Dining Out - Curry and Spice Indian Restaurant

Another GREAT meal at Curry and Spice again last night. This is easily the best Indian Restaurant in Toowoomba. If you like hot food (as we do) ask for "Indian Hot" and get a side dish of green chilli pickles!

They are tucked away in a small group of shops next to the carwash, opposite Kmart on Ruthven Street, South Toowoomba.

Activities - Skate City

We had a family day out at Skate City today and we had a blast. Has been quite some time since Mark has donned the skates and Hannah is still very much learning and as for Mum, well this was a first for Sal - so we were all very tentative.

I have to say, I was rather impressed on how they ran proceedings. Gone is the old argie-bargie I recall of years gone by - instead, everyone was polite and tolerant of these rather shaky skaters.

Even the activities they held were generally inclusive (even for those of us who can't skate) and it was a real family atmosphere so it was well enjoyed.

Admission

Varies depending on the time of day, etc but averages around $10/head (which includes skate hire - so it's pretty good)

Where Is It?

879 Ruthven St (opposite K-Mark Plaza) - Look for the carwash and follow the road down the hill.

Cafe Life - Park House Cafe

Decided to try somewhere new last night and ended up at the Park House (opposite Queens Gardens) after being tempted in by their recent ads on TV and who now open till late Wed-Sat.

And we have to say, what a pleasant surprise it was. Staff were excellent, friendly and welcoming, food was superb - even Hannah was impressed.

With rain lingering, we decided to sit inside and found a lovely table with some comfy chairs. The menu is very good albiet a touch on the expensive side (for mains) but, to their credit, they offer a wide range of menu choices and pricing so it's almost impossible not to find something you'll like.

For starters, we shared the "entree platter" - basically a Tapas selection and it was perfect - the pesto and hommus were particularly devine. Hannah had the kids Nacho's and it's probably the best we've had in Toowoomba - so she was very happy. Mark had the Tropical Snapper which couldn't be faulted - even the tartare sauce was a treat.

Coffee and dessert were delicious too.

We had an excellent meal, were well looked after by the staff and will definately be returning for a encore performance!

TCOF - Update#2

Things are certainly warming up for this years Carnival of Flowers with temperates hovering well above 20C most of this week - we've certainly lost the chill of winter. Bookings are also heating up for this period with only a small number of rooms still available.


However, it's worth noting that the Carnival itself runs from 17th through till the 26th - so you'll see just as much the week AFTER the Grand Parade as before - and perhaps stand a chance to actually see some of the fantastic gardens. Bookings for the week after the 18th are much lighter and you stand a much greater change of getting the booking you want at much better price.

Dining Out - La Porchetta

Went out to La Porchetta on Tuesday for a quick bite. We've been going to La Porchetta for many years after they opened in our old home town of Townsville - we're big fans of their Garlic Cheese Foccacia pizzas!!!

So, we trotted off to get our usual fare. The restaurant on Hume Street is fairly accessible but it's al fresco style isn't ideally suited to Toowoomba's winters - we had hoped for a nice warm table but with cafe curtains on the outside, it was always going to be a big ask. That said, the table we had was fine.

The girls were only after a light meal, so our meal consisted of:

• Small Garlic Foccacia - 6/10 (was a little burnt)
• Small Hawaiian Pizza (Hannah & Sal) - 5/10 (was also a little burnt and was very doughy)
• Main Pollo & Funghi Tortellini (Mark) - 7/10

Both pizza's were slightly burnt so perhaps the pizza oven wasn't setup ok, but it did spoil both dishes - neither girls being paticularly fond of "burnt to a crisp". The pasta dish was generally well presented and went down well.

Service wasn't ideal - we asked for some colouring in gear for Hannah from the waitress - but it never showed up. To be honest, after placing our order, we never got bothered by staff again.

Cafe Life - Cafe Valetta

Spent another lovely Sunday afternoon lapping up the sunshine in Toowoomba's Cafes - this week it was Cafe Valetta on Margaret St (opposite Queens Gardens).

Set in a lovely heritage house, we chose to sit outside in the sunshine (wasn't it a lovely day Sunday!) and enjoyed a light lunch together. Whilst a little pricey, the range of food was excellent, the service fast and the food was brilliant. Our choices included:

• Mark - Steak Sandwich (on Focaccia with battered chips) - 8/10
• Sallyanne - Calamaria & Salad - 7/10 (dressing was a little heavy)
• Hannah - Kids Fish & Chips - 8/10 (fish was excellent)

The only negative was probably a lack of atmosphere in the cafe - for such a lovely building, we expected to be swept up in it and instead came away feeling we'd been in yet another cafe. But we couldn't fault the food so an enjoyable outing was had by all!

Rain, Glorious Rain

We've had a lovely drenching today - 25mm according to the bureau - which is going to have a fabulous impact on the towns gardens ahead of this years Carnival of Flowers.

We had a stroll around Queens Gardens on Sunday and it was great to see some of the beds already in bloom with others waiting to burst out soon.

Remember, Carnival is a traditionally busy period for ALL accommodation in Toowoomba so be sure to book early if you're planning on coming to town. The city is also usually inundated in weddings at this time so most week-ends also tend to be busy through spring.

If you're want to on availability, always be sure to check our Booking Site - it always carries the latest availability and the best pricing online - or if you're unsure, please feel free to send us an Enquiry.