La Sable Patisserie is right up there with Pialligo Estate as something I’ve been waiting for for a long, long time. Years ago, the hairdresser who essentially created my hair colour (yes, the red hair) mentioned that a family member had worked at Flute Bakery and was quite the pastry chef (talented family, right?) that I hoped we might one day see something akin to Flute on the northside. (And we all know how much I love Flute.) La Sable opened up earlier this year and – in addition to a big plug on Scotty & Nige’s radio show – it’s getting great reviews around town. One of the greatest things about it is that, unlike Flute, it’s open more hours daily and it’s open on Saturdays!

There’s nothing worse than being thirsty for a Martini in this town.

So this list might be handy. It has most of the reliable cocktail bars around town where I think you should, the planets and bar staff permitting, get a decent Martini.

More Info

• Here is my survey of Martini options around Canberra, and a few reviews for the bars below.
• Also, here’s my top 5 list for HerCanberra in 2014.

CAVEAT: Apologies in advance for any errors in the list, and if I’ve missed someone, please let me know. This list is not an endorsement of a particular bar- just a reference for you.

The test of a good nepalese restaurant is it’s momos and Chomolungma has the best momos I’ve tasted outside of Kathmandu. They come with a delicious tomato and sesame chutney and a tasty clear soup.

Recently opened Chomolungma in Manuka, fills the spot left by the Himalayan Restaurant in Palmerston Lane.

Chomolungma’s menu is short and focuses on a thali style meal with variations. But boy is it good.The Nepali spiced gravy is absolutley delicious and the dahl smoky and flavoursome. The sides include a crunchy vegetable mixture that provides a great texture contrast and a dahl that is smoky and flavoursome.

The roti $3 is an essential addition.

The service is very friendly, warm, welcoming and efficient.

Three people could share 1 serve of momos, two main thali meals and two roti.

It is the type of meal that is memorable and makes you look forward to going back to…

It was a bleak day for Democracy in Queensland on Saturday. As voters went to the polls, something important was missing. Those who truly know their onions will be aware that in Australia the sausage looms large in the electoral process.

Here in the Lucky Country we don’t have to catch buses to remote civic halls and queue for hours if we can get there at all to exercise our democratic right and duty.

Our polling stations are conveniently set up in local schools and elections held on a Saturday, a symbol of the universal nature of our suffrage. We vote with our neighbours, as part of a community, and the sausage sizzle is a powerful symbol of that.

So it was with some concern that voters at many polling booths noted a distinct lack of the usual bbq aroma which tends to accompany these things.

Not your Girl Reporter…

Cafe Okrich comes to me as a recommendation from one of my readers, who frankly isn’t sure about sharing the secret of what she describes as “the best new cafe in Belconnen”. I’m so glad she does!

My Sunday morning starts with a large breakfast at Local Press in Kingston. Local Press’s food is really tasty, but I do wonder how I end up paying close to $30 for breakfast.

Early afternoon I’m peckish again, so we head down the road to Kippax. Next to Kippax Fair at the bottom of the reasonably new apartment blocks (between the Magpies and Aldi) are a large range of new eateries and shops, including Quan’s Kitchen, the Kippax Cake Shop (large cakes are under $30) and Cafe Okrich.

I hear a lot how people would love to see better use made of beautiful Lake Ginninderra. More recreation. A variety of accessible water sports. More sophisticated paths and cycleways.

But the number one desire seems to be for restaurants and cafes – existing or new – to make better use of the lake. Along Emu Bank, many of the restaurants face the street, not the lake. (Ha Ha Bar and La De Da are notable exceptions.) The access point for the restaurants is from the car park next to the road, not the boardwalk which frames the water. People find the lake paradoxically energising and relaxing: there’s more and more going on around the lake, and it’s fun to be part of it, and to watch it – not to mention just enjoy the beautiful views.

I’d heard rumours about Heather’s House of Cake opening up for a…

My boyfriend and his father are coffee snobs. It’s just a fact. Whereas I’m perfectly content with my Tim Horton’s double milk, thankyouverymuch, they’re into “long blacks,” “pour overs,” and “single origins.” Before I moved to Australia, I had no idea what those words even meant. (I’m still unsure of what makes a good pour over.) But I do have to admit that Australia does produce some mighty fine coffee. Most of the really excellent coffee is roasted in Melbourne, but luckily enough we also have some decent roasters in Canberra. One of these is Red Brick Espresso in the suburb of Curtin.

The three of us discovered the café on a whim. We were dining out at a Braddon restaurant when we noticed that they served a brand of coffee we had never heard of before. That wasn’t going to fly. The following week we sought out Red Brick for…

As Australia’s capital, Canberra may have a high proportion of public servants and politicians, but when it comes to food and wine, it is anything but boring. Thanks to top class Australian wineries as Clonakilla (Shiraz Viognier) and Helm (Premium Riesling), our nation’s capital has justifiably taken its place alongside Australia’s best growing regions for wine. But two wineries does not a region make, as the Wine Wankers recently discovered when we visited Australia’s Capital of Wine.

Wine has been produced in Canberra for more than 160 years, but it’s only in the past 40 years the region has truly shined. If cool climate, food friendly styles are what you crave, you’ve come to the right place. Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and of course Shiraz Viognier blends all shine.

Yes – Canberra wine is exciting.