The Piper's Log

Dining Out - Curry and Spice Indian Restaurant

2011-02-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

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

2010-10-10T00:54:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-07T23:44:00.001-07:00

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

2010-09-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-23T03:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-23T03:39:00.000-07:00

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.

Cafe Life - Preston Peak Winery

2010-08-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

After many referrals, we popped out to Preston Peak Winery on the week-end to see what all the fuss was about. Whilst the location is ideal, we're still wondering what the fuss is all about. As an experience, it was pretty underwhelming with no cellar to speak of (one assumes most of the wines are now made offsite) and a very limited menu for dining.

We went expecting the whole elaborate winery experience - cellars, brewing vats, etc - the usual largess you expect from a winery - except none of that was evident. The only vines onsite looked dead and, by the looks of things, are on the way out and are presumably left intact to remind folk this is/was a vineyard.

With the majority of the wine now produced at Devil's Elbow near Stanthorpe, the Preston Peak site is now largely a retail outlet - with a great outlook none the less - but effectively it's just a cafe with wine tasting. For someone hoping for the full winery/vineyard experience, I hace to say we left disappointed.

As for the dining options - well, there aren't many. The menu consisted of:

Various Cheese/Anti-Pasto Platters
A Selection of Pizza's (gourmet and childrens options) and
A Selection of Desserts

And that's it! So if you're not in the mood for Pizza, you'd want to hope you like the wine!

All that said, the view is fantastic and, with a north-easterly aspect, is good as soaking up the warmth on a cold day. The pizza we had was lovely - although Hannah's insistence on a "real" pizza (i.e. Hawaiian) meant that our "snack" turned into a fairly expensive afternoon.

Events - 2010 Flight Centre Cycle Epic

2010-08-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

We're looking forward to the mountain bike fraternity showing up this week for the 2010 Flight Centre Cycle Epic. Running over the week-end of the 21st and 22nd of August, the Epic runs between Preston Peak Winery (on the souther outskirts of Toowoomba) down to the wonderful Spicers Hidden Vale Resort near Grandchester.

Competitors are coming from all over the world for this event so be sure to make your way out to Preston Peak or Hidden Vale to see the race.

UPDATE - We still have a few rooms left at the Highlander this week-end so if you need somewhere to stay please be sure to drop us a line.

Winter Has Arrived

2010-08-11T22:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it took a bit of a nudge, but winter has finally arrived up on the downs. It has been an icy cold day today with rumours that they're expecting snow in Stanthorpe tonight!

Let's hope it makes it up to Toowoomba!

Cafe Life - The Chocolate Cottage

2010-07-28T18:57:00.000-07:00

Had a lovely afternoon up at the Village Green at Highfields on Sunday enjoying the fantastic views the lapping up the sunshine.

We'd been meaning to drop in on the Chocolate Cottage for some time and finally made the trip up to Highfields to "sample their wares". Whilst the food and drinks were fabulous, you'd have to say they're a tad expensive ($20 for a gourmet burger). However, the surrounds make for a lovely day out so perhaps it's worth the pain. There are also a number of retail "cottage" shops at the Village Green including scrapbooking and quilting.

As for the food, here's what we had and what we thought of it:

Mark - Sweet Potato, Bacon & Corn Soup - 7/10
Sallyanne & Hannah - Beef & Bean Nacho's - 8/10 (lovely)

Motel News - New TVs

2010-07-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that we've recently upgraded all of our Motel Rooms to Digital Television with all of our standard motel rooms now sporting 32" High Definition LCD TVs. This means that in addition to our 8 channels of Austar, you can now receive ALL Digital Free to Air channels including:

ABC1, ABC2, ABC3 and ABC News 24
SBSOne, SBS HD and SBSTwo
7, 7HD and 7Two
Win, Win HD and Go
Ten and One HD (Sports)

The TV types available in each room include:

Standard Motel - 32" HD LCD
King Spa - 37" HD Plasma
Queen Spa - 42" HD Plasma

Dining Out - Kid Friendly Menu's

2010-07-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

Ever since tasting one of those "bottled" baby foods when Hannah was an infant, we've always given her "real food" with real flavour. We've continued this through her childhood and have always sought out restaurants that offer quality meals - which, unfortunately, is nearly impossible.

As you'd know, most restaurants offer a "kids menu" that usually consists of the old staples:

Chicken Nuggets and Chips
Lasagne and Chips
Chips, Chips, Chips & Chips (to quote a much loved Monty Phyton skit)

But you see my point. Horrid, bland, tasteless food that appeals to that lowest common demonator.

Why is it that restaurants can't offer their normal menu in a "kids size"? Hannah loves most food and typically ends up eating off our plate anyway - but why is it so rarely offered? Keep the "kids menu" if you like, but offer the rest of us a kids version of your normal menu as well - you'd certainly get our business.

Dining Out - Angel Cafe

2010-07-15T06:15:00.001-07:00

The Angel is a regular favourite of our and rarely fails to impress. On the southern outskirts of the CBD on South Street, the Angel Cafe offers relaxed casual dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Atmosphere: Dark & Moody
Furnishings: Lots of chocolates and burgandy's. Soft lighting with artwork adorning the walls. Comfort: Leather chairs are comfortable for a long sitting and they also have a few leather lounges should you want something a little more relaxed.
Positives: The have an "open fire" - well, a gas one at least - but at least they have one.
Kid Friendly: Average - staff are wonderful but nothing was offered to Hannah to keep her "entertained".
Negatives: A little expensive but usually worth it.

We had dinner on Thursday tonite and here's what we thought.

Entree:
Pizza Garlic Bread 7/10
Cream of Broccili Soup 7/10
Main:
King Prawn Rissoto 8/10
Parmeasan Crusted Chicken Breast 7/10
Kids Nachos 5/10
Dessert:
Banana & Ginger Nut Crepes 5/10
Drinks:
Wine - Cab/Merlot 7/10
Coffee - 8/10
Service: Excellent - Great, knowledgeable staff always make you feel welcome.

Total Cost: $121

General Comments: After a great start, we were a little disappointed with Hannah's meal. The "kids nachos" was smothered with Sour Cream and the salsa had very little taste. We find this a lot with restaurants who try to dumb down flavours for kids and we find it really annoying. Anyhow, it was way too much and Hannah barely touched it. Dessert, to be honest, wasn't much better. Whilst the filling was wonderful, the crepes themselves were cold so that usual warmth you normally expect was missing.

Welcome

2010-07-14T03:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new Blog, "The Piper's Log", a regular run down of news and events from the Highlander Motor Inn in Toowoomba.

We'll be reporting in regularly to let you know of news and happenings at the motel as well as keeping you informed of major events around Toowoomba.

And as we're also huge fans of eating out, we hope to bring you a weekly rap of Toowoomba's local restaurants particularly with a family friend bent.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the Blog and I hope you come back often.

Cheers, Mark, Sallyanne & Hannah

PS - Stay tuned as we'll occasionally be offering special deals exclusively via "The Piper's Log".