fries « Eat. Travel. Bliss.

Finally we had a sunny day after lots of rain, so we had to get out in the sun, along with half of Sydney. We headed north to Palm Beach, to soak up the sun and the views. I’d long wanted to visit The Boat House, on the Pittwater side of Palm Beach, so it seemed a good day to do that.

On our way in to the cafe, our eyes boggled with the mass of flowers and decorator items on display, all superb quality.

With it being such a gorgeous day, the line for ordering was long, but we managed to find a table to sit, and just look around the cafe while we waited for lunch to arrive (which was surprisingly quick).

Every element of the cafe has been thoughtfully styled, with a casual but luxurious feel. The masses of flowers around, for sale, add to the atmosphere, along with the mix of tables with different textures, the combination of styles of chairs. All of the food we saw go by was well styled too, looking appetising.

And then there’s the superb view along Pittwater, with the water sparkling in the sun.

Our meals soon arrived. My friend ordered the chicken burger, which had been marinated, served with avocado, tomato, and tzatziki, and thick-cut fries.

We shared some crab cakes first, which were served with aioli. They were very light, fluffy, tasty.

And then I had to try the beer-battered fish (flathead) and chips, claimed to be the best on the northern beaches, and that just may well be true. The fish was firm but tender, almost sweet, with the batter perfect. The fries were almost crispy on the outside, soft in the middle. And, it was served with a very good home-made tartare sauce.

Other items on the menu which looked particularly good included a bucket of tiger prawns served with a home-made seafood sauce, or a dish with mussels, or a seafood platter (pacific oysters, kingfish sashimi, fresh tiger prawns, smoked trout and marinated olives), or burger which was huge, held together with a bamboo skewer (served with bacon, mixed lettuce, fresh tomato, caramelised onion, beetroot tapenade and tasty cheese). But everything looked good.

A good day to be outdoors.

The Boat House is suspended out over the Beach.

From here you can also catch a sea plane for scenic flights, or to restaurants, or over to Rose Bay.

I’ll certainly be back. Good, basic food, excellently prepared, in a stunning setting, in a place with relaxed style.

I’d like to try breakfast there some day. The menu includes some interesting options such as green eggs and ham (poached eggs, leg ham, heirloom tomatoes on thick cut crusty sourdough topped with basil pesto), smoked salmon eggs (poached eggs, spinach wrapped in smoked salmon, topped with goats cheese and balsamic glaze on soy and linseed sourdough) and boathouse baked beans (housemade baked beans, grilled, smashed chat potato, poached egg and gremolata sauce). Sounds good.

Details

Here are the details about The Boat House at time of posting. Please check their web site for more current details.

Web site	http://www.theboathousepb.com.au
Address	Barrenjoey Boathouse, Governor Phillip Park, Palm Beach NSW 2108
Phone	(02) 9974 3868
Open	Open Daily 7.30am – 4pm Breakfast 7:30am – 12 noon Lunch 12 noon – 3pm No Reservations taken, Seating available indoor & out Licensed + BYO (wine only)
Menu	Breakfast: $9-19 on average Lunch: $20-30 on average

Where do you like to to eat on a sunny day, to enjoy the view?

Sometimes you feel like some good basic food, something like a hamburger. I’ve been before to Grill’d at Crows Nest (with multiple other locations), serving interesting hamburger combinations, and decided to get back there. The hamburgers are full of fresh, healthy ingredients, and the herbed fries tasty.

What’s on the menu?

Here are some of the burgers on the menu, including beef, chicken, lamb and vegetarian:

Almighty: grilled 100% lean beef, tasty cheese, crispy trim bacon, free range egg, a couple of slices of beetroot with salad, relish and herbed mayo
Tuscan Delight: grilled chicken breast, roasted peppers, basil pesto, tasty cheese, salad and herbed mayo
Baa Baa Burger: grilled lean lamb pattie with avocado, tasty cheese, salad, relish and herbed mayo
Bombay Bliss: premium quality chickpea pattie with roasted peppers, tzatziki, salad and relish

They also serve salads for the times when you don’t want a hamburger.

What we ate

Last time I had the Zen Hen hamburger: grilled chicken breast with tangy satay sauce, coriander, shredded carrot, salad and herbed mayo:

There was lots of carrot, and the satay sauce is gentle, not overpowering, just adding to the mixture of flavours.

The buns are quality, light, and satisfying. You can choose to have a panini bun, the traditional (a wholemeal blend) with or without sesame seeds, or a gluten-free bun.

Their fries are thick-cut, crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle. They’re advertised as being cooked in low-cholesterol oil. They’re served herbed, and you can also order freshly made dipping sauces such as sweet chili mayo or herbed mayo.

There are plenty of tables inside and out. We sat out today, watching the world go by. Fun watching the people of all shapes and sizes and ages go by.

My choice for today was the Back Bar steak sandwich: grilled scotch fillet, crispy trim bacon, rocket, feta, tomato, spanish onion, tomato relish, herbed mayo on ciabatta::

Here’s how it looked inside:

Very tasty. I think I’d like any of the burgers served there, with the interesting, fresh ingredients. Serves are large, and I’ve wondered if their mini-burgers may even be big enough, especially with a serve of fries.

Sure, you could call this fast food, just because it’s burgers, but it’s a cut above, with fresh ingredients, flavourful, good-sized portions. Grill’d does satisfy the urge for a good burger.