Food & Drink – from lavish rooftop restaurants to hole-in-the wall cafes, our Food & Drink section is always full of exciting new places to discover. Here’s the ten most popular food-related stories from the year that was.
The Gold Coast’s best Cheap Eats
Who doesn’t love a bargain? There are plenty of frugal foodies out there who want a tasty feed that’s easy on the purse strings, so it’s no wonder why this list of the city’s most delicious cheap eats was our most-read story of the year. Besides, who wants to cook when you can feed yo’face and still get change out of a $20 note? Not us.
Westfield Coomera
The opening of the colossal $470-million Westfield Coomera was massive news for the northern Gold Coast. Our readers went a little crazy with the announcement that a tidal wave of more than 140 restaurants, shops and retailers had opened, welcoming places like Betty’s Burgers, The Bavarian and so many more.
The Gold Coast’s best ramen
You all got very hot under the collar for our list of the coast’s best ramen spots. We rounded-up a bunch of the best ramen dispensaries, from bustling popular noodle bars to the hidden gems that are a little harder to stumble across, all for your slurping pleasure.
The LC
The plant-based movement has gone from strength to strength over the past 12 months, and the opening of plant-based marketplace The LC only spurred that along. The LC has made the concept of vegan dining far more approachable for carnivores, with places like Flora by Greenhouse, Flour of Life Bakery, i like ramen, By Gigi and BVK (Burgers vs Kebabs) calling The LC home.
Burleigh Pavilion
The initial announcement that Burleigh Pavilion was coming to take the iconic Burleigh Headland into a thrilling new era sent most Gold Coasters into a frenzy. After much anticipation, Burleigh Pavilion officially opened its doors just in time for Christmas. The impressive $10-million absolute-beachfront restaurant and bar caters for more than 600 diners across two venues – The Tropic and The Terrace – under the culinary direction of famed Sydney chef Guillaume Zika. We can foresee many summer days spent here sipping cocktails and snacking on seafood.
Lord of the Fries X Beyond Meat burger
Further evidence that the plant-based movement is gaining traction. Back in April, ethical fast-food joint Lord of the Fries announced the launch of Beyond Meat (the celebrity-backed burger made from plant-based protein) into Australia by jumping on board as the official restaurant partner for the pioneering meat-free protein company. The burger patties, which cook, taste and even bleed like real meat, are now an optional upgrade on the Lord of the Fries burger menu.
FuFu
The new venture from Poké Poké owner Morgan Walsh certainly created a whole lot of hype. The pink-hued American-Chinese diner in Mermaid Beach (the former Burger Fuel site) was one of the most anticipated new openings, delighting locals with a fun and tasty menu with everything from bug baos to saucy fat noodles and cheeseburger spring rolls.
The Milkman’s Daughter
Safe to say it was a big year for Morgan Walsh, with her and partner Mary Steel opening this vegetarian cafe not long after FuFu opened its doors. Located just across the street from siblings FuFu and Poké Poké, The Milkman’s Daughter quickly became one of the coast’s hot spots, dishing up what was essentially ‘vegetarian for beginners’ through its vibrant breakfast and lunch spread. While Morgan and Mary have now sold the venue, the meat-free vibes live on.
Lobster Shack pop-up
When pop-up restaurant The Lobster Shack announced it was coming to the Gold Coast for a limited time to sling lobster rolls, truffle fries and champagne, you all licked your buttery lips and went rather wild. The insanely popular pop-up gave locals a taste of the finer things in life, slow cooking wild-caught lobster in a bath of butter and sandwiching it between a toasted brioche bun. Will it be back?
The Weekend Edition EAT/Drink Awards
Our reader-voted awards are always a significant pointer to the city’s most popular spots, shining the spotlight on your favourite coffee hubs, eateries, watering holes and top-notching dining spots. After the awards are done and dusted, we release the top ten from each category, with Best Restaurants, Best Cafes and Best Bars proving most popular. Keep your eyes peeled for the 2019 awards, which will launch early in the year.
Gentlefolk – everything from local fashion brands to shopping, travel, world-wide trends and more were covered in our Gentlefolk stories. Here’s what got you talking this year.
Roadtrip-worthy day spas
It seems you had just as much pleasure reading this one as we did writing it! Day spas are a real treat-yo-self type of experience – we’re firm believers that it’s worth travelling a little father to be able to really relax and pamper yourself, so we rounded-up five of the most dreamy day-spa destinations we could find that are all within driving distance.
Best waterfalls
Sure, the ocean is the place to go when the mercury rises, but we thought we’d give you a taste of some inland fun with this round-up of the best swimming holes and waterfalls within road-trip distance.
Heartfill Store
This was a very recent addition to Burleigh Heads, but it seems that ethical and sustainable retail haven Heartfill Store has really, well, captured your hearts. It’s a one-stop retail shop built on the ethos of responsible consumerism, featuring a glorious series of products from flowers to homewares, clothing, art, craft and vintage pieces, all from local designers and artists.
Design – Keeping you in the loop on new hotels, luxe apartments and local property news, here are the top Design stories that have caught your creative eye this year.
The Darling at The Star
The arrival of the coast’s most luxurious hotel created quite a stir – and the attention was certainly warranted. Forming the centrepiece of The Star Gold Coasts’s iconic transformation, the opulent 57-suite hotel is certainly one of the most striking new additions to the city’s skyline.
North Residences
This is one of those goddamn-I-really-wish-I-lived-there type of projects. Cutting an eye-catching figure along the Esplanade at North Burleigh, the boutique tower features luxury one-per-floor apartments, taking sophisticated beachfront living to an entirely new level. We’ll keep dreaming …
Queen Street Village
Queen Street Village was the talk of the town when it was announced that the $550-million masterplanned community would be built on the former Gold Coast Hospital site, injecting a mix of residential, commercial and retail space into the heart of Southport. It’s even set to be home to the coast’s first independent Dendy Cinema.
Smith Collective
With the buzz of the GC2018 Commonwealth Games subsiding, the fate of the Athletes Village became hot topic. In a Australian first, the site has become home to a revolutionary long-term-rental residential community called Smith Collective, with our first-look at the transformed residential apartments and an insight to the unique concept creating a flurry of interest.
The Pink Hotel
In late October, the team behind everybody’s favourite southern dive bar, burger hub and whisky den, Eddie’s Grub House in Coolangatta, unveiled a new venture – The Pink Hotel. The dreamy millennial pink beachside boutique hotel features 17 rooms, a guests-only rooftop bar and, of course, in-room burger service from Eddie’s.
Notable mentions
- Your favourite interviews with The Locals were Alex Munoz Labart from Restaurant Labart and Ben May, the man behind Burleigh Pavilion.
- You really couldn’t wait to find yourself in the Aviary Rooftop Bar Opening and the Hellenika Long Lunch Captured galleries
- You loved our Destination pieces on the best cosy cottages to check out, baller Australian holiday houses that you can actually stay at, and southeast Queensland’s most picturesque farmstays.
