Weekend Wanderings

I seem to always have a million places on my list to visit in Hobart so I decided to check out a couple last weekend. As well as two new places I started at an old favourite, Salamanca Market.

I'm pretty sure most of you would have been to Salamanca Market at least once and so have I.  Usually like most Hobart locals I avoid the market because there is no parking and everything is overpriced but last Saturday I found myself with a spare hour in town and decided to spend in at Salamanca and I was glad I did.




There is a huge and eclectic range of stalls selling everything from clothes to cucumbers. 


 
I was impressed to see just how many stalls and products were proudly displaying 'made in Tasmania' and I was proud of our little state and it's many clever residents.
 
If you fancy a bite to eat the choice is endless, I'm particularly partial to the tempura mushrooms (I first had them at Taste of Tasmania and just can't get enough) washed down with a cool ginger beer from Gillespie's. But this time opted for a fresh apple as I was planning to indulge later in the day.

 When you need a break from the spending there are local buskers ready to entertain and coffee on practically every corner.


If you haven't been down to Salamanca recently, go! Or if you're visiting Hobart put it at the top of your list. I really enjoyed spending an hour or so browsing especially in the sunshine. Salamanca Market has beautiful character along with a happy, fun vibe that makes it feel almost like a festival. You can get all of the info from their Facebook page here.

Having worked up a thirst I decided to duck into Dickens Cider.
Dickens is a Tasmanian cider brewing company located in the Tamar Valley, they tried their hand at a ciderhouse in Launceston which went down a treat and now they have done the same thing down South.
I'm a cider drinker (along with wine, cocktails and the odd gin and tonic) and so when I heard of the expansion I was positively bubbling (and fizzing) to try it.

 I wasn't sure of what to expect of a ciderhouse but I was pleasantly surprised with the interior.
Really well themed decor with stacks of cider related furnishings. And you can't deny they have an awesome range of ciders - I opted for the rose which I'd tried at the Huon Valley Mid Winter Feast. 
 
Food wise they have oysters and cheese plates which I didn't try although they looked pretty delicious, personally I would have liked to see something more rustic to suit the setting like ploughman's lunches. I do know that you can take your own food so I would definitely take advantage of that. I really enjoyed the relaxed setting and delicious range of ciders so next time I will grab some takeaway food, play a board game with some friends and sip on a cool cider. If you're a cider fan make sure you give it a try.

Finally, some of you may have seen my picture on Facebook of a rather amazing looking doughnut.
If you didn't here it is.  

 It was from my new favorite little place called Small Fry and I've been fantasising about their donuts for at least a month.

They operate out of a small window and pretty tiny shop on Bathurst Street. 

 

The place may be small my friends but those doughnuts are a massive hit! 

I was desperate to try Turkish Delight flavour but they had sold out. So I (forced myself) to try the Finger Bun and Lemon Meringue Pie (above). 
 

I loved them.
I want more right now actually. 
If Small Fry keep this up I will be having doughnuts on a weekly basis, not to mention their other menu items. I'm desperate to try all of it! Don't worry, I'll let you know about it as soon as I do! You can find their details here and let me know if you've tried them, especially that Turkish Delight flavour doughnut! 

Any new places that you have been to recently? I'd love to hear your favourite spots for sweet treats in Hobart!

Vita: Nature + Culture & Giveaway!

As I mentioned in my Hobart Street Eats post I was pretty enthused about trying Vita: Nature + Culture so, we headed there on Sunday and I'm a convert.

Vita makes me feel happy inside AND out. 

I'm not a total saint when it comes to being 'green' but I like to recycle and buy locally where possible and it's really refreshing to see a company that adopts the same mantras in food and business practices.

The space is fresh, clean and Scandinavian. 

 

Multiple flavours of frozen yoghurt are a taste sensation, I had (mostly) salted caramel and chai. The salted caramel was deliciously salty and I loved that however, I wasn't too keen on the thirst from having too much salt! Maybe next time I shouldn't have so much? (Who am I kidding?!)

The toppings are so good they should definitely be bad for me. Think homemade marshmallows, brownies and crumble topping, along with fresh fruit, nuts and enough superfoods to keep even Lorna Jane happy!

I may have devoured mine a little too quickly for photos but it exists in my memory!

I think everyone should try Vita: Nature + Culture so I'm giving away a voucher for you (and a couple of mates depending on how big your servings are!) to try it.

All you have to do is 'like' my Facebook page, it's that simple!
(The link is on the right hand side of this page or here)
If you've already done this you can leave me a comment on my Facebook page or on this post just saying 'Vita' and I'll pop you in the running! I will let you know the winner via Facebook so keep an eye out!
 
Also, whilst I'm here those of you who follow me on Facebook or Instagram might have seen some snaps from Silver Falls. I totally loved it, a beautiful, short walk and one of the most photogenic falls I've ever seen!

If you're looking for somewhere to spend an hour of one of these glorious sunny days check it out here! 

Any plans for the weekend?

I'm thinking lazy brunches followed by long, sunny walks. 

Hobart Street Eats

I've recently been to a few Hobart eateries that I've really enjoyed, not restaurants as such but much less formal without compromising on taste. 

I like to drop by on the way home from work or before a movie or social gathering and feel like I've found the perfect balance between going out for dinner and still having my evening left to do what I please.

Starting at The Standard.

Nestled down Hudsons Lane off Liverpool Street are the hottest street burgers in town. 

The brilliant minds that brought us Pilgrim Coffee (a taste of Melbourne culture in our very own city) have ventured into the big wide world of street food with truly special results.

They started with a really simple range of burgers and extras but now offer specials too.

I opted for the very photogenic Cowboy - yee-haa!

And fries, naturally.

Being a chip girl I would have liked to have seen chunky chips on offer too but that's definitely not a complaint - these fries were so good I had to stop myself licking the paper bag.

The Standard is so much more than it's name suggests, it's hip (I can say hip without sounding too un-hip, right?) fresh and down right yum.

It's got a really nice vibe (helped by the very nice staff) and check out the roof, I love this picture!

We followed our visit up with Guardians of the Galaxy at the movies which was so worth the price of a cheap Tuesday ticket.

Next up Crumb Street Kitchen.

Crumb Street had been recommended to me via some very reliable foodie sources. When I didn't get to try them out at Huon Valley Winter Feast I decided to bite the proverbial bullet and chow down.

 

Such an awesome little space, although I was slightly chilly (I guess that comes with winter, hey?)

We opted for the Tourist - a special concoction of all things meaty plus two sides and bread.

 

The meat was as good as I expected and better. Tender well spiced and the perfect addition to the thick bread. My favorite was the lamb and I'm not a massive lamb fan so you know it must be good!

Has anyone tried the pulled pork burger? I would love to know what I'm missing out on!

That might be my Friday night!

Finally, dessert at White Cow.

Frozen yoghurt or 'fro-yo' if I may be so bold, is the coolest thing since Cold Rock. 

We checked out White Cow last week and I've been back since. Usually I would feel guilty about that admission but it's yoghurt therefore I can eat as much as I want, that's how it works isn't it?

There is something about a colorful lolly smorgasbord that brings out the child in me, therefore mine end up looking like a bit of an explosion but tasting amazing.

D was a little but more refined and his looked tasteful. Can you tell which one is which?!

 

White Cow is pretty cool, I especially like how they charge by weigh, it might stop a more rational person from putting so many toppings on. 

I've heard Vita: Nature + Culture is less mainstream and I like supporting the locals in Hobart so I will check it out this weekend and report back, pronto.

Have you been anywhere awesome to eat recently?

I'm planning a proper restaurant review soon but until then street eats are my pick for the chilly evenings, anything that means I can be wrapped up in bed before nine shamelessly bulk watching TV shows works for me!

 

Jam & Bread and Conningham Beach

The last few days of last week in Hobart were soggy to say the least, I just love the glorious sunny winter days we get but they seemed a thing of the past. Finally on Sunday there was a glimpse of sunshine a welcome change and something I was determined to take full advantage of. 

We started as most of my happy days start, with eggs and coffee.

Jam and Bread is a quaint tea shop on Margate's Main Street (yes, the same Margate as
My Margate train post!) and it seriously cute!

It makes me feel like I'm back in England again - ambling around the countryside looking for cake and tea. On this occasion however coffee and eggs were what I had in mind and I wasn't disappointed.

Jam and Bread alike Sweet Envy (blog post here) is one of those places I just really like to be it's a re purposed house and this makes it cozy without being stuffy. It has a comfort that I a liken to home which I appreciate, especially in winter.

In my opinion the food was great, my breakfast tart was really good and it was a fair price too!
I love value for money. It's almost as important as good dessert - almost....

The cakes are good old classics replicated to perfection and they really suit the setting.

I really enjoyed my breakfast but as with their cakes and their (fantastic) afternoon teas,  I would have liked more British inspiration with brekkie! I definitely could have handled a full English!

A share in T's rhubarb tart did wonders to forget about that though!

With my cake to take away (I couldn't miss out on cake!) we headed off in an attempt to walk off our indulgent breakfast. 

Conningham beach was our destination and when we landed here I was already overwhelmed by Tasmania's raw beauty.

And it doesn't end there! If you head to the right of the beach (towards the toilets) you come to a join in the Conningham Clifftop track.
I say a join because according to Kingborough Council the track starts and ends somewhere different to my walk - take a look here if you fancy a longer walk and I'll check it out next time!

It's fifteen minute walk to Legacy Beach and the views on the way are simply stunning.

It's by no means a difficult walk but I would suggest sensible shoes. 

You will arrive at Legacy Beach and if you're anything like me you will be amazed that somewhere like this is practically empty, it's secluded and entirely beautiful.

Doesn't our mountain look particularly spectacular with a dusting of snow?  

I got a little bit snap happy around about this time as I was trying to capture the incredible scenery and had a moment of contemplation - I came to the conclusion that you simply can't capture something as beautiful as this view, you have to go and see it with your own eyes, you have to breath in the salty air and throw stones into the clear water.  

 

After a while I dragged myself out of contemplation and deep thought and had some fun!

We grabbed some sticks and did a few drawings and wrote a few messages in the sand - I even had time for a little bit of blog advertising!

 

Any walks around Hobart that you love?

I'm also looking for mountain bike tracks if anybody has any good ones they know of?
It was my birthday this week and I need to try out my new wheels!

I'm having a party tonight and I might just tell you the details sometime!