adopting a cat, you can email them at adoptions@catcuddlecafe.com
For businesses or individuals who wish to sponsor a cat, contact@catcuddlecafe.com
If you want to be a foster carer, send an email at fostering@catcuddlecafe.com

Photo credit: https://oliveandclo.com.au

Treat Your Pooch to Beer for Doggies at Paddington’s Atticus Finch Cafe

No need to feel sorry that you have to leave your dog behind when Happy Hour strikes. Atticus Finch Cafe in Paddington lets you and your dog enjoy a drink together.

Atticus Finch Cafe is not just a dog-friendly café. From Friday to Sunday, starting 4 p.m, the cafe turns into a bar serving drinks for humans and dogs alike.

In many ways, the cafe is unique. Named after the protagonist in To Kill a Mockingbird, this tiny cafe located at Latrobe Terrace, will easily give you the impression that it’s a place with a heart.

*(Photo credit: Atticus Finch Cafe/Festival)*

Regulars come here not only for its coffee. The food is top-notch as well. On top of that, this is a must-visit place for any dog-loving human who wants to treat their furry friend to outdoor dining every now and then.

There is a lot of seats on the outdoor deck and every dog is welcome to relax and sit down with their human.

Doggies Drink Up

On weekends, busy folks can cap their work week with a jug of beer at Atticus Finch Cafe. The best thing is that they can bring their dogs to the bar. Atticus Finch serves a top selection of craft beers for humans and Beerdog’s Bitter for the dogs.

Aptly dubbed as “Nectar of the Dogs,” Beerdog’s Bitter is a sure hit with the doggies.

Don’t worry about your dog getting drunk. The drink is non-alcoholic and is made from 100% AQIS certified Australian beef. Ingredients are all natural and there are no preservatives, so the beverage is safe for your dog.

Get directions to Atticus Finch Cafe.

(Photo credit: Beerdog’s Brewhouse/Facebook)